Interview by Wesley Edwards - https://www.wesleyedwardsart.com 1) Hey Sam, thanks for taking the time to do this interview, can we start with giving us a brief introduction to who you are and what is boundless bard? Hey! Thank you for inviting me to participate! I’m Samby Sayward, an indie comic creator distributing comics under my own publishing brand, Boundless Bard. I make comics about BADASS WOMEN, and am best known for my new generation fairytale series Daughters of Grimm. 2) what was the inspiration behind your boundless bard comic, we’re there specific movies, comics or shows that inspired you and made you think “hey I could do that? I started making comics under Boundless Bard during a time when mainstream media was still struggling to grasp the idea of “female empowerment”, or at least in the way I was looking for. Even the most badass of women always seemed to become a damsel in the end or eye candy for the audience or the male protagonist. The final push for me was watching Kingsman--a marvelously fun movie, but disappointing when it came to a lot of the female characters. My mini comic The Damsel, was an experiment with capturing that same super spy fun, while turning the idea of heroes and damsels on its head. Finishing that comic was the boost that told me, “Hey, I could totally do more of this.” 3) when you were first laying out your comic, how much of story structure did you learn ahead of time? Are you someone who likes to plan everything out at the beginning or do you just like to follow the story and see where it goes? In other words are you a “gardener” or an “architect”? I think I’m mostly an “architect”. I’ve done a lot of research on story structure, from college classes to personal study. Tools like archetypes, theme, character arcs and the hero’s journey help craft a succinct story that people can connect to. Though I can’t say I don’t “garden” too. Part of this is because if I let myself plan out absolutely everything before starting, I’d never make anything. But also, sometimes a character or experience just speaks to me and says, “Your blueprint’s all wrong!” And then I just have to see where this new garden vine is going as it winds up and off the structure I built. 4) growing up who inspired you the most in art? What were the things that you geekied out on growing up and are they the same now, or have your tastes evolved? Oh, I think growing up, my biggest inspiration was Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece. I still love how fun, expressive, and creative all his characters and story lines are. But his work was the start of my manga nerdom. I actually studied comic creation in college so I could try to work at Shonen Jump, the best-selling manga magazine in Japan. I dropped that plan pretty quick when I found out how much life force goes into writing and drawing 20 comic pages a week, but my college years introduced me to the expanded world of art and entertainment. I think nowadays, I geek out most about indie comics (mostly webcomics) and animation, though I still have a substantial number of manga volumes I look back to from time to time. 5) the last time we chatted you were streaming your comic creation process online, are you still streaming on twitch? How has opening up your process for others to watch changed the way you make comics? I actually had to stop streaming about 6 months ago. But I did learn a lot about my process through it--particularly the value trusting my instincts. I’m not a great multitasker. And I LOVE hanging out with everyone online. So, while streaming, a lot of attention and thought I usually put into my work was given to my twitch community instead. This made it hard to do foundational work, but my inks and color detailing went a lot better while on stream because I couldn’t overthink it. Though I’m not streaming anymore, I try to get into that flow state when I find myself stuck. Just reminding myself, if I don’t like it, I can erase it. It’s not a big deal. 6) you just recently got accepted at webtoons! Congrats! What has your experience been so far? Do they expect you to post on schedule? It would be really cool to see you show up as a regular. Thank you so much! I’ve been a Webtoon Canvas creator for a while, but being featured as a Canvas Staff Pick was such an honor, and I’ve been overwhelmed by the positive support from new readers! The growing community has given me the opportunity to join the ad revenue sharing program, and I’m so excited for what that could mean for the future of Daughters of Grimm. I’ve always wanted my work to be freely accessible to people, and this new support from Webtoon Canvas and the Canvas community gives me hope of doing so sustainably. Though I don’t have to keep a schedule besides uploading once a month, I’m dedicated to posting updates every 1st and 3rd Thursday. 