What brought Tabitha Lyons into cosplay, is a Skyrim costume, which she made on a commission. “I tried it on, and it became one of my favourites,” says UK-based Tabitha.
Her current favourite is Wonder Woman, which she took on at the Bengaluru Comic Con, which was part of her first trip to India.
She has been LARP-ing (Live Action Role Play) since she was eight and making props since she was 12, working with her dad on their two-person venture.
“I was brought up in a ‘geeky’ family, having grown up with games such as Dungeons and Dragons. I have always wanted to bring characters to life. That is when I found out about LARP, which allowed me to run around and pretend to be a hero,” she recalls.
“You need props to do that and I used to enjoy making them so much that I asked my dad if I could work with him. I began by sweeping the floor and making tea. We started making props and costumes under the venture Artyfakes in 2009. That is when we got into the cosplay side of things.”
She and her father are the first propmakers/cosplayers to live stream on Twitch, a platform typically meant for the video gaming community.
“Twitch is primarily a gaming platform. But when I met the team at a convention, I asked them if we could stream the making of gaming props and they put up the section a few weeks later. It is a lot of fun, showing people the process of making a costume or a prop.”
One of the most important things cosplayers or propmakers need to keep in mind, she says, is to pick a character they love.
“Otherwise, you may want to give up halfway. I also emphasise on research, before starting off because you need to know the design you are going for. Getting different angles through references pictures as well as a 3D model is a great way to do that. Then you can start working on one section at a time. The most important thing is to have fun. That’s what cosplay is all about.”
Tabitha is also working to become a full-time cosplayer. “It is hard because cosplaying is a hobby. There are only a handful who can say they do it professionally. On the other hand, it is important to do the things you love and I get to experience some amazing things, like coming to India. I never, in my wildest dreams, thought that I would come here,” she explains.
“When I see a little girl dressed in the same costume, her reaction — whether she is idolising me, or thinks I’m from a movie or is just happy to see me in the same costume — makes it worthwhile.”
And what she plans to do now it keep working hard and stream more of her work so that “more people can learn how to make costumes.”
