“I am a Black person first, and a cosplayer second.” These are the words that Cree Michelle Rogers, also know by her Instagram handle @Brown.Suga.Outlaw, believes dramatically increased the engagement on her page. Of course, going through her Instagram page, it’s easy to imagine that even prior to those words, Rogers would be hard to ignore. Her page is a riot of colors. Every single photo seems to be in motion even if it isn’t a video post. These characters come alive the way that Rogers plays them. Some of that comes from her day job as a professional actress, some of it just comes from her passion for the characters who she plays.
Rogers says after that moment of vulnerability, following the George Floyd protests, her followers really started interacting with her in a more personal way. “Suddenly people who have been following me since I started now feel more comfortable speaking to me. That one moment of being vulnerable allowed them to identify with me as not just a fun cosplayer but as a human being,” she says. The love that Rogers has for what she does certainly comes across. And though her page is filled with fierce, intense fictional characters, her humanity is also on full display in her captions and in the way she speaks plainly about her desires for the future of the community. “I cannot and will not represent Asian Americans, Middle Easterners, and Latinx/Hispanics. My dream is to one day help cosplayers of color celebrate their history month but helping cosplay characters that are their ethnicities, similarly to how I do my 28 days of Black cosplay challenge in February!”
Above all though, Rogers says she wants people to just be allowed to have fun with their cosplays without fearing that they are going to be ridiculed or told that what they are wearing isn’t good enough. “Just understand that you should cosplay for your own reasons and no one can tell you whether or not you’re doing it wrong.”
How long have you been cosplaying and how did you get into it? What inspired you to start?
I started cosplaying back in high school around 2008 and it took a back seat once I started college. Luckily I met some awesome friends who became my future teammates on the UsualRangers5 and we started cosplaying together as a team! We started to go to conventions together as the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers in 2012! Since then it’s been a non-stop hobby!
You’re also a professional actress. Which did you get into first? Does your day job help you get into character as a cosplayer? Or maybe vice versa?
I started out as an actress. I believe what drew me into cosplay was the idea of being able to still “act” even if I wasn’t on stage or in front of a camera. I bring a lot of my acting experience into my cosplay which I believe helps me stand out. For example, whenever I cosplay a character that has a specific accent, I make sure to practice it before hitting the con floor. That way people get the full experience of meeting one of their favorite characters.
What is your favorite thing about cosplay? How do you feel embodying these fantastical characters?
I love the process of creating a costume and watching something I may have seen in a video game, comic book, or show, slowly come to life. The entire process is very rewarding! There is something magical about being able to transform yourself into characters that people never thought they would be able to meet in real life. ESPECIALLY when I cosplay Princess Tiana. It’s crazy to think that by indulging my selfish whim to be a princess, I am also able to bring light into a child’s day.
What is the community like in cosplay? (Pros and cons)?
The cosplay community has a problem with not being able to leave its community alone. On one end people can cosplay whatever they want and however they want. But on the other hand, people bash accuracy and blame it for why the cosplay community is so divisive. I want to see people be able to leave others alone or at least be respectful. No matter what you have to say, there is no need to bring down someone else’s day with your negative comments. People are allowed their opinions, sure, but unless provoked in a negative way, there is no need to put those comments out there! Frankly, what someone else wears (or doesn’t wear) on their body is none of my concern and vice versa. I won’t infringe on another’s right so I, and many others like me, should get that same respect.
On that note, when checking out cosplayers on Instagram, I couldn’t help but notice what a large platform some of these white cosplayers have. And that often they cosplay characters of color (though I have read that that is generally accepted in the community…) My question is, has your experience as a black female cosplayer (in a very white straight and often male community) been different and in what way? How do you go about navigating this?
Since I cosplay predominantly Black characters, my experience is a little different than most. I don’t get attacked as often for cosplaying characters outside of my race. But I still have problems finding accessories to match my skin. For example, I would love to find some arm sleeves to cover the wires going up my arm when I cosplay Imani. Unfortunately, those [are] incredibly hard to find along with prosthetics that match well. It is frustrating to know that there are 20 white cosplayable characters to my 5 black ones, or someone’s 3 Hispanic ones or the 2 Asian characters that are thrown in American media for the quota. It’s my understanding of the disparity between representation of white people and people of color that makes me solid in my resolve to cosplay predominately black women and to never cosplay a character that is of a different minority group. I make it a point to find people to cosplay these characters in an attempt to bring light the representation that people of color do have.
What is it about your page that you think attracts so many people (other than the obvious — your pictures are incredible!)
I honestly couldn’t tell you! Granted I do create a lot of diverse content, but I couldn’t tell you what makes them come. What makes them stay is that I genuinely care and appreciate everyone that gives me the time of their day to like or comment on my posts. I make sure to hear everyone out and support where I can. I don’t only do projects with people who have similar follower counts. I actively search for people who are talented and who only need a push in the right direction to help them build in the same manner that I have!
When did you realize you were getting really popular? Did it change how you went about putting together your cosplays?
It was when I started speaking out about Black Lives Matter that I saw a shift in my page engagement. While I only cosplay Black women and have made the statement many times, somehow saying, “I am a Black person first and a cosplayer second” really opened their eyes to who I was as a person. Suddenly people who have been following me since I started now feel more comfortable speaking to me. That one moment of being vulnerable allowed them to identify with me as not just a fun cosplayer but as a human being. As far as my cosplay is concerned, nothing much has changed. But I am more pumped to release new content!
What is your absolute favorite cosplay you have done and why?
My favorite cosplay would have to be my Imani from Paladins. She was the most difficult and intricate cosplay I’ve ever had to make! From her wig that is as long as I am tall, to her glowing hands that are a feat no one else in cosplay has done, Imani pushed me to a new level. LITERALLY! I entered a costume contest in the middle tier because I had entered a small contest in a different suit before and won. I was bumped up to Master class and won second place at DreamHack Atlanta because the judges acknowledged my skill and hard work!
What is something that you would want people to know about the community? (Or a message you would like to send to the community itself?)
Cosplay for you and whatever that means to you! If you want to cosplay to be famous, that’s fine. If you want to cosplay because you want to hang out with your friends, that’s fine too! But just understand that you should cosplay for your own reasons and no one can tell you whether or not you’re doing it wrong.