Cosplay is an art form so it shouldn’t be surprising when a cosplayer shows what they are capable of. May I present a fellow Nerdbot Host, of The Prop Awakens, Badmojo.
Please tell our readers a little bit about yourself.
Hi! My name is Joe and I’m an artist and cosplayer in Southern California. If you follow me you’ll know me under my artist moniker, Badmojo. I’ve been cosplaying seriously for about 3 years, but I have always loved dressing up. Like most cosplayers I know, Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. Cosplay for me is a way to enjoy the costume part of Halloween all year long.
I’ve always been artsy: drawing, painting, music, theater, any creative outlet I can find. I also have always been nerdy, even before it was so cool to be. Cosplay has allowed me to combine all of my interests into one focus. I can choose a comic or video game character, draw my interpretation of their character, create a cosplay from scratch, put it all together, then go to a con/event and act like the character to the best of my ability.
What’s the best part of cosplay for you?
Cosplay for me is very important and rewarding. I can’t describe the feeling of a little kid running up to you believing 100% that you are their favorite hero. When you meet a celebrity, that’s who you meet, not the character of theirs that you love. Cosplay is different; when you are dressed as Captain America, that’s who the kids see. And that’s who you are to them. It’s truly rewarding and I plan to cosplay as long as I’m able. There are plenty of “Old man _____“ characters available, right?!
How do you go about choosing characters?
I used to choose characters based solely on whether they had masks. I have a lot of social anxiety and masked characters were simply easier. I’ve since gotten better at choosing characters based more on who I can identify with or who I think are super cool.
What sort of music/food/drink do you have when working through the night at an outfit?
I really like to create as much of my cosplays as possible. From sewing and leather work to foam and paint. I try to do at least part of everything, even if it’s altering something to fit my purposes. I’ll throw on some Rob Zombie radio, grab a Monster or 4, and lose myself in my little craft area.
Do you prefer to do solo cosplays, or cosplays with other people and why?
I have always had a lot of social anxiety, but I also crave company and people. That’s why most of my cosplays have masks. Cosplay has given me the chance to interact with people and not freak out. That’s partly the reason I prefer couple or group cosplays. My fiancée and I try to match our cosplays as often as possible. People really respond to multiple people from their favorite fandoms cosplaying together.
Out of the many cosplays that you did, which one is the most memorable?
Deadpool is probably my most memorable cosplay. It was the first one I did at a large con. I cosplayed Deadpool at Wondercon and couldn’t believe the fan reaction. That attention and reaction from children and adults alike, is what got me hooked on Cosplay and wanting to do it on a more serious level.
Outside of Cosplay, what are your interests?
Aside from Cosplay I am a huge fan of pop culture in general: Movies, music, video games, horror. I’m also an artist and spend a lot of my time making props and painting.
You can check out Joe’s Nerdbot Show, The Prop Awakens, on Facebook and his work at Vala Valdra Galleries, OnlyFans, and Instagram.
