#FeatureFriday with Kaleb Dampf

It's been a LONG time since we've featured a male cosplayer, so I'm excited to be interviewing Kaleb today! Read his interview below.

How and when did you get into cosplay?
I first got into cosplay right around the time I starting getting hardcore into anime. The first one I really watched until I couldn't find the last part was Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood. Funny story about that costume unfortunately was I snagged a bit of my parents money to get it and said I had sold some things to get it. I opened up about it later on and we all had a great laugh.

What do you do when you're not in cosplay or geeking out?
When I'm not in cosplay, at cons, or sitting on omegle with fellow cosplayers, one could find me behind a desk at a call center. I was originally there for 6 months and 10 days but circumstances found me out of work. By the time of this interview however, I'll be headed back in to start a new campaign there. One could also find me recording Ps4 games with my roommates and uploading then to our gaming channel. Other than that, I don't do all that much.

How do you choose your next cosplay?
As far as choosing cosplay go, sometimes it's a tad more difficult. Some days I'll watch a movie and think, "Wow, that'd be an awesome cos!" Though it's usually through Amazon browsing that I get my ideas.

Who is your cosplay idol/inspiration?
I'd have to say my cosplay inspiration would be the man known as Harley's Joker. His in depth character portrayal of the Clown prince of Crime is flawless and not to mention he usually has a flair of class about him.

What cosplay(s) are you working on right now?
Some current cosplay I'm working on will be for Bangor Comic Con next spring, so the more time I work at them, the better they'll come out. Slotted so far are L from Death Note and Vergil from Devil May Cry 3.

What is your dream cosplay?
Hmm... I'd love to do something involving armor. More than likely some form of the Crusader class from Diablo 3.

What is a random fun fact about you as a cosplayer or one of your cosplays?
Some fun facts about my cosplays are that they're fairly cost efficient. I believe the most I've put down in a cos thus far is my Naruto Uzumaki, which I am saving for a rainy day. Other than that, I'm very approachable at cons, so if anyone sees me, and asks for a photo, hell, I'll strike a pose and ask them to paint me like one of their french girls! I've always been pretty outgoing in terms of that.

Do you have any cosplay or convention pet peeves?
Oh a million times yes. I went to a con with my younger brother, girlfriend, and coworker, and he was obliged to follow a certain set of rules. Two in particular he broke were interrupting panels when the speakers/actors were performing, and using intense profanity towards me when I spoke to him about it with children present. Now I'm not the most kid friendly when it comes to my vocabulary, but I keep it under wraps with children.

Do you have any horror stories or mistakes you've made that others can learn from?
So, once when I was taking out the Edward Eric cosplay, I decided to try and trim the wig with absolutely no idea what I was doing. It turned out a horrible mess and the costume remains buried in the box to this day, since the wig had been absolutely destroyed. The moral of the story is a matter of make sure you know what you are doing before attempting it. The results could end pretty badly if not.

Do you have anything else you want to say, or add to this interview?
Yes. One in general.
Cosplay shame and "Cosplay is Not Consent". I recently posted a video to Instagram explaining this. Men are the worst culprits by far, and it's upsetting to witness. The first is the matter of "Your cosplay is so amateur, look who did it better!" Some people are incredibly new to cosplay. I myself have been doing it since my senior year of high school, which is about 2 years now, and yes there are millions of people better than I am at it. It doesn't give someone else the right to shame another because they're just starting out. Lastly, cosplay is NOT consent. Guys. If a woman wears a costume she looks good in, you don't have permission to make advances and ask favors. It's just not right. If she gives you permission, then by all means, it is her discretion. However if she asks you to stop, just listen and respect it.

Where can we find you on all things social?
People can find me on IG as cosplaying_reaper; Youtube under "Fanboy Advanced", kik under "F3artherepr" and Skype as kaleb.dampf

He's a really amazing guy, and you definitely need to check him out!!