It’s time once more for another cosplayer interview! This next one, shared from Cosplay Blog with a Brain, is an interview with Loki of Venus/Mischief Cupcake! She’s a lovely cosplayer from Colorado, who has mastered the ability to play gender roles insanely well in costume!

Loki of Venus/Mischief Cupcake out of costume

What’s your cosplay alias and why did you choose it?
Loki of Venus is my ‘model’ identity and my cosplay work falls under the umbrella of ‘Mischief Cupcake’. I definitely borrowed my alias from a certain god of mischief, but I initially started going by Loki online years ago because I’m a Mythology geek. It just made sense to borrow the name again for my creative work!

How many years have you been cosplaying and what got you started?
Aw man, I’ve been cosplaying for about 5 years now, been making my own costumes for 2. I’ve always been a geek, a few friends started bringing me to cons when I was in high school and seeing all of these amazing people dressed up and having a blast was just the coolest thing to me.

Loki of Venus/Mischief Cupcake as Courtesan Loki from Thor, photo by Kyle Nishioka and Loki Horns by Kitty Krell

What has been some of your favorite things to work with when constructing costumes and why?
I’ve been having the time of my life with Worbla when I can get my hands on it! I’ve also been learning some leatherworking and its super fun!

What are you excited to be working with in the future and why?
I’m going to be doing some resin casting here soon once I can afford the startup materials and I’m stoked. It’s one of those skills that I’ve always wanted to have but never thought I’d be able to teach myself – here’s to experimentation, right?

What are some of the traits you like to see in other costumes and who do you think does well in them?
Put some love into it. I think that everyone who works on a costume that they love and want to create is doing it well. Everyone starts somewhere and all of us are always learning, I think “well” is really subjective.

What is your view of the “cosplay scene”?
Overall, I think it’s full of wonderful people and amazing artists. You get your bad apples – bullies, scammers, predators – but I’ve met some of my absolute best friends through this crazy hobby and that’s what I choose to focus on.

Loki of Venus/Mischief Cupcake as Kate Bishop from Hawkeye, photo by WeNeals Photography and Retouching

What are some of the things you want to see change in the scene?
Stop the slut shaming. Stop. It. You think so and so’s boobs distract from her talent? Good for you, keep it to yourself. I think a lot of us were the kids who were picked on and some of us grew up to be bullies; some of the nastiness I’ve seen directed at genuinely good people is ridiculous. I’d also love to see more respect for people who do costume commissions – if we’re taking the time and money to make you something and you don’t give credit, that’s taking business from people who are trying to make a living. I think that people who don’t craft oftentimes don’t realize exactly how much effort goes into the process and don’t get that a lack of credit is an implication that the work they’re wearing was made by them.

What is some advice you could give people starting to get into cosplay?
This is actually advice a friend gave me a while ago: if you HAVE to compare yourself to anyone, compare to yourself. You’re not going to start off being Yaya Han, if you can look back on your old work and notice that you’ve improved (and you will, I promise) that’s what counts.

What are some of your favorite conventions you’ve attended and why?
DragonCon was pretty much the best time of my life, I love the local scene but there’s something amazing about being in a strange city and a group of people you largely don’t know/know only via the internet and feeling such an incredible sense of community.

Give a random fact about one of your costumes that you’re proud of!
I haven’t shot with it yet, but I’ve been making the coat that Loki wears going to Jotunheim in Thor 1 and I’ve been working on it for 2 months. HOPEFULLY it’s going to be awesome!

Loki of Venus/Mischief Cupcake as Loki from Thor, photo by WeNeals Photography and Retouching

Thanks for the interview, Loki of Venus/Mischief Cupcake! You can see more of her work on her Facebook page and her Tumblr!

Koi

A cosplayer for over a decade now, Yunie is a giant nerd who still pretends she’s cool. She runs several sites on her own, including Engi no Shouzoku! Cosplay, Cosplay Blog with a Brain, and her store, Yunie’s Designs. An avid fan of fellow nerds, Yunie loves attending conventions and dorking around in costumes with all types. Oh, and if there’s shenanigans, even better!

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