Rowan Rayne is a lovely Metro Detroit based Cosplayer who has crafted amazing outfits from Black Canary to the female Loki. I was able to get this amazing Cosplayer to take time out of her busy day in out to answer some questions from us at Guysnation.com
Mr. Incredible: Well tell us how you got into Cosplaying?
Rowan Rayne: So I have been designing Halloween costumes for about 5 years. I have never been a huge fan of the common style women’s Halloween costumes and I am a bit of a geek (well A LOT of a geek) so I begun making characters from comic books, TV shows, movies, etc. I always felt kind of let down after Halloween. So many months of work and it is all done in one night That is when I started doing some research on Cosplay. I had been to conventions before and thought it would be a perfect place for me to showcase my work, especially since cons center around so many of my other interests.
Mr. Incredible: Now do you design your own outfits or do you have someone do that for you?
Rowan Rayne: For the most part, I design my own. I won’t say every costume I have made is completely from scratch, however. I will buy a leotard or a corset if it works with my Cosplay design, as opposed to making one myself. I have commissioned several props for my Cosplays, though I do plan on really starting to create them on my own from scratch.
Mr. Incredible: How do you pick who you want to Cosplay as and Do you remember your first Cosplay?
Rowan Rayne: I have two main criteria for choosing my Cosplay. First, it has to be a character that I really love. For example. Loki is one of my favorite comic and movie characters of all time, so that was really a no brainier for me. My second criterion is definitely visual interest and construction details. I try to pick costumes that are very visually interesting, or have interesting accessories, wigs, makeup, etc. Sometimes I think I have bitten off more than I can chew, but in the end, I always am very happy with my choices.
Mr. Incredible: What have been some of your fav. Cosplays?
Rowan Rayne: My absolute favorite Cosplay is my Lady Loki, and it is the one that has required the most time and work. I am a huge fan of something that is sexy, but totally badass. I find it easiest to get in character when I am in my Lady Loki Cosplay. I really love channeling my inner “goddess of mischief”. I also love my version of Psylocke. I just think Psylocke is such a beautiful, graceful, strong character and the hair, makeup, weapons are just so awesome.
Mr. Incredible: Who are some of the Cosplayers who you love checking out?
Rowan Rayne: Yaya Han is one of my biggest inspirations. Her Cosplays are always 100% spot on and the amount of work and her eye for detail is just incredible. I am blown away every single time that she posts something new. She is so beautiful and SO talented. I also really look forward to seeing Miss Sinister’s latest work. She has this great edge to her look and is not afraid to Cosplay characters that I think a lot of people would shy away from. I really respect that in a fellow Cosplayer.
Mr. Incredible: Now you have two Cosplays in constriction. Are there any other Cosplays that you have in mind that you want to do?
Rowan Rayne: I do! I am really looking forward to finishing my genderbent take on Deathstroke. I am constantly brainstorming Cosplay ideas. You should really see my pinterest board. Lately I have been feeling a pull toward a couple X-men characters. I really want to do Emma Frost eventually as well as Polaris. I could really go on forever about which costumes I would love to make, but I do have to keep a tiny bit of mystery and surprise, right?
Mr. Incredible: How do your friends and family feel about your Cosplaying?
Rowan Rayne: Most of my friends and family have been super supportive about Cosplay. Although many of them find conventions and Cosplay a bit strange, most people in my life do think that what I do is pretty cool. I send my mom all of my photos from shoots and she is always really great about it. I have one friend, Boy Racer, who is my “Cosplay Partner”. He has been the absolute best when it comes to Cosplay and conventions. We are always brainstorming new Cosplays and planning future convention adventures together.
Mr. Incredible: Are there any myths you feel that people have about Cosplayers that you would like to dispel?
