by Joe Iconic, Reporter

One of the most perplexing comic book community controversies is the “fake geek girl” discussion, which largely dismisses cosplayers as fans. From artists to authors to fans, most agree there is room in the expanding pop culture for fans of all levels. The increasing presence of comics book characters in movies and television serves as providing additional opportunities to sharing something we cherish.

However, a comic book artist has added fuel to the nerd hate-fire. Pat Broderick, returning to the industry after 20 years, said on Facebook: “If you’re a cosplay personality, please don’t send me a friend request. If you’re a convention promoter and you’re building your show around cosplay events and mega multiple media guests don’t invite me. You bring nothing of value to the shows, and if you’re a promoter pushing cosplay as your main attraction you’re not helping the industry or comics market. Thank you.”

Mr. Broderick is entitled to his opinion.   To be fair, he has made a name for himself in an industry that judges books by their covers.

To have a better appreciation of the diversity in cosplayers and their impact, meet Courtney.

Courtney has a special place in her heart for Misfit, the hero she cosplays. Misfit was created by Gail Simone, and featured in her highly acclaimed run of Birds of Prey. Courtney is proof that a cosplayer can bring a lot to the table.    At this year’s Baltimore ComicCon, Gail Simone stated Courtney not only inspired Misfit’s inclusion her finale on the Batgirl series, but that she writes Misfit in Courtney’s voice. That’s quite an influence for any fan!

Speaking of Courtney’s voice:

“My name is Courtney, but I also go by Z. I’ve been cosplaying since about 2012.”

What was your first introduction to the cosplay hobby?

“Oh gosh. I really don’t remember when I first heard about it, but I’ve loved dressing up in costumes ever since I was a little girl. If I was obsessed with a movie, or a game, or something, I would coordinate my outfits to resemble a character as best as I could. BUT, the first time I ever really cosplayed was at Charlotte Comicon in 2012. I’m not sure which show, though.”

What is your personal approach to your costumes? How do you choose what character to emulate? Do you tend to make your own outfits, or do you receive help?

“If there is a character who has a really cool costume design, or if I relate to them or admire them, or want to put my own creative twist on something, I want to cosplay them. I usually end up buying the props or costume pieces I need because I suck at making my own clothes. Any help I get is greatly appreciated. I want to eventually make my own things, but it will be a while before that happens. I need to start small!”

What was one of your best and most memorable experiences in cosplay?

“In 2012, I went to a friend’s house for Halloween and I was dressed up as Nightwing. This little girl came up to me and asked “Are you Batgirl?” I replied “Well, no…but she’s a very good friend of mine! I’ll tell her you said hello, okay?” She said “Okay.” then went back to her mom and dad (who were laughing because they knew who I was dressed as) and said “I bet she was the real Batgirl!” And her mom said “Yeah, I bet she was!” I never have forgotten that.”

What was one of your worst?                                             

“Okay, so, I have a very sensitive scalp, and as someone who has short hair and cosplays people with long hair, I wear a lot of wigs. Once when I was cosplaying Misfit, my wig was being particularly evil. It was itching so bad that I felt nauseous and I had chills and ended up having a panic attack. I had to take off the wig for a while and sit down. Thankfully it was towards the end of the convention, so I didn’t mind being out of character for a while. Seriously though, I’ve realized that it’s perfectly okay to remove the wig for a while if it’s itchy. Comfort comes first!”

What challenges or issues do you think cosplayers face most?

“Oh gosh, there are so many to name. Recently though I’ve been hearing a lot of female cosplayers being sexually assaulted and that bothers me a great deal. A good majority of the cosplay community are women, and as a woman myself, I worry that one day I will have to deal with it. I haven’t, thankfully, and hopefully I’ll never experience it, but for some reason, some people think cosplay means consent, which it doesn’t. It’s sad. People work a lot on their costumes and want to appreciate the character and display their creativity or love of the character or whatever and their day can end up getting ruined because some people feel so entitled to say or do things they really shouldn’t. Along with the sexual assault, there are a lot of cosplayers who take this elitist attitude, and put down cosplayers aren’t as skilled. It makes me sick because EVERYONE starts somewhere. No one has the right to put you down for something that you love to do, no matter what your level of skill is. Sorry, I kind of went on a rant…”

Do you have any major costume or convention plans lined up in the near future?

