Unveiling the World of Cosplay and Nerd Culture: A Conversation with Carly

I recently connected with Carly, who shares my passion for nerd culture and cosplay. She shared valuable perspectives on her experiences in the nerd community, sparking an engaging conversation that you're sure to find enjoyable!

AA: Hello Carly!! Where are you from? And what was your upbringing like for you?

C: I was born and raised in Georgia, and lucky enough to be brought up in a two-parent household with parents who absolutely adored one another. Both of my parents were extremely supportive in any endeavor. My friends used to joke that my family and I were like the Cleavers from Leave it to Beaver. My immediate and extended family were very close when I was growing up as well. We would routinely have dinner as a family almost every night and would usually have Jeopardy on the TV in the background.

AA: How did you become interested in nerd culture, and what sparked your initial interest? Was it movies, shows, or books? If so what was your favorite movie, show, and books?

C: I blame my older brother. He was quiet, artistic, and super into comics and nerd culture in general. I just remember always thinking he was so cool and my need to try and impress him, especially since I was a girl.

While most girls grew up playing with Barbies and baby dolls, I preferred action figures, matchbox cars, video games, and playing sports with my dad.

C: I’ve also loved movies for as long as I can remember as well. One of my most prized possessions was my tiny tv with a built-in VCR I got one year for Christmas. I would save up my allowance each week and spend most of my money on physical media, purchasing VHS copies of video rentals from one of the flea market vendors.

C: My favorite movies around this time were Braveheart, Clueless, and Scream. We didn’t get cable or a satellite dish until I was in high school, so I didn’t watch a lot of tv growing up. My favorite tv shows were Saturday morning cartoons, Saturday Night Live, and late night tv shows that I could watch during the Summer months while school was out.

C: I usually had some book or comic book I was reading as well. 

AA: How long have you been going to Dragon Con? What has your experience been like in the time you guys have been going to it? Have you met any follow cosplayers, attended panels, or met celebs?

C: I first got turned on to Dragon Con in 2004 when I started talking to a guy on a dating website who was a volunteer at the con. He convinced me to go for the first time in 2004 by smuggling me in using one of the other volunteer badges. He ended up showing me around the con that day, and I’ve been hooked ever since. I will never forget the first celebrity I met in 2004. It was Marc Singer (the Beastmaster). I remember walking by his table, and he must have noticed me fangirling over him because he beckoned me to approach his table. We ended up talking for a few minutes. I told him how much I loved him in Beastmaster and the television show V, and then asked if I could take a picture with him. He graciously obliged my request and didn’t even ask for any money. I ended up revisiting him the next year and made sure I purchased an autographed photograph of him. He was just as gracious and friendly the next year.

C: Most of my friends would typically cosplay during some of the days of the con throughout the years, but my husband and I didn’t start cosplaying until 2019. We’ve attended many panels over the years with some of my favorites being a John Cusack panel, an Expanse panel, and a Farscape panel. The short film festival has always been a favorite as well; however, they haven’t had any film festivals since 2019. One of our close friends was prior roommates with Cooper Andrews, so in 2019 we ended up partying with several members of The Walking Dead TV show, including Ross Marquand, Cooper Andrews, Dan Fogler, and Seth Gilliam.

AA: Can you tell me how you got interested in cosplaying? Which characters have you cosplayed as, and which characters would you like to cosplay in the future?

C: So, I always loved seeing all of the creative cosplays at Dragon Con, but never felt confident enough to pull one off until 2019. In 2019 I decided I would cosplay as the movie version of Ramona Flowers. My husband helped put together and build the hammer prop that does +2 damage to girls.  Since that first year I decided to cosplay, I have made a comic version Ramona Flowers cosplay, Tank Girl, and Little Debbie Harry mashup cosplay. I would love to do a Claire Redfield, Jill Valentine, Pris (Bladerunner), Ellen Ripley, and countless other cosplays at a future Dragon Con.

AA: How long does it take to create all of the cosplays you’ve done so far and how much does it cost to make everything? 

C: It depends on the cosplay and what it entails. I try to choose cosplays where it will be relatively easy to purchase most of the clothing and accessories I’ll be using since I have zero sewing/seamstress skills. I utilize Amazon quite a bit for a lot of the clothing and accessories. Working on the props that I use for the cosplays is probably my favorite part because it usually gives me a chance to flex my creative muscle by brainstorming designs and painting/coloring. I’m most proud of the large hammer, Tank Girl helmet, and Tank Girl bomb/rocket packet props. I couldn’t have completed any of them without the help from my husband. As far as the cost? If you have more time to put the cosplays together, you can definitely do them on a smaller budget by taking your time looking online, searching for sales, or even secondhand stores/flea markets.

