SPIDER-GWEN: @LIL_MACKIE_COSPLAY

COSPLAY ZINE PROJECT

THE COSPLAY: While I’d love to say that I made this outfit from scratch, I definitely did not, but I did order it online from @herostime123 on Instagram and I have been very satisfied with it. However, I did cut and style the wig myself and that was my first time ever doing that so I’m pretty proud of the asymmetrical bob that I did.

I decided on cosplaying Gwen because I grew up watching the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man movies and thought it would be so cool to do what he could do. I was very disappointed when Emma Stone did not have the opportunity to bring the super heroine to life, but I’m really satisfied with the Into the Spider-Verse movie! I’m definitely looking forward to the next one. I want to cosplay dozens of characters and suits from the PS4 games to the comics as well as the Tom Holland version. While I don’t have the means by which to do them all now, it was awesome doing a Spider-Verse group at Fanime and seeing all the cool suits. I actually bumped into two other Gwen’s which was rad .

My favorite thing about cosplaying Gwen was that a little girl dressed up as Spider-Ham approached me and thought I was the real deal. She was absolutely adorable and making a kid’s day makes all the time, effort and wedgies worth it.

BIO: I have been cosplaying since I was a teenager in high school so at least a good six or seven years. What really got me into costumes in the first place was my love for Batman which started with the ‘89 version with Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson. My Batman obsession was filled with watching and quoting the cartoons and movies constantly, playing with the action figures, and being Batman for Halloween for two years in a row at the ripe old age of two and three. Yes, if course I wore the muscle suit both years. This led me to get interested in Teen Titans and my first cosplay: an absolutely terrible quality Beast Boy complete with paper ears, green hair spray, green flaky football face paint and short shorts. At the time I didn’t understand why nobody approached me for photos because I thought I looked so good, but it’s hilarious to look back now and see how I have grown.

My favorite cosplay to date is a tie between my peasant Belle from Beauty and the Beast and the Lara Croft from Tomb Raider photoshoot I did in 2019 based on the 2013 game. Since I’m back in school for college I have less time and money for cosplay, but I hope to continue to go to as many cons as possible to spend time with friends and debut new characters.

COSPLAY BY MICHAELA
PHOTOGRAPHY AND DESIGN BY BRIAN NISHIMOTO