7) what comics are you reading now, and can you recommend some fellow web toon or webcomic artists that are worth checking out? Oh man, I’m reading so many… My top favorite comic right now is definitely Spirit Fingers on Webtoon. It’s about a girl who learns to gain confidence in herself after stumbling into and joining a drawing club. It’s so inspiring and heartwarming! I’m also getting a kick out of Erika and the Princes in Distress (also on Webtoon). It totally flips the gender roles of fantasy adventure stories, and the art style is just so fun. Some other great webcomics with badass women include Carciphona and its AU Amongst Us, Ava’s Demon, Muted, and Shiloh. And you HAVE to read Shiloh’s author’s notes at the end of each episode. They seriously tickle me. 8) for those that are looking to improve their craft at storytelling or creating illustrations what kind of advice would you give them? I think the biggest advice I can give is don’t worry about your work being perfect, but make it your best. In my college years, and even a bit after, I spent a lot of time worrying about perfection, or what my art was in comparison to others, and during that time, I hardly finished anything. In recent years, I’ve approached comics with the thought, “This isn’t going to be perfect, but I’ll FINISH it, and it’ll be better than my last one.” I’ve learned so much more, and improved so much more in a couple years with this mindset than in 4-6 years of strategizing toward perfection. Not to mention, I actually have finished comics to show for it. 9) do you have a long term overarching plan of what you want your career and life look like in a few years? Or do you just shoot from the hip? I definitely have an “ideal image” of my future, but I’ve become somewhat fluid in my plans of getting there. Last year, I had very specific ideas of what I was going to do, and when--perhaps overzealous ideas at that--and ended up doing a serious number on myself, stretching too thin. So now, I try to plan for the short term, while keeping my future goals in mind. Basically analysing what resources, opportunities, and tasks are presently available to me, and choosing what to focus on based on my long term goals. My current focus is making Daughters of Grimm the best it can be, but I’m excited to see what else I can do in the future. 10) how are you holding up in quarantine? I imagine you’re getting a lot of work done! It’s definitely been productive! I’m working hard on the next arcs of Daughters of Grimm, and using some of the extra time to analyze and improve my processes. It’s been awesome getting to step away from the usual hustle to see what’s working and what isn’t. And hopefully, this analysis will lead to an increase in quality for future content! 11) Any shoutouts? Where can people follow you online? I want to give a shout out to my family and friends, who have been so supportive of my work from the very beginning; to my creative peers, who keep me inspired; and to my online community, who have given so much encouragement and validation to my stories and characters. You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at the handle @boundlessbard, and follow the story of Daughters of Grimm for free on Webtoon. You can also sign up for my newsletter on boundlessbard.com. https://www.boundlessbard.com https://www.facebook.com/boundlessbard/ https://twitter.com/boundlessbard https://www.instagram.com/boundlessbard By David Doub What got you into comics? What got you into making comics? I started collecting comics at a very young age, my father gave me his collection from the 70s. It was mostly Batman and X-Men books. I got into making comics after seeing how easy it was to make a high quality book, it seemed easy enough I just needed to have the right artist. What is the Totally Rad Life of Violet about? What inspired you to write it? Violet takes place during the mid 1980s it's about a recovering drug addict who loves to have a good time but also wants to clean up the streets. The story follows our character as she overcomes withdrawal and grief over the lost of a close friend. She trades in drug addiction for sex addiction but in doing so uses it to help her achieve her goals of taking down the local drug kingpin. I was mainly inspired by my love for the 80s but also in my personal life I had a few junkie ex-girlfriends that helped bring my character to life. Why start with a Mature book? Texas isn’t know for being forgiving toward adult focused comics. The simple way to put it is: “sex sells” But I make a mature book in a way that it's not all just sex there's a meaningful message in my book about staying off drugs and being able to forgive yourself during those dark times. Can you describe your process in writing a producing a book? I have a pretty easy process. Most of my scripts I come from my imagination. I use the same artist