AA: Do you have any favorite comic books that you enjoy reading?

C: I love reading comics. Most of my comic collecting and reading was from the age of 8-13. I always enjoyed comics and reading, but didn’t get back into reading/collecting until one of my friends introduced me to The Walking Dead in 2005. He let me borrow all the issues he had at the time, and I was hooked. I’ve collected the entire series since then. Other comic series I enjoy and highly recommend are Conan the Barbarian, Fables, Locke & Key (although I hated the television show), Judge Dredd, Y: The Last Man, Saga, and X-Men: Inferno.

AA: What are some of your favorite comic book characters and why? 

C: Rick Grimes and Andrea Harrison from The Walking Dead. I’m still pissed about how much the tv show ruined Andrea’s character. Regarding superhero-type comic characters, I’d say Jean Grey, Rogue, Psylocke, and of course, fan favorite, Wolverine.

AA: What topic or event opened your eyes to the world?

C: Probably 9/11 when I was a senior in high school.

AA: Have you ever experienced paranormal events in your life?

C: I don’t feel like I’ve ever really experienced real paranormal events. Anytime I see a cardinal (bird) I always think about my father though. My mother used to tell me stories of her parents performing seances when she was a child.

AA: Do you enjoy playing video games?

C: Yes, I love playing video games. I never seem to have the time to play them though. Which gaming system were you most fond of growing up? I loved all the ones I was lucky enough to play and own. I had a Nintendo, Sega Genesis, PS1, and PS2. I’d probably say my favorite overall was PC. I spent countless hours playing Doom II, Warcraft II, StarCraft,  and Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines. Some newer games that I’ve really enjoyed are the Telltale Series, Friday The 13th: The Game, Phasmophobia, and Helldivers 2.

AA: What is your favorite video game character?

C: Probably Fem Shep (Female version of Commander Shepard from the Mass Effect series). I love the fact that you can play her either as the ultimate hero or the ultimate asshole. Some nice follow-up picks are Blaze Fielding from Streets of Rage series, and Jill Valentine from Resident Evil. I’m always picking Chun-Li for Street Fighter. I can relate to her thunder thighs.

AA: What is your favorite video game character?

C: Probably Fem Shep (Female version of Commander Shepard from the Mass Effect series). I love the fact that you can play her either as the ultimate hero or the ultimate asshole. Some nice follow-up picks are Blaze Fielding from Streets of Rage series, and Jill Valentine from Resident Evil. I’m always picking Chun-Li for Street Fighter. I can relate to her thunder thighs.

AA: Given the chance to inhabit a video game world, which would you choose and why?  

C: The Mass Effect universe. It feels like the perfect sci-fi world. Hot alien babes, it’s own version of Star Wars the force, and amazing technology. The only thing I’d have to worry about are the Reapers, so maybe I’d want to choose the video game world, post-Reapers.

AA: Can video games serve an educational purpose? If so, in what ways?

C: I think they certainly can. They can help support the development of critical thinking skills and depending on the type of game, the importance of working as a team.

What aspects of gaming do you find most enjoyable? I’m a very competitive person and I get the most satisfaction from playing coop games. I love teaming up with others to defeat the common enemy in the game. There’s also a little sense of accomplishment when you’re able to finally beat a particularly hard part in a video game.

AA: What do you consider the most challenging aspect of gaming? 

C: Some of the newer games controls are a little confusing to me due to my dyslexia. I usually end up getting the L and R mixed up until I play a game enough and develop more of a muscle memory of the controls.

AA: Who are your favorite bands and artists to listen to, and what genre do they belong to?

C: I have very eclectic taste in music. I love anything from hip hop to some old school country hits. Ghost, Gunship, Depeche Mode, The Cure, Nine Inch Nails, and VAST are some of my favorite bands.

AA: Tell me about the three most influential people in your life and how they affected you positively or negatively.

C: My father, my mother, and my brother are the three most influential people in my life. I’m incredibly thankful that my dad taught me the importance of hard work, perseverance, and a positive attitude. I’m thankful my mother taught me how to harness feminine power, and my brother opened my eyes to all of the nerd culture/pop culture stuff that I love so much.

AA: What is the biggest lesson you have ever learned in life?

