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DENNIS: Before we talk about cosplaying, let's get to know a little bit about you. Where were you born and raised?
HENRY: I grew up in Miami, Florida and stayed there until I went to college, where I attended the University of Chicago. Now, I’m back in Miami but currently hoping to move to California in the future.

DENNIS: If a friend traveled to your area to spend several hours with you, where would you take them or what would you do for fun?
HENRY: Well, my family’s made up of mallrats. I do believe we’ve been to every major mall within a 50 mile radius, so if anyone’s ever in need of anything, I know where to look. Driving to the beach is pretty fun too, if for anything else the great weather. Last but not least, my urges to just get out and drive have allowed me to find the best arcades!

DENNIS:  If someone were in the passenger seat of your car, what kind of music would they expect to be listening to?   HENRY: Realistically, they’d listen to the popular radio stations, since my car is ancient and lacks a CD player. But otherwise, you’d probably find me playing J-pop. it’s been a recent obsession, as one friend affectionately calls me the J-pop slut. Besides Do As Infinity and Ayumi Hamasaki, you’d also be likely to find dance music in there. I drive better with a beat! DENNIS:  Big fan of Hamasaki Ayumi, eh?. OK, let's revise a previous question. If Hamasaki Ayumi came to visit you, where would you take her around Florida to have fun?  HENRY: Well, if we disregard the fact that I'd probably be too awestruck to even talk, much less show her around, one definite place we'd go to is South Beach. It's one of the most energetic and trendy parts of Miami, one of those must-visits for tourists, but at the same time always offering cool stuff for the locals. Between the beautiful beach, the super-pricey yet super-cool fashion stores, the clubs spinning every type of music possible and the diversity of people you'd see out there, with only the common goal of enjoying sunshine, it would make for a great day. Coconut Grove is another cool place to visit. It offers a more subdued atmosphere than South Beach, but it has its fair share of eclectic shops and spots to just sit and relax. Of course, there's also the obligatory Disney World, as I'm sure she'd love to see it. Even if it's a 3 hour drive I'd probably do it for Ayumi!

PHOTO: Henry cosplaying SQUALL from "Final Fantasy VIII".

DENNIS:  If a friend came to visit you, what kind of shows would they expect to see Henry watching on television?
HENRY: As for television, I never really had the time to watch much in college but now I’ve been catching up on my reality shows, with guilty pleasures like "Fear Factor" and "Joe Millionaire" taking up my time. "Star Trek" would be on there too, if it didn’t currently suck.

DENNIS:  "Fear Factor"? Are you brave enough for the challenge? And would you ever be on a reality TV show?
HENRY: Hmm...it depends. I think a lot of the variations of the reality dating show they have these days are silly, so I doubt I'd participate in those. Fear Factor is a definite yes for me though. I've already lost all sense of shame with some of the antics I've done in the past year at cons, so it shouldn't be that hard to ditch fear as well! But if there's anything involving
snails or slugs, I'm a goner. Hmmm...maybe I should start a new reality show strictly for anime conventions...the life of a cosplayer one month before a convention. Witness the tension, the stress-buildup, the deliriousness from breathing too many aerosol fumes while spraying that armor!

DENNIS:  What kind of student were you back in high school? The cheerleader, jock, computer person, library person, band person, stoner, etc?
HENRY: Computer person, no doubt. I ended up founding my school’s first Internet/computer club, so I guess that epitomized my geekness. Most people would consider me the odd one out in high school, mostly because of my interest in anime, something unheard of at the time.

DENNIS:  How did you get the nickname "Genjitsu"?
HENRY: Hmm...that's an interesting story. Back when I was first getting into anime, I knew I wanted some sort of anime-ish nickname online. I wanted something a little more original than all the regurgitated character names though. I didn't want to become another Ranma2097 or UltraGoku. This was also around the time I was dabbling into writing Ranma fanfics. I had made up a villain character named "Ginjitsu". I decided to use that and was happy with it for a while. Then one day, on IRC, a friend of mine asked if I was trying to say "Genjitsu" which meant "reality" in Japanese. I decided to change it then, since it sounded almost the same and was an actual Japanese word to boot. The name stuck since, though another of my friends combined it with Henry to form Genri, so a lot of people refer to me as that as well. I've been happy with it, since it's not necessarily constrained by a particular anime or manga series and just overall sounds neat.

