We have to show our love and admiration for all who love cosplay! One woman with a heart of gold, spunky, who is a part of a movement where she is breaking walls and challenging boundaries, a Southern California belle, the mama of Nerdbot and Nerdplay Girls, Scuba Steph.
Please introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Stephanie but I go by Scuba Steph. No, I don’t scuba dive but I do enjoy Adam Sandler movies lol. The alias was always a way to hide my cosplay and lewd content from my family. I also never wanted my last name out in the world so I became Scuba Steph.
What sort of kid were you? Shy or Outgoing? Were you a social butterfly in school?
I grew up in a family that didn’t celebrate holidays. Every holiday school event I had to spend in the principal’s office. Of course at a young age I didn’t know any better but growing up I realized how much I wished I could celebrate holidays, especially Halloween. Seeing my friends dressed up in costumes and collecting candy was such a fascinating thing to me and I wanted nothing more than to be a part of it. I did my first trick or treating at 16 wearing only pajamas because I didn’t own costumes and said my costume was a baby and it was the best night ever.
When did you get into cosplay?
I started cosplaying around 2015. I attended my first convention (Star Wars celebration) and was instantly hooked. The community was very welcoming and the friends I made through Cosplay made it even more special.
With the lack of costume wearing as a kid I obviously became instantly in love with the cosplay scene as an adult. From making my own cosplays to buying cosplays and to lewding cosplays, I love it all. I’m now 31 and I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon.
What are your top 3 cosplay costumes and why? How do you store your costumes?
Some of my favorite cosplays are my Judge Dredd, Bane & Velma. Judge Dredd was my first cosplay that I spent a lot of money and time working on. The helmet was purchased from Etsy in case anyone is interested! Dredd is one of my favorite movies so dressing up as the character is always a joy. Bane on the other hand is a hard cosplay to wear as I’m pretty much blind without my glasses. If I don’t have contacts on, I won’t recognize you at a convention and I’m so sorry. Also, the mask leaves a mark on my face but it’s worth it! Playing the villain is always fun. And then there’s Velma; the simplest cosplay I have so it’s up there in my favorites. I love how I can wear my glasses with it cause, you know, seeing things is great. I keep all of my cosplays in two storage bins in my garage but they’re getting a little too stuffed so I might have to buy a 3rd bin very soon.
What surprises you the most about your fans? How did you grow your fan base and what advice would you have for people trying to grow in the cosplay community?
It’s always exciting when someone recognizes me at a convention. Sometimes I forget I have a following online and meeting new people at these events is always a great time. I love the hugs and taking selfies and getting to know each person even if it’s only for a few minutes. It definitely goes both ways, I fangirl hard for a lot of cosplayers so I know how it feels!
Lastly, if you’re trying to grow a following online, I highly suggest posting daily. Creating content daily. It’s a lot of work but it’s the best way to grow. You can’t gain a following if you aren’t posting! So post post post! Also, TikTok is the new big thing so definitely jump on that.
Show Scuba Steph some love on her Instagram & TikTok. If you’d like more information on her Dredd helmet or the prop man check out his Instagram.
