Let's Talk With: Armored Soul Cosplay

Suzanne Ofdensen is a local cosplayer in Adelaide, but the public certainly knows her. Whenever the city plays host to a convention such as AVCon or Supanova, you can bet that she’ll be there with bells on.

Well, not particularly bells specifically. She’s normally clad in some fantastic and jaw-dropping set of armour and turning heads wherever she steps. Normally, you’ll know her simply by her alias Armored Soul Cosplay, but despite the rough-and-tough sound of her name, she’s certainly not afraid to stand out from the crowd with her bright and bubbly personality. Read on to get to know a little bit about her and her story.

Well first of all, how did you get into cosplay? Were you persuaded by friends or did you go it alone?

Honestly, I started by myself. When I was young I always loved dressing up, but it didn’t really have a name for it. It was more of a “Look, I’m Mystique!” kind of approach, all dressed in blue clothes (and at that point I had red hair), but I had been going to conventions for a little while. I was always with friends, because I felt a little weird going by myself, so in 2009 I went to AVCon with a friend, and I see this dude walking around in a Marcus Fenix outfit from Gears of War. I thought to myself “WOAH OH MY GOD! You look so cool, I have to get a photo!.” He’s now a good friend of mine, so I was talking to him and I thought ‘I want to do that. I want to look that cool.” So I did some research and I was going to do a Cog first, but then I thought that that’s what everyone does. I’m going to do the bad guy. I picked Queen Myrrah since she was sort of human so I started to make that. I like to think that that point was got me into it, and over the last two years it’s started to snowball into what it has become now.

So Queen Myrrah was what started you down the road?

This was my first costume and it took me about a year to make, and now it’s been remade three times. I’m much, much happier with what I’ve done with it. As a first costume I was proud of it, and everyone thought it was amazing, but looking back now, it’s so much better.

                (Queen Myrrah (Gears of War: photograph courtesy of Falcon Visuals Photography)

Do you have any particular cosplayers that you follow or look up to?
Well by social media, I follow about two billion cosplayers [laughs], but the ones that stand out and I take a lot of inspiration from are Lightning Cosplay and Kamui Cosplay, since they do a lot of armoured stuff. There are a few more that I look at and think “wow”, but they’re the two that I normally look up to.

Oh!

Becka Knowles Studio is another one. She’s fantastic. I found her through Instagram and she is the loveliest lady ever as well as so helpful , while her stuff is awesome.

Why focus on armour type costumes specifically and not more of your traditional, sewn outfits that you would normally see?

Every time someone asks me this, I always think “…I don’t know!” [giggles]. But I guess I just feel badass. Who doesn’t feel badass in a big armoured suit? I guess it’s also a bit of an insecurity thing too. I feel safer, I guess, in armour than I would in a highly revealing costume. While I’ve always found the community to be very supportive, it can be really nerve wracking to be able to able to go in a costume that is revealing and not feel that people are judging you for it.

Your popularity as a cosplayer is continuously growing in Adelaide so would you say that you’re a sort of figure in the cosplay community here?

Is it? That makes me go red in the face! But I have no idea about that, so you might have to ask other people about that. I wouldn’t say so, but it’s so lovely to hear someone say that though! That’s beautiful! There are many people who do it just as well as I do if not better in my opinion.

Let’s talk Worbla. Why this particular material and not a different one?

Well because I’ve always been into armour, I used to make it out of foam. I like foam: it’s cheap, it’s easy to use, but it’s not very wearable. When I say wearable, usually after a con you might have to repair a few things, and when you’ve worn it a few times it starts tearing. It’s a brittle thing.

I was doing that, and I was contact by a [now] really good friend who was a running a cosplay supplies business and she said “Look, you like doing armour, I have this material, it’s fantastic for that, do you want to try it?” So yeah, I said alright, let’s do it. I did a little of research and thought it was ridiculous what you could do with this stuff. I like worbla because it is so easy to use. I like to work with it, it moulds super easy and it was easier to use than foam.

 The downside is that it’s not always cheap. I do try to make my worbla stretch as far as possible, because I might only be able to purchase one sheet at a time. So I guess I used it because I was supporting a friend as well as being easy to handle.

(Pacific Rim Drive Suit (Pacific Rim): Photograph courtesy of SteamKittens photography)

In your opinion, why do you think that people cosplay?

Well for me, it’s like reading. It takes you away from whatever is going on with your life. You can immerse yourself in another world for at least a little bit. It helps you feel like someone you’re not, so if you’re a really shy person, but you admire this particular character in a show, cosplaying tends to bring that out in your personality. It immerses you into the culture that little bit more, and it’s nice to be someone else for the day.

