Meet Misty- of Mistyheartscosplay! Misty is a cosplayer local to Arizona, but originally came from the east coast! Misty's first event with AZPM was Cars and Cosplay in January 2023, however Misty has been cosplaying for 7+ years! When Misty cosplays, she usually cosplays characters from anime or from video games! You can catch Misty at lots of local conventions in Arizona, she loves to host panels and meetups at conventions! Misty also occasionally travels for out of state cons. You can find Misty on social media, and lots of her awesome content on Instagram and TikTok!
Instagram: mistyheartscosplay
TikTok: mistyheartscos
A Gallery Of Misty
Click Photos for credits
We did a Q and A session with Misty, and here's what she had to say!
Q: Do you have a favorite photoshoot you've done? If so, tell us about it!
A: I wouldn’t say I have one photoshoot I’d call my favorite, but one of the most recent ones I’ve had a lot of fun with was the Pokémon group I was in during Game On Expo where we walked around as a giant group and got a lot of photos as well as having the original voice of Ash Ketchum comment on a group photo.
Q: Where do you draw inspiration from when modeling/cosplaying, planning photoshoots, planning outfits, etc?
A: I always find myself watching the anime or playthroughs of the games to help me understand my characters I cosplay. Otherwise if I know what sets I’m going to be exposed to, I plan my wardrobe around those. Especially when I do out of cosplay modeling, I find myself interacting with my surroundings.
Q: What tips do you have for new models and/or cosplayers?
A: My biggest tip is to not be afraid to step out of your comfort zone every once in a while. Even when you’re asking people to work with you in terms of them taking your photos or modeling/cosplaying with you. This also applies to what you want to wear. Remember, you can rock anything you bring to any of these events.
Q: What types of challenges have you had to overcome in your time as a model/cosplayer, (past, present or future) and how did you overcome that situation (or how to you plan to)? (loss of inspiration, learning new skills, working with others, etc.)
A: As a plus size cosplayer/model, I do have the challenges on battling my own insecurities. I do get plenty of hate on social media because of my body type and it makes me feel like I have to put in twice the effort to look just as good as those who have the more socially acceptable body types. Not to mention, I had a toxic ex who kept saying I was only good enough to cosplay those who are fat and ugly. I know this is a struggle a lot of people have related to, regardless of their body types. But, what got me to ignore those thoughts was the statement “I am cosplaying this character because it brings me joy.” No one can dictate what you can and cannot do except for yourself. Just don’t do anything that will need you to change your appearance to match a different ethnicity.
Q: Anything else you like to share with us?
A: I strongly recommend going to these meetups. I know for me, it has brought me out of my shell, especially since I am a transplant from Illinois that settled in June 2022. I’ve learned so much from watching how other people model in and out of cosplay, that I use those tactics for my own photos. And the connections you will get from attending will be worth it in the long run.