April Gloria: Cosplay

HOMETOWN: Burlington County, New Jersey

RESIDENCE: Metro Detroit area, Michigan

SCHOOL: I’m not in school anymore!

HOBBIES: Besides the obvious, I enjoy hiking, fishing, camping(being outside in general), traveling, drawing, baking, shooting guns, shopping, and taking photos of my cats.

ZODIAC SIGN: Virgo, i think…

CF. How did you get into cosplay, who did you portray first, and why?

I first cosplayed Elizabeth from Bioshock Infinite. I got my hair cut short and friends told me I looked like the character, so I decided to put the costume together!

CF. What’s the best part of cosplay?

Friends! I’ve made a lot of new friends over the past year and it’s awesome! It’s like a support system, and we have a lot of fun together. The second-best part is the creativity. I love challenging myself to think of new ideas and methods when I’m making or putting a costume together.

CF. If you could be any super hero or villain who would you be and why?

I’d be Magneto, because he is almost unstoppable!!! He has one of the most useful powers, for me, anyway.

CF. If you could meet anyone in the world dead or alive who would it be and what would you say to them?

I want to meet Grumpy Cat. I don’t know if any actual words would come out, just high pitched squeals and gibberish.

CF. What’s your favorite sci-fi movie and what captivates about the plot?

I really like both the Alien and Predator series. Both antagonists are cool concepts and the plots are both suspenseful! However I don’t acknowledge the existence of Alien vs. Predator. 😛

CF. What’s the craziest thing a fan sent you or requested?

Well, whenever I post a photo of my Punisher cosplay, I get countless requests from people for me to “punish” them. However I think they’d take it back if they saw the comic where Frank Castle puts a bunch of bullets in a guy’s crotch. (yes, that does exist!!!)

CF. What sidekick would you hire to be your personal assistant and why?

The Punisher. Because he’s a beast. Assistant and bodyguard at the same time!

CF. What character intimidates the heck out of you, why, and when will you attempt take the challenge to portray them?

Samus Aran’s armor is one. I’m currently working on it but it’s months from being done. However characters that show tons of skin intimidate me even more. I most likely won’t be cosplaying those, ever.

CF. Do you know a lot about the series you cosplay?

So far, yes. I usually cosplay characters I know pretty well. If I don’t, I research as I’m gathering my materials. I’ll watch the movie, play some of the game, or whatever medium the character is from. It’s fun, and it’s also an extra defense against the “geek-cred warriors”…

CF. What’s your favorite comic con to attend and what makes it so special?

Katsucon has been my favorite so far, because of all the cosplayers! So many people dressed up for it and I got to meet a lot of the people I’ve been stalking…I mean following online.

CF. What comic con’s are you definitely attending this year?

C2E2, Indy Pop Con, Wizard World Philly, and DragonCon. I’m trying for NYCC too! But I gotta save some dough!!!

CF. What’s one thing you wish fans wouldn’t do?

Sexual comments are a no-no on my social media pages. All offenders are laughed at and banned immediately! And of course, I wish people could just leave something alone if they don’t like it instead of ripping it and the person who posted it to shreds, but one thing at a time. Haha

CF. Who was your favorite character to portray and what rocked about it?

Burial At Sea Elizabeth is really fun to wear. It’s recognizeable and people seem to really enjoy it. I like that it’s kind of a sexy look but also covered up. And I like that I use a gun as my prop. I like protraying characters with weapons!

CF. How do you keep cosplay fun?

I try to focus on all the positive things! Friends, creativity, love for the characters, things like that! If you spend too much time worried about naysayers, you’ll get depressed. Just ignore, delete, or ban them, laugh about it, and move on!

CF. Where can new fans go to follow you?

www.facebook.com/aprilgloriacosplay , @aprilgloria on twitter, and @april_gloria on Instagram!

CF. Other than this interview, what’s the craziest thing you agreed to do?

Get a puppy. Our house smelled like a mixture of feces and lemon-scented cleaner for over 6 months. I can’t use that cleaner brand anymore!!! I know, so crazy. haha.

CF. In your opinion what’s the meaning of life?

I don’t want to get too deep here but it’s probably best to start with the Golden Rule and go from there. Do to others as you would have them do to you. Love and serve. Know you are not alone in the world. Don’t regret eating gratuitous amounts of cheese. Unless you have a date tonight. Any amount of cheese is too much cheese before a date.