So what’s the most important thing about the art of cosplay to you specifically?

For me, I like to make things. I’m not opposed to buying things, but I enjoy it. But cosplay needs to be what you want it to be; if you want it to be bought cosplay, or sexy cosplay, whatever you want. It’s fine to be competitive about it, but don’t bring other people down for you to achieve that. I also use cosplay as a stress relief, so I use it to calm down.

It seems that there is currently a lot of negativity and controversy in regards to sexy cosplays. How do you feel about it?

Go for it! I love it! If you feel confident enough to do that, then do it! I have enough going on in my life so what’s the point of bringing them down? Who am I to say that they shouldn’t? I have better things in my life to do than logging in and saying that they’re not a real cosplayer because they show just a little bit too much cleavage? How dare they! It happens more on your popular cosplays publicly, privately that’s a different thing. People have second hand comments made about them that they think they can’t hear, but with social media, someone is going to see it eventually.

Jessica Nigri is a classic example. She gets sent stuff all the time. I’ve met her and I love her. She is great, but also very skilled with what she does. It annoys me that they physically have to show them working on their stuff because she gets so much abuse of not making her cosplays.

The way I see it, if it’s not hurting someone, then let them do it.

Do you think that there is a line drawn for a cosplay being “sexy” to just risqué for attention?

I’m sure that there are some out there that do it for attention. For me, it’s internalised, when I look at it and think ‘Does it need to have boobs? I don’t know.’ But then I think; ‘Do I care?’. There are many reasons someone may cosplay, and I believe being open about cosplaying for attention is important. I cosplay for a stress relief – I like making things. I like feeling cool, badass wearing a costume, but I also enjoy the attention that comes with it.

I have the most amazing support of people on my cosplay page, where I sit and think ‘Wow, nine hundred people like my page! Do I know nine hundred people?’ If I do get a negative comment, it’s more of a critique than anything. While I do have a great support system, there are always people that will just do it for attention. If people need to have that kind of attention, then who am I to bring them down for?

(Necromonger Soldier (Riddick): photograph courtesy of Houng Taing Photography)

Can you describe your process when you decide to build a cosplay?

I kind of have a wish list. Some things just jump out at me. Myrrah was more of an obsession, to me, I had to get that right. Whereas with my necromonger build, I just loved the outfits and that was the reason I wanted to do that. Usually I will watch something or play something, and I don’t always have to be in love with the series, but I usually want to at least like the character I want do, even if they’re not necessarily a morally good character. I like how they’re portrayed, so I’ll usually pick a character that I might not always agree with, but I love how they made them.

Then I think about it and question myself if it’s something that I can do it, or I can do it well, and that’s kind of the line for me. If it’s something that I really really want to do, I will do it regardless. Then I see if it will fit in with my skills, and if I can do it easily enough or quickly, because if I don’t get something done in a decent amount of time, I begin to lose motivation to do it. I love Iron Man, and I started a build of it but then other things started jumping out at me. [laughs] I have these Iron man legs and arms sitting around that I’m not doing anything with! Usually if I start losing motivation, then I start skipping corners, which disappoints me as a cosplayer... but yeah, usually I look at something and then see if I can build it and go from there. I start collecting materials, drawing up diagrams and pattern everything myself.
I like to sit and make the challenge of pattern making myself because it gives a more personal feel.

Would you like to take cosplay as a career, much like Yaya Han or Jessica Nigri, or is it more of a hobby and relaxation for you?

...Can I say both? [laughs]. I’d like to do both. I’m a business owner already, so my cosplay habits are after work. If I’m feeling motivated, then I’ll put in a few hours’ worth of work, but when I’m feeling sick or life is not throwing me the balls I need to continue, then I don’t really work on it.

I don’t think I’d have the time to make it as a career like Nigri or Yaya Han... I’d love to be invited to conventions, who wouldn’t? But I don’t think my skills are that good at the moment. You could say I’ve already started a semi-career, what with Game Traders and everything. People throw around that ‘cosplay is a hobby’, well yeah it is for some, but it’s also become a viable business, and people tend to start looking negatively on the people starting to sell prints of themselves.

....if I could make a living off of it, then yeah I would love to, but I don’t think I would be able to. People that can make a living off of it are usually supported and sponsored by others, which is good. But I don’t know if in Adelaide you could really make it as a career. Who would really want to fly an Australian cosplayer over to America? No one’s really going to do that. Maybe being invited to Australian conventions, but then I think that there are others who are much more worthy than I am.

