Cosplayer Interview: Kitsune Kid!
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| Photo by Cantera Cosplay |
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| Photo by Mikey Mongol Photography |
Various outfits really stand out to Kitsune as she can't really pin down a favorite outfit. Crimson Viper has sort of evolved into her "trademark cosplay", the Pokemon gijinkas show off her creativity side since each are designed solely by her, and her Miqo'te Monk which was made for Final Fantasy Fan Fest (which she was a guest at!) has quickly earned a spot on her list. Most of Kitsune's cosplays come from anime with video games coming up as a second outlet! Comic books have been something she's looking into more after being encouraged by her friends!
I really enjoyed reading these answers she gave me and I hope you guys do as well! :)
What got you into cosplay and how long have you been doing it?
I’ve been cosplaying for about 4 years now. I got into cosplay originally because a few friends in college thought I’d be good at it but it ended up becoming so much more to me. It’s now a creative outlet and a way to challenge myself to learn new skills, make new goals and meet new people!
Which cosplay was the first you ever created?
That depends on your definition of created! I made a cringeworthy “Zombie Link” for a zombie crawl back in 2011 but my first cosplay I made with the intention of wearing it to a convention was Yoko Littner. (I made bits and pieces of the costume. Some parts were ordered and I commissioned my rifle, which I still use with my updated Yoko Littner cosplay)
Thinking back to the last convention you were at, did you enjoy it?
Of course! MAGfest was one of my favorite conventions last year and even though I had a lot of challenges along the way, it didn’t disappoint this year either. :D
What cosplay(s) did you bring to this convention?
Not very much because of time and money constraints but I brought classic Crimson Viper, Tifa Lockhart and Vinyl Scratch among a couple of rave outfits to wear with my best friend, Byndo Gehk!
What is your favorite cosplay you’ve made so far?
That’s really tough to answer. I love Crimson Viper and she’s become somewhat of a trademark cosplay for me. All my Pokemon gijinkas hold a special place in my heart since I designed each of them myself and really show off my creativity. Angewomon was my most expensive, intensive and painful costume but also one of the most popular (not to mention one of my favorite characters from anime history) but of my recent additions to my cosplay roster, my Miqo’te Monk, has quickly become one of my favorites as well. Since I was sponsored by Square Enix to make it for Final Fantasy Fan Fest, I was pretty much financially unrestricted while I had only a week to make it. I can’t wait to wear it again! :D
What got you into being a geek?
Family! I was raised on a steady diet of Nintendo, Studio Ghibli and Toonami.
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?
See previous statement. :) Naturally, my sister is also a huge geek.
I’ve been cosplaying for about 4 years now. I got into cosplay originally because a few friends in college thought I’d be good at it but it ended up becoming so much more to me. It’s now a creative outlet and a way to challenge myself to learn new skills, make new goals and meet new people!
Which cosplay was the first you ever created?
That depends on your definition of created! I made a cringeworthy “Zombie Link” for a zombie crawl back in 2011 but my first cosplay I made with the intention of wearing it to a convention was Yoko Littner. (I made bits and pieces of the costume. Some parts were ordered and I commissioned my rifle, which I still use with my updated Yoko Littner cosplay)
Thinking back to the last convention you were at, did you enjoy it?
Of course! MAGfest was one of my favorite conventions last year and even though I had a lot of challenges along the way, it didn’t disappoint this year either. :D
What cosplay(s) did you bring to this convention?
Not very much because of time and money constraints but I brought classic Crimson Viper, Tifa Lockhart and Vinyl Scratch among a couple of rave outfits to wear with my best friend, Byndo Gehk!
What is your favorite cosplay you’ve made so far?
That’s really tough to answer. I love Crimson Viper and she’s become somewhat of a trademark cosplay for me. All my Pokemon gijinkas hold a special place in my heart since I designed each of them myself and really show off my creativity. Angewomon was my most expensive, intensive and painful costume but also one of the most popular (not to mention one of my favorite characters from anime history) but of my recent additions to my cosplay roster, my Miqo’te Monk, has quickly become one of my favorites as well. Since I was sponsored by Square Enix to make it for Final Fantasy Fan Fest, I was pretty much financially unrestricted while I had only a week to make it. I can’t wait to wear it again! :D
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| Photo by Eurobeat Kasumi Photography |
What got you into being a geek?
Family! I was raised on a steady diet of Nintendo, Studio Ghibli and Toonami.
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?
See previous statement. :) Naturally, my sister is also a huge geek.
What first drew me to your cosplay work was your incredible Wartortle gijinka! I even
used it to help with my Greninja gijinka (which you saw in person!). What made you
decide on the Valkyrie look? What was it like creating the cosplay as a whole?
