The second of 5 parts continuing my interview with Booster Gold cosplayer Nicole (Demyrie).

BOOSTERRIFIC: When and why did you decide to dress as Booster Gold?

NICOLE: I first cosplayed Booster Gold at my first San Diego Comic-Con (2008), so it was something like a double-whammy of awesome to be able to sweep around the convention hall and see that he was actually quite popular! Last year (2011), I fixed up the suit and added his famous Disco Collar, then recruited my best friend as Blue Beetle II — THEN I felt I was really giving a portrait of the Booster I loved, arm-and-arm with Ted, wreaking havoc back in the JLI hey-dey.

My first itch to cosplay Booster came when I started poking around online and failed to find a truly inspiring cosplayer. No one (no man!) so far had embodied the glow of the character with a fitting wardrobe or demeanor, and so, to the chagrin of my unimpressed boyfriend, I launched into making my very first, terribly difficult super-suit.

It was TERRIBLE color-blocking that many pieces together on a first try, and I almost regretted the entire thing... and while I had a great time my first year, when my Beetle and I debuted together in 2011, everything was rewarded ten-fold!

BOOSTERRIFIC: Have your interactions with the general public been generally positive?

NICOLE: 1,000% positive! The entire experience really gave us a feeling of incredible community: when people saw us, it wasn't the verbal equivalent of checking off a box on a cosplay scavenger hunt. People got EXCITED. It was like we had turned over a rock and found this incredible wealth of fans who were thrilled to see a snap-shot of their "irreverent nineties" comic-book childhood, enacted by people who understood and loved the characters.

For example, I constantly high-fived fans in Booster Gold Fanclub t-shirts and generously offered to sign them for ever-increasing sums of money. I pretended to skip to the front of lines and every photo taken with my Blue Beetle was chummy and mischievous, like we had three slightly-evil-but-lucrative plans waiting on the backburner, and many older fans treated us with wonderful mock suspicion. We received many silly photo requests (which we were more than happy to oblige), and at one point, a fan lowered his camera, face screwed up. He couldn't stop snickering, then finally eked out, "You even have the grin!".

Point being, Booster is a loveable shmuck and a camera-hog and I have an indecent amount of fun being outrageous and shameless in his skin. He has to be my favorite cosplay thus far, if just because people love to provoke and engage him more than any other character. Would you play-harass Captain America for an autograph? Didn't think so.

Iron-Man, definitely. Cap, no. Booster, always, if I don't harass you first.

Thank you, Nicole. Check here for the first part of this interview. And check back next week, as there's plenty more to come.

Comments (1) | Add a Comment | Tags: cosplay costumes demyrie interviews nicole raehimura

Since Comic-Con International started two weeks ago, I have received repeated requests for pictures of Booster Gold cosplayers. Specifically, fans have been asking for pictures of female versions of Booster Gold. These are typically referred to as Earth-11 Booster Gold or Rule 63 Booster Gold, depending on whether your frame of reference is comic books or the internet. In either event, I know when I'm beaten; your wish is my command.

Above left are Katy Mor and Jettie Monday, respectively, as Blue Beetle and Booster Gold. This pair of professional models have been making a name for themselves as Blue and Gold on the convention circuit, selling some stunning photographs by Bill Nash. Jettie Monday has even written about her experience as Booster Gold for Geek News Network.

Above right are RaeHimura and Demyrie, respectively, as Blue Beetle and Booster Gold. Together, this creative pair of dedicated fans have been dressing as the world's best comic duo at conventions for awhile, including in this year's Comic-Con (as photographed by William Tung). Together, they now run their own custom costume shop at Suit Up Productions.

Comments (4) | Add a Comment | Tags: bill nash cdn comic-con cosplay demyrie earth-11 flickr.com gnn.com jettie monday katy mor raehimura rule 63 shag suitupproductions.com william tung