Cosplay Spotlight Spencer Doe

Cosplayer and artist Spencer Doe has been making a splash in the cosplay world with his multiple Batman costumes and infamous Predator. Not long after conducting this interview, I had the pleasure of meeting Spencer in person. Not only is he incredibly talented but he is also one of the nicest people Ive had the pleasure of meeting. Spencer took some time for an interview with the Confessions of a Cosplay Girl Blog about his craft, future costumes (did someone say Man of Steel?) and cosplaying with his lady love, Nicole Marie Jean.





Victoria: When did you begin the hobby of costuming?

Spencer: I first started costuming back in 2007-2008.

Victoria: You have a large variety of costumes from movies and comics. Can you tell me about the construction of your Predator?

Spencer: The predator was sculpted from scratch by my good friend Gene. It was a pretty large project. We spent about 6 months creating two suits. The good thing about the Predator is the costume can evolve. Youre not limited to anything. So you can add details as you go along. It is basically a torso and leg section thats held on with suspenders, separate hands and feet. A neck ring and then a open faced mask with a bio mask attached. It is probably the most uncomfortable costume ever devised, but it still is fun to wear.

Victoria: Are you more partial to the DC or Marvel Universe?

Spencer: I am partial to DC. BATS all the way baby.

Victoria:  Your stunning girlfriend Nicole is also a well known cosplayer. Is it fun having a partner to dress up with and collaborate on costumes?

Spencer: I love having my partner do this with me. We shoot ideas back and forth and do couples costumes. She really is the greatest thing thats ever happened to me for this and many other reasons.

Victoria: Fan boys are known to get a bit too touchy with female costumers. Have you ever had to experience this with your lady? Have you ever had to step in?

Spencer: They generally dont mouth off in person with me standing right there. She is pretty tough herself and can hold her own. It does happen online though and sometimes that bugs me. We both love this hobby and dont let it hinder us in anyway though. Like my buddy Keith Carter said about cosplay women, there are guys out there that look at her and other girls and see their dream; a gorgeous geek, and shes bringing comic fantasy to life for these people. Its the quiet lurkers that you have to be mindful of lol...

Victoria: What is your favorite costume you have created?

Spencer: My fav costume so far because of the reaction is my Arkham Bat suit. Its funny to see grown men walk up and timidly ask for a photo.

Victoria: What costumes do you have planned for the future?

Spencer: I have Man of Steel Superman, Spawn, Venom, Colossus, Goliath from Gargoyles, Azrael and a couple others all planned at some point.

Victoria:  How long did it take to construct your Christian Bale Batman suit?

Spencer: The Bale batsuit is actually one of UD replicas Dark Knight suits. I had a latex version and it just wasnt comfortable and never flowed right with the posing I was doing. The UD suit zips right up and is a dream to wear. The other components were made by me and my friend Ed. The cowl by none other than Shawn Reeves of Reevzfx.com.

Victoria: Will you be doing any more Batman variants?

Spencer: I will be doing the new Batman Arkham Origins suit. I will be doing all of the armor on that and putting it over a base suit. The only thing I wont be making is the cowl.


To follow Spencer and his work, be sure to connect with him on Facebook and Twitter!

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Truth Justice and the American Way A Follow Up

In August of 2012 I interviewed Dustin Dorough about his Hospital Heroes Tour. Since then, Dustin has been making appearances all over the country at hospitals and elementary schools as Superman. Hes also been attending conventions in an effort to help spread the word on his cause. Ive had the opportunity to become friends with Dustin and wanted to conduct a follow up on his journey, get his thoughts on incidents such as the Newtown School Shooting and asked him to share some of his hilarious adventures.





Victoria:  How is the Hospital Heroes tour going?

Dustin: Well, so far, this entire project has been a massive repetitive lesson in, "If it can go wrong... It will.", but Im very fortunate to have the ability to learn lessons quickly and I tend to see hardships as opportunities to grow stronger. Every step back is just give you more room for a running start. Since beginning the project in August, Ive had fundraising issues, scheduling problems, hospital cancellations, public relations nightmares and pretty much everything in between. The tour has been postponed twice so far, but it just strengthens my resolve to actually see it to fruition.

Victoria: What hospitals have you visited thus far?

Dustin: I visited a few hospitals on the east coast in September. Among these were the Greenville Childrens Hospital and Levine Childrens Hospital. I have also done appearances at elementary schools and given talks on self-esteem and how to deal with bullies without becoming one of them.

Victoria: How do the children react upon seeing Superman enter the room?

Dustin: It depends on where I am, really. In some hospitals, the kids have only been in there for a few hours and nobody has anything more serious than the sniffles. Those kids tend to be more "...eh." about things. Though, in other hospitals, where the kids have been there for weeks or months, they light up like Las Vegas on New Years Eve. They immediately begin beaming and trying to sit up in their beds (which, often times, isnt possible due to their illness) while looking SO excited. Those kids are the ones that stick with me and the ones that make it all so worth it. The ones that latch onto you with the biggest hug they can manage and never seem to let go.

