Today we’d like to introduce you to Brooke Sherman.
Brooke, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’ve been going to comic and anime conventions for eight years. It’s an incredibly open and welcoming community that I’ve had the opportunity to grow up with. My first con was in 2010. I was in middle school and had absolutely no idea what to expect. My mom helped me sew a make-shift Pokemon outfit held together with hot glue and prayers.
I came out of the con enamored with the idea of cosplay and eight years later, I’m still making costumes and still thanking hot glue for always being there for me. In 2016, I started trying to make more detailed and accurate cosplays. I made a Judy Hopps cosplay from Zootopia and the overwhelmingly positive responses to it really pushed me over the edge to take cosplay more seriously.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
(Cosplay is the combination of the words “costume” and “play”. Breaking it down to its basics, it’s recreating costumes and accessories from characters in comics, video games, movies, pop culture, and more.
Cosplay means something different to everyone and nobody is going to have the same definition, which makes it all the more special. Some people sew and fabricate their own costumes from scratch and some people commission artists to make them or buy them online. Some people compete in competitions and some people wear cosplay for fun. There is no wrong way to do cosplay.)
Every character I make has its own individual challenges and hurdles to get over. Problem-solving is a huge aspect of cosplaying. Not all characters are designed with the intent of people making cosplays of them and applying their outfits into the real world can be difficult.
Sometimes the solutions are fairly easy. When I was making my Judy Hopps cosplay, I had to figure out how to make her police vest. I originally planned on sewing it but opted for a backup option of buying an airsoft chest vest and altering it. It was a perfect quick solution because it looks like a kevlar vest and it saved me time from patterning and sewing an actual vest.
Unfortunately, not all solutions are as easy as that. A few years ago I made a cosplay of Mercy from the video game Overwatch. She has a lovely character design with these stunning yellow mechanical wings sprouting from her back. While her wings are gorgeous, they are also ridiculously intricate and gravity-defying. It took me a few days alone just to figure out how I was going to tackle them.
I had to make a harness and base structure using PVC pipes, build the form up with foam and a thermoplastic called Worbla, and then make sure the wings were able to break down and fit into a suitcase. I didn’t finish the wings until the morning of the convention but seeing it come together was worth the late nights.
Please tell us about Ruffin Cosplay.
I run Ruffin Cosplay. It’s a cosplay page that features various cosplays, modeling photoshoots, and photography collaborations I’ve done. I’m known for my gijinka cosplays. Gijinkas are human versions of characters that aren’t human-like animals, robots, or mascots. A lot of the times, my gijinka cosplays are original designs.
It’s fun to create a cosplay based on animal characters because it’s personalized to yourself! I’m completely self-taught from sewing to foam work to painting. I’m most proud of how far I’ve come over the years and the fact that I’ve been able to turn my hobby into a business.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I’d post more. When I was younger I was terrified to post any of my cosplays. I was scared that I’d be judged and insulted for not making professional level work. I compared my work to other artists who had been cosplaying for years longer than I had and all it did was set me back. It’s easy to be critical of your own work and let negative thoughts hold you back.
It’s safe and comfortable and easy. I had to really step outside my comfort zone to let myself post more cosplay work. I quickly learned that people actively want to see you improve and post more content. I’m grateful that I’m apart of a community that is so supportive and eager to see self-improvement.
Contact Info:
- Email: ruffincosplay@gmail.com
Image Credit:
1. Venom – Spiderman by SCDesigns
2. Judy Hopps – Zootopia by Jim Lavery Photos
3. Jon Snow – Game of Thrones by Firr
4. Beerus (1) – Dragon Ball Super by Elysia Griffin
5. Beerus (2) – Dragon Ball Super by Elysia Griffin
6. Mercy – Overwatch by Stuckey Media
7. Bokoblin – Breath of the wild by John Karpinsky
8. Feraligatr – Pokemon by MineralBlu
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