DENNIS:  If there was one word to describe you as a person now, what word would that be and why?
HENRY: Hmmm...I’d have to say it would be a toss-up between impulsive and reckless. Yes, they both have similar meanings but the former gets me rewards while the latter gives me headaches. I tend to pursue things based on emotion or whims. When I have my mind set on something, it’s with 150% effort. Unfortunately, sometimes I don’t think things through and it gets me in trouble. Hence, my impulsiveness can result in being reckless sometimes and vice versa.

DENNIS:  So, tell me how you got involved with cosplaying?
HENRY: My first convention was Anime Expo 97. I remember seeing the cosplayers for the first time and being thrilled. At the time I remember thinking it was a feature of conventions. I figured if I was going to pay for an anime convention, I might as well try out everything, including cosplay.

DENNIS:  What was your first cosplay and how was that experience?
HENRY: Hoooo boy, AX 98, Sanosuke from Rurouni Kenshin! It was definitely an experience characterized by deer-caught-in-the-headlights syndrome, as it was the first time in my life that people wanted to takepictures of me, that weren't family! I had a lot of fun in it, even if my mobility was restricted by my giant sword. It was a great ice-breaker talking to other cosplayers. "Oops, sorry for hitting you, I forget how long this thing is! Say, nice costume
there..." I'm still not sure what was running into my head but I entered the masquerade, if only as a walk-on. I set a precedence for myself as I walked on stage, feeling the adrenaline rush as the audience cheered. Then of course, the laughter as I turned and had my sword get caught in the back draperies, then turning around to the draperies, only to hit a cameraman. All in all, it was a great experience and I'm glad I took the plunge into cosplay.

PHOTO: Henry Lee cosplaying as "King of Fighter's" Kyo.

DENNIS:  Do you spend a lot on your costumes? HENRY: It depends on the costumes. I like to experiment with different techniques when I’m making costumes. So, if a costume involves doing something I’ve never done before, the costs usually go up due to trial and error. I set aside a larger budget since I rarely get things right the first time through. DENNIS:  Do you feel stressed out when a con nears, that you have to finish a costume or a numerous amount of costumes quickly? HENRY: I think I eliminated much of the stress that would normally occur pre-con with my first costume, Sansouke. It would have been impossible for me to carry his sword across the country, so I brought the materials with me and made it at the con overnight. You could say it’s almost normal for me to be working on costumes all the way to the convention. A bad habit I should get rid of. DENNIS:  Are you one of those cosplayers that travel around the country going to different cons? HENRY: I’d like to think of myself as a dyslexic con goer. I live on the East Coast but I almost attend West Coast cons exclusively. With the exception of Katsucon, I’ve yet to hit the major East Coast conventions. I think it’s mostly because I have an established circle of friends on the West Coast, so I feel more comfortable. As for how I get there, well, never underestimate the power of Southwest Airlines! DENNIS:  What noticeable difference do you see between cosplayers in the West Coast and the cosplayers from the East Coast? HENRY: West Coast cosplayers form groups, East Coasters tend to be solo, even though they're all friends. There also seems to be a larger "zaniness" factor with East Coasters. I've seen far more guys crossdress there and random people just running the halls at night, in various states of undress. Now I'm not calling East Coast cons bad or anything. In fact, sometimes I think they have an energy and enthusiasm that is lacking in the West Coast.

DENNIS:  How does your family feel about you cosplaying?
HENRY: My family, much as they would’ve liked to see me give it up, have been passively supportive of it, as long as it didn’t interfere with my studies.

DENNIS:  Do your co-workers or non-cosplaying friends know about your hobby? Are they supportive?
HENRY: My other friends know that I cosplay, but they don’t make a big deal out of it unless if I’m in a ridiculous outfit. I’ve always had this fear in the back of my head that I’ll be at an important job interview, and the interviewer will be looking at my file and picture and suddenly say, “Hey wait a minute, I’ve seen you on the Internet before! In that tight silver thing, with the make-up!”

DENNIS:  When you make your costumes, do you make your own costumes or do you have them created by a professional?
HENRY: I make my own costumes. For me, cosplay is as much making the outfit as it is wearing it. That’s not to say that I don’t have help along the way. I didn’t know squat about sewing at first but my friends have been kind enough to let me use their sewing machines and be under their supervision. Only a couple outfits have been made totally by other people and even then I don’t take any credit for it.

