Speaker 1: 0:10

Thank you and welcome to another episode of the Carolina Otaku podcast. I'm Afro and I'm here with my co-host, texi, and, as you guys can see, we have a special guest here with us, somebody that some of y'all might know from the cosplay world. Some of y'all might not know from the cosplay world. You know what I he's, he was, he was everywhere, you know, I mean with his, with this crazy cosplay that he had and everything. He still continued to do that whenever he gets the chance to, and all that. So I want my guest to go ahead and introduce himself. Tell us a little bit about yourself and we can go ahead and get started.

Speaker 2: 0:54

All right, what's up everybody. I am, ooh poppy, the best tank in the world, because no one can stop me. That's the intro. I always stick for a minute. Oh yeah, besides, I've been cosplaying for a long time, close to 10 years now. I just realized in close to 10 years I'm a big gamer, love video games. I've been streaming on multiple platforms with the same um name, with a 760 behind it, I, you know, I. I use the word nerd lightly because you know, the more I get into it, I feel like there's more people that just out nerd me and I just kind of feel like I just more just get to. I watch a little anime, but I'm a very big game gamer at heart, like a huge gamer at heart okay, awesome, awesome.

Speaker 1: 1:34

So you guys know how we usually start these off. We usually go with what we've been up to. So, lexi, do you want to go first? You want me to go first?

Speaker 3: 1:43

you go first, because I seem like I always go first.

Speaker 1: 1:45

So, jesus, christ, what have I been up to? Starting a new job, and I don't want to say too much, but. But I think I work in a sweatshop. Oh, I think I work in a sweatshop and it's cool. You know, doing IT stuff for them is something different, but I don't know, it's cool. You know, it's a job. I hate having to say that because it sounds so fucking miserable, but it's a job. I can't sit here and complain. I got something going on and I can pay my fucking mortgage. So there we go. That's all I've been up to. And it started to get hot here in carolina, so it is your turn.

Speaker 3: 2:28

Um, I really haven't been up to much. Um, in my garden. Still, um, sunflowers are now coming out. That's awesome. I didn't think I was going to get anything this season, but luckily those are there. Tomatoes are starting to flower, so we'll see if we actually get tomatoes or not. Then I'm going on vacation next week that's what I've been preparing for and going to Disney. I haven't been since I was 10 or 12. I'm going on vacation next week so that's what I've been preparing for and going to Disney. I haven't been since I was like 10 or 12.

Speaker 1: 3:00

You hitting up Universal or Disney World?

Speaker 3: 3:02

I'm hitting up Disney World. I went to Universal two years ago. I did the Harry Potter experience.

Speaker 1: 3:09

That should be a good time. I know you're going to be shipping stuff back.

Speaker 3: 3:12

That should be fun, awesome. Let's just go ahead and get into this meat.

Speaker 1: 3:14

I know you're going to be shipping stuff back, so that should be fun, awesome. So let's just go ahead and get into this meat and potato shit. You know I usually have like screenshots and shit, but since we got a guest, I kind of just want to, kind of just want to, you know, kind of get into shit. You know what I mean. So I guess I'll start off with you know you said that you use the word nerd lightly and stuff, so I ask how long have you been actually going to conventions and do you actually remember your first convention that you actually went to?

Speaker 2: 3:43

This is my first convention in 10 years. My first one was actually Momokan back in 2015. And I've been. You know Momokan is a kind I don't miss. I was close to missing it this year, with it being my first time, and it's the first time I went viral, kind of all that kind of something. And then, with them recognizing, me on the 2019 um history. I was like, okay, y'all got my heart, now so they. So that's a time like I was.

Speaker 3: 4:12

I'm just basically, you know, made so if you guys don't know, I'm going to call it out, because he's not going to call it out. If you went to MomoCon this year, he is on the poster, you guys. He is there and I have been to MomoCon with him when he is cosplaying as M'Baku and it's very interesting to see the amount of people that will stop him and take pictures with him and be like he looks like him, because he really does. So yeah, anyways, that's my little spill homework, so that's awesome, man, that is awesome.

Speaker 1: 4:44

What? What was the? So I don't want to get straight into the mbaku stuff because I know that's gonna be. Yeah, you know, but what was the kind of like push for you to start cosplaying? Were you just like let me just give this a try and see what happens? Or was it just like a certain character you would just like I'm gonna try this character first and then see the response from it, or anything like that it was weird because I never grew up in my family.

Speaker 2: 5:12

My family was religious household Christians.

Speaker 2: 5:16

So I didn't celebrate Halloween growing up, so I remember I always wanted to cosplay at Halloween parties. I just never had the opportunity to. I would just go with something. Very party city, just keep it moving. I would love to go, as during the time it would be like a Bleach character or Naruto character. It wasn't much of an option back when I was like partying, right partying.

Speaker 2: 5:38

So then I think when I went to my first, when I went to momoka my first year, I um and I said, okay, this is, this is pretty dope. This is back when attack on titans was like super big. So it was the troops all over the place and I was like man, I want to be, you know, amongst them, they, I remember they got in a group, they were singing the intro song and everything. It was just a good. It was like that being my first time, you know, growing up in a small town where there's not a lot of places where people could really express cosplay or any kind of you know, you know, eastern nerd culture in any form, going to that con. It was just. It just really like blew my mind, just seeing like, like people. I remember I was there all day just playing a bunch of video games with um everybody. That's back when the time was at the um college too, and they just you know it's more times.

Speaker 2: 6:26

It's been growing as as year, as years go by okay, do you like the growth like?

Speaker 1: 6:31

do you like seeing the growth or you like damn, this is a lot of damn people now. I like seeing the growth or are you like damn.

Speaker 2: 6:35

This is a lot of damn people now. I like seeing the growth. I feel like that's a good time for somebody's first time experience. I think Momokan is a good time. It didn't get big enough, to the point that it became overwhelming.

Speaker 2: 6:47

So I will say Momokan is a first time, because I think it's a decent first time for everybody and a lot of them. You can bring your family there and be, you know, somewhat decent. I like for dragon, dragon con. I will not bring like any little kids there. That's just me personally. People. People will argue back and forth about that, but that's just me me personally and we.

