It started as an idea.

Following the disbelief, hilarity, and sheer joy of Dispatch’s October 2025 premiere, a question was formed, born somewhere within the midst of fandom. A question nurtured all these many months later, sounding something along the lines of this:

And that’s exactly what happened. Albeit, maybe beyond even the most optimistic of dreams.

It took 4 months to hammer out the details to the event: meticulously planning and crafting the daily prompts which would help guide and shape the Robert and Courtney themed fanarts, edits, fanfics, and physical works. Despite these weekly themes, no two pieces were ever the same; highlighting how Dispatch’s Invisimech community was ready to run riot with unchained imaginations and zeal.

Yet after 30 days, something else also became apparent. Some common thread—one specific sentiment—shared by mostly everyone.

I noticed it early on as I started to gather all the various conversations together, like Gandalf in the Minas Tirith archive. It was sneaking suspicion at first, which seemed more plausible by the third conversation. And pretty undeniable by the sixth. Because even without prompt, everyone just seemed to naturally touch upon the subject without fail.

Now, I could say what it is. Right here, right now. (We feeling the anticipation yet?)

But that would be pretty anticlimactic, and make for a dull and uneventful read. Not to mention how it would actively defeat the entire purpose of this retrospective.

For this is (very unofficially titled) the Great Invisimonth Chronicle of 2026. Named so because the event honestly was great—and a testament to all the individuals who came together to make it that way.

So, without further ado: here’s to a celebration of boundless excitement. Inexhaustible creativity. And Sour Patch Kids.

Let’s hop aboard, and dive right in.

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Ride Like the Wind: Bringing Invisimonth from Dreams to Fruition, According to richie

IG: scribbchie Twitter: villainpowers Tumblr: invisimechs

(When asked about the genesis of Invisimonth)

richie: I’ve always looooved fandom events! Watching them come together, seeing creatives just have fun, and share their passion for something collectively. I also loooove Invisimech, and was desperate for more content! I’m in the boat of, “if you wanna see something done, do it yourself,” and at the time of conception, I’d finally been dabbling a bit more in fanart and actually posting it.

My Procreate app is full of stuff I’ve drawn for other fandoms and never shared. I’ve been in the Invisimech Discord server pretty much since its conception in November. And I’m not sure when it went from a quiet little thing to the community hub it is now, but I knew around January that we had something special on our hands. And with how many creative people were active in it, something like Invisimonth could be done.

richie: I think it was a one-off mention at some point in December/early January, but it was brought up again towards the end of January by me and Wil (asapwibba). So I was like, “Okay, there might be some serious interest in this. Even if there’s not? I think I might just do it anyways LOL!” So I conducted an interest check on different social media sites, brainstormed prompts with the rest of the server members, and the ball just kept rolling from there.

Invisimonth mostly came about from my own greed and hunger for Invisimech content (hence why we didn’t just keep it to a week), but it really was 99% just the utter passion and love from the rest of the community. Or maybe we’re all just greedy. Either way, Invisimonth was happening whether people liked it or not!

(On discussing the creation and logistics of the calendar, and origins behind the prompts)

richie: Like I mentioned above the server and I were just kind of brainstorming a bunch of different prompts, and we soon realized that we had too many that we wanted to see. Which is another reason the typical fandom “week” turned into a month. Even by the end of prompt voting, there were so MANY that people wanted to see, that I ended up having to condense certain prompts just to fit more onto the calendar. So really, it wasn’t difficult at all coming up with prompts and themes. It WAS difficult keeping them confined to a strict, thirty day schedule.

Most of the ideas just stemmed from how we see Invisimech as a couple. Angst Week alone was conceived because we can’t see Robert and Courtney without it. Prompts like Third Date, Villain, and Sour Patch Kids just seemed to be a given. However, I will say: AU Week was entirely self indulgent. (I love putting my blorbos in situations).

richie: As for the dates of Invisimonth, that was another self indulgent thing. I’m a big astrology nerd, and whether people rock with it or not, it’s genuinely a fun hobby to partake in. Fortunately, I can say “something, something, ‘fuck the stars’, something, something, Robert and Courtney were destined to be together”, and call it a day.

Anyways.

When I first got into fandoms, I find it my duty to headcanon birthdays for my favorite characters if they don’t already have them. My best friend (Verdwyn, neomechs on Twitter) calls me the Birthday Guy, because I’ll obsessively chart out different birthdays until I find the right ones. But Invisimech birthdays came to me so quickly—Courtney being an Ares (the ram—hotheaded fiery, impulsive) and Robert being a Taurus (the bull—practical, reliable, heels-dug-in sort of person) was a hill I was prepared to die on. The first dates that popped into my head were April 15th for Courtney, and May 1st for Robert. Not only did I think it was cute that their birthdays were so close to each other, it just seemed fitting.

richie: April 15th stuck for Courtney immediately. I analyzed her “Birth Chart”, said “Holy shit, that’s her,” and called it a day. Robert was a bit harder. I wasn’t entirely happy with the May 1st date, so I tried something a little further into Taurus season: May 15th. As soon as I entered my headcanons into the Birth Chart generator, everything fell into place, and I knew.

(One final word from the organizer on these humble beginnings)

richie: Clearly, this sounds insane, but that’s what happens when you give an autistic person with too much time an internet connection. But I stand by it entirely!

I shared my feelings with the Discord server eventually, and when we were discussing when to host Invisimonth, there were several factors in mind: dates close enough that the fandom wouldn’t have lost too much traction by then, dates far enough to give us some time to plan, and not interfering with any other big art community events (Like Mermay). So, of course, I offered my April 15th-May15th solution. and it just kind of stuck.

Sure, it’s a bit awkward (having it take place between two months), but it worked for us. Overall, I’m happy with where it ended up!

(And now, from the voices of the community…)

AllieCat824

IG: alliecat824_ Twitter: Allie (@AllieCat824)

AllieCat824: I just really fell in love with Robert and Courtney’s journey individually and as a couple, and wanted to celebrate them. Depending on how the game is played-whether you have Invisigal embrace heroism or villainy- it invites a floodgate of ideas of what that means for Robert and Courtney’s relationship. That versatility is what I think makes their relationship so unique.

What draws me to their relationship is its ability to hold both hope and pain at the same time. In the hero ending, there is love, devotion, and the sense that they can help each other grow. In the villain route, there is that undercurrent of angst and forbidden love. They may want to be together, but their circumstances, personal insecurities, outside forces, and unresolved feelings keep pulling them apart. That dichotomy between possibility and conflict is what makes their relationship so fascinating to me, and I was so excited to see other fans’ takes on that as well!

(On what drew them to the Dispatch/Invisimech fandom)

AllieCat824: This is an 8 hour video game that combats the notion that there’s superhero fatigue and puts a unique spin on the superhero genre; and is somehow able to make you fall in love with an ensemble cast of characters while also delivering a great story about redemption and what it means to be a hero.

You have Robert, who has spent years fighting as Mecha Man believing he’d carry on the family tradition of dying in the suit. And then there’s Invisigal, who is trying to redeem herself and become a hero while grappling with her past and powers she believes make her destined to be a villain. Then, against all odds and a very rocky start to their relationship, these two characters who spent much of their life alone find comfort in one another.

While they have many moments throughout the story, the one that always sticks out to me and is a personal favorite is the episode 4 movie date. Despite Invisigal being hilariously forward in her advances in the beginning of the episode (which Robert can casually reciprocate and match her freak!), Robert surprises her by showing up to the movies with snacks, and there’s this adorable moment where they interrupt each other trying to break the ice after Robert lets her know that it’s okay to “just be normal for a second.”

And I loved that for both of them. The concept of two lonely individuals doing something a normal couple would do and enjoy each other’s company at the movies is so simple. But also sweet and very human.

Afterwards it’s just a treat to see how their walls slowly come down- from the sappy looks they give each other, how deeply they impacted one another, them constantly having each other’s backs, the vulnerability...I love them being able to figure out how to be happy together going forward, and equally love everyone’s ideas of what that may entail.

(The background to the piece they are most proud of)

AllieCat824: Back in February, I saw Bershy in the bar Alphaville in Brooklyn (who sings the song "Radio" that Courtney plays at Robert's housewarming party). The bar itself was very vibey- it was even adorned with the Himalayan salt lamps that Courtney was dancing with in the party scene in episode 6. I even got her to sign my Mecha Man hoodie- she's such a sweetheart and so talented!

I wanted to pay tribute to her by drawing her in Dispatch's style and also had this unique idea of Robert taking Courtney to go see her on their promised third date. As it turned out, someone actually shared my artwork with Bershy herself, which makes me so happy, and truly felt like a serendipitous and wonderful start to Invisimonth!

(On looking back at Invisimonth)

AllieCat824: I just loved seeing everyone's contributions every day! There is so much talent among the community, and it somehow made me love Invisimech more than I already do. I also loved seeing how a lot of the community was inspired by one another. I've seen fanart for fanfiction this past month, and I've also seen my silly ideas on Twitter be included in chapters from some of my favorite fanfiction authors.

Sometimes, I feel like there's this fear that the Dispatch fandom is dying, but I have to disagree. I think holding weekly/monthly events for Dispatch is a wonderful idea to keep the momentum going, and hope I get to participate in more going forward while we all wait for Season 2!

BrokenBarcode

AO3: Greatest Secret

BrokenBarcode: I’ve always liked writing based on prompt lists or challenges. They give me a direction to go to start, while also leaving a lot of room for creative freedom. Seeing a community event being organized around my latest obsession was perfect for me.

The Invisimech fandom, or at least the parts I have interacted with, feels overall a very positive and supporting community. It’s a nice change to see a fandom be both very active and very friendly.

(On their favorite work)

BrokenBarcode: My personal favourite work is titled Greatest Secret, and was written for Day Six, Trust. The fic is set in an AU where Robert is actually an energy construct created by the Astral Pulse.

I was not the one to create this AU, there was a couple of stories I was inspired by. But the AU captivated me the moment I first encountered it, driving me to create. This work wasn’t the first I have created for this AU, and it will likely not be the last. I love this AU so much because of the themes, and how they relate to the canon of Dispatch.

Because of the nature of his being, Robert struggles a lot with ideas of his personhood, not really considering himself human. This starts to change after he begins working as a Dispatcher at SDN. These ideas enhance Robert’s character arc of having a miserable life as Mecha Man, and being much improved by getting to spend time as Robert.

Something relevant to Greatest Secret is how the circumstances of this AU affects how Robert views Courtney planting the bomb. At the time of writing, no one else has explored Invisimech in this AU. This excited me, because I could take it in a new direction. In the game, depending on player choices, Robert can forgive Courtney, saying neither of them are the same people they used to be. My fic takes this idea further, as shown in the passage, with Robert saying that Courtney saved him, and that she gave him the chance to truly become a human being.

This is my favourite work because I got to explore the themes and story elements of Dispatch in my own writing, and take them even further. The passage from my favourite work I made for Invisimonth is:

(On what they enjoyed most about this fandom event)

BrokenBarcode: What I enjoyed most about participating in Invisimonth was getting the chance to share all my work and see other’s work in one place! The outpour of feedback from the whole community on every one of my fics was an amazing feeling, and I enjoyed sharing the same to many other works I saw.

YellowDiceArt

IG: yellowdiceart Twitter: Yellow Dice (@YellowDiceArt) Cara: yellowdiceart

YellowDiceArt: I was already working on fanart of my favorite character, Invisigal, when I heard about the event (It eventually became my 2nd Invisimonth post). So I thought it was perfect timing to participate! The community is very passionate and I’ve been inspired by their fan art too.

(On their favorite thing about this fandom)

YellowDiceArt: What I love most about the Dispatch/InvisiMech fandom is that they are very welcoming and that their love for the game and it's characters is just amazing and full of positivity! Its very rare that I see any toxicity in the community unlike other fandoms with just as passionate fans. In the words of Visi: "This is nice.” Haha!

(In the words of YellowDiceArt: the work they are most proud of)

YellowDiceArt: The piece I’m most proud off is the first one I made Third Date. It was aimed to look like a candid shot of a casual after work date for Visi and Robert. Personally, those kinds of outings are my favorite; just wanted to see them chill while calling out to a talk they had in-game.

It’s the most meaningful to me since it’s the one that pushed me to try out new things to make the piece. I usually just make portraits up to bust level, but since there are 2 characters involved I thought it would be better if I explore composing poses. I don’t usually color too, but I thought this would be a good opportunity to do it!

Along with the colors, I also spliced the background on this one myself. Sure it would be easier to generate an in-game location with AI. But taking a bunch of pictures of the local Randy’s and splicing them together to get the desired look was way more fun! It felt like I was there, taking a picture of their memory.

(Why Invisimonth?)

YellowDiceArt: What I enjoyed the most about the event is seeing everyone’s creativity in full boom. Seeing how other creators interpret a prompt with the given characters is inspiring to me; and could influence my next personal works!

Looking back at the 4 weeks, it was just really fun and warm overall. People sharing their work regardless of the level adds a lot of variety, it even surprises the creators themselves; finding out they could make the work that they did. The community was like a big family too, spreading love and support to all works, some even share their thoughts and offered advice to those that struggled making their pieces.

Hopefully the community would be just as passionate next time. I’m already looking forward to it!

jacko

AO3: AfterShade

jacko: I had only actually discovered and played Dispatch back in late March, so for me I was just consuming everything I could about the game. I had realized I wasn’t shutting up about it, so I joined a few Discord servers to talk with likeminded people.

It was then I got the urge to try my hand at fanfiction, and after a very sloppy first attempt that will forever live in my drafts, I noticed a user talk about Invisimonth. I asked for some more info and before I knew it, I was getting super excited to take part in my first fandom event!

I have only contributed two one-shots for the month, but to go from 0 creative writing experience to actually creating something? I think is pretty cool!

I think the incredible people, insane talent they have, and the overwhelming sense of positivity and community is what spurred me to take part.

(Quare Dispatch/Invsismech, Brutus?)

jacko: For me, Dispatch is a super intimate game despite the small amount of actual real choice you get during the game. Choices feel important not because you might “get the bad ending”, but because you care about the characters immensely. Which makes you really stop and consider what choice you want to make.

InvisiMech as a fandom is incredibly welcoming and full of passion/love. What drew me and so many others to the relationship Rob and Courtney have, is hard to really identify broadly. For me personally, I strongly identify with Invisigal’s character and her struggles, which is what initially drew me in. As someone with ADHD, I can confidently say she is written extremely realistically with the condition in mind, one of the best fictional ADHD characters I’ve ever seen. This is an opinion I’ve seen commonly shared by other people in the InvisiMech fandom, so it’s certainly a community built on shared experience and inclusivity.

(Looking back on their favorite submission)

jacko: I’m new to writing, but I am quite pleased with my second submission, titled “My Second Home”.

To put it simply: I love fluff, I love writing in distant third-person past (feels very Dispatch to me), and I’ve been going through a challenging time at the moment, so a sunny day at the beach was all I wanted to write about. A simple one-shot with a simple idea!

Honestly it was such a fluffy piece, but I think I really enjoyed the bit with Robert reading his stupid book.

It’s just so Robert. and Visi’s reaction is so Visi:

(On what they loved most about the Invisimonth event)

jacko: Honestly? I cannot begin to choose what I enjoyed the most. I have never seen so many people come together this way before, it was extremely heartwarming to see!

If I had to choose, I would probably say just being able to watch so many people produce more content than they thought they were capable of submitting. People really outdid themselves this event, I saw some incredible art. And I also saw a lot of artists improve over the course of the month, which blows my mind.

Spiral

Twitter: Spiral (@Spiralchasm)

Spiral: Dispatch and by proxy Invisimech broke my years long art block! I’ve been drawing quite often since around December, after I’ve finished the game. Before that...there’s been like months, maybe at some point even a year where I haven’t drawn a single thing. So I decided to participate partially as a ‘thank you’ and partially to challenge myself a little and see how many prompts I’d get done. Also, obviously, because I love the ship!

(On those aspects of Dispatch and the Invisimech fandom they love the most)

Spiral: I really love how supportive everyone is. Like I’ve done a lot of fanart for other fandoms before, but I’ve never ever received such love and support on my drawings like I did with my Invisimech and Dispatch pieces. And I feel like it’s not just me, many other artists and writers are also getting the love they deserve! I also try to give back my support as much as I can.

(A look at their favorite piece—with special shoutout to Laura Bailey)

Spiral: I mean the piece I’m most proud of is quite literally a reference to new Vox Machina teaser for S4. I thought it’d be a fitting entry for the “Dance” prompt cause it’s such a gorgeous scene. And cause Visi and Vex share the same voice actor!

( On what they enjoyed the most about this Invisimonth fandom event? )

Spiral: I enjoyed opening the Twitter and Invisimech Discord every day and just checking out all of the new incredible drawings and pieces people have written :)

z_valentine

AO3: z_valentine

z_valentine: I’ve not been this passionate about a ship or a fandom in quite a while. So when I saw Invisimonth on my timeline, I was instantly hit with nostalgia for fandom events that I witnessed or took part in before, years ago. I remembered the passion and creativity and love that went into every contribution, the excitement and support in the community—all around the best parts about being in fandom spaces.

Additionally, the wonderful prompts that were chosen for the event spoke to me. I looked at them and immediately thought: Oh, I’d LOVE to do at least one of these for the event!

(On what they love most about Dispatch and Invisimech)

z_valentine: I’ve admittedly not been that active in the fandom until recently (at least not in a public capacity), mostly watching from afar. Retweeting or reblogging the lovely works all the wonderful artists make for the ship, or just writing and chatting about it with friends.

In terms of the Invisimech fandom, I love how fiercely they love the characters. I love seeing how everyone resonated with the story and the characters and the relationship between said characters. I also love how welcoming the community itself is. Like I said, I was not very active in a public capacity, but when I started sharing my own work, the amount of love and support and excitement was overwhelming!

(The background behind the piece they are most proud of)

z_valentine: Between the two artworks I drew and the four pieces I wrote so far, I would say the contribution I’m most proud of is Breaking News. The “Jealousy” prompt itself was all the inspiration I needed. I just love characters being jealous over their partners.

But the thing that made me most excited to write that piece was simply me thinking: I love jealous Visi as much as the next person, but we’ve seen that in canon already. Now I want to see Robert be jealous and possessive over her. I loved working on this piece so much because I got to explore both Courtney’s and Rob’s perspectives on the same event. And also it being the first written piece I did for Invisimonth, and seeing how excited many people were about it definitely made it extra special.

For the favorite passage I’ve written, it might be this one from the housewarming party flashback (Breaking News, Chapter 2):

(On what they enjoyed most about Invisimonth)

z_valentine: Probably the most expected answer: I enjoyed seeing everyone’s contributions. Opening Twitter and seeing InvisiMech pieces all over my timeline was one of the loveliest highlights of the day for those four weeks. I’m so happy this event came to be. I’m so grateful for the event organizers who dedicated their time and effort into making this happen and bringing the fandom together.

And I can’t wait to see what’s next, whether it’s for an event or not! It definitely made me excited to draw and write more things for the ship!

neb

IG: nebula.koi Tumblr: nebula-koi Twitter: Project Hail Neb (@nebula__koi)

neb: Despite being in fandom for years upon years, I've never actually participated in a ship event before. I'd always wanted to because it sounded like fun, so when news got to me that a whole MONTH was being organized for Invisimech I just had to join in. It just sounded like fun getting to draw so much of my ship, you know?

