When Eduki Cosplay was nominated as Cosplayer of the Week I instantly fell in love with her page. She’s talented and she cosplays all the badass sci-fi characters. Who doesn’t love a badass Sci-fi cosplayer!!
Age: 25. I’ll be 26 next month.
Location: South Wales.
What is your favourite food? Scampi.
When you put your costumes together which is you favourite part of the process? Why?
I love all of it to be honest. I love planning how I’m going to turn the designs in front of me into something real. I make my own patterns which can be challenging, but I find that fun because I like a challenge. I love sewing/gluing the parts together, painting, and seeing the final result. I love being able to bring my favourite characters to life.
Photo taken by Antti Karppinen
You cosplay a lot of sci fi characters, particularly commander Shepard from Mass Effect, what appeals to you about these characters?
I really like strong, independent female characters who don’t take any messing. I would love to be more like that in reality, so I feel that in a way, cosplay helps me see into that world and obtain that persona for a while. I find Scifi a really interesting genre, because I find the idea of space exploration and meeting extraterrestrial beings really intriguing and exciting. Throw in some epic futuristic technology, and you have a winner. So to me, nothing is better than a kickass lady in space.
What has been the most tricky technique you have had to master so far? Why?
With the FemShep build I was working with EVA flooring foam, and I hadn’t worked with that before. The original foam I bought was far too dense and would not mold, no matter how high I set my heat gun. The second lot of foam I bought moulded much easier. I also received help and advice from people, so that really helped too.
Photo and editing by Carda J Cosplay. Sam Carter cosplay by Technobobble’s Costumes and Models. Daniel Jackson cosplay by Eduki Cosplay
For a lot of your costumes you have sourced pieces, such as props, from sellers etc, have you got any advice for anyone who would be looking to source something?
In regards to buying props that I find too difficult to make, I’m lucky that I have friends who are very talented who I can commission props off. An example of this would be Raven Armouries. He made my M8 Avenger for FemShep and scaled it down for me. He also makes great Steampunk themed weapons. You can find him on Etsy. Sometimes, if my friends are unable to make and sell props to me, I tell my cosplay and/or LARP friends what I am looking for, and ask them if they can recommend anyone that they think would be able to do it. I’m starting to make my own props a lot more now. The more you cosplay, the more practice you get, the more confidence you gain, the more willing you are to attempt things that you might have found too difficult before. In reference to sourcing materials, I would definitely say ‘do your research’.
If you wish to buy the final product from a seller, check the seller’s ratings so you know that that seller is good, genuine, and not a con artist. If you can see items that the seller has for sale physically (for example if your friend has a prop from a seller that you’re looking into), then that would be a good thing to do, as you can study the item with your own eye, and not have to depend on a 2D image on a computer screen. If you are looking to make the props yourself, then I would recommend looking for the best material for what you need for the best price. If I’m not sure about how I’m going to go about making something (eg working with resin), I google it and read ‘how to’ articles and watch YouTube tutorial videos. The thing is, is to not be afraid to try something new. You learn a lot from trying, trial, and error.
Photo by Chibishots
If you could go back to noob Eduki, what would you tell them?
I’m going to be rather blunt here. Cosplay is fun and exciting, but it does have a dark side. Whilst cosplaying, be aware that you may cross paths with elitists and bullies. Not everyone is in it for the fun of dressing up as their favourite character, some people are in it to be competitive. There will be people who fat shame, there will be people who become jealous of others, there will be people who will attempt to give others a bad name, and there will be people who will do anything to be top dog. Don’t trust people you meet straight away as they might betray that trust. However, at the same time you will also meet extremely kind, caring, and genuine people in cosplay. These are the people who make cosplay a hobby worth having. These are the people that you can make and share great memories with. You may encounter a few negative moments, but those aren’t worth even worrying about, because the good in cosplay most definitely outweighs the bad.
Photo by Simon Hunt at Alt.Studio. Makeup by Lynn Docherty – Makeup Artist
Photo taken by Alt.Studio. Hair and makeup by Lynn Docherty – Makeup Artist
Photo by Simon Hunt at Alt.Studio, makeup by Lynn Docherty – Makeup Artist