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The London Comic Con is our biggest convention here in the UK and we’re excited for the opportunity to meet fans of our work and introduce new people to the mayamada universe!

Conventions are a great opportunity for any comic creator to get feedback on their comics from the people who invest in them. It gives people a chance to see those who actually make the comics that they enjoy and we’re looking forward to taking part!

Comic Con is also the place to see fantastic cosplayers from around the country and internationally. We love the creativity of cosplayers and the passion and effort that goes into creating their costumes. That’s why we enjoy meeting them and taking cool photos from cosplay guys, girls and families who make the Comic Con weekend such and fun experience.

So ahead of the autumn event, we spoke to a mix of cosplayers about their passion and creativity, and what goes into making their outfits:

Leo Camacho

Who are you and what do you do?

I’m Leo Camacho and… well… I guess it’s hard to answer the question “what do you do?” I do a lot of things. I’m a creator, to put it succinctly, but it’s a pretty broad spectrum. Entertainer maybe? I entertain myself at the very least.

I guess what I’m most known for is Disney and cosplay, among other things. I’m that Prince Eric guy. I’m that dude from Thingamavlogs. I’m that guy from the internet.

What does creativity mean to you?

My creativity is everything to me. It’s not just my livelihood, it’s also my escape. It’s my form of expression. It’s my way of connecting with others and connecting with myself.

My creativity to me is more than the product that comes from a project, but the ability to conceptualize, break apart and approach each situation in my life while creating the most enjoyable scenario to do it in.

Describe your creative process?

My process varies from project to project. Sometimes my inspiration is immediate and the means to attain it are simple. Other times, my goals might seem audacious and require creative thinking and a system of talented people around me to accomplish.

I’m inspired by so much from movies, to games, to art, to fashion, but I try to base everything in authenticity and enjoyability. I ask myself; Do I love it? Is it meaningful to me and hopefully to others? Can I feasibly accomplish this goal within reason? Can I afford to? Seeing the vision is easy. Making it happen is the fun part.

When are you at your most creative?

I am at my most creative at seemingly random times. Maybe I’m watching an anime, or deeply entrenched in a video game. However, I’m most focused on that creativity when I have a clear goal in mind and a deadline to meet it.

Once I build momentum, I really drift off into the 5th dimension and only my art matters. I can get lost in a project for hours and not even feel it.

Who is the most creative person to you and why?

It’s hard to say who I find most creative, especially being surrounded by immensely talented people. But I guess my answer is Hugh Jackman. The guy can sing, dance, and he’s handsome? It’s simply not fair. Not. Fair.

Facebook: LeoCamacho

Instagram: @mrleozombie

Twitter: @leozombie

Ambra Cosplay

Who are you and what do you do?

I’m a 23 years old Italian girl who studies Ecobiology and Fashion Design at university. I started doing cosplay in 2012 in Rome, at Romics, and I played Orochimaru in an Akatsuki suit (lol) with a group of friends, then I made Saeko Busujima from HOTD with my sister.

Now my hobby has become my job, I work at cons as a panellist, member of the jury for the cosplay contest, guest, hostess and so on; meanwhile, I continue to study to become a fashion designer.

I had some good occasions, I was the official Wonder Woman cosplayer for Warner Bros Italia and foreign cons have started to contact me, I have so many hopes for the future.

What does creativity mean to you?

Creativity is the means with which we can express and understand our inner self. We should learn what kind of OUR creations gives us pleasure and a sense of satisfaction. With cosplay, we can choose the character with which we feel ourselves, it can be a way to understand who we are.

Describe your creative process?

I choose only the characters that transmit something to me, aesthetically or temperamentally. I start doing all the models of the parts with paper, I choose the fabrics and I start sewing or crafting day and night. The best part is figuring out how each component of the costume should be crafted and seeing it coming to life.

When are you at your most creative?

I think at night, my brain wakes up after dinner.

Who is the most creative person to you and why?

Yaya Han, she’s a gorgeous fashion designer and she creates masterpieces, one day I want to sew one of her costumes.

Facebook: Ambra&Aura

Instagram: @ambra_pazzani

CutiePieSensei

Who are you and what do you do?

I’m CutiePieSensei (you can also just call me Cutie Pie) and I’m a US-based cosplayer in Atlanta.

I’ve made cosplays for myself as a range of characters from comics, anime and video games! I’m not the best craftsperson, but I put my heart into everything I make <3

What does creativity mean to you?

Creativity to me just means finding an outlet to express yourself. Sometimes, people only think of super artsy things like music, crafting, etc, but I think people can be creative in any field, as long as you are “creating”. After all, that is the root word, right?

So regardless of if you are a digital artist or a programmer, you can approach that particular thing with a different eye than others and make something really cool or new.

Describe your creative process?

My creative process is a bit all over the place. Sometimes I just scroll by some art randomly on Pinterest or something and an idea bubble will pop up. Other times I ask my fiance to help me and he will have an awesome idea that I want to do.

Regardless of where the idea is from, I usually sketch it out so I know exactly what to do (unless it’s a character that exists fully already). I like customizing designs a bit so sketching stuff out helps me keep it concrete.

From there I just go to Joanns or Home Depot every other day because I forget supplies and I just get to it lol. Each one requires a completely different approach, so there isn’t really a streamlined process from there.