Speaker 1: 7:07

We talked about dragging, it's what? Four different floors of stuff.

Speaker 2: 7:11

It's five different hotels. Yeah, yeah, it's five different hotels.

Speaker 1: 7:15

Yeah, it's five different hotels.

Speaker 3: 7:16

Yeah, so I made that mistake. Yeah, so going from a small regional con and going to DragonCon, it's actually your next con. Oh, I made that mistake. That was so overwhelming. I haven't been back since.

Speaker 1: 7:28

I want to go back, but it's huge, it's a con that you have to be prepared for, and that's a normal four days, it's five days and it's like a normal four days oh it's five days yeah yeah damn, every day weekend, yeah shit I see why the tickets are so much.

Speaker 1: 7:44

Huh, okay, all right now. Damn, I wanted to go to dragon con. Momocon was a lot for me, just in general, and I went to momo khan to play in a tcg tournament the year that I went, so it was, um, it was a lot and I was man, nothing. Look, I know you in, I know you, you know where you are and stuff. I am not a fan of that.

Speaker 2: 8:12

Georgia traffic, all those roads, I I put like this the the older I got, the more I start sticking to walking distance. That I gotta. I guess I got a new trick now. I just park my my car at a friend of my apartment complex that's gated and just take an uber to the hotel. Just do the walking from there. Parking is insane too if you you want to pay for convenience is there but it's gonna wreck up some money?

Speaker 1: 8:43

yeah, definitely, definitely, okay. Was there? Was there a? Was there a certain cosplay that you did do that you were like that. We all know about the mbaka one. But was there another cosplay that you did? You were just like I really like this shit and it didn't maybe it didn't get, like you know, as popular as that one, but was it one that you were just like, yeah, this one. You looked yourself in the mirror. You were like, oh yeah, this one hits.

Speaker 2: 9:11

I like this one. It's fun. I love my ruby. I did yang for ruby and I love that cosplay so so much because I was I was heavy on ruby, watching ruby at the time, yeah. And then I remember just playing the soundtracks where I used to work out a lot preparing for the cosplays coming up. So I like the yang cosplay is very like sentimental to me because I really feel like that's why I really broke my shell from cosplaying, because before I did yang I did uh, shoma for a guy either and uh, I did the fallout for um soul survivor, so yang basically made me feel like I really feel like I just broke out my shell. That is, you know what did mean a gender bent costume.

Speaker 1: 9:52

It was just something bold for me to take and I that really made me feel confident about gotcha, how do you get over, how do you get over the I guess, the nerves of like doing that first cosplay or doing a cosplay, and you're like, oh shit, I don't want to look like, I don't want to look crazy, right, I don't want to look like you know't want to look crazy. I don't want to look like you know, I mean, you're not going to be really out of place because you're going to a place where everybody else is doing it, but in your mental you're like, what the fuck am I doing?

Speaker 1: 10:23

You know how like where's the confidence you know come from when you put on everything and you see yourself?

Speaker 2: 10:30

It's kind of weird because I think that I have so much. I feel weird going to cons when I don't cosplay to a point. So I think that why it kind of like I kind of feel out of place when I'm not in cosplay. So I think because of that the confidence just kind of just makes the kind of things that are for me with the images in cosplay gotcha gotcha okay, so is it.

Speaker 1: 10:54

Is there ever a time you're ever going to a con, just like in regular?

Speaker 2: 10:59

clothing. Oh I, I did it. I do it unless I'm, unless I have multiple cosplays playing for the whole weekend. Uh, I'm not. I used to wear the same cosplay multiple times. I do not recommend it is. It's a lot of cleaning, there's a lot of spraying and I remember each day just spraying the disinfectant just to not to just just to feel somewhat clean and you know, and some of the sweaty armor I was wearing, especially in the boku cosplay that moment. I did it three days straight. So I said after that it just be a one-day thing. So I try to try to get enough cosplays, a lot enough cosplays to get me through the weekend before I do like a video gotcha all right, and what's the?

Speaker 1: 11:37

what's your usual planning for cosplay like? Are you months, months ahead, or you know? Yeah?

Speaker 2: 11:46

some of like close to like it's months, but closer to a year because now I, you know like my journey to cosplay in the future. I just said I don't see enough black people cosplaying characters from this series. I don't see enough. I don't see black people cosplay. You know these type of characters. So I said let me go ahead. And that so that kind of you know helped me to know what I'm gonna do for future cosplay from now on. So that's for my future. I plan. I put like this I have cosplays planned for the next two years. Just because I'm just going to stick with that one, I'm not cosplaying as much. So I try to make sure I make the cosplays.

Speaker 3: 12:28

Yes, I brought you the real deal. Holy feel. Yes, there you go.

Speaker 1: 12:34

Damn two years. Yeah, that's crazy. Oh shit, okay, all right, wow, are you making, are you buying stuff? Oh, I'm kind of it's commissioned, yeah, ah, okay, yeah, okay, okay, what was the uh when? When you're trying to find that person to do that commission work for you, are you just like on, just like randomly, just on instagramming it, just like? Well, shit, I like the way you know this person puts shit together it was all right.

Speaker 2: 13:06

So it's funny. When the first black panther movie came out, it was a post in the facebook group. I do not want to give it no kind of attention, so I'm just going to say I post on a Facebook group and it went surprisingly viral and people was already just shoving like you can get your boots from here, you can get your armor from here, and they were just like throwing things at me. Then you know one person. He asked me about doing the cosplay and I said, hey, I ain't going to lie, I always get my things made for me. He said, oh, I know somebody for you and he just sent me this one particular cosplay commission on Wonderwoob on IG. I just saw all his art and I was like, oh, I think he can pull this off and be super accurate. And then we just we just contact each other and we just have that. We just build that relationship. Boom, like doing you know doing a lot of my cosplays for him.

Speaker 1: 14:01

That's amazing. Networking is crazy.