(On the piece they are most proud of)

neb: I actually have two pieces I'm most proud of: the Valentine's day painting (that I originally painted in February for Valentine's day and posted it again for Day 1 of Invisimonth), and the La La Land AU painting (posted for Day 18). For the Valentine's day one, I'm just really proud of how it turned out! I was spending hours sketching and rendering the clothes and it turned out way better than I was expecting. I can't remember what exactly inspired it; probably just a bunch of other ship art that I have memories saved of in my brain. It’s hard for me to pinpoint my inspirations a lot of the time.

I’m also proud of it because it did INSANELY well on Twitter! It got around 6k likes in the first 2 days of posting; to this day it’s still my most liked drawing. I’m still struggling to comprehend those numbers months later, it’s insane...I’m very grateful of course!

The other piece I’m proud of is the redraw of the poster for La La Land I posted for Day 18 (favorite movie/show/game/whatever). Sadly, it did not perform as well as some of my other drawings, but water under the bridge. La La Land is one of my favorite movies, I don’t even really like musicals all that much but this one’s special. I’ve seen it at least 5 times and I’m ready to see it 5 times more, so when this event gave me the opportunity to combine it with Invisimech, I had to make it a reality. To anyone reading who hasn’t seen La La Land, please do. It’s amazing!!!

It’ll help you understand my fanart better probably. And it’s good.

(Overall thoughts looking back)

neb: I just kinda wish it were at a different time of year, because it was going on during my finals season so I wasn’t able to draw that much. I get why the dates were chosen for what they were, but still...anyways it was a nice period of peace within the fandom too, for the most part. I didn’t see all that much of the usual hate that this ship gets for whatever reason, it was mainly just people sharing their love for these two characters... this community’s so dedicated and it’s lovely to see, really.

I loved brainstorming all my ideas. Sadly, I didn’t get to draw all that much during the month but it’s still given me plenty of ideas to potentially use later. Overall a pretty fun first ship event experience, and I would totally participate again in the future!

PastelArminArt

IG: pastelarminart

PastelArminArt: I wanted to participate in InvisiMonth mainly because it’s my favorite ship from one of my favorite games; it seemed like the perfect opportunity to splurge on art of them!

Dispatch is by far one of the most unique games I’ve come across. Typically, this sort of game wouldn’t have been my thing, but it drew me in with its characters- Robert and Visi mainly. And I love the fandom, I love everyone’s creativity!

(Talking about their favorite work)

PastelArminArt: The piece I’m most proud of from InvisiMonth would be the Avatar AU I did for the AU prompt! It combines two of my biggest hyperfixations. I love combining Avatar with other media, so it was a no brainer to me. I had a lot of fun with the character designing!

(Perspectives on this inaugural Invisimonth)

PastelArminArt: I enjoyed seeing everyone’s work so far, and can’t wait to see more! Everyone is so creative and talented.

I would love to see more events like this. Maybe a MechaBlazer month, or full Dispatch (all characters) themed month!

_paramedic

AO3: paramedic4 Discord: _paramedic

_paramedic: Invisimech and Dispatch in general are my first fandom. It seems like it’s a relatively small fandom and when I saw there was an event dedicated specifically to this ship, I knew I had to pitch in to support the fandom, share my love for the ship, and signal to those watching the passion behind the people who love this property as much as I do.

(What is it about this fandom that makes it enjoyable?)

_paramedic: I’m really surprised by the amount of people for whom this is their first fandom. I, of course, am one of them, but I think it’s really interesting and makes for a unique experience.

I love the endless amount of creativity I’m seeing from the fandom too. You can drop into the Invisimech Discord or the AdHoc one and see new pieces every day, ships you never thought to put together, reinterpretations or different takes on characters - it’s never-ending in the best way.

The thing about a highly-detailed animated product with only two instances of character interiority is that every little micro-expression can be interpreted multiple ways. I think AO3 is also a really interesting place for this fandom for that reason alone. The amount of different takes on Courtney, for example, has filled a few pages in my personal analysis/tracker/study materials.

There’s so much untapped potential there and people are going after it. It’s great.

(Looking behind the curtain on the piece they are most proud of)

_paramedic: I’ve produced two pieces for Invisimonth 2026, which are my fics Visi Ex Machina and Texture. Both fics are experiments in trying different techniques and styles in the literary realm.

Texture is interesting because it’s my first unplanned piece (no spec) and it routes its camera entirely through a single character’s subjective attention. There are 300 words before the protagonist is even mentioned because he’s not paying attention to himself at all until then, he’s hyperfocused on the woman across the table from him. Sensory perception leans into the magical because he doesn’t see her objectively (her eyes are not literally gold; her skin is olive-toned, not golden). Interiority is governed by his own subjective experience - when he dissociates, we are fully interior and time doesn’t obey the rules at all - when she pulls him back, we’re suddenly back in real-time and external.

However, my favorite piece is Visi Ex Machina. It’s a shortfic set two-and-a-half years post-canon and is both a character study of who Courtney and Robert could be at that point in time and a study of what their relationship could be like. It’s not complete yet due to scope creep. Three-out-of-six chapters are published at present and it will take some time for the remaining chapters to come out. Since it’s a fic, I’ve produced a single passage of what I think is the riskiest thing I’ve done in the fic below.

Visi Ex Machina (or VEM, for short) is fundamentally a test bed for my main fic, SIREN, which is a post-canon Invisimech longfic rooted in psychological realism. SIREN’s goal, prose-wise, is complete and total immersion of the reader into the characters’ lived experiences. To reference a specific scene, I really want the reader to feel like they are reaching across the backseat of a car to hold someone’s hand and agonizing over every movement of that person’s fingers. Achieving that so far has required a specific philosophy for the prose. Instead of intended meanings for any given scene, I designate off-limits meanings. Scenes are written so that any number of meanings are valid, but a specific subset are not. Scenes are also written in a very “show-don’t-tell” style. To make readers actually place themselves in a scene, I don’t feel that I can tell them what to think, but instead have to leverage an external lens and embodiment to make the readers feel like the characters. I’ve avoided interiority as much as possible, only including it if a character is capable of explaining or telling that thought to someone else in that moment and if it is necessary for legibility. SIREN’s style works really well for moments that have an outside surface. The external camera plus the right silences plus the reader’s own assembly is what gets the reader, not the character, into that backseat.

However, there are upcoming scenes in SIREN that involve telling stories that simply can’t be told through a majority-external lens. For example, two people falling further for each other on a date, from an external perspective, are just two people walking in a park. I need to communicate and immerse the reader in a subjective experience instead. So, for VEM, I designed a story that can only be told via the characters’ interiors, and then tried to figure out a toolset that allows me to achieve the same goals I have for SIREN within that type of story.

I went back and studied some of my favorite authors like Tayeb Salih, Wang Wei, Ada Limón, Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, Kafka, Vonnegut, Marquez, and the Sufi poets to see what techniques they used, and put together a set of different techniques: extended interior monologue, temporal compression, sensory cascades, memory cascades, imagination cascades, sensory distortion, dream logic, light surrealism, and light magical realism. I’m learning and applying these techniques in VEM, along with other experiments, to enable me to tell the stories I want to tell in SIREN while achieving the goals of that story. The reader still does the assembly with the characters, but now we’re inside the head rather than outside the body.

(Continuing with the discussion)

_paramedic: The other thing VEM is helping me work through is telling a more contained story without simplifying the story itself. Both VEM and SIREN are, at the core, philosophical arguments about how the world works, told through emotion and lived experience.

SIREN is a longfic, and a longfic requires a lot of structure. Claims split into subclaims which split into subsubclaims, and so on, which means it can get really complex and has a lot of surface area to leverage literary references and the like. For example, the structure of Chapter 2 of SIREN* is a fractal of Waiting for Godot, with every section patterned after Godot’s two-act structure, the pattern repeating and nesting throughout the chapter while also inverting it. It’s also a critique of Hobbes, amongst other things.

The VEM toolkit will integrate back into SIREN going forward, with a few exceptions (no named emotions). To sum it up, SIREN’s prose style is changing because of the problems I’m facing inside it. VEM is where I’m working those changes out in real time, in front of readers who have been generous about coming along.

I selected the passage below because I think it’s a great example of one of the narrative techniques I’m trying to use to produce embodiment from an interior perspective. In this passage, the slashes *are* Robert’s anxiety branching across every possible outcome at once. The reader doesn’t get told what’s happening inside the characters. The reader does the cognition with them. What makes the piece most meaningful is that it’s working. Readers are writing back to say things like “the slash writing got me anxiously spiraling along side Robert.”

That’s the whole game. The form is delivering the immersion. They aren’t reading about anxiety, they’re doing it.

(Context: Chapter 2 of Visi Ex Machina. Robert is at an overlook at Point Mugu, where he’s set up a surprise proposal for Courtney. She thinks it’s just a date and is en route via the Mecha Man mech, which Robert has sent to pick her up. As his team finishes the preparations, Mandy walks him through the final timing. Mid-recap, Robert’s mind takes over with every possible version of how the proposal could go):

(Looking back ,and perspectives towards Invisimonth)

_paramedic: It was amazing to check AO3, Discord, Reddit, and Instagram every day, multiple times a day, and continue to see new art posted all the time. It was great to see the community come together, to be exposed to so many new artists, and fill up my camera roll with pieces. I met so many awesome people and am excited to collaborate with them moving forward.

Overall, I’m just so excited to see that a niche part of a small fandom had enough reach to fill up the Spotlight channel of the AdHoc official Discord, and I’m excited to see how invested the community is in this ship - especially given how many younger people are in that community. Whatever comes of the Dispatch IP moving forward, I at least know that, at least for a short period of time, a lot of passionate people were just as - if not more - invested in Invisimech as a ship as I was. It’s nice to be part of a community (hmm, I wonder if this is related to some of the themes in the game...).

Liz

Twitter: liz (@lizartzz)

Liz: I wanted to take part in Invisimonth mainly because I wanted to challenge myself creatively while practicing or improving my art skills. I have also never participated in an event like this before, so being a part of it was something new I figured I could try, and it has made me feel incredibly accomplished despite having only six entries.

Although I have had social media for almost 15 years, I am used to being a "lurker" when it comes to fandoms, as I merely just like stuff rather than post about anything. However, when Dispatch came out and introduced me to the characters, the story, the ship, and the fans, I got the drive to create and contribute as well!

Moreover, the Invisimech ship piqued my interest and meant very much to me, so I wanted to do them justice by giving them more content, especially with the discourse that came from loving my favorite character, Invisigal. I believe that art is such a therapeutic way to counter any anxiety that I get from reading or watching negative takes or opinions online, and what better way for me to do that than joining Invisimonth.

(On what it is about Dispatch/Invisimonth they love the most)

Liz: I love how encouraging, supportive, and passionate the community is. For instance, I felt very welcomed when entering the Invisimech Discord server, which I have never done before for any other fandoms that I have joined. Any comments or feedback I got with regard to my art made me feel very appreciated. Also, graduating from art school last year, I have never gotten any inspiration to draw personal or fan art as much as I do now because of prioritizing school work, and I only ever got used to receiving feedback from fellow peers, family, and my professors.

That is why it was very heartwarming to see that even strangers on the internet are able to receive my art well, and are excited to see more from me.

(On the background of their piece that was the most meaningful)

Liz: The piece I'm most proud of is my last official art for the event, based on the prompt “Dance” for Day 29. I was inspired by my ongoing fanfiction, entitled See Me Now on Archive of Our Own, which is my own concept following the events of the “bad” ending of the game, wherein Invisigal embraces her villainous side. Invisimech is the main ship of my story, of course.

This piece was the most meaningful for me because it’s the one I worked on the longest. If you look closer, my art style in each panel had some inconsistencies, specifically in the hair highlights, that I ended up not fixing anymore because I was starting to get burnt out, along with the day of the prompt was fast approaching. After posting it, I thought to myself that there is significance in keeping my mistakes in, as it shows my learning process and how far I’ve improved since making that mini comic.

Another reason I found this art the most impactful is that it’s the first among all my pieces to receive actual criticism. It was reposted on Reddit (by a kind fellow Invisimech fan), and many have shared their thoughts about its inaccuracies regarding the characterization of Robert and Invisigal.

At first, I was offended that several people couldn’t see the vision I wanted to put out with the visual storytelling. But then I realized that, firstly, no one knows it’s based on a fanfiction that I wrote, and secondly, that is how art functions in its essence. Meaning anyone will and can interpret my piece how they like.

I understood that it’s valid for people to see things differently, specifically because of how much they want to keep the qualities and personalities of the characters as close to the canon as possible. On the other hand, I, as the creator, need to stand firm with my work as well. And ensure myself that my ideas are also valid because fanarts and fanfiction provide the opportunity to dive into endless different storylines and tropes!

(Perspectives looking back over the 4 weeks of Invisimonth)

Liz: The Invisimonth fandom event brought people together as several artists, writers, and Invisimech enthusiasts from around the world joined forces to share their love for the game and the characters! I enjoyed seeing people discuss headcanons, theories, and future narratives on Twitter and Discord and manifest them into creative outputs. Because it just shows how so many media fans have been waiting for a compelling and unique story like Dispatch has. The event allowed people like me, who aren’t usually vocal or outward on social media, to contribute and go out of our shells to interact with others, which then paved the way for friendships to blossom.

Overall, I have no regrets joining the fandom and participating in the Invisimonth event. I have never been more excited for another event to happen again, especially knowing its impact on a community. I can only wait until the possible Season 2 of Dispatch comes so that the Invisimech fandom can thrive again!

It’s Fershi

IG: its_fershi

It’s Fershi: I decided to take part in Invisimonth because I really enjoy the Dispatch characters and the community surrounding them.

I had been wanting to share my artwork with a fandom community for a while, and when I saw Invisimonth being organized, it felt like the perfect opportunity. The event seemed like a lot of fun, the prompts were interesting, and the community felt very welcoming.

It was also around that time that I created my current art account, so Invisimonth gave me a great reason to start sharing my work more actively.

(On what they love the most about the Dispatch fandom)

It’s Fershi: What I love most about the Dispatch fandom is how everyone genuinely enjoys fan creations and actively engages with them: whether it’s artwork, comics, discussions, or theories about the characters. As an artist, that’s incredibly motivating because people are excited not only about the characters themselves, but also about the creativity they inspire.

Seeing other fans share their work and ideas always encourages me to keep creating and contributing as well.

(Background of their favorite work)

It’s Fershi: The piece I'm most proud of is probably the last mini-comic I posted during Invisimonth. I don't usually make comics, so it was already a bit outside my comfort zone. What made it especially meaningful was that it became my final contribution to the event.

The idea actually came from the community. In previous posts, people kept asking things like "Where's the wedding?" or "When's the wedding?" So I thought it would be fun to end the event by giving the fandom something they really wanted to see.

Seeing how much people enjoyed it made the piece even more special to me.

(Overall thoughts looking back on Invisimonth)

It’s Fershi: My favorite part of Invisimonth was discovering so many artists I hadn’t known before! I never got tired of seeing everyone’s take on the same characters. Even though we were all drawing from the same source, every artist brought something different to the event, so there was always something new to look forward to.

At some point, I realized I wasn’t just following the event anymore, I had actually become a fan of some of the artists taking part in it. Seeing their work throughout the month was a lot of fun and inspired me to keep creating as well.

If I had to pick one thing I’ll remember most about Invisimonth, it’s that feeling of a community coming together to celebrate characters we all care about. I’d happily take part again.

Quin

IG: quinx927 Twitter: quinx9

Quin: I mean I love Invisimech. It’s my favourite ship in the Dispatch fandom. I’ve consumed so much media about it - whether that would be fanfic, fanart or edits, I can’t keep track anymore honestly. So when I heard that there was going to be a month dedicated to the entire ship, full of fun prompts - how could I not be intrigued?

At first, I wasn’t sure if I could commit to something like this. It’s been a while since I’ve drawn often, as I suffered through severe art block prior to Dispatch. So I was scared that I wouldn’t deliver for Invisimonth. Though I knew I had the drive now, I knew that I could dish out a few pieces—yet something was still stopping me.

I’m an introverted person, quite shy actually, and I’ve always wanted to be a part of the Invisimech community. Sure, I made a few popular Invisimech artworks but I never really interacted with the community members that much. I think that’s what was hindering me. Joining Invisimonth at the time, felt like heading into a party unannounced. So in a desperate act of trying to participate and interact with people who shared the same sentiments!

I joined the Invisimech server. It was an amazing decision. Everybody was so nice, so supportive. Everyone had so much love and passion for the ship and the fandom, it was extremely wholesome. It felt like a family and I wanted to be in it.

Day by day, I would interact more, share exclusives with the server and partake in discussions sometimes. Before I knew it, I didn’t feel that hindrance anymore. I felt like I could just embrace this interest and support it to the fullest extent. If it weren’t for the server members, I don’t think I would’ve participated in Invisimonth.

(Personally speaking, on what they love most about the fandom)

Quin: Like I mentioned before, the InvisiMech fandom is amazing. Not even standing on a biased point of view but these people are genuinely the most kind, supportive and talented people I’ve met. When I first joined the server, I was already being treated as some sort of celebrity. It was crazy, it was all so new but the support and the kind comments that I was receiving were overwhelming!

I like that we look out for each other. Especially on social media where people demonize this fandom. I’ve seen some insane takes on Twitter and what I love is that we back each other up. It’s really wholesome and they couldn’t be more wrong honestly. I love my community and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

(On the work they are the most proud of)

Quin: So this piece is called Post-Grannys Operation and I’d say I’m most proud of this one. This was actually one of the first few art pieces I made for Dispatch as a whole, not just Invisimech. I made half of this comic before I blew up and I’ve just had it in my files, I never really planned on finishing it.

This comic is essentially my interpretation of what had happened after Invisigal socked Robert in the face and smashed his donut. We don’t see this in the game, we just see smashed donut debris all over the keyboard and we’re left to assume the rest. What I love about this scene is how it shows Invisigal’s sweet and tender side. Because even though she did punch him in the face and violate a donut all over his workspace? She had thought of bringing him his favourite donut as some sort of gift; I’d like to think of it as an apology, but each to their own. It shows that she’s not just this crude, brash and horrible former villain - but there’s something deep down that shows she cares.

Quin: The inspiration for this piece was actually one of the fan fictions I’ve read earlier then named A robot guy without his robot, I guess by padxd. It’s a fanfic that is essentially based on the entire Dispatch story but through Invisigal’s POV. It’s really an amazing fanfic, and I think it beautifully catches Invisigal’s emotions well within different parts of the story. The author owes nothing to anyone but I do recommend you give it a read, if you haven’t already!

Anyways, some of the monologue within my comic were inspired by the inner monologue written by padxd. And overall just the regret, the anger, the self-hatred: that was all inspired by padxd. And so I’d like to express my gratitude towards them and this amazing fan fic!

