On episode 13 of The Cosplay Crunch, we welcome Karena of Phalafel Cosplays and we have an ABSOLUTE BALL!  We run through the convention scene of the DMV area, including Katsucon, Otakon, and MAGFest, and delve into the issues with modern day Katsucon. We reminisce on our first time meeting and judging at San Japan, as well as Karena’s many experiences streaming on Twitch for the past 4 years. You aren’t going to want to miss conversations on the decline of cosplay magazines and the controversy surrounding the bought contest cosplays from Russian cosplayers. All of this and more, so join us for a delicious cosplay kiki.Find Karena on Instagram @phalafelcosplaysFind us at the below:Website: CosplayCrunch.comInstagram: @cosplaycrunchpodcastYouTube: @TheCosplayCrunchPodcastIf you have a question for one of our amazing guests, you can email us at cosplaycrunchpod@gmail.com

Roll Initiative! On episode 12 of The Cosplay Crunch, Feelsbender AKA Sarah joins the podcast and brings Chicago excellence to your ears! We explore Sarah's background in cosplay, Zach and Sarah’s shared love for RWBY, and the demise of Rooster Teeth. We also go into ALL of the details on the Midwest convention scene, attending conventions in Chicago, and the MUST AVOID cons of the Midwest. We dungeon dive into D&D and Renaissance Festivals, and discuss Sarah’s dice business, Pieces of Parhelia. Stay to the end when we dig into the changing landscape of conventions in Texas and provide advice for maintaining longevity in cosplay.Find Sarah on Instagram @feelsbender and her custom dice on https://www.piecesofparhelia.com/Find us at the below:Website: CosplayCrunch.comInstagram: @cosplaycrunchpodcastYouTube: @TheCosplayCrunchPodcastIf you have a question for one of our amazing guests, you can email us at cosplaycrunchpod@gmail.com

In episode 11 of the Cosplay Crunch, we interview full time cosplayer and long time friend Jennybelly! Jenny discusses her early experiences with cosplay, her journey from Los Angeles to Texas, and her trips to visit South Korea. Jenny shares her experience of quitting her office job to pursue cosplay full-time and the challenges of being a self-employed cosplayer and content creator. Jenny and Zavage discuss her hit podcast BLHQ about BL (Boys' Love), Danmei, Manhua and other gay stories! We also get Jenny’s photography and travel tips for cosplayers.Find Jennybelly on Instagram @jennybellycosFind us at the below:Website: CosplayCrunch.comInstagram: @cosplaycrunchpodcastYouTube: @TheCosplayCrunchPodcastIf you have a question for one of our amazing guests, you can email us at cosplaycrunchpod@gmail.com

Do you want to be a voice actor? Well, this episode won’t tell you how… BUT we do get into all of the backstage tea on voice acting for one of the largest anime production companies in the world! Host Zavage Cosplay interviews Bree Han about her cosplay journey where we discuss the rise of cosplay music videos, the lasting friendships they've made through conventions, and the dreaded post convention dinner scenario (IYKYK). We take a journey through Bree's experience into voice acting, her experience of landing her first voice acting role for Crunchyroll and the challenges in the industry. We cover LOTS of hot topics including the WeebCon cosplay contest follow up, the Arda Wigs statement and woes, and the controversy surrounding DisabilityComicCon. Join us for a truly packed episode! Find Bree on Instagram @keepbreethingFind us at the below:Website: CosplayCrunch.comInstagram: @cosplaycrunchpodcastYouTube: @TheCosplayCrunchPodcastIf you have a question for one of our amazing guests, you can email us at cosplaycrunchpod@gmail.com

In episode 9 of The Cosplay Crunch, Zavage and Phee discuss their first connection via Fire Emblem and the importance of finding cosplay friends. Phee shares her first convention experience under less than desirable circumstances (re: abandoned warehouse), we walk through her “unique” and unconventional cosplays, discuss experiences with OF, and touch on body confidence and the transformative nature of cosplay. For some reason, GI Joe cosplay contest drama comes up in 2024? All of this and much, much more on this week's episode!Find us at the below:Website: CosplayCrunch.comInstagram: @cosplaycrunchpodcastYouTube: @TheCosplayCrunchPodcastIf you have a question for one of our amazing guests, you can email us at cosplaycrunchpod@gmail.com

Jump into episode 8 of The Cosplay Crunch with the stunningly talented Melanie Jasmine Design! Zavage and Melanie discuss her first conventions and cosplays living in Ecuador, and the challenges of finding materials and resources in different countries. We go in on Melanie’s background in cosplay, including her connection to the character Sombra from Overwatch, and her overall tie to Blizzard / the Overwatch cosplay community. Additionally, Melanie shares her experiences creating costumes for Overwatch voice actors' own voiced characters! We also talk about Nishi Fest 2024, as well as the importance of compensating cosplayers for their time and talent. Stay until the end to hear tips for improving your craftsmanship in cosplay, as well as stage presence and posing tips during walk-on performances. Find Melanie on Instagram @mjasmine.designFind us at the below:Website: CosplayCrunch.comInstagram: @cosplaycrunchpodcastYouTube: @TheCosplayCrunchPodcastIf you have a question for one of our amazing guests, you can email us at cosplaycrunchpod@gmail.com

