Comic-Con 2020: Cosplayer Brandy, a huge ‘Harry Potter’ fan, says there is no ‘intent to sexualize characters’
Over the years, cosplay artists have become quite popular and the art itself has become a lot more mainstream. However, despite that, there are still some lingering misconceptions that the general public holds with respect to the art. Talking exclusively to MEA WorldWide (MEAWW), popular cosplayer Brandy opened up about people who still think that cosplay is a very sexualized pursuit and explained why that couldn't be further from the truth.
"That’s definitely not true! In fact, I tend to wear MORE layers when I’m cosplaying a character," Brandy said. "I think the sexualization lies within the viewer of a cosplay and not the cosplayer themselves, and cosplayers shouldn’t be demonized for that. Most of us don’t cosplay with the intent to sexualize a character. We cosplay because we love these characters and it’s a fun and rewarding challenge to create outfits/props for them and meet others in the cosplay community who find joy in doing the same."
Brandy is very popular in the 'Harry Potter' fandom with a YouTube channel and an Instagram page with thousands of followers. In fact, 'Harry Potter' is how Brandy got into cosplay in the first place.
"I decided to start cosplaying for my first 'Celebration of Harry Potter' event at Universal Orlando," she recalled. "I’m a huge 'Harry Potter' fan and my favorite character in the series is Luna Lovegood. Evanna Lynch, the actress who plays her, was a guest at the event and I really wanted to meet her so I decided to make Luna’s lion head prop to wear!"
Since then, she's seen a lot of changes in the way people approach cosplay. With the art becoming a lot more mainstream these days, people are more accepting than before.
"I feel like cosplay has become more popular, and therefore more accepted, over the years," she said. "When I first started cosplaying, I remember going out for lunch outside of a convention center in full cosplay and getting a lot of strange and judgmental looks from the general public. Now present day when I do the same thing, I’m greeted by friendly strangers who want to say something nice or chat about the cosplay! It’s been a refreshing change and I hope that people continue to find a love and appreciation for the art."
At this point, cosplay has become a very rewarding experience for Brandy and she credits it with helping her make some of the best connections in her life. "Many of my closest friends were made through cosplaying and those relationships have proved to be some of the most rewarding ones that I’ve had," she revealed. "From my experience, there’s this personal barrier that gets removed when you meet someone through cosplaying. People are more open, accepting, and willing to be themselves."
This year, for the first time ever, San Diego Comic-Con is being held virtually and that opens up a lot of possibilities. Unlike most years, Comic-Con@Home (as it is called) will allow fans from around the world to tune in for the biggest annual event in geekdom for free.
While that does mean that we won't get to meet our favorite stars, creators and cosplayers in person, Brandy is still extremely excited to see how the event turns out.
She said, "I’m really looking forward to seeing this event being held virtually because it allows for more people to be a part of SDCC who wouldn’t otherwise get to experience the event. It’ll be exciting to see people from all across the world come together (while being physically apart) to celebrate their favorite creators, series, authors, and more!"
You can see more of Brandy's brilliant cosplays on her Instagram page and you can check out all of her links here.
Comic-Con 2020 will begin on Wednesday, July 22.