for most of my books so I write out how each page should look and 99.9% of the time my artist and I are on the same page visually How was your experience doing crowdfunding? My experience so far has been outstanding, being just a average guy who had no pull in the comic book industry no fan base when starting. I've been really fortunate in how quickly I've achieved success and I wouldn't have it without the loyal fans who buy all my products What support and inspiration have you gotten from the Indie Comic Scene? Same questions but with the North Texas Nerd Scene? I've gotten much love and support from Wendy Steen Shaner (Naughty Fairy Stripper Assassins), Cara Nicole and Alfred Trujillo (Firebitch), Dan Mendoza (Still ill) & many others. In North Texas I've gotten much support from a few cosplayers (Captain Ameridad & BCharrlotteD) What are some local creators that you’ve been enjoying? I've been enjoying Chris Hays (Forgotten Isle) and Luis Torres (Ace & Starlet). It's so amazing to see their work come to life and be enjoyed from all over the country. If you could write any character or property, who or what would it be? If you could work with any creator living or dead, who would it be? I'm a huge movie buff so I would really love to write some movie based comics like "The Warriors", "Critters" and "Army of Darkness" to name a few. I would love to work with Gil Kane or Steven Hughes those are definitely my top 2 favorite artist of all time. If money and time was no object, what would be your dream comic to create? I'm technically already making my dream comics but if money wasn't a object I'd be able to put it all out alot faster. What other comics do you have coming up soon? I have quite a few. Cherry #24 from Cherry Comics "Strange Cosmic Tales" coming at the end of April A Totally Rad Life of Violet star wars parody story for May the 4th Totally Rad Babes from Outterspace #1 Totally Rad Life of Violet #3 Neon: The Next Victim #1 coming this summer. What are some of your favorite nerd events in Texas? I really love the North Texas Comic Show as well as the Dallas Comic Show https://www.facebook.com/totallyradcomics19/ By David Doub How did you get into the nerdy realms? What were some of your earliest nerdy memories? I entered into the nerdy realm practically after birth. My mother has always been a huge Trekkie and instilled a love of all things nerd into me at a very young age. As for my earliest nerdy memory, it would have to be the moment my cousin gave me all of her Sailor Moon VHS tapes. I watched them on repeat so often as a child that I’m surprised I didn’t ruin the tape. I actually still have all of them stored away because I refuse to get rid of them! What did you get into first, cosplay or vending? What are some of the different bits of satisfaction you get from these? I actually decided to go into vending first. I have always enjoyed nerd culture as well as making my own personal bath products, so I figured meshing the two together would be a dream come true. Cosplaying came after that as a way for me to promote and peddle my geeky wares while at conventions. I get so much satisfaction from customers when they tell me that I’ve nailed their favorite show/character in my products. I get all giddy and have a smile on my face for the rest of the day. As for the cosplaying, it satisfies my need to perform. I have an extensive theatre and music background, so any excuse to use my talents is extremely satisfying. How do you make all that soap and bath bombs and so on? How do you determine what a certain nerdy character or show “smells” like? I make all my products by hand myself. Each product goes through a rigorous testing process before I make it available to customers. Some items can take half an hour to make (lip balms), while others can take up to six months or more (roll on perfumes and cologne). When it comes to determining the “smell” of a particular fandom, I take many things into consideration. A few questions I’ll ask myself are: what is the overall feel of the fandom/character? What is the world like? What traits does the fandom/character have that we would associate with a particular scent or flavor? These are just a few examples of what I ask myself before I start crafting the perfect product. Humans associate different smells with emotions, attributes, as well as many other things. It is my job to figure out which scents work best for that particular nerdy product. What have been some of your favorite products you’ve made? What products seemed like great ideas but didn’t “smell” right? My favorite products to make, hands down, are my roll on perfumes and colognes. I put so much time and love into them that it would be wrong to pink anything else! But making the roll on fragrances doesn’t always work out the way I plan. The first time I was working on my “Middle Earth” roll