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Happy Halloween weekend everybody, and welcome back to an all new Cosplayer Spotlight! This time we feature the super cool Alice Malice of Tampa, FL!

COMIC ATTACK: How did you realize you had a passion for cosplay, and what got you into the lifestyle?

ALICE MALICE: I was told that sci-fi conventions were a lot of fun, and absolutely fell in love.  The first con I ever went to was Megacon, in just a Xena T-shirt and jeans, and knew it wasn’t quite right.  And since then I’ve been addicted!

CA: Who was the first character you cosplayed as? What characters have you cosplayed as since?

AM: Alice from the first Resident Evil movie. I’ve done a bunch since. Some anime, but mostly comic book these days. My fandom has also changed mostly to that as well.

CA: How long have you been cosplaying?

AM: Since oh….2001 or 2002 I think.

CA: What costumes are you most proud of?

AM: Actually I think the one I’m most proud of is my Selene the Black Queen.  The character rarely gets love, and I put a lot of work into making it.  Any costume I don’t like really doesn’t get seen much on the internet.

CA: What characters do you plan to take on in the future?

AM: Of course more comic book characters, I have a list about a mile long. The ones I’m working on currently are The White Queen and Ms. Marvel. But I really want to do Wonder Woman. I think that’s going to be a big project as a cosplay and er..workout inspiration!

CA: What Cons have you attended in costume? Plan on attending any more this year?

AM: Megacon, Dragoncon, Metrocon, Anime Festival Orlando, Anime Express, FX, and the Tampa Comic Book and Toy convention.  I am thinking about going to the Tampa Comic Book and Toy convention this year and possibly Shadocon.

CA: Do you make all of your costumes? If so, how long do they take to complete? If not, where do you obtain them?

AM: It depends on the cosplay.  In my opinion a great cosplay doesn’t have to be completely hand made, or even by yourself.  But most of the time I sew my own costumes, and buy what I can.  They can take a long time to make, depending on my budget and their difficulty.  I always have about 5 or so costumes in some progress or another.  I obtain them all through the thrift stores, mall, or the internet.

CA: While in costume, have you ever met any of the creators whose characters you were portraying? What was their reaction(s)?

AM: I met Joseph Linsnser, the creator for Dawn.  This wasn’t for one of the contests, but I was ushered over to meet him and he was such a doll and was just full of compliments.

CA: What comics do you currently read? What are some of your all time favorites?

AM: Most of the titles I read are X-Men, admittedly. But I read a lot of marvel and some DC titles.  My favorite comic book stories of all time are The Dark Knight Returns, Joss Whedon’s run on Astonishing X-Men. But there are a bunch of others I hold dear.

CA: Who are your favorite characters?

AM: Favorite female character in Marvel is Emma Frost, male would be Wolverine; female in DC I’d say is Poison Ivy, and male, Batman.

CA: When out of costume, what do you do in “real life?”

AM: I’m a graphic designer.

CA: How do you feel cosplay is received by comic book fans?

AM: Most of the time they are very excited about cosplays, its a great visual reminder that someone else is a fan of the same character as you.  As a comic book fan myself I love gushing over other cosplayers, and if they have a moment, have a quick chat about some aspect of the character.

CA: Have you ever had any awkward experiences with fanboys or girls while in costume? Any horror stories you can share?

AM: Oh I’ve had a bunch.   As Rogue I had one guy try to touch me to see if my powers worked.  But these days most fanboys and girls behave.  I can look quite cross when I want to *laughs*

CA: On the flip side, what are some of your most memorable cosplay moments?

AM: I think I actually have the most fun in cosplay at my local comic book shop for their parties, and the reactions you get from kids. Every cosplayer should go to Chuck E Cheese at some point in costume.

CA: How do your family, friends, and co workers respond to your love of cosplay? What do they think of your costumes?

AM: My family is quite used to how unusual I am, so it came as little surprise to them.  Most of my friends cosplay as well and only encourage me more.  And my co-workers think it’s cute.

CA: Besides comics, what are some of your other interests and hobbies?

AM: Video games, drawing, modeling, photography.

CA: Do you have a fan page or website?

AM: I have a Facebook fanpage!

CA: Any parting words about cosplay or comics in general?

AM: I have a special place in my heart for the two Cs.  But I really wish people would relax about both things a bit.  They are meant to be fun, don’t let it control you and remember you are a fan for a reason! And cosplayers, do me a favor and be a fan of your character and we are square, okay?

Stay tuned to ComicAttack.net for more Cosplay salutes. To check out previous editions of Coaplyer Spotlight, click here!

Andy Liegl
andy@comicattack.net