In Final Fantasy XIV, we witness Warriors of Light from thousands of players' imaginations, fight, stumble, get up, and grow into heroes. For Surfacage, FFXIV was an open invitation to chronicle their Warrior of Light's story in comic form - both serious and silly - and I was delighted to find out more about their artistic journey through Final Fantasy XIV.
Jazzy and Dustin are no strangers to costuming, and their first debut on the Final Fantasy XIV scene was - shall we say - a fiery one. Given that Jazzy donned black mage gear while Dustin wore the garb of a machinist, yes, that was pun intended.
For Chezah, cosplay is one way to not only connect with fellow FFXIV pplayers and express joy for a game we all love, but also a way to encourage other creators in the XIV community to pursue their own creative expressions of that joy. From our interview, it is clear that XIV not only the imaginations of its players, but also builds the foundation for talented communities where these artists can gather together and encourage one another to create - and keep creating!
No character had caught Jayson Slone's eye for a cosplay - until, that is, the reveal of the character then known as Solus zos Galvus, and later, Emet-Selch. Inspired, Jayson decided he had to cosplay the larger-than-life Ascian - mere weeks before FanFest.
Myricaria always admired the craftsmanship of cosplayers, but she admits that when she started playing FFXIV as Catriona Fraser on Shiva back in January 2015, cosplaying for herself wasn’t even on her radar. Then came the release of Heavensward, and she fell in love with the Halonic Priest healing set. It wasn’t long until Myricaria realized she wanted to wear the robes herself, and thus, in 2016 she dipped her toes into the world of cosplay for the first time.
Lystrade, known as Ly’strade Navaarne on Balmung, made her first Final Fantasy XIV cosplay before even playing the game. Thanks to some friendly peer pressure, she created the female miqo'te starter set to cosplay with a group all wearing XIV costumes, including her fiance in a Jandelaine costume. She ended up having such a positive experience that she picked up the game, and her love for XIV and its community has grown ever since.
MAGfest 2019 was a roaring con of music nerds, DJs, cosplayers, and gamers of every stripe gathered together for an exciting but exhausting four-day party. Misha and Constantine were still in cosplay despite nearing the end of the day. Their easy smiles did not betray a hint of exhaustion. Professional yet genuinely amicable, they were a pleasure to speak with, and their passion for their costumes and the materials that inspire them were the shining stars in our interview that followed.
It’s late on the east coast, and I’m watching in real time as Kyle Mathis - known mostly online as ExShadow - types his extensive replies to my interview questions. “It was a nice break from my vectoring,” he assures me when I voice concern over taking time out of his busy schedule. Surely the only explanation for the time he finds for all his projects is a summoning of the primal Alexander itself to stop time. Or perhaps it’s his admirable dedication to his work, both personal and professional. After reading his interview, I believe you’ll find the latter far more likely.
Inquiries of Art 