A few months back I interviewed Mia Skala about her cosplay. Hope you guys enjoy :).
1: What got you into cosplay?
Harleyquinnology: My ex boyfriend was the first to get me into it. It was a very impromptu kind of thing, we just decided one day that we would go to Wondercon and that we would go as Joker and Harley since we loved the characters so much. Once we got there, I was so astonished by all of the costumes everyone was wearing, and of course I was even more surprised once I had learned that most of these people made nearly everything they wore. As a kid, I had always loved to make my own costumes for Halloween, and I strived to make them as original and eye-catching as possible. So I guess I kind of very naturally stepped into the cosplay scene thinking "wow, there's a community of people having fun doing exactly what I had dreamed of doing all of these years". So Wondercon 2013 was definitely my first step on this journey.
2: How long have you been cosplaying for?
Harleyquinnology: I've been cosplaying for just a little over three years now. This past Wondercon was my little three year celebration.
3: Do you have a favorite cosplayer that you look up to? If so why?
Harleyquinnology: I'm not sure that I could say I have a favorite that I look up to, I have quite a few different cosplayers that I have looked up to throughout my journey. Two prominent ones are definitely the instagram users @lady_ha_ha and @enasniv. Both are so incredibly sweet and talented, and I'm very happy to say that I've met and talked with both of them on more than one occasion!
4: What conventions have you cosplayed at and which one is your favorite and why?
Harleyquinnology: I've cosplayed at multiple conventions, and my usual lineup is Long Beach Comic Con, Stan Lee's Comikaze, Long Beach Comic Expo, and Wondercon. Wondercon is definitely my favorite convention to cosplay at simply because it was my first convention, and the environment is always so friendly and organized. It's definitely my favorite con, and always such a pleasure to go to!
5: Have you made many friends cosplaying?
Harleyquinnology: I've made many friends cosplaying! I won't name any names, but they know who they are haha. They're actually really really great people and it's awesome to be able to connect with such awesome people who have the same interests as I do! It's also great because we all help each other out from time to time when it comes to cosplay. I'm the spandex go-to girl haha.
6: How many people have you cosplayed as?
Harleyquinnology: I've done at least 35 different versions of Harley, Batgirl, Zatanna, Killer Frost, the Joker, Poison Ivy, Cry Baby (from the Melanie Martinez album), Bombshell Star Sapphire (an original design based on Ant Lucia's line of DC Bombshells), and a genderbent Lobo.
7: What advice could you give to someone who wants to start cosplaying?
Harleyquinnology: Just be passionate about it! It doesn't matter whether you made the costume yourself or not, just remember to have fun and enjoy it. That's the most important part
8: Is this something you'd do forever?
Harleyquinnology: I would love to do it forever, but I guess that's not exactly a reality haha.
9: Do you have a favorite character you've cosplayed as? If so who and why?
Harleyquinnology: I love to cosplay as Harley Quinn (as if that wasn't obvious enough already haha), but I think I love to cosplay her mainly because I relate to her so much. We're both very similar as people, so I think it's very easy for me to step into her costume and get into character. I almost don't have to change at all, we're both fun loving girls that are hopeless romantics and eager to please the people around them. The one distinction, of course, is that she is a literal super-villain, and I just dress up as one.
10: Do you make all your cosplay costumes? If so how long does it take you to normally make one?
Harleyquinnology: I've made it a habit for the last few cons I've been to to make at least 90% of what I wear. I am self taught when it comes to sewing, so over these past three years that I've been cosplaying, I've slowly sewed more and more components of my costumes, and now I try to make everything I wear if I can. It depends on the costume when it comes down to how much time it would take me to make it, but my personal record for making a costume is the pink and white Harley bodysuit I had hand-sewn in three days before Wondercon 2016.
11: Any new characters you plan on cosplaying soon?
Harleyquinnology: I definitely plan on cosplaying as Saturn Girl, Josh from Until Dawn, Huntress, Josie from Josie and the Pussycats, Mera, Injustice: Gods Among Us Harley Quinn, Livewire, genderbent Dick Grayson (New 52), genderbent armored Hal Jordan, Wonder Woman, and genderbent Genie from Aladdin. Of course that line-up is subject to change, but I do have a lot planned and many more cons I'll be going to this coming year so it should all work out.
12: If you could date any comic book character who would you date and why?
Harleyquinnology: Oh geez, this is a tough question! Probably Green Arrow, I've had a crush on him for a LOOOONG time, he's compassionate, kind, funny, but heroic and determined. Perfect boyfriend material right there (and hopefully he shoots straight when he's with me). He's the kind of guy you'd feel safe with, but also be able to have fun with.
13: Where can people find you on the internet?
Harleyquinnology: People can follow me on instagram at: @harleyquinnology. My Facebook is Harleyquinnology Cosplay, and my YouTube is also Harleyquinnology Cosplay