Wartortle’s little winged ears reminded me of Valkyrie healms! I just took that idea and ran with it, researching how Valkyries were depicted in Norse lore and taking bits and pieces of their looks to add to my design while still staying true to Wartortle’s general appearance. I chose Wartortle because when I first played through Pokemon Blue, I did indeed choose Squirtle. I kept my Wartortle from evolving for the longest time because I thought he looked so cool!
You seem to mainly cosplay from video games and comic book characters. Do you a preferable medium that you enjoy more than another?
Actually, the majority of my cosplays are from anime series! Video game cosplays come in a close second place though, followed by comics books. The majority of my cosplays are steeply video games and anime because I only recently delved into the world of comics! After I got into cosplay, I was urged by many friends to look into it and I’m glad I did. Comic books just weren’t something I was raised with. The only exposure to comics I had as a kid was the X-Men animated series (which I loved) and Batman:TAS. I enjoy cosplaying from all mediums of geekery because I connect to every character I cosplay.
One of your cosplay partners in crime is Byndo Gehk, who I think I discovered at around
the same time I found your page! Both of you have done team up cosplays like more
recently Polaris and Scarlet Witch. What’s it like working with her and having photo
shoots together?
We are basically sisters. In fact, even our mothers have confused us in photos when we show them our cosplays! Working with someone I’m so close with just comes naturally. We are into really similar stuff while still retaining our individuality. We nearly always agree on everything and lean on each other through thick and thin, whether cosplaying or otherwise.
We plan on making so many more cosplays together that we might even make a dedicated duo cosplaying page just for our stuff together. <3
I mentioned how amazing your Wartortle gijinka was and loved seeing he wasn’t the only Pokémon you created a humanoid version for! I’m guessing you have a love for the franchise which drove you to create multiple Pokémon outfits? What goes into selecting the ones you want to cosplay as?
Selecting Pokemon to cosplay is surprisingly not such a lucrative process. I have many Pokemon that are my favorites. I tend to like Fire, Electric and Dragon types. If a Pokemon looks cool and I think it would translate into a neat gijinka design, I usually sit down and sketch it and then decide if I like my design enough to cosplay it! That’s it, really. :) Pokemon are also fantastic for group cosplays because there are so many to choose from so everyone can pick one!
Wartortle’s little winged ears reminded me of Valkyrie healms! I just took that idea and ran with it, researching how Valkyries were depicted in Norse lore and taking bits and pieces of their looks to add to my design while still staying true to Wartortle’s general appearance. I chose Wartortle because when I first played through Pokemon Blue, I did indeed choose Squirtle. I kept my Wartortle from evolving for the longest time because I thought he looked so cool!
You seem to mainly cosplay from video games and comic book characters. Do you a preferable medium that you enjoy more than another?
Actually, the majority of my cosplays are from anime series! Video game cosplays come in a close second place though, followed by comics books. The majority of my cosplays are steeply video games and anime because I only recently delved into the world of comics! After I got into cosplay, I was urged by many friends to look into it and I’m glad I did. Comic books just weren’t something I was raised with. The only exposure to comics I had as a kid was the X-Men animated series (which I loved) and Batman:TAS. I enjoy cosplaying from all mediums of geekery because I connect to every character I cosplay.
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| Photo by OhHeyItsSK |
We are basically sisters. In fact, even our mothers have confused us in photos when we show them our cosplays! Working with someone I’m so close with just comes naturally. We are into really similar stuff while still retaining our individuality. We nearly always agree on everything and lean on each other through thick and thin, whether cosplaying or otherwise.
We plan on making so many more cosplays together that we might even make a dedicated duo cosplaying page just for our stuff together. <3
I mentioned how amazing your Wartortle gijinka was and loved seeing he wasn’t the only Pokémon you created a humanoid version for! I’m guessing you have a love for the franchise which drove you to create multiple Pokémon outfits? What goes into selecting the ones you want to cosplay as?
Selecting Pokemon to cosplay is surprisingly not such a lucrative process. I have many Pokemon that are my favorites. I tend to like Fire, Electric and Dragon types. If a Pokemon looks cool and I think it would translate into a neat gijinka design, I usually sit down and sketch it and then decide if I like my design enough to cosplay it! That’s it, really. :) Pokemon are also fantastic for group cosplays because there are so many to choose from so everyone can pick one!
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| Photo by Photosnxs |
Do you have a certain favorite video game genre?
I love RPG’s, MMO’s (former WoW junkie here!), and fighting games, although I recently got into FPS games and I’m slowly getting better at them. :D Lately, I’ve been binging on Destiny and Diablo III when I’m not working!
What do you think about cosplay as it is now hitting the mainstream?
No matter where cosplay goes, it will always be the same thing to me. It’s a medium through which I challenge myself to create a different form of art and through which I can connect with friends and geeks everywhere. Most importantly, it’s nice that so many people take the time to like my page and follow my work BUT in the end, it makes me happy and that’s all that matters.