on fragrance blend, I thought I was going to have to give up. I mixed up multiple different possible blends to age and none of them were working out. One was too green, one was too sweet, one smelled more like something Gollum would like than a Hobbit. You get the picture. I had to stop, regroup, and see what I could do. Thankfully, I found the perfect scent and it has actually become one of my best sellers! What are some of your favorite cosplays’? How do you pick a character and then make their costume? My favorite cosplays have to be anime characters. My most recent anime cosplay is Rui Tachibana from Domestic na Kanojo. The way I pick my cosplays isn’t the usual way. Since I am usually performing (singing) when I’m in cosplay, I have to make sure that any song associated with the character I want to cosplay as is one I want to perform. It may not be the most conventional way of picking a character, but it works out for me! As for making the costumes, my sewing skills are minimal at best. But I am the queen of thrift shopping, so I can almost always find what I’m looking for when it comes to my cosplays. If you had unlimited time and budget, what would your dream cosplay be? If I had unlimited time and budget, I would have to say that Vivaldi From Alice In The Country Of Hearts: Wonderful Wonder World would be my dream cosplay. I think it would absolutely breathtaking on stage while I’m performing! How long have you been singing and how did you get into it? What has the response been with singing cosplay? I’ve been singing for as long as I remember. I’ve always been very musically inclined, but didn’t get the chance to really train it until later in my high school career. I was actually originally going to college to be an opera singer, but I wasn’t a fan of the formal structure of things. I felt like I had to compromise my creativity for professionalism. But I grateful for the experience because now I’m getting the chance to cosplay AND sing at the same time. The response to it has been great so far! I have people send me messages with song cover requests occasionally and it just makes my day that people would take the time to enjoy my singing like that! Being a younger female vendor, how has the response been when some people find out it’s your Booth? Being a young female vendor isn’t always hard, but sometimes it can be. I have people constantly assume the booth belongs to my mother (she helps me out at conventions), or they’ll ask me where the owner is because they have questions about products. Usually when I tell them I am the owner they apologize and we can move along, but I’ve been called a lair before because some people just can’t seem to grasp that I run my own business at my age. But the good experiences far outweigh the bad when it comes to situations like this! With the crossover of Cosplay and Modeling with the increased focus of Body Positivity, who do view how Cosplay has dealt with this subject? I think the cosplay community has definitely become more open minded, but sadly, there will always be people who sit behind their keyboards and send negativity and hate towards others. I’m starting to see more plus size cosplayers come out of the woodwork, but I still feel like they’re not getting the kind of fame and guest spots that they deserve. I’m sure, in time, we will become even more inclusive and body positive. What is your favorite con story? That is a hard one! I have a ton, but I have to say it was Longview Comic Con 2018. I was a vendor there and just so happened to be set up in front of Sean Patrick Flannery. He was the person I was most excited to see, as I had just finished up my roll on cologne inspired by The Boondock Saints and was planning on giving him one of them. I walked over when he wasn’t busy and game it to him, had a short convo, and walked back to my booth. A few hours go by and he stops by to tell me he loved the cologne and that he was wearing it. We talked for a little while, he left, and I had a small freak out behind my booth due to the sheer excitement. He also told me I had one of the most beautiful singing voice he’d ever heard, but that’s a story for another day! What are some of your favorite events? I love smaller conventions, as it really gives me the chance to develop a relationship with my customers. A few of my favorite are: Kilgore Geekend- Ricky and Melissa are honestly some of the sweetest people you’ll ever meet. The event may be small, but the crowd is always so excited to see what will be at the event. Tyler Comic Con- This is probably one of the most organized shows I’ve done recently. The turn out is great and the attendees always enjoy themselves! Arlingcon- This is the event I look forward to the most in the summer months. I have a really big following in Arlington, so it is always nice to see past customers show up to get