Featured Cosplayer: Tara Cash

My next Featured Cosplayer is someone I've only communicated with via Etsy. I'd been tossing up between building a Chandra (Magic: The Gathering) costume and a Lara Croft (Tomb Raider) costume for this year's PAX Aus. Given where I currently am with my Goa'uld costume, it's probably better that I went with Lara. I really want to do Chandra justice, and I know it's going to be a lot of work - more than I would have been capable of with two other costumes to prepare before the end of the year.

Thankfully, while searching Etsy for a replica of Lara's necklace, I came across Another Little Shop. Turns out the owner, Tara Cash, is an amazing Lara Croft cosplayer herself. I've been following her shop since late last year and I've watched her constantly add new and better items to her inventory. Being incredibly time poor, I decided to order as much as I could from her.

I assumed Tara had been cosplaying forever, but as it turns out, she only picked up the hobby a couple of years ago.

"I've always loved Halloween and emulating my favourite fictional characters, but Halloween only comes once a year," she says.

"I've never been big on the 'wear as little as possible' bar scene. I eventually discovered Renaissance festivals and then conventions as a better outlet."

Although Lara Croft is definitely her most successful cosplay, she's tackled a few other pop culture favourites.

"My first real cosplay was probably Corpse Bride during my senior year of college. I had this awesome pageant dress that only needed a little bit of altering. I made my own veil and bouquet, bought a wig and coloured my skin blue. I even entered a costume contest!"

"I think that was the same Halloween that I dressed my boyfriend (now husband) as Fry from Futurama. It was a pretty poor costume, but I have since created Futurama costumes for us both that I'm really proud of."

Tara has been featured on GeekXGirls and The Mary Sue, which would be flattering, if not for some of the snide comments that were made.





"Haters gonna hate, no matter what. I usually handle criticism very well, or can easily ignore it. But there were a couple of remarks that really got to me. They said my photos 'focused too much on T&A'. This really angered me, because I consider myself to be a pretty modest person, and that wasn't our intention in the least."

I was curious to read these comments for myself, so I searched for the articles. I've been warned in the past to 'never read the comments', but I'm a glutton for punishment.

"When you're more concerned about the bow emphasizing the line of T to A than with how a bow is actually used by a normal person who shoots with a bow... Well, you're seriously losing cred."

"Yeah, was rather turned off by the sexy poses - Laura definitely didn't give a shit about that!"

Firstly, who the hell is Laura? If you're going to criticise someone on the accuracy of their cosplay, you had better make damn sure that you have dotted every I and crossed every T. Secondly, the first comment smacks of jealousy and slut-shaming. (I should point out here that this is MY opinion and does not reflect the opinion of my Featured Cosplayer.) No one bothered to comment on the amazing prop work, or the fantastic locations used in the photo shoot.

One of the so-called 'T&A' shots
from Tara's collaboration with City Light Studios.

Tara is a little more diplomatic about the whole thing.

"I just think when it comes to cosplay, if you don't have anything positive to say, you should keep your opinions to yourself."

(Check out this YouTube video from FanService Renji. As he says, "I make cosplays for myself. As long as I'm happy with it, I don't care what I could have done better.")

At last year's DragonCon, Tara (in her Tomb Raider cosplay) and her husband (dressed as Indiana Jones) bumped into the head marketing director of Marvel.

"He's been attending cons for over twenty years. He told us it was the best Indiana Jones he's ever seen."

While Tara regrets not getting into cosplay sooner, she admits that she's learned a lot in a short space of time.

"Cosplay wasn't as mainstream when I was in high school. I sometimes imagine all the techniques I could have learned by now, but I don't let it discourage me too much."

"A year ago, I never would have thought I'd be using power tools for cosplay, let alone silicone moulds, resin castings and 3D printing."

That's me wearing Tara's distressed tank tops, necklace and watch.
I haven't had a chance to make my bow and arrows yet,
but when I do, I can show off the amazing quiver.

I'm so glad I found Tara's store on Etsy, and really happy that she jumped on board as a Featured Cosplayer. Since conducting the interview, I've received everything I ordered from her and I can honestly say that she does amazing work. I'll be proud to wear her props at PAX. I might even sneak in a photo shoot before then.

And I'll totally poke my butt out if I want to.