Victoria: Can you share a memorable story from one of your visits?

Dustin: I was visiting a childrens hospital in Virginia last September. Upon arriving, I found out that it wasnt a normal hospital, but rather like a nursing home for children with developmental disorders that made it impossible for their parents to be able to give them the proper care that they need at home. Most of these kids are unable to speak and are forever bound to motorized wheelchairs that have to be operated by blowing into a tube. Hardly any were able to speak, though some were only able to communicate through computer programs (much like Stephen Hawking).

I went into one of the classrooms and this one girl began following me around in her power chair. She kept running it into my leg and the nurse said, "Ha! That means she likes you!" Now, this girl looked to be about three or four years old, but she could have very well been ten or eleven because of the developmental problems. She couldnt speak and wasnt very mobile, but she reached her arms out to me. The nurse said that she wants for me to pick her up. They helped release the restraints on her chair and I knelt down to pick her up. As I was lifting her, a faint smile was becoming visible on her face and as soon as she was at my chest/shoulder level, she looked straight up and extended one arm into the air like she was flying. This girl could barely sit up straight, but that wasnt going to stop her from flying with Superman. Suddenly, there was not one dry eye in that room.

THIS is why I do what I do.

Victoria:  How do you feel emotionally after leaving the hospital?

Dustin: Again, that really depends on the hospital and what happened before I left. Sometimes, I leave feeling calm and pretty normal. Other times, I leave in tears. Those kids take me through the full spectrum of emotions at times. Watching their strength of heart and sheer will is astounding beyond words. For the most part, though, I leave with a very quiet and solemn feeling where my respect for those kids is just through the roof while I am incredibly humbled. A lot of people call me a "hero" for going to visit these kids, but really... These kids are my heroes for LETTING me visit them and seeing the true superhuman feats each one of them is capable of because they dont know how to give up.

Victoria: Do you feel that youre accomplishing your goals?

Dustin: I do, actually. Theyve taken a LOT longer than planned originally, but Id rather it take longer and be awesome instead of a rush job that just ends in mediocrity. The goals have also grown in size and scope since the project originally began. Its all been very exciting and Im very much looking forward to seeing where things go from here. One of the biggest goals I set when I began the Hospital Heroes project was to inspire adults as well as children. This particular aspect has gone much better and further than I ever imagined. I get to see the reactions of the children when I visit the hospitals, but I hear from the adults almost constantly.

I get a few e-mails per week from people who have been inspired to get involved in charity work, make more donations, or some who even changed careers because my work in Hospital Heroes helped to show them that ANYONE can make a difference as long as theyre willing to try. THAT was something that was completely unexpected, but rewarding beyond measure. I rarely find myself with dry eyes when I read these messages.

A year ago, I would have thought that such a thing would make me proud, but instead I just feel more humbled every single time I hear it. It makes me understand just how important all of our actions truly are, especially in how we treat people. Ive gotten messages from people who decided against SUICIDE because of this project, but my first thoughts are immediately to, "What if I hadnt done it? What if I decided to put out negativity instead? What if this person saw me on a bad day rather than that exact moment?" and the importance of kindness and positivity are proven to me all over again. It just makes me realize how connected we all are and how what we perceive as the smallest act might mean the world to someone else. We all have this immense responsibility to one another, but so many of us seem to have forgotten.

Victoria: What does 2013 hold for the Hospital Heroes tour?

Dustin: So much! All of the pieces are finally falling into place. Im filming a new video this week to go along with the fundraising effort. After that, Ill be off to New Orleans to work as a street performer in my Superman gear to raise money. Ill be working as the emcee for the Spartan Race and also part of the build crew for six weeks, then the tour will officially begin! Im trying to save up as much money of my own as possible because I grossly under-estimated the costs that would be associated with this tour when I originally set up the fundraisers. I REALLY hate asking people for money (even for a good cause), so Im trying to cover the remainder out of my own pocket.

Victoria: We seem to be living in a world full of hatred and violence. How do you feel when you hear stories like the Newtown school shooting?

Dustin: There really arent words for how such an event can make you feel. Its just an avalanche of emotion that overwhelms you so quickly. So much confusion, anger, terror, and sadness. We begin looking for any way to cope that we can imagine.

Sometimes, we look to the person who committed such an act in hopes that we can make sense of things. We want them to have had a reason for what they did. We cant handle the idea that someone would cause such pain and torment without reason or provocation. We want the world to make sense. The sad truth is that the world rarely makes sense. Its a dark and scary place, but only getting worse by the day. Evil rises to blot out any ray of hope that the good might cling to. Good succumbs to fear and loses memory of the immense power that it still holds.

This is precisely why we have to band together and hold close those who mean so much to us. Never let someone be unaware of how valuable they are to you. Never miss a chance to say something nice to a stranger or share a positive thought. You never know who might REALLY need to hear it. Life is sick. Its disgusting and cruel. Around every corner waits bad news, disappointment and pain. But you know what? These trials are what teach us to enjoy the good times, no matter how brief or fleeting they may be. Every let-down is a chance to get up. Every setback is an opportunity to shoot forward. Every time we fall is a chance to stand taller than ever before. Through this pain, we gain strength. When we share this strength with others, we find love. And love is what makes the rest of life worth the effort.