Rowan Rayne: Where do I even start? I think one of the questions I get often, and one that I find really offensive is “Oh so do you dress up in the bedroom, too, wink wink, nudge nudge?” Cosplay is a hobby that requires money, time and effort and it can be really frustrating when people just assume it has something to do with your sexual life and assume that role play means “ROLE PLAY.” It can be a bit irritating to put so much hard work and effort into something and have people assume it’s about sex. Sure many of the female Cosplays have some sex appeal to them, but that doesn’t mean they have anything to do with a person’s personal sex life. Another thing I have to say is a myth is “you can only Cosplay characters that you share similarities with.” Wrong! Cosplay characters you love, regardless of their gender, race, size. Cosplay should be about having fun!
Mr. Incredible: What are your views on the mainstream acceptance of Cosplay and Cosplay being consider the new sexy?
Rowan Rayne: Is Cosplay the new sexy? Tell that to the people who constantly ask “wait, there are really grownups that dress up like superheroes?!” No, really, I think it is great that so many Cosplayers are getting popular and receiving lots of positive attention. I love seeing some of the “geek culture” being portrayed in a positive light. I think that we still have a ways to go, but I am happy when I see other talented cosplayers receiving such great feedback.
Mr. Incredible: With that being said…what are your thoughts on the Cosplay bullying and harassment that has been going on lately?
Rowan Rayne: This is a topic that is so close to my heart. I follow many Cosplayers on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and am really shocked by some of the comments people make. Whether it is body shaming, over sexualization, rude critiques on the quality of someone’s work, all of those things just are so disheartening. It is really unfortunate that there are such negative people out there that make it their mission to make people feel badly for doing something that they love. Cosplay isn’t about how hot you are, or even how talented you are. Sure there are all kinds of beautiful/handsome Cosplayers with crazy amounts of talent, but that doesn’t mean that the person who bought their costume off of the internet is any less of a Cosplayer and should be made fun of and shamed for not living up to someone else’s idea of what Cosplay is. It’s really sad that we can’t all be positive and supportive of one another. Sexual harassment is also another issue I have seen at conventions. It’s something that has been brought to public light and gotten a lot of attention lately. It makes me so happy to see groups like Geeks for CONsent that have really made this a public issue and have spoken out about the treatment of Cosplayers. Their slogan, “Cosplay does not equal consent” is one that you are now seeing at almost any convention that you attend around the country. Things aren’t perfect yet, but I am glad to see steps are being made by people who are not afraid to speak out on this topic.
Mr. Incredible: Are there any characters that you want to do, but feel their outfits maybe too risky for you?
Rowan Rayne: Honestly, no not really. Like I said earlier, I believe Cosplayers should Cosplay whichever characters they want to. I try not to let any insecurities I may have impact my love of Cosplay or my love a certain character.
Mr. Incredible: How do you feel about the reaction you have gotten from the fans of your work?
Rowan Rayne: I really cannot believe the incredible reactions I have had from so many people. I just started a fan page a few months ago and already I have heard such kind, positive feedback from people that love my work. Initially I just wanted to showcase my work some and the fact that I have gotten featured on several websites and pages was really really unexpected. I am so grateful to everyone that has followed my page, posted kind comments and shared both my page and my photos. It is overwhelming to me, in the best of ways.
Mr. Incredible: A lot of Cosplayers end up moving into the world of modeling. Is that the next move you are going to make?
Rowan Rayne: I have noticed that and that is great! I love seeing people following their dreams like that. I personally have no desire to get into modeling. I love Cosplay, and absolutely enjoy the photo shoots I have of my work, but it’s definitely a lot more about the costumes for me. I will continue working on new costumes, and putting out new images of them, but I plan on keeping my images Cosplay related.
Mr. Incredible: Thank you for taking time out to do this interview, is there anything else you would like to say to the fans and readers?
Rowan Rayne: Seriously, thank YOU for reaching out to me to do this interview, it was such a pleasure. I just want to say thank you to all of the people that have been so supportive of me and my work. It means so much to read all of the awesome comments I have been reading on my pages lately. If you are not following me on Facebook or Twitter, please feel free to check me out at www.facebook.com/rowanrayne and www.twitter.com/rowan_rayne
