How long have you been doing cosplay and what first got you interested?

I’ve been actively cosplaying for about 5 years in an official capacity, and unofficially for about ten. I first became interested when we were holding Halloween competitions at work, and I wanted to get more and more creative to win.  One of my cosplays was so phenomenal, someone suggested that I attend a convention (you wouldn’t believe it, but I had never heard of a Comicon before that point). I was hooked from that point forward.

Most of the time, I cosplay for my own creativity and satisfaction, but I can humbly say that I am a multi-award winning cosplayer as well.

Who is your favorite Lore Olympus character to cosplay?

It’s so funny, because I’ve only done two cosplays in the fandom, but that’s predominantly because of my other contributions to LO (moderation for the official discord and official facebook groups, plus I may or may not moonlight as a fanfic writer lol). 

But I have to say, my favorite is Ampelus.  Psyche is a character with a lot of depth to her, and her nymph form doesn’t get a lot of cosplay attention, so I hope that I did her proper justice.

Plus, it’s kind of fun to paint yourself purple. I’ll be back with another Ampelus version in the future. I love the looks that Rachel gives her (that high pony with the babyhairs slicked down? COME THRU!).

What is the most memorable cosplay you did (doesn’t have to be Lore Olympus)? And why?

It would have to be Obsidian, from the Steven Universe fandom.  It’s most memorable because it’s the biggest, most labor intensive cosplay that I’ve ever made (three months, 7 feet tall, eight arms, with components that consisted of resin casting, painting, foamsmithing, sewing, 12 gauge wire, magnets and props) but also literally, every opposition that could come about to stop me from making it, happened. 

First, my supplies were late from overseas. I was also working full time open to close shifts at my job and running on limited sleep as it was.  Then, quarantine happened, so my convention I was planning for was postponed, and then eventually cancelled.  My photographer also had to cancel on me because of the stay home order.  Despite that, my convention still held a virtual cosplay contest, and in order to enter, I had to get pictures and video.  I went to a local park (our parks were still open during the quarantine) and someone drove by me and threw a bottle of water at me that exploded all over my car and part of my props!  I was so sad, but channeled some of that anger into many of the pics.  My sword broke while we were shooting, and one of my arms popped out of its socket. 

But, I still finished, got the footage I needed for the contest, and I’m delighted to say that Obsidian took best in her category for the virtual contest. 

Tell us your Lore Olympus story. What got you into Lore Olympus and what  made you stay?

What got me into it?  Lowkey, a crush lol.  My Cosplay Wife is SayoNay Cosplay.  She had just finished her phenomenal Persephone and I was so smitten by how pretty she was, I asked if I could make her my WCW.  Then because I shared her post, Webtoons somehow picked up on that and the ads were plastered all over.  Finally, I decided to read the webtoon and the next thing I had binged it all overnight, made my Hades cosplay the next day, found the official discord two days after that, joined both facebook groups, and started writing fanfic within two weeks.  I hadn’t written any fiction in about 10 years, but I was so moved by the story and the possibilities. 

What made me stay?  Two things—Rachel herself, being such a talented creator and amazing person.  Even if I weren’t a moderator, she still makes me feel seen, heard, and appreciated. The love she has for the fandom and the artists, cosplayers and creators is so deep; it warms my heart every time I see her share someone’s work, or gives an artist a shout out.

The second thing? The most important thing actually; my friends. I’m very blessed to know a lot of people, both online and IRL, who all have a passion for this comic.  And though we all come from different walks of life—the friends that I have made within this fandom have been some of the best, most fulfilling friendships I’ve ever had. I’m so appreciative of their love and support; be it fanfic, cosplay, letting me vent about my day or cheering me on just because; I really do love y’all, and I always will. 

Any advice for a new cosplayer out there?

Yes—Know that you can do it. It doesn’t have to be perfect.  It doesn’t have to be the best. Just start, and don’t give up.

If you could body snatch one LO character for a day, who would it be?

Persephone!  I love her tenacity, and she is so underestimated.  I can’t wait to see what happens in season 2. Plus, I wanna make vines grow. For… reasons.

Describe being a moderator for Lore Olympus official fan outlets in one word - Go! Any other lessons learned?

Fulfilling. 

The biggest lesson learned is that it’s okay to agree to disagree.  Not everyone will be on the same page, and that’s fine. There are times where it’s very hard work (we are all volunteers!) But even on my worst days, I remember that I help to make a difference for almost fifty thousand people online between the various channels and groups.  And knowing that I am a part of an initiative like that makes it all worthwhile.

Just for fun: Who did you get on the Hades’ dog character quiz?

HA! I got Cerberus, and I most definitely agree.  Bestest Boi and I can transform into a hellhound that has three heads? BET.

Diana is as the name suggests - GREAT! She’s cosplayed Hades and Ampelus. Additionally, Diana serves as a moderator of both the official Lore Olympus Discord and Facebook groups.

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