Monkey D. Luffy
Protagonist of anime-manga series One Piece, Luffy is an energetic Pirate Captain. Determined to find the legendary treasure of the late Pirate King. Join Luffy as he collects crew members to help him on his journey to get the One Piece!
@Amandan698
"Altering Luffy’s shorts was a learning curve, it was my first time sewing with a fuzzy material. Not having the best skill in sewing, I found that using fabric glue with stitches here and there helped with a seamless look."
"The Pirate King! The name's gonna be mine!"
— Monkey D. Luffy
Photographer: Peachanyol
Cosplayer background
"The ability to self express was very appealing, as an artist I look at cosplay as an art in itself."
-@Amandan698
@Amandan698’s first cosplay was Nana Komatsu from the anime and manga series Nana. She started as a mall-cosplayer before she dipped into going to conventions. She has since made friends with cosplayers at conventions.
@Amandan698 finds cosplay an appealing way to express herself.
“There’s something almost theatrical about being in cosplay, you can be whoever you want to be.”
@Amandan698 cosplays to have fun. She finds cosplay gives her a sense of confidence she doesn’t have on her own. @Amandan698 is looking forward to expanding her foam skills and is interested in showcasing how she makes props.
Mona
Genshin Impact
Mona is a playable character from open-world video game Genshin Impact. She uses hydro to fight in the open-world game. Mona is a thrifty astrologist. The mythical Cassandra of Genshin Impact, Mona doesn't use her abilities for money as people are often dissatisfied with her answers. Mona takes great pride in her abilities.
"I relate a lot to how dedicated Mona is to her passions. She is also so cute!"
Megumi Fushiguro
Jujutsu Kaisen
Megumi Fushiguro is one of the main characters of anime-manga series Jujustu Kaisen. Megumi attends Jujutsu Technical High School, a school focused on training students to fight dangerous curses. Megumi comes from a prominent Jujutsu sorrcerer family and is a studious and series character.
"Megumi’s wig is my favorite wig that I’ve styled. To create the spikes, I crimped the entire wig, hung it upside down and used a hair dryer on the inside of the wig cap to make the hair stand more up. I sectioned off the spikes I wanted, sprayed them with strong hairspray, and straightened the ends to create the flow I wanted."
Location: Clearwater, Florida
Cosplayer general info
@Amandan698 is a 23-year-old tattoo artist who has been cosplaying for eight years.
Favorite Conventions
"St. Pete Comic Con! There’s not many cons in Pinellas, so to have Florida Comic Con host one right in the heart of it all was exciting. I feel like it’s encouraging more cons in the area and expanding the Florida cosplay community. I got to see so many familiar local community faces of all ages get to enjoy the con. It was also my mom’s first convention!"
Advice For New Cosplayers
"Comparison is the thief of joy, as long as you are happy and proud of your cosplay, that is all that truly matters. There’s so much to learn, no need to get discouraged, try looking at others as inspiration not competition. Most importantly, enjoy yourself!"
