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Nicole Marie Jean Interview

Nicole Marie Jean Interview

 

Interview by: Roxy Lee GG
Hi all! I am excited to have yet another incredible and talented cosplayer Nicole Marie Jean to interview, most of you would recognize her from her amazing cross plays such as Female Bane and Femm Punisher, but we know her as the amazing Nicole Marie Jean!

“I go by many names, Nicole Marie Jean, Nicole, Nik, NMJ, Lady Bane, Chestburster Queen, Clever girl, etc. I reside in the North East part of the US where I sculpt, build, sew, create costumes and creations. I'm 27 years old, but my vivid imagination and crazy sense of humor may make you question that. I've been a geek since birth and suffered the same tough judgments and struggles as any other geek growing up. No one understood why Han Solo was my imaginary friend or why I wouldn't play with ponies unless Batman was riding on it into battle or why I paired Barbie with my Crypt Keeper doll instead of Ken. Instead of going to the mall and shopping for bedazzled clothes with the girls, I was too busy raiding dungeons in Asheron's Call and World of Warcraft. Sorry, nay-sayers, girly-looking geek girls do exist. Conventions and costuming have been my greatest discovery and I feel I have found my home.”

Nicole Marie Jean Interview

Roxy: Nicole thanks so much for taking time to do this interview with us!

Nicole: Thank you for wanting to interview me!

Roxy: Of course we did! Alright so when did you start cosplaying and how exactly did you get into it?

Nicole: I started cosplaying back in May of 2011. The previous year I had attended a convention called Granite State Comic Con and it was my first encounter with cosplayers. I saw that they used their creativity and artistic abilities to bring to life characters they were passionate about. Having always been into creating things and always loving the characters from what you may call the “geek world”, I was immediately intrigued and interested in doing it myself.

Nicole Marie Jean Interview

Roxy: Awesome. What was your first cosplay and convention?

Nicole: My first cosplay was Babydoll which I debuted at Granite State Comic Con 2011.

Roxy: Where and when did you learn do fabricate, sew or create costumes and props? You are such an incredible prop builder and fabricator, that Bane mask is just top notch.

Nicole: I was creating things since I was a young child. I was always into art, always making things and into creating things out of nothing. Most of my skills are self-taught. It’s a lot of trial and error. I often times use everyday objects to replicate the looks of more intricate pieces.

Roxy: And it looks incredible. How do you decide the cosplays you are going to work on next? Do you ever take requests from fans and friends?

Nicole: I have to love the character and I have to be able to do my own take or twist on it. I do take suggestions, but if I don’t know the character or I’m not passionate about them, I won’t do it.

Nicole Marie Jean Interview

Roxy: What has been your favorite costume you have created and worn? And why?

Nicole: My favorite, as of right now, is Lady Bane. I feel like I created a whole new character with it. I also feel tough and menacing in it, even though I’m as strong as a newborn baby.

Roxy: Do you have any tips for a cosplayer just getting started in terms of creation of costume?

Nicole: I always tell those new to cosplay to have fun with it. That’s the most important thing. It isn’t a competition, though you’ll find many people treat it as so. It should be a community of people with the same hobby and same passions, showing their creativity and love for these characters.

Roxy: Now what do you feel cosplay means to you? And how does it feel to be a woman in the geek community?

Nicole: To me, cosplaying is being able to create, essentially, a piece of art that shows your love of a character and showing it off to the world. If you asked me years ago what it was like to be a woman in the geek community, I would had a far different answer. It was not easy being a girl who liked geeky things. Girls didn’t understand me and guys thought I was weird. My imaginary friends with Han Solo and Chewie, I had pizza parties with my Ninja Turtles in their sewer playset and I had a Hulk doll that rode into battle on ponies. Now, being a girl into geeky things is seen as something good and praised. It’s almost trendy to be geeky.

Roxy: That’s adorable haha I had Tonka cars instead of Barbies so I feel ya.. You’re well known for your Rule 63 or cross plays on top of your other amazing female characters, what is it about being able to take a male character and turn it into something sexy and feminine that appeals to you so much? And what is your thought process when creating those certain costumes?

Nicole: I am more a fan of male characters. I feel like you should love and be passionate about the characters you cosplay as and since I’m more fond of the male characters I don’t think I should be exempt from cosplaying. Also, being able to cosplay the male characters allows me to truly use my creativity and make something my own. I think of how the character may look if the genders were swapped. I think of how female characters are portrayed and drawn in comics and use those similar guidelines when I create the genderbent cosplay.

Nicole Marie Jean Interview

Roxy: I am with you on that, the male characters are some of the best. What has been your favorite convention to attend and why?

Nicole: I like all the conventions I attend for different reasons. One that stands out is MegaCon because it was such a great experience traveling so far for it and meeting people I normally wouldn’t meet.

Roxy: Now time for the lightning round!

Nicole:
1.Favourite movie: Labyrinth
2. Favourite TV show: American Horror Story
3. Favourite Geek celebrity: Stan Lee, of course.
4. Favourite Superhero/Villain: I can’t just choose one and often times they change for me
5. Favourite game (Pc, console, table top etc): My favorite games of all time include Duke Nukem 64, A Link to the Past, Final Fantasy 7 and Asheron’s Call.
6. Favourite Super power to have: I would love to read minds.
7. Favourite Character to dress up as: Bane and Machiko, the She-Predator.
8. Favourite comic book or book: Nearly all X-Men series
9. Favourite Artist or director: J. Scott Campbel
10. Favourite website: Facebook. I love creepin’.

Roxy: We were meant to be friends, Labyrinth is my favorite movie too and J.Scott Campbell is my favorite artist hehe. This is the time to 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?

Nicole: The best place to find me and talk to me and follow my shenanigans is Facebook

Roxy: Once again Thank you Nicole for being a part of this interview, I am a huge fan of your work and I wish you the best of luck in your cosplay future and I hope to see you at an event soon!

Nicole: It was my pleasure! Thank you for interviewing me, Roxy!

Roxy: There you have it Geeks and Geekettes, what a flawless beauty and talented cosplayer, please go check her work out you will not be disapointed! Stay geeky and I’ll be back with yet another awesome interview for you all soon!

Cheers.

-Roxy Lee GG <3

Photo Credits:
Spiderman/ Mary Jane taken by: Spencer Doe
Ivy is: Rodney Brown (Batman cosplayer is Spencer doe)
Bane is: General Gau's Kitchen
Wonder Woman is: Qin. Yitong.

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February 09 2013



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