She will still your heart as the ditsy yet deadly Harley. She will boggle your mind as The Riddler. But most of all Samantha Hummel will impress you with her Cosplaying spirit. She is one of the ones you can tell are in it for the fun and it shows when ever she chooses to become one of the many characters that she loves to Cosplay as. I was able to hook up with the clown princess of Cosplay in order to get her to answer a few questions for us.
Jack Nickelz: So what got you started in Cosplaying?
Samantha Hummel: What got me started in Cosplay was actually a friend of mine needing a bit of help staffing a con in 2010. I had always been a comic geek but I had no clue that there were conventions for more than just Star Trek fans (Not that there’s anything wrong with Star Trek mind you). After seeing all of the amazing Cosplays I really put my nose to the grindstone to do it myself.
Jack Nickelz: What was your first Cosplay?
Samantha Hummel: My first Cosplay was a gender-bent Edward Nigma, more commonly known as The Riddler.
Jack Nickelz: How was your first convention experience like?
Samantha Hummel: My first convention I went to was amazing; it was a whole world I never knew existed. The sub-culture of Cosplaying is one of the greatest things that have ever happened in my opinion.
Jack Nickelz: How do you go about picking which Cosplay to do?
Samantha Hummel: My Cosplay-picking-process, if you will, starts with a characters appearance and personality. If those strike a chord with me it’s binging time. I’ll spend weeks reading and watching everything about the character and learn all I can before I get started on making the outfit.
Jack Nickelz: Which Cosplays have become your fav. to do?
Samantha Hummel: Right now my passion lies with Harley Quinn. Between making young children giggle to slow-motion punching Batman Cosplayers Harley is just a hoot and a half.
Jack Nickelz: Do you have a Cosplay that you are becoming known for?
Samantha Hummel: Once again we’re drawn back to good old Harley Q, so many people look up to me and tell me I bring her to life. I’m not afraid to strike a silly pose or fall flat on my face if the situation calls for it.
Jack Nickelz: What’s the longest you ever spent on a Cosplay?
Samantha Hummel: I hand sew all of my Cosplays so it takes quite a chunk of time to piece it together. I think the longest I’ve spent was a month and a half nearly non-stop sewing.
Jack Nickelz: Have you ever had to adjust a Cosplay because it was too reveling?
Samantha Hummel: No I have not; I don’t think that Cosplaying should be strictly a PG-13 activity. Just so long as there’s no nudity I see any Cosplay as more than appropriate.
Jack Nickelz: What are your thoughts on Cosplay bullying and harassment?
Samantha Hummel: Bullying and harassment is everywhere, it’s an unfortunate fact of life but the Cosplay community consists of so many more supportive and loving people than the bullies. For every one person telling you you’re doing it all wrong there’s always a group of people supporting everything about you. In the end of the day the “haters” and “trolls” are so insignificant.
Jack Nickelz: Why do you like Harley Quinn?
Samantha Hummel: Harley was a character that really grew on me, a year ago if you told me I would be bleaching my hair, pulling it in pigtails, and covering my face in white make-up I’d probably think you were as crazy as that little jester girl. Every new fact I learned about Harley made me love her a little bit more. From her back story as Dr. Quinzelle to all her antics with Joker and Poison Ivy I saw more and more of me in the character I once assumed was just a ditzy side-kick.
Jack Nickelz: Why do you think people like to Cosplay?
Samantha Hummel: For many people Cosplay is an out-lit, a place where they can relax and have fun, for some people conventions are the only place where they can truly be themselves. It’s a chance for underdogs to really shine through. Many Cosplayers were into it when the sub-culture was still frowned upon so an environment where everyone embraces something that used to be made fun of is another factor that makes Cosplaying so appealing to people. That’s obviously a very general answer; everyone out there has their own story and their own reason for Cosplaying.
Jack Nickelz: What are the myths you feel people have about Cosplayers?
Samantha Hummel: The biggest myth or assumption I’ve come across is that Cosplayers have “no life”. Cosplay is truly for every walk of life out there. I’ve met doctors, teachers, fathers and mothers, professional dancers and artists. People who don’t Cosplay have a hard time realizing that it’s just as much of a common hobby for people as sitting down and watching the football game or scrap booking is.
Jack Nickelz: What would you say to anyone who is thinking of Cosplaying but maybe a bit afraid?
Samantha Hummel: I know exactly how you feel, nervous about how your body or face looks, horrified at the idea of someone not liking all the work you put into trying to bring the character to life. The most important thing to remember is Cosplay is NOT a beauty contest. Cosplay is a community. If you have passion for the character it will show and people will adore it and you. Never ever let the voice of one ruin your fun.
Jack Nickelz: Thank you for taking time out to answer some questions. Is there anything else you would like to say to the fans and readers?
Samantha Hummel: The most important thing I’d like to say to anyone who is a fan of my Cosplays or just stumbled across this article is that it doesn’t matter if it’s Cosplaying or just taking a step closer to your dreams. Live for yourself. Today is so much better than tomorrow for doing what YOU want to do. You’ll regret sitting in the background so much more than going for what you want and not having it work out.
For more on Samantha, check out:
https://www.facebook.com/samantha.christmasandstuff
Photo Credit: Wesley Alan Smith – Graphic Credit: Shaun Woodson