Do you have any upcoming cosplays for this year that you’re able to share?
Me and Byndo are always bouncing ideas back and forth but some things I’d like to be able to pursue this year if I can afford it are some more Pokemon gijinkas I’ve been sitting on for a while and possibly redoing some old cosplays that deserve more love. :)
Do you imagine cosplaying being a part of your life within the next 5 years and do you hope to evolve your skill set?
I might have to take a break from cosplaying for a while due to some financial struggles but I definitely don’t plan on dropping it entirely. I’d like to save up and make some really impressive armor pieces. I have the isolated skills, I just need to combine them and give myself enough time to make something I can really be proud of.
What’s a day in the life of Kitsune Kid? How did you come up with that name change from KO Cosplay?
I’m honestly not very interesting. I work a lot. When I’m not at work, I’m working on my small businesses at home, either sewing or knitting! I try to get some gaming in even though I’m so busy since it helps me de-stress. I’m going to be a lot more active on my Twitch channel in the upcoming months.
Well, it's no secret that I love canid and lupine creatures and Japanese culture. More specifically, the Kitsune (or "fox" in Japanese) is a common occurrence in Japanese folklore. They can be both benevolent and malevolent, can have magical powers and, most relevantly, can shapeshift into people! As a cosplayer, I take on many different forms every time I cosplay a new character, so I thought this was quite a fitting name. Adding "Kid" into the end just makes it sound punky. I'm a bit of a punk and that alliteration does sound awfully nice.
Any upcoming game releases you’re looking forward to?
THE BORDERLANDS HANDSOME COLLECTIONS SO I CAN PLAY WITH MY FRIENDS ON PS4 HNNNNG thank you, basedgod Gearbox.
Do you have a favorite convention?
I love RPG’s, MMO’s (former WoW junkie here!), and fighting games, although I recently got into FPS games and I’m slowly getting better at them. :D Lately, I’ve been binging on Destiny and Diablo III when I’m not working!
What do you think about cosplay as it is now hitting the mainstream?
No matter where cosplay goes, it will always be the same thing to me. It’s a medium through which I challenge myself to create a different form of art and through which I can connect with friends and geeks everywhere. Most importantly, it’s nice that so many people take the time to like my page and follow my work BUT in the end, it makes me happy and that’s all that matters.
Do you have any upcoming cosplays for this year that you’re able to share?
Me and Byndo are always bouncing ideas back and forth but some things I’d like to be able to pursue this year if I can afford it are some more Pokemon gijinkas I’ve been sitting on for a while and possibly redoing some old cosplays that deserve more love. :)
Do you imagine cosplaying being a part of your life within the next 5 years and do you hope to evolve your skill set?
I might have to take a break from cosplaying for a while due to some financial struggles but I definitely don’t plan on dropping it entirely. I’d like to save up and make some really impressive armor pieces. I have the isolated skills, I just need to combine them and give myself enough time to make something I can really be proud of.
What’s a day in the life of Kitsune Kid? How did you come up with that name change from KO Cosplay?
I’m honestly not very interesting. I work a lot. When I’m not at work, I’m working on my small businesses at home, either sewing or knitting! I try to get some gaming in even though I’m so busy since it helps me de-stress. I’m going to be a lot more active on my Twitch channel in the upcoming months.
Well, it's no secret that I love canid and lupine creatures and Japanese culture. More specifically, the Kitsune (or "fox" in Japanese) is a common occurrence in Japanese folklore. They can be both benevolent and malevolent, can have magical powers and, most relevantly, can shapeshift into people! As a cosplayer, I take on many different forms every time I cosplay a new character, so I thought this was quite a fitting name. Adding "Kid" into the end just makes it sound punky. I'm a bit of a punk and that alliteration does sound awfully nice.
Any upcoming game releases you’re looking forward to?
THE BORDERLANDS HANDSOME COLLECTIONS SO I CAN PLAY WITH MY FRIENDS ON PS4 HNNNNG thank you, basedgod Gearbox.
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| Photo by M1photo. Polaris by Byndo Gehk. |
Do you have a favorite convention?
I’d have to say Colossalcon.
What was the last TV Show you binge watched?
I rewatched MLP:FIM with my roommate. It was my 4th time.
I really want to thank Kitsune Kid for taking the time out of her busy life to answer these questions for me and I hope you enjoyed them! To Kitsune, I miss you so much and I hope I get to see you again soon :D. Please be sure to check out Kitsune Kid on these sites!
What was the last TV Show you binge watched?
I rewatched MLP:FIM with my roommate. It was my 4th time.
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| Photo by Felix Wong Photography |
I really want to thank Kitsune Kid for taking the time out of her busy life to answer these questions for me and I hope you enjoyed them! To Kitsune, I miss you so much and I hope I get to see you again soon :D. Please be sure to check out Kitsune Kid on these sites!
