Anastasia Zelenova about the Black Widow, self-esteem and fighting girls
In Moscow, started exhibition of interactive entertainment "Igromir". Within its framework this year, for the first time, “Russian Comic Con” is held - a congress of fans of pop culture from comics to gadgets and, not least, cosplayers - masters of reincarnation in their favorite characters. Many do it professionally, and someone just comes in the original image for the sake of entertainment and meeting with like-minded people. Cosplay has long been a mass phenomenon all over the world, and in Russia its popularity is only growing every year. We talked with six characters, for whom cosplay has become an important part of life, about their characters, about how they regularly dress in a costume, why they do it and how it changed them.
I started cosplay about six years ago, inspired by Lara Croft - and the game, and her way. In Russia, cosplay was not yet highly developed, but I saw Western girls on the Internet and decided to try. I was then 15 years old, and maybe I was too young for such an image, but I so wanted to be like Lara, who is ready to kick ass to anyone. Everyone is engaged in cosplay in very different ways: someone from an early age almost until old age, someone in 40 years decides that he wants to cosplay. This is all random, if you like the image and you want to get away from bytovuhi, you can quite try yourself in it. These are new acquaintances, new impressions, new experience.
I have about eight characters, some less developed, some more, but all favorite: Katniss from the Hunger Games, Beybidall from the Forbidden Reception, Katarina from League of Legends, Kitana from the beloved Mortal Combat “, Lara herself is in several costumes, a couple of images from the TV series - for example,“ The Vampire Diaries ”, even“ Twilight ”, Alice from the game“ Alice: Madness Returns ”is a slightly mad, inadequate girl. New to me characters from comics - Psylock and here is the Black Widow. I also plan to make Daenerys from Game of Thrones. I, probably, really love fighting and strong women. Sometimes you want to experiment, play some kind of villain, but I like positive characters more. I’m impressed by those who fight for freedom and go to their goal - I want to be equal to them.
My Black Widow from comics, not from movies. She has many puzzles of different artists, with different hairstyles and costumes. This image is my favorite, I was focused on a specific art, but invested a bit of myself. In general, I really like the image of a spy: Natasha Romanova is a beauty, but at the same time she is incredibly intelligent, smart and generally has all the qualities of an ideal girl. In addition, she is Russian, and Russian girls are the most attractive in the world.
In any public, wherever they post photos, there will definitely be a troll who will say that you are ugly
Thanks to cosplay, I have greatly changed both externally and internally, in particular, began to work a lot on the figure. Perhaps, if it were not for cosplay, I wouldn’t have much steam over it. In general, it is useful to keep yourself in shape, but especially for the cosplayer, because you are always visible and do not want something extra to be in the frame. With many girls-cosplayers, we consistently go on a diet a week before the event, at least we reduce carbohydrates so that we have a flat stomach - we have to go for such delights. It just so happens that most of my costumes are tight - so I try to get ready. The character relaxes: for the first five minutes you may feel some awkwardness, but then you enter the image. Although I do not have megaguber craft or super-complicated suits, I take, in my opinion, the character and the elaboration of the hero.
I didn’t practice gymnastics before cosplay, only as a child I went to dance. After the first time I put a number on the festival, it was a huge success, I won a place. Before me, almost nobody did this - it was a novelty, and I realized that it should be used. I put everything myself - I watch the video, I train at home. When we were filming a Lara Croft fan, I had a trainer who improved my combat skills. I really want to do some martial art, but, unfortunately, there is no time at all - but at least I have time to go to the gym.
Not to say that in cosplay-party everywhere butterflies fly and unicorns run, but, in principle, everyone communicates, supports each other. There are, of course, negative comments - in our country people love to condemn for any reason. In any public, wherever the photos are laid out, there will definitely be a troll who will say that you are ugly, that this is not your character, that your figure is not that, that your face is not that, even the zipper on the jacket is not that! People sometimes do not understand the difference between a character and a living person. When I first started, I was very worried, I thought to quit everything at all, but then I realized that these people do not influence my decisions. If I see some flaws, then I try to correct them, I try to invest in the character - all the more so, I have such that I won't let all those clever people with non-constructive criticism descend.
I love Lara from the games most of all, but Angelina Jolie coped well with the role. My first game on Lara was "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness" - it is much darker than the rest of the line. Lara is a harsh, brutal woman, but in later parts there is already a little flirt. In the new part I liked that they showed the formation of Lara. On the other hand, when she cries and cries, and then kills a crowd of men at once, I want to say: are you serious?
I was told that I looked like Jennifer Lawrence, but at the same time more miniature - like Katniss from books. I read all the books, I can not wait for the third part. It seems to me that this is an interesting, well-developed story that makes you empathize and at the same time borrows a lot from real life. Katniss is an amazingly strong girl who goes to all for the sake of her beloved, but at the same time she is just a man - she is imperfect. She goes through a lot and loses a lot. I think this is a worthy saga.
In general, I love the image of a superheroine, a strong independent woman, feminist even - it's great that comics are not limited to male superheroes. I like the idea that a woman can pitch everything to herself. In the comic books of Black Widow, there is a romantic line with Bucky, but I am glad that they did not develop it in the film, otherwise I would immediately have a melodrama: if there is a girl, let's definitely find her a suitor. This is terribly illogical, in my opinion. I always stand on the fact that women like Lara or the Widow, like the characters, do not need any man - they will do an excellent job themselves.
Photographer: Alexander Karnyukhin