Cosplayer Interview: DeAnna Davis/It's Raining Neon!
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| Photo by It's Raining Neon |
DeAnna is a truly unique cosplayer hailing from Virginia. Looking through her cosplay portfolio is
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| Photo by AshB Imags |
When talking about her life surrounded by all this pop culture she mentions playing the Atari at a young age. Her mother is a beast when playing Pac-Man on an arcade cabinet, and how there are at max 4 handheld gaming devices going off at the same time always. A truly epic selection of careers are what she hopes to go into for the future and she loves comics with The Flash holding a special place in her heart. Not only that but she's made outfits for 2/3 of the Gotham City Sirens and 1/3 of the Birds of Prey! Hopefully these questions will give you a better look at what DeAnna is like!
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| Photo by It's Raining Neon |
Thank You so much for giving me the opportunity to Interview you DeAnna! To start off, where are based in for your crazy adventures?
Virgina, USA
Now how long have you been cosplaying and how did you get into it?
I've been cosplaying for 8 years , I kinda tripped over the hobby actually. I've always loved playing dress up as a kid and naturally I'd dress up like my heros on tv or in my games. Many years later I would spend all of October waiting for Halloween to dress as the character i'd spent the whole month deciding on, and designing characters more or less all the rest of the year in sketchbooks. About that same time my cousins told me what cosplay was and that the at conventions they go to it's really common. Went to my first convention and it blew my freeking mind. Haven't stopped since.
Do you have a favorite cosplay you’ve done?
I think right now it be my Salvador gender bend cosplay or my Mara Jade costume both are costumes I had wanted to make for years before there actually creation and both are really comfortable.
What got you into being a geek?
I don't really think I ever really "got into being a geek" unless you mean when I was first called a geek and I guess that was in Middle school when It was being called after me down the hall but that's when it was still meant as an insult. I've basically been into geeky culture since I was really young my mom would catch me up at night when I was 5 sneaking outta bed to go play Atari and now 18 years later not much has changed XD haha.
Do you have any other members of your family who are into what you enjoy? Or are you at present the only “geek” in the family?
My whole family plays video games some more casually than others but at family get together's there is always at least 4 handhelds in the room at a time. My mom is still a monster at Pac Man arcade machines, you ever wanta see some of the craziest pac man gameage of your life give this woman some quarters.
Do you have a favorite convention? Why is it your favorite?
Magfest or Pax east would be my top ones, they are kinda tied for favorite but forbeing so similar pax is kinda like a bigger more commercialized magfest in ways but I love all the uniquepanels and both conventions , amazing concerts at night, killer awesome random people to play table top games with, L.A.N. rooms, and as someone who's played videogames since they were five the amount of gamer friendly video game & community focus at both conventions is amazingballz.
Going through your pictures, you definitely aren’t afraid to be funny making all these wacky derp faces! Do you feel that it’s a part of how your personality is?
Very much so, I'm a very animated and goofy person normally so even when I have to serious up for costume shoot behind the scenes i'm still goofing around . The derps from shoots kinda provided a window into my normal self outside of trying to portray a character.
Some of your armor cosplays are absolutely insane! Your Diablo 3 and World of Warcraft cosplays especially look incredible! If you could make a best estimate, how long does it take to create outfits of that scale?
My first suit of armor took about a Month, but now it takes about a week if I have all the materials on hand and uninterrupted work time.
You definitely cover a wide variety of cosplays from gender bends to females that have that same crazy personality I mentioned earlier. What’s the process like for choosing a character you want to cosplay?
I basically pick from what ever i'm playing, reading, or watching at the time. I pick characters I love and am inspired by. Though that list get's long quick , and money is a limited resource, so I have to pick and choose my top ones.
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| Photo by AshB Images |
There are so many favorite outfits I have of yours that I wish I could ask about them all but I don’t want to make this interview too long ^^. Your Mad Moxxi looks simply amazing! I notice how you made both her outfits from the first 2 Borderlands games. Is it the outfit or Moxxi’s character you like the most?
It's certainly for Moxxi as a character but I don't like her for her usual more well known personality traits though. I actually really warmed up to Moxxi's character after you find out in the game she took her kids ( scooter and elle) and ran from the Hodunk clan to save their lives in hope of a better future and changed everything about herself to keep them hidden and safe. Hence her miles of makeup etc. I loved her Underdome and sass in Borderlands but Borderlands 2 sold me on her with her deeper inner strengths.
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| Photo by It's Raining Neon |
Along with cosplay, you also have a portfolio/album dedicated to head-shots with beyond incredible make-up matching famous characters! Is make-up one of your strengths as well?
It was something I taught myself to be a better cosplayer so I could more fully transform myself from character to the next.
At this past PAX East where I talked with you for a while, you were working for a company promoting their new game Revolution 60! What was that whole experience like?
This was my first time costuming for a company but it was the best possible experience I could have had. I can't wait to work with them again someday .
How was the outfit you made for the company done?
I selected the fabrics from Spandex house while I was visiting New York and patterned it out and sewed it up.All the raised texturing on the suit was hand painted one tiny square at a time which took the longest portion of the work time. The prop blade gun was made with eva and sculpted over to get all the layer detailing.
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| Photo by It's Raining Neon |
During our time talking we mentioned mainly video games and what booths to go check out. What was your favorite thing you’ve seen/done at PAX East when you weren’t working at the booth?
There was this fantastic indi game who's name i sadly can't recall at this moment but it is it's a 2d fighter you play with the kinect. You play as one of two dueling gentlemen who are strapping fellows and also happen to have have giant noodle arms and you have to flail your arms around in from of the camera to slap you opponent to win the duel. Totally brilliant fun.
What’s an average day for DeAnna Davis like?
Wake up make some food, hopefully in the form of breakfast, and trod off to my studio where i spend 90% of my day working on rave outfit and Kigurumi commissions, new cosplay, poster orders, new photo shoot plans, and of course gaming. Towards evening I go for a run ,wrestle the neighbor's pet grizzly bear, then go for a bike ride. Afterwards dinner, a shower, and I catch up on internet land.
Do you see cosplay still being an important part of your life a few years from now?
Absolutely!
Do you know what kind of career you want to get into for the future?
Yes! Though there are a few different fields i'd like to pursue, animation, game development, costume design, prop and effects work for film are among the tops.
And lastly, if you had to pick 2 people to fight with you during the inevitable Zombie Apocalypse, who would you choose and why?
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| Photo by It's Raining Neon |
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| Photo by It's Raining Neon |
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| Photo by Martin Wong |
I want to thank DeAnna so so much again for giving me this opportunity! I'm really looking forward to seeing her at NYCC again this year unless that changes to seeing her sooner :). Hopefully the photos I showed give you a taste of just how diverse she is. If you want to keep up with her adventures and crazy antics, check out these links!