their geeky bath and body fix. Plus it is free to attend, and what’s better than a free convention? Anime Sekai- This is just a ton of fun all the way around. I’m usually so busy I don’t get to sit down, and attendees are usually so busy having fun they don’t WANT to sit down! Who are some of your favorite local cosplayers? What are other local cosplayers doing that you really appreciate and/or admire? There are SO MANY! BCharlotteD Cosplay- she’s such an awesome cosplayer and is such a sweet person. I’m lucky to have had a friendship blossom with her after meeting her a few years back. Sarah Bellum Cosplay- I just love how positive she is and how m us h she contributes to the cosplay community for plus size women. It is so inspiring! Melly Bz/Melody Burns- she is SO AMAZING! I am absolutely blown away every time I see one of the cosplays she’s made. She is such a beautiful person inside and out, and I’m so happy to have her as a friend. Wilde Designs/Beth Howard- she such a boss when it comes to her business and she cosplays when she’s selling! Plus her family is absolutely adorable. Mermaid Cosplay- hands down, one of the most iconic cosplayers I know. Her skills are impeccable and she’s so nice to everyone! Sadly she’s going to be moving soon, but I’m hoping we will still she her around when she comes home to visit! Who are some of your favorite local vendors? What are some clever vendors out there local that you think, “I wish I thought of that!”? I have a ton of favorite vendors, so it is hard to choose! Otaku Scents- she’s so sweet and she makes candles that smell like anime characters. What’s not to love? Tee Imp- when I’m not cosplaying at conventions, I still like to rep my nerd pride. Tee Imp t-shirts are my go to when I don’t feel like dressing up. The owner is also really chill and super helpful when it comes to convention advice. I don’t want to admit how many of his t-shirts I own... Pink Pitbull Productions- her makeup and face painting skills are the bomb, her items she makes are awesome, and she has such an “in your face” attitude that I can’t help but love her! Something I wish I would have done that other vendors have is make candles. I’ve had SO MANY people come to my booth and ask for candles that it probably would have been a good idea to learn how to make them. But Otaku Scents has got that covered! https://www.facebook.com/dandylionscreations/ By David Doub What got you into photography? What got you into photographing Cosplayers? Pretty much since I was a kid and could use a camera. I have always loved capturing moments and interesting things in the world. Pictures allow me to show people what’s out there in the world. I had photographed a con-event 2 years ago, Chimichangcon and was able to meet some great and interesting people who love to cosplay. And I thought it was so much fun, so, I continued doing events and meeting new people and collaborating. What are some of the differences in shooting Cosplayers vs other types of photography? Cosplay is similar to doing portraits, only you get to do a lot more action or fun types of poses. Cause when the person is in character they can do a lot more. How do you “view” cosplayers being the photographer? Brave, they are doing something that brings them a sense of enjoyment and others may judge that are not apart of the cosplay world but they don’t care. It’s something that allows them to be fun, funny, brave, show off their hard work of piecing together a costume for characters they love or can relate too. And when they get to do it with friends it makes it even more worth it. What are some of your favorite stories of a fun or interesting photo shoot? What are some of your favorite pictures you’ve done? There are so many. I do so many different types of styles and photograph so many different things. I love shooting all of my cosplayers and vintage models, Sports players, car/motorcycle shoots, animals, Family & Friends. Last year was a year of trying new things, I was able to do my first product and boudoir shoot. Who are some of your favorite cosplayer to shoot? So many, I really do love all my cosplayers I shoot. We have so many different ideas and each shoot is unique to them. Who are some other local photographers you like and want to give a shout out to? I admire a lot of different styles in photography, a few of my local favorites are Chris Schmoyer, David Hamblet, Tim Cullum, Alan Tijerina, Oneil Brown (Famous Photography), Shane (Roxas Studios), Larry (On Edge Photography) and Pete Wiggins, (Studio Mater47). Just to name a few………Lol! Do you prefer shooting at conventions or at your own chosen locations? Do you prefer more staged or candid shots? Definitely, chosen locations, it can make you feel you are actually in that world of the characters for cosplay shoots. BOTH candid and staged! Either one can make some great