Cosplayer Taïr Hamou Talks Costumes Rotting, Finding Her Community, and More

I admire Hamou’s passion for cosplay and her commitment to constantly learning and improving her craft. It’s inspiring to see how she transforms herself into various characters from different universes, showcasing not only her creativity but also her dedication to detail.

This year, ComicBook hosted its first Halloween Cosplay Contest, attracting a lot of enthusiasm from our fanbase. The entries showcased a wide variety of fandoms, ranging from Marvel and DC to Star Wars and Anime. Some participants submitted outfits that looked like they were straight from a movie set, while others offered creative and unorthodox interpretations of popular costumes. Choosing a favorite entry was no easy task for the ComicBook team, but Taïr Hamou‘s DCeased take on Batgirl emerged victorious. The costume impressed not only with its craftsmanship but also its fitting tribute to the spooky season.

The DCeased Batgirl outfit stood out even more because Hamou explained that it was created due to severe weather damage to another costume, which rotted away. Despite this setback, her resourcefulness shone through, transforming the character of Barbara Gordon into a more threatening figure.

I had a chat with Hamou about her passion for cosplay, building relationships within her community, the toughest hurdles she’s faced, and various other topics.

Which universe or genre do you follow most passionately? Are you a fan of Marvel comics or anime? What’s the topic that truly ignites your enthusiasm?

Taïr Hamou expresses his preference for comic books overall, leaning more towards DC than Marvel. However, he’s reading more Marvel comics this year compared to DC, but he typically favors DC.

As a hardcore gamer, there’s something about the DC universe that truly resonates with me and sets my heart racing. Whether it’s the captivating stories in the comics or the iconic characters themselves, I just can’t get enough of this fascinating world. It’s like stepping into another dimension where superheroes come to life!

I was raised on television programs such as Batman: The Animated Series and similar shows, and it’s fair to say that the DC universe has a more ominous atmosphere compared to Marvel. I adore both, but I find myself feeling a stronger affinity for the characters and stories within the DC universe than those in Marvel.

I don’t know if … I feel like Marvel got a little bit more mainstream and, I don’t want to be the one that says, “I don’t like to be in a mainstream,” but it ruins it for me when so many people are hyped about the same thing and I want to have my own little thing. I tend to cosplay, of course, very famous characters like Batgirl and Catwoman, but I also cosplay characters that nobody knows, like from the JSA and other characters. I feel like me cosplaying them gets more people to know them and the comics that they are based on and I like that I can do that. I just like the characters and the plots of DC, I guess, more specifically Batman.

Could you tell me if there was a particular character or a specific plot from Batman: The Animated Series that had a significant impact on you and left a lasting impression, one that you found particularly relatable or moving?

One aspect I thoroughly enjoyed was the unique quality of each installment, as they were self-contained stories rather than part of an ongoing narrative. Additionally, the constant introduction of fresh characters and villains in each episode kept things engaging and entertaining.

Without a doubt, I’ve always had an affection for Batman as a character. The same goes for Barbara Gordon – she remains my top pick to this day. In comics, even Catwoman has grown on me more than her portrayals in TV shows, but I can’t pinpoint any particular arc or plot from the show that particularly resonates with me. What I truly appreciate about it is the self-contained nature of each episode – it makes for an enjoyable viewing experience every time.

Additionally, I found the recent animated series titled “Batman: Caped Crusader” to possess a captivating flow which I appreciate. Furthermore, with all the Batman villains being exceptional, it’s challenging for me to choose my favorite as they are all good.

Could you tell me about the first cosplay character you chose to portray, and what made you decide, “I’m ready for this, I’m stepping into this creative avenue”?

Back in 2009, I ventured into the world of cosplaying. It’s been quite a while now, and what initially drew me to it was seeing all my friends participate. Inspired by their enthusiasm, I decided to join in with them. My very first cosplay character was Sheryl Nome from Macross Frontier. There was something about her that resonated with me, and I admired her fashion sense greatly. She was the first cosplay character I ever portrayed, and since then, I’ve reprised the role of Sheryl in various outfits on different occasions.

Since 2009, I’ve occasionally stepped away for breaks. However, I took a particularly long hiatus from around 2015 to 2019, which was extended due to COVID-19. During this time, I found myself spending more hours than usual watching TV shows and movies, including comic book adaptations. This rekindled my interest, and it seems like the marathoning of CW shows, specifically Supergirl or The Flash, reignited my passion for cosplay. Interestingly enough, Supergirl from the CW show was the cosplay that brought me back to the hobby.

