Patron Spotlight: Jobie! (Patreon)

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When the random generator gods selected Jobie as the January Patron Spotlight, I was super pumped — mostly just because it gave me an excuse to scroll through her breathtaking cosplay portfolio, and not for the first time. Jobie, who lives in Northern California, has been cosplaying for six years and is entirely self taught, though you wouldn’t know it by looking at her work.

Jobie’s mother showed her the basics of using a sewing machine when she was younger, but until she started cosplaying, she didn’t do much sewing. She was interested in finding a form of artistic expression, but had never taken to drawing or painting. “Something just clicked for me with sewing,” she explains. “I’ve been creating things ever since.”

One thing that struck me as I was browsing Jobie’s portfolio is that her work runs the gamut of aesthetics, from grungy horror to soft pastels and back. “I definitely feel like I have a type,” Jobie admits. “I’m extremely comfortable with characters that tend to be more stoic, spunky, or spooky.” She points out her Bioshock Little Sister cosplay, with which she felt free to try wild facial expressions and poses, and her Yasha cosplay from Critical Role, which didn’t require her to look soft or delicate. “Cosplays like these just tend to mesh more closely with my personality,” she says. But despite this, she’s created plenty of cosplays that push her outside of her comfort zone, like Jester, Star Guardian Lux, and Yuna. 

Critical Role cosplayers seem more likely than cosplayers in other fandoms to tackle multiple different characters from the same show, and Jobie is no different in this case: She’s cosplayed Jester and Yasha so far, and has Allura, Vex, and level 10 Nott all in the works at the moment. She’s hoping to take on Keyleth this year, too. “I love Critical Role!” she says. “I just find there’s a lot of creative freedom with Critical Role cosplays. The series has opened my eyes to being able to design a character and add your own special touches.”

When I ask about her most challenging costume and her favorite costume, the answer is the same: Aloy. Not only is the costume a product of a huge amount of work and a bunch of new skills, but Jobie says it’s also extremely comfortable to wear. “I learned a lot of new techniques while making that costume,” she says, “like different types of hand and decorative stitches.” Between gathering materials, studying references, and constructing the costume, Aloy took around a year to make. Jobie even counts “building up the courage to actually start” as part of the lengthy process. “Aloy was probably the most challenging for me because I had to work to get past that mental barrier of fear around the project,” she says. “It’s also my favorite project I’ve done for that very reason. I learned a lot!”

As for what else is on the horizon, Jobie wants to use 2020 to take on some of her dream costumes. “Keep an eye out for Commander Shepherd from Mass Effect. I’m also hoping to finally cosplay my Inquisitor from Dragon Age: Inquisition!”

To keep up with Jobie’s work, make sure to follow her on Instagram and Twitter!