I’ve always been a big fan of superheroes and I have a big fondness for a lot of the classics, especially Golden Age (1940s) versions.  A friend and I had worked out to be Flashes together.  I was going to be the classic Jay Garrick Flash and she was going to be Kid Flash (Wally West).  Jay’s helmet has always been an iconic piece to me, so I couldn’t resist the chance to cosplay one of my favorites.

I grew up in a small community kind of in the country, so there weren’t really a lot of other nerdy/geeky kids around.  I was picked on and bullied a lot by the other kids at school but my parents were always very supportive of most hobbies and creative activities, though.  I didn’t get to attend my first convention until I was in my mid-teens due to there just not being any in the general area.

Cosplay, to me, is a way to break out of my confines of day to day life and just enjoy time with some like-minded people.  If not cosplay then I wouldn’t have nearly the friends I do now.  It’s the main reason I managed to get to know so many wonderful people in my life–people who have stood by me through good times and bad.  The only real cons I can think of related to cosplay are the cost and annoyance when something doesn’t go right, but that is just a learning experience. As for the cost, well I’d probably just waste that money on something else if I didn’t have cosplay. 😉