More to Love: Fat-Positive Cosplay

Anonymous asked: I'm so glad this blog is back! I haven't checked in months, shame on me :'(

I’m going to take this ask as an opportunity to say sorry about the recent almost month long hiatus, my family moved and we STILL have no internet cus we had to buy a stove, fridge, and a new alternator for the car. The old tenants of our house stole all the appliances :C

I will be moving out on my own very soon and will have my own godbedamned internet and then I will POST LIKE A POSTING DEMON.

So yeah sorry.

Also if you have a time-sensitive question I will say for the umpteenth time you have a far greater chance of getting it answered if you come off anon so I can answer you privately and we can form an actual back-and-forth dialogue.

I love you guys!

Anonymous asked: The term "fat" has a negative connotation to it, and makes this blog seem a lot less positive than it really could be. I'm sure you've got some sort of comeback to this, and I'd love to hear it (no sarcasm intended.).

The word HAS developed a very negative connotation, yes. It has been used to injure, to hurt, to devalue women and men for decades now. The main premise behind reclaiming the word, just that simple little descriptor, is to make it so that it does not hurt any more. The more people reclaiming the word “fat”, the more we can just shrug and say “Yeah, you called it, that’s something I am, and..?”. The less power it holds over us, the less power the wielder holds over the person they use it upon. It’s in the same group of neutral adjectives as “blonde”, “brunette”, “black”, “white”, “freckled”. Things that are neither good or bad, better or worse, simply a thing to Be. Fat is one of those things.

I don’t really see using precise language, rather than euphemisms, as something that makes the blog negative. I see calling fat people fat in an environment of positivity liberating, showing that there is absolutely nothing bad, or wrong, or lesser about a person if they happen to be fat.

Thanks for the ask, I’m happy I got the chance to make this point clear!

Anonymous asked: Hi guys, im a follower of yours i realy adore your blog, I have a friend who went through cancer when she was a little and so shes missing a her whole right leg and shes a little chubby herself, i try to get her to cosplay with us but shes afraid that people will make fun of her, Do you have any tips for us to help her come out of her shell?

First off, tell her from me she is Fucking Awesome. An absolute Bad. Ass. Mother. Fucker. 

Secondly, I’d like to share about two women I routinely see at my local con (Mechacon) every year.

One woman is wheelchair bound, and she cosplays SEVERAL things every year, from unnamed fairy to comic book characters. Every year, without fail, she gets JUST AS MANY PICTURES taken of her as the big-deal, abled cosplayers. She’s disabled. She’s a bit heavy. She’s a good cosplayer. And she puts herself out there every year for the whole weekend. And not ONCE, in THREE YEARS of seeing her around, have I seen or heard or caught wind of anyone being malicious. Everyone genuinely looks at her cosplaying and goes “Wow, she must be one badass chick. She does not give one single rat’s ass about what anyone thinks of her cosplay”. People gravitate towards her and actually get SHY, she’s a bit of a minor, unnamed celebrity.

The second is a girl I see around every year as well. She’s almost completely blind except for the occasional flash of colored light (she’s a hoot at the house party) and is developmentally disabled. She cosplays, too. She gets help from her mother and friends, and she pulls it off and looks good. Generally when people figure her out, their reaction is as follows.
“Wow her cosplay (or occasionally lolita) is cute!”
“Holy shit hold on… watch her… is she blind?!”
“Oh my god she is. That kind of makes her even cooler.”
“Like, 30% even more awesome, yeah.” 

In general, and I’ve witnessed this at other cons, too, being visibly disabled actually pumps up your “kickass cosplay” quotient by a large fraction. People recognize your struggles and the great personal effort you put in to your cosplay and are awed accordingly. While some cosplayers can be rude an malicious, those people actually represent such a tiny section of the community that is is unlikely you will ever run into them, and fifty times as many will come to your aid should things turn nasty.

I really hope you decide to join your friends and have fun cosplaying, I am POSITIVE you won’t regret it in the least, and I look forward to a submission when you do!

knightlife asked: Quick question - when you say you start at size 14, do you mean size 14 American?

