Name: Alyssa Osceola
Age: 17
Tribe: Seminole Tribe of Florida
# of Years Cosplaying: 5
To learn more about Alyssa Osceola, follow her on instagram: www.instagram.com/aj_osceola
How long have you been cosplaying?
I’ve been cosplaying officially for about 4 or 5 years now.
Cosplay or Crossplay? Both?
Cosplay.
Why and How did you get into Cosplaying?
I’ve always gone all out on halloween costuming since I was little, a majority of them were totally homemade either based on a character or my own costume design. As I got older and I could explore the internet more I found cosplay and what really got me into it was the Hatsume Fair at the Morikami museum and gardens.
Homemade Cosplay or Bought/Commissioned Cosplay?
Homemade. I love designing and creating costumes. I love to sew and build.
What is your favorite cosplay project?
Right now my favorite project is Pharah’s Thunderbird skin. It’s done but I’m still working on improving it and making it even better.
What was the first convention that you attended while in cosplay and what was the last convention you attended in cosplay?
The first convention I attended in cosplay was Florida Supercon. The last convention I attended in cosplay was Spooky Empire in Orlando, Fl. It’s a horror and tattoo convention.
What is cosplay to you?
Cosplay to me is art, it’s construction, creating, and overall a way to
express creativity.
How far into the character are you willing to go? Meaning are you, YOU or are you the character?
Somewhere in between. When I’m with other cosplayers and friends I tend to act like myself. During performances I definitely am into character.
When do you find yourself cosplaying?
Mostly to conventions or for photo shoots.
When it comes to cosplaying and being native, do you tend to add a little native flair to your characters?
Not usually. My goal is to stay as faithful to the character’s original design as possible. If a character does have a native element to them I do go all out with the accuracy.
Are you into comics and gaming as well? If so, what are some the comics or games that inspire your cosplaying?
Yes, I love comics and I’m getting back into gaming. Currently my cosplays are influenced by games. I’m currently working on a cosplay from the Street Fighter games.
What’s your favorite native comic series or superhero?
I haven’t really read many but I do like the Scalped series. I read it over the summer last year.
What does indigenerdity mean to you?
To me it’s a natural thing that’s just been given a name now. I’ve always been into what I’m interests me and reading, art, and writing are part of what I love to do. It’s just about being yourself in both areas.
Is cosplay something that you see yourself still doing in 10 years?
I think it will be. It’s a fun hobby for me and I feel like I could keep it up.