Speaker 3: 14:04

Wow, that's dope.

Speaker 1: 14:06

Love that. That's great, would you? Would you usually? Do you think that if somebody is going into the realm of cosplaying, do you think them stepping their foot and trying to make their own first would be a good thing, or should they, kind of I guess? I mean, yes, it depends on you know, individual person, but you know.

Speaker 2: 14:29

I feel like this is going to be some form of stress when you get into cosplay.

Speaker 2: 14:32

I put like this it's going to be some form of stress when you get into cosplay, but whatever avenue is going to be less stressful for you, especially in this time of age and this economy where people have to work more than needed to. So having the free time to work on all your hobbies and still, you know, be logically you know what you got going on with your life, you know, I just thought about it. Just, you know. You know, I just tell everybody, as long as your heart is in the right place, personal advice buy a purse just to get that. Just buy an expensive outfit for the weekend, just look at it that way. That's how you get your feel for it. First. One thing about it it's really discouraging sometimes when you make something and then rather it falls apart, when it's out of context, it doesn't turn out right, as more where it goes down, or it doesn't get the reaction that you're hoping for. It all depends on where you cosplay it from in your art, gotcha.

Speaker 1: 15:32

Okay.

Speaker 3: 15:34

Damn. Okay, alright, alright, I got questions. Shoot, sir, you've been asking them all. Thank you.

Speaker 1: 15:41

Hey, hey Go ahead, girl Go ahead.

Speaker 3: 15:44

All right. So, like we know, like as like the last few years, cosplay has like exploded, like into popularity and like now everybody and their mom is trying to get into cosplay. Now, everybody and their mom is trying to get into cosplay. But do you think, like, what would your advice be to somebody that's like shy, introverted and wants to get into cosplay and doesn't know?

Speaker 2: 16:05

where to start, as messed up as it sounds. Um, I'm gonna be real with you. I'm gonna be real with everybody in this, in the way the internet acts. Now you have to have like really thick skin to get into cosplay. I'm just gonna be real with you. The world is not gonna cater to, not gonna cuddle your feelings. There's some cruel people out there that just they make a, they get a laugh and they get a. You know drill in just for making people feel miserable. And just you gotta just be prepared for people out there like that. Like I said, I saw a negative comment. If I could cosplay, I just let you just be, just just be. You know, if I got another comment on that, cosplay it's fair game for anybody else. I mean for real, yeah, yeah. And and that's one thing I think everybody has to prepare, you know, especially if you want to do like a cosplay page and you want to put yourself out there on social media, just be, it's an easier hobby to get into.

Speaker 2: 17:04

Okay, all right, it's messed up, but that's just what it is.

Speaker 1: 17:09

Everybody's a critic nowadays.

Speaker 3: 17:11

Everybody is a critic. If you want to do anything online, you just generally have to have thick skin, because not everybody's going to agree with you. It's just how it is us doing this podcast. Look, I know I read the shit I read this comment, yeah, and I was just like oh if somebody calls me that bald-headed ass motherfucker, what's that nigga's name?

Speaker 1: 17:31

jaden? What is his name? Jiden? Yeah, jideon. If somebody, whatever his name is, if somebody call me this shit one more time, we're gonna have a fucking problem, right? So, yeah, man, everybody, everybody has a damn opinion about every fucking thing. Yeah, so you know, it's uh, it's uh it. You're right. Thick skin is definitely needed in this, in anything that you do nowadays for sure, especially if you're, if you're putting yourself out there and something that you're proud of, there's always going to be other people that either it's hate, either they don't understand it or they're just rude and just angry individuals.

Speaker 1: 18:13

Yeah, and this is really nothing that you can um train how much you can do about that, but just brush that shit off and just keep doing what you're doing.

Speaker 2: 18:20

Yeah, because the positive is going to be there, but it always tends to be that one negative that makes it, just always tends to make it. You know, much. Not going to say much, I'm going to say it's like it's little, but it you know that one negative can really just say something. You know, all white room at one sake, it really just throw it out. And I just want people to be prepared for there. There are, like you know, legit, like good people in the community. But just be be prepared. That's the people I don't have to warn you for. You know I don't have to warn you about the good. To be honest with you, you know you just want to just embrace it and just enjoy. So that's why I stick to that. Gotcha, okay, okay.

Speaker 1: 19:00

Speaking of, like, the people within the, like the people within the community that you know, kind of embrace you and will kind of tell you, like, oh man, that looks amazing, that looks dope, and all that stuff based off your uh, and actually let's, let's kind of just get into it now. So Then buckle, costs cosplay, right? All right, I don't even know where to start. So, first of all, how long did it take to get everything for that cosplay?

Speaker 2: 19:34

For me to personally think it took the second one. It took about 11 months for them to get this stuff together.

Speaker 1: 19:43

The first one, I think was like eight months, eight months, okay, and did you get this done with the person that you were just talking about?

Speaker 3: 19:52

Okay, yeah, all right.

Speaker 1: 19:54

Oh man, Okay, 11 months you get the cosplay. I mean, of course you try it on beforehand and all that stuff, when you were trying it on, you know, testing it and stuff like that, were you like damn.

Speaker 2: 20:07

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 20:08

I really look like that nigga.

Speaker 2: 20:10

It's weird to know. It's like that's the only time I feel like I look like him is when I wear the cosplay or I have the haircut Because, like, like, when it went I didn't see it. I remember going into the movies with a group of friends and, you know, before we knew the actor in the movie I go, I was going to there, I'm just like cutting up blah blah, leave the movie and there's a cutout board of him near the bathroom with the police bathroom, like oh, y'all look alike. And I still haven't seen it. I haven't seen it then and somebody, a really close friend of mine, he posted my picture, did a side-by-side with Winston Duke and posted it in that Facebook group and everybody said, oh, I see it, I see it. I still didn't see it. Then said, oh, I see it, I see it. I still didn't see it then. But when I put on the cosplay.

