Fat Girl Cosplay

I actually did it - I cosplayed for the first time ever this past weekend!  I have always had an affection for Harley Quinn, and although I am quite overweight, I feel as though she is my alter ego.  She is smart, sexy, a little crazy, and passionate.  All qualities I see in myself.  But to be honest, being overweight is like having a physical deformity.  It's an elephant in the room.  *I* am the elephant in the room.  HQ is lithe and curvacious because she is a gymnast.  I am not.  I am lumpy and bumpy.  And I hear all sorts of stories about haters who will say anything just to hurt someone.  Like, 'aren't you too fat for that outfit/character?'

Saturday, I went to the Comicpalooza in plain clothes.  I saw some amazing cosplay and some obviously last-minute stuff.  My costume was in between, so I knew I wouldn't be on either end of the spectrum.  I didn't see any other fat Harleys, but I saw other overweight people pulling off other cosplays and so I knew I wouldn't be the only one.  I was so excited, that we left early without really seeing anything because I HAD TO GET MY COSTUME ON. 

SELFIE!  HAAAAY!

Sunday morning, I got all dolled up as HQ. I have purple hair, and I tried to spray paint the tips red and black, but it didn't work.  I put on white face makeup but had a slight reaction and so I had to remove it.

I had already created my mallet ages ago, before I ever decided to go to a comic con.  I always knew I wanted to cosplay as Harley, so it made sense to me.  I made it with a thick, dense foam rolled up and covered by a yoga mat.  Then I pierced it with a knife and shoved a shovel handle into it.  The mallet itself, without the handle, weighs under five pounds.  Light as a MF feather, and durable as all shit.  The handle adds weight, but the whole thing is under 15# and is easy to maneuver, as long as you have the room to do so.

The dress itself is a pattern I found in a Simplicity catalog and made it myself.  Being that I am borderline dyslexic in all things, it was very hard for me to imagine which side was which and the fact that it turned out remotely like the pattern made me almost pee my pants in joy.  The diamonds I placed on the dress were cut out from a pattern I saw online and used the paper from the printer as a pattern for the fabric.

I had Leg Avenue Plus Size tights, red and black striped of course.And instead of kick ass red and black boots or elf shoes, I wore my Harley Quinn Chucks.  That's right.  Beloved bought me HQ Converse for my birthday last year, and I wear them when I wanna feel especially cool.

my youngest squiddo also wanted to wear a costume, and so he went as a ghostbuster with an inflatable gun.  It was so cute!!  He also decided he wanted to play with my mask and mallet before we left, and since the mallet is nearly his size, I took pics.  I swear he is just adorable.  And I am not just saying that because I am his mom.  I swear.

the young squid with a mallet

I was so scared and excited and my tummy was in knots as I walked the four blocks to the convention center from the parking lot.  Would anyone notice me?  It would be hard not to....but still.  Would I get positive reviews or negative jeers?  I spent all of Saturday telling every cosplayer I saw how much I loved their costume.  Would I get the same?

It was a success.  I walked around everywhere and got smiles and nods from people.  Five people even asked to take my picture, which was HUGE for me!  Random people think I did well enough to have my picture taken!  OMG OMG OMG!  I had hoped for more, but I don't blame them.  Sunday I saw no fewer than six other Harleys, all of which had pristine, majorly complex costumes on lithe, skinny bodies.  And I am practically in a mumu.  Hah. 

my friend took this pic of me

Anyway, it all turned out well.  I can't help but thank all of the people who had gone before me as plus sized cosplayers.  People who fought for the right to cosplay as whomever the fuck you want.  The people who dealt with the negativity until the positivity and persistence of the cosplayers wiped them out.  I am hoping that in Denver in two weeks that I have the same sort of response.  I want to go there and have fun as Fat Harley.  Some day I will go as regular Harley.....maybe even a cute Harley.  Where I fit into the costumes made for normal sized people.  But until then, I have a solid and Comicpalooza-approved Harley costume that fits. :)