Meet Barr Foxx

Today we’d like to introduce you to Barr Foxx.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I am Barr Foxx, I am a cosplayer, creator and influencer.  I am originally from Ohio, but I call Atlanta, GA home. People would normally describe me as an outgoing, fun, supportive and jovial person who fights for the underdog, and whose shoulder they can cry on at a moment’s notice. I have always had a love for costuming, which is now referred to as cosplaying. When I am not cosplaying, I am shaking things up in the television/film industry as a producer. I am lucky to be able to use aspects of my professional career to enhance my cosplay experience and vice versa.

In addition to my role as a producer, I tirelessly promote my #CosplayYourWay brand, encouraging individuals to ward off naysayers, not let anyone limit their vision, and choose desired characters regardless of race, age, size, sexual orientation, gender or physical ability. Cosplay Your Way was born out of a necessity to fight for myself and others who were being ostracized in the cosplay community by the self-appointed gatekeepers. As a result, I am very vocal and adamant about acceptance in cosplay.  I spread the Cosplay Your Way message through panels, public appearances, annual events, photo shoots sponsored by Cosplay Your Way (especially during Black History Month), sponsoring events such as Hair Of The Dragon and The Convoluted Cruise, as well as being guests at cons such as DragonCon, BlerDcon, MomoCon, Blacktasticon and Multiverse Con.

Through my love for the art of cosplay and collaborating with other artists, I have been featured in cosplay themed books such as Cosplay in America (Volume 2), Mad Scientist with a Camera Presents: Costumes of Dragon Con, on Marvel’s official website as Bishop and Gambit (X-Men), on various promotions with MarksterCon, featured on Podcasts, on Huffington Post and in various articles spotlighting cosplayers to watch.

Although cosplay can make you feel that you found a utopia when things are good, there has been a tremendous amount of backlash towards cosplayers of color. Although there are more PoC cosplayers, we still have a long way to go as we inevitably and unfortunately face racism, discrimination, and oppression in this arena by many of our counterparts.

The horrible things that I have heard come out of some people’s mouths, including but not limited to jealousy over the skill and craftsmanship of upcoming cosplayers of color, the anger over the success of movies like Black Panther, as well as television shows like Black Lightning or Luke Cage, “deer in headlight” ignorance towards cosplayers of color about their hair and body, and finding out that individuals I have associated with are affiliated with hate groups (unbeknownst to me).  All of these things are discouraging but I refuse to let any of it take away the pleasure I get from cosplaying and the healing affect it can have on those that partake.

Cosplayers of color keep getting better, faster, stronger, more creative and savvier. The number of cosplayers that look like me has grown exponentially since I started in cosplay over a decade ago, and this fact makes me elated. I love seeing and discovering new talent to support as the cosplay community continues to expand and reach new levels. This year alone brought more characters to the forefront that look like us and are being added to cosplay goal lists as I type. For those that have a problem with the presence and dynamics of cosplayers of color, they need to adjust or get out of the way because our light can’t be dimmed.

Please tell us about your art.
My art is cosplay; I am a cosplay artist!  I bring characters to life through imagery by dressing up as some of your favorite characters from comics, television, video games, movies, and anime.

One of the most exciting aspects is I get to work with amazing talents throughout my process that include extraordinary designers like Fiona Leonard and Walter Dean of Dean’s Lyst, exemplary make-up artists like Selena Gilbert of Face Chemistry and sensational photographers such as Andrew Michael Phillips, Dana Morgan (Danique Events) and Dr. Law’s Photolab.

I cosplay because it allows me to be creative, push boundaries and be surrounded by like-minded individuals that motivate me to think out the box. It is therapy, it is bonding, and it is camaraderie. With each cosplay, I grow and expand, hopefully becoming better but enjoying myself either way. The bonds and friendships that are born through fandom, conventions, photo shoots, etc., are priceless.

The message I want everyone to receive is that you can COSPLAY YOUR WAY. We are all a canvas and what we do is art. Some people place restrictions on others by demanding cosplayers aim for being canon, but many times that it is unrealistic, especially in a world where the characters themselves are often re-imagined across the various platforms. Characters can easily be a different race, sex or body type depending on the media platform (i.e. television, film, video games, etc.)

Cosplay should be a fun, expressive and a positive outlet for all involved. Encourage and embrace your fellow cosplayer because we are all a work in progress. And don’t forget to “use your voice, express your style and do it your way.”

