GEEK GAL of the MONTH: Stella Chuu

It's March! That means Spring is upon us! Well, that also means we have another awesome geeky gal to introduce to all of you! This month we have Stella Chuu, graphic designer by day, and cosplayer and burlesque performer by night. This New York resident attends tons of geek conventions, so if you live on the East Coast, you've probably seen Stella in one of her many cosplays.

C4G: Hey Stella! Let us start off with having you tell us a little about yourself.

Stella: I'm Stella Chuu, a cosplayer and burlesque performer based out of NYC. I travel along the east coast and central to attend conventions and perform at shows. During the daytime, I am a graphic designer specializing in iPhone apps and animation.

C4G: Awesome! So, you've been to tons of conventions all over the East Coast dressing up as some of our favorite characters. You're heard you're into a lot of geek fandoms as well. Tell us, what is it about geek culture that you love so much?

Stella: Honestly my favorite part of geek culture is the fact that it is a flourishing community of likeminded people. We all love the same things and speak the same geeky language. My vision is to bring everyone together to support each other and turn it into a welcoming collective. We can learn to love each other with the same positive energy we put into our hobbies.

C4G: So, I've recently saw some of your Psylocke cosplay pictures, which by the way, were amazing. Do you read comics?

Stella: I am more of an animation geek. I used to watch all the comic book cartoons in the 90s and early 2000s. Of the comic books I read, my favorite ones are the Kabuki series, Batwoman Elegy, and Scott Pilgrim.

C4G: What other characters have you cosplayed?

Stella: Oh boy! Here is the list: 
Rei Ayanami from Neon Genesis Evangelion
 / Panty from Panty Stocking Garter Belt
 / Ivy Valentine from Soul Calibur
 / Elyisum from Soul Calibur
 / Captain Scarlett from Borderlands 2
 / Lilith from Borderlands / 
Pedobear from 4chan / 
Jayne Cobb from Firefly / 
Lust from Full Metal Alchemist / 
Wizard from Diablo III
 / Kuroneko from Trigun
 / Rikka Takanashi from Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai
 / Inori Yuzuriha from Guilty Crown
 / Yuki Nagato from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya / 
Knives Chau from Scott Pilgrim
 / Quorra from TRON Legacy
 / Batwoman / 
Misa Misa from Death Note / 
Sakura Haruno from Naruto.

C4G: Whoa, that's a grip of cosplays! Uhm, so besides wearing these costumes at the cons, you've also showcased them in your burlesque performances, right? Could you tell us a bit about that?

Stella: Burlesque involves a whole different kind of costume construction and story telling. I like to have a gimmick for each of my acts such as turning into pedobear or I'm ejaculating giltter as Jayne Cobb. With burlesque, I don't feel the need to be a sex object because I am already exposing my naked body to the audience. I take liberties in doing shocking and hilarious acts.

C4G: What got you into cosplaying in the first place?

Stella: I started cosplaying in high school before I knew it was cosplay. I made my entire anime club dress up as characters from Naruto. I was Sakura and I made my ninja headband out of tin foil.

C4G: Man, that's too awesome. Do you make your own costumes?

Stella: I make about half of my costumes and commission out the rest. It is difficult for me to find the time to make all the costumes that I dream of doing. My skill level for sewing and prop making has been developing over the past few years but I am no where near the caliber that I would like to be. Instead of settling for a mediocre cosplay, I commission from talented artists who create magnificent costumes and help me bring my characters to life. This way I can support local artists and fueling the geek economy.

C4G: Aside from comics, you're also into anime, right? I've read in your Facebook page that you're into the "old school" stuff. What kind of older animes are you referring to?

Stella: Back in my day, you didn't choose what anime you liked. You scoured your local Blockbuster to find whatever japanese animation even if it was La Blue Girl. Otherwise, you'd find a guy in chinatown to sell you an 8th generation VHS fansub with the subtitles in the wrong place. It is really hard to pinpoint my favorite old school animes since I love ALL anime. To give you an idea of the range, I love Dragonball Z, Golden Boy, Galaxy Express 999, Gundam, Photon, Escaflowne, Rurouni Kenshin, Slayers, Outlaw Star, Trigun, Macross, Project Akon, etc.

C4G: Plus 100 points for Golden Boy! So... are you watching any current animes or reading any new mangas?

Stella: I try to watch every new anime. My recommendations this season are Amnesia and Tamako Market. I should probably start a blog since I consume an obsurd amount of anime.

C4G: You're also into video games, yes? Are you also into the old school variety, or are you playing any current titles?

Stella: My favorite game of all time is Chrono Trigger. That game really changed my life and the way I perceive gaming. The characters are iconic and the storyline unforgettable. Currently, I am playing Ni No Kuni and finishing up Borderlands 2. I'm a big fan of good/interesting storylines and great characters.

C4G: PS4 or Xbox 720. What are you more looking forward to?

Stella: I'm a Sony girl!

C4G: Any show on TV you'd recommend me?

Stella: UHHH... Downton Abbey, DUH!

C4G: Haha, I shall add that to my "must watch" list. Okay… pet peeves when it comes to guys.

Stella: If you don't speak geek, don't talk to me. I look at the size of your brain.

C4G: And if you can date one superhero…

Stella: I'm going to have to say Tony Stark. Despite the fact that he is a billionaire playboy, I wouldn't mind hitting that and lifting some tech on my way out the door.

C4G: Last question… what do you think is the key to survive a zombie apocalypse?

Stella: Already being an antisocial shut in will help you the most. You'll probably find out about the apocalypse through reddit and be able to prepare much sooner than any of your neighbors. Order all of your provisions as soon as you hear about the outbreak and start boarding up your windows. You'll survive the longest but eventually the zombies will come for your brains there is no escape.

C4G: Thanks so much for your time Stella! You got a website or a couple of links that our readers could check out?

Stella: Check out my fan page on Facebook at facebook.com/stellachuuuuu, follow me on Twitter at @stellachuuuuu, check out my Deviantart page at stellachuu.deviantart.com. Also be sure to visit my website, www.stellachuu.com.

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