Speaker 1: 21:02

He had the haircut. I was just like, okay, yes, that's what I see. Yeah, okay, all right, and so got the cosplaying stuff. So we get to momo con and I I don't I'm trying to think of the right way to say where you weren't. Were you bumushed when people saw you, or was it kind of like, gradually, more people were just like, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, there's a motherfucker who really looks like that dude.

Speaker 2: 21:33

I can tell you it started as soon as I got to Hotel Lobby Before I walked to the con. I had to start at Hotel Lobby and walking to the con lobby before I walked to the car and walk into the car, walk it through the park. I would just get in and stop for pictures before I even got to it. So it really, as soon as I remember just stepping out the elevator, it's the AC hotel. Step out the elevator. Oh, can I get a picture? Can I get it?

Speaker 1: 21:54

That's pressure, that is such pressure, that is so pressure. Oh my God, that pressure, that is such pressure, that is so pressure. Oh my god, that's pressure. All right, so so were you, were you with, were you with, like a group of people at like, when you were you with, like your group of friends and stuff um, well, I first put it on, I was.

Speaker 2: 22:13

I had one of my close friends with me on my. He was with me for a minute, and then then Legacy and Boris. They came later on. I had a room right down the street. I met them at a restaurant across the street, so after I ran into them I was just with them for the majority of the time and. I would say Boris was a big help.

Speaker 3: 22:38

He was on manager mode for Marcus oh for real. Yeah.

Speaker 1: 22:42

Boris, I know you in this shit. I know you watching this. Good shit, man. Good look, I know you in here.

Speaker 2: 22:51

I swear the whole religious came as soon as I ran into them. It made the experience a whole lot better.

Speaker 1: 22:58

Goodness. Okay, so this opens up a whole bunch of other shit. So is Boris just throwing people out of the way and pushing people?

Speaker 3: 23:07

out.

Speaker 1: 23:09

What's he doing?

Speaker 3: 23:11

No, so he was just more like people will stop Marcus to take pictures and so Marcus has stuff with him. So, like Marcus has stuff with him, so he'll like grab Marcus stuff and hold it while people will take pictures with him and make sure that he like you know, cosplay together and like he had water and everything of that nature, that's what he was doing.

Speaker 1: 23:32

Boris was a manager.

Speaker 2: 23:34

Yes, good look, that is crazy I would not cosplay without pockets ever again. But that was, that was. Yeah, I remember you saying that you didn't have a backpack or anything I had a backpack, but I don't, um, sometimes like take it on and off, especially when you're wearing, like certain cosplays, like especially armor in particular. I'm just talking about just just tearing things up and just you know, yeah, any kind of damage damn so with the man they just flocked in the hotel.

Speaker 1: 24:06

That's crazy, okay. So have you met from this cosplay and from this like viral cosplay? Have you met like crazy big cosplayers that you were just like oh shit, or just people that you were just like oh shit I?

Speaker 2: 24:22

actually met a lot of the, the bigger proper atlanta cosplayers that always you know, you know, you know I can say looked up to and just saw, they saw they were really, you know, respected in the community.

Speaker 2: 24:35

So that cosplay did get me just particularly Atlanta scene, because when I first I always just did cons in Georgia, so my first con was like DreamCon, like 2022. So I was, that was my first out of state con, so I was just, you know, mostly just a Georgia, just you know, just LinkedIn with everybody in the Georgia area, Gotcha.

Speaker 1: 24:56

Was that the first year for DreamCon 2022? It was 19.

Speaker 2: 24:59

That the first year for dream con 2022? It was in 19. Is that the first year? I think no. I think it's the second year we went oh, okay, okay, all right damn okay okay, and how was that?

Speaker 1: 25:14

how was that just whole out of state journey, kind of you know flying, and I take it that you took that cosplay with you and stuff, or did you?

Speaker 2: 25:22

not. So during that time, uh, my apartment uh had an apartment fire. Oh shit, in the end of 2022, yeah, all my cosplays I knew it was, it was, it was. It was crazy because I just took them out of storage like two weeks and put it in the apartment. So like all my cosplays was in that. Like I lost everything during that time. Only thing that was established was a skateboard for some reason Crazy.

Speaker 3: 25:47

That's so weird.

Speaker 1: 25:48

Wow, damn, yeah Okay.

Speaker 2: 25:50

So I couldn't wear that particular one the following years because of that. But I did wear the armor for the second movie at Dreamtime last year.

Speaker 1: 26:04

And does it still gravitate, people? Even still, to this day, it still gravitates.

Speaker 2: 26:09

Yeah, I don't think it's not quite as big like it was back then. Well, I don't know, I think it was just a different. I think times before the pandemic was just a different. I think cons and before the pandemic was just a different type of energy. It was, it was. It's very these are kind of calm, like they just kind of toned down a bit prepared, like, yeah, before pandemic cons was just like real. Real it was. It's still fun now, but it's a different, it's a different type of fun.

Speaker 1: 26:34

Yeah, it's different it's different, and and this was uh, did you so you didn't. Did you do dream con this year too, or no?

Speaker 2: 26:43

no, I wasn't able. I was able to do it this year, so I just did just in one con okay, all right.

Speaker 1: 26:50

And what have you been to any other uh cons within the georgia area or?

Speaker 2: 26:55

yeah, um, yeah, I've been to um awa. You know, I'm kind of it's a kind of december. It used to be in september, then moved to october, now it's in december. It's not really I. I personally, a lot of people have a scope for all of us um, not interested anymore. It's just. It felt like I went last year when they changed the location. It just felt like it just felt sad kind of, and somebody gonna tell you something completely different. Yeah, that's just. You know, for me personally, I'm going to dream hack again this year, just to Halloween weekend, if I remember right yeah okay, I've been a dream hack the past two years, so this will be.

Speaker 2: 27:35

This will be my third one awesome, awesome.

Speaker 1: 27:37

And I guess, oh man, with I gotta go back to the um mbaku real quick. So with the mbaku, uh, cosplay, I guess. Did it when you got the haircut, like, was it something different that you like? When you saw yourself with the haircut and stuff like that where you just like, yo, this is crazy because I never got. Have you ever gotten like the shaves on, like shaved on the side with the you know like, have you ever done anything like that?

