Pixie Dust Never Lies: Cosplay and Second Chances with Reini Side
| Interviews by Fans | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Pixie Dust Never Lies: Cosplay and Second Chances with Reini Side |
| Interviewer: | Teresa Martin |
| Interviewee: | Reini Side |
| Date(s): | April 18, 2016 |
| Medium: | Online |
| Fandom(s): | Once Upon a Time |
| External Links: | Interview |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Pixie Dust Never Lies: Cosplay and Second Chances with Reini Side is a fan interview with Reini Side, a cosplayer from the Once Upon a Time fandom.
She was interviewed by Teresa Martin from the fansite Once Upon A Fan.
Excerpts
I first became a Oncer in 2014 when my husband was dying from aggressive brain cancer. The stress and strain of acting as full time caregiver while working full time and single parenting a toddler was so extreme, I begged God to get me through it all somehow, and Once Upon a Time fell in my lap. It became my much needed escape, and I managed to find an hour a night to shut the world out and get lost in the story of hope that Once gave. I found an immediate connection with Regina, as our stories soon became similar….we both lost the love of our lives, they died in our arms, we were both single parents, and we both found the strength to survive and eventually allow good to win in us. (That and my name Reini is a derivative of the name Regina, LOL.)In December 2014, I heard about an upcoming Once Upon a Time convention called RegalCon, and I knew I had to go - it was the opportunity to come full circle with one of the big things that got me through a critical time. As I processed attending, I thought "Why not go as the queen for a day?" My mother is a very talented seamstress and was on board for creating one of the Evil Queen's dresses. We set to work on a four month project and finished the queen's iconic stand-up collar gown two days before the convention. I entered as the Queen and was well received - the Evil Queen cosplaying snowballed from there!
4. You've been to a lot of conventions. Can you share your experiences? Have you met Lana (and other stars)? What was it like? What happened?Oh my goodness…where do I begin with that question?! Each convention experience has been vastly different from each other. Hands down, RegalCon was my first and favorite, as the experience with the cast from OUAT was so personal, and the events at the convention that Roxy Nazari and Lauryn Stewart created were brilliant and engaging. Being my first convention, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was surprised to find that so many people wanted to take pictures, and I quickly adapted some EQ attitude for them, and continue to do so at each convention. (And yes, I do study Lana's Evil Queen expressions and postures for replication).
5. What has been your experience meeting fellow Oncers?Quite honestly, the experience has been wonderful. I know you hear about a lot of negativity with the ship wars in the fan base, but I've only had positive experiences with fans, and I do my best to encourage keeping the fandom positive. After all, the entire message of Once is positive…it's one of HOPE!! There's a comradery amongst fellow Oncers, and I love it.
Interestingly enough, I discovered that many fellow Oncers are fans of the show because of having experienced hardship and tragedy, and the show taught them to hold onto hope. Having that common ground with them has created an important connection, and established a network of support for many! I'm happy to be useful in that way (being a support)…I care, and I'm here for those who need it.