Cosplayer Of The Week: Squid Squad Xero Cosplay

Cosplayer Of The Week: Squid Squad Xero Cosplay

I still remember the day I came across Squid Squad Xero Cosplay! I was scrolling through a number of cosplayers to see which ones to follow and while all of them were impressive, I could feel this raw energy and passion from Squid Squad Xero Cosplay. She seemed so alive in every photo as though she absolutely loved costuming and running around conventions.

For me, a genuine smile makes a costume/photo 100x better despite the quality of the work. Squid Squad Xero Cosplay brings a bit of both worlds to her fans as she has great costumes and has a genuine personality. It’s such a rare trait to have both and I love and respect all the more for it!

I hope you enjoy our interview with Squid Squad Xero Cosplay!

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?

Squid Squad Xero Cosplay: Yo! My name is Zoe aka Squid Squad Xero Cosplay, i’m a 19 year old weirdo, born & raised in New York. I love cartoons, comics, anime, coffee, & anything out of the ordinary.

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

SSXC: I first stepped into cosplay in 2012. one of my best friends invited me to attend New York City Comic Con for a day with her parents 4-day passes. at this time, i was deeply embellished in the walking dead comic series, and was also following the tv show (i still do!). the season finale on television featured a small glimpse of my favorite character Michonne, and because I knew so much about her from Robert Kirkmans comic series, i had to have her look for the show. i struggled for hours the night before, hot gluing & sewing pieces of burlap sack together to recreate Michonnes iconic cape. the final product was mediocre, but i loved it! the next morning, I touched up my costume by smearing fake blood all over my plastic katana and rolling around in some dirt (authenticity is key lol). i was amazed that I was recognized so easily by cosplayers & con-attendees, and the praise for my hard work felt amazing. simple pleasures kept me coming back yearly.

TGL: What has been your favorite moment?

SSXC: I did a teen titans photo shoot last year as bumblebee, with fellow titan characters, Raven, Starfire, Robin, Red X, and Jinx. we had met these two photographers through instagram & they were almost as excited as we were to shoot. we spent a few hours recreating titan badassery, jumping, punching, kicking, and climbing on shit we weren’t supposed to to get the coolest action pics EVER. it’s awesome to see yourself looking like a superhero, but i really felt like one that day. major props to the photographers.. their excitement made for some really dope shots.

TGL: What was the worst day for you in your cosplay career, what happened, and how did you deal with it.

SSXC: A few days before AnimeNEXT 2015, I was scrambling to finish a Legend of Zelda- Nabooru cosplay. i was already stressed out when i saw that my dog had torn up my red wig. after the initial ugly cry, i put aside the cosplay for that weekend and focused on what i was capable of finishing. I am now working on rebuilding this cosplay for a con someday in the future, even better than before.

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

SSXC: I’m a creative writing major in college. Right now i’m in the process of writing a short four book comic series. It’s a bad ass vigilante origin drama. my goal is to have my own table at NYCC artist alley some day. right now I’ve yet to find an illustrator to work with me, but i’ll keep my options open for now, & continue to develop my story.

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

SSXC: My heart will always have a soft spot for zombies. the walking dead was the first fandom I’ve ever been a part of, I’ve read countless zombie survival novels & guides, watched consecutive apocalyptic movies, shows, etc. my mom is not a fan of the life-like zombie busts displayed all over my living room.. the nervous person inside me might just be preparing for the zombie apocalypse… when the time comes, ill know exactly what to do (so stick with me).

TGL: What costume would you say is your favorite so far?

SSXC: I’m most proud of my bumblebee, Appa & my most recent Mojo Jojo, however i’d have to say i enjoy wearing bumblebee the most. being in cosplay is awesome, but the cosplay effect is a much stronger experience for me when i’m in costume with my friends/titans. my friends mean the world to me, and it’s great when we can share the experience with everyone, together.

TGL: If you became a super villain with the powers of your favorite super hero, how would you go about taking over the world?

SSXC: If I were a super villain with the powers of X Men’s storm, i would start by covering the world with thunderstorm clouds, sentencing the world to eternal darkness, flooding, and natural disasters if i wasn’t given complete control. i appreciate a nice day, so after i claim my title as queen mothafuckin’ earth, i would bless my holy lands with beautiful sunny days for the rest of eternity ??

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

SSXC: Hell yes! i’m definitely going to be finished with two new cosplays by this fall. this year at NYCC i plan on featuring characters from the street fighter video games, and star wars, because the rebirth of the movie series. ill keep more of the details quiet until the comic con dates get closer (spoilers!). if all goes according to plan, these next costumes should be real fun.

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

SSXC: Two key pieces of advice:
1. DO NOT underestimate the power of the mighty hot glue !! my glue gun is my cosplay weapon of choice, i take it with me to almost every con just in case of wardrobe malfunctions or last minute junk. it’s easy to use & has saved cosplayers a lot of time & pre-con stress. if you are a cosplayer without a hot glue gun, i highly suggest investing.

2. You should never feel limited to your cosplays. as a black cosplayer, I am limited to how many characters I can mimic completely. it angers me when people are mislead to think that because of their size, skin tone, or gender, they cannot cosplay the character of their choice. I SAY FUCK THAT. There are infinite costumes to be created & worn!

Cosplay is about having fun, owning your character, and feeling good about it! i cosplay who or what i want, the way i want to, even if it’s not “accurate”. so should everyone else. my most important advice to aspiring cosplayers is to take advantage of your creativity without letting a stigma influence you. you think the incredible hulk would look better with cannon arms? make it happen! you’re a girl but you want to cosplay Goku? that’ll be awesome! you’re human but you want to cosplay a flying bison? kick ass! become what you envision & you’ll look great! I promise!

I want to give a very huge shout out to Squid Squad Xero Cosplay for being so wonderful! I so wish I could attend NYCC one year and get the chance to meet her! She seems like such a ball of sunshine and the world needs more of that! I highly recommend you check out her page on Facebook and give her all your love!