This piece is the one I’m most proud of because I don’t usually make comics and I think I made one that was fairly easy to read, well rendered, and put together. It was fun making it too! The impact frame of Visi before she’s about to obliterate the donut had me giggling in my seat. It was also a new style that I was trying out as I was known for my semi-realistic style, though this one stayed true to the Dispatch style (while still applying my own flair to it). Overall, this piece ended up getting the most traction: gaining over 4.4K likes on Twitter and around 2.5K upvotes on the AdHoc reddit page.

So I’m glad that the piece I’m most proud of got the most recognition!

(On what they enjoyed the most about this community fandom event)

Quin: I’d say one thing I enjoyed the most about Invisimonth was seeing what other people made. It was really fun seeing people’s interpretations of the prompt and of course, the art and the works were all amazing!

I would find myself scrolling through the thread of Invisimonth content in the server and I’d comment, like posts, and give reactions because it was genuinely so fun. My overall thoughts on Invisimonth is just ‘Wow’.

I wanna give major props to those who thought and organized this entire event. I think this event did major things for this fandom, it kept it alive. At some point all I was seeing within the AdHoc servers were just Invisimech, Invisimech, Invisimech… I was genuinely excited to wake up and just start creating for this event. I have a few more unfinished pieces for Invisimonth. Will I ever release them? I’m not sure, maybe I will. Now that it’s finished, I’m genuinely grieving, looking back at the grind that I put in and being excited to post my works for a prompt.

It’s like missing how we waited every Wednesday for the next Dispatch episodes - I loved it that much and I hope we do another one next year where HOPEFULLY, Dispatch Season 2 has already been announced!

mickey

IG: fruity_otter TikTok: fruityotter

mickey: The reason I took part in Invisimonth is because I haven’t been this fixated on characters or ships before. I just love their dynamic and relationship so much, and planning a piece for each month made me so excited for the event to get started. Invisimonth was actually the very first themed month I participated in!

There have been other themed months in the past that I wished I took part in, like Inktober or OCtober, but never got around to it because I wasn’t all that interested. But what made Invisimonth different was that there was an active, positive community that motivated me to complete each day. I also feel like even if I wasn’t in the server, I’d still be able to complete every day because seeing everyone’s art and fics in the Invisimonth tags made me so happy.

(On what they love about that fandom)

mickey: Truthfully, the Invisimech Nation server is the only social space that I am active in. (laughs) Because in pretty much all social platforms, all I see is people hating Invisigal or Invisimech with reasons that barely make sense, and it kind of hurt seeing so much hate on something that I love so much.

So, since I don’t have much to say about the fandom in general, I will say that the Invisimech Nation server, within probably 50 other servers I’m in? It’s one of the most positive, welcoming, and inclusive servers I’ve ever joined! I’m somewhat of a shy person, but it was so easy to make friends and talk to people, as well as having a responsible and reliable mod team. Who organized and put so much effort into events such as Invisimonth and the awards ceremony!

(Looking at their favorite submission)

mickey: Aghh this was so hard to decide! I’d say “Day 18: Favorite Movie/Show/Game” in which I chose Arcane as my favourite show :3

Not only am I obsessed with Arcane, I almost love Timebomb as much as Invisimech, so I thought it’d be cool to do a crossover of the two ships (also because I love, love, love, angst). So I pretty much did a two in one for this piece! I took two Timebomb scenes from Arcane - the fight scene between Jinx and Ekko, and the AU dance scene.

I’m most proud of this, mostly because of the colouring since the contrast of the two scenes and lighting threw me off a bit. I thought that this concept, not directly but in someway, reflects the hero and villain ending for Invisigal. This is also the most meaningful because I LOVE both ships so so much. BUT these two ships also receive a lot of hate, so obviously I had to pour all my passion into this piece!

(And the reactions looking back)

mickey: Besides having the absolute time of my life creating these art pieces for each day, I loved seeing everyone’s drawings, writing and other creations! It was obvious that a lot of love and passion was put into each work. Like I said, I’m a sucker for angst, so I freaking LOVED coming up with art concepts for angst week (even sprinkled a little angst in the following weeks), and ughhh—everyone else’s submissions made my heart ache.

I won’t lie and say it wasn’t hard to keep up with the month. I know that it’s obviously not obligated to complete each day, but I was determined to get it all done. It even overlapped the time assignments were due and exams were coming up (I lowkey may have prioritized Invisimonth more....) But even so, I hope another event like this will be set up soon.

I’m also incredibly appreciatively of those who maybe not have participated in Invisimonth, but still contributed in someway to the event! I’m so glad to be part of a creative and positive fandom: I send my love out to everyone in the server, and those who love Invisimech!

Svenpa

AO3: Svenpa Twitter: @Svenpa_

Svenpa: I actually stumbled across Invisimonth on Reddit about a week before it was supposed to start, which really sent me into overdrive trying to squeeze out a few pieces of artwork before the month ended. I wish I could’ve contributed more, haha, but my career keeps me pretty busy, so the fic and the artwork have to stay a side project for now.

I decided to take part mostly because it felt like a fun way to interact with the Dispatch community and connect with people who’ve been following my work on All Bark, No Bite, the fanfiction project I’ve been writing since January. The fandom has been incredibly supportive of what I’ve been doing, so Invisimonth felt like a solid excuse to give something back and celebrate two characters I really love.

(On why they feel Dispatch appeals to so many, and what about the game personally appeals to them)

Svenpa: For me, the appeal isn't just how likeable the characters are - it's the bigger themes running through the story: redemption, forgiveness, second chances, and found family.

I remember seeing someone online point out that the first season's narrative is really about "masks," both literally and figuratively, and I think that's a perfect way to put it. With Robert, it's the literal mask of Mecha Man and the question of whether he really is duty-bound to die in that suit like his father and grandfather before him. With Mandy, it's letting go of the Blonde Blazer identity and the weight of being a symbol for people, while learning to be okay as a "normie with no powers." And with Courtney, it's the façade she built over years of being surrounded by villains - the crude jokes, the attitude, the whole "I don't care what people think of me" persona she uses to hide deep-seated insecurities - and finally learning to trust people enough to be open and vulnerable.

Robert and Courtney are obviously the two I related to the most. I see so much of myself in both of them. With Robert, I connected with that feeling of being duty-bound to something you never really asked for, but following that path anyway because it's what you're "supposed" to do. And with Courtney, I related HARD to trying your best and still screwing up - having good intentions but coming up short anyway. I've been in her shoes more times than I can count, so honestly, I just want the best for her character.

That's probably what I love most about InvisiMech. They're two lonely dorks who see through each other's BS. They've both been through so much, and watching them find comfort, trust, and love in each other is just incredibly heartwarming.

(The background of the piece they are most proud of, and the inspirations behind it)

Svenpa: Of course! Most people in the fandom probably know me for All Bark, No Bite, the fanfiction passion project my girlfriend and I have been working on for the past few months over on AO3.

Spoilers ahead, but the chapter I'm proudest of is Chapter 9, "Like a Real Date," along with the artwork I made for it.

The premise is pretty straightforward: Robert and Courtney finally go on their long-anticipated "third" date - if you can even count Robert surprising her at the movies and a bar fight with the Z-Team idiots as their first two. For this chapter I wanted to focus on these two lonely dorks finally getting to open up to each other and have a real, normal date for the first time. No chaos, no missions, no bar fights. Just them, relaxing for one night and letting themselves be happy.

A big goal for me was also starting to establish more of Courtney's backstory - specifically how she got her villain name and how much hurt was really hiding under all the jokes and bravado. That comes through in the restaurant scene, when she sees street-style tamales on the menu and it sends her somewhere she didn't expect to go. She ends up telling Robert about growing up in an orphanage, about being blamed every time something went missing, about the kids calling her "Invisibitch" until she finally took the name and made it her own because she figured if she owned it, maybe it would hurt less (It didn't). Robert just listens. There's no pity, no flinching, no awkwardness. That moment - her admitting "I've never told anyone that before" - was honestly one of the hardest scenes to write, and probably the one I'm most proud of in the whole chapter.

Of course, a milestone like this can't just end with dinner. On their walk back, a busker up the street is playing "Can't Help Falling in Love" by Elvis Presley, and Robert, being the absolute dork that he is, offers Courtney his hand and asks her to dance. In typical Courtney fashion, she deflects at first before finally caving.
At first it's awkward. They step on each other's toes, bump elbows, laugh, and clearly have no idea what they're doing. But eventually they settle into a rhythm, and Robert quietly admits he never got the chance to do things like prom or homecoming because he took up the Mecha Man mantle so young. Courtney never had those experiences either, for very different reasons - and that painful recognition of seeing yourself in someone else really hits her.

There's a line in that chapter that means a lot to me:

Svenpa: That moment is probably one of my favorites in the whole fic, because it isn’t just romantic. It’s about two people realizing they were both robbed of normal lives in different ways, and finding something soft and safe in each other anyway.

Svenpa: “Can’t Help Falling in Love” is also one of my girlfriend’s favorite songs, and she’s actually the one who inspired me to use it for that scene. So the chapter ended up meaningful on multiple levels: as a major turning point for Robert and Courtney, as a major piece of the story I’m really proud of, and as something that has a personal connection to the person I’m writing the fic with.

(What they enjoyed most, looking back)

Svenpa: What I enjoyed most was seeing how much creativity came out of such a niche but passionate fandom. There was so much artwork, fanfiction, memes, etc. - just a lot of love for Courtney as a character.

It was also really fun watching people interact with each other. Honestly, one of my favorite parts of all of this has been reading the comments people leave on my work. Seeing what scenes resonated, what lines hit, what theories people have - it’s just genuinely fun to engage with. Knowing that people are actually enjoying what I’m putting out there means a lot, especially for a passion project like this.

Looking back, I’m really glad I took part. This was actually my first time doing one of these kinds of fandom events, and I found out about it pretty late, so I wish I’d had more time to prepare - but it was still a really fun and rewarding experience. It reminded me how much I love this fandom and how much fun it is to create for a character and a ship that people are genuinely passionate about.

Here’s hoping for another Invisimonth when (hopefully) Season two comes out.

(Why did InvisiMech build such a passionate fandom, even 8 months out from Dispatch’s release?)

Svenpa: I think InvisiMech has stuck with people because Robert and Courtney have such a strong emotional foundation as a pairing. On the surface, they’re fun because the banter is hilarious - Courtney’s a little crude, chaotic, and impulsive, while Robert is dry, steady, and quick enough to keep up with her. They’re genuinely funny together and have chemistry almost immediately.

But underneath that, there’s something much softer. They both know what it feels like to be trapped by the roles people expect them to play. Robert is expected to be Mecha Man, to carry that legacy (or burden) no matter what it costs him. Courtney is expected to be “Invisibitch” - the screw-up with “villain powers,” the girl who hides behind jokes and sarcasm because letting people close has never been safe for her.

I think people respond to the idea that they both really see through each other. Robert sees the vulnerable girl underneath Courtney’s façade, and Courtney sees the tired, lonely man underneath Robert’s hero mask. Neither of them “fixes” the other per se. They just make each other feel safe enough to be open and honest with one another.

If you’ve read my fic, you can tell I’m a BIG fan of Shadowheart from BG3. Honestly, Courtney reminds me a lot of her - a guarded, slow-to-trust woman who’s prickly and sarcastic/sassy on the surface, hiding deep-seated insecurities behind a wall of bravado. Those moments when you see the mask slip are what make characters like that so incredibly endearing to me. And Robert is exactly the kind of person who can earn those moments out of Courtney by just being there for her in a way she’s likely never had before.

That kind of dynamic has a lot of staying power. It leaves room for fluff, angst, healing, comedy, romance - all of it. And even months after release, people are still attached because there’s still so much story left to tell and so much emotional potential there. They’re two lonely dorks who found each other after a lot of pain, and that’s the kind of story people naturally want to hold onto.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay

(That’s me!) Linktree

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: After it first debuted back in the Fall, I was already somewhat aware of the hype surrounding Dispatch. A friend had recommended the title, so I picked it up the week of November 5, 2025—or right before the release of Episodes 5 and 6. By that weekend, I was already all caught up.

And had replayed Episode 6 a few times.

Then went back and did episodes 1 through 6 all over again, from the beginning.

So yeah…

Guess we can say I liked it. Just a tiny bit.

It was also a title that was just fun to talk about. Sure, everyone by default goes for the entire Invisigal vs. Blonde Blazer debate (which in my opinion, gets waaaaaaay too ridiculous and weird at times), but I personally liked to look beyond the surface with the truly pressing questions:

• What was the book which sparked Coupé’s love of romantasy?

• Could Waterboy and Phenomaman team-up and win a Magic: The Gathering tournament?

• Which are superior: Sour Patch Kids, or Twinkies?

• And who didn’t fist bump Royd at that first meeting?

It’s been fun to simply meet and talk with other people who enjoyed Dispatch. Especially in those small world, unexpected moments. Such as the “wait, I love Dispatch!” conversation that lead to this awesome commission below. The work of the talented Julia Ricci (Instagram: @abstractlaughter).

(Important Note: be sure to follow this awesome artist, and the works of everyone featured in this retrospective!)

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Personally, what I honestly loved about the game was how it is this perfect blend of laugh-out-loud comedy: over-the-top, blunt, and not afraid to pull any punches. Yet at the same time? Dispatch is a title that has a great deal of heart, looking at some heavy elements with both nuance and grace. Besides which, it really just ticks off such a stellar list: amazing animation (I have become a firm follower of anything Igloo Studio), stellar cast, and music that completely has upended my entire Spotify.

(Seriously. I’ve always been a fervent believer in the power of synth, ever since I was introduced to Daft Punk ways back. But from Bershy, Primer, Fartbarf, Caroline Kingsbury, Deep Dreem, Ben Khan, College, Thot Squad, Chanel Tres—Dispatch honestly lead me on a deep musical journey. But that’s a tale for another time).

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Last but certainly not least: the writing. Both of the story, and the worldbuilding.

And of course, the characters

All of them are a fantastic riot: from a tone deaf Flambae, to an optimistically hopeful and genuinely kind Mandy (who has the believable and utterly relatable attributes of someone slightly overwhelmed with their job at times—yet is still this sorely underappreciated heartbeat for the Phoenix Program). Sonar and Robert themselves are tied as my second favorites (Robert’s, “Doesn’t even bother me” and Sonar’s, “Tax: Fraud” are just absolute gems).

Yet my favorite character is definitely Courtney, with all her multifaceted aspects.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Visi, at her core, is a much gentler soul than she lets the world see. She is also (despite an unfiltered mouth and lack of boundaries that would be the fever dream of HR departments across the land) a decent person. She cares.

And Visi genuinely wants to be more than a villain; a life that has already etched a substantial about of pain, mistrust, and loneliness on her heart.

Yet she’s full of incredible regret, with every mistake (some of them quite large) weighing on her heavily. She feels trapped to them, and therefore trapped to be a villain. Even in spite of all the good she tries to do.

The issue is perfectly explained in one of the most heart wrenching lines of the entire game—which one thankfully doesn’t need to go full scorched Earth anymore to find:

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: And that’s what, for myself and probably a lot of people, made Courtney resonate so much. That realism and complexity, especially in showcasing her struggles between belief and doubt. She wants to change, but first has to accept that she herself is worth it; she can be that hero.

Courtney has to accept that she is Invisigal, not Invisibitch.

(“You’re not the same person that was there that night…neither am I.”)

All of which comes together to make the heroic ending all the more satisfying. Especially when Andrew Arcadi’s track plays in that slight variation from normal, with the cords signaling a beautiful victory as sunrise dances across the horizon.

(What is it about the Dispatch /InvisiMech fandom)

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: What I also love about Dispatch is how it is this tale of hope and found family. A look at the impact it can make to help build others up, and not kick them when they’re down. The Z-Teamers are hilariously (frighteningly) dysfunctional; yet Robert learns just as much as he teaches.

When it comes specifically to the Robert and Courtney dynamic: both genuinely care for one another, regardless of a romance or not. And both help the other realize/see something—especially in themselves. Which in turn helps them both grow as the game progresses.

And we see that care potentially develop into something deeper, especially when both allow one another to get close. As Robert and Courtney begin to fall for each other, slowly building something neither could ever have anticipated.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: I never before had participated in any community created fandom event: be it zines, writing challenges, or anything of the sort. When I first heard there would be something involving one of my favorite games, specifically around my favorite character, and that there would be writing prompts involved?

Sure. Why not?

(Actually, I practically channeled my inner Tobey: racing down the street, Spider-Man suit—or Hall E Logo—already on full display and ready to go).

Now, that being said…

In full honesty and transparency, this article almost did not happen. In fact, there were more than a few times when I nearly succeeded in talking myself out of the entire idea. Figured no one would be interested, or it would be met with lukewarm response at best.

After all: who writes an article on a fandom event?

So one could well imagine my sincere surprise at how the complete opposite actually occurred. I’m somewhat still processing the response, and the levels of enthusiasm and excitement.

From hearing everyone’s stories regarding their favorite commissions, to the sheer joy that is readily apparent—it was something awesome to see how much people came together for this event. I echo the sentiments of everyone: it was great seeing all the incredible work from the community, and also seeing how positive and supportive everyone was!

And just when talking with everyone: be it comparing experiences at different Bershy concerts, talking about writing styles/processes, or discussing the tracks on Primer’s Incubator? This truly felt like a spirit of celebration that was up in the air.

Now that’s fandoming.

Now that’s community.

(Continuing)

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: When it comes to InvisiMech, my favorite scene from Dispatch also has to be the movie date.

The case has been made about how Visi seems a bit disappointed by Robert’s “Do you like Sour Patch Kids?” question. Yet I haven’t seen a whole lot of discussion over the fact that she joyfully giggles—and completely and totally lights up—right after he asks. Nor is there a whole lot made over the fact that Robert seems suddenly unsure of his query after she tells him—while being 100% genuine—"This is nice.”

And yet it takes only a moment before he then brings out that trademark half-smile, and also speaks with complete and unguarded openness. “Cool. Me too.”

That’s the great thing about that whole sequence: how it captures the quiet magic of simply getting to know someone and connecting. It’s not big, nor flashy, nor even that bold.

Yet that doesn’t make the moment any less seismic.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: And those are the Rob and Courtney moments that I truly love. The big, heroic, save the day while Los Angeles is under siege from a diabolical mastermind are cool and fun, don’t get me wrong. I love those!

But it’s those quiet moments, just of two people offering support and being there for one another, that stand out as the highlights. And I absolutely adore all the artworks which depict this: such as PastelArminArt’s stunning piece above, and lizartzz’s stunning piece below.

Besides for demonstrating both true skill and breathtaking talent? (Which every contributor has).

“Comfort” and “Come Back” showcase that very human element at the core of Dispatch and Invisimech; highlighting those baseline qualities which makes both so electric.

(Getting to the point—finally)

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: For Invisimonth, I re-worked a story I had submitted for AdHoc’s own Dispatch Fan Art Contest , but wrote 4 original submissions:

Staycation, Healing Traces, Parallels, and Graduation.

I’m happy with them all; just the fact I could finish! Beginning, middle, and end.

Mind. Blown.

While Parallels holds a special place for being a Tron inspired AU (and I’m still on the lookout for that Tron/Dispatch/Invisimech fanart!!), the two which I’m most proud of are Healing Traces and Graduation.

