Interview with MagicalVoltage
Who are you?
I am Lauren, otherwise known as magicalvoltage on most social media platforms!! I am a visual artist and cosplayer from North Carolina!
What was the first cosplay?
My first technical cosplay (which was for Halloween) was Matryoshka Rin from Vocaloid. The first costume I wore to a con however was China from Axis Powers Hetalia. It was a dark time back then, and I am happy to have moved past it.
How did you get into cosplay, and how long have you been doing it?
I was super into anime and manga as a kid, and cosplay just slowly came with it. I found out that I could dress up as, and sort of be the characters I liked and admired. I found that utterly amazing. I’ve been cosplaying since early 2013, so a little over 5 years.
Favourite cosplay you’ve done so far?
My favorite cosplay is definitely Jester from Critical Role. I’ve put a lot of effort and personal construction into it, and have been constantly working to improve it! It’s a huge labor of love and the cosplay is super important to me. I love Jester’s personality and vibe a lot, and I try to spread happiness and laughter around like her!
Which cosplayer would you love to work with?
There are so so many wonderful cosplayers I’d love to work with, especially those in the Critical Role and Achievement Hunter communities!! (Also ideally I’d eventually love to work with Meg Turney but that’s asking for a lot.)
Any group cosplays you’d want to do (eg Mystery Inc, Sailor Scouts, Avengers, X-Men, etc)?
I would absolutely love to do a Sailor Senshi group!!! I have a friend (@teaqueen.cosplay) working on a Sailor Saturn glaive for me currently! Additionally so, it would be great to have a full Critical Role group, either Vox Machina or The Mighty Nein.
Any advice for beginner cosplayers, or people wanting to get into cosplaying?
Do it and feel free to experiment a lot!! Making mistakes is okay and it happens constantly so don’t let it get you down! And there are many cosplayers online who are willing to help you figure stuff out if you aren’t entirely sure what you’re doing!
A number of your cosplays seem to be from Critical Role. How did you come across the show/stream?
I started watching it on September 12, 2016. I had gotten into dnd a little earlier and with that came the discovery of Critical Role (and The Adventure Zone as well) through it. While it’s not for everyone, I’d definitely suggest it if you like fantasy and other dnd works.
Do you have a favourite character from it? If so, who are they and why?
Is everyone a valid answer? Seriously though, I really have a special place in my heart for Vax’ildan and Vex’ahlia from the first campaign. Their relationship reminds me of my brother and I. Additionally I’ve gone through similar situations as they have so they’re very important to me personally. And it can go without saying that I love Jester with my entire heart as well.
With your Jester cosplay, there seems to be a rather elaborate wig/headpiece. It looks like it took a lot of work to make. Can you tell us more about how you went about creating it?
It did take a lot of work, especially considering I made it with only a week until the convention I needed it for, haha. It is mainly hot glue and cardboard, made into horns and attached to a headband using foam. From there i primed and painted it, covered it entirely in too much glitter, and then added the ton of flowers to it. I am working to remake them now as the original was extremely heavy.
Do you have any favourite memories or moments from being in the Critical Role fandom/community?
Getting recognized in cosplay is always fantastic, especially considering I’ve been cosplaying from Critical Role for a while at this point. I got recognized in a Starbucks while in Vex’ahlia, and countless times while I’ve been in Jester! Additionally at Raleigh Supercon, an amazing Mollymauk cosplayer (@ledasubatomica on instagram) made and handed out an absurd amount of flower crowns to everyone and it was such a sweet amazing moment.
Do you have any cosplays planned for the future? If so, can you share any information about what they’ll be?
I have a never ending list of cosplay plans. However I am working on remaking my Keyleth and Jester cosplays! I’m very freely working on different designs for them, so while they won’t be canon they will be very interesting and still close to the character! I am also working on multiple incarnations of Jack Pattillo from Achievement Hunter! I also have more bodypaint related cosplay plans in the future!
Your bios also say you’re an artist. What kind of art do you make?
I’m going to school for fine arts actually! So I do a lot of painting and drawing as well as some sculptural works!! I love experimenting with color and different materials and mediums!
If you could have a single superpower, what would it be and why?
I would love power absorption like Rogue (from X-Men), although hers is definitely more along the lines of a “curse” than a “power”, at least in her eyes. Having a multitude of different abilities would be very interesting to have and it gives you a lot of options depending on how it’s used.
If you could live in one franchise, what would it be and why?
I would love to live in a Ghibli film, everything is just so nice and there’s not ever any problems really. And if there are they get solved with love and compassion!! Everything is seen as important and valued, no matter how small the task. I feel like everyone should live in their own sort of Ghibli film sometimes.
Are there any cosplayers you think deserve more attention/coverage?
Oh there are so so so many, honestly everyone I’m following is amazing but a special shoutout goes to my crew. I love them all so so much and they’re all fantastic cosplayers! @kawaiivagabond @ellodanni @thebunnyprince @funscuttle @maikingcos @sams_spooky_hyena_laugh
(normally @artemisjulietcosplays )
Where can we find you online (social media etc)?
Thank you so much for the interview again! I am on twitter, tumblr, of course instagram, and basically anywhere else @magicalvoltage!