“You’re just a geek.”
“You’re still a virgin right?”
“But aren’t you a bit old to be dressing up?”
“Can I touch it?”
“Can I touch it?
Can I touch it?”
No!
“You’re a geek!”
I’m not a geek, I think you are though aren’t you?
Yes I am.
I love being a geek.
“Oh God, what are you doing?
What are you doing?
This is weird.”
“Nerd, loser…”
“Baby, big baby.”
“Child.”
Being a geek just means you’re really passionate about something, and like, you’re not ashamed
to show it.
Everyone’s a geek about something, you’ve got to.
If you’re interested in something you’re a geek about it.
And geeks make money you know, geeks make your iPhone.
“Do you ever cosplay during sex?”
It happens.
I know I know, but never to us, because I won’t let you.
No.
There’s no bodily fluids going near my costume.
Plus my costumes are like really expensive, so if he rips that, I will punch him.
There’s nothing unsexier than standing there and being like, “Hey man, can you undo my
zip?
I can’t actually reach it I’ve got false nails on.”
If you’ve got all of these outfits in your wardrobe already and some of them you know,
you look really good in, then why not?
Also when you come out of costume you look so gross, because you’ll have wig hair and
you’ll have bits of tape stuck to you, it’s really sweaty and maybe there’s paint on
you, nah it’s so gross.
Yeah it’s sweaty and yeah.
It’s just disappointment from like, it looks great on the outside, when all the control
wear comes off, you’re kinda like, I don’t want this now, take me back.
I’m Mad Max.
I’m Jolteon.
I’m Mad Eyed Moody.
I am Shenron.
I’m Espeon.
Hi I’m Gotenks.
I am Moana!
And we’re...cosplayers!
Cosplayers!
Imagine being your most favourite actor and walking around and everyone just wants a picture
with you.
They want this, they want that and you’re treated like a celebrity.
Sometimes it’s just so obvious, like who you’re supposed to be, and then people go,
“Oh who are you dressed as today?”
Mad Max!
I’m dressed as Mad Max.
It’s obvious.
I say it’s quite empowering, you know you can walk into a room and you just feel like,
you feel quite strong.
I feel quite strong.
When you get spotted as a niche character in costume, you know you’ve almost immediately
made a friend.
Yeah.
Because you’re like, “Yes!”.
We both like this series or this thing enough to get it.
We both like obscure anti-communist political cartoons from 1904.
Let’s be friends!
“But you’re still a virgin right?”
Oh God.
Fucking hell.
Well I blimmin hope not.
I’ve been with you nearly three years.
I know so many couples that do this and one of my mates is practically swimming in it.
You’re obviously still a child at heart, you can’t possibly know what sex is.
It’s none of your business, but nerds do nerds.
I mean if anything it can actually help you in the bedroom.
Guarantee at Comic Con everyone in that hotel room is getting busy.
“Oh I got with Snow White or Princess Leia last night.”
“Can I touch it?”
If you put that much money and effort into something that’s possibly quite delicate,
no you cannot touch it.
If people just start grabbing at you, you can a bit like, “Eurgh, get off me”.
It’s like, I don’t really like people anyway.
“Oh you have a prop, can I hold it?”
Already holding it, they’ve already taken it, it’s not really a question.
I’ve actually caught somebody mid like, like with it over their head and I’m just
like, “Don’t you dare.”
“Can I touch your cosplay?”
by which I mean grope you.
I’ve had guys touch my butt for no reason.
It put me off doing certain costumes, because you’d know that you’d get really horrible
attention that you didn’t want.
I think the similar thing that comes under that is when people take photos of you, when
you’re not ready.
I have a prop for ruining snapped photos.
This one girl leans down like that, right behind my arse and her mate takes a picture.
So I’ve got on video these two girls, having a photograph, with my arse.
“Is it because you don’t like you’re real life?”
I love my real life.
My real life’s great.
My real life at the moment is quite difficult, so yes it is kind of an escape for me.
I love my job, I’ve got a band that I really love playing in, I’ve got other hobbies,
I’m active, I go to the gym, I do things, I’ve got friends, I do have friends.
This character in particular, I felt so powerful, just walking around and being all shiny and
just being something I’m not in myself.
I know friends who suffer from anxiety, depression and a lot of mental illness’ and because
of cosplay they’ve been able to open up about themselves.
They’ve been able to even step outside of their front door.
I feel like I’m more myself, I feel happier.
Like, I can express myself.
“But, why?”
Why not?
Because I want to do it.
Why do you wear khakis?
And like, go to the coffee shop and…
I don’t know what normal people do.
We’re making friends, we’re having a laugh, we enjoy what we do, and again, coming back
to the whole childcare thing, we bring a smile to someone’s face.
Or a really confused look to someone.
Why do you make tiny model boats?
It kills time and it makes me forget about the fact that I’m slowly dying.
There we go, that’s why I do it.