Per Matt
Mayven Missbehavin knows the entertainment industry. Not only is she a performance artist who has been a professional entertainer for eight years producing a variety of circus and burlesque shows, but she has recently become a cosplayer, as well. Recently, at Wizard World Nashville Comic Con, she appeared with The Painted Pin Ups and I spoke with her about venturing into the cosplay world… and rocking out with the band.
How did you initially get involved with The Painted Pin Ups?
– “I had a friend of mine tell me about The Painted Pin Ups and that they needed an extra model. She told me the concept and I thought that was absolutely awesome. Then, it kind of evolved from there. I met Addie, who is the painter-creator and I just fell in love with the project.”
How were you introduced to cosplay?
– “I didn’t realize how much of a nerd I was until the last year. We started doing nerdy-burlesque themes and I was brought in. I started going to conventions and seeing all the shit that I love… I’ve always loved cosplay, but I never got into it, because I was so focused on my craft and my art. You tend to spend a lot of money and time on those costumes.”
“So, then, when it came to cosplay, there’s more money to be spent to make it perfect. Finally, I caved. I’m going to be into cosplay. I’m going to spend the time and go to conventions… I just feel right at home, in this environment.”
Do you make your own costumes?
– “Yeah. I do make my own costumes and I have a lot of upcoming ideas I don’t want to spoil, for people.”
What are some of your past costumes?
– “The recent one that I’ve done and I’m super proud of is Gambit. I was a female Gambit. That is like my pride and joy, that I spent time on. It will evolve, over time and become even greater, but that’s my costume I’m most proud of.”
Would you say that’s the costume you’re most known for wearing?
– “Yeah. Everyone knows me as the hot, female Gambit.”
How many total costumes do you think you’ve made?
– “I have no idea. A lot.”
Please tell me a little about your performance art.
– “Mainly, I do burlesque performance as performance art and circus-style arts. I paint, but that’s totally just a hobby. I sing, I played drums for a while… I lost a little bit of touch, over the years, from moving and traveling with my performance art, but my first love is music.”
How often do you perform?
– “Almost every week.”
Where are you based?
– “I’m based out of St. Petersburg, FL.”
Were you in a band?
– “I was in a few bands that fell off and weren’t very successful, but they were fun.”
What genres did you play?
– “I have done reggae, funk, metal, jazz, pop… everything.”
Please tell me a little about your most recent project.
– “The name of the production is Cirque Tropical. We just did our first run, but our next run is scheduled for late December or early January at Grand Cayman.”
What kind of advice would you give to beginner cosplayers?
– “Research. If you know what you love and spend time researching and following other cosplayers, that’s the best advice I can give. That’s kind of how I got started. Sometimes you see cosplay costumes and you aren’t impressed. So, I follow people who go above and beyond and spend a lot of time on their costuming.”
What are some of the costumes you’ve worn at Wizard World Nashville?
– “This weekend, I was painted as Poison Ivy, a Star Trek lady and Velma from Scooby Doo.”
How many conventions have you attended, so far?
– “This would be my second Wizard convention, but I have done other boring conventions in the past. I’m excited to go to Vegas and Chicago, next year.”
What are you currently geeking out to?
– “Blacklist and American Horror Story, those are two that I love. I used to follow True Blood, but I kind of gave up on that show. I have always loved Star Wars and I don’t like to admit this, but yes, I do enjoy Harry Potter.”
Are you a gamer?
– “As far as I go with gaming is Pac-Man or Super Mario Bros. Ms. Pac-Man is my favorite game. Those are the ones I grew up with.”
For More Information:
– Mayven’s Facebook
– Mayven’s Instagram
– Mayven’s Google+
– Cirque Tropicale Website