Cosplayer of the Week: Itty Bitty Geek

When I first heard of Itty Bitty Geek, I didn’t think much of it. And then I met her and sure enough, she was Itty Bitty and a geek. (Shocker, right?) My relationship with Itty Bitty Geek has been one of those “How are we not friends?” situations where on paper we have the same interests, same friends, go to the same events, and so much more. Yet we have never ever hung out or had more than a 2-minute conversation.

However, that didn’t stop me for finding out just how fantastic of a person she is from participating in Comicare, a cosplay group that visits kids in the hospital to brighten their day, she writes on her own blog to help others with various subjects, and somehow finds the time to also do photography, go to school, and cosplay! Every time I mention her to others, they have nothing but great things to say about her. I knew that I just had to feature her and thankfully, we were able to chat over email!

Without further ado, here is my interview with Itty Bitty Geek!

The Geek Lyfe: Although I have been a fan of yours for quite some time, there may be a few Geek Lyfers who have not seen your work before, would you be alright introducing yourself?

Itty Bitty Geek: Hi! I’m Nichole, aka Itty Bitty Geek. I’m 25, in my senior year at ASU (class of 2016 WOO), a bookworm, photographer, and sometimes I do this cosplay thing. 😛

TGL: How long have you been into cosplay and what led you down this path?

IBG: I started cosplaying in 2007 and it was my discovery of the Rebel Legion and 501st Legion Star Wars charity costuming groups that really got me to start. I liked the idea of being able to dress up as my favorite Star Wars characters and do good things for the community as a whole.

TGL: What has been your favorite moment?

IBG: There are tons of them! But one of my favorite moments will ALWAYS be when I see a kid get uber excited to see me because I’m dressed up as their favorite superhero, villain, or Disney princess. I see their faces light up and they do a little kid geek out and it just brings me the warm and fuzzies to know I probably made their day.

TGL: Most frustrating?

IBG: I guess my lack of skill holding me back. I could have a storage shed full of costumes by now if I didn’t let my fear of failure get in the way! I’m working on that though.

TGL: When you aren’t doing this, what do you do in your spare time?

IBG: Well if I’m not working or in the midst of a college semester, I’m usually reading, writing, or playing video games! I’ve also recently taken up photography in the past year so sometimes you might find me out and about taking pretty pictures.

TGL: What geek medium(Video Games, Comic Books, Novels, Movies, etc.) made the biggest impact on your life and why?

IBG: Oooohhhh. Good question. I’d have to say books. If it wasn’t for the imaginative, deep, and immersive stories like Harry Potter, Hunger Games, and (most recently) the Red Rising trilogy, I don’t know where I’d be. I like to escape reality a lot and go off into those fantasy worlds. It really gets the creative juices flowing and creativity keeps me sane. Plus, it’s kinda my dream to write a fiction novel one day. I love writing just as much as I love reading.

TGL: If you could pick one character from any universe(Marvel, DC, Anime, Novels etc.) to be your best friend, who would it be and why?

IBG: Omg just one? I can’t have like a giant circle of fictional friends? Shit. Okay, fine. I’d have to say Sevro Au Barca from the Red Rising books because not only is he batshit crazy, but he is HILARIOUS. Plus my humor kind of matches his, once you get past the awkward and shy part of me. I think we’d make a bloody damn fine team.

TGL: Do you have any projects in the near future we should be excited to see?

IBG: Well I’m finally going to attempt tackling a couple of costumes completely on my own for once soon! For those that don’t know me or my cosplaying journey, I actually work very frequently with a local seamstress, who also happens to be a wizard with every kind of fabric and costume. Seriously, she makes shit happen that would make me curl in the fetal position if it were just me trying to figure out how to make these freaking costumes. I love supporting her small business, plus I’ve learned a TON from her over the past couple of years. She’s basically been my sewing sensei.

BUT ANYWAY! Projects. Yes, I was so getting to that. I am hoping to start a Tinkerbell over the summer as well as finish Rey from Star Wars. Eventually, I’d also like to do a Rapunzel from Tangled with the big giant braid and all. It’s a lot of hair though, which means that wig will be expensive. It might be a long-term project while I figure out how to style the wig without making it 9000 pounds.

TGL: What advice do you have for any aspiring cosplayers out there?

IBG: I have tons of tips and advice:

1. Just be yourself and do what you wanna do!
2. Whether you make your costume, buy your costume, or commission it from a local seamstress (and I 100% support this because you’re likely supporting someone’s small business too), you are going to ROCK THAT COSPLAY.
3. Make sure that you are comfortable, keep hydrated and fed at cons, and take measures to be safe!
4. Unfortunately, creepers exist, so take extra precautions such as: bringing a friend to a photoshoot if you don’t know the photographer until you’re sure that you can trust them and speak up if you witness harassment or if it happens to you.
5. Be kind, be amazing, make friends, and have fun! The cosplay community can be AMAZING and you will never find more supportive friends than fellow cosplayers. Plus then you can do all the group cosplays, which are my favorite things to do.

I want to give a huge shout out to Itty Bitty Geek for taking the time to answer a few of our questions. Whether it’s seeing her in action as Harley at a convention or talking with her online, it’s always a delight! I highly recommend you take the time to check her out at both her Facebook page and her blog!

Cover Photo and Batgirl Photo by https://www.facebook.com/TonyJuliusPhotography/

Rogue Photo by https://www.facebook.com/laughingkoiproductions/