Interview with Ani-Mia
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Interview by: Roxy Lee GG
Ani-Mia is a cosplayer who’s appeared on numerous geek websites and loves to make her fans laugh daily on her Facebook fan page. She’s been a geek since she was little and now that she’s all grown up, she’s taking it to new levels. She’s now been signed with D-Mentd Entertainment and is touring numerous conventions across the US as a guest and/or cosplay contest judge.
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But I personally remember Ani-Mia from back when we posted her incredibly sweet and sexy Wampa photoset on Geek girls and thinking, this woman right here is special, she has what it takes to be amazing! And now here we are. I am excited to be able to interview the gorgeous, sexy and super sweet, Miss Ani-Mia.
Roxy: Hey Ani-Mia! I am so glad you agreed to do this interview with us and cogratulations on being signed with D-Mentd!
Ani: Thanks for having me. I’ve been such a fan of your site and your page for the longest time.
Roxy: Wow thanks. Now Tell us, when did you start cosplaying and how exactly did you get into it?
Ani: I started cosplaying in 2008 after attending a few conventions and seeing all the amazing costumes people put together. The first costume I ever wore was horrible. I bought it and it didn’t fit me at all. After that I knew I wanted to keep cosplaying but I wanted to make my own costumes so they actually looked good on me. I’ve always been a creative person so the more I worked on cosplays the more fun I started having creating them and now I’m hooked.
Roxy: Can you remember what your first cosplay and convention was?
Ani: I think it was Oni-Con in Houston, TX in 2008. It was a really horribly fitting Nerine from Shuffle that I bought online, with a really shiny blue wig and it was just…so glad there aren’t pictures. The only cool part were the ears that I bought.
Roxy: Haha sometimes no photos is a good thing. Just the memories are enough. Now I know you create a lot of your cosplays. When and how did you learn to sew and fabricate?
Ani: Ha, I learned right after getting back from Oni-Con. I didn’t have a sewing machine at first so I was making everything, literally, by hand. It would take me forever to make a costume because I was sewing by hand and my seams were gross. I finally saved up and got my first sewing machine, which I still have, and from there I just started to teach myself to sew by reading a book and watching tutorials online. Every time I make a new costume, I try to do something new that I haven’t tried before. Mistakes are going to happen but you always learn from them. Boy, do you learn. hahaha
Roxy: That’s for sure! What has been the most difficult costume to create thus far and why?
Ani: See, that’s hard because I’m always trying to challenge myself. I guess as far as sewing, my Luka cosplay would have to be the most difficult. I’d never made a full ball gown and learned the hard way that when you are using a hoop skirt, you have to make the skirt longer and wider. For fabricating, I would say my Castanic costume would have been my hardest since I had never made a full cosplay out of Wonderflex. It was actually kind of fun and required me to think of how to create things a little differently.
Roxy: And it is gorgeous. How do you decide what cosplay or character you want to tackle next? Do you take requests from fans or is it more so based on a love for that genre, game, or character etc?
Ani: I actually have taken a request from a fan. Hinata was a fan suggestion that I hadn’t thought of before, as was Boa Hancock from One Piece. Even when a fan suggests a character, if I don’t know who they are I do my research on them. I watch the anime or read the comic. It’s kind of like prepping as an actor, getting really familiar with your role. I want to know everything and before long I realize that I now LOVE that character. Generally though, they are characters that I already love from animes, comics, games even art that I like.
Roxy: Cool! And Hinata suited you well so it worked out! Any tips for a cosplayer just getting started in terms of costume creations and conventions/photo shoots?
Ani: My biggest advice for people just starting to make their own costumes is to not be intimidated by anything. You can make anything, you just have to try. You can find a million tutorials online on so many costuming topics. The rest is just being able to accept that you may screw up a few times but eventually you will get things and it will get easier and easier. As far as photoshoots, my biggest tip would be to become your character during the shoot. Do they have a typical stance or look on their face? How do they move? What kind of mood do they give off? Just have fun with it and go big!
Roxy: Go big or go home. Now what do you feel cosplay means to you? And what does it mean to you to be a woman in the geek community?
Ani: I believe cosplay is getting the opportunity to become your favorite character whether it’s just for a shoot or for a full day at a con. It’s getting a chance to show your love for something.
