Cosplay Spotlight Jessica Carroll

The lovely Jessica Carroll is a well known talent within the cosplay community. She has been practicing the art of costuming all of her life and it shows in her exquisite work. Jessica took some time to chat with the Confessions of a Cosplay Girl Blog about the many changes made to Harley Quinn throughout the years, her love for crafting, attending conventions and dressing up with her fellow cosplayer husband, Jonathan Carroll.






Victoria: How long have you been in the hobby of costuming?

Jessica: Gosh all my life? I have always made costumes for something. When I was younger I played dress up as part of my daily routine. As I got older I did theatre and worked extensively on costumes there. The first costume for a play I can remember was in 5th grade. My first convention in cosplay I was in high school, 10th grade I believe. My first costume was Queen Beryl with my best friend as Mistress Nine.

Victoria: What was the very first convention you attended? What costume did you wear?

Jessica: The first convention I attended was Megacon. I was 15. I didnt costume, I had no idea what cosplay was or really what to expect from a convention. I wore my sailor moon tshirt, jeans, and my hair in odangos. You know, just like a good weeaboo.

After that, the next year my best friend and I decided to costume. We never wanted to go to a con without the full experience ever again. We did Queen Beryl and Mistress 9, Eriya and Naria from Escaflowne the movie and then goth punk school girls on Sunday I think.

Victoria: How can people contact you for commissions and view a portfolio of your work?


Jessica: For commissions the best thing to do is hit me up on my facebook https://www.facebook.com/supernovago or you can head straight to my etsy to see what I have up for sale. www.etsy.com/shop/SupernovaCostuming    I have some other projects I work on as well including geeky bridal accessories that I make with my mother in law www.etsy.com/shop/UniquelyYoursBridal

As for a portfolio, Im so bad about keeping my own personal projects up on my facebook, but I try to post plenty of commission progress photos.

Victoria: You have a large variety of impressive costumes and creations under your belt. Youre best known for your amazing Harley Quinn. What is it about the character that attracts you to her?

Jessica: Harley has always been a favorite character of mine. When I was younger I watched the tar out of the first and 2nd Batman movies and the Animated Series. The Joker was my spirit animal as a kid, I loved him. I think it was because he represented the fact that I knew clowns were evil...he embodied what I always knew to be true about them. I remember the first episode I saw with his girlfriend, Harley Quinn. I lost my mind. I needed anything I could get my little hands on, which at the time wasnt much for Harley. However, as I got older and started to delve into psychology, I grew to hate the two of them together. Their relationship disgusts me. I think for me, Harley is the friend I always wanted to see get away from her crappy boyfriend. I root for her because I know she can be strong and independent, but she never seems to truly get on her own two feet.
Haha I guess that still doesnt explain why Im drawn to her...really I dont know, maybe its that I can relate in a lot of ways, at least to my early 20s and bad choices in guys growing up. I found my happy ending, I want her too. Plus, she has hyenas and style...and we both study psychology.

 

Victoria:  Harley has gone through an enormous amount of hair and wardrobe changes over the years. Whats your favorite look for her? Whats her worst?

Jessica: I dont know if she has a look I absolutely hate....I really wasnt happy with the Suicide Squad look but it grew on me. I think the least practical is her injustice outfit or the Nurse from Arkham Asylum...that one is probably my absolute least favorite. Her best is hands down her original. Its sexy without her boobs popping out everywhere.

Victoria: How do you feel about the changes made to the character in the New 52?

Jessica: I stopped reading Suicide Squad because I was getting bored with it. I dont hate every choice they have made for her...but a lot of them I dislike. The main one is her bleached skin, to me thats ridiculous. Oh and the clown car joke about her vagina was pretty awful too.

 

 Victoria:  How did you and your husband meet?

Jessica: Jonathan and I met on myspace lol at least thats where we first talked a little. The first convention we met face to face was Dragoncon 2008. We both went through some life changes and kept in vague touch via myspace and the following year at Megacon we actually hung out and fell head over heels. We didnt start dating for a few months.

Victoria: Whats your favorite husband/wife couple costume youve done?

Jessica: Our genderbent Harley and TDK Joker. I love it.

Victoria: What plans do you have in the future in regards to cosplay and professional modeling?

Jessica: For professional modeling Im trying to get the site I co own to grow. I want to keep creating a quality product but would like to be able to move more behind the scenes, make costumes and manage the site more than have to model. For costuming? I want to start breaking away from accurate pieces and more creative. Some of the most inspiring costuming artists to me are Catherine Jones of GSTQ Fashions and the lovely artists over at Firefly Path. They break the mold in terms of creating and I want to do that. I dont want to be trapped in the panels of a comic book with my costumes, I want to break the mold.

Victoria: Which costume took the most work to create?

Jessica: Hmmmmmmm I guess Harley takes the most time out of my pieces because Ive redone the suit several times. Though I do think that working on Sailor Uranus and the amount of nitpicking that will go into it, its going to be a bit time consuming. Coming up I have Enchantress as well which will incorporate a fully boned corset and leather so that will be quite the project.
Thank you Victoria.

https://www.facebook.com/supernovago

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