In 2009, social media wasn’t part of my life yet; Facebook was just emerging, and when I revisit it now, it feels like a completely different platform. Everyone seemed to be active on social media already, and since I hadn’t set up an account before, I had to start fresh. I finally opened my current account in 2019 and began from the ground up as everyone else was already well-known or had numerous followers. Today, it seems that fame and followers are paramount, but I truly enjoy creating and crafting.

Initially, I embarked on this account recognizing the need to play catch-up, yet choosing to progress at my own rhythm. The process of crafting costumes brought me immense joy, leading me to share more of my creative journey with others. It turned out that many appreciated the intricate details of my work. On my highlights, you can observe various stages of my projects and learn as I continue to refine my skills. My rekindled passion for cosplay has transformed into a more dedicated pursuit, as it now feels like a responsibility to uphold. I’m driven by my love for crafting, sewing, and meeting fellow enthusiasts at conventions. However, maintaining the social media aspect has taken on a job-like quality, necessitating regular updates to keep the content flowing. Therefore, I would liken it to a job due to the need for consistent maintenance. My plans and projects are organized in a yearly schedule, ensuring a steady flow of new content.

It’s ironic, really. Initially, I expressed my dislike for conforming to popular trends, but now I find myself complying due to social media influence. However, I continue to don the costumes of lesser-known characters that most people aren’t familiar with and find great joy in it. Yet, this year, I’ve delved more into Marvel cosplay, as X-Men made a comeback, which reignited something within me since I used to watch the X-Men TV show. And when I saw everyone else dressing up as X-Men characters, I thought, “Perhaps it’s time for me to join in the fun too.

This year, I’ve taken on numerous X-Men character cosplays, demonstrating that social media can indeed be advantageous. While I strive to maintain my own unique approach to cosplaying, it provides a fun platform for connecting with others, showcasing my work, gaining appreciation, and receiving support. My journey began with anime characters, followed by a phase of Disney characters around 2013, and then a brief hiatus. However, since 2019, I’ve primarily focused on cosplaying comic book characters.

Beyond your initial experience with cosplaying alongside friends, and beyond mere discussions about collaboration with others, be it friends, fans, or strangers, what sets the cosplay community apart from simply being an enthusiast of anime, Disney, or Marvel? What is it that makes this community so distinctive, rewarding, and invigorating?

Participating in a fandom is often a solo activity, but it’s more enriching when shared with others. While you can certainly create your own cosplay costumes independently, joining a cosplay community encourages social interaction. You might choose to cosplay alone, but usually, you’ll share your creations on social media or attend conventions where you engage with other fans.

It seems that participating in cosplay significantly enhances your social engagement within a community. While being active in various fandoms can lead to an enriching online presence, it may not necessarily foster the same level of face-to-face interactions as cosplay does. For instance, discussing Harry Potter on forums is engaging, but it typically doesn’t involve frequent meetups or casual conversations with fellow fans like cosplay events do. Cosplay encourages you to step out of your comfort zone and engage with others – whether you’re the focus of photographers or enjoy capturing others’ characters, these encounters often lead to interesting discussions about the characters themselves.

Cosplay is more than just putting on a costume. You get into the character, you play the character. It gets people to connect with you on a certain level because, if you cosplay a character and you really like this character and another person really likes this character, you click immediately and you start talking. The community life is, I feel personally, that it’s better than other fandoms when you cosplay, but I might be wrong. That’s just my own experience.

In choosing a character for cosplay, the allure often lies in both the design and appearance, as well as the role model aspect – someone you might aspire to be like. How much of each factor matters can vary. Would it ever be considered if you disliked the character but thought their costume was impressive? That’s a question worth considering.

I rarely cosplay characters I’m not familiar with, even if they suggest it to me. If I like a design enough, I might seek out and get to know the character, and if I grow fond of them, I’ll eventually cosplay as that character. In general, for me, cosplay is more than just wearing a costume; it’s about creating and embodying a character, so having a personal connection to the character is essential when I choose to cosplay. So, in essence, cosplay is “costume-play,” and you need that connection to truly embody the character.

If you’re interested in creating a cosplay, I can certainly help with that! However, I would never choose to cosplay a character I dislike. Instead, I prefer to pick characters whose designs initially caught my attention, and as I learned more about their design elements, I grew to love them. For instance, I became fond of Witcher characters only after seeing Yennefer and Ciri in The Witcher 3, and I was drawn to their captivating designs. After playing the game, I decided to cosplay these characters.