(A deeper look)

Healing Traces is the first piece which I wrote with a first person viewpoint (mostly first person present tense, to be exact) something I’ve been a bit hesitant to attempt. With a first person POV, it’s obviously critical to establish the voice of the character, since they are the narrator of the entire story. But by the same token, it’s a bit (how I find it) more difficult when dealing with a character whose personality and voice has already been established. It’s a balance between crafting the story (your voice), while keeping a character authentic (their voice).

Which I felt I was able to do here. Much to my writerly happiness!

The story itself was made for the “Scars” prompt. It deals with that pain both Rob and Courtney carry; those scars seen and unseen. And follows them both as they admit to one another just how much hurt these said scars have left in their wake. Finally opening that door and allowing one other in: to heal, and be there for each another. To help weather all pains, together.

Written from Visi’s perspective, it starts with some heavy making-out in the aftermath of a scary dispatch call (relax: it’s not that kind of story). Yet quickly morphs into something much more somber, reverent, and deep for the pair of them:

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: It’s definitely one of the most introspective and tender things I’ve written in a creative piece, (didn’t know I had it in me) and I’m really proud of that sort of quiet, reflective, intensity behind it.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Graduation is the submission I’m by far the most proud of, overall.

Besides being the best written in general, the fic its actually a collaborative project. I had the privilege of featuring PastelArminArt in an earlier edition of Artist Alley, and loved the character design they did of a hypothetical, hero-in-training daughter of Robert and Courtney.

So I reached out about the idea, and to my surprise (a running theme as I’m sure we’re noticing), they were enthusiastically on board:

(An example of how awesome it was to collaborate with Pastel. The art formed the entire basis of the story, and we can see below my attempt to translate illustration to word)

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Another highlight was my first attempt at an action scene. It’s short, and has nowhere near the breathtaking details like Bernard Cornwell, or sizzling intensity in the veins of the late Kazuki Takahashi. But it’s still something I can look at and nod with writerly pride.

Graduation has a lot of parts: worry, excitement, fear(s), banter, crucible, James Islington style Hierarchy ripoff, and euphoria. All culminating in a deep and ecstatic celebration; the kind shared between two people who have been together for decades and decades. Love and bedrock.

It’s a story with a few themes. Honestly, I might have packed a bit too much; but none of the plates spinning on a stick came crashing down. So, that’s a win in and of itself!

In a neat little experiment, I also used song lyrics (“Impossible Thoughts” by Primer) to set the stage for the final, all-out, desperate gambit. I did something similar in Healing Traces, but in a much different context.

Here, for Octavia, it’s the moment of truth. To win, she has to get to the exit. The one guarded by her Godmother…who happens to be one of the greatest heroes of all time.

Blonde Blazer.

It’s the final test. No time for trying.

Time for that do, or do not:

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: And finally, if I had to pick the one passage that was my all time favorite to craft for this event? It has to be from Healing Traces.

I’ve always had a bit of a block when it comes to fiction; things just didn’t click, or at least not in the way I like. But this felt like the moment where it all, finally, just fell into place—like this lightbulb going off. Or to create a spin-off from a point J. Michael Straczynski once made: where style and voice finally came together.

And that’s why Healing Traces really holds a special place:

(Overall thoughts, looking back)

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: It’s funny, but throughout this entire event, I was reminded of that Comic Con experience which became the genesis of Hall E.

Seeing the incredible support and friendliness all around.

Hearing the utter beam in the voice of a Jinx cosplayer, with their incredible Enforcer Mask and PowPow.

Being asked to take a quick snapshot of a group of Clone Trooper Jedi. Who effortlessly looked every part heroes of the Republic.

Talking with someone about their awesome lanyard from a Comic Con past, while waiting in line at Artist Alley.

Sharing a laugh after utterly failing to spot the costume differences between X-Men and The Boys. (I’ve since learned).

And just reminiscing with someone at a nearby restaurant on how exhausting the entire day had been.

Yet still fun.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: In many ways, Invisimonth felt very much a microcosm of that spirit. That same sense of connection that has given me the incredible opportunity to collaborate with cosplayers, artists, photographers, writers—amazing all. To hear their stories, and see a community which is welcoming, and celebrates the differences. For they themselves also help connect us.

The community of InvisiNation came from all over, and from all walks of life. They supported one another, gave encouragement, and cheered every submission. All were welcomed. Everyone loved Dispatch, and everybody found that common ground in which to start. As stated in the beginning, no two works were the same: that celebration of creativity helped to build bonds even stronger.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Imposter Syndrome was dismissed. “Not good enough”, scuffed at. Everyone was cheered; with huge shout-outs to all.

And?

It. Was. Lovely. Honestly, it’s exciting to think about the future, and what the next installment of Invisimonth will bring! Suffice it to say: I’m very much looking forward to that sequel!

Plus, in general: it would be great to see similar such events going forward—maybe even featuring the other Dispatch characters, for sure.

(Seriously: where’s the “day in the life of Royd” theme? Or the: “Blonde Blazer saves the day while trying to juggle Z-Team PTO requests” epic?)

(One of the coolest things about Invisimonth was in not only seeing the creations made by participants, but in seeing firsthand the behind-the-scenes processes. For example, the artwork done by z_valentine below. As the artist explained, the scar on Courtney’s shoulder, and surrounding tattoo which incorporates it, was inspired by the concept art drawn by Lap Pun Cheung. So Invisimonth wasn’t just about showing off spectacular works, but also hearing the ideas behind them)

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: And with this atmosphere of support, it would be awesome to see even more collaborations in the future, and also in other fandom events: with artists to artists, writers to writers, and artists to writers.

Because above all, Invisimonth showed me just how fan events such as these are also true celebrations of community. Another chair at the table which helps us all connect and enjoy.

Together.

(And now, to offer some concluding insights. The individual who steered the ship)

richie: Looking back on Invisimonth: now that it’s over genuinely feels nostalgic now. The month went on for so long, but was over too fast at the same time. I couldn’t believe the amount of participation that we had—over 300 entries. When we first started planning the event, I didn’t think that we’d get anywhere near that. So it genuinely meant the world to see everyone come together and create, and share, and bond over this silly little ship.

There were some rocky moments, just because Visi...”dislikers” are loud and persistent, but it was so special to see that we were louder and even more persistent. Honestly, my favorite moment and day was Day One. Just seeing everyone so excited for the month ahead, and how many people created something on that first day was so, so, magical.

(While acknowledging that fandoms can get weird and tribal—such as things go. What is it about Dispatch and Invisimech that they personally like?)

richie: Some may call it an echo chamber, but I am so grateful to have found a group of people who consume these characters and this ship in a similar way to me. And the thing is, it goes beyond Dispatch and Invisimech for me—this community is one that feels like a rarity these days.

We’ve built something where people actually care about one another, have genuine conversations, form inside jokes, and genuinely love one another. That’s something that seems so hard to harbor these days, and I love that we’ve found that because of a ship that is so misunderstood. I love this community, and I’m honored to call these people my friends. (Dramatic, I know!)

(On the work they are personally the most proud of)

richie: I will say, I’m definitely proud of all the work I did during Invisimonth. I didn’t do as much as I wanted to, but I’m glad I got anything done at all! It was nice to get so many sketches and colored pieces done all in a month, and genuinely--Invisimech has been such a great muse for me these past seven months. I haven’t made this much art in such little time before, and I’m proud of it and my progress. Definitely check out @scribbchie on Instagram if you want to follow along! (wink wink)

(Finally: what’s next?)

richie: I won’t give away too much, but I would expect a couple more events from us in the last half of the year, granted that the community is still going strong. They won’t be as elaborate as Invisimonth, but just enough to get us through the post-Invisimonth withdrawals!

And here we are.

So take a bow, Dispatchers. InvisiMechs. Movie buffs. Sour Patch Kids.

Take a bow.

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There was already a line queued in front of Racket NYC on a Thursday. Not a lot of people (yet), but the buzz on that little slice of W 16th Street was undeniable. Something’s up in the air this night, and everyone is ready to celebrate Caroline Kingsbury’s anticipated Shock Treatment Tour as we make our way up the stairs.

It’s been a journey for Caroline, the L.A. based singer-songwriter, who has just wrapped out the North American segment of her first headlining tour. Born in Florida, the artist is known for her full-on 80’s style: plenty of synth, pop rock, vibrant colors, and Bowie-esque sensational makeup. Yet her not-so-secret weapon? Incredible lyrics delivered with powerful, sensational vocals. There is nothing half-hearted here in the House of Kingsbury.

This is a time of unabashed, boundless, energy. Of identity and community. Celebration.

A show I’m positive no one will ever forget.

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Bershy

Attendees were still trickling in when Bershy took to the stage, illuminated in red lights that helped further highlight the roses wrapped around the mic stand.

The Ohio-born artist has seen her career explode in the now six months since her song, “Radio”, became a central theme to indie developer AdHoc Studio’s debut Dispatch. Bershy was clearly soaking in everything: telling the audience just how much of an unreal dream is to open for Caroline Kingsbury, while grateful for the incredible support she has received from fans.

Her set included tracks such as: “Provider”, “Sixty Seconds”, and latest single “Perma”. Sung with a smooth voice that sits at the intersections between thought-provoking, sultry, and get-the-party-started, it really did not take any time for the audience to dive headfirst into the chorus of synth-pop.

One of the highlights included a memorizing cover of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill”, belted with a passion and power that caused the room to lose track of time. And to conclude? The artist, “Saved the best for last!” with the aforementioned “Radio,” performed with a smile that perfectly captured the energy reflected right back from the audience. There were enthusiastic calls for an encore, as music permeated soul with pure light.

And I can’t quite remember the last time I’ve smiled so unabashedly wide.

Caroline Kingsbury

The stage is set. Literally.

An assortment of props: old TV, mannequin head, and boom box help set the tone.

As she takes the stage in a dazzlingly neon bodysuit and music-note patterned leggings, Caroline wastes absolutely no time in sending the now-packed Racket into a fervor. She goes through her discography and demonstrates the magnetic magic of her voice with selections such as: “Chocolate”, “Heaven’s Just A Flight”, “Meteorite”, and “I See God In You”.

This stage is a party, yet one in which the host personally makes sure everyone gets lost in the beat. It’s honestly spellbinding to see Caroline effortlessly switch from acoustic guitar, to electric guitar, to synths, and drums in such dynamic displays. Showcasing how she has been hustling in the industry for a decade, and is more than ready to rock Racket (a venue she has played repeatedly) as the headliner for the first time.

Yet what makes this evening so special is the engagement. Between marathon bursts of energy, Caroline really takes the time to connect with the entire audience. Describing how incredible it is to be back in New York City at this juncture of her career, she makes this a safe space for all. During “Meteorite”, she asks the audience to close their eyes and feel. Dedicating the moment and song to all gay fans in the venue, and to her girlfriend.

And that’s when you feel it. Not some made-for-viral moment, nor any hyper overstimulation. It sits right there, between all of us.

Calm.

Connection.

“Pain and Pleasure” was a heartfelt ode to both heartache and joy, as Caroline describes how the track is a tribute to her late brother. She explains how life brings both feelings to all of us, and we will swing between these moments that touch us in different ways. Dedicating the song to everyone in the audience who has experienced such grief, the moment was a gentle one of quiet reflection. A feeling that’s hard to articulate, but is instantly understood to all who have felt it.

“Alabama” is a recollection of growing up Lesbian while surrounded by deeply entrenched homophobia in the south. Hand selecting six members from the crowd, the group dances while she sings; a celebration of LGBTQ+ community and identity. A gigantic middle finger (with a beaming smile) to any who would try and stifle their voice, but the focus isn’t on hate.

But love.

The night ends with a double thunder of “Kissing Someone Else”- the song Caroline credits everything to. It’s safe to say there wasn’t a single hand that wasn’t in the air as everyone danced and sang along with unfiltered jubilation. Following was “Shock Treatment”; the perfect way to close out this sensational rendition of her “twenty-dollar era”.

Before leaving (and subsequently and confidently marching in the complete opposite direction I needed to go—don’t worry, I also took dreaded NYC Tourist-style pictures to finish strong), I stayed a few minutes longer like everyone else. And the buzz was even more palpable.

Both Bershy and Caroline made jokes during their sets about the merch tables (usually along the lines of: we love capitalism here. Speaking of which, did anyone see all that merchandise just outside those doors there? Just pointing it out, y’know? Just sayin’). Yet it was that lighthearted intimacy that stuck with people.

From both artists sincerely thanking their bands and crew, to Caroline lighting up with joy upon recognizing one of her first ever fans, and Bershy ruefully reminiscing about her last trip to NY (in a subpolar vortex)? One word kept popping into my brain. One that described this night to a tee.

Connection.

I had a pleasant chat with two gentlemen who were behind me during the concert, discussing the show with grins. (If ever a thing gets trademarked, they would both have first dibs on “concert war cries”. And it is as epic as it sounds). But I also noticed so many people stopping by those merchandise tables; not rushing, but talking.

Asking more about Bershy’s discography, and commenting how awesome and perfect Caroline’s Shock Treatment Tour shirts were. It was people of all ages, together, and enjoying something we all shared

Not to wax too poetic, but there is an old proverb about “living in interesting times” that very well explains our world today. (I’m tired, boss). Positive traits seem to be attacked; negative ones becoming more normalized—if not outright celebrated.

Yet that night showed what garbage such a notion is.

Our world is a vortex; yet that night? I saw community and happiness. Celebration. And a poignant reminder that even a single candle can illuminate the night.

Connection.

It had been a long time since I’d last seen live music, but I felt truly lighter after The Shock Treatment Tour. I came for a night of awesome music.

I left with a dance that my feet still are tapping too.

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While the formulate years are a bit fuzzy, Marcus Pfister’s The Rainbow Fish was probably the first piece of artwork that I can clearly and vividly remember. Not so much the plot (in a nutshell: share, don’t be a jerk), but in Pfister’s soft yet vibrant usage of color.

The artists who I’ve been privileged enough to speak with have spoken about how art allows us to connect with one another, while also serving as an expression of our individual selves. A universal language as it were, yet one in which everyone has their own vocabulary.

So when it comes to teaching the next generation how to build their own stories with this syntax?

I can think of no one more suitable than Caterina Giorgi.

The illustrator’s style runs through several ranges of stunning: from hyper-realistic portraitures, manga-anime style pieces, and professional illustrations for children’s books. (28 and counting!!)

For this latest installment of Artist Alley, it was such a joy to talk with Caterina. And hear her story as an illustrator, thoughts on the future, and just how special art has been to her life.

The full array of Caterina’s incredible work can be found at her website: (https://caterinagiorgi.it).

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Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Caterina, first and foremost, than you so much for your time! Could you talk a little about yourself? What made you fall in love and become an artist and illustrator in the first place?

Caterina Giorgi: First of all, thank you so much for having me! My name is Caterina, I’m 29 years old, and I was born and raised in a small countryside town near Florence, Italy. It’s a difficult question because there was never a specific moment. I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember. My parents say I was already drawing at five years old, and I’ve simply never stopped. It’s always felt like a natural path for me. I’ve never really considered doing anything else besides drawing.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Could you talk a bit about your style? You have hyper realistic portraitures, and a strong anime/manga style. Were there any inspirations that helped shape your own identity and evolution as an artist?

Caterina Giorgi: I started very young, drawing portraits of my friends and then copying photos of celebrities I liked. I kept pushing myself to make them more and more realistic and detailed, and I was satisfied with that for a while.

(An example of Caterina’s steady progression from the top image of Johnny Depp, to the below one of Tom Holland. Followed by the others shown throughout this interview).

(Continued from above):

Caterina Giorgi: But at some point, I wanted something more. I wanted to express myself through color and line, not just technical skill. I’ve always been self-taught, I never took formal lessons.

It was like a constant challenge between me and myself!

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Are there any long time, or recent, fandoms that you truly are a fan of? What is it about these examples that make them so meaningful for you?

Caterina Giorgi: I grew up watching Heidi and Dragon Ball, which deeply influenced my style. As I got older, I fell in love with Miyazaki’s films, and only later did I discover that he had worked on Heidi. I even tried to draw like him. And now, as an adult, you can clearly see his influence in my work!

More recently, I discovered Arcane and completely fell in love with its characters, lighting, and the strong personality conveyed through their design.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Now you’re also a children’s book illustrator, and a teacher. Just what was that feeling like, to see a project you’ve worked on get published and available in stores? In your opinion, just what is the best thing about being a teacher?

Caterina Giorgi: Seeing my first book published was incredible! I was still a student, and it felt magical. Even now, after 28 published books, I still get emotional when I see them available online or in bookstores!

That first publication felt like it would never come. It seemed like an unreachable dream. But once it happened, more opportunities followed, and I’m truly grateful for that.

Caterina Giorgi: Being a teacher is also amazing! I love helping my students and trying to support them, like scaffolding. Until one day, like a building, they’ll be able to stand on their own without my help.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: In your experiences, how is the landscape changing for artists?

Caterina Giorgi: Unfortunately, we are living in a dark time to be an artist. I’m grateful that I had my opportunity before the rise of AI, because now there is a significant drop in demand…And it’s honestly very sad.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Out of everything you’ve done: what would you say has been the most challenging?

Caterina Giorgi: It might sound silly, but my biggest challenge has been speaking in front of a camera, and attending events as a guest. I’m very shy and insecure, and speaking in front of others has always been difficult for me.

Let me draw, but please don’t make me talk!!!

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Finally, what does art mean for you? Why do you feel it is so important, personally speaking?

Caterina Giorgi: Art has the power to connect people and, above all, to express who we are. It’s incredible how humans have found this way to communicate when words fail, like in my case.

Caterina Giorgi: That’s also why I feel sad and discouraged about AI. People are no longer amazed by what an artist can do, because AI can do it in two seconds, and often very well. But they forget that AI is only “good” because it learned from artists, who have spent their entire lives developing their skills!

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Just what is it about fantasy that continues to so utterly enthrall us?

Is there something timeless and limitless about magic, swords, and dragons? Something from the past that continues to evolve, inspiring and creating whole new worlds?

Is it that while imagination is limitless, fantasy provides such a road for our creativity to wonder? Both an avenue of escapism, and a view through the looking glass?

Could it also be that fantasy as a genre is just really, really, cool?

These last words don’t do Veronica O’Neill justice, but then it’s unclear if any words can.

The illustrator’s work has a vibrant, wonderous quality; and can be found featured in a variety of formats, including: book covers, TTRPGs, video games, and board games. (All of which definitely should be checked out!)

It was a true honor to the opportunity to speak with Veronica, and hear about her creative process, perspectives on fantasy, and thoughts about the landscape facing artists today.

Veronica’s stunning work can be found at her website (voneill.art), bsky, and Instagram.

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Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Could you talk a bit about yourself?! What inspired you to become an illustrator? When did you seriously decide to follow that road, professionally?

Veronica O’Neill: Art has always been such an important part of my life and I still have sketches from back when I was five years old, trying my best to create characters and creatures for the fantasy worlds in my head. I think a lot of my early inspiration from art came from the fantasy novels I was reading. I loved picturing the epic journeys that the characters would go on, and wanted to bring that to life in a visual form.

