I was born in Indiana and raised in Wyoming before moving to Colorado for college. Having grown up very crafty and creative, as well as a little nerdy, cosplay was a very natural progression for me. I started cosplaying in 1998, when wigs were scarce and only offered in natural colors. We learned sewing techniques from our grandmothers. The cosplay scene on the internet was just revving up, websites on Geocities and Angelfire popping up in droves. We camped on Kevin Lillard’s A Fan’s View website after conventions, praying for a photo of our costumes. It was fun and crazy and we made lifelong friends. I wouldn’t say I long for those days; I do love the rainbow confection of wigs available and the wealth of materials at our fingertips. But we were fresh and blazing new trails; nothing was more exciting.
One of my favorite cosplay memories is performing our winning Final Fantasy skit at Anime Expo 2006. We had a riot of a time from the initial idea, the script writing, and the final performance on stage in Anaheim. It truly was a bunch of friends just having a really good time, and it really showed in our performance. Many of us have gone on to celebrate in each other’s weddings and the lives of our children, really demonstrating the bond we created as people, much deeper than just the costumes.