DENNIS:  If you do create the costumes on your own, do you use an expensive sewing machine or a basic machine? HENRY: Sewing machine? Who needs that when you have heat n’ bond? In all seriousness, I’ve used basic sewing machines, as I’m sure that I wouldn’t know how to use any of the features of the advanced ones. But everyone’s got to start somewhere and a basic sewing machine will get you by just fine. DENNIS:  Giving one example of your favorite costume. Tell us the history on the making of the costume. How much? The challenges? Where to buy? Material? And all that cool stuff. HENRY: Well, I tend to focus on the props more than the costume. More often or not the prop will be made from scratch, while the outfit will be pieced together from pre-existing clothing or someone will help me make it. Case in point, Squall for AX99. I remember wanting to be one of the first Squall cosplayers, so I was set on making a complete outfit – gunblade included. Most of the clothing was found in the mall, and I attached the fur trim with Velcro.

PHOTO: Henry cosplaying SQUALL from "Final Fantasy VIII".

The gunblade would be made out of wood but I needed a way to hide the woodgrain of the handle and give it a metallic appearance. So, I tried using sculpey, modeling clay, to cover the base, bake it, and paint it with metallic paint. It worked well enough, until the sculpey started cracking and pieces fell off during skit practice. All the materials can be bought at the hardware store. Factoring in the mistakes I made, as it was my first time working with wood and building a prop from scratch, I’d say it cost about $50 to make.

DENNIS:  When you create a costume, do you try to make it look as authentic as possible? Do you add your own creativity to it?
HENRY: Authenticity is always at the top of my priority list. I mean, how else are they going to recognize you? The only creative flair I add are to fill in holes. Sometimes the reference pictures that I have don’t reveal every angle, so I have to judge how it would look. Other than that, the only other choice comes in deciding whether to do a manga or anime version of an outfit.

DENNIS:  Are you a perfectionist when it comes to your costume?
HENRY: Well, first off, I make sure I watch and enjoy the show or have played the game, before even attempting the costume. I mean, to me the whole point of cosplay is to show your appreciation for the show or game, so it doesn’t make much sense to be a character you know nothing about. The only exception is bribery, aka “Henry, pleeease be this character! I’ll bake two batches of cookies in exchange!” But even then, I’ll make sure to be acquainted with the series first. From there, I’m a perfectionist but not to a fault. I know my limits, so I choose costumes that I like and feasibly within my skills.

DENNIS:  How many costumes do you own or have created? Among those costumes, do you happen to have a favorite?
HENRY: All in all, I have about 15 outfits. One or two have disappeared into the dark abyss of my closet but I’m sure they’re still in there somewhere. If you had me choose one favorite, it’d have to be Serge from "Chrono Cross", as it’s still one of my favorite games of all time.

PHOTO: Henry as "Serge" from the Square video game "Chrono Cross".

DENNIS: Do you feel competitive when it comes to cosplaying? HENRY: I’m not too competitive. If I see someone with the same costume but done better, it just gives me a chance to analyze their outfit and see what they did that I didn’t. I’ve seen people in tears just because another person had a “better” outfit than theirs and I just think that’s silly. Cosplay for me has turned into a social phenomenon. It’s a great icebreaker for meeting new people and it’s cool talking about different techniques. With that said, I also think that if you’re going to attract all this attention to yourself by making a costume, you better not be half-assed about it and make it look the best as possible. In terms of competitiveness, skits are a totally different matter. I love making skits, and I can get fiercely competitive about them. DENNIS: When you are done cosplaying, what do you do with your costumes? Do you continue to wear them or are they retired and packed away in your closet? HENRY: I don’t have the resources to crank out new costumes for every convention I go to, so I’ll always have some regulars that I’ll wear, usually the more comfortable ones.

The others get packed into the closet, to be looked at with nostalgia. I’ve picked up a rule from my friends at "Ah My Cosplay" though. If a costume has won a masquerade award, I usually retire it.

DENNIS: As an American-based cosplayer, do you see a big difference in terms of style and dedication to a costume from US cosplayers and cosplayers from other countries?
HENRY: I’ll have to admit that I’m not very familiar with cosplay in other countries besides Japan. Having seen pictures of cosplayers from famous Japanese conventions like Comiket, however, I do have a couple observations. While I think the level of craftsmanship and quality is higher over there, cosplay in the US seems to have more “soul” or passion to it. Japan has the benefit of having a professional cosplay store chain and a lot of the cosplayers there merely shell out big bucks to have their costume made. In the US, people are mostly left to make it themselves, and as a result, you can see a sense of pride in them when wearing their outfits.

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