Victoria: How long have you been acting and are you trained in the arts?
Kevin: I’ve been acting since college. I went to Newberry College in South Carolina on a football scholarship and was approached my freshman year to audition for the Robert Bolt play ‘A Man for all Seasons’. I fell in love with acting and theater at that point and it’s been a part of my life ever since.
Victoria: How did you get involved with Bat in the Sun studios?
Kevin: I first met Aaron and Sean Schoenke at the San Diego Comic Con in 2003. I was there making a Batman appearance for DC and Mattel. Aaron had a Bat in the Sun t-shirt on, and I was familiar with their first film “Batman Beyond: Year One”. I commented to them about it while on set, that’s actually caught on tape as Sean was filming all of this. They later reached out through a mutual connection and offered me the role of Batman in their next project.
Victoria: Are you a comic book fan?
Kevin: Always. I am a huge fan of the source material as that’s where the truth of the characters lies, in the intent of the writers. I have been an avid collector all of my life.
Victoria: How long does it take to complete a Bat in the Sun film?
Victoria: What are your thoughts on Ben Affleck being cast as Batman in the Man of Steel sequel?
Kevin: I think that he will do well. Hes older, wiser and the suit will do most of the work. I trust Zack Snyder.
Victoria: How did you prepare to play the role of Batman?
Kevin: Its just something that is within me. Its very natural to shift gears. I am not this way in my everyday life. My demeanor is much more upbeat. But there is something that is amazing about the duality. This double life and putting on this second skin that brings out some hidden dark side. You access your pain, anger, rage...Its cathartic in a way.
Victoria: Why do you think Batman is such a popular character in comics and pop culture?
Kevin: Batman is American mythology. Its a child’s character that also matures with us as we grow. There are various interpretations for each stage of development. It’s a human hero that endures, who is flawed but triumphs. His heart, his drive and yes that dark side that most people never admit to having. Bottom line, Batman is cool. Theres no arguing that! Victoria: What other film projects do you have coming up?
Kevin: I just got word this week that I have been cast in a new film starring Jackson Rathbone. I play a biker and have a couple of great scenes with Andrew Dice Clay. It shoots in December and I couldn’t be more excited.
Victoria: What does your convention schedule look like for 2014?
Kevin: I’m not really sure. I have a few films lined up so my schedule may not accommodate many conventions. I would love to attend more as I love getting out and meeting people that appreciate the work. I will be at San Diego, thats certain!
Victoria: Where can fans contact you and view a port of your work?
Kevin: You can always reach me on the Fan page Kevin Porter Batman. You can also imdb me to find out what projects Ive done or the ones that I have coming up.
The Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con rolled back into the city of brotherly love with a new twist. The three day event was extended with its first ever Preview Night with hours operating from 5pm until 9pm. Preview Night is no stranger to shows such as the San Diego Comic Con and New York Comic Con but the additional half day was a welcomed treat to Philadelphians. The show took place May 30th, 31st, June 1st and 2nd and featured an impressive roster with celebrities from both the comic book world and Hollywood.
On Friday I had the pleasure of working with Superhero Photography and Superhero Stuff at their booth as Elektra with famed photographer Adam Jay. The Elektra costume was on loan and made by Ally Cat. Fans were invited to take a picture in front of a green screen with cosplayers. Carlos Blanchard, the infamous "Midevil Batman" was also working at the booth along with stunning model Alexia who wowed the crowd as Poison Ivy. For a small fee, your photo was edited with a background and printed on the spot as a keep sake (a digital copy was also emailed to costumers). A screening for the fan film "Legion of Injustice" by Together Brother Productions (in which I star in as Supergirl) was held later that evening. After the movie screening we headed back to the convention floor for a Marvel photo shoot with Stan Lee. 
Saturday was the day to debut an original cosplay months in the making. I was honored when Han Pan and Lucid asked me to be part of their 1950s Gotham Girls group as Catwoman. The dresses were designed and made by both Han and Lucid. Months of sewing as well as research into the style of the times, hair and makeup were needed to pull this off. Our cosplay was met with praise from con goers, friends and celebrities alike and we took home second place aka Honorary Mention in the costume contest later that evening. DC Comics George Perez (whom I had the pleasure of meeting at Megacon during my Lois Lane/Superman shoot) stopped us as we passed his table for a photo. I attended a DC shoot where Mr. Perez was our guest of honor. I also met actors Dean Cain and Amber Benson that day and was pleasantantly surprised to see Bryan Nguyen at the show, one of my favorite cosplayers. 
The final day of the show was a bit more relaxing for me. I had no obligations and was able to stroll the convention floor at my own pace with my companion. I decided on Zatanna since I have not worn that outfit for over a year and purchased new pieces such as a hat and bottoms. I completely forgot that I never replaced the bow tie and decided to search for one at the show. I purchased a red one which wasnt my first choice of color but is one of the variants Zatanna wears. I was quite pleased after adding it to my ensemble. The final day was filled with friends, meeting Walking Dead star Norman Reedus, artist Eric Basaldua, Ken Haeser of The Living Corpse and ended with friends over Philly cheese steaks. Id like to thank everyone at the Wizard World organization for a superb and well organized show this year. As always, I am very much looking forward to next years event. A complete photo gallery can be seen on my official Facebook Fan Page. 