I don’t dress up as characters that I dislike, and I believe that nowadays, with cosplay becoming more popular, people choose to cosplay for various reasons such as it being trendy or liking a character’s appearance. However, I strongly feel that cosplay is most meaningful when individuals express their love for a particular character, regardless of its popularity, aesthetic appeal, or cultural background. Ultimately, cosplay should be enjoyable and serve as a means to foster connections among people.

Regrettably, I sense a slight wane in our spirits today, but let’s not forget the essence of cosplay – enjoying ourselves, forging connections, and breathing life into beloved characters via our costumes. It’s crucial that we keep this spirit alive.

When designing both your Arkham Knight Batgirl and DCeased Batgirl costumes, were there any unexpected hurdles or challenges that came up during the process? Was there a particular part of the costume creation that you found was more challenging than you initially thought it would be?

As a devoted fan, my Arkham Knight Batgirl cosplay proved to be my trickiest undertaking yet, primarily due to the novel challenge of 3D printing an entire armor set – a task I naively assumed would be straightforward. Having dabbled in 3D printing before and working on similar projects, I was confident that this wouldn’t present much of a problem. Boy, was I wrong!

Cosplay is fascinating because once I reach a particular skill level, I enjoy reworking my costumes. It allows me to reflect on my progress and think, “This was excellent, but I know I can make it even better.” For instance, I’ve cosplayed Ciri from The Witcher three times, always improving with each attempt. Even the DCeased Batgirl costume I submitted started as a regular Batman of Burnside Batgirl cosplay. Unfortunately, during a convention in Atlanta, it got damp and rotted in my suitcase. I almost discarded it, but it was my first Batgirl costume, and I couldn’t bear to part with it.

Initially, I transformed something into a different form, which became the popular DCeased series. Unfortunately, it didn’t last beyond the first release. However, since then, I’ve created a new Batgirl series under the pen name Burnside, and I’m considering creating another one now that I feel my skills have improved.

Regardless of how much time I’ve spent cosplaying, I find it a continual learning journey. With each new skill acquired or improvement made, there’s always an opportunity to grow further. I’m a strong advocate for revisiting past projects as a means of demonstrating personal progress in this craft. That’s one aspect of cosplaying that particularly appeals to me.

Have there been any characters, with all the different ones you’ve portrayed in cosplay and your creative adaptations of them, for which you have a particular dream to bring to life? Perhaps it’s a character whose costume is challenging to recreate or a character whose physical traits are beyond the realm of human possibility in reality? A character you adore but one that might not be feasible to embody in the real world?

I believe that my ideal cosplay was Arkham Knight Batgirl, and I feel like I should remake it since I did well the first time, but I know there’s always room for improvement. As I cosplay DC characters, their costumes aren’t overly extravagant to make it difficult to replicate. It seems that female characters are more suitable for cosplaying, as if I were to be Batman, it would be a different story. At the moment, I can’t think of any other ideas.

For my upcoming cosplay endeavor, I’ve chosen Angewomon from Digimon, which is not a comic book character. Given the complexity of this design, it may require significant time and effort to complete – essentially transforming this project into a major undertaking for me. As for comic characters, I believe I can tackle any character selection with dedication, although it’s important to note that time and budget constraints are common challenges when embarking on cosplay projects.

It seems that bending the rules of physics might be a simpler task compared to acquiring the funds needed to carry out such actions. In theory, you may devise a method, but in reality, you’re unable to afford the required resources.

While I typically create my own costumes from scratch, I’ve grown accustomed to purchasing components that I’m not skilled in making myself. I’m the type of person who prefers DIY projects, but these days, I find it more convenient to have someone else craft parts I can’t make on my own, such as cowls and similar items. I focus on what I can do best.

While I’d be thrilled to learn the skill myself, the cost seems prohibitive for a solo endeavor. Therefore, I’m considering commissioning parts of the work instead. I find joy in the creative process, but if the price tag is too steep, I won’t hesitate to purchase what I can’t afford to make. This approach has spared me from tackling tasks that were beyond my means, allowing me to focus on what I can do.

You can follow Hamou’s work on Instagram.

This conversation has been shortened for brevity and understanding. Feel free to reach out to Patrick Cavanaugh personally on Twitter.

2024-12-03 20:11

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