shots for different reasons. What are the details of your gear? What sort of PC and Software do you use to edit your pics? I use a Canon Rebel T6, all various lenses and filters Lol!! For the moment a regular HP and GIMP. I hope soon to upgrade. But for now all of it is good for learning and gaining experience. For people just starting out wanting to do photography, what advice would you give them? Find yourself a good/decent camera and start shooting anything you find interesting. Take some classes, if you are unable afford classes, ask or find some photographer friends who don’t mind sharing their knowledge. Youtube specifics and just see if you like it. Photography is art, find your style and go with it. What are some upcoming shoots or conventions you have coming up? I have a couple of Vintage Fashion shoots, Queen Atlanna & Sirens, Cheetah Character and I am planning a Harry Potter/Fantastic Beasts shoot. I hope to go to Fan Expo other than that I am pretty open on Conventions. By David Doub What got you into This Event? What is your current role at this Event? Cosplay Prom was born out of my obsession with putting my own spin on cosplays. I don't ever do screen accurate or comic accurate cosplays-- I think I'd drive myself mad with details. I made a post in a local group asking if folks would be interested in such an event and everyone was in! The first Cosplay Prom was held at The Nines in Deep Ellum in September of 2017 and has continued to blossom year after year. I am the event's Organizer and Host. Can you tell us a bit about the event and what is the core purpose of your event? Honestly, the purpose of the event is to put a fun spin on a costume and have a good time! I wasn't very popular in high school so I only attended one prom. I've had several people share the same story with me-- They never went to their own prom because they were outcasts. This prom is for all the outcasts to come and have a good time with an added bonus-- you couldn't drink at your High School Prom! Haha. What makes your event different from other events? What do you hope people take away from your Event? There aren't many formal events out there that aren't part of a convention. Cosplay Prom tends to hit right in a sweet spot where there is a lull in conventions. I think my favorite part of the event is the Cosplay Contest, which gives folks a few minutes in the spotlight to show off their creation. I feel like most of the people that enter the Cosplay Contest wouldn't normally enter a Cosplay Contest at a convention and it makes my heart swell with pride to think I'm giving them an opportunity to show off their work and what they came up with. If you had an unlimited budget, what one special thing would you like to do for your event? I'd love to bring in more prom-like decorations to really give it that "prom" feel. I've kept the cost of tickets relatively low to encourage attendance and because I'm not in it for the profit. I just want to show folks a good time! What is your opinion on the aggressive growth of all the nerd conventions and events in North Texas? Where do you see your event fit into this landscape? I'm thankful being a "nerd" is no longer something to be ashamed of. I love all the opportunities the North Texas area presents to gather with other like-minded people and get your nerd on with! As I mentioned before, my event presents an opportunity for folks that didn't previously attend their prom to have a second chance and also hits during a lull in conventions. What some of the other local events doing that you really like or with you thought of first? I can't really think of anything honestly! I love seeing these local events grow and I look forward to what they come up with next! By David Doub
What got you into cosplay? Initially, it started with discovering "Disney Bounding" outfits on a web site called Polyvore. I began building my own nerdy-inspired outfits on the now defunct web site. From there, I started making Halloween costumes for myself and my little one and we eventually attended our first convention. From there, my love for cosplay grew into the hobby it is today. What is some of your favorite Cosplays so far? I really enjoyed putting together a Pin-Up style Wolverine. I repurposed a gorgeous yellow dress with some stripes, a blue belt and blue vintage heels. I wore my hair in victory rolls. I'd say my second favorite was Ms. Bellum from Power Puff Girls. I use the name Sarah Bellum cosplay as a nod to PPG (one of my favorite shows growing up) and because it was a nickname my now husband bestowed upon me when we first started dating. What are the Pros and Cons of Cosplay as whole? The friendships I've made through cosplay and the wonderful messages I get from other plus sized women telling me how I've given them the confidence to pursue cosplay far outweighs any type of con I could