The choice to pursue art professionally came at a much later junction in my life, just after I graduated from university. I realized that art was something so vitally important to me that I wanted to create for the rest of my life! Up until this point, I’d believed the only actual career path for an artist was in the fine arts / gallery scene, which wasn’t quite where I felt my art fit. It came as a surprise to me one day to discover that folks were out there working as freelancers, creating art for books, games and more. I wasn’t sure at that point if it was a realistic goal but I knew I had to at least try—now 7 years on, here I am!

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: What is it about the fantasy genre in general that captivates you? Were there any specific inspirations that you feel had an influence on your work?

Veronica O’Neill: There’s something so fun about fantasy. I truly wanted to be that kid that found a dragon egg and went on a journey across the land! That then naturally grew into a love of fantasy art. One particular artist I remember as a kid is Shirley Barber, who painted just the most beautiful fantasy illustrations in some books I owned. I really adored all of James Gurney’s art for Dinotopia and Graeme Base’s Animalia. You can also see the exact moment in time that I got the first of the Dragonology books, as my art style took a sharp turn towards replicating what I saw in them. I absolutely loved all that art!!

I think an artist’s style, and their choice of subject, often gives away a lot of information on their inspirations at any given point. You can truly track my own inspirations over time via my art - from fantasy novels to Dragonology, then onto anime, and finally TTRPGs. Today I draw so much inspiration from a wide range of artists that there isn’t any one particular thing I can point to as being ‘the inspiration’, but rather my art still remains an amalgamation of what I love (much of that still being the fantasy genre).

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Your work has a very detailed and stylistic, ethereal feel to them. Do you have any particular approaches when starting a new piece?

Veronica O’Neill: I absolutely love the early stages of a piece where the idea for the artwork is still nebulous and can go in so many different directions. When starting, I like to create what I call a “Vibe sheet” which is just a fancy name for a reference doc where I gather together 10 images that fit the ‘vibe’ I am aiming for with the piece. This helps me nail down the initial emotional core of an artwork and can include photos or art, ranging from colour inspirations to compositional ideas. It’s a great base that I can return to (or adjust) at a later point to keep me on track with the initial idea. Then I like to go wild with the sketches and do lines that detail general composition ideas. I’ll sketch out somewhere in the range of 20-30, and then take my favourites of those ideas and block them out further. I love doing really messy sketches and I find I often naturally lean towards dramatic angles, poses, and lighting. It’s just what I love to paint!

Here’s a great example of the start to the end of a piece:

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: As a professional illustrator, what would you say are some of the biggest joys, and rewarding aspects of your career? And on the flip side, what are some of the biggest changes/challenges facing artists today?

Veronica O’Neill: One thing that truly still makes me so happy is seeing how much joy I can bring through my art! Growing up, I fell head first into loving so many stories that others created. I was inspired by all the forms of art I consumed, whether that was a book, a movie, or an illustration. It’s so wonderful to get to do that now from the other side and create visual art that provokes an emotion. Sometimes, that is creating character art for an author who gets to see their story brought to life for the first time in an image. Other times that means painting a piece of fanart that captures a certain feeling. Every email I get from a client that is happy with the work I’ve painted for them is so rewarding. Just as equally lovely are the moments at conventions where I see someone stop in their tracks to openly admire a print I have.

Another thing I love is helping out newer artists. I’m so passionate about art as a creative field and hobby that I hope everyone gets to experience it at some point in their life! I’m a firm believer that anyone can paint and create, sometimes all it takes is time and a push in the right direction. I hope moving further into my career that I am increasingly in a place to offer advice and assistance to others; to help them out on their own art journeys!

However, much as I adore what I do, I won’t sugarcoat it and say that things are always great for artists. Freelancing can be tough and filled with an instability that can be mentally demanding. That of course has become even more challenging after the inception of generative AI.

There is also the general assumption that to be a successful artist you need a large online following as well, and social media is a constantly changing landscape, filled with incredible artists that can make it hard to feel like you are being noticed. I think it’s even more important now as an artist to find what you love about art and keep doing that, almost in spite of everything else.

Your creative thoughts matter. Your creativity matters. Your art is important.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Now as someone who loved your interpretation cover art for The Will of the Many (I’m still trying to process The Strength of the Few): What are some of the pieces that have been the most meaningful for you?

Veronica O’Neill: Aren’t we all still trying to process The Strength of the Few?! I really do hope I’ll have the time to work on a piece for it soon!

For my existing work, there are multiple pieces that come to mind - some marking milestones in my professional career, and others important as tributes to things that have influenced me as an artist. There’s a dragon piece from 2021 that was inspired by a D&D campaign that I was running at the time. You might notice it looks familiar as it is used as my display pic on all my socials. This artwork was a big turning point in my professional skills, and really helped prove to myself that “Yes, I can do this.” It makes me so happy that it still resonates with folks today, and is one that others often pull out as their favourite piece from my portfolio.

Another one that comes to mind is a fanart piece of the game Sea of Thieves. This artwork was my first ‘viral’ piece, and helped me become one of the known fan artists in the community a few years back. Little did I know that this piece would end up hanging on the walls at Rare (the company behind Sea of Thieves), and lead to so many new friends, opportunities and lifelong memories! I ended up co-running an art community, travelling all the way to the UK from Australia to give a talk on my art and meet the folks behind the game, and get commissioned for licensed merch!

Finally, a more recent one would be my Dragonology artwork which was painted as a tribute to the books that influenced my childhood. The most recent convention I attended had so many folks coming up to my table and telling all about their childhood memories of those books! It was truly a connection in those moments like no other.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: What do you hope someone feels when looking at your work? Are there any goals you’re looking ahead towards? And finally: personally speaking, just what does art mean to you, and what do you feel makes it so meaningful?

Veronica O’Neill: There’s something so fundamentally human about art in all its forms. And I hope that when people look at my work, they feel the care and love that goes into what I do. I hope it also inspires them creatively!

As for my own goals, I mentioned above that I’d love to provide support and assistance for newer artists in discovering their creativity—which is something I have plans for moving forward. I hope to provide talks at events about my experience as a professional artist, as well as creating a mentorship for those interested so I can provide some structured learning. I would also love to one day work as an Art Director in either book publishing or TTRPGs, so that I can hire artists myself and provide them with work!

Finally, art for me is an expression of what I see and love about the world around me. It’s a way of interacting with life by creating something - by showcasing what you resonate with and turning it into a piece of art that expresses you as a person. This counts for even the fantastical pieces! It’s why I always talk about how important it is for people to do art, whatever that means to them, so that they can learn about themselves and return a bit of that love to the world.

Happy creating everyone!

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Find the Codex (Send Message)

When I get the chance to talk with someone for an interview, I’ll typically ask something which I’ve half-jokingly dubbed the “Hall E Question”. It varies, but really aims to explore this central issue of fandom. Namely—why?

Why does it connect us?

And in a more specific interpretation of the question: Why do we feel such a joy when seeing others cosplay, or when we cosplay ourselves?

Perhaps it’s because cosplay can become this time when we celebrate the bonds that connect us. Not to wax philosophical, but it is true that communication in the 21st century is a strange thing. Theoretically, it should be the absolute easiest it has ever been. Connection readily able to break thorough isolation.

Yet the reality? Well, it’s far, far, messier.

But cosplay is an activity in which we slow down, soaking in everything around us: the sights, the costumes, and the feeling of joy which accompanies all this. Celebrating these things which connect us; championing the differences which also connect us.

Giving compliments.

Having conversations.

Building bonds.

Making friendships.

So it was an absolute blast to have this chance to talk with Steven and Odette. Besides for their clear and obvious love for cons, especially during those special times of the year when the Javits Center is bouncing? The duo readily showcase this important communal feature of cosplay.

It’s always incredible.

And doing so with your friends makes it even more freakin’ awesome.

(And yes. The “g” is omitted for emphasis).

Steven and Odette can be found on Instagram ( o_s.cosplay).

It should also be noted that all the photos for this installment of Cosplay Avenue are the works of Stefanie Candelario. Her incredible portfolio can be found on her website, as well as her beacons.ai page.

After reading the interview, ride like the wind and check everything out!

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Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Firstly: Steven, Odette? Thank you both so much for your time! Could you talk a bit about yourselves? What are some of your favorite fandoms, and what lead you to cosplay?

Steven: Hi! My name is Steven, and some of my favorite fandoms include: Dragon Ball, Demon Slayer, Solo Leveling, Studio Ghibli films, etc.

I’ve been attending conventions since 2014, and funnily enough, I didn’t think cosplaying was all that interesting at first. But after trying it just once, I was hooked! Seeing how creative and passionate everyone was, and being able to express their love for certain characters and series, completely changed my perspective.

What also really drew me in was the connection people made with others through cosplay. You can instantly bond with others who recognize your cosplay, or are dressed as characters from the same series. That sense of community is what really motivated me, and made me want to be a part of it.

Odette: Hello!! My name is Odette. I am currently a 26 year old structural design engineer from NYC. Listing out a favorite fandom is probably the hardest question for me! My favorite consistent anime fandom has to be: AOT, Noragami, Sailor Moon, Yu-Yu Hakusho, Snow White with the Red Hair, and Saiki K. My current favorite has to be The Apothecary Diaries. I started cosplaying I believe at my first convention, a couple of years ago.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: How did you guys meet? Was there already a shared interest in comic cons and the like, or was that something you jumped into later?

Steven: Odette and I met in college and have been friends ever since. I actually invited her to her first comic con where she saw me in cosplay, which ended up inspiring her to try it as well. From there, one thing led to another, and we eventually started cosplaying together.

As we kept going, our shared love for cosplay really grew and blended together, which made the experience even more exciting. It’s been amazing to build that passion side by side with a good friend and continue growing from there!

Odette: Steven and I met in college and were part of the same friend group since freshman year. We both studied engineering and our friends would often hang out in the common areas. Steven had been going to conventions way longer than I have. I remember in college he would often invite us to conventions or anime pop ups. 2020 was when I went to my first convention with Steven and a couple of our other friends. Now almost 10 years since first meeting, we are still good friends, planning out our cosplays for this year!

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: The first time(s) you went to Anime NYC and NYCC—what were your impressions? Do any memories stand out as being among some of your favorites?

Steven: The first time I went to NYCC was in 2014, and my first Anime NYC was in 2018. Honestly, my reaction to both was the same; I felt like a kid walking into a giant candy store for the first time!

I’ve always been a collector of anime, shows, movies, video games—really anything I’m passionate about! So being in such a huge space filled with those things was incredible. On top of that, being surrounded by people who shared those same interests—and seeing all the unique items and creativity—made it even more special. I still remember the excitement, it honestly felt like fireworks going off in my chest!

One of my favorite early NYCC memories really captures that feeling. One year, the FUNimation booth had members of the Dragon Ball Super cast, and was giving out tickets for a signed poster. My high school friend and I were nearby, trying to figure out what was going on. And when we realized tickets were required, we were pretty bummed.

Out of nowhere, a father and his son, complete strangers, noticed us and offered us their extra tickets. That small act of kindness meant a lot, and it’s something I’ve never forgotten!

Odette: I have heard of Anime NYC and Comic Con from Steven for a couple of years, but my first ever convention was in 2020. I dressed up as Velma from Scooby Doo. I remember specifically I had an online class that morning so once we entered, I parked myself in a corner to finish the class.

Another cosplayer noticed me and said that was “so Velma” and asked for a photo! That was probably one of my favorite interactions to this day! Seeing everyone having so much fun and admiring their cosplays made me excited to see what future conventions would hold. I have been hooked ever since! Even the process of thinking on what to cosplay is enjoyable.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: It’s obviously always an exciting time to head to a convention. Many people obviously don’t attend that many in a given year; some go as often as they can! Regardless of frequency: could you talk a bit about that anticipation and excitement after buying tickets for a con? Form your perspectives, what is it about conventions that captures our imaginations?

Steven: Once the tickets are bought, time somehow starts to move slower, in the best way possible. The anticipation really builds as the convention gets closer, whether it’s Anime NYC or NYCC. You start budgeting, planning out cosplay ideas, thinking about what booths you want to attend, or actors you want to meet...it’s all part of the fun during that waiting period.

I think what really makes conventions special is that they create a space where people can truly be themselves. In a way, it’s similar to how people describe Disney World as “the happiest place on earth." There’s this feeling of stepping into a different world and reconnecting with that sense of excitement and creativity. Conventions offer that same kind of safe space, where everyone is free to express what they love, and feel completely accepted.

Odette: After buying tickets, Steven and I usually try to figure out our duo cosplays a couple weeks after. Just bouncing ideas is really fun, especially since we tend to think of different anime for cosplaying. I am assuming most people can relate when I say this, but: maybe 10 or more years ago, when I first got interested in the anime/manga world? Watching anime and reading manga was not as popular as it is today!

The idea of having a dedicated convention makes the whole experience magical, and a lot of people have been able to find their own community within this world! Anime and manga has grown so much since then, especially with the help of social media. Which hopefully means more content for all of us to take in and be a part of.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Now whether it’s cosplaying with a friend, meeting other people, or just attending conventions in general: what makes the cosplay community so unique in your opinions? Personally speaking, just what does this community mean to you?

Steven: What makes the cosplay community so unique, in my opinion, is the level of creativity and skill it brings out in people. It’s incredible to see what individuals or groups can create. Taking something from an anime, movie, or show and bringing it to life in such detailed and imaginative ways. Being able to share that with others who understand and appreciate it makes the experience even more rewarding.

For the longest time, I wanted a platform where I could express my passion for cosplay, and this community has given me exactly that! The support, the friendships, and the constant inspiration from others are what make it so meaningful. It’s more than just dressing up: it’s about connecting, creating, and growing alongside people who share the same love for it!

Odette: As you can already tell, my favorite part about going to conventions is seeing everyone’s cosplay! Even if I see the same character on 1000 people, each person will have their own unique interpretation of the character and dress accordingly. Seeing those differences is what makes conventions so much fun!

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Finally, why do you feel fandoms, and the celebration of them, are so important? Glancing ahead at 2026, what are some of the plans and ideas you both are looking forward to?

Steven: I feel that fandoms, and celebrating them, are so important because they create a sense of community and connection. Not only are you showing appreciation for the creators, artists, and storytellers behind these worlds, but you’re also connecting with others who share that same passion. It builds a space where people can express that love openly, almost like a second family. The more people who celebrate, the more: ideas, creativity, and inspiration continue to grow within the community.

Looking ahead to 2026, we’re always excited to explore the main show floor and Artist Alley, to see what new and creative things people bring each year. When it comes to cosplay, we always challenge ourselves to top what we did the year before, while still trying something new and unique. This year, we’re actually stepping a bit outside of anime and leaning more into a video game cosplay… but you’ll have to wait and see! (shush gesture)

Odette: Fandom brings in a sense of community. Celebrating through means of convention shows our support to the community and the artistry of anime, manga, cosplays, and everything in between.

I am very excited for this year's cosplay! Steven had already made a comment but our characters come from a video game this time. I also can't wait to buy all the new trinkets to place on my desk!

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PLAY BALL (Send a Message)

The 200th episode of Stargate SG-1 was a self-aware love letter to the fans of the series. Celebrating (and poking gently fun at) many of the troupes that existed not only in the show, but televised science fiction in general.

Yet at the very end, amidst all the camp and humor, was a brief monolog. Spoken by actor Herbert Duncanson (himself playing a parody of Christopher Judge’s Teal’c), the words hit a very serious and thought provoking note.

“Science fiction is an existential metaphor that allows us to tell stories about the human condition. Isaac Asimov once said, ‘Individual science fiction stories may seem as trivial as ever to the blinded critics and philosophers of today, but the core of science fiction, its essence, has become crucial to our salvation, if we are to be saved at all.’”

Heavy stuff. Yet it also perfectly demonstrated how both the light and serious can coexist side by side.

Marcin Karaś is an illustrator whose love for sci-fi is clearly evident in his works. Far from being a monument to all our sins, they are in fact stunning and colorful celebrations. Offering an unbridled enthusiasm for the genre, displayed in full glory.

It was a privilege to talk to him about his work, and to discuss that very human wonder that exists at the core of even the most fantastical of stories and settings.

Be sure to check out his Linktree and see for yourself!

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Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Thanks so much for your time! To start: what prompted you to take up illustration? When did you start drawing?

Marcin Karaś: I feel like this is probably the simplest story. I’ve been drawing since I was a little kid. Grabbing crayons and pencils and drawing: animals, knights, cars—anything that came to mind. My dad ran the family business—a printing house—and I was never short of paper! (laughs)

I didn’t have my first Wacom Bamboo tablet until I was around 21. Previously, I only drew traditionally. I took drawing classes, I drew shapes and still life—everything that prepares you for art studies. I didn’t go to art school until I was 26, before that I just took up computer graphics and worked in that industry. Learning Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and making illustrations after hours.

I always wanted to draw more and more, everything! I was inspired by American comics, Japanese animation, and games. I absorbed these worlds: Japanese Daimos, Tekkaman, Star Wars, and the Halo games. Later, I tried drawing things from these media with varying degrees of success. I’ve always loved mechs, big robots, or just people in armor fighting some space invaders. I was such a pop culture geek, probably since elementary school, or even earlier! (laughs)

I think all these things influenced my drawing. That, and the desire to push myself: the desire to draw something, but not succeeding in the way I liked. Which prompted constant research on how to draw something, and how to be better overall.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Did you have any influences when you first started your work? How would you describe your style, in your own words? Do you have any particular process or approach when starting a new piece?

Marcin Karaś: As I mentioned earlier, I love games, comics, and movies—I think that’s what’s had the biggest influence on me. I absorbed those worlds—the design of vehicles, characters, and creatures, as well as the landscapes—from Japanese animation to American films.

I remember when I got my hands on the artbook for Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. It was 2005, and it was a shock to me to see how everything was designed down to the smallest detail. Of course, I knew Star Wars back then; I loved those movies for how they built a world through design. Yet seeing it from behind the scenes really got me excited about drawing. I just didn’t understand how they created it—how anyone could come up with such complex and memorable things.

My style in line art is more of a mix between American comic book art and Japanese manga. I love how Japanese artists draw robots and use those big blocks of shading. Since Japanese manga is mostly black and white, shading plays a bigger role to bring out the form of a robot. In American comics, we have color; so here it depends more on the artist’s style whether the shading is stronger or not.

I love drawing forms with sharp shapes and edges—less naturalistic and more man-made, resulting from the production and assembly of specific elements. I really enjoy shading it later with large patches, figuring out which direction the light is coming from and how it illuminates a given object. While varying the line thickness; it also gives a quick result.

I’m not a fan of spending a long time on a single drawing. I like to finish something in a couple of afternoons or evenings. If something drags on and I don’t see quick results, I know that’s not the way to go. Sometimes you have to change the idea or jump to another project. As for the process behind creating my work: since I mostly draw fan art, I like to observe the design in games—helmets, weapons, details. Ideas often come to me while playing a game or, for example, reading comics or books. I jot them down for later—I have this long list. I definitely won’t have enough time to draw it all, (laughs) but it’s a good starting point for further work! People who commission drawings also contribute ideas; honestly, the community has the best ideas! 🙂

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Now, obviously, you’re a huge Halo fan. Before diving into that: what is it about sci-fi in general that you love? What are some of your other favorite franchises?

