TJ

About

WandererTJ is an engineering professional working in Oklahoma City and is known internationally for both his design work and his cosplay. By day, TJ prides himself in making his cosplays and props as detailed and screen accurate as possible; using 3D design, foamwork, plastics, leather, or whatever it takes to make his current project shine. By night, he dresses up as superheroes to participate in charity events with organizations such as JediOKC, Real Okie Superheroes, and Extra Life. Above all else TJ loves to entertain, create, inspire, and spread positivity, using cosplay as his primary grounds to do so. You can follow him at WandererTJ, WandererTJ3D, WandererTJ.

Q&A

How did you get into cosplay?
The medieval fair was probably my gateway into cosplay. Having to wear specific garb/costumes got me thinking about characters I might want to dress as.

What inspires you to cosplay a character? 
Typically, a character's design/aesthetic. I love armor, and I also really like finding armored versions of characters. There have also been a few times that I've seen a particular art piece of a character that I wanted to embody. 

What advice would you give to someone new to cosplay or wanting to get into it?
Do not wait until you have the skills to start a project. Your project will teach you the skill. Do not wait until you have the confidence to start pursuing what you want. The confidence comes when you are doing it and it's going well. Embrace failure as your teacher, not your enemy.

Who are your inspirations for cosplays? Makers, cosplayers, artist?
I pull inspiration from everything. Anything is fair game for me to randomly get excited about and dive into any learn about. I typically research characters before I cosplay them, which sometimes includes looking at what others have done to ask myself, "How did they do ______?" Before I really started cosplaying, other cosplayers were inspirational to me. But in general, those I follow and interact with aren't so much for inspiration but motivation. I can figure out the creative stuff, get things done, make time for everything, and not stress myself out, which is definitely what I look to others for.

What do you do with old cosplay? 
I've kept all my cosplays thus far, but I may change that one day since they do take up a lot of space.

Whats your favorite cosplay memory? Favorite con?
RTX 2014 and Halo Outpost both hold a special place in my heart. I met many people for the first time, and I had been following them for years. And I found a family at both of them. RTX was special as it was my first convention, but it was so much more than that. The 405th welcomed me in with open arms even though I hadn't finished my costume, and we were allowed to hang out after hours in the convention hall and drink with some of the guys from Rooster Teeth. Half a decade later, I was going through a really tough spot in my life, and the announcement of Halo Outpost gave me the motivation I needed to work on the Halo costume I had started but never finished. I completed it with just days to spare, and that weekend was one of the best times in my life. It was such a unique experience to be there with everyone in a semi-official manner. All the Halo cosplayers really lift each other up and are always willing to help. They truly are a gift that keeps on giving, and I'm glad to be a part of that. The icing on the cake was winning Best in Show at the costume contest. I stood there hearing peer after peer getting called to the stage for their award, thinking I might hear my name every step along the way. With three prizes left to go, I was next to guys who inspired ME, and the realization that swept over me when they got called to the stage before me was... nothing short of emotional. That weekend saved me from myself.

What are you most excited about in Making Legends:Cosplay Culture?
It was a great feeling to be recognized enough for my work to even be recommended as one of the artists for this. I never expected to be able to put my work on display for others in an art show, and I'm glad to be featured next to so many other amazing artists.