When I was a little girl my parents took my siblings and I to see Disneys "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" in theatres. Even before seeing the film I took an immediate liking to Snow because like me, she had dark hair. In fairy tales the heroines were often blond in both Disney versions and storybooks. It wasnt until 1989 when "The Little Mermaid" was released that we saw a non blond princess. The 80s were saturated with blond Hollywood Starlets and characters such as She-Ra, Rainbow Bright and Jems true identity, Jerrica Benton. Just about every fashion doll and baby doll was blond haired and blue eyed. Being dark haired, I literally felt like a black sheep because I didnt represent what was considered beautiful. I was often told by classmates that my dark hair was ugly. Luckily I could look to such characters as Snow White and Wonder Woman to relate to. I also had my mother and her sisters who were all very beautiful and dark haired. In the 2012 film "Mirror Mirror" starring Julia Roberts and Lily Collins, there is a scene where the Queen grabs SnowWhites locks and pulls it cruelly. She tell her that she hates her hair. Watching that scene gave me flashbacks to my childhood bullies. It was something I could very much relate to. Snow White was treated poorly for many reasons, one of them being that she looked different. As a child I loved the Disney version of Snow because of its charm. As I grew older, I read and watched many different adaptations of the story and discovered that it had a much deeper meaning than just a jealous stepmother. Snow White was a survivor. 
I think everyone can admit that they were bullied at one point in their life. It could have been because of your looks, your religion, your sexuality, your race, pretty much anything. You were the target of someones misguided hate. Maybe they were even jealous of you. And we have all fallen on hard times. Loosing a loved one, a breakup, financial trouble or periods where it seems like everything is going wrong. There are times when life knocks you down and you have to struggle to pick yourself back up. One of the things that can help you get your life back on track and give you strength is the help and support of loved ones. Having a goal set and keeping a positive attitude combined with hard work can lead to a path of happiness. Snows father was murdered. After the devastating loss of her loved one she was then evicted from her home and lead to the woods to be killed like a pig lead to slaughter. She was given a second chance and her life was spared. Homeless and without her father, Snow had to start over. Luckily enough, she found a support system with the seven dwarfs. She was on a path to rebuilding her life when she was tricked into eating a poisoned apple which put her into a comatose state. It appeared that her story had come to a tragic end. As fate would have it, she was awoken with true loves kiss and found eternal happiness with her soul mate. 
As I stated before, there are different versions of the story. In the 2001 TV film "Snow White: The Fairest of Them All", starring Kristin Kreuk and Miranda Richardson, the Prince was turned into a Bear. Snow Whites father didnt perish. He acquired his position as King through a wish granted by a Genie. In "Mirror Mirror" Snow never ate the apple and instead made her stepmother take a slice of the poisoned fruit. In the television show "Once Upon A Time", our princess is played by Ginnfer Goodwin and the series takes many brilliant liberties with the story of Snow White and displays her courage and survival skills like weve never seen before. I am not naive enough to say that all of lifes problems can be cured with true loves kiss or talking animals but the core of Snow Whites tale is something I think everyone can relate to. We can also learn from it. No matter how cruel life is, no matter how dark or how hopeless it may seem, we have to push forward. If it hits us, hit it back and show that you wont let it defeat you. You are stronger than that. Life can give us so much more than misery. You can have happiness and you can survive. If a princess who lost everything can do it, surely you can. 
Now this brings me to the topic of costuming. Its safe to say that Snow is one of my heroes. Choosing her as my next cosplay was an easy selection but when it came time to research the project, I began to hesitate. Ive seen many racists comments online regarding my costumes. A few that pop into mind are one person who said I didnt deserve to wear the Supergirl costume because I looked like a "Jessica Alba, Sue Storm ruining chick." One person said my Catwoman cosplay was nearly perfect except for the fact that "she isnt white." I thought for sure I would be met with an onslaught of complaints that a Latina could not portray Snow White. This troubled me so much that I actually postponed my costume plans but then I realized how foolish it would be to abandon my project. The color of my skin isnt a disability and I wasnt going to let someone tell me I couldnt do something because I am Puerto Rican. Race doesnt matter to me when it comes to cosplay or anything else I do in my life. Its not an obstacle to overcome. Ive portrayed characters with white skin before and it didnt matter. Why should it matter in this case? The bullies wouldnt ruin this for me, they couldnt take it away from me because I am different. I also had the love and support of my friends. 
After filtering out the negative energy, I proceeded with my plans and arranged a shoot with photographer Piera Lotito. I choose a location at a nearby art center where coincidentally they had an outdoor Snow White exhibit. During the shoot a group of High School kids were there and upon spotting me in the woods, they took out their cell phones and requested to take photos of me. They didnt seem to mind that I was a Latina and neither did any of the con goers and children I met at the New York Comic Con. Snow Whites strength inspired me to bring her to life the best way I possibly could. I am ecstatic with how the costume came together and am thrilled with the photo set. The costume is made of velvet and satin and was ordered from the Costume Craze website. The dress is in the style of the Disney version. I decided I wanted long hair and thus chose a lace front, long curly wig and added a maroon headband. I brought along props to help flesh out the story in the photos such as an old fashion broom, a wooden apple, basket, sword and some animals. You can view the photo set in the gallery on my website HERE. 