When are you at your most creative?

I don’t think there’s ever a time when I’m most creative. I’m an artist in my day to day life (like literally, that is my job title that I put on my IRS forms and whatnot) so I’m kinda in a position where I have to be creative all the time. Part of the job really. So when I go home and work on cosplay, I’m still creative it’s just using a different “creative muscle”. If I’m inspired; I create.

Who is the most creative person to you and why?

Hmm…..I don’t know if I have anyone I consider to be “most creative”. While I have favourite cosplayers, I don’t know if I’d rank some over others.

Typically, that has little to do with who is more creative than another and more to do with who has enough skill along with creativity to accurately and awesomely pull something off.

Facebook: Cutiepiesensei Cosplay

Instagram: @cutiepiesensei

Derrick Akinyanju

Who are you and what do you do?

I’m a Nigerian Socal raised Bachelors holder in Film, I’m also a Compositor in Visual Effects, cosplay was something I picked up after seeing the Amazing Spiderman 2 movie.

What does creativity mean to you?

Bringing art to life, it’s as simple as that.

Describe your creative process?

Before I dive into anything I always analyze what I’m getting into or what this specific costume looks like to myself, I break it down, then ask my friends what these pieces or fabrics look like to them then move on from there and research on youtube, I never like to jump in blind when taking on a new project.

When are you at your most creative?

During the process itself, lots of my projects don’t take shape till later on, once the resemblance comes close I know that when I’m doing it right, so I’m most creative during the actual work itself.

Who is the most creative person to you and why?

Man, I got a whole bunch of people that inspire me, Instagram users Findnjewels, Littlesparrpwcosplay, Spideynat, Jax_cosplay just to name a few, these people and friends of mine helped me a lot in past and I always seek to them for tips and tricks when tacking projects like I did the Flash.

Instagram: @new_element_studios

Zabracus Cosplay

Who are you and what do you do?

I am Zabracus Cosplay, and I make cosplays! I cosplay a variety of characters from Snow White to Vegeta to Cloud Strife to Spider Gwen.

My cosplay collection is ever growing and I don’t have one genre of characters that I pull from – I take from them all.

What does creativity mean to you?

Creativity is a process. It’s a way to let your emotions and your very essence to be brought to life in physical forms. It’s a way to express yourself in a way that is right for you.

Describe your creative process?

My creative process first begins with seeing a character I like and deciding I’m going to make it – no matter how hard it may be. I then spend weeks to months thinking about how I will make each little part in my head.

When I feel I’ve got a grasp on how I’ll achieve the impossible, I dive right in and start making pieces. Eventually, all of the pieces will be done and I have a new costume.

My inspiration comes from everywhere. From characters in books and movies to fanart I find on the internet. I bring to life what resonates with me.

When are you at your most creative?

When a convention is encroaching, or right after a convention.

Who is the most creative person to you and why?

I don’t think there is any one most creative person. Everyone is creative in their own way. And I’m inspired by so many talented people.

Instagram: @zabracuscosplay

Twitter: @zabracus

Snapchat:@zabracus

 Yûko Scarlet

Who are you and what do you do?

I’m Yûko Scarlet, a french cosplayer who works on her cosplays with all of her heart! Cosplay helped me so much to progress in life, it still does, and I think that won’t stop.

I have officially started cosplay in 2015. I have done several cosplays of Erza Scarlet, and I think I have several years of Erza coming xD But I appreciate to do different things.

I love playing a character with a special personality. Cosplay is not only doing the costume. I think it’s awesome if you can make a costume as accurate as possible but if you don’t have the attitude, well, it’s kind of boring. I love searching places which have the atmosphere matching the character.

I’m at the end of my professional formation about makeup and special effects. But we do a lot more than that. I studied classic/artistic makeup, special effects, wigs/postiche, historical/artistic hairstyles ( I think I didn’t forget anything xD ). This was really instructive, it’s definitely going to help me for cosplay too!

What does creativity mean to you?

I think creativity means anybody can have their own vision of things. Creativity is something unlimited, your only obstacle is you and so many things happens in life that you won’t be stuck for too long 😉 And everybody has a different way to work!

Describe your creative process?

First I’m choosing which cosplay I’m going to do because … I just fall in love with it! Sometimes the challenge makes me wanna do a special costume too ( I looooove challenging myself ! )

Then I’m searching for reference pictures for every piece of the costumes. I can also search for cosplayers who already did it, to check if how I see a thing seems me good (example: if I’m hesitating about two kinds of fabrics for one piece). I also think about how I can put/take off the costume easier, about how I can make it easiest to transport.

And when I’m sure about how all this thing is going to work, I’m starting to do the patterns and then only the lack of money can stop me!

When are you at your most creative?

Anytime! I can spend too much time on cosplays, it happened I missed a meal because I didn’t want to stop ( yeah that’s not a right thing to do I know >.< ).

Who is the most creative person to you and why?

Kamui Cosplay is doing an amazing job with Benni! And they are sharing the way they work that’s just SO NICE. I love also Gladzy Kei for her amazing costume designs. To me, people who are doing costume design are really inspiring!

Instagram: @yuuko.scarlet

Twitter: @YuukoScarlet