Marcin Karaś: I think what appeals to me most in science fiction is the depiction of other worlds—not always hospitable ones—but also humanity’s confrontation with alien forms. Confrontations with other beings in the galaxy, whatever else it encounters out there, or even with itself.

Of course, there’s also technology: ships, mechs, vehicles, and weapons. I love this question: what if we actually did reach some alien place, what would we find there? Contemporary pop culture rarely draws on concepts like those in Alien. More often, we deal just with either humans or mostly humanoid aliens, which is understandable from a narrative perspective. It’s easier that way, as in Star Wars, for example.

My home country is the birthplace of the writer Stanisław Lem, who wrote many great books that approach the sci-fi genre differently. I’ll admit that I didn’t discover him until quite late, after I’d already become well-versed in the more mainstream take on science fiction. It completely turned my perception of the entire genre upside down and surprised me! Not everything Lem wrote can be visualized in a spectacular way as a movie, which is why you so rarely hear about his novels other than Solaris. However, I love his novels Eden and The Invincible.

That’s exactly what draws me to science fiction. A person encounters something alien in a new world; and it’s precisely their reaction, and that encounter, that isn’t always so obvious.

When it comes to other well-known franchises, I love: the 2003 TV series Battlestar Galactica—it’s one of the best sci-fi series ever, in my opinion. The Mobile Suit Gundam series, whose animation is phenomenal and whose robot battles in space are breathtaking. Ghost in the Shell—the first two movies. Destiny by Bungie—it’s super convoluted, but the lore is captivating. And recently, Marathon from the same studio—the world and the whole setting are very immersive.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: In your opinion, what is it about the genre that continues to captivate so many people around the world?

Marcin Karaś: I think people have always been fascinated by the unknown—and, at the same time, a little scared of it. Sci-fi, or drawing on science, tries to show us these “what if” scenarios in a more accessible and artistic way. And, of course, to help us escape the dreary reality. Slowly but surely, some of these things are starting to come true!😅🙌

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Looking at Halo: what is it about the franchise that has captivated you? Do you have any favorite moments or characters? Did you ever try the fabled “Halo 2 No Death on Legendary” run?

Marcin Karaś: Like I said, I love alien worlds in games, movies, and books. I love exploring those worlds and discovering the secrets they hold.

Halo: CE was probably the first game I played—back then on PC—that transported me to a mysterious ring; I’d never seen anything like it before. Even Star Wars didn’t have that air of mystery back then. That whole atmosphere, the fragment of the ring hanging overhead, plus the unique design of the Covenant ships—their rounded shape and that purple color—it was something completely new, and I was hooked! My favorite moment is landing on the beach in the “Silent Cartographer” mission; when I think of Halo, that’s the first thing that comes to mind. I like Buck from the ODST series for his laid-back vibe.

I’ve only ever played different parts of Halo on Legendary difficulty with friends; never alone, and never with skulls. I like playing through the game for the story and the scenery, never for the challenge.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: What is some of your work that you’re most proud of? How has your work evolved over your career?

Marcin Karaś: That’s probably the hardest question! (laughs) I think I’m most proud of the ones where I don’t see any major mistakes, and don’t feel like there’s anything else I could have improved! As time goes on, you keep growing and realize there are things you could have done differently. Luckily, I’ve been doing that lately—I’m giving myself more time to finish my work. I’m most proud of the pieces I’ve done recently because I haven’t gotten too used to them yet, and they haven’t gotten boring! (laughs)

I try to raise the bar for myself; try something new. And see the progress which then makes me happy. The last two pieces on my Instagram related to Halo (Master Chief with the word “Blast”, and the Spartan with the katana) make me the proudest, because they took more effort.

I think my art used to be more general; I feel like it was always in “sketching” mode—preparing and never quite finished. Since I’ve been drawing more sci-fi and fan art, it’s become more focused on a single theme and mostly digital, which is more satisfying. I used to draw more traditionally, but now I mainly draw digitally.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Finally: just what is it about art that you feel builds connections and community?

Marcin Karaś: I think that the ability to create art—and fan art in particular—really helps build a sense of connection. We create art based on something we love, something that excites us, and in doing so? We communicate that to others and share our passion. There’s probably nothing better than creating things that resonate with others, moves them, fosters a sense of connection, and sparks discussion. Art encourages interaction, connects us with others, and that’s awesome!

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Running Riot! (Send Message)

Regardless of experience, cosplay is undeniably a craft of joy.

Besides being a celebration of the fandoms we love—a statement of community, shared passions, and acceptance—they are oftentimes a demonstration of dedication.

And it definitely takes dedication to take that passion and turn it into a career.

Maoh Cosplay has been doing just that: putting the blood, sweat, and tears into growing her business. All while keeping that same level of joy that made her fall in love with an activity she discovered a decade ago—all by chance.

Actually, scratch that first part.

The joy level has definitely grown.

It was such a privilege to hear her talk about her craft and journey—and an inspiring one at that.

Maoh can be found at @maoh.cosplay as well as her website. Be sure to head on over!

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Could you talk a little about yourself? What was it that made you fall in love with cosplay?

Maoh Cosplay: My name is Maoh, and I’ve been a professional cosplayer for 2 years, but I’m been cosplaying since 2016.

I remember the first time I went to a convention. I was in high school, and my two best friends took me to an anime convention in our city. They lent me a wig and a Japanese school uniform without really knowing what I was gonna do. I saw all these people, dressed up, role playing in some my favorite childhood characters. I really remember this Power Rangers group, making a lot of noise, but in a playful way. It was awesome!!

That night, when I came home, that was it. I was already planning to make my own costume!!

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Hall E Culture and Cosplay: What was your first cosplay event? How was your cosplay evolved and changed since you first started?

Maoh Cosplay: My first event was Anim’Est in Nancy, back in 2016. When I started, there was not as much tutorials and materials widely available. So I had to learn everything by myself! My dad helped me a lot with basic crafts and electronics for my first costumes. Today, I can make all of these by myself!!

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: When did you decide to be a professional cosplayer? What are some of the best things about your career?

Maoh Cosplay: Two years ago I was in college, studying a degree I was not interested in. I didn’t know what to do after college. The only hobby I ever loved that much was cosplay.

During my degree, I was writing my master dissertation about Cosplay. And by the end of the scholar year, I realized that—maybe? I could make a living out of it?

After a few months of thinking, I finally opened my business.

The best thing is that I can enjoy my hobby and live (or at least try, laughs) from it! I get to meet a lot of incredible people, and I can help make this job and career legggit!!

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Conversely, what are some of the challenges? What are some of the difficulties that you feel doesn’t get enough attention?

Maoh Cosplay: Like I said just before, this job is not taken seriously, yet. Too many people see artistic jobs just as passion jobs. Or something that should not be paid. But, we are working, and trying to make a living out of this.

And I don’t even talk about the fast fashion brands, like DokiDokiCosplay or Aliexpress. Brands that sell costumes and props really cheap do not make things easy. So because of that fast fashion expectation, it’s hard to explain our prices to customers.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Now, you’re obviously a huge Arcane fan! What was it about the series that captivated you?

Maoh Cosplay: I love Riot Games! So yes, when Arcane came out, I was really hyped!

I’ve play League of Legends since 2016, and love how they portrayed Jinx. She was really well written. (Unlike the game! I didn’t like the “Harley Quinn” kinda crazy girl). Arcane talks about a lot of great and heavy topics, plus the animation is godlike. And since I love League, it was obvious I was gonna like it! (laughs)

I wanted to cosplay Jinx because I like to play her in the game!! I loved her in Arcane, and absolutely loved her new outfit!! So thanks to Arcane, I could finally cosplay as her!

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: In regards to cosplay contests and competition, what keeps you excited for such events? On that note, could you talk about your experience at Poro Cosplay Cup? How did feel to win first place in 2024?

Maoh Cosplay: I still participate in cosplay contests; not because I want to win, but because I love being on stage. That’s when I can finally give life to my costumes! I love meeting people in backstage and sharing these amazing moments with them. I honestly learn so much from them!

I entered the Pöro Cosplay Cup in June 2024. We had to finish a new costume by September! It was really a challenge for me, since it was a lot of sewing work. (I really hate sewing.) But I managed to make everything in time! Since it was an online contest, we had to take photos of our costumes. So we went under the rain to get the perfect shot! (My character was Milio: Rain Shepherd).

The pictures turned out great with the rain! But unfortunately, it ruined my boots and the huge bag since I primed them with a water based primer (laughs). But it was worth it!!

The greatest thing about this, which I’m most proud of? Was to see one of these pictures from the photo shoot printed and displayed by the Riot Games booth at Paris Games Week 2024!

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Finally, what helps you avoid burnout, and keep that love of cosplaying? In your own experiences, how does cosplay built a sense of connection and community? And what does this connection mean to you, personally speaking?

Maoh Cosplay: To avoid burnout, I usually stop crafting when it starts to annoy me a lot. I’ll let it cool for the night. But sometimes, I don’t have that choice, so I’ll just keep with it. That makes it really hard sometimes!

Cosplay is a hobby where I see a lot of people helping each other. In the contest backstage? Everyone helps! You broke something on your costume? I have a needle and some thread!

On the internet, you can see a lot of tutorials and tips. We are like a big family. Of course, some people are not like that. Like in every hobby, some of them are more competitive or like to gatekeep. But it’s a minority in my opinion.

This particular sense of help was wonderful to help me grow as a person, and as a cosplayer. Thanks to all of these people, I could learn new skills and make new friends. I wouldn’t be who I am today without them!

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Light the Flare (Send Message)

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, cosplay (shockingly, a blend word of costume and play) is defined as such:

As far as definitions go, it’s pretty spot on. To the point, accurate, and something that everyone can understand immediately.

Yet it’s also lacking. For while it can explain what cosplay is, it doesn’t really define what it is.

It doesn’t describe that spark when someone finds inspiration, that feeling when deciding, “Yeah—I’m totally doing this.” Nor can it describe the joy of looking at your finished work, and feeling that sense of accomplishment intermingled with genuine pride. Something that sits just below the surface, piercing deep.

Thankfully, while the dictionary might not be able to distill such emotions? ToxieKat is readily up for such a task.

It was a true delight to hear about their story—which firmly reinforced something that, sometimes, can be too easily lost in the bustle, noise, or (ridiculous) gatekeeping. Namely: that cosplay truly is for everybody. And as such, is an incredible and limitless avenue.

That’s the point. And that’s a fact that should never, ever, be forgotten.

Ashley can be found on: Instagram (@toxiekat), TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

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Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Firstly, thanks so much for all your time! To start, could you talk a bit about yourself? What are some of your all time favorite fandoms, and what got you into cosplay in the first place?

ToxieKat: Sure! I'm Ashley Kong, known as ToxieKat in the cosplay space! I've been cosplaying for 14 years. I have been a part of COUNTLESS fandoms over the years, but some of my all time favourite fandoms are: Tolkien (Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit), Star Wars, Comics (DC and Marvel specifically), Critical Role, and some videogame fandoms such as Five Nights at Freddy's. I've loosely known about cosplay since I was probably around 8 years old or even younger—growing up playing video games on Steam, and just growing up online in those early online spaces. My mother has always gone big on Halloween for her costume and ours (me and my brothers) when growing up. So costumes have always been an important thing in my life. In 2010, I wanted to cosplay Aqua from Kingdom Hearts when that game was released but I was SO young and didn't know how to sew. And fandom costumes were MUCH harder to find back then. Not too long after that, I fell in love with Vocaloid and bought a Len Kagamine cosplay on eBay. The rest is history.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: What was the first convention that you decided to attend in cosplay? Do any memories stand out as a favorite from that debut, or any time since?

ToxieKat: The first convention I attended in cosplay (which was also my first con in general) was New York Comic Con 2012! My whole family went with me. I remember cosplaying Len Kagamine from Vocaloid, and getting extremely excited when I ran into a Rin Kagamine cosplayer. I also remember watching the costume contest that year, which may have just been a walk-on contest. (I’m not sure if they did craftsmanship contests back then.) But from that moment, I knew I wanted to be onstage in a cosplay contest one day.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Now with a BFA in Costume Design and your experiences, would you say your work has changed or evolved over time? Any favorite (or unexpected!) lessons learned along the way?

ToxieKat: Oh absolutely. I was already kind of improving before my formal education, but after it, the difference is truly night and day.

Studying Costume Design in college introduced me to many techniques and materials I might not have otherwise encountered. I learned how to drape, draft patterns, sew mockups, and do millinery. But my favourite part? Was studying abroad in London and working briefly with, and inspecting, historical clothing at the School of Historical Dress for a short period of time. And because it was all theater education, I learned how to work very quickly!

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Whether it’s a character you’ve cosplayed before, or one that is brand new, what do you consider to be the most exciting part of the process? I know it’s always “that” question, but: which of your projects have been the most meaningful to you?

ToxieKat: I don’t know if I have a “favourite” part of the process, to be honest. I find joy out of every part! Planning, building, and the final product. Planning is definitely the most exciting time—imagining how it’ll look in the end. The final is definitely the most gratifying. Building is a TON of fun, even if hiccups are bound to happen.

For which project has been the most meaningful... probably both Nightcrawler (X-Men) and Jak (Jak and Daxter). Both have ties to my childhood. Jak is a love letter to my brothers, and Nightcrawler is the same for my mom! My brothers, dad, and mom got me into video games—but my brothers were obsessed with Jak and Daxter, and I have very fond memories playing the games with them. And my mom is the biggest X-Men fan I know, and she’s always loved Nightcrawler (even though Gambit is her favourite!). But to be honest, most of my cosplays have meaning to me. I often cosplay characters with whom I have strong connections or ties.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: You’re a big believer that cosplay is for everyone. Now while it speaks for itself, is there any advice for beginners to not feel so intimidated? In your experiences, is there advice anyone—regardless of experience—can keep in mind to avoid feeling overwhelmed, or discouraged?

ToxieKat: Always remember that everyone starts somewhere. I was a completely self taught cosplayer and artist. I could NOT draw, I could not sew; everything looked awful and I didn’t know what I was doing. But for over a decade I have nonstop practiced drawing and crafting, received an education, watched countless tutorials, and researched extensively. No matter where you start, you can always improve if you put in the work.

Don’t compare yourself to a master level cosplayer, because they (most likely) didn’t start out making such high level cosplays.

Everyone’s life is on a different timeline as well. So if you’re in your forties and want to try cosplaying, don’t let seeing a 19-year-old professional cosplayer discourage you because you feel it’s “too late.” That’s untrue.

And vice versa! If you’re 16 years old, and see a master level cosplayer with impeccable craftsmanship? Keep in mind that master level cosplayer is possibly MUCH older than you, and has had countless years to sharpen their skills. You still have time.

Take it slow, and enjoy the journey!

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: And finally: what is it about fandoms, and cosplay in general, that helps to build such a sense of community? What does cosplay and this community mean to you, personally speaking? Looking ahead, what are you most excited for?

ToxieKat: Many cosplayers, and just people who flock to fandoms, tend to feel ostracized by society. Whether that’s LGBTQ, Neurodivergent, etc. So, if you can find a community that not only welcomes many people with similar life experiences? But also shares your love for the same shows, games, and movies? You tend to stick around. Now add that layer of cosplay and you have people with whom you can: share tips and tricks, cheer each other on in competitions, and make silly videos.

I basically grew up in fandom and nerdy spaces. I started gaming in online spaces around 7 or 8 years old—definitely too young for those spaces, but the internet was the wild west! And even before then, my mom raised me on Dragon Ball Z, Tomb Raider, Resident Evil, and more. I met my closest friends through this community, and I’ve had some of the most amazing experiences because of it, too. So this cosplay and fandom culture basically helped raise me and made me the person I am today, and I’ll be forever grateful. Cosplay is a hobby, that’s true, but for me it’s way more than that. It’s truly ingrained in me. It’s my passion.

Looking ahead, I’m excited to finish my Daxter! Once he’s done, he’ll be a poseable little plush companion to my Jak cosplay... with electronics to boot! I’m also planning on remaking my Springtrap (Five Nights at Freddy’s) cosplay. I have countless cosplans, so stay tuned!

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Join in the circus/ Stay for a dance

Speaking solely from my own perspectives, art provides a level of joy and appreciation that I find hard to put into words.

I am NOT artistic in the slightest. (My stick figures cry when gazing upon their reflections. It’s very Frankenstein, actually.) That said, I always found something powerful—if not outright cathartic—when gazing at a piece. Especially one that in someway? Somehow? Just resonates.

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PastelArminArt was one such artist whom I was fortunate enough to discover following my Dispatch playthrough. (And who has had her own work noticed by AdHoc themselves). During our conversation, I gained a deeper understanding about the passion in which artists pour into their work. And realized it is this very passion that creates a universal language. One that can allow us to truly come together, and connect from all across the globe.

So on that note, I am immensely happy to have gotten the chance to speak with PastelArminArt, and have the opportunity to hear about her ongoing journey.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Could you talk a bit about yourself? When did you start drawing? Was there any specific movie/anime/manga/game that inspired you to take up the pen and paper, so to speak?

pastelarminart: I started drawing as soon as I could tangibly hold a pencil, if I’m being honest. The second I realized “scratchy makes mark”, I was hooked! Creating is engraved into my soul, seeing as my mother, aunt, and great grandmother were artists, too!

What really sparked it for me though was How To Train Your Dragon. It played a massive role in my artistic passion taking off when I was about seven or so! I have Toothless tattooed on my back now, as an homage.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: How would you describe your style, personally speaking? Do you have any particular approaches when starting a new piece? Any inspirations?

pastelarminart: My style is a blend of a lot of things, but has a huge baseline in anime/manga! I try to incorporate different stylized choices to differentiate from just straight anime or manga, but it was a huge inspiration and base.

Typically, when I’m about to approach a piece, I like to take a long time just imagining it in my head. Not just as a picture, but a scene. Moving parts, what’s being said or done, etc.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Before we dive too deeply on the topic: what are some of the fandoms that have always resonated the most with you? Speaking specifically about Arcane/Dispatch: do you have any favorite moments/characters from the show/game?

pastelarminart: HTTYD, The Lion King, Spyro…these were childhood fandoms that I still love today. Recently, it’s been Arcane and Dispatch (as you know), as well as things I haven’t illustrated yet/frequently, like: Monster Hunter, Helluva Boss, and Avatar! (The Blue Cat People, not the Air Bender).

As for moments and characters that draw me in? For Arcane, it’s Vi. I originally started the show for Viktor, and I still love him so dearly, but Vi struck a chord with me. Maybe it’s because I have a younger sister, and I can’t even imagine being in her position. The guilt, the shame, the wishing to undo, I can’t even picture it. She’s a fascinating character.

For Dispatch, Invisigal is my favorite by far. She’s complicated, she’s unsure of herself, and wants to do good—but is scared to take the steps to her truth. She’s such a deep character that I also resonate with. Her complexity makes siding with her until the end so much more worth it!

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Just what was it about those two particular fandoms that hooked you?

pastelarminart: Story and characters, 100%. And both have to go hand in hand. A poor story with good characters is tragic. A good story with poor characters is wasted opportunity. The fact that these fandoms, these shows/games blend both so smoothly is what draws me in.

