Necronomalex Cosplay interview
Who are you?
My name is Alex, I’m 22 and a student from London.
How did you come up with your cosplay name Necronomalex Cosplay?
I’m obsessed with a Japanese idol group called Necronomidol, so I randomly thought of Necronomalex and it stuck. I think it’s a bit too long but it sounds cool so it’s staying for now.
What was your first cosplay?
My first cosplay was a student from the Battle Royale film.
How did you get into cosplay, and how long have you been doing it?
I knew absolutely nothing about cosplay before I went to my first con back in 2011. I fell in love with it after I saw all the amazing things people made and how much fun they were having, plus I always loved making things and getting creative.
I started cosplaying in 2012 and have only made about 6 cosplays so far.
Favourite cosplay you’ve done so far?
I would definitely say my Monster hunter great Jagras armour, which is funny because I absolutely hated it towards the end. It’s the first big project I’ve done and learned a lot about foam prop making.
Any advice for beginner cosplayers, or people wanting to get into cosplaying?
What are you waiting for? Just do it! It’s one of the most rewarding things out there. It also helped a lot with my social anxiety and has given me some self-confidence.
Another thing, start small! I wanted to jump straight into elaborate costumes, but it was all too overwhelming at first, so I’m slowly making my way there.
Finally, just have fun! That’s what it’s all about!
How do you go about choosing which cosplays to make and wear?
There are so many costumes out there that I want to make. Usually I have to ask myself ‘Is it possible to make this in my time frame?’, ‘Can I afford to make it?’ ‘Can I even make it?’. This has been especially difficult whilst I’m at uni, there just isn’t any time.
Are there any projects you’re working on that you want to share with us?
I’m slowly gathering materials for a new Necronomidol uniform and Domino (movie) cosplay.
One of your big projects was the Jagras armour from Monster Hunter World. Can you tell us more about the process of making that cosplay?
It was hell. Trying to make this along with uni work had caused so much stress and I had multiple breakdowns, it was nowhere near finished for the con that I had originally intended to wear it for, so I had to wear something else which was incredibly disheartening. There are still parts of the costume that are missing, but it’s about time I’ve moved onto other projects.
I have made quite a few changes to the costume itself. The original leg armor in particular was quite difficult to make and turned out to be impractical to wear, so I ditched it and went for the good ol’ over the knee socks and boots.
I didn’t feel very confident the first time I wore it at summer LFCC 2018, but for MCM expo in October I decided to go all out with makeup and a hairpiece, I felt so badass!
How was it recieved?
It was weird, a lot of people liked it. I got a lot of compliments for it, people wanted to take pictures of me, I found it all very nerve-racking. It made all my hard work worth it!
Wil you be doing any more cosplays from that universe?
I would love to, Monster Hunter armour is so pretty but I will have to come back when I’m much more skilled. The Jagras set was a noob armour for a noob cosplayer!
You’ve also uploaded photos to Instagram about making a Domino cosplay. Do you have any news to share on that cosplay?
Yes, I have wanted to do this since her first reveal for the promos. This is my main project for next year and I’m going to start drafting up some patterns soon.
According to your Instagram profile, you’re doing a BA in Costume Interpretation. How has that helped you with your cosplay?
I have learned a ton about costume construction and pattern making from a theatrical perspective. There’s a huge focus on historical costume but it will be interesting to incorporate that into future costumes.
If someone wanted to do a cosplay collaboration with you, what would be the best way for them to reach out?
That sounds fun! I’m usually quite active on Instagram and twitter.
Any group cosplays you’d want to do (eg Mystery Inc, Sailor Scouts, Avengers, X-Men, etc)?
I think an X-Force group would be pretty cool, but my dream group cosplay would be my destiny fireteam IRL.
Which cosplayer would you love to work with?
Ahh too many! @kamuicosplay, @zerosuitsami @soylentcosplay @krissyvictoryy (all on insta) just to name a few.
Are there any cosplayers you think deserve more attention/coverage?
A few that come to mind are @Seiuncosplay, @stitchy_mcbitchy and @the_vintage_moon (all on insta). They are extremely talented and amongst the first cosplayers I followed on instagram, I’ve been watching their progress on projects and they are just amazing. Please check them out and show them some love!
Where can we find you online (social media etc)?
My cosplay and progress page is https://www.instagram.com/necronomalex_cosplay/ .