Cosplay Interview with Kit Quinn

Check out this exclusive interview with experienced costume maker and cosplayer Kit Quinn. Learn more about Kit and her past, present and future with cosplay as her creativity and skills have grown, showing great attention to detail with each costume she has created. 

HCF: How long have you been doing cosplay?
KQ: "Been at it since San Diego Comic Con 2007."

HCF: What inspired you to do cosplay? What got you started?
KQ: "My best friend (Tallest Silver) was doing it and it looked like a perfect combination of many things I loved so I joined her at SDCC in 2007.  In high school I made a Shadowcat costume from X-Men Evolution, that was kind of my first attempt at bringing my favorite comic characters to life in costumed form."

HCF: Who has been your favorite character to cosplay as?
KQ: "That one changes with every new costume I make, but Harley Quinn, Dr. Mrs.The Monarch, and Wonder Woman are all strong contenders."

HCF: What is your favorite costume you have made?
KQ: "Again that changes with every new costume I make. I happen to be very proud of my Dr. Mrs. The Monarch costume, my Maleficent, and my Baroness.  Each of those costumes presented a different challenge and required me to learn a new skill to make the costume come to life.
It's fun to accomplish something you couldn't have only months before and have it turn out well."

HCF: How long does it take you to create a costume or certain look?
KQ: "All depends on what the challenge is on each costume.  My Arkham Asylum Harley Quinn costume took me around 100 hours and over 3 months.  But when I was making it, I was learning a lot of skills for the first time. Now it might go faster since I kind of know what I'm doing. I believe the Baroness took me about a month, but it was a rush job, and Maleficent took me probably a month as well, but the styling and getting me into it is still a work in progress.  And of course some costumes like Spider woman or Ms. Marvel take me only a weekend to put together."

HCF: What has been the most difficult costume you have created?
KQ: "I believe that honor will still stay with Arkham Asylum Harley, it's all scratch built, and required me to get creative with finding materials and new ways to sew it all together.  From boots to belt, everything on that costume was custom built from a couple yards of fabric/pleather. I spent many hours in the fashion district attempting to find buckles and rings and snaps and all manner of stuff to embellish that costume.  Maleficent is a close second only because I have a hate hate relationship with leather and that costume was a lot of leather!"

HCF: What advice would you give to fans or people who want to cosplay for the first time?
KQ: "Start easy.  You don't have to make some crazy light up armor motorized thing right out the gate. In fact I don't recommend you do even if it's all you want to cosplay.  It takes time to develop skills and I personally am grateful I waited on some costumes so that I could make them when I had a better grasp of how to sew. When I first started I did a lot of found object and modifying to create my costumes.  There's no reason to reinvent the wheel, if you find something that works, use it!  I personally HATE shopping so it's easier for me to spend a couple more hours sewing than a couple more hours searching.  But when you're first starting it's a great way to learn how garments work, and learn your foundation skills for making bigger more difficult costumes."

HCF: What costume will you be wearing for the Halloween ComicFest Costume Contest?
KQ: "hmmmm dunno yet, gotta see what isn't broken from DragonCon!"

HCF: What is your favorite part about doing cosplay?
KQ: "Meeting new friends.  All of my best friends I have met while cosplaying.  The community is full of the most awesome people and I'm always happy when I get to hangout with more cool kids."

To see more of Kit Quinn's cosplay costumes and learn more about what costumes she is creating follow her on Twitter @MissKitWQuinn.