Cosplay Spotlight: Knuckle Duster Cosplay

Knuckle Duster Cosplay say hello to your COSPLAY SPOTLIGHT!!

Why do you cosplay?

I started cosplaying because I always liked playing dress-up. Now, I work on my cosplay wardrobe to maintain great representations for characters for not only conventions, but for when I work with some local Autism Speaks teams and donate my time in the best way that I possibly can.

What was your first cosplay?

My first cosplay was Sailor Mini Moon, from Sailor Moon…on Halloween, when I was six. It went pretty undocumented, as did my first “real” cosplay, which was a humanized (gijinka) version of Alakazam, from Pokmeon. The first one that I did at a convention was Sailor Venus, with all of the other scouts, in 2011, at CTCon.

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

Honestly, a lot of my costumes are altered from either store-bought Halloween costumes or thrift store finds. I’m in the process of gathering materials to craft my first entirely handmade cosplay, which will be Annie’s Reverse Skin, from League of Legends. I estimate it’ll take me about a week to assemble the suit, once I get all the materials.

What is your favorite character to play?

My favorites are The Black Widow, from the Avenger’s movie and Catwoman from The Dark Knight Rises. For Widow, it’s because the first time I wore her, I was told I looked like Scarlett Johansson, which is something that sticks with a girl her whole life! As for Catwoman, my best friend went through a phase of telling me I looked exactly like Anne Hathaway, out of cosplay, so I have a soft spot for it…and besides that, I get to work and pose with Matches Malone himself at a ton of the events I attend. He’s one of my heroes, for sure, so the fact that the costumes work so well together is a key player in why I love it so much.

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

I really love comic books, and I always have…and besides them, my biggest inspiration would have to be the obscure. I like finding a random piece of fan art that I can take and run off with to make a costume that’s both recognizable and seldom done – which is also why I’m in the process of assembling a group cosplay for Jackie Chan Adventures! Everyone loves it, but you never really see it done anywhere!

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

NEVER BUY A WIG FROM A HALLOWEEN SHOP!

Alright, maybe that’s extreme. My Catwoman’s original wig was by the company that sells the Halloween costume, and it was just a hot mess. I mean, they serve their purpose, for sure, but teyr’e not as quality as most cosplayers hope for. That being said…Amazon is your best friend, especially if you have a Prime subscription!

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

I like the characters that show all of the aspects of the human personality. Sailor Venus, for example, can be a total goofball, but can also be a serious little leader. My personality, in reality, is ever-changing and flowing like that, so I like being able to have that freedom in my characters.