Cosplay Spotlight: Jay Justice

Jay Justice has arrived for this week’s COSPLAY SPOTLIGHT!!!!!

Why do you cosplay?

I cosplay because I love comic books, science fiction and fantasy, and this is how I express that love.

What was your first cosplay?

My first cosplay was a Storm costume from X-Men. I used her appearance in the Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 game as a source. It was an absolutely horrendous, hot mess of a costume. I had no idea what I was doing at that point (in 2010) and I’m lucky it didn’t fall apart until I got home from the con.

Do you make your own cosplay costumes, if so, which ones, and how long does an average costume take to make?

I do make my own costumes. It’s a long list but basically any costume of mine that you can’t find in stores, was homemade. Store bought costumes are altered to fit better and be more accurate, but for the most part none of my favorite characters are licensed by their respective companies for costumes, and if they are, the version that is for sale is NOT the one I want to make. My strength is mostly in sewing, but I have made a few armored pieces for costumes. Some pieces I received as gifts and some are commissioned as well. I hand sew all my costumes so they can take a month to finish, depending on how many pieces are involved.

What is your favorite character to play?

I absolutely love being Geordi Laforge. Star Trek is the future.

Amongst animation, comics, movies, or video games, what is your biggest inspiration for cosplay?

Definitely comic books. Comic books are my life. The first thing I ever read independently when I was 4 was a comic book. It was Punisher War Journal. I found it lying around somewhere. My mother was appalled.

Have you ever made any mistakes that you’d warn a first timer about?

Don’t try to do something that you KNOW is beyond your skill to create. We all want to be impressive but it’s better to do an amazing job at something simple, than a crappy attempt at something complex. Eventually you’ll get there, just be patient.

Are there certain characters that are easier to play than others?

Every character has their own set of difficulties. With mine, it’s either body paint, a certain hairstyle that takes time to pull off, or a cowl to get used to, or being fairly unclothed in a chilly convention hall. I’m really wracking my brain as to any of my costumes that are ‘easier’. Renaissance faire outfits. Yep those are the easiest ones. Wig. a dress, a walking stick and I’m out the door.