We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ann Marie Scarpinito a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Ann Marie, appreciate you joining us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

I feel that when I first got into cosplay and attending conventions it happened at just the right time for me. It was the early 2000’s and I was out of high school and just starting to hear about cosplay. During this time the internet was still very new so everything was word of mouth and what you heard from friends of friends. My childhood friend Aneesa was away at college and called me about an anime convention happening close to her campus. I decided it was time for my first road trip ever and I drove to Tampa and we attended the first year of MetroCon. We were both so new at cosplay but it was such an eye opening experience to be among people who were into the same interests at us.

After this I really threw myself into the hobby and tried to learn as much as I could about sewing and crafting. With no YouTube this meant learning from books and a lot of trial and error. It really was a struggle getting things just right but it made the effort pay off so much more. If I had started cosplay later in life I’m not sure if I would be as into it as I am now. Having started so early made me learn to be more confident in my abilities and it made me go out of my comfort zone in networking with other crafters. Some of my longest friends I have to this day I met through cosplay and I am so grateful to have them still in my life.

Ann Marie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I think like most cosplayers I got into the hobby by first becoming a fan of Anime. In the late 90’s, shows like Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z were super niche and not known by many people in my school. For me I couldn’t get enough of the shows and I would come to learn all about Anime and how it wasn’t a standard cartoon like what you would normally see on TV. As I got older I would come to make friends who were into it as well and that naturally lead to hearing about conventions and cosplay. I knew if I ever made it to a convention I would have to dress up, even though I knew nothing about sewing, but it just felt like the right move for me.

Over the years I would teach myself how to sew and would craft costumes for myself and my friends. It was such a fun way to express my love for the characters I was dressing up as. For me it was always about channeling my passion into each project that I created. I am very proud of the fact that I have managed to progress my skills over the years and I am always pushing to be better on each project. No matter how much time you spend as a creative, there is always space to learn and grow – I find that I learn something new each year and it’s so satisfying to me. It is always important for me to be supportive for the next generation of cosplayers and help them grow. When I first started in the hobby everyone was so guarded and I want to make cosplay feel open and welcoming for the next generation.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me the most rewarding aspect of cosplay is literally the friends you make along the way. I have had the opportunity to travel all over the country attending events and I love getting to meet new people. Being able to connect with others who enjoy the same interests at you is very special. Cosplaying at events can be very intimidating at times, but I never regret pushing myself out of my comfort zone to do what I love. Making a costume can be a very stressful process and at times it can definitely be frustrating. I feel that the connection I have with people at events when I am in costume makes all the hard times worth it.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

One of my most well known costumes I have created is Lord Beerus from Dragon Ball Z. I was working on the costume to compete in an upcoming contest and wanted to give it a test run. There was a fighting game event coming up, CEO in Daytona, and I thought it would be the perfect place to try it out. At the time cosplay at FGC (fighting game community) events was not as common as it is now, so I was hesitant up until the night before to wear the costume. Thankfully my friend Li was so supportive and encouraged me saying, “Wear it and they will love it”. The next day I donned the costume and had the best response to a costume I have had to date. Honestly this really propelled me to want to attend more FGC events and make cosplay more well know in the community. Now I can’t imagine myself being at an even and not being in costume! The community has been so good to me and I am so happy to see the cosplay scene growing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://msvalentine-cosplay.weebly.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msvalentine2552
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ValentineCosplay
• Twitter: https://x.com/msvalentine2552
• Other: Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@msvalentine2552

Image Credits

Main image: https://www.instagram.com/scdesignsphotography/
1 – stage photo orange/blue outfit https://x.com/HelloItsLi
2 – black and white outfit https://www.instagram.com/scdesignsphotography/
3 – stage photo with wrestling belt https://x.com/HelloItsLi
4 – green outfit https://www.instagram.com/scdesignsphotography/
5 – purple outfit https://www.instagram.com/brilanimagery/
6 – tank top outfit https://www.instagram.com/nate_takes/