I don’t think there is really a difference between me being a woman in the geek community or if I were a guy. I’m a geek, period. I don’t like the idea of there having to be a special category of geekdom because I have boobs. I can talk D&D all day (I have all the books and my own dice), I can play video games and talk smack, and I read comics and love Star Wars and more and that’s what it’s all about not any particular gender.
Roxy: That’s a great way to look at it Ani. Now I’ve seen that you not only cosplay model but you also model in a lot of other categories whether it be lashes, swimsuits or fashion etc. Have you ever gotten the booth babe stereotype like a lot of us other cosplayers sometimes get? We at Geek girls embrace all women and feel cosplay isn’t meant for just one person. What advice would you give to women who want to branch out into other Modeling endeavors but are worried of that back lash?
Ani: You know, I haven’t really gotten any backlash; which I guess is pretty nice. I do see this booth babe stereotype at larger conventions like Comic-Con and my only thought is that I wish they would hire girls that could actually hold a conversation about what they are representing but that’s just me. For cosplayers who want to branch out, why not. Who cares what other people think. People who know me, my fans, anyone who ever visits my page knows that I’m a geek…all the time. That’s just me. Anyone who doesn’t see that, obviously doesn’t know me and just wants to make assumptions and their opinions just don’t matter.
Roxy: Exactly what you do doesn’t define who you are. And I love all your modeling shots. What has been your favorite convention and photo shoot thus far?
Ani: San Diego Comic Con last year was the best thus far, mainly because it’s been a dream for me and I literally got choked up walking through the doors because I couldn’t believe I’d made it there. Photoshoots, that’s hard because I have worked with so many amazing photographers. The biggest, ‘OMG, I can’t believe I’m working with them’ photographer was Anna Fischer at NYCC ‘12.
Roxy: She has some incredible photos. Now time for the lightning round!
Ani: Come at me!
1. Favourite movie: Boondock Saints
2. Favourite TV show: Doctor Who
3. Favourite Geek celebrity: David Tennant
4. Favourite Superhero/Villain: Superman/Darth Vader
5. Favourite game (Pc, console, table top): Anything by Bethesda or Square, Tabletop: D&D 3.5
6. Favourite Super power to have: I want Jean Grey/Dark Phoenix’s power
7. Favourite Character to dress up as: So far, Supergirl! I love Superman plus I get to be a blonde, alien superbeing!
8. Favourite comic book/Book: Comic book: Elfquest and X-Men Book: Right now, Game of Thrones
9. Favourite Artist or director: Artist: Audrey Kawasaki, Camilla d’Errico, J. Scott Campbell. Director: Luc Besson
10. Favourite website: Anything geeky (I have about 6 or 7 that I visit everyday)
Roxy: J.Scott Campbell is mine too! Now please take this time to plug all your pages where your work can be found or any other projects you are a part of that we should check out, and also any final words for your fans and ours.
Ani: I want to start by saying hi and thanking all of my fans on my
Facebook page, where I am very active. <3 you guys. I will also be starting a cosplay blog called
Cosplay Society, for Hound Comics where I will be writing about my cosplay experiences, display tutorials, write reviews as a Crunchyroll Ambassador and more. Or I’m on Twitter, at @animiaofficial. Finally, you can visit my
online store where you can get signed and kissed posters as well as the occasional cosplay item or two. Holy cow, that was a lot…hahaha, sorry.
Roxy: No that is why we ask! Ani-Mia thank you for doing this interview, I know both our fans and yours will appreciate being able to get to know you a little better. You always make me smile with each cosplay you produce and I look forward to seeing what’s next! I hope to see you at an event soon!
Ani: Me too. I love meeting people at cons!!! Thanks for having me.
Roxy: There you have it Geeks and Geekettes! Ani-Mia definitely proves that Geek girls can be both sexy and geeky, she is never afraid to be herself and embrace her confidence and we applaud her for her talent and her courage to do so! Stay tuned as we will have more awesome interviews coming up soon!
Cheers.
-Roxy Lee GG <3
Supergirl: Photographer -
Anna Fischer
Rogue: Photographer -
Ron Gejon Photography
Hinata: Photographer -
Nyk Photo
Reiko Holinger (Gundam): Photographer -
Lasting Impression Art - Makeup -
LC Hair and Makeup
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February 02 2013