Yes, I’m not sure what the comparative sizes are for other countries, but size 14 often starts/constitutes plus size here, though sometimes it’s 16 instead. 

If anyone had info on comparable sizing for non-US systems, let me know and I’ll edit that post to say those, too.

You’re gorgeous.

Hello chubby cosplays, I’m Ari from Sperm Sisters’. 

(This is me in my Finn cosplay from Anime Boston 2011; If you guys saw me and my princess bubblegum - hi!)

I am 5’6 1/2. 224-5 lbs, widely built - and about 40-50 pounds overweight. I am 14 years old, almost 15. But, to be honest. I am size conscious. I live in a generation where big girls or ‘fat asses’ are meant to feel insecure - and are put beneath skinny girls. Also, considering my mother is one of the people who dislikes overweight-ness. I feel horrible about myself. But after reading this blog, it lifted my spirits. A lot truthfully. I always looked at how rude people would be to bigger cosplayers and all of that. Yes I mean, honestly. It’s not a good idea to cosplay Rikku from X-2 if your overweight. But from this blog, I’ve learned - chubby girls can pull off THE SAME cosplays thin girls can. What rule in the world is there that says chubby girls can’t cosplay? 

I’ve seen pictures that had motivational things that said ‘cosplay isn’t for everyone’. Okay, what makes it not for everyone? That’s can be a huge slap in the face. Like I belive love yourself, but dress in an inch. But honestly, how rude can people be?

If you have the confidence, and your not afraid to put yourself out there and cosplay. Do it. Seriously; show all those trolls, criticizers, and rude people say what they want. You are beautiful, we are human - overweight or not, black or white, tall or short, you define beauty. You could be labeled as the most hideous person on earth by people. And you know what? They are most likely jealous of your confidence. Flaunt what you have honey, just not in the wrong ways! 

I love you all <3

Opinions on a new ask system?

If I started a skype, aim, msn, and yahoo account and logged them in to answer questions for certain times on certain days, would anyone feel more comfy discussing their personal cosplay concerns through that method? I would post the times I’d be around about for the day I was on and the day after, ya’ll would add chubbycosplay@yourimservice.com to your list and I’d accept IM’s from folks and answer their questions completely privately, off tumblr. You could un-add or keep it on there after that.

Would anyone use this? 

Reminder for new followers!

I don’t answer anon asks that are very specific. If it only relates to your exact boyd, comfort level, and cosplay, you need to ask me off anon so we can discuss it PRIVATELY and not clog up the blog. It hurts my soul to let all these asks sit there but if I do one I have to do them all. PLEASE come to me off anon so we can discuss your questions, needs, and concerns! I will NEVER judge you!

I meant to send this sooner, but I don’t have a very good picture of the full outfit! The bad thing about being the designated photographer in a group is that sometimes my costumes miss the picture train.

Anyhow, I cosplayed Cherry Bomb at a few cons and for Halloween. :D I really love everything about it and felt really sexy. I’m 5’8 (6’ in the thigh high boot heels) and roughly 220lbs.

Anonymous asked: Hi there. I want to cosplay as Kanaya Maryam from Homestuck, but I am extremely self-conscious about my body. I'm going in a group, and I know I will be the largest one there, which doesn't help my self-esteem. I was told I was too chubby to cosplay Kanaya when I first expressed my interest. What are your thoughts on a chubby Kanaya? Would it go against too many peoples' headcanons or would I recieve hate for it?

GREAT THING ABOUT HOMESTUCK: Hussie himself, god of the homestuck universe, has said that all of the characters’ body types are whatever people want them to be. Skinny or lush or curvy or fat fat faaaaaaaaaaaat, it is up to the individual! And there happen to be quite a few individuals who adore a plump, curvy Kanaya. 

I mean, how cute is this. The person/people who said you were too chubby can go to hell, it’s your cosplay and your body and if you put every effort into the quality of your costume and makeup you will look SLAMMIN’.