Cosplay is NOT THAT SERIOUS! In this episode of The Cosplay Crunch, we bring in Victoria Bane for a very reflective look at the cosplay community, con culture, and how cosplay has evolved from the early 2000’s to today. We explore Vickie’s journey from her early days in the community to her expertise, and now business, in professional wig styling, as well as her experiences with inclusivity and representation in cosplay and the challenges faced by cosplayers who did not “fit” a specific physical appearance. We break down the uber commercialization of conventions, and the significance of maintaining a healthy balance between cosplay and personal life. Now… we could NOT have Ms. Vickie Bane on the pod without getting her essential tools for wig styling and her personal wig-stress advice. And wait for the end of the pod when we throw it ALL the way back to the VERY memorable times of roof running at Oni-Con 2!

Are you in the cosplay illuminati like me? Well, you might not be, but in this episode of Cosplay Crunch, we are joined by Orion Valiant to delve into the world of cosplay, discussing Orion's journey from baby weeb into Japanese idols to becoming a prominent figure in the Texas cosplay community. We recount the evolution of cosplay and the impact of idol culture in anime, from Love Live to Idolish7. We explore the role of an emcee at conventions and Orion’s experience with helping coordinate a cosplay program track at San Japan. Of course we have to address the Texas Cosplay Illuminati, and learn if there really is a puppet master determining the fate of all cosplay contestants?! Stay until the end to hear the truly unforgettable experience at Fanime 2013, including the many challenges faced along the way. Oh…and moldy undergarments.

Get ready to HAVE IT! On this episode of the Cosplay Crunch, JackErufu joins the show to have a WELL overdue conversation where we discuss his beginnings in cosplay, growing up in the Ohio anime convention scene, and of course the drama and conflama surrounding OhayoCon! We go into all things ColossalCon Prime (the one in the middle of nowhere Ohio), and discuss the changes in the con dynamics over the years since 2016. Rants about Singer sewing machines ensue, as well as in depth hotel room etiquette, expectations and tips during conventions. Jack is pressed to expose the secrets to creating a perfect bunny suit, and we expose our full face (high maintenance) cosplay makeup routine for Pretty Boys.

Join The Geeky Seamstress and Zavage as we go into all things Sailor Moon costuming, competition fraud and sandbagging, “coming out” as a cosplay anime nerd to your coworkers, modifying bought cosplay, challenges of being a larger / plus sized cosplayer, the tea of guesting at conventions, and the struggle buss dumpster fire that social media can be for us all.

On our inaugural episode of the Cosplay Crunch, we discuss growing up and becoming an adult while cosplaying, the Houston Lolita community experience (girl…), the changes in cosplay from decades past to 2024, social media, and discuss a totally hypothetical cosplay reality competition scenario. All this and more on Episode 1 of the Cosplay Crunch!

We kick off the Cosplay Crunch with a short introduction to the show by host Zavage Cosplay AKA Zach. We are excited to embark on the Cosplay Crunch journey with our listeners and fellow cosplayers!