tell you of. With the crossover of Cosplay and Modeling with the increased focus of Body Positivity, who do view how Cosplay has dealt with this subject? I feel like some people have become more open minded, but there will always be trolls in their mother's basement who hide behind their keyboards and try to tear you down. As I've mentioned before, I've received several messages from other plus sized women about how my confidence has encouraged them to do something they were hesitant to try. I've definitely noticed an increase of plus sized women in the community and that makes makes my heart swell with pride. However, I still haven't seen a ton of plus sized cosplayers gain international fame or guest spots at conventions. I'd really like to see that change. What is your favorite con story? Oh gosh, there are so many! I'll go with San Antonio, 2016 I believe. I rarely pay for photo-ops. With such an expensive hobby, it's hard to justify the expense of a photo-op. However, at this particular convention, David Tennant and John Barrowman were offering a joint photo-op. I had the whole family with me (husband and both kiddos, I had just had my son, Coulson the previous year) and as I approached Tennant and Barrowman, I insisted they sandwiched me in a hug and they happily obliged. As I was walking away, I tripped over Tennant's foot and he caught me. *SWOON* What are some of your favorite events? I love supporting the smaller, local conventions! I always have the most fun at Dallas Comic Show. Mark Walters is such a great guy and he presented me with my first guest opportunity. I've also helped put together the Cosplay Contest for this convention and participated in my first panels here. I will always be forever in debt to Mark for these memories and opportunities! He puts his heart and soul into these conventions and it really shows. Naturally, one of my other favorite events is the Cosplay Prom. I organized the very first Cosplay Prom in 2017 and I was absolutely blown away by the turn-out. This year will be the 4th year and it continues to grow each year. Who are some of your favorite local cosplayers? What are other local cosplayers doing that you really appreciate and/or admire? Oh there are SO MANY! Taffetta Darling- Taff has been on the scene for YEARS and honestly, I was a fan-girl of hers from afar when I first began cosplaying. I was fortunate enough to meet her through Geek Girl Brunch a few years ago and we've had a beautiful friendship blossom through the years. She is incredibly talented and is one half of the Fan Girls of Dallas. She is one of my biggest hype-(wo)men and has helped me grow Cosplay Prom with her support an advice. Krystle Starr- GO TEAM UNICORN! Krystle has the MOST captivating smile and positive attitude. She's definitely one of the sweetest people I've met since I've been cosplaying and I'm blessed to be able to include her among my friends. She's been one of my Day One Cosplay Prom supporters and hasn't missed one yet! She has so much love in her heart for special causes! Amie DD- Amie has as much brain as she does beauty. Amie is the other half of Team Unicorn from Legomasters with Krystle! As a mother with a young daughter, it's so important to me for her to see strong, female role-models. Amie definitely ticks all the boxes with all the cool, creative stuff she dabbles with. Galaxy Gear//Amber Johnson- Amber is the badass boss babe behind Galaxy Gear Boutique. She creates unique, one of a kind nerdy inspired clothing and accessories AND she cosplays while she's peddlin' her goods at conventions near and far. Cosplay Jenamie//Jenni Collins- Even though she moved off to Colorado, Jenni still has a huge piece of my heart. Jenni, Amber and I have forged a beautiful bond over the past few years due to our mutual love of nerdy stuff and cosplay. Her talent amazes me and I love to see what she comes up with. I think her Mardi Gras inspired Harley is my favorite! Red Stone Dreamery/Debbie Redfern- She is SUCH an incredibly creative and talented seamstress Isley Cosplay//Megan Proska- Just a beautiful person inside in out, Megan always impresses me with her attention to detail and positive, encouraging attitude. DFW Wonderwoman//Terri Bailey- Terri is the epitome of a Wonder Woman. Her tributes to Diana Prince are mesmerizing and I love to see what she's going to do next! I want to be Terri when I grow up! Gosh, there are SO many more that I could include here, but it's so hard because it would be less of an interview and more of a short essay on the folks I love in the Cosplay Community. If you could cosplay anything or anyone regardless of money, time and effort, what would it be? I would honestly just turn everything into a pin-up inspired cosplay! Haha. I love pin-up inspired fashion and if I could, I'd sell everything in my closet and replace it with sensible vintage dresses. If there was one thing you could say about Cosplay for all to hear, what would that one thing be? Cosplay is for EVERYONE! Regardless of shape, size, race, religion, sex-- If you want to cosplay it, DO IT! By David Doub
