Where is Katybear?

I'm posting this - because many months ago Katybear posted on facebook that she had deleted all of her online accounts.

All we can see now is : 404. That’s an error. The requested URL was not found on this server.

If you are reading this Katy, we love you! we hope you are well.

This was my interview back in 2013 with her
http://alashazam.blogspot.com/2013/02/cosplay-interview-with-katybear.html

Interview with Peileppe

On the last post I was featuring Katybear and was interested to know about her motivation to do cosplay and I mentioned that cosplayer usually receive no income but starts to get attention from other artists in the form of Fan-art.

Today I have the privilege to interview Phillip Koops (aka Peileppe) a cartoonist that made a fan-art for Katybear

Can you give a short bio ?
Okay, I'm a Freelance designer, comic artist, developer and father of two kids
I studied Finance and Accountancy and moved from France to Ireland, and then Czech Republic where I live now.
After 8 years in the call-centre environment (I worked as tech support for Apple, and then presale support for Hewlett-Packard) I started freelancing and doing my own comics (called call-centre Grinder).

Did you study in any art school?
I’m mostly a self-taught person. I learned through trial and errors.
But I learned oil painting, and how to use charcoal and graphite in extra school activities during my teenage years.

Can you tell us someting about your typical working method,  the tools of your trade?
I use open-source software : Gimp mostly, Krita, and myPaint for digital work
But the fan-art was done with Manga Studio - I did a series of portraits.
Otherwise I draw by hand and then scan the result - and finish the work with my wacom bamboo.

An offer you couldn't refuse

Interviews are welcome

I feel like it would be beneficial to open my blog to other people and allow them to have a place to post about their services or hobbies.

If you are an artist, freelance, cosplayer, linux developer, aspirant designer, comics writer, reiki master, spiritual healer, clairvoyant etc ... and be interested to post an interview on my blog. Here are the questions template I would use - send the completed interview to my email address

Questions

These would be the questions (feel free to modify them, as you like)

1. Can you give a short bio ?
2. What got you into "your field of expertise" ?
3. What are the required qualities of a "person in your field of expertise" ?
4. What are your visions of "your field of expertise" for the next years ?
5. What do you wish "your field of expertise" would be in the future ?

Please then add any of your links you'd like to share

Example of an interview with Katybear - found here.

P.S : As the editor I keep the right to decline posting or review part of the interview - or to discontinue this service anytime.

The service is free but donation are welcome.
See static page for more details http://alashazam.blogspot.com/p/open-for-interview.html

Cosplay interview with Katybear

Is it just an impression or does cosplaying is getting more and more professional and competitive ?
This type of performance art  is now more and more in the direction of having a fan-base itself (fan-art portrait are given to cosplayer, they are featured on many media platform, giving interview on TV, etc ...) 

Does this mean cosplayers are in the process of becoming star themselves ? 


In short who are these individuals behind the mask, who are those passionate people spending their free time to create outfit, and makes the visitors smiling with glee during conventions.


To answer this questions, I had the honor of interviewing Kate McCullough (aka Katybear) :

Can you give a short bio of yourself ?

My name is Kate (or Katy) McCullough. I am from Albuquerque, New Mexico but I recently moved to Phoenix, Arizona. I make all my own cosplays. I am a big video game and anime nut, but I am also starting to get into comics as well. I also enjoy reading, snowboarding, and horseback riding.








What got you into the cosplay world ?

I am born on Halloween and have always loved dressing up. My husband actually told me about cosplay ( I had no idea it even existed) and I was on it in no time. Dressing up as my favorite character, YES!





What are the required qualities of a cosplayer nowadays ?

I would say knowing how to sew is a big plus. If you buy all you stuff you can't really take all the credit, you have to say it was the seamstress's skill as well. I am much more fulfilled when I can make my own. I started out not knowing how to sew at all and I just bought a sewing machine one day and read the manual. I am learning how to make armor as well. You also need to be friendly, if you never respond to anyone they aren't going to like you very much. It's also important to be friendly to other cosplayers, bad rep travels fast.









What are your visions of the cosplay world for the next years ?

I think it's going to get much bigger. When I started there were barely any well known cosplayers and just in the two years I've been doing this it's blown up.



1. What do you wish the cosplay world would be in the future ?

I think it would be awesome if they became celebrities and video game companies, anime companies, and comic artists started hiring them. Maybe even movies. How epic would that be?!

And I guess, it would make a lot of sense for the videogame and comics industry during convention to support the enthusiastic cosplayer, since they are putting so much resources, energy and work in serving their passion and they are also attracting a lot of visitors.

In some aspect, similarly to people involved in opensource, or non-profit organisation, or independant (indie) company, cosplay is restoring my faith in humanity because it's all about having fun and living their passion ; breaking the usual materialistic way of thinking, that says : "to do work, you absolutely need to get paid".


Thanks Kate McCullough for that nice interview!


Here are links where readers will find more about Katybear :

https://www.facebook.com/katybear1031

https://twitter.com/katybearcosplay

http://itskatybearbitches.tumblr.com/

http://www.youtube.com/user/katybear25