C: If the past 5 years have taught me anything, it’s to stay true to your morals and values. If something feels wrong, then it probably is, and the only person that knows what’s best for them themselves is. I will never understand those that wish to assert control over others.

AA: What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in life?

C: 2011 was one of the craziest years of my life. I had married the love of my life in 2010, and we were settling into domestic bliss when my father was diagnosed with Mesothelioma in late 2010. We had originally planned to enjoy married life for a few years before starting our own family. I’m not sure if you’re familiar with Mesothelioma, but once someone is diagnosed, the survival rate is typically an additional 4 to 18 months. So upon getting this diagnosis, we both decided we were going to start trying to have a baby. It was our goal to spend as much time with my father, helping take care of him, and to have a baby before he died. It seemed like it was meant to be as I pretty much immediately got pregnant as soon as we started trying. I was stuck in Bloomington, IL for two weeks of work training when I found out I was pregnant. I didn’t understand how taxing it would be on my body to grow another individual while I was still working, trying to be a good wife, and taking care of my father as much as possible. A week before he passed away, I was able to obtain a 3D ultrasound video of my daughter, and thankfully, he was able to watch it as well. I thought he would make it to the birth of my daughter, but sadly, he passed away when I was about 7 months pregnant.

AA: How did you overcome them?

C: I have only overcome challenges head-on by confronting them and dealing with them head on.

AA: Tell us about how you and your husband met. What do you like about him? What made you feel he was the right guy for you? 

C: My friends regularly got together and played Texas Hold ‘Em. I remember meeting my husband in the same group of friends one night when we played poker in 2003. I was 19, and he was 16. I remember thinking he was super cute, but too young for me to date then. We continued to hang out with the same group of friends over the years, but I always seemed to be in a relationship with someone else. Fast forward to December 2008. I had just been laid off from my job and had dumped my ex after finding out he was cheating on me on the same day. A few days later, I decided to meet with a group of friends to hang out. After hanging out together in a group a few times, I sensed that he might be interested in me, so I sent him a text message asking if he might want to take me on a date at some point. He responded that he would love to. We ended up getting engaged about 6 months later and then married in March of 2010.

AA: What do I like about him?

C: His sense of humor, and sense of duty to his closest friends and family. He’s dependable. He can be counted on to do something when he says he will. He’s also great at fixing and installing things. I can’t count how much money he has saved us over the years due to him fixing and installing things himself.

I knew he was different and the right guy for me when my father met him and immediately liked him. My father had NEVER liked any of the guys I previously dated. Trey is my rock. Within the same year we married, my father became very ill and was diagnosed with Mesothelioma. I could not have asked for a better partner to navigate through my father’s illness and ultimate death.

AA: Please define motherhood in your own words? 

C: I always knew I wanted to have children and be a mother when I grew up. I was extremely close with my family and I couldn’t wait to have my own children and make my own new family traditions.

 AA: How do you find joy in motherhood?

C: The best part of motherhood is reliving my childhood through my own children and watching them learn and discover something for the first time.

AA: What is it like being a mother?

C: It’s pretty amazing being a mother. I grew two children in my body and gave birth to them.

AA: What has been the most rewarding thing for you as a mother? What has been motherhood's most challenging part, and how did you deal with it?

C: Breastfeeding and lack of sleep when both of my children were still babies was pretty difficult, but I can only imagine that the most challenging parts of motherhood are yet to come. As my children get older, I understand that life in general will become more challenging and complicated.

AA: How do you go about explaining things to your kids that are happening in the world?

C: I do my best to try and keep things simple for my children. They’re exposed to a lot more than I want them to be, but at least they know they can always come to me if they have questions about what’s going on. Thankfully, they do have good heads on their shoulders and in many ways they’re even more based than myself or their father. They are both very no-nonsense individuals.

Should everyone on the planet be striving toward a common goal?  

C: The only common goal individuals should be striving for is to live a meaningful life, and try to impose or encroach as little of themselves as they can on those around them. Everyone is different, so while we may have overlapping things that we strive for, it’s never going to just be one specific thing.

AA: What do you think the meaning of life is?

C: Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women. Seriously though, I think you should try and leave it better than you found it. We live on in the hearts and memories of our friends and, of course genetically, through our family and offspring.

AA: Carly, we appreciate you sharing about your personal life and interests. Thank you.

To keep up with Carly, you can follow her on Twitter at

https://x.com/Intel_Dork

*** All photos by Carly, unless otherwise noted ***