It keeps you guessing, keeps you hoping, and keeps you locked in with the characters you’ve grown attached to. I’m very picky as to what fandoms I get into and what I don’t, but when I go in? I go ALL in.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: As you look at your portfolio, what are some works that you are most proud of? Is there any piece that means the most to you, personally speaking?

pastelarminart: It’s hard to say honestly. I’ve been struggling deeply with a lot of self doubt and criticism over my art. Feelings of inadequacy, feeling like I have to “do better” and that its “not good enough”, because others can just do it so much better than me. But slowly, I’m allowing myself to be okay with it all. And be proud of what I’ve made.

My most recent favorite works of mine are the Aquarium Date Dispatch scene, the Avatar x Arcane works, and the Dispatch Ladies Night Out work. I feel like they are best at showcasing my artwork for what it is, and what I love about it.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Finally: looking back and looking ahead, what are some of your goals as an artist?

pastelarminart: I think art connects us all on a basic human level: the need to create. To make something that will remain in this world far longer than we will be. To create something that will connect with someone continents away, someone you otherwise would’ve never met.

For the future, I hope to share more of my work to connect myself not only to others, but connect strangers to strangers. Help build connections, and make something that people feel connected to in their one special way!

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Chevron one, encoded (Send a Message)

If I had to pick my absolute earliest recollection of gaming music, it would have to be the iconic theme from The Legend of Zelda. Like so many, I traversed (frequently lost) the overland map with Koji Kondo’s music breathing life into Link’s frantic quest, exuding that heroic feel integral to the story.

Yet it wasn’t until years later (a bit more experienced in games, barely any more skilled) when I encountered music that really, and truly, struck at me. It wasn’t some deep, though provoking, God of War Ragnarök levels of emotional impact.

In fact, it was…kind of silly.

Yet absolutely epic.

The game in question was Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage!, and a slightly older me was about to face off against the aforementioned bad guy to decide the fate of Avalar. The musical backdrop to said confrontation was named Ripto’s Arena, fittingly the same name of the final level. And as any Spryo fan will readily attest, the hallmark of this frantic tune?

The fact that it’s a dramatic opera.

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Even all these years later, I can still vividly recall my reactions after the music kicked in. Surprise, for one—even at the sage age of 10ish, opera wasn’t exactly in my rotation. Yet that bewilderment quickly gave away once I realized how truly and utterly fitting it all was. Serving as this perfect backdrop while Spyro and Ripto raced across the arena, trying to collect enough orbs to turn the tide of their battle.

Over the top.

Pulse-pounding.

Ridiculous.

Fierce.

And inducing a sense of incrementally increasing chaos, befitting this culmination of the purple dragon’s adventure.

Needless to say, Stewart Copeland hit it out of the park, and delivered in spades.

Why Music?

Ever since Space Invaders became the first game to have a continuous soundtrack play in the background (if not the first title to actually have music), music and gaming has been inseparable. Much like television and film, its inclusion serves many purposes.

Heightening emotions.

Creating tension.

Evoking contemplation.

Highlighting moments.

Preparing players for an impending rollercoaster.

We’ve all felt it: some music that gets under your skin before eventually making it onto your playlist. Some song that becomes so intrinsically linked to a particular moment, to the point that music and scene become one and the same.

And even in those moments when we’re not consciously aware of it? The power of music is still there; quietly working it’s magic in the background.

All of which makes the role of music even more impressive.

In a 2021 interview with Game Developer (done by Daniel Hulsman), composer Winifred Phillips discussed just how much moving pieces goes in to designing music for a video game, since the project is usually in a constant state of fluidity.

“Sometimes when I’m creating the music for a game, the music design isn’t entirely fleshed out - because the game itself is in flux. The levels may be changing, or characters are being added, or deleted. By the time I’ve finished music, the game could still be in flux. So, the idea of taking the music and thinking of it as a set of tools that can be implemented to suit the needs of the game as it evolves.”

In an excerpt from a (regrettably) unpublished interview with Rik Schaffer from 2016, the composer echoes Phillips sentiment. He described the evolution to which he designed the soundtrack for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, explaining:

“There was nothing contrived or premeditated about the music direction. Those hub compositions are intrinsically me. They were actually from an album I was writing before Bloodlines, and I had to really think whether I wanted to abandon the album and give the compositions to the game. It turned out to be a good decision.”

Continuing, “When I went down to Troika and saw the game they had music placeholders in it. Pink Floyd Echoes, Massive Attack, Boards of Canada and others. It was right up my alley. The only preconceived thing I thought about was Vampires themselves. Obviously they’re not real, but I wanted to write music that would be sincere, as if they were real.”

When I asked him how his music seemed to be in absolute, perfect sync with the tone and story of the RPG? He credited everything to the amount of freedom he was given on the project.

“I was given a working build of the game and played it constantly. I’d capture game footage to design the effects and wrote the ambient pieces while constantly watching the game. This is probably why it fuses together so well. Once Activision and Troika heard what I was doing I pretty much was left alone to create. Very rare in this business..... And I tried everything, every sound and instrument possible.”

Clearly, music can only match the passion from those who are making it. And there is no “one size fits all” approach.

Yet equally clear? Is the fact that composers in the video game business—or any who work on games—are clearly some of the most passionate in the business.

Match Game

While creating music from scratch is a herculean task, so is finding the outside songs that are a perfect fit.

One could write an entire tome dedicated to the subject, filling it with notable examples of licensed songs that have become synonymous with certain franchises. Take, for example, every single Grand Theft Auto game; or the selection in each of the Tony Hawk’s series.

Naturally, my most formulate memory is not from any of these fine examples, or from any much more obvious instances.

Mine actually comes from Rayman 3: Hoodlum Havoc. Specifically: the intro trailer that would play before the main menu.

Although a song that would not actually appear once in the game itself, Groove Armada’s Madder was the perfect launch point. Coming at a time when “spoilers” weren’t really a consideration, the into trailer is basically a preview/gameplay music video wrapped into one. To me, the song fit the vibes perfectly: Rayman vs. The Hoodlums. Power ups. Action. Attitude. And word art during combat.

(Some personal favorites include: “NUHU”, “GRAA”, and “KOPN”. Plus, certainly last but never least: “LEUU!”)

Choosing licensed music is an art all in itself, having to find this fit that works perfectly—all while being mindful of licensing restrictions.

And costs.

In a 2022 article for GameIndustry.biz, author Rhys Elliot described the very non-linear and convoluted process that typically involves obtaining a sync authorization. A quote from Alex Tarrand (co-founder of Styngr) provides some illumination into the work needed for a single track alone.

“‘A single song can have multiple entities that represent the performers, the writers, and composers. The rights can vary across countries and geographies, and they can be completely different depending on how the music is used.’”

The results can be astonishing. Yet behind the scenes, it’s clearly anything but easy.

Bringing It Together: Dispatch

(Warning: This section does contain some discussions and spoilers surrounding Dispatch. If such things matter, then giving the heads up to skip down to Conclusions.)

Full disclosure: before 2025, never before had I played a narrative game. Of course I knew all about them, having watched both playthroughs of Batman: The Telltale Series and Batman: The Enemy Within. Yet the closest I ever got to the genre had been Myst, and I never made it particularly far even in that title.

(Apologies to all diehard fans out there).

But then last October, a little game by the name of Dispatch started to blow up across the internet. And a friend of mine who had already purchased the game? Well, they couldn’t say enough positive things. So in early November, right before the release of Episodes 5 and 6, I jumped in and purchased the game myself.

It probably wasn’t even ten minutes before I was totally hooked.

Although it’s been stated time and time again in the ensuing months, Dispatch is an absolute gem. Besides for boasting an incredible cast, narratively the game hits that perfect blend of humor and heart. Providing plenty of moments with outlandish, ridiculous, over the top hilarity. Yet simultaneously tackling some pretty heavy themes, which are treated with both thoughtful nuance and graceful complexity.

All against a backdrop of truly stunning animation. Which paints one thousand words with both the grand gestures, and smallest of details.

And of course: the music.

Composed by Andrew Arcadi—with numerous collaborations with Skyler Barto—the score hits at all the things that make Dispatch soar. From the grand, heroic, crescendo of Mecha Man, to the heart-aching, emotionally bare cords of Rob and Courtney. It all seamlessly blends together in a beautiful mosaic that, it its own right, is just as much as a vibrant rollercoaster as the game itself.

The brilliant thing about the tracks is just how they sneak in on you, running the said gauntlet of emotions—yet leaving something powerful behind, nevertheless. Even the simplest of cord progressions contain a pull, which just sits with players upon hearing them.

Take Easier If We Fly, for example. Although a decent chunk of world building has occurred by the this point, the scene features Blond Blazer taking the now “hero-less” Robert to a place where they can continue their conversation.

The song opens up with a more low-fi melody, yet quickly elevates into something wonderous and limitless. It gives the sense of awe and new possibilities, as Robert gets to see the night of Los Angeles from perspectives he never knew existed. Symbolizing both beauty, and rebirth. He might not be flying like he used to, but Mecha Man has taken his very first steps towards seeing the world around him in a new light.

It was exactly when that airy, majestic, beat kicked in when I knew Dispatch was going to be much bigger than I could have possibly expected.

Complimenting the original soundtrack perfectly is the music selection from outside artists, a wide array that includes: Christopher Cross, Caroline Kingsbury, Thot Squad, Future Islands, BADBADNOTGOOD, Deep Dreem, Primer, Big Black Delta, Ben Khan, Bershy, and Channel Tres—amongst many others.

While referencing mostly the licensed songs, (and trust me: the copyright-free tracks are specular themselves) these selections help shape pivotal scenes. Not only blending perfectly with the world of Dispatch, while sprinkling in the soul of the artists who crafted them. Take Savage, for instance. There is no better introduction to The Sardine than that gritty, dirty distortion—lyrics pounding out not peace, but defiance. This is where the game opens up a bit to provide a more context to the world surrounding it.

If Robert seemed slightly out of place with the rest of the Z-Team, personality and appearance wise? Well, inside The Sardine he sticks out like an intruder who doesn’t belong in the slightest. The villain bar is filthy; populated with patrons who aren’t so much looking for an excuse, as they are simply waiting for one. This is their kingdom: where power is survival, and bigger fish devour the smaller ones without a second thought.

As Episode 5 quickly proves however, The Z-Team themselves are the big fish in the pond. And it showcases how Robert has become quite closer to them in general—they aren’t just a team, but his team. Teaching and learning that runs both ways.

And Robert Robertson III? Well, he’s established to also be a phoenix himself.

And downright savage in his own right.

No choice-driven game would be complete without a romance factor, and Dispatch is no different. Although how they play out is different, Robert has the choice of two potential love interests: Blond Blazer, or Invisigal.

Episode 4—in a messy, HR fever dream sort of way—establishes that our down-on-his-luck dispatcher has some sort of something with both heroes. Not only does he have commonalities with the two of them, but both help him reflect on life outside of Mecha Man. Thereby allowing him to take the first steps beyond simple existence, and towards actually living. As such, Restructure is an episode all about connection.

This all kicks off with the big date choice, with Andrew Arcadi’s Not So Alone accompanying the grand moment. The track is not the flashiest: laying somewhere just out of sight, closer to background noise than anything. And yet it exudes a deep reflection; realization that is acknowledged in a tender, soft way.

Which leads directly to the two possible choices.

Should Robert go to dinner with Blond Blazer? Players will be met with Deep Dreem’s Little Light as the episode winds down. The slight hesitancy of the song—which quickly builds to a powerful and heartfelt supernova—fits everything that happens in the episode’s final minutes. Showcasing Mandy’s difficult yet steadfast decision to show Robert as herself; not the famous hero, but the person who often gets overlooked by the icon. In this way, their dinner date represents (or can represent) a triumph to their relationship, as they mark the start of something official.

It’s also a further confirmation: that Roberto Robertson does not just make blanket judgments. He has a sense of empathy, and actually sees others. Not just the preconceptions surrounding them.

Likewise, Mandy demonstrates that Blond Blazer’s kindness and heart are not shaped by any magical power. The powers are simply a reflection of the person.

So in this way, Little Light is a not-so-subtle reminder that Mandy’s light comes not from the amulet. But from the soul.

One just has to believe to see the true radiance.

Invisigal’s route is a much different path: instead of marking a triumph of a relationship, it (again: can) signals the start of one.

As Visi slowly gets over her shock by Robert’s appearance—and realizes he is genuine with his intent; he wants to be there—the movie date becomes honest and unguarded. With two people finding true joy by sharing a quiet moment of connection. As these defenses are relaxed and masks are dropped, a song can be heard threading through their conversation, softly cutting in and out. Building right before the end of the episode, and fully launching as the credits roll.

With it’s raw emotion and haunting vulnerability, Primer’s Feel the Way I Do perfectly illustrates just what is truly behind Courtney’s façade: no crude jokes, acidic remarks, or flippant deflections. The song, with a melodic and heartfelt longing which hits the soul? Perfectly demonstrates the true core of Courtney; and showcases the soft kindness and care she keeps hidden away. All while capturing this gentle desire—to be seen.

So while Feel the Way I Do contains this very definite undertone of fear, alongside a truly heavy weight? It also celebrates hope. Demonstrating how Courtney and Robert have taken a small step towards something.

A tiny step, this is simultaneously one gigantic leap.

Conclusions

Music and gaming go hand and hand. From gigantic AAA titles like Red Dead Redemption 2, indies such as Journey, and everything in between. Music not only helps makes the experience, but can serve as a magical discovery in its own right.

With Dispatch, I discovered so many incredible artists whom I never would have found on my own. Sentiments shared by countless players who have fallen in love with music from other titles—Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, for example. A soundtrack which garnered over 333 million streams in the months following the game’s release.

And a soundtrack that has been absolutely applauded for it’s beauty and amazingness.

We all have that game.

The one where the tracks stick with us.

That gets added to our playlists.

Which helps us fall deeper in love with music. With both wonder and appreciation.

Enjoy the rhythm. Feel the heart.

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Ride The Lightcyle (Send A Message)

Fandoms come in many shapes and forms. And so does the way in which we express our love for them.

For many, cosplay provides that conduit to that expression.

For others, artwork provides such an expressway.

And sometimes, it’s fan fiction that scratches that itch.

asapwibba is a huge Dispatch fan: after playing the game, he took up the pen (or keyboard, so to speak) and decided to write an Alternate Universe story set in a college setting. Same cast, yet completely reimagined. While Dispatch: Second Shift has it all—plot twists, secrets, heart—it truly leans into that aspect of the game which helped it resonate for so many.

(Barring the HR Violations, of course. Literally everywhere. As far as the eye can see...)

Namely: togetherness. And community.

During the interview, I understood just how truly important the idea of community is to Wil, and how it extends beyond any one single title. Because rather, as he sees it? Community is synonymous with the human condition itself. A profound reflection on the very things which all make us, well.

Us.

Because a long time ago, a wise sage once laid it out, perfectly:

Luminous beings are we.

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Hall E Culture and Cosplay: To start, could you talk a bit about yourself! What are some of your all time favorite fandoms?

asapwibba: Certainly! I’m Wil, a nerdy Mexican guy who likes many things. And as I write this, I’m 21 years old. I graduated college with a Software Engineering degree. Some might say that I’m relatively young for being a graduate already, but that’s because I actually skipped an entire year and graduated way earlier than I was supposed to. (Fun fact about myself!)

I’ve been interested in everything regarding tech since I was a kid, and started venturing myself in the subject. My closest uncle was the one that introduced me to video games back then when I was just 4/5 years old with The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. And it was pretty funny seeing a kindergarten kid playing through Ocarina of Time with an English-Spanish dictionary in hand, because I couldn’t really understand what the game was saying at the time! (Yes, I already knew how to read and use dictionaries at that age—don’t ask.)

My love for video games and art, as a whole, was something that I suppose I was born with. I’ve always found it endearing and fulfilling to be able to express your ideas in something that others can get to enjoy as much as you do. I’ve had many interests throughout my whole life, especially when it comes to video games and music. But I haven’t exactly been that much involved with the fandoms themselves, unless it’s something that completely takes over my life and resonates to such a deep level. But the latest fandom where I was involved in before Dispatch was Total Drama (the TV Series), through the COVID-19 quarantine days. I created a YouTube channel inspired by other creators, and wrote many video essays analyzing and doing deep dives into the contents of the show itself, which at the time was completely dead.

It was rough trying to create content for a fandom that hadn’t received anything new, or any sort of attention by the original creators in literal years. But it was inspiring to see how active and passionate the community was about the show—to the point where multiple fan-made projects emerged and they became insanely popular. Even more so than the original run by Fresh TV (the production house and creator of the series).

asapwibba: A space that I’m really invested in right now, besides Dispatch, is the Deadlock fandom. It’s this new video game in active development by Valve. The reasons why it resonates with me so much are:

1. Because I get to enjoy and discuss it with many of my close friends.

2. The art-style, setting, and universe is extremely unique and inspiring.

3. It’s a video game, so it already has my attention from the get go.

Seriously, if you guys haven’t discovered this game yet, I highly recommend that you do! If you’re an artist, a writer, a game developer, or simply a player? You will surely find inspiration on how well-made this game is. And the best part about it, in my opinion, is seeing how it keeps evolving and improving in real time, right before our eyes.

There are times when I’m playing at 1 AM on a Sunday night, and then the game tells you to restart because a new update was just uploaded. I’ve been saying since December that the “Three D’s” took over my life since October of 2025! Dispatch, Deadlock, and Discord. I don’t regret a single thing.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Before we leap into the details, what made you jump into writing? Just what does writing mean for you, personally speaking?

asapwibba: I don’t think there was ‘something’ in particular that made me jump into the journey, other than pure passion and this love for the game itself. I’m familiar with creating screenplays, scripts, essays, etc. But I never ventured into the world of getting myself to actually write something like a novel—which has been my attempt so far with Second Shift—so it was definitely a challenge at first. And I soon realized how special it was.

I’m not unfamiliar with fan fiction in the slightest. I’ve only been a reader before shooting my shot at creating an AO3 account—seeing if I could come up with a somewhat interesting and engaging story. Writing means a lot to me because it’s literally what I do for a living considering my career; not really writing stories, but rather typing stuff on the computer.

I’ve always been more of a listener than a talker my whole life, so words have been the catalyst for expressing my thoughts and ideas many times in the past. While I’m not afraid at all of speaking out loud what I think (I don’t filter myself at all), I’m a firm believer of “shut the f*** up” if you’re not asked for your input. That’s my motto in life.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Okay—obviously, you are a big Dispatch fan! What was it about the game that resonated with you so much?

asapwibba: Phew... Where do we start?

Okay, I bought this game literally two days after the release, expecting nothing else than just Aaron Paul and Laura Bailey's performances. I played and streamed the entire game with my closest and dearest friends on a Discord call; it became our little ritual to gather every Wednesday for three weeks to see what was coming next. We had many ramblings that lasted for hours after every two episodes, and the absolute clapping and cheering after seeing the finale and credits was priceless. It was a truly magical experience, although that wasn't exactly what made me care this deeply about this universe. It was the characters themselves.

