Halloween Daily News

Halloween Daily News

All things Halloween – horror movie, costume, cosplay, mask, haunt, news, photos, reviews, interviews on Michael Myers, John Carpenter, Trick 'r Treat, and more!

Cosplay Interviews 

[Interview] Chloe Dykstra Explains Cosplay Culture

Matt Artz 0 Comments ,

Chloe Dykstra quickly made a name for herself as one of the stars of the SyFy reality series Heroes of Cosplay, but she was a true fan and participant of all things cosplay long before she landed on TV.

Halloween Daily News caught up with Dykstra when she was in Virginia Beach for the third Tidewater Comicon convention, where we asked her to describe the allure of cosplay culture to the uninitiated and talk about her experiences on the show.

Read on for our interview with Chloe Dykstra!

How would you explain the attraction of cosplay?

“I think a lot of people cosplay for different reasons. Some people are doing it for professional reasons and they want to get better and better until they’re the best. Some people do it because it make them really happy, gives them extra confidence.

“Some people do it because it’s just a way to connect with other people, which is mainly why I do it.

“It’s just a really fun hobby to have. It’s expensive, but I like to think it’s worth it.”

HalloweenDailyNews.com editor in chief Matt Artz interviews Chloe Dykstra
Have you seen some impressive costumes here in Virginia Beach? 

“I have. There have been a lot of really good ones. I’m looking at a Quailman right now. I always love it when the costumes are really impressive, but I really love the ones that are kind of like deep cuts, sort of obscure, ones that just make me giggle, so yeah there have been a lot of fun ones.”

How many of these appearances do you do a year?

“Appearances-wise, I’ve only ‘guested’ probably like six or seven times, but before that I’ve been to hundreds of conventions. This is one of the first times that I’ve actually been part of the con.”
Can you tell us a little about your experience on Heroes of Cosplay? How did that come about?
“They approached me about the show. They approached my agency, and I was like, ‘No, I don’t want to do it. I’m not doing a reality show about nerds. I have no idea what you’re going to do with this.’

“And they pursued me, and they made lots of promises, which luckily they kept most of them.

“It was a very strange experience, but I wouldn’t have given it up for anything. It was super fun, super crazy. I met some amazing people I bonded with. Jessica Merizan is my best friend now. So it’s been good.

“There were tough times. People got mad, but you know, people get mad about a lot of stuff. Shooting it was very, very difficult. I mean exhausting. But it was generally I came out of it going ‘Ah!’ rather than ‘Aww.’”

So it ended on a high note.
“It did.”
Well thank you so much for talking to us. It’s a pleasure meeting you.

“So nice to meet you too.”

Chloe Dykstra (Heroes of Cosplay) with Halloween Daily News editor in chief Matt Artz at Tidewater Comicon, May 17, 2015 (photo by Sue Artz for HalloweenDailyNews.com)

_______________________________

Matt Artz

Founded Halloween Daily News in 2012 and the Halloween International Film Festival in 2016. Professional writer/journalist/photographer since 2000.