Victoria: Youve been attending conventions and shows all around the country and often find yourself in comical situations. Can you share one of your hilarious adventures?

Dustin: Oh man. This exact question is the reason Im working on writing my first book (Well, that, and your constant prodding of me to do so. ;P ). Its legitimately hard to narrow this down. I suppose a couple of short ones would work. I was in the airport in Atlanta getting ready to fly to Philadelphia for a Spartan Race event. I was wearing a Superman t-shirt and walking toward an escalator. As I got to it, I saw a young boy standing there looking terrified while his mother called to him from halfway down the escalator. She thought hed gotten on with her, but was too scared and stayed behind. He saw me and screamed:

 "SUPERRMAAAANNNNNNNN!!" and refused to step onto the escalator until I held his hand.
In another airport, I was having my carry-on bag screened. I accidentally forgot about a small bottle of face wash and they had to open my bag and search it. The TSA agent was actually a rather attractive young woman who was quite chatty (looking back, I think this may have actually been flirting, but I am HORRIBLE at picking up on that until three months later). She unzipped my suitcase to reveal a large set of red boots and my Superman uniform underneath. She stared at it, then up at me, back down to the suit, then back up to me. She looked confused, yet intrigued, and I finally broke the silence with, "I thought Id see how the rest of you fly for a change." and she started laughing uproariously, zipped my bag closed and said "Go.. Just go." I gave her a quick salute and a "Good day, citizen." and moved on.

Be sure to visit:

Dustins Official Facebook

Hospital Heroes Tour

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Why The Disney Princesses with Realistic Waistlines Movement is Nonsense

Photo credit: BuzzFeed

There have been several articles circulating on the internet criticizing the bodies of Disney Princesses. The first one popped up in October 2014 on BuzzFeed and there have been many more ever since. Many people claim that the princesses weight is not realistic and projects a bad image to young girls around the world thus leading to low self esteem and eating disorders. The articles are all accompanied by photo shopped images straight from  Walt Disney films featuring "Realistic Waistlines".


So let me get this straight; in cartoons featuring mermaids, magic spells, talking animals, poison apples and fairy god mothers, you are complaining about realism and are targeting the princesses weight? Seriously?

Photo credit: BuzzFeed

Lets start with the fact that these animated films are, well, animated films. They are cartoons. Secondly these cartoons are based on fairy tales. If you are looking for realism you are searching in the wrong place. I dont think going to a Royal Ball in a giant magic pumpkin is mirroring real life here. When I watched these movies as a child I never noticed Belle or Ariels waistline. I was enjoying the story, the characters and the music. If some people are blaming Princess Jasmine for their low self esteem, you completely missed the moral messages of these stories (and probably need to seek some professional counseling). Projecting your personal and political views on a cartoon just isnt healthy.  My third and last point that I want to make is, how dare someone say that thin people (or cartoons in this matter) are NOT realistic. People come in all shapes and sizes. A plus size person isnt more realistic than a skinny person. A skinny person isnt more realistic than a plus size person. We are all real people and we all look different. And thats okay!



My final thought is stop blaming cartoons based on fairy tales for your body issues. If you are truly unhappy with your body, theres a deeper reason why and you need to get to the root of the problem in order to fix it, heal and move on.

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Review Native American Indian Maiden Costume

Costume Super Center has a large variety of Native American costumes on their online store. This review is for their Native American Indian Maiden Costume currently priced at $38.24. The costume comes with a dress, headband with feather and boot cuffs. The dress is available in sizes small, medium and large and is made of polyester. It can be hand washed and air dried. The costume is made by the Franco Costume Couture company. A listing of the item for purchase can be found HERE.

I selected this dress for the Peter Pan character Tiger Lily, who is a Native American Princess from Neverland. One of the fun things about factory costumes is that you can be creative and put your own spin on things. To add a touch of Neverland magic, I decided to sew my Tinker Bell doll onto the right shoulder of the dress. I also decided to do war paint for a dramatic look. Fun note: the blue makeup I used was in fact liquid eye liner and eye shadow not face paint.

After sewing Tinker Bell in and completing a warrior paint makeup test during the holiday season, it was finally time to shoot. I ordered my dress in a size small. It fits very comfortably and is not too tight or too baggy. The dress also matches the colors as seen in the item listing. I skipped a wig and decided to use my natural hair since it is getting longer. I flat ironed it and kept the feather headband in place with bobby pins. I also added a sea shell necklace that was a gift from my father. The outfit does not come with boots therefore I used a pair of gray Uggs. Photographs were taken by Green House Photography.

I was very pleased with how the look came together and the beautiful dress, headband and boot cuffs from Costume Super Center. You can put your own spin on this outfit or any other Native American costumes available on Costume Super Center and create a unique look for Pocahontas, Sacajawea and many other Native American characters (or create an original concept). Their Native American Indian Maiden Costume gets two thumbs up from me. 

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