AdHoc created one of the most unique and interesting premises I've seen in a while. This is truly a magical and fantasy world: one that isn't strange to magic, aliens, supernatural beings, etc. And what made me—and many other people—get really invested in this world was that the story isn't just about the superheroes, but the PEOPLE behind those superheroes. Even though you might be seeing a gigantic humanoid made out of clay, dirt, and many other random things you see on the street? There is a sentient and living creature that has feelings, goals, desires, dreams, and relationships. And even though many of the creatures you see aren't exactly humans, they behave like one. And I think there's something really special in that dynamic.

I guess that the thing I appreciate the most about Dispatch is that it's an extremely human story underneath all the flashy superhero stuff and the comedy elements. And taking all of that into consideration, the characters that resonated the most with me were both Robert and Courtney. Two relatively normal people who happened to be born with unfortunate coincidences, that have put them through all the struggles they've been fighting with their whole life.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: What inspired you to write your fic, Second Shift? How has the story evolved? What have some of the biggest challenges, and greatest joys, you’ve had in the writing process?

asapwibba: After finishing the game, I really felt a void deep down inside—post-game depression—and I felt like I wanted to leave a mark on the community. While I was scrolling through Twitter, I came across a reply under a posting, talking about Dispatch in a college alternate universe setting. They mentioned that there didn't really see anything similar to that idea, or that at least it was scarce. So I thought, "Hmm... Why not?"

I brought my laptop with me on a holiday break, and since I wasn't really gonna do much for a long time, I dove into searching for a good writing software that could help me organize and lay out my ideas as a newbie writer. I watched and read many tutorials on writing theory, storytelling, and how to use the software itself (Scrivener). When I was already set up, I stumbled upon the biggest issue of all: How do I even make this interesting?

That's when the thought came back to me: "This is not really a story about superheroes, it's a story about people." So, the first thing I decided was to get rid of the superhero premise. Instead, I would convert the Superhero Dispatch Network (SDN) into the Campus Assistance Network (CAN) from Torrance State University. It would essentially be the same idea of a crisis line where you get attended by a dispatcher, and they dispatch someone to help you with your particular issue.

I also had to decide if I wanted to make the characters that weren't human [in the game]—be actually humans. But I ultimately decided to not go that way, since I thought I'd be taking away way too many things that make the characters so endearing and unique in the first place. (Combined with the fact that I really like the idea of this fantasy world where it's not weird to see a boy with a bat head walking around.)

I knew from the beginning that I had to focus and excel heavily on the characterizations and interactions between all these characters. Especially because I was taking away the premise of them being superheroes, coupled with the fact that what they do—and their powers—are essential parts of their characters.

Second Shift takes severe inspiration from the original content, but tries to make it work and tie it with a completely different setting. While re-imagining, and adapting, many elements from what we saw in the game.

asapwibba: I think what I've accomplished, and myself most proud of, is the fact that the story has evolved naturally since the very beginning. I always had the overall plans laid out from beginning to end, but I've made some changes here and there, without compromising many of the original plans/ideas I had.

One of those ideas that I ended up changing/discarding was including a love triangle dynamic between Robert, Courtney and Mandy. I decided to not include it aside from some little nods and insinuations, since I felt that it would've been more of a waste of time for both me and the reader. Or the classic creative process of having so many ideas at first, and you end up not developing even half of them. The biggest challenge for me was definitely coming up with the characters and the setting itself. For that, I used one of the elements that Scrivener provides which are Character Sheets. These are essentially a guide/encyclopedia for you to lay out a story, and plan/imagine how your character is going to be implemented for your story. It expands on Role in Story, Goal, Physical Description, Personality, Occupation, Habits/Mannerisms, Background, Internal Conflicts, External Conflicts. I did this for every character that plays a role, from the biggest to the smallest. Some of them are more fleshed out than others, but they all went through the same process.

But if you're looking for a more "interesting" and "spicy" response on what was my biggest challenge? It was definitely the intimate content! I literally had no clue how to approach this idea, or how to write it. Yet I proposed to myself to do it, and try to do it right! So I got to work. I read many examples [of bedroom/sex/intimate scenes] in other media—as well as other fan fiction works inside the Dispatch fandom.

It was definitely a wild ride, but it seems that folks really liked it, and it was a pleasant surprise.

Now, all of this that I'm talking about eventually paid off in the end, with my biggest joy of all: You, the readers. I never thought that a project of mine would've gained this much traction—if any at all—and I'm grateful everyday for the support that has been given to me. I keep going because of you all, and I hope that I can keep living up to to such expectations in the future!

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: On a similar note, can you talk about the artwork? Was it something that went hand-in-hand with writing, or was the drawing and illustration something you’ve been passionate about for awhile?

asapwibba: Oh, for sure! The artwork is pretty interesting because I’m sure many folks out there think it might be the best part of the fic by far. And I honestly have to agree with them!

It’s funny because I’ve repeated this many times now, but I can’t stress it enough: I am NOT the original artist of these. Yes, I am the one behind the creative vision and the ideas for them, but the real work that is put into them is made by one of my best friends. (One of those in the Discord calls while we were playing the game.) He refuses to reveal his identity, but he does everything out of pure love and passion for the game itself—he also insists in giving me the credit for these things. But I could care less, since I always mention that I’m just the guy who shares them.

asapwibba: The illustrations actually go hand-in-hand with the writing, yes, and so does the music that I use for many of the scenes. Music is a vital part of my life and personality, it’s also one of the reasons why Dispatch resonated so much with me—the stellar soundtrack. So, I wanted to take a unique turn from what I’m used to seeing in other fan fiction works. So far, the majority of pieces that I’ve shared are directly connected and based on the scenes from the fic itself. When I write, I always try to put myself in the scene—and act like I’m there myself—so I get a good grip and idea of how I could portray the situation into song.

Being able to have the ideas displayed in something else that you can admire, rather than raw text, is a privilege that I’m extremely passionate about. And really grateful to have.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Obviously, few things in life are a monolith—people will have varying perspectives and opinions. But just what is it about the fan fiction community, and fan art in general, that you feel resonates for so many? Just what about geek and pop culture means the most to you, personally speaking?

asapwibba: Damn, now this is a great question. I think the most honest and real answer I can give you that can sum up everything? Is that all this comes down to the feeling of being human.

This is also the main reason why generative AI is so conflictive to me and many others. The driving force for so many things in life is something so simple, that we wrongfully take it for granted a lot. Which is love. Human connections form thanks to love, and love can be interpreted and applied in many ways. Being passionate about something is what fulfills us as people, passion is a feeling directly intertwined with love itself. If you look at things with a greater perspective, everything we do in life comes down to the same thing: love.

And not just romantic love. But self-love, platonic love, family love, community love, and love for your interests. Being a geek/nerd is an essential part of my personality. Forming a personality for yourself is how I measure real matureness, speaking for myself. I find it pointless and pretentious to use your decisions in life as the measurement for your "maturity"; we are all going to act stupid and commit mistakes in every single part of our lives. Regardless of your age and environment.

I know exactly what I like, and the things that I like are what define me as a person. You might not agree with all of my perspectives, you might not share my interests, you might not like the way I look at things. But I know who I am, and I'm not afraid to show the world who I am. That's way more than enough for me.

These spaces and platforms such as: fandoms, fan fiction, cosplaying, conventions, events, fan art, etc.—all work for the same purpose of creating the sense of community and belonging. Us humans simply DO NOT function as species if we embark on this journey of life alone. We’re all social creatures, and we need to surround ourselves with other people that make us feel welcomed and worthy of a purpose in our lives. I will never get tired of being a nerd: I will play video games, listen to music, admire art, write stuff, take pictures and watch movies/series my entire life. Because that’s exactly what makes life beautiful. Share your time on this planet with others. And that’s what art works for.

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According to the classic tagline, “In space, no one can hear you scream”. Something which still probably applies if trapped with a malevolent alien monster 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Or stuck together during a journey to the Center of the Earth. And forget having to share Five Weeks in a Balloon with one…

Terrible Jules Verne puns aside (trust me: they do get worse), there are no jokes when it comes to Christopher Meck’s amazing work. Perfectly mixing steampunk aesthetics with one of sci-fi’s most horrifying creatures, his Steampunk Xenomorph (SPX) is truly a sight to behold at any convention. Recently, I had the privilege to interview him regarding this stylistic fusion.

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Hall E Culture and Cosplay: To start, could you talk a little about yourself? Just what was it that gave you the inspiration to combine steampunk and xenomorphs in the first place?

Christopher: I’ve been an artist and building my entire life. I started “building costumes” in the late 1980’s. But mind you, we didn’t have the materials and global access to anything back then. So it was chicken wire, and Papier-mâché, and what ever else would work. My first Xenomorph was made of those items so it wasn’t great. But it was a start.

I saw Alien in 1979 with my dad, and have been a fan since. I don’t know every single thing about the movies, or all kinds of trivia. But I’ve followed it because I appreciate the aesthetic and the world that Ridley Scott created. The creature design alone is a work of art. I’ve collected all kinds of items over the years and was fortunate enough to meet: Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Carl Toop (stuntman who played a Xenomorph), Michael Beihn, and Sigourney Weaver. All of whom have signed my 2nd version of the Steampunk Xenomophs (SPX) head.

The inspiration came in the form of a question that popped into my head four years ago. “What would a Steampunk Xenomorph look like?” And it took off from there. It was so fun to design, but a little overwhelming because of all the possibilities steampunk lends itself to—just the detail work alone.

Hall E Cosplay and Culture: Just how long did it take you to make that first costume? What were some of the reactions when you debuted it at that first comic con?

Christopher: The first suit took about seven months.

My debut was at the Philadelphia Fan Expo in 2023. I wasn’t fully suited up when I walked into the convention center (so I could move around outside), and the moment I entered, people were asking for my picture.

It was incredible. And humbling. People really respected the work, were enthusiastic, and so thoughtful. I spent that whole day, and like at cons that would follow, having my picture taken. Like I said, it was humbling and I’m so grateful for it.

Hall E Cosplay and Culture: Just how has your cosplay changed over time? As a prop maker, what are some the adjustments you’ve made? What have been some of the biggest challenges and surprises you’ve encountered?

Christopher: There are 3 versions of the SPX, each different and more advanced than its predecessor. I kept pushing myself to make things more difficult. This was meant to remain competitive against other talented cosplayers. Needlework tends to be a consistent Best in Show winner these days, so I’d intentionally design more elaborate and labor intensive pieces.

The SPX 3, for example, was composed over a 1000 pieces/parts, with 800 hand-casted foam clay gears. Also had a coal chute and a fire-lit furnace in the abdomen. This suit took the longest—nine months.

My most challenging part of the process is the finish. The SPX has always had a weathered metallic finish; but getting the head perfectly smooth and painted consistently were really my only stressers in building it!

Hall E Cosplay and Culture: From your own perspectives, what is it about the community that appeals to so many people?

Christopher: I think it’s the camaraderie of pop culture, media, and entertainment. Comic Cons used to be just “Star Trek Conventions.” (Where I started competing with that first Papier-mâché Xeno).

But between gaming, TV, movies, RPG’s, etc.? There’s a lot of things people have to talk about!

Hall E Cosplay and Culture: Finally, what are some of the things you’re most looking forward to when looking at 2026? What are some of your goals looking ahead?

Christopher: For 2026, I’m suiting up in April and heading to Parsippany, NJ to get autographs from 6 cast members from Aliens on the SPX V3 head. (The V2 had [autographs from] the cast from Alien).

I’m actually stepping away from cosplay for a while. I’m a fiction writer and need to get back to that; after building 3 versions, it pretty much took 2 1/2 years for all three suits. I have two designs I’d like to build (not SPX’s, but definitely Xenomorphs) but at this point, I have no definite plans to start them.

I’ll add on this general piece of advice for anyone considering building their own cosplay: Have fun! Be resourceful when it comes to materials, and don’t be an asshole.

It’s just cosplay; don’t shit on others!

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Since coming up with something witty and clever after the word “cosplay” took embarrassingly more effort and time than I’d care to admit? Cosplay Avenue is the spot dedicated to the cosplayers: where they can share their own stories, in their own words.

So on that note, I’m super happy to have gotten the chance to talk with Keelhn Gibbs—cosplayer, songwriter, and singer extraordinaire. Our interview reminded me just what I love about this community, and served as the exclamation point to why I started this Substack in the first place.

Keelhn can be found as Keelhn on all music streaming platforms. As well as: @keelhng and Linktree

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Thanks so much for your time! To start, could you talk a bit about yourself? What got you into cosplay to begin with? Any moment that made you decide “hey, let me try that?”

Keelhn: Hi! My name’s Keelhn, I’m a singer and cosplayer from North Carolina. I love music, anime, and video games—like I imagine most people who cosplay do! (laughs) Getting into cosplay seriously was a more recent development that was just a spur of the moment thing, where I decided I wanted to make Jayce’s hammer from Arcane/League of Legends and cosplay as him. I ended up taking that cosplay to NekoCon for the first time and was pretty nervous about it, but I got to meet and take photos with a ton of different people who would say things like: “You’re literally Jayce Talis,” or “You’re the best Jayce I’ve seen,” which made me feel a lot better about the work I’d done— and I ended up being able to feel proud of myself!

Honestly, my favorite reason to do it/continue to do it is getting to meet people who love the same things that I do. And everyone in the community is so nice and supportive of each other! My “hey, let me try that” moment was actually just a friend of mine joking about me looking like Arthur from Fire Force at the time, because of how my hair looked.

The costume was simple enough that I ended up just trying it on a whim, and while only 2 people at GalaxyCon that year recognized what character I was, I still had a lot of fun just being there!

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Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Speaking of fandoms, any favorites? Any new ones that you’ve fallen in love with, recently? And are you eyeing any future cosplays?

Keelhn: Arcane/League of Legends is definitely the fandom I get to interact with the most since it’s so expansive, but I had the opportunity to meet a wonderful group of people cosplaying characters from Expedition 33 at Katsucon this year! Everyone there was so sweet and fun to be around, and I loved getting to see them around the convention and during the unofficial meetup that happened. As for future cosplays, I’m a big Final Fantasy fan, so I’m looking into cosplaying as Clive from Final Fantasy 16. Who, ironically, has the same voice actor as the Expedition 33 character I cosplayed as at Katsucon. (Ben Starr)

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Now obviously besides for cosplay, you’re also a singer/songwriter with 3 singles already. Could you talk a bit about your musical journey? Your lyrics are very soulful and contemplative; what do you hope someone takes away from your music after listening?

Keelhn: My musical journey started with doing choir as a kid (aside from just singing songs my Mom had CDs for), and then I started to do Orchestra in middle school, as 3 of my older brothers had also done. Then, I switched to doing theatre in high school. So, I definitely got around to different styles of music: orchestra being where my love for string instruments comes from, and why I always joke that its not a Keelhn song if it doesn’t have at least a violin!

I grew up listening to a little bit of anything, a large portion of that being emo and rock music, and my next 2 planned new releases will reflect that more than my current music. The first song I released is actually under the band name The Unsent Letters as it was written with Sam Coury. Who I went to high school with, and who also releases music himself. I continued writing music after I graduated, and ended up writing the original version of Bathing In Starlight in 2021 for someone who asked me to write them a song.

Years later, I was writing another song that had a similar sound, when I had the idea to incorporate some of the ideas from the original. I reused the original’s melody as the melody that the string section follows in the 2024 version, which was my first solo release.

Honestly, as far as something to take away from my music? I really just hope that someone who’s been in the same positions in life as me can hear them and feel seen. I used music as a way to escape for most of my life, and always loved the songs that I could relate to on a personal level. More so than songs that I thought might sound better, just because of the way they resonated with me.

More than people saying they like the way it sounds? I love when people tell me that they relate to something I wrote, or that it helped them get over something. So I guess if I had to choose a word, I hope people get catharsis out of hearing what I write.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Now, whether it’s: cosplay, songwriting, or singing- what would you say are some of the challenges that often get overlooked?

Keelhn: As a songwriter, my biggest challenge is definitely just finishing! (laughs) I learn so much every time I go to work on a song, that if I waited for every song to be perfect, I’d never release anything. (And honestly I have that problem with cosplaying, too.)

I wish I could completely replace the vocals on my first single, because the first time around I had no experience recording myself or mixing vocals. So, I think they fall flat on that track. I still love the song, but I always find things I want to change.

My most recent song, Borrowed Time, was the only song I’ve had a good creation timeline with, as it took about a week from start to finish. But that was pretty representative of my emotional state at the time, having (embarrassingly) written all of the lyrics and melody crying in the shower (I still edited the final master 4 times in between announcing the release, and it releasing).

I’d like to think that need for things to be certain way is a problem lots of cosplayers have. Especially because you get to see all of the awesome things other people do, and you get stuck in wanting yours to be perfect. I think that’s the more overlooked counterpart to general cosplay: anxiety of not being good enough.

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: In your experiences, just what is it about the cosplay and music communities that make them so awesome for so many? Speaking personally, what is it about: cosplay, conventions, and music that brings you that spark and joy?

Keelhn: I think one of the wonderful things about these communities is how many different kinds of people they bring together, in all kinds of art forms. More than I think you will find with other types of communities.

There's just so many different aspects that go into it, that there really is something for everyone. And everyone is so welcoming, it's easy to find yourself a safe space to be someone (even if that someone is a character you're cosplaying as).

I mentioned it somewhat before, but I think one of the most important things anyone can feel in their entire life is the feeling of being seen. It's so easy to feel drowned out, or like you're stuck in the background in our regular lives. To the point where you start to feel like no one cares, or that no one sees you. But this community is a way for people to see each other. Even if you're scared to be you, you get to dress up as a character and interact with other people that way. You get to meet people that love the same things as you, or other things similar to the things you love. The same goes for music. If you have ever felt anything, ever, there is probably a song about it somewhere. It's so much easier to feel okay about yourself when you know other people feel that way, and that's something both of the communities are amazing for providing.

As for me personally, while I wasn't very good at it when I started (and still am not very good at it), my favorite thing is definitely meeting other people and just hanging out! I've always loved just learning about other people, and getting to hear their stories on why they go to conventions or cosplay.

Music on the other hand is like an old friend to me. I can't really describe the feeling that it gives me, but I always feel at home listening to music and singing. And as for writing music myself... I really just love getting to create something that I care about. I've only released 3 songs. but I've written at least 40. And while most of them won't ever see any sort of release, I'm still proud of myself for creating them. And I hope that people enjoy and resonate with the one's I do eventually release!

Hall E Culture and Cosplay: Finally, looking ahead at 2026—what are you most looking forward to?

Keelhn: For 2026, I'm really looking forward to meeting new people and getting to spend more time with the new friends I've already made at conventions! When I started the year, I wasn't sure what my plans would be. But I got to meet so many wonderful people at Katsucon that I now have no shortage of potential plans in sight. So I'm super excited to actually build a spot for me and my friends in this community!

As for music, I'm gearing up for a few more releases this year, which will make it the first time I ever release more than one song in a year. I'm aiming for at least 4-5 for the year; I have a full album written that I need to work on production for, though I'm not sure when I'll be able to bring that to fruition!

Though it's not exactly pertinent to the question, I would like to thank all of the aforementioned wonderful people that I met! Because at the start of the year I honestly wasn't sure if I would keep coming, because I was going through a rough time, personally. But the people I met really helped me get back on my feet again. So I'm super grateful to them for making me feel good and, well, seen.