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Cosplay Feature: Laney Feni's Supergirl!

  Photo by Maze Studio The last time I shared cosplayer Laney Feni, it was via her amazing Fem Aquaman cosplay she did a few years ago. Originally for today's piece I wanted to gush over how stellar she looks in her Post-Apocalyptic version of Supergirl but that led me to sharing with you another version that's more of the character's classic look. If you were to dive into her cosplay portfolio, Laney has definitely cosplayed Kara Zor-El numerous times but this version draws heavy inspiration in both the design and feel of the old Zack Snyder take on Superman. Between this classic design and the other variant I mentioned earlier, the only difference really boils down to pants and the cape's use. We'll get to that later of course! For starters, Kara's look here consists of a long sleeved tank top like piece and pants with the midriff being shown. I'm pretty sure that this is Laney's natural hair too which really is perfect for Supergirl!

Cosplayer Interview: Marie Grey

This week’s featured cosplayer is the lovely Marie Grey! She is a city girl from New York, who makes some pretty awesome outfits (some include gender bending!). She is big into DC Comics, having cosplayed various characters like Poison Ivy, Zatanna, and Black Canary. On the video game side of things, she has done an INCREDIBLE Rule 63 of Auron from Final Fantasy 10 and more recent the Splicer from Bioshock! Not only that, but she also does cosplay photography!




Photo by Chou-wa Photography and Cosplay


What is your name? 

Marie Grey

Where are you from? 

Brooklyn, NY

How long have you been cosplaying? 

Four and a half years, but I've only been making my own costumes for a little over a year.

What is your favorite cosplay you’ve made so far? 

I loved the challenges I faced while creating female Auron from Final Fantasy X. I wanted to make it a bit more feminine, but still keep it as true to the original character. I learned a lot of new techniques and made a lot of mistakes, but it was a great experience. My favorite character of all that I've done, though, is Black Canary from Birds of Prey, simply because she's my favorite comic book character of all time.

Are there any upcoming outfits that you are able to share/tell? 

I was working on the Injustice design for Wonder Woman, but was really unhappy with how it was turning out. I've since been working on classic Wondie, New 52 Poison Ivy, and Lois Lane from All-Star Superman. Once those are all done, I'll be taking on the challenge of pleather pleather pleather for my steampunk Catwoman to be debuted at New York Comic Con.

How did you get into cosplay? 

I didn't even want to do it! A friend begged me to go to New York Comic Con with her in 2009. I was really uncomfortable with the entire ordeal, but I made some really great friends in the end...so then I kept going and kept planning more costumes.

Including cosplay, you also have a hobby of cosplay photography! How did you get into doing something like that? 

I took photography and other media classes in high school. After having worked with so many wonderful photographers in the past few years, I decided I wanted to take up the hobby again!

Who’s your favorite video game character? 

This is impossible to answer. I play so many different video games each year that I'm just in love with everything. At the moment, I love the cast of the first Bioshock game, as well as the cast of Borderlands 2.

Who’s your favorite comic book character? 

Black Canary from Birds of Prey. I loved how empowering she is and I first started reading Birds of Prey, when Gail Simone started writing it. It was one of my more vulnerable moments in life...the end of high school and beginning of college. Everything about her personality was everything I wanted to be.

What was a memorable con moment? Worst con moment? 

At Katsucon this past year, someone gifted me fingerless Batman gloves because he knew how much I loved Batman. It was heartwarming to see someone I barely knew (outside of the comments he left on my page every now and again) thought of me and did something so nice.
I haven't had too many moments at conventions that were particularly bad...which is pretty awesome!

Do you have a favorite convention you go to/been to? 

Katsucon! Katsucon! Katsucon! It's the con that I'll go to every year no matter what.

What advice would you offer to those that want to get into cosplay?

Just do it! If you're weary about creating cosplays, commission one from a friend or local artist. If you want to take the plunge in creating your own, buy a beginner sewing machine and start off with simple things to practice with. When you finally feel like you have the hang of it, pick a simple cosplay and get started. And when all else fails, there are tutorials for almost EVERYTHING on YouTube.

What is your favorite part of cosplaying as a character?

I make it a point to only cosplay characters I really like, so it's not really a challenge. I'm drawn to female characters that are independent and have a strong head on their shoulders, even if their strength often finds them trouble. I like being able to take a photo or drawing and turn it into a real-life thing. It's amazing to see the tiny pieces all come together to make the big picture.

When did you know you wanted to do something like cosplay as a hobby?

Meeting all the incredible people at conventions with similar interests are really what draws me to it and keep me going. I love the creative process of putting a cosplay together, but being able to share it with fellow geeks is amazing!

Do you have other members of your family who are also into games, comics? Or are you presently the only “geek” in your family? 

My parents owned an NES a bit before I was born. I grew up watching them play Super Mario, Duck Hunt, Tetris, Zelda, and Donkey Kong. My mom read Archie comics when she was younger, and got me into the habit of reading them as well. As I got older, I just fell deeper into the geek world. My brother is a big gamer now and I'm introducing my family to cosplay. They're even joining me at New York Comic Con this year! 
 


Picture:


Photo by Soulfire Photography


How did you make this outfit?
I was terrified to even start this. I really liked to Kotobukiya design and decided I'd make something similar to that. I found a bunny suit tutorial online and spent a good two or three hours drafting up a pattern. When I finally felt comfortable with all of the planning, I cut out my pieces, pinned them together, and just went with it. And then I messed up. A lot. It was the first time I ever had to sew a zipper and the portion near my butt looked really weird. I didn't want to start all over from scratch since everything else looked the way I wanted it to, so I did my best to fix what I could and decided to create a mini bustle skirt to cover anything else that didn't look perfect. After that, I just added some leaves and flowers throughout the wig and bodysuit.
How long did it take to complete it?
I actually managed to finish it pretty quickly. I think everything was done in a week.


Photo by M1 Photo
Photo by Melancholy Cosplay Photography
Photo by First Person Shooter
Photo by P. Karpey Photography

Conclusion:
Hopefully this gave a better idea on how awesome Marie is. Definitely expect pictures of her when I FINALLY meet her at New York Comic Con this year! If you want to follow more of her work or get to know her more:

Facebook page (Cosplay): http://facebook.com/MarieGreyCosplay
Facebook page (Photography): http://facebook.com/alchemist.fotos

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