Introducing the Newest Geek of Oz Member, Eve Beauregard!

Photo by WhatABigCamera.com

Ryan: It's my absolute pleasure to introduce the newest member of the Geek of Oz family, cosplayer extraordinaire, Eve Beauregard!

First of all thanks for having a chat and WELCOME TO THE GEEK OF OZ CREW! What can we expect to see from you?

Eve: Delighted to be a part of the team! I’ll be writing about the many awesome aspects of cosplay, be it features and interviews of talented cosplayers, tutorials or any other hot topic in the community. I'm really excited to bring the world of cosplay through my eyes to Geek of Oz. 

We should probably start off with your origin story. How did you get your start in cosplay?

I attended my first convention when I was about 14 and have been thoroughly convinced ever since that cosplayers and other hardcore geeks are absolute rockstars. I couldn't wait to try my hand at it, so the next year at Supanova Pop Culture Expo I dressed as Poison Ivy. Looking back on it now makes me cringe like you cannot believe, but everybody starts somewhere! I've made about six different incarnations of Ivy since then.

From inception to final product, how long does it usually take to create a costume?

This is always a tough question because every costume is different, both in design and in priority. Sometimes I will spend months on something, for example there are countless hours of work in my Injustice: Gods Among Us Harley Quinn costume. I spent a lot of time getting the minute details of the costume down and hunting embellishments that replicated hers, first and foremost because I adore the character and wanted to do the best job I could but also because I planned to wear her to one of the biggest conventions of the year. I had to bring my A game! However other, simpler designs, the one that comes to mind is my Velma Dinkley, don’t require hours of pattern making and sewing to complete. I only made Velma for a quick, fun photoshoot and the time invested usually reflects the end use. 

Photo by WhatABigCamera.com

Considering how much time you spend on cosplay, what other geeky pursuits do you get in to?

I sometimes wonder how I find time to sleep with all of the things I'm into. I'm a huge film buff, a bookworm, a gamer, an artist and a writer. The great thing about cosplay is I get to utilise a lot of my creative skills in one hobby. I have a graphic and fashion design background, so I make all of my costumes, often create my own designs, storyboard photoshoots and edit nearly all of my own photos. I’m lucky enough to have a very collaborative working partnership with a fantastic Sydney photographer Kris Ezergailis of What a Big Camera, he lets me indulge all my creative urges through my cosplay photos!

Does this effect which characters you choose to portray?

Definitely. You’ll find that my costumes aren't just from comic books or games, but pretty across the board. The diversity of characters I fall in love with is a testament to how much time I spend in front of screens or with my head in books, haha.

If you had to choose one, which would be your favourite costume so far? Or is that like asking you to choose your favourite child?

That’s pretty difficult! It’s so hard to choose just one because they all have a lot of sentimental value to me. Every time I go out in costume I get to have so much fun and make great memories so regardless of the quality of the costume, the comfort level or how much I adore the character, I love them all. 

Photo by WhatABigCamera.com

Are there any characters that you'd love to portray but are too intimidated? 

Max Payne. 

Which characters are on your "to do" list?

Max Payne.

No, but really. My “future cosplay” list is so long I freak out a bit every time I look at it. Although in the near future I’ll be bringing to life some characters I've been wanting to portray for a very long time. Including but not limited to Zatanna, Triss Merigold, Femshep, Jinx of LoL and Inara Serra. 

I'm guessing that wearing a costume is only half the battle. How important is characterisation?

What’s so great about cosplay is that it’s so diverse. Everyone approaches it differently, some with more of an emphasis on crafting, some on characterisation, some on competing and so forth. Personally, if I’m happy with the work I’ve put into a costume I find that the characterisation comes naturally. It’s hard not to feel like a bad ass when you look in the mirror and see Lara Croft!

Photo by WhatABigCamera.com

Which other cosplayers should we be keeping our eyes on?

Some local favourites of mine are Ardella, Mad Maven and Something Wicked. Abroad, I’d be looking to TigerLily Cosplay of the UK, Aigue-Marine of Germany and Miss Sinister of the US.  

Awesome! Thanks again for your time, welcome to the family and I can't wait to see what you've got in store for us.

Thanks for having me! Can’t wait to get started.