Cosplayer of the Month: Greenpurr

Today we have a lovely interview with Greenie, all the way from Germany!!! This is a great interview and definitely worth the read. Let us know your thoughts in the comments! Read on below.

Hello there! I am greenpurr, or Greenie, or even *insert name of a character I cosplay here*! I prefer to go by they/them pronouns if possible, but don’t mind he/him or she/her either. I am 26 years old and live in Germany. I am, simply put, a very introverted and shy nerd who decided at some point to start a hobby that puts me equally in and out of my comfort zone. I have let it take over my life - the only regret being the lack of space I have left in my room.
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How and when did you get into cosplay?

When I went to school I had a close friend who was already into cosplay and talked to me about it. I was extremely shy and insecure but they encouraged me to visit a convention with them. Back in 2010 I wore my first cosplay and was part of their group (I don't recall where it was from as I was just happy to be included). After that I continued visiting small cons with them with casual cosplays you don't stand out with. It was nice but I never spend a lot of time with it.

Then came 2014, where I spend my holidays with another very good friend! We wanted to edit videos to music we liked and came up with the idea of filming us in cosplay to do so. It really exploded from there as we spend the next years continuing to create new footage. To this day we have managed to edit around 17 funny videos with us cosplaying various characters. From music videos to cooking to outtakes! What started as closet cosplays slowly drifted into more.

2017 I stopped giving a damn what I look like to others. I choose more extreme cosplay with bodypaint, big props, styled wigs etc. It was the same year I started to use Instagram and got to know the people I still am in contact with. Now I go to conventions on a regular basis (when they are open again) and spend almost all of my free time building cosplays. And I don't plan on stopping anytime soon.

How did you come up with your cosplay name?

Greenpurr - that took me a bit time to come up with but I still like it! I didn't want a username that binds me to a specific fandom/character or content. So why this? Well, the first part, “green”, is favorite color. As easy as that! And for the "purr": An old username, that I used as a kid/teen for other websites, had to do with cats, and I wanted to keep that resemblance. And purring is a sound that is made when the animal is content, happy, relaxed. All the good stuff! Whenever you hear purring you know you are in for a pleasant time. You can even feel the vibrations of it to calm you down. (My dog can basically purr as well!) So overall, both are just two things I have liked since I was little and that calm/relax me. So I smashed them together and here we are!

What do you do when you're not in cosplay or geeking out?

There isn’t a lot I do in my free time that is not connected to cosplay. I do enjoy crafting in general and like making necklaces, earrings and such. On occasion, I will play a game or edit something. Other than that my favorite way to waste time is to be cuddling my
doggo, a big fluffy Collie. My job is currently to be a trainee in a university library and I will hopefully be able to keep working there after I’m finished.

What is your proudest cosplay accomplishment?

Overall my biggest accomplishment would be my growth. Going from “How do I start this sewing machine thing?” to “Let’s make the inside of this coat look pretty too”. From “How do you wear a wig?” to “Alright let’s defy gravity with this baby after I make another yarn wig and ventilate myself a moustache!” The cosplay I still am very proud on is my “Kakashi” because of all the new skills I had to learn for him.

Who is your cosplay idol/inspiration?

That is a tough question as there are many cosplayers that inspire me! But as I have to pick, I’ll go with Kamui Cosplay! I remember watching her video tutorials when I just started to craft my own cosplays and thinking “This is stunning! I don’t understand how they do this witchcraft.” But with time, and her beginner friendly tutorials, I improved and can now understand the things that left me speechless before. However, her creations are still as stunning as before!

What is your dream cosplay? Why haven't you made it yet?

I don’t have a huge dream cosplay, but always some goals to improve myself. My current big plan is to build a cosplay of “Jesse McCree” in his Van Helsing skin from the game Overwatch. As it is going to contain a lot of sewing, LEDs, armor, weapons and ventilating a wig / beard it will be a huge challenge to me. But if I had to choose a “dream cosplay” I would generally say: Something huge and monster-like with SFX prosthetics and a LOT of details in the costume. Something I won’t be able to put into a closet and would need help bringing to a con (as I always travel with the train)! I want to build something physically BIG at least once.

How do you think the LGBTQ+ community has affected the cosplay community? Has it changed your cosplay experience?

I would say that the Lgbtq+ community has affected me and my cosplay experience, but in a good way! No matter what fandom I got in, I feel like there was always at least 1 big queer ship.

This influenced the amount of cosplayers I saw portraying it. It let me know that all of the queer people are welcomed and supported here. It felt like a
safe space for me to think about my own sexuality and identity. On an average day (especially when I was younger) I rarely saw openly queer people. Of course that depends on where you live and at what time! But at a con? All of PRIDE is there! All of the ships, all of the fanart, all of the headcanons. It's relaxing to see everybody be so much more themselves without the fear of being judged. How it influenced me specifically: Crossdressing! What was “a male cosplay” to me in the past, is a regular outfit to me today. Binder and all! Cosplay is a great "excuse" to start expressing yourself in a way without rules!

​Do you have any cosplay or convention pet peeves?

A weird thing I do is trying to make things on my cosplay detachable so I “could” make a better version in the future to use. And what if I glued the old thing down and then had to rip it off?!?!? The horror!! Spoiler: I barely ever make a new item for a cosplay if the old one is still okay. So the pain to make things detachable is just that: Pain. Also: Body paint. I hate wearing it, but am always drawn to characters that require it. (You can't write “body paint” without PAIN)

Do you have any horror stories or mistakes you've made that others can learn from?

Put your health first! Mental health is VERY important, however, on one of my earlier conventions I reached my physical limit. It was a hot summer day. Me and my friend were going to the convention via train and bus. My cosplay included a simple pair of jeans, a thin sweater with a shirt over it, a long thick wig and a lot of make up to look bloody. To make it short, the train was stuffed with people and seconds after telling my friend that “I hope we can sit down soon because I don’t feel so good” I collapsed into their arms. I found myself awake again seconds later, suddenly sitting on a seat with worried faces looking at me. Did we still go to the con? Yes. Did my friend constantly check on me during the day? Also yes! So please, don’t try to reach your limit. It ain’t fun when you hit it.

Cherish good/nice photographers! To make it short: One photographer tried to flirt to a very oblivious me during one of my first cons. I didn't get it and as I didn't return the sentiment I never got my photos. So if you are wearing something skin-tight (like me that day) or revealing: Be confident but also keep an eye out for the creeps. Never happened to me again since I started to mainly cosplay dudes. Go figure.

And at one of my last cons one photographer made me and my friends feel uncomfortable as they appeared to be a bit drunk but when he asked me for photos I didn't dare say no. But I never contacted him as I didn't want to get into contact with someone who made me feel that unpleasant. In conclusion: I know it can be hit or miss with some photographers. Most are kind and good! So please, CHERISH THEM!

Do you have any tips or words of encouragement for other cosplayers?

Goof around! My most productive and fun time of cosplaying was when a friend and I just took a camera, picked random characters to closet cosplay and went wild. What we created might not look “professional” but they are still very fond memories! So do as many closet cosplays as your heart desires! Nothing improved my creativity in building cosplays like trying to make do with the things I already have at home.

Do you have anything else you want to say, or add to this interview?

Cosplay is for everybody!!! Be decent human beings and kind to each other.

Find Greenie here:

Instagram: @greenpurr 
TikTok: @greenpurr 
Twitter: @falling_cat  (not very active but you can contact me this way)

Photo credits: Kakashi by thecrysa, Freddy Krüger by toller_lappen_ , rest self shot

What an amazing read from an amazing cosplayer! Interested in being my next feature? DM me or send me an email!