After her marriage fell apart and her son was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, plus size model Rosie Mercado turned to food. The plus size model hit 410 pounds before being forced to face her weight gain. She took back her life and the transformation has been captured on her Instagram.
Rosie Mercado is a plus size model on a mission to get healthy…not skinny.
At comic conventions, fans from all over gather to celebrate comics, movies and TV shows. Between their special guest stars and exclusive content, comic conventions are like a wonderland to the millions of devoted fans who visit them. At these cons, the most creative ways to show your fandom some love is to cosplay.
Now that this year’s Emerald City Comic Con is over, comic convention season is in full swing. However, you don’t have to live in California or New York just to get into the cosplay goodness. Smaller conventions still pack in just as much fun and you’re guaranteed to find one close to you. With all those events, the cosplay options are endless.
Get in character and start planning your outfit because these looks will give you major inspiration.
Latina artist, seamstress and cosplayer, Momo Kurumi lives by the philosophy that cosplay is for everyone. The award winning designer has participated in cosplay since 2007 and has done over 100 looks. Most of these costumes are completely self-made. Momo range is incredible; cosplaying anime characters, comic heroines, and Disney princesses. However, it’s her Chel cosplay — the South American native from “The Road To El Dorado” — that is especially giving us life.
It seems like there isn’t any look that this Afro-Latina cosplayer can’t pull off. A self proclaimed nerd, Nerdtastic Mel serves looks ranging from adorable Pokémon and beautiful Disney Princesses to a spot on Hermonie Granger and creepy cute Wednesday Adams. Be sure to check out her 90s cartoon looks as well for a shot of nostalgia.
Cosplayer Art by Renna — real name Amanda — is just as comfortable in sexy looks as she is in her sweeter ones. If you catch her at a comic convention, she could be anyone from Mary Jane Watson to Maleficent. However, cosplay isn’t the only place she’s confident. Amanda is also a boudoir and lingerie model.
Iced Coffee Mel is a Columbian cosplayer practicing her craft in Toronto, Canada. Whether she’s working anime or comic characters, she completely transforms into her roles with impressive authenticity. Check out her quirky Mina Asido, her sultry Black Cat or her amazingly cool Sombra to get a feel of Mel’s versatility.
Peruvian-Canadian cosplayer Jennocide is a queen of the head-to-toe look. Besides making sure her costuming is always on point, her attention to prop and accessory fabrication takes her looks to another level. Additionally, Jennocide is a master of makeup. Her Vemon, Gamora and Scar makeups are works of art. If that isn’t enough, her take on Zatanna is more than magical.
Cosplayer and costume creator Moxxi Shenanigans’ looks are as diverse as they are creative. If you’re looking for inspo for your video game cosplay or are just curious to see a really impressive Gizmo costume, her Insta is a must-see. Besides well-known characters, she also creates her own — like her “Stars War” inspired Jedi Ariel.
New York-based cosplayer Joanna Mari specializes in both Sci-Fi and Fantasy. A skilled prop fabricator, her expertise come in handy for characters ranging from Wonder Woman to Raven from “Teen Titans.” Her reimaginings of sweet cartoon characters like “Pokémon,” “My Little Pony” and “Carebears” into knights, warriors and mages is a thing of beauty.
Chicago cosplayer Stephanie X Moon likes to bring some sex appeal and a healthy dose of horror to her costuming. An alternative model, her pin up looks reimagine scary movie creators like Chucky and the Bride of Frankenstein. In addition to her spooky styles, she also gets inspiration from comic books; bringing to life characters like Scarlet Witch and Cat Woman.
As her name suggests, Chicago Princess Sarah is an Illinois-based cosplayer. A singer and artist, she works with the other talented character actresses at Chicago Princess Parties, a company that provides magical experiences for Disney lovers. Besides looking like a princess, she has to embody that character’s personality and vibe. Sarah has played everyone from Belle to Esmeralda but we’re partial to her Elena of Avalor — Disney’s first Latina princess.
