CosFeature #9: Jennivy & Zire Salazar |

I started out as a con-goer back in 2008. It mattered so much to me how accurate and realistic one person can go to look exactly like the character they are cosplaying. So I’d like to take this opportunity to feature some of my favorite Cosplayers, whom I’ve had such honor in meeting and befriending along the way.. -katz

CosFeature n#9: Jennivy & Zire Salazar

K- It gives me great pleasure to feature this special person, who not only is the most supportive mother, but a great cosplayer & props-maker as well.

Konnichiwa Momi Jen and Zire! Thank you so much for squeezing some time for me. Let us start from the beginning, shall we?

JS- Being a former History and Art teacher for a bout 13yrs, a former staff of well-known bands in the Philippines (Parokya ni Edgar, Kamikazee, Franco, Typecast, Hilera, Moonstar88, and The Youth) and a staff of the legendary Alberto’s Rehearsal Band Studio (now known as Propaganda Rehearsal Band Studio). I’m also a freelance artist (story teller,visual ‘n performing artist, dance choreographer,newbie photographer) who loves to be engage in different forms of Arts.

I looked at Cosplaying as an ART that you can expressed your alter ego as an individual and that you can escape reality of tough and competitive world of busy schedules.

K- Whow such titles! What would you like to be called?

JS- Ms. Jen (my students used to call me), Mom Jen (Zire’s friends call me), Mam Jen (my co-wokers call me) you can call me any from the list.

K- Your interest in cosplay, how and when did it start?

JS- I’m not a con-goer before, I rather go to gigs and concerts but when my son Zire (he’s just 2yr old back then) saw the advertisement at Hero TV Channel that they will have a big event called “Hataw Hanep Hero 2006” at World Trade Center, he never stops convincing me for us to attend the event he even asked his cousins to tagged along with us. So we did, Zire wears his Krillin costume because he loves wearing costumes ever since.

When we’re inside the event that’s the first time I saw lots of people who wears costumes of different characters and it really inspired me a lot, I even envy them of the guts and how they carry themselves in there chosen characters. Attending cons is just like attending gigs and concerts in your best fashion style!!!

K- Haha true that! Tell me, did you make your first costume back then? Or you had it tailored?

JS- At first I just mixed and matched my stuff and I used my usual gigs/concerts fashion styles as a GOTHIC GAL. But as for my son Zire’s first batch of costumes, I tailored/edited it by my self and some of his props I made it for him. When Zire chooses more complicated costumes I ask help from friends. One of my favorite is “DEATH” of Sandman by Neil Gaiman because I’m one of the Top 10 Cosplayer, I wore it during “Stepping Out Literary Cosplay, 28th Manila International Book Fair 2007”. I made my own ankh!

Death – Neil Gaiman’s Sandman adult comic series

K- ZOMG Death of the Endless Children kyahhh! *ahem* Do you prefer solo or group cosplays?

JS- Technically, Zire, my brother Jojit and I, started as a group cosplayers, We always go to cons as family!!!

Conan and Ran – Detective Conan

Flash

K- Awww such adorable photos! How much has cosplay taught you? Pros and Cons?

JS- Just like any kind of hobby, meeting people with the same interest and with the same wave length like you do is the best thing, learning from them about props making, where to buy hard to find toys, even gigs, new things about everything and talking about things under the sun without feeling so geeky and weird is the BEST!!! But on the other hand, just like any community or work place, you can’t please everybody and their will always be a pain in the ass.

K- Have you cosplayed abroad as well? If yes, how can you compare it locally? If not, what could you have wished for?

JS- No, but we dream of going that’s why we joined an online contest for us to have chance to cosplay abroad!

*other costumes & props made by Momi Jen:

Strike-Power Ranger Ride and armor 2.

Rex Ride-Generator Rex 3.

RX 78 SD 4.

SPD Swat mode armor

K- *speechless* These are epic works! Cosplay aside, what do you do outside the hobby/community?

JS- My Hobbies AS A MOM: Art (any genre) is my passion so I make sure to share it to my son by bringing him to museums, theaters, libraries and studios but if we don’t want to go out we just surf the net. We usually have a “APPRECIATION DAY” it can be a movie, concerts/gigs, exhibits, book, game,toy, etc. and at the end of the day we always have an “OPEN TIME”, giving opinions about anything we did for the whole day. We even have a once a day “COOKING SHOW” at home, I let my son help me cook.But if we both wanted to be sporty we go to a shooting range near our place and shoot a couple of rounds or more of using my airsoft guns.

My Hobbies AS JEN: At home we have a “TIME OUT MOMENT” doing things that we love to do; as for me, I put the house with high pumping volume of hiphop music while dancing or rocking the house down listening to my favorite bands while singing along (it depends on my mood but I prefer GOTHIC ROCK). Then when I’m tired I just sit and write something it can be a poem, a short story, anything that pops up to my mind.

K- Based on your experience, how’s about a message to aspiring child-cosplayers out there?

JS- First and foremost for the parents of the aspiring cosplayers…always RESPECT YOUR CHILD, you don’t have to force them to wear what you want them to wear but let them choose their own character and let them be themselves like my son Zire, he choreograph his own moves in stage and my brother and I just follow his instructions. Let your kids be kids they have tantrums that sometimes get out of hand and so let them rest.To all cosplayers out there, be a good example to your fellow cosplayers specially to young ones because they looked up to you as their kuyas and ates, so always be in your good behavior.

K- Hear hear!! *passes on to children once I have* Now, please tell me something about yourself that no one knows. Like, what makes you YOU?

JS- I’m like a TATTOO when you put me into your body (life). It’s hard for you to erase it.Nyaks! It’s hard enough to find parents not fully supportive of their children on this hobby & I fully understand why. Sometimes it’s a waste of time & money. Sometimes the issues growing in the community right now could danger the growing life of the child.

I had the opportunity to work w/ momi Jen and baby Zire in a group cosplay for my previous company.

Masquerade, Shun, Alice (me), Marucho (zire), Runo & Dan – Bakugan Battle Brawlers

You make a great role model to us cosplayers and parents alike~ Thanks again momi Jen! WHERE TO FIND THEM: Momi Jen’s facebook, Zire’s facebook

Till next feature~! *mhew*

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