“Recently I was asked to take part in an Attack on Titan character Q & A panel at IchibanCon. They have asked me to be their Mikasa Ackerman for the panel and I am super excited! This is a first for me!”

Where can people follow your cosplay online?

“I post a lot of my cosplay selfies on Instagram, but my photoshoots can be found on my Facebook page, Hyperactive Hero.”

What was your introduction to Misfit? Why do you identify with this character?

“In high school, I found this website called Comicvine, which is basically wikipedia for comic books. You can search for characters, weapons, issues, teams, locations, etc. I just stumbled across Misfit one day and fell in love. She’s such a goofy character like I am, and she sees herself as an outcast, like I did for the longest time. She’s hyperactive, and funny, and she likes to stand out, much like I do.”

So tell me about meeting Gail Simone.

“Oh my gosh. Gail’s great! I met her for the first time at NC Comicon in 2013. It had been a dream of mine for a while to meet her while dressed up as Misfit. When I finally got to meet her, she was REALLY nice. I don’t remember everything we talked about but I just remember her being so sweet and the fact that she didn’t mind me hanging around her booth. She’s always been so supportive of my Misfit cosplay and it’s just been such a blessing.

I haven’t seen her in person since NC Comicon,

but we still keep in touch.”

How have you participated in Misfit Day?

“For Misfit Day this year, Gail Simone posted “If this year’s Misfit Day is successful, I’ll do my best to have Misfit appear in the New 52.” So, I immediately took action. I had a small photoshoot a few days before, and I uploaded them on Misfit Day. And that night, a friend of mine (who inspired the character Vengeance Moth in Gail Simone’s comic “The Movement”) got together on Tiny Chat and just hung out in character. She and I have pretty created this team up of Misfit and Vengeance Moth called “Dark Vengeance Moth.” So, we did that, and a few people came in and we answered questions, and pretty much just goofed around. It was a pretty successful Misfit day! And, in the final issue of Gail Simone’s run on Batgirl, Misfit made her first ever appearance in the New 52.”

Have you/would you work with Heroes Alliance or Make a Wish Foundation, if given a chance?

“I haven’t yet but I would love to!”

What is your experience with local comic shops?

“I usually go to Rebel Base Comics and Toys because it’s fairly close and the people there are really nice. I used to go to Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find a lot when I was in college, because I could walk there after my classes were finished. I know a lot of girls like me have been criticized and made fun of for just being there because comics are stereotypically a “guy thing.” I’m just glad I haven’t had to go through that. My experiences have been pretty pleasant!”

What are some of your all-time favorite comics/anime/manga/etc?

“I really like DC comics before the reboot, because it reflects a happier time in comics. The New 52 is just so dark right now. Everyone is dying. There is hardly any happiness. I love Stephanie Brown’s run as Batgirl, and the Birds of Prey, and the classics like Long Halloween, Dark Victory, The Killing Joke, and A Death in the Family. As for manga and anime, I’m following Attack on Titan and several others. Honestly, Attack on Titan is my big thing right now. I’m obsessed. It’s kind of pathetic.”
What is in your pull box?

“I am not following anything right now, because right now there isn’t anything that really captures my interest. However, I followed Gail Simone’s Batgirl until it finished WHICH FINISHED WITH A HUGE SURPRISE!! I couldn’t stop smiling for about two hours.”

What do you think about Pat Broderick’s recent remarks about cosplayers?

“I think he’s being ridiculous, and honestly if he wants to keep himself away from cosplays and conventions that endorse it, he just shouldn’t go to comic conventions at all. It’s a huge community and it’s growing by the second. It’s like saying “I don’t like dogs, so don’t invite me to a dog park if there are going to be dogs there, because I don’t like dogs. But I’ll go to a dog park if there aren’t any dogs there because it’s not like they need to be there.” Really? Cosplaying has been around for how long? If you don’t like it, ignore it, or don’t go. There are still going to be comic fans and people who don’t cosplay. Not everyone is comfortable with cosplaying at all. But seriously if you hate it that much, that’s fine with me. Honestly if he’s going to have that attitude and be rude to cosplayers, he has no business being at a convention where THERE WILL BE COSPLAYERS — which is pretty much every convention. I promise they won’t ban cosplays at a convention just because you’re going there.”

Well said, Courtney.

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