What got you into music, specifically DJing. My love for music. My dad played guitar, sang, and played drums. My mom played piano and sang. My mom put me into Tap dancing and Ballet at a very young age. When I was 16 she signed me up for voice and piano lessons. I think music just runs through my veins. DJing just seemed to come naturally. When I was 17 I started getting into dance music. My friend had a set of turntables at his house. We worked together and I would go over there during breaks and weekends to hang out. I would have started playing records and practiced beat matching. 6 Months later I was Djing in Dallas playing some of the hottest clubs around. What are some challenges and perks of making music as a DJ? Perks to making music is your more than likely be booked for some of the hottest shows around. I have had the honor of being booked in Baltimore, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and more. The challenges are to continue to educate yourself on the up and coming gear, tricks of the trade, and keeping yourself relevant. What do people want to hear? You’ve been involved with a lot of nerdy time events like A-Kon. Can you tell us how you got into those events and what different challenges they present over traditional DJing? I love the nerdy conventions. I was very lucky and had a chance to DJ AKON 6 years ago. I impressed the crew and I volunteered every year after that to do whatever they needed. It was not easy. We went through some very hot weather and lots of changes in event times. We never gave up and continued to support and do whatever the cons needed us to do to support our love for what we do. I had the opportunity to DJ in front of 6,000 people and get a free promo video out of that. The promo video has helped me with other conventions and events. To get into these events, it’s very competitive and there is always someone waiting in line to take your place. Unfortunately, that happened to me this year after 6 years of loyal service with one of the big cons All I can say, is never give up, stay true to your name, give 100% in all you do, and be persistent. There is always another convention you can get into. You’ve started some of your own events, can you tell us more about how you run those and what got you started in the first place. I started at a very young age of putting together events. I was hired on at a bar called Zubar in Lower Greenville. I had a weekly there and was given free artist expression. I worked with some local artists and started the very first Art Party there. The event was a success! I went on to throw a huge birthday party for some of Dallas’s DJ legends, Jeff K (94.5 Edge) and Rob Vaughn. There was a huge turn out and DJ Merritt and Redeye came out to this event to show love and support for the community. This helped me gain trust and popularity in the scene. I went on to throw multiple art and music festivals, the Xtreme Body Painting Show, and more. Is there any local DFW Creators that you enjoy, be it art, music or what have you? I love so many artists in our community. Local DJ and Dallas Producer Left/Right (AKA: Chris Lund), DJ and producer Chris Jungle (Basshead Society), Aaron Hensley, Ethan Toles, Gilbert Najera (DJ Titan) Artist Khalid Robertson (Creator of my company Basshead Society’s logos and art), Angel Etter from “Mansfield Tattoos, Sam E. Bone (Just Inked Radio), Bassheadsociety.com DJ’s and producers, and so many more. What are some local North Texas events that you enjoy attending? I have really enjoyed A-Fest, ANT (Anime North Texas), A-Kon, Ikkicon, Nomikai, and so many more. If you had advice for up and coming DJings or folks who want to put on musical events in North Texas? Never give up on the dream. Join my network of DJ’s, Artists, and Producers on facebook at Basshead Society Group. You can also follow us at www.bassheadsociety.com and www.instagram.com/basshead_society . We have a huge network of local artists, photographers, DJ’s, producers, singers, and models all trying to do the same thing. Come hang out with us and network with these creative minds. There is so much to experience and love in our network that you wont believe. We do have a monthly workshop that we are doing and if anyone is interested they can email me at [email protected] for more details. We book local creatives all the time and there are multiple shows coming up and we do need help. |
AuthorNorth Texas Nerd is a site for news, reviews, interviews, and opinions about all pop culture and geeky things happening and being made in North Texas. Archives
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