Cosplayer Adonia GameGoddess is a Puerto Rican jack of all trades. Costume designer, prop maker, gamer and otaku, she brings her passion and talent to her looks. A regular guest at comic conventions around the nation, Adonia is at home whether she’s playing Green Latern Jessica Cruz or Bunny Bulma from “Dragon Ball Z.”
Body positive cosplayer Cin’Von Quinzel is a self-taught costume maker from New York City. The Puerto Rican model and performer isn’t afraid to flaunt her curves in her unique takes on characters like Mercy from “Overwatch” or the Pokémon Vaporeon. As a plus-sized Afro-Latina, Cin’Von represents two marginalized groups in the cosplay community. Still, with looks like her impressive Hela cosplay, there’s no doubt about why she’s made a name for herself.
Though she calls herself a “cosplayer in training,” Ivvy Dream’s collection of characters is already very impressive. The Puerto Rican and Nicaraguan artist mostly works with inspiration she finds from Japanese anime. You’ll find a Poison Ivy and Elmyra in her reprutoir, but she also seamlessly encapsulates Diane from “The Seven Deadly Sins.”
Lover of all things anime and manga, body positive cosplayer Surely Shirley is a crafty member of the cosplay community. Costumes like her take on Amethyst from “Steven Universe” and her Hinata from the “Naturo” series are spot on. However, it’s looks like her Bowsette (a female Bowser) that will really make an impression on you.
With over 300k Instagram followers, Ivy Doomkitty is one of the most popular Latina cosplayers in the world. Based out of LA, the international model is also a content creator, a pin up model and an advocate for body positivity. If you check out her previous looks, you’ll find sexy cosplays like her Ms Marvel and Jessica Rabbit. However, her Bison from “Street Fighter” proves that Ivy has her costuming down, head to toe.
Atlanta cosplayer and self-proclaimed “anime trash,” Gabi Rupee’s cosplay looks are just as animated as her interests. The Brazilian-American gaming video creator draws on her love for Japanese animation to craft creative looks like her Captain Deku — a mashup of “Captain America” and “My Hero Academia.” As imaginative as that look is, we can’t help feeling that her Faye Valentine of “Cowboy Bebop” fame is positively spot on.
Whether you love anime, video games or Disney characters, cosplayer Julia Rose has a look for you. Her adaptation of Pajama Party Ariel from “Ralph Breaks The Internet” is too precious for words. Her Princess Serenity from “Sailor Moon” is more than ethereal. Also, Julia’s playful Disneybound looks — like Edna from “The Incredibles” — are just as creative as her full costumes.
Phoenix Skye is a LGBT Dominicana that embodies that cosplay is for everyone. A body positive advocate, she documented her substantial weight loss through cosplay. She showsnl ws ithat no matter the size, she could rock her costumes. Check out her Gender-bent Joker for a real taste of her talent but we also can’t get enough of this gorgeous Moana look.
“Teen Titans,” “Space Jam,” “My Hero Academia” and “Steve Universe.” These just a few of the fandoms multi-talented cosplayer Yani Luv has explored. The Afro-Latina Boricua utilizes both self-fabricated props and impressive body painting skills to embody her characters. While Yani cosplays plenty of human characters, we’re partial to her absolutely adorable take on Retsuko from Sanrio’s “Aggretsuko.”
Fashion design student Iza Ragnhildr should get extra points for practical application. Whether she’s cosplaying each and every favorite video game protagonist, the Cuban-Mexican artist fully transforms herself. A great example of this is her killer take on steam punk Poison Ivy.
Video games and anime are usually Theophania’s go-to when it comes to cosplay. Besides her cute cosplays, the Houston-based Mexican Puerto Rican is a part of the Jammingers — a live action movie about a team of music-based superheroes. Her human Judy Hwa wazopps will also make you want to check out her incredible Disney cosplays.