What’s the best thing about attending conventions to you?

This is something that I’ve gotten older. Recently, a Buffy actor came, and when I was thirteen, I’d be on the floor crying over him. I mean, Buffy was my life; I lived and breathed it! [Biggest girl crush on him], and I used to run around with my friends playing it [laughs]. It’s interesting because if conventions were around at that point, I would be lining up for hours and buying absolutely everything at the stalls...but now it doesn’t really do much for me that way.

I go for the cosplay aspect. I love seeing other people’s work, and I love that. I see these people lining up and sometimes I wish I had that drive again to do that, but paying sixty dollars to get a signature from someone kind of doesn’t really do anything for me anymore. I understand that people would want to be paid for their time sitting there for three hours and hearing one hundred people in thirty minutes telling you how much they love you, but it would get quite tedious. Cosplay is what really draws me to the conventions. I want to see the contests or enter them; I want to see the panels and other work. Occasionally there are people that I really want to see. I understand the pull of actors going and I wish that I still wanted that part of it.

Has there been a really memorable moment at one conventions that’s stuck with you?

I had a really weird Supanova. I went to go see John DiMaggio and I was dressed as Queen Myrrah, and I was standing in line with this limited edition prop I had just bought. Then some dude comes up to me and says ‘Are you here to see John Dimaggio?’ and I was like ‘...yeah?’ and then he says ‘Well, my missus and I have to leave, so uhh...do you want these tickets to go get a photo with him?’
I couldn’t believe it! I kept asking if he was sure, like, he’s spent his own money on this and he’s giving it to me. I don’t know if it was whether or not I was dressed as Queen Myrrah outfit that he recognised I was there or something...

Anyways, I walk up to the table and put the gun on the table and his handlers picked it up and were like what the hell is this? He’s picked it up and had a look and was like ‘woah...Woah! Woooooooah! Where did you get this?! This is awesome!’ Then he starts saying things in Marcus’ voice and Dom’s voice and then I ended up getting my photo with him, and he’s just ‘Wooooooah, you look awesome!’ Then my friend just said ‘he was fangirling over you’. I didn’t know how to deal with it! [giggles]. I kept trying to leave and he kept telling me I was awesome and stuff [laughs].

(Battle Fawn (Original Design): photograph courtesy of Kathryn Visuals Photography)

Looking back now from humble beginnings, how would you say you’ve grown as a cosplayer?

Mmm... more skills I think. I generally look for new ways to do things, and yes, the tried and tested way is usually the best way, but I’m always curious to see how new things would work. Yeah, I guess I would say that I’m a lot more skilled than what I used to be.

Would you say that your confidence has grown with it as well?

Yeah...I am proud of my first costume, but it was...awful. I still get people commenting on my old stuff saying how awesome it is when I try to get them to look at my new stuff! I would say I’ve grown more from the community [oh, that sounds so lame! ]. There always going to be hate in anything that you do, there is always going to be someone that doesn’t like you, but you can’t live your life trying to please everyone. Everyone is also a wealth of information, so it’s always nice to talk to new people for new information. I would say I’ve grown as a cosplayer because of the community. I couldn’t have done it without them.  

If you could go back and talk to your younger self when you started, is there anything that you would say?

Umm... find worbla sooner? [laughs] No I’m pretty happy with how I’ve progressed with my stuff. I’m fairy opinionated with my stuff and I don’t have a problem with that. I’ll call people out if they’re being critical rather than constructive but that’s about it.

Is there any advice you could give to up and coming cosplayers just starting out?

The biggest thing is to just have fun. I know you can  only be told that so many times, but you just need to have fun. Keep going and don’t give up because you don’t feel like your stuff isn’t good enough. I wouldn’t be doing nearly half the stuff I could if I stopped. Just because you don’t think your stuff is good enough, there will always be someone else  that respects you and looks up to you for the skills that you have. If you are having fun with it, then keep doing. Try finding a good support or friendship group that will help support you too. Otherwise... rock on? Keep crafting?
There we go! Rock on and keep crafting! That’ll be my slogan [giggles].

You can keep up to date with Armored Soul and her progress by following her on her facebook page here: www.facebook.com/SuzannesCostumePage
Or!
Suzanne has also created a website which shows and details her costumes and, a blog and a few of her friends. You can check them out here at:
www.armoredsoulcosplay.weebly.com