Welcome everyone for another year of Cosplayers Interview features. I’m very happy to announce that the series is still ongoing and I would love to feature more cosplayers from different countries. Today It’s gonna be an Overwatch Healer Cosplayer’s work that I would like to share with you.

Her name is Melissa or mostly known as Melissa Pearce Cosplay. I believe that her works are incredible, she has that great talent to show off her best on cosplaying. She also does Wonder Woman Cosplay and I could say it’s one of the best but Mercy Overwatch Cosplay is just flawless.

Let’s welcome Melissa Pearce Cosplay and be amazed by her works!

The Overwatch Healer

Mercy Halloween Skin Photo by Jie Chen Visuals

Hey! My name is Melissa Pearce and I am a Canadian cosplayer from the city Toronto. I base most of my cosplays  video games, movies, and anime.

I try to attend any con in Toronto or nearby. This year I have been to Toronto Comicon, FanExpo, Anime North, G-Anime, YetiCon, Otakuthon, and Conbravo. I am aiming to go to Katsucon 2018!

My boyfriend Josh introduced me to Cosplay, he took me to my first convention. I am very new to the cosplay world and have only been cosplaying for just over a year.

It’s a hobby I would love to turn into a business one day, I became addicted to constantly improving my craft and challenging myself to create more difficult designs. I spend most of my free time working on cosplays and teaching myself new techniques.

First Convention and Experiences

Mercy photo by Jie Chen Visuals

My first cosplay convention was Anime North in Toronto. It changed my life, I had never seen or heard of cosplay before then. I felt like I had entered a whole new world. It was a three-day convention and I went two days in a row, the second day I wanted to cosplay so badly. I made a Jesse from Team Rocket Pokémon cosplay that morning and wore it.

A memorable convention I went to was YetiCon, it was held up north of Blue Mountain. It was unlike any other convention I have been to. You are mostly outdoors doing different activities, I got to go zip lining for the first time. The scenery is breathtaking and perfect for photo shoots!

The farthest convention I went to was Otakuthon in Quebec, it was around a 5-hour drive. It was also one of my favorite conventions, all the cosplayers were so talented and friendly.

Costume/Gear/Props/Armor

Mercy photo by Bermingham Photography

To be honest my weakness in costume making is sewing! I prefer to make my cosplays armor builds or buy the sewn pieces. The first costume I sewed was Nariko from Heavenly Sword. It was a challenge for me but helped me develop the skill. I also sewed my Tauros Pokémon cosplay and Witch Mercy from Overwatch cosplay.

I make all my own props and armor. Most of the time I use Eva Foam because it is affordable and easy to use, I also recently started using worbla. Worbla is more expensive but worth it. My favorite costume I created was Wonder Woman because she was one of the first female superheroes and symbolizes the power of women!

Unforgettable Experience

Wonder Woman photo by JoesGarage.Photos

I don’t have any negative or unforgettable experiences at conventions. Sometimes at conventions parts of my costumes will break, but that’s completely normal and helps me build it better for the next convention.

The only negative thing about cosplay would be online opinions. They don’t have the courage to say it to my face in life so they comment on the internet instead. It only helps me build a thick skin, not everyone is an artist, but everyone is a critic. 

Definition of Cosplayer

Wonder Woman photo by JoesGarage.Photos

To me, Cosplay means using costumes to transform into characters you love and taking on their characteristics. The cool thing about cosplay is you can become anyone or anything you want! It’s a hobby that lets me express my creativity and learn new things. Every costume I make I become more confident and proud of my work.

It also allows me to travel to different conventions and meet new people with similar interests. I have met some really amazing people while cosplaying!

Admiration

Other cosplayers I look up to are Yaya Han, Kamui Cosplay, Jessica Nigri, Vera Bambi, Vampy Bit Me and Bec of Hearts.

Kamui Cosplay helped me learn a lot about prop making using EVA foam and worbla. Without her tutorials, I would not know where to even begin!

Achievements

My greatest cosplay achievement was, being featured as Wonder Woman on the front page of the Hamilton Spectator newspaper! It was a rewarding experience because I spent hours working it and it was really well received at the convention!

Piece of Advice

Misa Amane photo by Bermingham Photography

My advice to anyone starting cosplay is to go all in and don’t look back! Choose a character you love and look up to. Search for reference photos and tutorials, then go buy the materials you need to create the costume. Don’t be shy to ask friends or family for help, or even message other cosplayers.

Confidence is key, if you don’t believe in yourself, then nobody will. Cosplay is about having fun, building new skills, going to conventions and meeting people!

Open Message

Melissa Pearce photo by ImagesByDyrek

For those who want to see me on my upcoming cosplay conventions, I will be attending KatsuCon on February 16-18 2018. If you would like to see more of my work and support me on my cosplay journey, please follow me on social media on Facebook, Instagram, and you can subscribe to my YouTube Channel as well. I would really appreciate it! 

My Wonder Woman Cosplay at ConBravo

Melissa the Canadian Overwatch Healer Cosplayer