Fort Myers cosplayer @Avera_Cosplay is among the most talented in the South. And it’s not just our opinion. Her many convention cosplay awards are impressive. In addition, her most recent win has her representing the southern region in a national cosplay competition. And @Avera_Cosplay is appearing at St. Pete Comic Con 2022 on January 8-9 at the Coliseum.
Cosplay awards
Her awards are from the largest cons in the nation like Megacon Orlando and Dragon Con in Atlanta. She also has awards from large Florida conventions like Tampa Bay Comic Convention and Florida Supercon. Here’s a listing. If you’re not familiar with her talent, buckle your seatbelt and get ready to have your mind blown.
Florida Supercon
Florida Supercon, started in 2006, is south Florida’s largest convention. And it’s held annually at the Miami Beach Convention Center. @Avera_Cosplay won awards at three Florida Supercon events: 2021, 2019, and 2018.
2021: Warhammer Mercy from Overwatch cosplay
Mercy cosplay mashup from Overwatch and Warhammer (below) won the Cosplay Central Crown Championship at Florida Supercon, which hosted the competition for the South region of the U.S. Other competitions include New York Comic Con representing the East, Emerald City Comic Con in the West, and Chicago Comic & Entertainment (C2E2) in the Midwest. @Avera_Cosplay meets the other winners at the national finals in Chicago at C2E2 in March, 2022. And that winner goes on to the world championships in London MCM.
(photo credit: Tonya Barnes Photography. Based on Artwork by GladzyKei)
2019: Sugar Plum Fairy from Overwatch. She was awarded “Best Journeyman Group” (photo credit: JHern Photography)
2018: She-Ra, Princess of Power from He-Man. She and her husband’s cosplay won Best Novice Group (photo credit: Mig Photography World)
If you want to know more about Florida Supercon, check out our blog “Why the weekend at Florida Supercon 2021 was sensational.”
Megacon Orlando and Tampa Bay
Megacon Orlando is one of the largest conventions in the nation (also the largest in Florida). @Avera_Cosplay has awards from three Megacon events, two in Orlando (2021, 2019) and one held in Tampa (2018).
Orlando 2021: Dragon Mercy from Overwatch. She won “Judges Choice” (photo credit: Jeff Jenkins)
Orlando 2019: Cosplay is Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty. She and her husband won “Fan Favorite”
(photo credit: Tonya Barnes PhotoGraphy. Based on art By Zach Fischer)
Tampa Bay 2018: Mercy from Overwatch. She was awarded “Best Group”
If you want to learn more about her Mercy Overwatch cosplay, check out her video (below) by Tonya Barnes PhotoGraphy.
Dragon Con
Dragon Con, started in 1987, is one of the longest running conventions in the U.S. And it’s among the largest. In addition, Dragon Con is @Avera_Cosplay’s favorite comic convention. “It’s like nerd mardi gras,” she said. The cosplayer won four awards: Two in 2021, one in 2019, and a Bunny Hutch award in 2020. Bunny Hutch is the Thursday night kickoff event for Dragon Con.
2021: Plaguebringer from World of Warcraft. She was awarded “Best Use of Materials” (photo credit: Tonya Barnes PhotoGraphy, Based on art By Zach Fischer)
2020 Bunny Hutch: Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast. She won first place.
2020 Bunny Hutch: First Place for Belle Bunny Original Design (photo credit: Tonya Barnes PhotoGraphy)
2019: Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty. @Avera_Cosplay won “Best Journeyman” (based on art By Zach Fischer)
Ultimate Online Cosplay Contest
Ultimate Cosplay is a cosplay community run by cosplayers. In addition to the organization’s international cosplay events online, Ultimate Cosplay also runs podcasts and attends many convention.
2020: Ysera from World of Warcraft won Masters Finalist (photo credit: Tonya Barnes PhotoGraphy. Based on art By Zach Fischer)
BlizzCon
BlizzCon, started in 2005, is a gaming convention organized by Blizzard Entertainment to promote its brands such as Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo, Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm, and Overwatch. The annual event is at the Anaheim Convention Center.
2020: Plaguebringer from World of Warcraft. She was awarded “Top 5 Armor Finalist” (photo credit: Tonya Barnes PhotoGraphy)
Florida Cosplay Digital Magazine cover cosplayer
@Avera_Cosplay is featured on the cover of Florida Cosplay Digital Magazine’s April 2020 issued titled “13 cosplayers to watch in southwest Florida. The magazine, published by Florida Comic Cons, spotlights her cosplays and share more about her background.
Cosplaying is a family affair for @Avera_Cosplay
She lives in Fort Myers with her family, who also cosplays. Below the family cosplays characters from Overwatch, with Avera as Tracer (far left), her son as Junkrat (center) and her husband as McCree (right). (photo credit: Art Segovia Photography)
Want to see what she looks like for real?
It’s always interesting to see what a cosplayer looks like out of costume. But October is not a good month to see what @Avera_Cosplay looks like in real life. Because she is not always out of cosplay. In 2017, @Avera_Cosplay began dressing occasionally as a man during October. Below shows her first transformation in 2017.
@Avera_Cosplay is a St. Pete Comic Con 2022 Cosplay Guest
The best cosplayer in the South will be at St. Pete Comic Con on January 8-9, 2022, at the historic Coliseum located in downtown St. Petersburg. St. Pete Comic Con 2022 is a two-day, multi-genre comic convention in St. Petersburg that features comics, anime, science fiction and fantasy talent, along with a guest roster of Florida’s top cosplayers. Tickets include single day for $15, and weekend pass for $25.
Cosplay for Saturday at St. Pete Comic Con 2022
On Saturday, she will be cosplaying Polka Dot Man from The Suicide Squad. (photo credit: Captain Puerto Rico) (photo credit: Ryan Sims Photography)
Cosplay for Sunday
And on Sunday, she will be cosplaying Bowsette from Mario. (photo credits: DadPantsPhotography)
Find @Avera_Cosplay at her booth or in a panel
St. Pete Comic Con 2022 attendees can chat with @Avera_Cosplay and ask questions (Editors Note: She is incredibly knowlegable, fascinatingly creative, very approachable, and is a really sweet person – we know her well!). In addition, @Avera_Cosplay is on the panel “Cosplay 101: A Beginner’s Panel,” which is an introduction to cosplay for first-timers.