Speaker 2: 28:09

actually, yeah, I did, I had. I had um like back during the uh, what was the era of the Travis Porter Rich Kids era with the little like the little slender mom? Yeah, yeah, I wish I could find that picture, but I had one of those, oh shit.

Speaker 1: 28:28

Okay, yeah, and I guess, another question I gotta ask man.

Speaker 3: 28:35

No, I got one Hold on. Wait a minute. So are we getting more Fallout cosplays? Because no, I got one. Hold on, wait a minute. Are we getting more Fallout cosplays? Because you know, I like Fallout, we both like Fallout. I want those, thank you.

Speaker 2: 28:45

Since I've been playing the fourth game, I've been thinking about doing a Fallout 4. I've really been enjoying Fallout 4.

Speaker 1: 28:53

That was it.

Speaker 3: 28:55

That's all I wanted to know. That's the question.

Speaker 1: 28:58

Jesus Christ, okay, are you? That's all I wanted to know. That's the question. Jesus christ, okay, so are you? Uh, are you a person that likes to keep your?

Speaker 2: 29:09

cosplays like under wraps until you like reveal them. Yeah, yeah, um, yeah, boy boys like boys knew like, like, like close homies, they know what I'm working with. No, I, I, um, I don't, I don't, I just I did. Only thing I really teased was the Mboku, but everybody you know knew it was coming eventually. So that's the only thing I really like. I like teased, but everything else I kind of just um, just wait till a con happens to debut it. I I did say, uh, after Dragon Con and just getting the portfolio done, like like the really, you know, professional, professional cosplay, the big one. So I'm going to start that um at the end this year, just get all my cosplay and just take like crazy photos I get speaking of cosplay photography.

Speaker 1: 29:54

What? Because I used to be a photographer and are you a fan of the cosplay photography look when they add like the special effects and stuff, like that. Or do you like it more, kind of just like really take in the cosplay instead of like having, you know, like a whole bunch of stuff in the background? Or do you like that kind of background type of look when they add certain things in the editing and stuff, or you just like a simple like you know?

Speaker 2: 30:22

it kind of depends, because I remember there was some um backgrounds. They used my embossed. I just wasn't a fan of it, just it was just very distracting. It just like not to be. You know, I was just like okay yeah it's probably like too much going on.

Speaker 2: 30:36

It's not a good picture of me, but you know I appreciate it, but you know it's just. It kind of to me is more like lessons, more if you do, you do it. I've seen, I've seen like one guy did a great job and I think he went, he went like really over the top with it. I think that's like what I really like, but just for me personally. If you, if you, if you, if you got that art and you, you know, do it up. But yeah, just for me personally. I, I just like a little bit, a little bit of it I would.

Speaker 1: 31:08

I would think that if I'm thinking from a photographer aspect and I and you wanted to get a good shot of mbaku, I'm thinking like, give me just like black background, cloth, of course, no paper and put you want a lot of accent, does he? He doesn't? Does he wear a lot of, uh, I guess, like he doesn't, wear like a lot of gold and stuff like that? No, okay, but it's a lot of earth tone, browns and stuff like that, that black background with that, with those darker Browns, kind of putting a spotlight on those darker browns, with the hair light in the back, kind of off to the side, and he has his staff, kind of like almost like a 45, like getting that type of shot.

Speaker 3: 31:53

Sounds like you found your photographer I don't shoot anymore.

Speaker 1: 31:57

I don't shoot anymore, but it when I when I think about like stuff because I wanted to get into it, what I was doing was looking at other people's stuff and being like damn, is that how shit really supposed to look like? So it was me comparing the stuff that I do to somebody else or the ideas that I had to somebody else's stuff, and then I guess kind of bringing myself down and be like, nah, man, yeah personally with your black background.

Speaker 2: 32:30

One of my favorite embokled pictures is just an all black background. Yeah, because it's like everything that you brought up. It basically said like the light, how to white light?

Speaker 3: 32:38

oh so, like I said, you found your photography yeah, you know that it was.

Speaker 2: 32:42

it was it just it looked very like movie poster-ish. Yeah, that's what I'm thinking about.

Speaker 1: 32:49

Yeah, and it's. You know, I know some people a lot of the cosplay photographers that you see at cons do everything outdoors and stuff and it looks corny as shit Get into this pose and it just looks so bad sometimes and I'm just like if you were to get this person in a studio and really took the time to shoot them, you would get some really good shit, like, really good shit. Like I think a like especially tall, like tall cosplay does really well because it's it's, it's in your face, right. So like um, like doing an abaku or resident evil woman oh, the one everybody fan.

Speaker 1: 33:32

Yes yeah, like her with the painted gray and stuff like that on like a red background because she has the red lipstick to offset that like it's just shit. Like that man like and I don't think motherfuckers be thinking like that, you know, I'm not I know I'm not crazy.

Speaker 3: 33:50

Sound like you're going back into like photography for cosplays.

Speaker 1: 33:53

That's what it sounds like too expensive.

Speaker 3: 33:54

Yo, if I could honestly honestly, if I mean, I got a sony meros camera here for you, shut up that's how you you about to say what was the last time you did photography, was it?

Speaker 1: 34:05

years ago.

Speaker 1: 34:06

Let me see the last thing I remember doing was taking I took photos of. I did some car photography that I took some pictures of and did some editing with that and did some editing with that and I have been doing. I did some photos of. My sister wanted photos for her birthday, so I did some of those too.

Speaker 1: 34:33

Um, in North Carolina, when she was living here, and the big thing that I wanted with that was just like bright colors. You know, it's a birthday, supposed to be bright, supposed to be vibrant, and stuff like that. You know it's a birthday, supposed to be bright, supposed to be vibrant, and stuff like that. You know, and that was kind of the last thing I did. I did a couple landscape stuff, just like you know, just tripod, letting it sit, timer, doing it in three different app, like different con, like damn, I forgot apertures are like doing like a negative one, zero and then a positive three, combining those to get like a hdr hdr photo manually instead of using the camera settings. So yeah, that's kind of like the last thing that I have done, but that was like, oh my gosh, maybe like almost three, four years ago now.

