Our Next
Featured
Cosplayer Interview is with: { SAFire aka Sara
}
I've known this wonderful lady since the Myspace days.
Sara is a sweet, kind and shining light in our Tomb Raider Cosplay community.
She's been so supportive of this endeavor since day one , she was there from the
start of this website, I happen to be cleaning up the site files and found this
gem:
This was Sara circa 2008 wishing our site a Happy 1st Anniversary!
It truly brings me joy to see her active in the cosplay scene, bringing us
beautiful cosplay pics , so graceful , so elegant, and so full of Lara attitude!
Sara studied Psychology but she's
also an accomplished author.
Rise of Midnight is her first officially
published work. When She's not writing, she's painting, acting in short
films, playing the piano and violin, and volunteering by dressing up as
princesses and superheroes for little girls' birthday parties and also she
visits children hospitals.
Today I bring you her long overdue interview , Thank you Sara for taking the
time <3
When asked about herself and how she
first heard about Lara: "Hey! My name is Sara, but I go by SAFire online for my cosplay pages. I
am also a Lara Croft actress in TR fan films on youtube ( and many other films )
and a YA fantasy author. I first heard about Lara when I found the Tomb Raider 1
demo disk that came with my computer back in 1996. I played that demo non-stop
until I finally got the full game...and here I am today, many years later, an
avid Lara Croft cosplayer and game player!"
When asked why she cosplays Lara and what it means to her "I got into cosplay when I first started seeing images online for comic
and anime conventions, and Lara was actually my first cosplay, who I wore to my
very first con 3 hours away from me, years ago.
Lara was always an amazing, gorgeous, smart and independent character that I
looked up to, so she was my first choice. Cosplaying as her really brought me
out of my shell and helped me gain confidence as a person because of who she was
and what she represented. "
When asked about her most memorable cosplay experience "My most memorable moment cosplaying Lara was when the official Tomb
Raider pages online shared one of my Lara Croft photoshoots and all of the
positive feedback I received. I was even compared to Rhona Mitra ( a dream come
true!! ) in multiple comments. Just sorta brought everything full circle for me,
as when I was in college, I prayed one day to be a Lara Croft model! This
experience was close enough...and as close as I will ever get to that LOL"
Sara also starred in a few Tomb Raider films , check out this awesome short film
below!
You're a veteran cosplayer, I remember we met on myspace ,
have you any thoughts on what it was like when we first started back
then and how it is now?
"YES! cosplay used to be
such a "weird" thing back in the day, now it's much more accepted and well
known. I used to cringe when people would as me about cosplay because I was
afraid of their reaction. Now I'm not scared to admit I cosplay, and most people
who ask me about it think it's cool!
I always get the...."OMG I have always wanted to cosplay! I
just don't have the time...etc" They kinda start sorta looking up to you and
following you online to see what you will do next!"
On her biggest challenge while crafting her costumes " I think my biggest challenge was getting everything to fit
correctly, and also how to wear my hair that looked the most accurate. I also
had to hire help for the holsters and belt. The several I made myself always
fell apart eventually."
Lighting Round!
What is the one item you would add to the croft outfit?: "I think one item I would add to the croft outfit is a small black pouch
on the back of the belt for things that don't fit in the backpack LOL"
Favorite TR game and Boss fight! "My fave TR game is definitely TR 2 and the boss fight is with the
dragon!!"
Favorite TR outfit? "My fave TR outfit is the classic one with the red shades!!"
Favorite non Lara Character?
"My fave TR character that's not Lara was Curtis! I had a crush on
him...lol "
Your Thoughts on all the movies ? "The only TR movie I liked most was the very 1st one with Angelina Jolie "
Your Thoughts on the new origins story ? " I like the new
origin story games, they are a new take on Lara, but the old ones will forever
have my heart"
When asked about her photographers "My 2 photographers are
PressPause Images and Courtney Crawford. The 1st one is no longer in business
unfortunately :("
Do you have any advice for first time cosplayers? " First time
cosplayers, have fun and don't over-think it. Don't worry about it being perfect
and don't take it too seriously. It doesn't have to be perfect, it doesn't have
to be accurate, and it doesn't have to be like everyone else's. As long as you
are happy with your costume, that's all that matters.
Cosplay has turned into a huge avenue for people to get "cos famous", make
money, and so on, and I think a lot of cosplayers starting out get caught up in
the number of followers they wish they had, and are trying too hard to reach
that status. There's nothing wrong with having a goal, but only a few make it to
the top ( as in any other avenue ) and you have to learn to be ok where you are
first before you move forward. It shouldn't be some huge competition or
popularity contest, it should all be about fun and making friends! "
Links and Plugs "My IG is
S.A.F.ire_Art where I am most active. I like to
follow other cosplayers and authors!
You can get my books, the
Rise of Midnight series, online and in
bookstores!!
Facebook
page"