My artwork is built from teamwork and collaboration. I get a thrill working with a variety of creatives to come up with a look, design, group cosplay, etc. I pride myself on helping all cosplayers, both novice and expert, to enhance their expression and expand their talents. One of my favorite projects that we did was the Cosplay Your Way/Cosplay Noir Magazine covers for Black History month where we released a new photo for each day of the month featuring a POC cosplayer. This was a project of love for a couple of reason. One, I was able to introduce some first-timers to the world of cosplay and have them introduced to the scene in an impacting way. Second, each magazine cover was a personal testimony to what each cosplayer/model was facing at that point in his/her life. I interviewed each model and structured the magazine titles to reflect aspects of their aspirations, fears, hopes, desires and/or struggles. Third, it was such a big production that had many moving parts, it was a definitive lesson in collaboration and seeing how working together with all the entities that make cosplay great can be more impressive and dynamic than trying to do everything solo.

As for my Cosplay Your Way merchandise, the message is simple but so important that I hope when people see it, they are inspired to reach inside of themselves and allow their creative strengths to shine. I can’t express how heartwarming it is for people to come up to me at conventions, my panels or booth to tell me it is because of me and my message that they cosplay, or that they had the courage to do a genderbend cosplay or a character that is not traditionally their race. I truly believe that it is my duty to create a safe haven for all individuals wanting to participate in this art form, in this lifestyle.

Choosing a creative or artistic path comes with many financial challenges. Any advice for those struggling to focus on their artwork due to financial concerns?
For people struggling to reach their artistic plateau due to financial concerns, especially in this arena, I urge them to be resourceful. There are simple and inexpensive ways to represent your fandom by sourcing what you already have in your possession.

I conduct a panel entitled, Cosplay Made Simple, that is designed to provide useful tips and tricks on how to do breakout cosplays without breaking the bank. Characters can be “cost-effectively” explored and brought to life for memorable cosplays that allow you to showcase your creativity using a variety of approaches: Closet Cosplay, Cosplay Replay, Barter Cosplay, Piecemeal Cosplay, Casual Cosplay, etc.

Another approach is to save a certain amount for your cosplay fund and stick to it. Cosplay is ever-evolving so if you get a major piece of your cosplay and can’t get the rest, many times you can make creative adjustments to the look until you are able to acquire everything you want to get your desired look.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
I am excited to announce that I will be part of an upcoming comic series entitled, THE GREENVILLE PROJECT, as the original character, KARMA, based off of my likeness.

With Sir Patrick Stewart as the leadoff character, The Greenville Triangle is a first action-adventure comic book series of Black Wall Street from the world of Chocolate Nation Studios. With his powers of mysticism and his thirst for retribution, KARMA is a tour de force when it comes to making criminals pay for their crimes.  The project is set to be released at the end of this year.

To bring KARMA to life, I was fortunate to work alongside published author, Milton Davis, illustrator Eddie Platt and costume designer, Torie-Mekhi Fashion Couture

Along with seeing me as Karma in The Greenville Triangle, I will be in the upcoming documentary, “Nerdiest Doc”, appearing at conventions throughout the US, on The Convoluted Cruise and at special events celebrating the art of cosplay with MarksterCon and Apache Cafe’.

There are a few places you can see my work online.

IG: @BarrFoxx
www.instagram.com/barrfoxx

IG: @CosplayYourWay
www.instagram.com/cosplayyourway

YouTube: @CosplayYourWay
www.youtube.com/c/cosplayyourway

Facebook: @BarrFoxxCosplay
www.facebook.com/barrfoxxcosplay

Twitter: @BarrFoxx
www.twitter.com/barrfoxx

TeePublic: @CosplayYourWay
http://tee.pub/lic/CosplayYourWay
You can support the work by liking the pages and helping to spread the Cosplay Your Message by wearing the tees and proudly sporting some of the merchandise. For people that get the shirt or merchandise and send me a photo, I do a spotlight for them on my social media pages, celebrating them and their individualism.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.youtube.com/c/cosplayyourway
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/cosplayyourway
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/barrfoxxcosplay
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/barrfoxx
• Other: www.instagram.com/barrfoxx

Image Credit:
Elysium (Gambit), Paul Cory Photography (Raven), Dr. Law’s Photolab (Nightwolf), Eddie Platt & Dr. Law’s Photolab (Karma), Eric Ward Art (Bishop), Andrew Michael Phillips of AMPCosplay (Blade), Kyss Photography (Bronze Tiger), Dr. Law’s Photolab (Jericho), Geek Behind The Lens Photography (Magneto), Danique Events (Samurai), Dr. Law’s Photolab (Static Shock), Kyss Photography (Warpath), Andrew Michael Phillips of AMPCosplay (Cosplay Your Way Team)

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.