Cosplay Corner: AlisonBirbz

Alison aka AlisonBirbz, a wonderfully talented creator sat down and shared snippets of her greatest achievements and goals for her cosplay work. She can be found on Instagram at @AlisonBirbz.

Name and/or cosplayer name and pronouns you’d prefer to share:
“AlisonBirbz and She/Her”

How long have you been cosplaying?
“I have been cosplaying for 8 years (Almost 9!)”

What is your favorite part about the process of creating a costume?
“Planning the build! (Especially if it’s a foam build) I really like researching ways to make the different elements then putting it all together like a big puzzle.”

Credit: Ben Purcell/Copyright Activision Blizzard

Favorite memories or moments in cosplay?
“I have a few, the first being my engagement! A few years ago at a convention (I was cosplaying Morgana from LoL) I was filming a segment for Riot, and my now fiancé Mike ransacked the filming and used it to propose! It was super cute and completely unexpected! The next being the Overwatch League finals in Philadelphia in 2019. We were brought in by OWL to cosplay at the event and we felt like celebrities. We were interviewed by the news & had a line of people who wanted photos with us! It was unreal!”

Favorite medium or materials to work with?
“Foam! I’m an armor crafter and foam is my go-to medium. I did just get my hands on a 3D printer though! Excited to test that out soon.”

How do you hope to impact the cosplay/creator community?
“I'm really big on encouraging others to cosplay. Why? Because it might look like you're just dressing up like a superhero, but you actually get to feel like that superhero for a change. In cosplay you ARE the super hero. It’s incredibly freeing and something you can be proud of if you're struggling with your self image in any capacity.”

Credit: RayMix1000

Favorite costume build so far?
“Oh definitely Death Knight Brigitte. She is a BEAST of a build and I only had one fan art photo to go off of. In my eyes she still needs some work, but sometimes I look back on it like ‘Oh man, did I actually make that???’”

What are some of your favorite influences that help you decide what cosplays you create?
“I play a lot of video games so a lot of the cosplays I make are from games. But I tend to gravitate to the strong ladies, whether that be the ‘Really tough physically’ type of strong or the ‘I’m kinda evil and I will step on you’ type of strong. I’m also a sucker for cool armor and anything blue.”

Image Credit: DTJaaaam

Any future goals or plans to share?
“I’m currently working on Birthright Valkyrie from Apex Legends, then another secret build for the summer. I’m taking it easier this year to plan my wedding, but I hope that the year following I can dive even deeper and travel to more places to share my love for cosplay!”