Speaker 1: 35:18

I, I think it, I don't know. I do think that a lot of people, that anybody can pick up a camera. Anybody can pick up a fucking camera. I've seen it Right. But it takes somebody to want to learn how to use it well to actually really get good shit and understand lighting and F stops and all that shit. But yeah, man, that shit will look great on that black background, even if it's just. I'm sorry, I'm getting into shit.

Speaker 2: 35:49

Sorry, it's crazy. You say that because I'm not trying to make fun of shorter people, but when short people take my cosplay they're not aware of my ankles. I'm completely huge in some pictures. Do I really look like that in y'all's vision?

Speaker 1: 36:13

I don huge in some pictures. I'm just like yeah, you're like do I really look like that in y'all vision? It's like they're looking up at you and they're shooting like this and they don't want to get like a step stool or something to meet you at eye level, even if it's like um, coming down at an angle. Yeah, being taller gives a different ass like aspect to shit, because you're looking down on them and that's like a good like, just look. Yeah, I get what you're saying, though.

Speaker 2: 36:29

Yeah, for sure I, I was honestly, I would tell you this as a cosplayer, we love just a random. Stop, I get a picture by any photographer. We, we, if you want to cheer somebody, they ask photographer, just that random. Hey, can I get a picture? Stop, just something simple. Um, yeah, as cosplay they're very appreciative and and they'll, they'll take and share, you know. You know they they really enjoy it. Me personally, I don't like seeing pictures of myself. Really enough, like I don't like I don't use a real profile picture on my facebook page. It's like almost years now. It's just I see myself in the mirror. No, I don't use a real profile picture on my Facebook page. For almost years now. I see myself in the mirror and know so. I don't really share that many pictures of myself. I remember somebody saying your picture's all over the internet and it was not because I shared them, because somebody else was sharing them. I don't share my pictures like that. It's just a weird thing with me personally.

Speaker 3: 37:19

Hold on, I'm going to segue really quick Fun fact. If you didn't know, there was once a time where, if you put in M'Baku, instead of seeing Winston Duke, you would see him.

Speaker 1: 37:29

Oh, he was that, he was like in that he was. That's pressure, that is pressure, man.

Speaker 3: 37:35

Yes, so we're going to give him his flowers, okay, yeah, that's pressure.

Speaker 1: 37:39

Damn, damn. Can I ask you one more question? This might be kind of like a personal question.

Speaker 2: 37:43

Y'all can, y'all can y'all can lay it on me. Y'all good, y'all good all right, damn, all right.

Speaker 1: 37:51

I want to make this right. Did the women flock to you? Did they? Did they flock to you because you, you're, you're tall?

Speaker 3: 37:57

you're a tall motherfucker man. Okay, hold up. I never told you the story because I'm gonna tell you now so like I have a picture of him in his cosplay yeah and I'm standing beside him right and like a co-worker of mine that saw the picture, like I was flipping through some pictures at work she saw him. She was like, oh, who is he? Yeah, I was like, oh, yeah, he's one of my cosplay friends. And she was like, oh. And she was like, um, what's his facebook?

Speaker 3: 38:22

I want to look him up like I want to add him, like I want to talk to him. I was like girl, you were like, not in his age group. What are you doing?

Speaker 1: 38:30

so they were flocking like they would.

Speaker 2: 38:33

They would conjugate and you know I was, I'll put like this um, during this whole experience, during that whole experience, I think that I was never prepared how many people was going to react to it like the way it was. Like I was, I said it's going to be a good turnout, it's going to be, you know. I said it's going to be pretty cute, you know it's going to be, you know. And then I think I remember just like as and it just the, the, the chance started happening and I was like, oh, this is no, this is no, because it's funny, because I was at the con Thursday, not in cosplay, just wearing, you know, regular shit, with like 390 some followers on IG.

Speaker 2: 39:19

And Thursday, nobody, I'm not, I'm seeing these people. No, nobody's like talking, you know people. No, nobody's like talking, you know, I don't know them, you know. You know we're not like, basically, that cosplay basically kind of cemented me in the georgia cosplay scene. Um, so I'm like running to the same people, I've seen their faces and I'm like I wonder how friday gonna be. So when I put on the cosplay friday it was, I was just like, oh, I did not know it was going to be extremely not in date.

Speaker 1: 39:44

So you said that you started you had 300. What did you go? What did you end up with after the convention?

Speaker 2: 39:51

That's when I got to like 2,200 or something. Yeah, basically a 20k increase Not 20k but a 2k increase and that was mostly like. Before then I was just mostly just uh, most people I was probably just like ruby cosplayers because I did the yang cosplay before that. So I was just basically like doing like this, that's a cause I really like shared a lot ironically. So I was like kind of submitted and I in the ruby cosplay cosplay scene and then after that cosplay just kind of just changed the whole, you know my whole algorithm that's wild.

Speaker 1: 40:26

That is wild. And you said and uh, you did say that you you stream and stuff like that. Are you just? Uh, what are you playing right now while you stream all?

Speaker 2: 40:35

right. So this game called rematch just came out on steam, so it's like the soccer rocket league, so I'm gonna be streaming that like hardcore. Um, starting this going, starting a few days from now like like thursday something, um, but I actually I have really really bad add with gaming. Like I would really just stream like on on um. Can I say? Other platforms are y'all um okay, like on tiktok, I stream mostly just like fallout, because everybody just loves watching the fallout gameplay over there I like his fallout content but on um, on twitch is that's what I do like, mostly just if it's in.

Speaker 2: 41:15

If it's in my mind to play it, I'm gonna just stream it. Mostly lately it's been a lot of fortnight, surprisingly I've been playing that lately, too, they put Hank in the game. It's crazy. I never thought that I would be enjoying the game like I am now, Because I was just playing it just to play with friends. But now I'm really starting to enjoy Fortnite. But my favorite genre of gaming is RPG. I love RPG.

