Alisa Farrington as the Black Canary.
Welcome to November, a time for thanks. Today the Comics Ninja staff would like to give thanks to cosplay pioneer and November 2011, Cosplay Babe of the Month, Alisa “Kiss” Farrington! She has granted us a wonderful interview so let’s get right into part one of her two part feature.
Alisa as Lum.
Comics Ninja: Alisa, thank you for joining us today from Atlanta, Georgia. Why don’t you take the opportunity to introduce yourself to the Comics Ninja readers and tell us a little bit about yourself?
Alisa: Hello, I’ve been costuming since around 1996 when “cosplay” was a really new term in the US and was relatively unknown. Started out mostly doing anime and video game characters, but now mainly stick to comics and movies. I’ve made hundreds of different outfits over the years. It’s my creative outlet of choice.
Comics Ninja: Past Cosplay Babes of the Month Lindze A’la Mode and Riddle have also come from Atlanta. That scene really seems to be thriving. Do you get together with the other local cosplayers for events, is there a sense of community?
Alisa: One of the reaons we have such an awesome local community is because we are home to Dragon*con, a convention known for truly being a convention for the fans and showcasing some of the most impressive hand made costumes in the country. It’s really nice to live in Atlanta and to be able to make friends at Dragon*con and then have there be a good chance a cool new person I’ve met lives in the area. We do get together for various events and gatherings occassionally. There always seems to be some event or other going on. It’s really nice to be able to hang out even without any kind of con going on.
Comics Ninja: You are seen by a lot of fans as one of the pioneers of cosplay, especially with your early famous Cammy shots. What first got you into cosplay and what was the story with the Cammy photos?
The now famous Cammy Street Fighter pictures
Alisa: Lol, well thank you. Back a few years ago several cosplayers became part of a website called Teaserama in which we were able to accept tips modeling costumes for fans by requests. One of the requests I had was to wear the Cammy costume, sans boots. I did the shots, and they spread and became somewhat viral, popping up on gaming forums and other websites. I would definitely go as far as to say they are my most “net famous” pictures and what I get recognized for most often in public, but not because they showcase my best costuming work. More like people just like to see Cammy doing a turn around pose. lol. I’m currently remaking my Cammy costume and the construction is far better than that old one I made so long ago. Really excited about bringing Cammy back!
Comics Ninja: That was a really politically correct answer as to the Cammy shots, good job. 
What was your first cosplay experience like at a convention?
Alisa: I was young, just 13. I was shy and nervous, but I quickly warmed up to it and started enjoying meeting people and breaking out of my shell a bit. I didn’t know anyone in my school who liked anime or manga. It wasn’t mainstream or on tv at that point so cons were wonderful to be able to meet other geeks. I was hooked after the first experience and went home to immediately do improvements to my first costume, Sailor Moon.
Comics Ninja: What is your favorite convention or event to attend?
Alisa: Definitely Dragon*con. It’s my Christmas.
Comics Ninja: Favorite Tim Burton movie and why?
Alisa: That’s hard for me because I love many Tim Burton movies. It would be Nightmare Before Christmas first though. I absolutely adore the characters and humor and animation style, plus the amazing music. I love musicals and I love animation.
Comics Ninja: What do you think of all of the attention you have gotten from the fanboys (and girls) on the internet and at conventions?
Alisa: If that happens it’s very flattering. Humans like attention and acceptance from other humans, so it’s a nice feeling. It can have a downside for sure. Sometimes people can spread false rumors, and others can hear something and judge you before actually even meeting you.
Comics Ninja: What is your best and worst fanboy experiences at the conventions or events?
Alisa: The best would be all the amazing friends I’ve made and how nice most geeks are. The worst would be a couple of creepy stalkerish types. Generally though, most con goers are really cool people. It’s usually the “townies”, people who live in the city but just wander in to see what’s going on who cause problems, especially for girls in costumes.
Comics Ninja: We say boo to them! All right, that’s it for the first part of our feature on Alisa. Tune in tomorrow for part two!
Until then, get the latest comic book, gaming, sci-fi, movie, cosplay and animation news on The Ninja Report, containing sourced and aggregated news from every corner of the internet and updated every ten minutes! Never miss another headline, preview or breaking story, Ninja Nation!