According to new research, Latina workers had to work until Nov. 20, 2019, to be paid the same wages as white non-Hispanic men in 2018, and it’s even worse in Texas. Representative Lizzie Fletcher (D-Houston) highlighted that fact on Latina Equal Pay Day, Nov. 20, in a tweet. “In Texas, Latinas make less than $0.45 for every dollar a man makes. That makes us 49th in the nation. The Senate must pass the (Paycheck Fairness Act) now. Latinas deserve better — we all do,” the Representative tweeted. Texas’s House of Representatives approved the Paycheck Fairness Act, sending it to the Senate for a vote back in March. The bill has been stalled in the Senate ever since. If passed into law, the Paycheck Fairness Act would increase penalties for employers that issue discriminatory wages to their workers. The bill would also require employers to report pay information to the Department of Labor, holding employers accountable for paying Latinas unfairly.
Last year, Latina Equal Pay Day was on Nov. 1, but Latinas have to work an extra 20 days than last year to make the same as their white male counterparts.
CREDIT: @REPFLETCHER / TWITTER
Last year, Texas was “the third-worst state for Latinas when it comes to the wage gap,” Maya Raghu, the Director of Workplace Equality at the National Women’s Law Center told Houston Public Media. She added that “the wage gap for Latinas has barely budged in about 30 years.” This year, Texas is the second-worst state in America for Latinas to make a living wage. Rep. Fletcher took Latina Equal Pay Day as an opportunity to push for legislation of the Paycheck Fairness Act. Later, Rep. Fletcher clarified her statement in a follow-up tweet, saying, “Someone asked the question, so to be clear: this statistic refers to white, non-Hispanic men.”
Rep. Fletcher received plenty of backlash from Twitter trolls, who nearly cried ‘white racism’ and spewed anti-immigrant rhetoric. “Why Latinas? Why not just level it for all???? After all Latinas are your new majority. Who will be looking after the new minority?” asked Twitter user Shifty Schiff. “NO to #LatinaEqualPayDay !! Latinas crossing the border INCREASE chances Americans will be trafficked. #BuildTheWall traitor!!” tweeted another user in response to Rep. Fletcher. Another troll tweeted, “Equal opportunity, not equal outcome. You can’t enforce equal outcome unless you take all opportunity away from everyone. This is not the job of government!”
In fact, reports show that the pay gap widens the more educated a Latina becomes.
Unfortunately, education appears to be a key factor, robbing Latinas of opportunities to compete in higher-wage fields because of the lack of access to education. In 2013, 19 percent of all Latina-Americans aged 25-29 had completed a college degree compared to 44 percent of white women, according to a government study. When you add documentation as a factor, the statistics plummet. Still, when you control for education, the gap only gets worse, according to the Bureau of Labor statistics. Latinas in the legal field are paid an average salary of $52,477 compared to white men who earn an average of $150,487, averaging a 65 percent pay gap, according to the Bureau of Labor. While Latina CEOs and General Managers are paid 35 percent less than their white non-Hispanic male counterparts.
More than half of Latina mothers are the primary income-earners in their household, and the disparities become inherited. Over the course of her career, the average Latina would earn over $1.1 million more if paid fairly, according to the National Partnership for Women & Families April 2019 report. The report cited that “if the wage gap were eliminated, on average, a Latina working full time, year-round would have enough money to afford one of the following: more than three additional years of child care, nearly 19 additional months of mortgage payments, more than two additional years of rent, almost two years of the maximum retirement contribution to her employer-sponsored 401(k) retirement account, or more than five years of the maximum retirement contribution to her Traditional or Roth IRA account.”
Nearly 1 in 3 Americans are not even aware of the Latina pay gap, according to a LeanIn.Org/SurveyMonkey poll.
A sample of 5,690 adults polled online between Oct. 25-29, 2019 showed that nearly 1,900 surveyors were not aware of the Latina pay gap. Half of them were not aware of the pay gap between Latinas and white women. The dollar for dollar wage gap is relevant when you control for job title, education, and location, but doesn’t factor in discrimination that favors white men over Latina women for promotion. The LeanIn.org/SurveyMonkey poll found that “for every 100 men who are promoted to manager, only 68 Latinas are promoted. This ‘broken rung’ results in more Latinas getting stuck at entry-level.”
