It is time once again for a spotlight on one of our favorite cosplayers. Today’s featured guest is a very talented and beautiful cosplayer that comes to us from Canada. She is known to be a master of disguise when Cobra Commander demands it, but you may know her as the beautiful but deadly Baroness. Many joes have fallen to her beauty as well as her talents, and after this interview you will understand why. Nerds and Nerdettes, I present unto you, my interview with Katy DeCobray.
SWN: Who are you and where are you from?
KDC: My name is Katy and I grew up in Northern Saskatchewan but I’ve been living in Vancouver, British Columbia for about 15 years. I consider Vancouver to be my home
SWN: How did you discover cosplay?
KDC: My first convention was San Diego Comic Con in 2009. I had never been to a comic convention or cosplayed before but I knew I had to do something memorable. My boyfriend came up with the idea to dress up as Cobra from GI Joe, so that obviously made me The Baroness! I thought it was a great idea and was really excited to dress up as that character.
SWN: I have to say you are the best damn Baroness cosplayer I have ever seen. What is it about her that drew you to her to cosplay her so well?
KDC: Thank you so much! I’ve been modifying and upgrading my Baroness costume over the years as my skills improve, so I’m really glad people seem to like it.
I grew up with the GI Joe cartoon series from the 80s, and I had the Baroness action figure as a kid. I loved how sexy and determined the Baroness was. She clearly knew how to use her sensuality in her favour but she was also the ultimate badass and got to fight alongside the other male characters without sacrificing her femininity.
I was very disappointed with how the Baroness character was portrayed in the 2009 live action GI Joe movie. I didn’t like how they wrote her as a victim and needed to be saved in the end. The Baroness that I grew up with was too smart and way too tough let herself get into that situation! I kept thinking of what I would have done differently to bring her to life, and cosplay provided me that opportunity.
SWN: I also noticed that you are a Harley Quinn fan and you cosplay her very well. What is it about Harley that you love?
KDC: Thank you!
Harley Quinn is such a recognizable character that you have a lot of creative freedom and versatility when it comes to her costume. Everyone has their own version of Harley they love, so there’s a lot of variety in terms of how cosplayers choose how to portray her.
I love the humour of the New 52 Harley Quinn and how she has her own adventures that aren’t dependant on the Joker or Batman’s story lines. She’s still crazy and bad-to-bone, but she has a good heart and does her best to do what she thinks is right.
Cosplaying Harley Quinn is so much fun and completely different from the Baroness. The Baroness is stern, angry, and in complete control. Harley is very expressive and silly, with a tendency to get herself in wacky situations. I love having a cosplay where I can joke around with people and pull funny faces for the camera.
SWN: Are you looking forward to the Suicide Squad film to see Harley on the big screen?
KDC: Absolutely! I think a lot of people underestimate Margot Robbie, but I think she’ll do an amazing job.
SWN: What genre do you enjoy to cosplay the most?
KDC: Cartoons and comic books! They have the best villains.
SWN: If you had to pick one, which cosplay is your favorite?
KDC: Don’t make me choose!
SWN: Understood, what was your first cosplay?
The Baroness from GI Joe.
SWN: Do you have any new cosplays that you are working on at this moment?
KDC: Currently, I am working on making Bombshell Harley Quinn, Maya (from Borderlands) for Emerald City Con in Seattle this spring.
SWN: Where can our readers see more of your work?
KDC: For more Cobra cosplay, you can follow me and my friends, Cobra North on Instagram and Facebook.
For my personal work, I am the most active on Instagram (@katydecobray) where I post my costume ideas and WIPs. I post my finished costumes and photo shoots on Facebook (www.facebook.com/katydecobray).
SWN: If you could work with any other cosplayer, who would it be and why?
KDC: Does Adam Savage count as a cosplayer? Cuz making costumes with that guy would be such a trip!
SWN: Sure, why not. What are your plans for 2016?
KDC: I prefer cosplaying with a group of friends rather than on my own. I love the idea of having lots of costumes in my back pocket so that I’m ready for anything my friends and I come up with. This year I want to make more costumes that work for a variety of group situations or scenarios.
