Dynamic Cosplay Presents: ACDC Wonder Woman (Suzanne)

Welcome to DC Comic News Dynamic Cosplay Presents:

Wonder Woman (Assassins Creed/DC Comics mash up)

Cosplayer: Suzanne

DCN: What made you create this character?

Suzanne: I am part of an amazing group of folks, DC Cosplayers East. Very often cosplay themes are suggested for people to join in on. One of these was an Assassin’s Creed mashup of a DC character. The idea of doing a Wonder Woman version really appealed to me because at first glance, an assassin is the opposite of what Wonder Woman stands for so that dissonance created a fun challenge to find a way to blend the two. I played around with the design for a while but when I hit upon the idea of how to combine the two logos, I knew I had to do this cosplay.

DCN: How do your friends and family feel about you cosplaying? Are they supportive?

Suzanne: While the majority of my friends and family have no inclination to cosplay, they’ve all been very supportive! They may not even know the characters I cosplay but thay are still excited to see the costumes I put together. My husband has been extremely supportive. As I was working on several costumes for NYCC including this one until the last minute, he attached the silver trim onto my boots while I was working to finish the bracers.

DCN: How long have you been cosplaying?

Suzanne: This is my third year cosplaying. My first cosplay was Talia al’Ghul from Batman: The Animated Series which was assembled from assorted items I could purchase and a little bit of painting and sewing. Last year was the first year I worked with eva foam for my Justice League: War Wonder Woman. This year with my assassin’s cosplay I wanted to get a little more adventurous with foam.

DCN: Why do you cosplay?

Suzanne: I love crafting and building things and I love dressing up but Halloween is not enough as it only comes once a year. Best of all it’s a great way to connect with people who love the same things I do. When I wear regular clothing of things I’m a fan of, I will occasionally get a passing comment from strangers like, “Nice Batman shirt” or “I like your N7 hoodie”. But when I’m in costume, people are so excited to tell me how Wonder Woman is their favorite character. They know I love her as well and we already have that in common so there is no hesitation in sharing something that we love. You don’t need to worry that the person that you’re talking to only somewhat likes what you like and that you’ll scare them off when they realize you really really really like that thing.

DCN: What was your favorite cosplay project?

Suzanne: This Assassin’s Creed Wonder Woman project has been my favorite. It’s the first time I’ve done a mashup and it was a lot of fun to play around with two different sources of inspiration for a costume and find a way to combine the two. It’s also the first time I’ve done some really detailed foam work and I really enjoyed it.

DCN: How long did it take you to get this costume together?

Suzanne: I started working on the design three months before completion but this took about a month and a half of foam work. The coat and hood I commissioned, Christine of White Pavilion did a fantastic job bringing my design to life. The beautiful corset is part of my White Lantern Wonder Woman costume that I commissioned from Castle Corsetry.

DCN: Do you have a pet peeve when it comes to cosplay?

Suzanne: My pet peeve is when people forget that there is a human being behind the cosplay. We’re not statues or a piece of scenery. If you want a photo, please ask. We’ll probably say yes. If you see a cosplayer working with a photographer, please wait to take a photo. Again, we’ll probably say yes but don’t be rude and disrupt a photoshoot. We’re all trying to have fun here so as Wil Wheaton says, “Don’t be a dick.”

DCN: Why do you think cosplay has become so popular in the last few years?

Suzanne: I think it’s much easier to get started in cosplay nowadays because there are so many more resources available. In the past if you wanted to cosplay, you had to figure out so much by yourself. Now you can easily Google for tutorials and tips on how to work with all sorts of crafting materials. It’s much easier to obtain images for source materials. There are so many crafting materials available that weren’t previously – thicker sheets of eva foam, worbla, pastidip. And there are also so many more professionals out there who can build costumes and props for you and companies are actually selling replicas and costume pieces for cosplay. Let’s face it, we’ve always wanted to dress up – it’s why Halloween is so popular – and now that it’s really easy to do so, why not?

DCN: Which DC character may we see next from you?

Suzanne: I’m always thinking about a variation on Wonder Woman but in terms of a new character, Curare from Batman Beyond is the next character I’m hoping to tackle.

DCN: Do you have a favorite memory or story while cosplaying?

Suzanne: One of my favorites just happened at NYCC this year! I was passing through the kids activity room where a bunch of kids that couldn’t have been older than 6 were running around playing and a little girl dressed as Harley turned to me, waved, and yelled out, “Hi, Killer Frost!” I was both pleased and surprised that she recognized my cosplay on sight, as many will confuse my Killer Frost with Ice. I absolutely both love and envy how this is the norm for that girl – how she has exposure to so much of the DC universe so young, and that Comicon is accessible to her at that age. It’s absolutely fantastic.