LOCAL FEATURE SEEKING CHANGE THROUGH BLACK COSPLAY BY ADRIAN MICHAEL STANDING IN A BLUE STRIPED LEOTARD with large ethylenevinyl acetate foam wings protruding from her back and sharp pointy horns sticking up from her head is a female cosplayer who performs under the stage name Tif von Batsy. “I wanted an outfit that stands out, and I didn’t want to wear a costume that everyone else wears,” said von Batsy, who is cosplaying as Mirajane’s Satan Soul: Halphas, a member of the Fairy Tail Guild anime universe. “I like people asking me about my costume. I don’t always choose costumes that people know.” Not only does von Batsy’s eye-catching costume distinguish her from other cosplayers, but her entire presence is also an anomaly, as she is a Black cosplayer coexisting in a space that doesn’t have many participants. With an Austrian mother and an African-American father, von Batsy identifies as Black and white, but according to her, people only see her as Black. “I’ve heard people refer to me as ‘the Black girl,’ or say things like ‘She’s just a Black person,’ or, ‘You speak proper [English] for a Black person.’” While she frequently endures vitriol and criticism from peers and strangers regarding her ethnicity, von Batsy considers being of mixed race interesting because it gives her two perspectives. “I hate going into a situation assuming someone will be racist, but sometimes I can sense it; it’s usually either subtle or very blatant.” She recalls a situation when she worked at a party princess company and was told that she could only play Princess Jasmine, Princess Tiana, or the fairy Iridessa, but she says she refuses to let others define her. “I go about my day,” said von Batsy. “I’m just always aware of my surroundings and situations.” A veteran of anime and comic conventions, she’s been attending these events since she was a teenager, when she and her mother started designing costumes. “I’ve always been a fan of anime and loved dressing up as characters from Disney and other cartoons,” she said. Describing her experience as one of few cosplayers of color, von Batsy said, “I would like to see more people of color participating in cosplay, including Black men, and I think those participating should be welcoming of Black cosplayers. I also want to see more people of color in the industry, including more Black anime characters.” One reason there may not be as many cosplayers of color is that traditional anime typically features people with white skin, blue eyes, and blonde hair. On the flip side, Black characters are often seen as silly and idiotic, and Black anime is often portrayed with stereotypical tropes like big TIF VON BATSY POSES AT THE FAN EXPO DENVER 2021. CREDIT: ADRIAN MICHAEL 8 DENVER VOICE December 2021
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