Cosplay and Kitty and Jetta!

Photography by Atomic 99

MAW Productions interviews Ms. Kitty Contreras who was our  live model for Jetta (aka Shianndrea Toshigawa) at San Diego Comic Con. Kitty made her first appearence as Jetta @ our booth and made quite a stir as Jetta on stage at Comic Con. (See the footage on our media page).

MAW PRODUCTIONS
We checked out your site (www.theredneko.com) & see that you’re all over the place & have quite a popular following. Have you been doing this for very long? How did your love of cosplay get started? 

KITTY 

This has always been funny to me because when I first started this “cosplay” I didn’t even know I was doing it! The first comic con I went to and preformed in the masq. was in 2001. I got such an impact from the crowd and other cosplayers. I remember a few girls coming up to me and asking me “Are you a cosplayer?” Next thing I know pictures are being taken of me, people are asking to get a hold of me and for my e mail, and asking me what other conventions I was going to. 

I asked them, “Is’nt this it? Just San Diego Comic Con once a year?” I was totally clueless to this other world and all the anime crazy people around me. I remember when I would buy the animerica mags and see the people dressed up and the scheduels for upcoming events . But I never knew how hardcore they got into it. 

Back in 1996 I had my Sailor Mars outfit made for Halloween because sailor moon was so big to me. That was the only time when I could dress like my favorite anime characters. Before that I did all the disney girls. So people in my high school always looked forward to seeing what I would do every year. I think that is where it all started for me . I loved to become a character for a day and run around in character. I just wished I had more days to do it than on halloween . 

I never thought I would become so popular so quick and have such a wonderful loving and supportive following of fans and friends. It does feel good that I can put smiles on their faces as an entertainer when I do go to cons. 

Photograph by Atomic 99

MAW PRODUCTIONS 
We as artists can certainly admire the hard work, creativity, & dedication it takes for anyone to make an original piece (such as art work, a story, costumes, weaponry, etc.). Your costumes are very detailed. Do you make everything yourself? How long does it usually take to complete a costume? 

KITTY 
Why thank you. I’m glad my hard work does pay off. In the begining my costumes were detailed but I wasn’t happy with how they would come out. So I would keep making them over until I felt the costume was fully complete and I looked just like the anime or video game character I was playing. I did get help in the past with my sewing. But for the past few years now, I make all my own props, weapons and costumes. I don’t agreee with all these “so called” elite people who don’t even make their own costumes. To me, by making my own costumes, I always unvail more skills and learn more and more about the trade. It’s fun to see what you are truly capable of, like in martial arts. 

Well Jetta took about 7 months from planning to the finished peice. And I can’t wait to remake another Jetta outfit for the next convention . Like I said before, I won’t be happy until I look just right . I guess i’m a perfectionist LOL. 

MAW PRODUCTIONS 
Usually people dress up as their favorite anime/manga characters for cosplay. Are there certain characters you like to portray? Why do you pick them? 

KITTY 
I am very picky when it comes to this , I will only dress up as characters that I share common intrests, personality, likeness and talents. People ask me to do requests all the time. Then, I see the anime they are talking about …….waaay off. I am my own person and do my own thing. It’s what makes us diffrent right ? 

As for the anime characters you will see me dress as: Mai Shiranui, Felicia and Morgain from dark stalkers, Sailor Pluto, Aya Natsume, Maya Natsume and Kuro Hime. 

Photograph by Janet Wade

MAW PRODUCTIONS 
At Comicon, you dressed up as Jetta and even performed a kickass dance routine at the Saturday Nite Masquerade. What made you decide to dress up as Jetta? Do you enjoy the graphic novels? 

KITTY 
OMG ! Is the space pope reptilian???? Jetta is my life! Our fighting stlyes, love lives, and on-going obstacles. Jetta IS the most realistic character. I share much of my life with her. I mean, when I read the short intro story for Jetta, I was blown away and thought someone was secretly watching my every move and got my ADDITUDE down to a “T”. There has not been one person who does not agree that I am Jetta and the story is my life. I was so excited and my breath was taken away after reading the books. I swear we need a TV crew around me 24 7 to get the rest of the story. 

At comic con, I’m not happy unless I go on stage . I love to entertain and put a smile on people’s faces. When I bring their favorite character to life, and they come see me during the con to tell me that I did a good job, I fell so good! I feel alive and happy. That night at the masqurade I wanted to go all out and let EVERYONE know what Jetta could do. I even had a special bandana tied to my sword in dedication to someone very dear to me in hopes that they would see me shine on the stage ……..they did. Plus I wanted everyone at MAW Productions and Toshigawa.com to know what I was made of and make Jetta come to life! 

MAW PRODUCTIONS 
You performed great moves & swordsmanship on stage that night. Do you train in any martial arts? Who are your instructors? How long have you been training? 

KITTY 
oooooooh This is a tuff one. 
To be honest, for many years I only did kickboxing and Kuay tai .I started when I was 15 and went back to my old school a few years later at 18 when my whole life style changed into all asian influences. The first guy I looked up to besides Jet lee and Stephen Chow, was a man named Jason Bruce . He was the first one who realized that I DID want to fight and I did have what it took in my sprit to learn much more. So after the regular class was over, the “Hardcore” fighters would come in. I got beat up and trained real hard with them. It was SOOOOO fun! Then he taught me savaute and a lil bit of stick fighting and the Bo . Sad to say my Dojo closed down. I stopped for a while until I met the guy of my dreams. He taught me all the kung fu weapons and grapling moves. Now I train with my mentor Dragon Dronet and Sean Runios . They will be training me here on out and they are my family. I am so happy I found a new home. 

Photograph by project cosplay

MAW PRODUCTIONS 
We hope you had a good experience portraying Jetta. How did you feel portraying a character that isn’t as well known as some of the other anime/manga/comic book characters that you were up against? Where you surprised by the response that you and the character recieved at the con?

KITTY 
Even though many people don’t know about Jetta yet, I’m sure after the skit I did I was able to catch a few eyes. As for going up against manstream anime and comics, I feel that jetta has something diffrent from the norm that’s out there. Jetta is unique with well thought out characters that took years to develope and a history of Japan many people will respect in american art. I beleve in my heart that, for the Jetta series, this is just the begining to something BIG . 

I was really amazed at the response we got from just being at the booth of the con to all the views and posts and people who inquired about Jetta on line . When I came home my emails didn’t stop pouring in ! And people found my forum and were posting like crazy! Also, I think I made a ton of new fans and opened more doors to getting Jetta out there. Not only was this a big suprise but it felt great, like a job very well done. 

MAW PRODUCTIONS 
Any words of encouragement/advise for the readers? 

KITTY 
Oh, of course! 
Mina san , makenai yo! 
Even if it takes years NEVER give up on your dreams. They will take you so far in life. You will become stronger and find out who you really are . All the lame people who try to get you down, don’t even stress them. Be yourself and never think you have to change your style or art for it to get out there. We all grow in time . And before you know it, it’s your time to shine. So give it your all. 
GAMBATEE ! 

To see more of Kitty, visit her on projectcosplay.com or check her out on Youtube and our media page here at toshigawa.com.