In episode 7 of the Cosplay Crunch podcast, host Zavage Cosplay invites guest Kadiaa Kawaii (aka Lisa) about her  early convention journey as an award winning cosplayer, which eventually led to her career as an anime / cartoon focused tattoo artist before finally transitioning to a full-time artist who travels to art shows / Artist Allies at multiple different conventions. We talk about our early competition experiences, get the tea on the tattoo industry, dive into the secret insides of the Artist Alley community, and provide advice to listeners who are looking to compete in their first cosplay contest or masquerade.Find Kadiaa on Instagram at @kadiaakawaiiFind us at the below:Website: CosplayCrunch.comInstagram: @cosplaycrunchpodcastYouTube: @TheCosplayCrunchPodcastIf you have a question for one of our amazing guests, you can email us at cosplaycrunchpod@gmail.com

In this extra evil, technically challenged episode of the Cosplay Crunch, host Zavage interviews Rumplestilt Seam as they discuss their first cosplay experiences, mishaps and issues with cosplay contests, curating a cosplay program track for conventions, Rumple’s iconic Instagram stories, cursed convention experiences, and essential tools for summoning from the infernal plane.Find Rumple on Instagram @rumplestilt_seamFind us at the below:Website: CosplayCrunch.comInstagram: @cosplaycrunchpodcastYouTube: @TheCosplayCrunchPodcastIf you have a question for one of our amazing guests, you can email us at cosplaycrunchpod@gmail.com

Well…here we go! If you’re ready to hear experiences of the attendees, cosplay competitors, and guests of WeebCon, 2024 and prior years, you’ve come to the right show! The Cosplay Crunch invites extra special guests Lapaki a la Mode, Rosey Toesies, AllieCat Cosplay, and Ky Hikari Cos for an extended, tell all about their experiences attending at and working with the much talked about convention, including the lack of organization, chaotic panel scheduling, disappointing cosplay contest, and overall wild west of an atmosphere. Find our guests on Instagram at the below:@lapakialamode@rosey.toesies@alliecat_cosplay@kyhikaricosFind us at the below:Website: CosplayCrunch.comInstagram: @cosplaycrunchpodcastYouTube: @TheCosplayCrunchPodcastIf you have a question for one of our amazing guests, you can email us at cosplaycrunchpod@gmail.com

Get into the full Fallout fantasy, because this week for episode 4 we are joined by Viverra! Zavage and Viverra discuss her background training in professional fashion design, the reality of having your cosplay go viral, the changes to the Texas convention scene from the mid 2000’s to 2024, convention hotel horror stories, qualifications for cosplay judges, and attending local vs. large out of state conventions. Find Viverra on Instagram @viverraFind us at the below:Website: CosplayCrunch.comInstagram: @cosplaycrunchpodcastYouTube: @TheCosplayCrunchPodcastIf you have a question for one of our amazing guests, you can email us at cosplaycrunchpod@gmail.com

On episode 3 of the Coplay Crunch we pull in Tacocat cosplay to discuss her very first convention experience (at SDCC…no big deal), the spite which drove the desire to 3D model, Joann Fabrics bankruptcy, the costume construction process and revisiting old projects, con crunch woes, social media “tutorials”, and cosplay competitions as a group.Find Kirsten on Instagram @tacocat_cosplayFind us at the below:Website: CosplayCrunch.comInstagram: @cosplaycrunchpodcastYouTube: @TheCosplayCrunchPodcastIf you have a question for one of our amazing guests, you can email us at cosplaycrunchpod@gmail.com

Join The Geeky Seamstress and Zavage as we go into all things Sailor Moon costuming, competition fraud and sandbagging, “coming out” as a cosplay anime nerd to your coworkers, modifying bought cosplay, challenges of being a larger / plus sized cosplayer, the tea of guesting at conventions, and the struggle buss dumpster fire that social media can be for us all.Find Mindy @thegeekyseamstress on InstagramFind us at the below:Website: CosplayCrunch.comInstagram: @cosplaycrunchpodcastYouTube: @TheCosplayCrunchPodcastIf you have a question for one of our amazing guests, you can email us at cosplaycrunchpod@gmail.com

On our inaugural episode of the Cosplay Crunch, Zavage and Owl & Coffee discuss growing up and becoming an adult while cosplaying, the Houston Lolita community experience (girl…), the changes in cosplay from decades past to 2024, social media, and discuss a totally hypothetical cosplay reality competition scenario. All this and more on Episode 1 of the Cosplay Crunch! Find Owl & Coffee on Instagram @owl_and_coffeeFind us at the below:Website: CosplayCrunch.comInstagram: @cosplaycrunchpodcastYouTube: @TheCosplayCrunchPodcastIf you have a question for one of our amazing guests, you can email us at cosplaycrunchpod@gmail.com

We kick off the Cosplay Crunch with an introduction to the show by host Zavage Cosplay AKA Zach. We are excited to embark on the Cosplay Crunch journey with our listeners and fellow cosplayers. The Cosplay Crunch is a podcast dedicated to exploring the wild world of cosplay. In this interview style podcast, Zavage invites new guests each week to go deep into the good, the bad, the horrifying, the entertaining, (and sometimes) the ugly aspects of cosplay!In each episode our lineup of talented guests, consisting of cosplayers, photographers, and artists, join us for a tell all experience, and share their stories, drama, insights, tips, and tea for navigating the cosplay experience. And trust … it IS an EXPERIENCE. Listen up, grab a drink, and brace your wigs as we tear into the fascinating world of cosplay culture.Find us at the below:Website: CosplayCrunch.comInstagram: @cosplaycrunchpodcastYoutube: @TheCosplayCrunchPodcastIf you have a question for one of our amazing guests, you can email us at cosplaycrunchpod@gmail.com