Speaker 1: 41:42

Gotcha. Okay. Is there anything that you're looking forward to?

Speaker 2: 41:47

This year is kind of weak to me. There's Pokemon ZA. I'm a Pokemon fan. The 760 behind the Uwupapi is Beware's Pokedex. That's my favorite Pokemon. I really love Pokemon. I'm going to buy anything almost Pokemon related, so Pokemon ZA. I'm definitely getting Borderlands 4. I think that's like the only two so far this year. I'm hyped for that?

Speaker 1: 42:14

do you plan on getting a Switch 2?

Speaker 2: 42:17

I don't have a PS5 yet, so that's the problem. So I'll put it like this if it was, they say I can get one for free and I'll definitely get a switch to before I get it. Yeah, but I feel like I need for essential purposes, for like a streamer and just for gaming with, just like in a social aspect. I need a ps5, but I want to switch to yeah, gotcha.

Speaker 1: 42:43

Um, I'm sorry to get off topic here. Uh, so we had a couple uh showcases that came on. Uh xbox showcase that was ass playstation showcase was ass yeah um, we are resident evil 9 is a thing that's coming out, uh, so that's cool, I guess, if you play resident evil okay, hold on, wait a minute.

Speaker 3: 43:05

Speaking of hold on um, can we talk about bethesda?

Speaker 1: 43:09

not coming out with anything with elder scroll six no, no, not even that.

Speaker 3: 43:13

How you gonna give us a fishing dlc on 76 and be like, oh yep, this is all we dropping this year. What? Bro I didn't even ask for fishing. Why are you?

Speaker 1: 43:22

Who the fuck wants to fish in a goddamn what I'm not eating a fish. Why would I do that? Why would I?

Speaker 3: 43:32

do that, I get, I get radiation from drinking fucking water.

Speaker 1: 43:39

Why the hell would I eat?

Speaker 2: 43:40

fish. Is it like a legit fishing minigame? Because I know when Final like a legit, like fishing minigame, because I know like when Final Fantasy XV they had a mission fishing minigame and everybody just like got deep into it. So is it like a legit fishing minigame?

Speaker 3: 43:53

I haven't played it yet. Like I've been, I'm upset, but yeah, it's like a fishing DLC. I think there's probably going to be like some missions and stuff around fishing.

Speaker 1: 44:02

So it's going to be like fucking Skyrim.

Speaker 3: 44:05

I've been playing Red Dead. I've been playing Red Dead and been fishing.

Speaker 1: 44:09

I'd rather do that, it's going to be fucking Skyrim. They're going to give you like oh, you have to catch these type of fish. Doesn't make any sense, right? You have to get a fishing rod and you're going to stand next to some water and just sit there and wait for this thing to vibrate so you can pull this shit out the water. Get the fuck out of here.

Speaker 3: 44:27

What happened to the remake? Y'all was hyping up this remake. No Fallout remake at all. We got this little DLC, that's all we got.

Speaker 1: 44:34

And then I heard the Gears of War, the remake or the remaster. The online section of it was having some issues. I don't know if that got fixed on the kind of like on the trial or testing type shit. I heard that had some issues. Xbox is coming out with this stupid ass fucking handheld. We talked about this before. Get a fucking Steam Deck. Ass fucking handheld. Uh, we talked about this before get a fucking steam deck, yeah um save

Speaker 1: 45:09

yourself some money, you can probably get one used and not have to deal with that bullshit. And you know gaming, I don't know where the fuck it's going. I don't, I don't know. I I think a lot of people are playing older games, like are staying with old games and not playing new ones, just because they know. I know what I'm getting. I'm still playing skyrim. I know what I'm getting. I'm not, you know, gonna be surprised by some shit or anything like that. It's just this relaxes me and this does well for me and this, this does it. You know, the only I can only think of, like, even for nintendo, like I know the pokemon is coming out. They money, money grabbing. They do this every time, every time.

Speaker 2: 45:56

I'm a sucker. I'm a sucker for it. I, I mean, I'm a straight sucker. I would not, I would not be. I mean, I have no say, I'm not. I'm a sucker for Pokemon. I'm going to be the idiot that's going to buy the game every year and just feel bad about it just for a second until I cut the game on it. Me too, bro.

Speaker 1: 46:12

I was talking about this. We talked about this last episode I bought when Sword and Shield came out. I bought that Pokeball that you can plug a USB Type-C into. Oh okay, I bought that shit. That shit is in a drawer right now, not doing a goddamn thing. I'm doing shit. It just looked cool. I was like oh man that's going to be dope to put on my backpack. That's going to be sick.

Speaker 2: 46:39

I'm actually disappointed. It's a big Final Fantasy guy I got. You know, I got a Chucklebone tattoo on my leg. That's how much I love Final Fantasy. They, I just found out, like for the Final Fantasy Tactics remake, that they basically not doing the newest PSP version and they just doing the, the, the PS1 version, and they're going to make the PSP content as DLC. It's all money. It's all money. I'm on the fence to say are you going to go ahead and get it though? That's one of my favorite Final Fantasies. When it's just strictly the story. I love the lore of Final Fantasy.

Speaker 1: 47:19

Oh, bro, you're going to get that thing.

Speaker 2: 47:20

You're going to get it.

Speaker 3: 47:22

You're going to get all the Metal Gear games you gonna get that thing.

Speaker 1: 47:26

I'm sitting here saying I'm not gonna get Metal Gear Delta you are. I'm gonna get that shit because I'm a huge fan and I wanna see what it looks like.

Speaker 2: 47:37

I think like well, metal Gear is a special game for me because I mean it was like one of like first gaming intros. I was really just stuck. Snake Eater 3. The intro to Snake Eater 3, when I first saw that whole intro, I didn't replay it like six times in a row before I hit the start button. So, because I had so much happy moments in gaming with that game, I kind of have to give it a try.

