4-Year Cosplay Anniversary

About two and a half weeks ago, I celebrated four years of being a cosplayer. I made my cosplayer debut as Texxx-Man Cosplay on August 1, 2014. A year earlier, one of my friends at work was telling me about a hobby called cosplay. He was preparing to attend a convention, which was a few days away. At first, I didn't know what cosplay was until I searched it online. When I did, I was impressed to see people dressing up as their favorite characters and has inspired me to cosplay. So without further ado, I'll now count down my top three moments from the last four years:

3. Beware of Zombie Mario

August 1, 2015: A night that I'll remember forever. Approximately a year after I made my cosplayer debut, I decided to take part in the cosplay contest at GlitchCon 2015. It was the second day of the con and I arrived as Zombie Mario, which was my first cosplay mashup that I've done and a zombified version of the popular Nintendo character. The cosplay contest was scheduled to occur later on that day. After I had gone through pre-judging that morning, I hung out with my friends until it was time for me to line up for the cosplay contest with the rest of the participants. Fast forward to five that evening and the cosplay contest was a half hour away. I started to get nervous, because I had a fear of stage fright, dating back to when I was in the 6th grade. The cosplay contest began and I was in line, still feeling jittery and wanted to back out. However, I posted on Facebook earlier that week, telling myself to not be afraid to stand out. When it was my turn to go on stage, people were cheering me on. After I was done, I got a standing ovation. I didn't win any cosplay awards that night, but I was proud that I took part in something great and also got over my fear of performing in front of people. I left the con and headed home. When I got home, I posted on Facebook to thank everyone for showing me love. I've received numerous likes and positive comments. I vowed to take part in more cosplay contests for years to come.

2. The Armored Blue Ranger

November 18, 2017: It was the second and last day of The Cosplay Con & Anime Experience and I went as the Armored Blue Ranger. I had just turned 30 earlier that week and was excited to head to North Little Rock, Arkansas for the con. Two days earlier, my friend Johnny gave me the shield and cuffs that he's been working on for weeks. He took pictures of me in my suit and honestly, I looked like an action figure. I posted the photos on my social media pages and lots of people liked it.

Now back to the last day of the con. I took part in a promo with the Arkansas CW Street, a few cosplayers, and actress Ciara Renee that morning. After I did that, nearly everyone wanted a picture either with me or of me. My cosplay had been quite popular throughout the con and was pleased with the positive reactions I've received from everyone.

1. Cosplay Group Photo

The photo (pictured above) is also from the last day of The Cosplay Con & Anime Experience in Little Rock, Arkansas. I took part in two cosplay contests earlier that day and after the second cosplay contest concluded, a few of my friends and myself got together for a picture. I took off my shield and cuffs and all of us did crazy poses. I had a great time at the con and it was the best birthday weekend I've ever had. I'm looking forward to more con adventures with lots of cosplayers soon.

In closing, I want to thank everyone for their love and support of me for the past four years. I don't know where I'd be today if it weren't for cosplay and meeting amazing people. I'll be celebrating my fifth cosplay anniversary on August 1, 2019. I have many cosplays planned and if you would like to support me even further, you can head to Patreon. Just search for Texxx-Man Cosplay. You can become a Patron and donate any amount every month. That way, I can create these cosplays and props to show to everyone. I'm excited and looking forward to see what lies ahead for me. You can also like my page on Facebook: Texxx-Man Cosplay and follow me on Instagram @thecosplayerfromtexas.