Speaker 1: 48:04

Chef's kiss Snake Eater is like, I mean, from the camouflage shoots to being able to eat snakes and catch rabbits and frogs. It's a beautiful fucking game and it is the only thing that Konami has going for it. Oh yeah, silent Hill is coming out y'all, so be prepared for that shit. If you're into that shit. If you haven't played it, get the old one. I don't even know what to say anymore. Dude, the gaming industry. I don't know, I don't even know what to say anymore.

Speaker 3: 48:45

Dude, the gaming industry, I don't know. I don't know. It was just kind of weird that for me, the Xbox was banking on the game that they're banking on to like get people, which is Outer Wilds, like I haven't even finished it, it wasn't, and like when it came out originally they wasn't even pushing it like that. It wasn't like. It was like, oh, it's gonna be amazing. They're like oh, here you go and then like, but now you're banking on it to be your, your saving grace. I, I don't know, just I haven't played I haven't played it, but is it worth.

Speaker 2: 49:14

Is it worth getting into you?

Speaker 3: 49:16

you like fallout, so yes, oh, you would enjoy it. Yeah, okay, that's crazy that is crazy I mean be serious, like if you like fallout, you will like the game, yeah okay yeah. So like I haven't finished, I re-bought it, so I'm gonna go back and replay it. But like a lot of those fallout mechanics are in the game, the story is completely different. Like none of none of that is no, but like the mechanics, wise, yes you like?

Speaker 1: 49:45

okay, really like. I've been reading so many articles about elder scroll or, uh, elder scroll six we ain't getting that and I saw that they, oh, we just uh. You know they have started doing testing within the studio and stuff, and I'm just like dude, like you know how many people they, they. They made that announcement in 2018, 2018, I'm done. Yeah, I'm done I kind of.

Speaker 3: 50:11

I mean, that's my gta I want to do?

Speaker 2: 50:13

when they make these announcements, do they game sales go up just by a small percentage or something? Because people get the feeling that they want to go back and say, okay, so let me get back on skyrim and hell yeah, because I think, uh, okay yeah, for sure, because I think when, if they even bring up the word elder anything, people get excited.

Speaker 1: 50:35

It's like you see how?

Speaker 2: 50:36

oblivion did oh, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, yeah, people, people, people.

Speaker 1: 50:45

I watched so many reactions to that and it's coming out now. You can buy it right now. And people look, I haven't heard shit about that game since.

Speaker 2: 50:54

I haven't played it in like probably like at least a month, a month and a half it's certainly one of the games that if you play Skyrim it's hard to go back and play that, because Skyrim was my first L-Squad game I really got deep into. So I just wonder, would it be a hard adjustment to try the older ones?

Speaker 3: 51:14

out Well. I mean, you could try the remaster. I would say the remaster would be a great place to start.

Speaker 1: 51:20

If you played the original, you're going to be depressed. You're going to be depressed. You're going to be mad as shit, I think, when it comes to Bethesda, bethesda goes off of nostalgia and fanboys and fangirls. They come out with a new Doom every couple years. People go crazy over it and you know, okay, that's done, we're gonna come out with a new one. When it comes to anything that's dealing with the whole world of Tamriel and Skyrim and Morrowind and all that stuff, people go crazy for it because it's something that brings them that nostalgia. Bethesda knows how to I don't want to say manipulate the mind, but it's something. I don't know what it is because I don't know if I hear Elder anything coming from anywhere.

Speaker 3: 52:18

Come on, look, okay, look at Elder Scrolls Online. That game is like. I played that for a while I did too like that shit for a long time bought dlcs and everything like yeah but that game is like they still making dscs now, like it's crazy have you ever played the elder scrolls card game?

Speaker 1: 52:39

I did that. Shit was dope. I love that thing. And they got rid of it. I was done. I was like, damn, this shit actually is pretty good playing on my phone. I loved that thing and they got rid of it. I was done. I was like, damn, this shit actually is pretty good Playing on my phone, and shit, this shit was dope. They got rid of it.

Speaker 2: 52:48

Whatever, whatever man, did they make it free yet, or still?

Speaker 1: 52:53

Oh, you still got to pay for that shit. Yeah, you still got to pay for that thing. It ain't worth it. Just let that shit be. Just let that shit be. So do you have anything else that you would like to ask, Foxy?

Speaker 3: 53:06

No, I'm good you sure. If I had a question, I could just hit home and ask him my question. All right, thank you, all right.

Speaker 1: 53:11

We get it Damn. All right, all right, yeah, cool. So you know, before we go, go ahead and just go off with all your socials and stuff, let people know where they can find you and all that stuff.

Speaker 2: 53:31

Ooh, papi, u-w-u-p-a-p-i 760. It's on TikTok, ig and Twitch. I'm not active on Twitter. I'm not really active on IG either, definitely active on Twitch. I'm a little bit too active on TikTok.

Speaker 2: 53:46

But right now, even though I am probably more known for cosplay but I am definitely most of my content is gaming related. I will post more cosplay out there, but I just want to let I always try to let people know that it is a game. I am a gamer at heart. Much as I love cosplay, gaming is just something. It just really just run deep with me and the family. So if you expect in cosplay, you're going to get every down there. I just want to put that out there. But for the gaming which is fair, for me, it's just a lot of I rotate, I do a lot of. Whatever I'm feeling at the moment, I can tell you this right now, rematch will be. I've been loving it. I've been enjoying it. I've been playing the betas. I've been on that light glue. Besides that, I love League of Legends. I'll tell you this If any League people hit me up, I'd love to play with you.

Speaker 2: 54:40

But besides that, yeah that's it, there's no disrespect gaming content.

Speaker 1: 54:47

I'm not sure. Oh, also Marvel token. I'm getting that shit. That shit looks amazing. All right, we can talk about it another time. Thank you for watching another episode of Carolina Tak Taco Podcast. Definitely want to thank our guest, Van, for coming through.

Speaker 2: 55:09

Appreciate it.

Speaker 1: 55:09

Thank you very, very much, greatly appreciate it and we will see you guys in the next episode. Bye-bye. Bye guys Peace.