Just as the knife drips leaving a pool of blood to grow ever larger, so are these Halloween Special Edition cosplay interviews. Today readers, we have a special treat in store for you. The Spirit of Halloween has never been so real and intense as this young and petite lovely lady. The type of cosplay is some of the most horrific and gruesome characters to come out from the depth of our imagination. She has captured the terror and molded into something that is both sexy and haunting to see. So without further adieu, please show your love and admiration as our next exclusive interview this Halloween week with Mia Shinda.
Raven: Herzlich Willkommen, Mia. Thank you Mia for allowing me and my readers to know you, your artistry, and everything else in between. Just to give you a fair warning, I will be asking some haunting questions so please don’t run away.
Mia: Hallo Raven. Thank you for this Halloween Edition Cosplay interview. I am so happy to do this!
Raven: As you might not know before I begin to ask you my list of questions, I offer some words of advice, a ballad of encouragement when you find yourself at crossroads during your career, and in today’s world we all need some inspirational words to make it through all this. So here goes, “We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.”
Raven: Tell us all about yourself.
Mia: I’m German with Czech roots and currently living in North rhine-Westphalia. I have Green-Brownish eyes with red hair. I don’t have any tattoos or piercings. My Zodiac sign is Scorpio which makes me passionate, persistent, strategic, and loyal. I’m 143 cm/4,69 ft TALL! 😀 I am right-handed. And of course, I am an animal lover. I especially love cats, pigs, and spiders!
Raven: Out of all the interviews I’ve had the pleasure of hosting, Mia you are the first to reveal you love that 8 legged spider creature.
Raven: What is Mia Shinda’s biggest Pet Peeve?
Mia: It grinds my gears when ball pens are empty and people put them back instead of getting rid of them or putting them into my recycling box!
Raven: LOL. I have a ton of them on my desk. I’ll mail them to you.
Raven: Do you speak or write any other languages?
Mia: Apart from German, of course, I unfortunately only speak a little bit of English. But I can understand a few pieces of Czech. Sadly it doesn’t help a lot when communicating with Czech people.
Raven: During a Zombie infestation in Germany, what sort of cosplay props will Mia Shinda use to defend herself?
Mia: She would use her rusty crowbar.
Raven: What does Mia Shinda love to do when she has time to herself?
Mia: I love to go skating and to visit lost places.
Raven: Yes. There’s something about an abandoned place that just simply draws one in.
Raven: Was there a horror movie or horror event that completely influenced you as a child?
Mia: The “Nightmare before Christmas” and “Tales from the Crypt” has influenced me greatly as a child!
Raven: What places do you go to find pieces for your cosplay wear?
Mia: I regularly visit flea markets and scrap yards. And of course, the hardware store is one of my places I go regularly. But every other place can be suitable, even if it is an item that I find on the streets.
Raven: What sort of Anime/Manga or graphic novel do you love to read?
Mia: I love Black Butler, Pokémon, Digimon, One Piece, Van Helsing, and many others. I read a lot of different mangas! ☺
Raven: If the Chucky Doll was real, who would Mia Shinda send it to?
Mia: She would send it to herself, she always wanted to have the Chucky Doll! 😀
Raven: When you dream, do you dream of cute and happy things?
Mia: Of course (e.g. about doll heads without eyes, zombie apocalypse, and so on… 😉 )
Raven: Oh, my! I could only imagine all those Barbie Dolls shivers with fright!
Raven: Do your outfits even scare a Krampus?
Mia: Oh yes in fact they do. Last year a Krampus got so scared he won’t even come to visit me again ☹
Raven: LOL! I’m sure!
Raven: Have you made a Horror film to watch?
Mia: I’m currently working on a short horror movie called “Maries Mansion”, but it is not finished yet. But I produced a postapocalyptic serial with some horror elements with 10 episodes “Green Sanctuary” – you can find it on Youtube. Click Here.
Raven: For this Halloween, what sort of cosplay costume will you wear?
Mia: I will wear my classic zombie girl outfit with my bloody teddy bear.
Raven: Sweet! That’s Daddy’s little girl!
Raven: How did you get started doing cosplaying?
Mia: I made my first cosplay at the age of 17 and I got the initial idea from an anime magazine and I was very curious so I started making my first cosplay. It was Cooro from the manga +Anime 🙂
Raven: What sort of cosplay outfit would wear for a photo shoot at The Waldniel Hostert School?
Mia: I would wear my Zombie Schoolgirl cosplay with a candy cone! 😉
Raven: Was your cosplay wearing simple at first?
Mia: Yes absolutely, at first I did not have that high level of craftsmanship, I had to teach this all by myself. So I did something rather simple at the beginning and over time I started to do more complex cosplays.
Raven: Now that Mia Shinda is on a Killing Spree, what music would she listen to as she Shinda?
Mia: Something classical like Beethoven or Mozart! 😉
Raven: How did you change to apocalypse/dark outfits?
Mia: At some point, cosplay wasn’t giving me everything I wanted, because my creativity was narrowed down.
Mia: Through my friends, I was introduced to LARP (Live Action Role Playing) and there I discovered that I could make my costumes from my ideas and I was fascinated by the apocalypse/dark stuff since my early childhood years. So I decided to build my costumes in this new direction and found pretty quickly other people who liked the same topics as I did.
Raven: Michael Myers, Friday the 13th Jason, Freddy Krueger, or R’ Kelly. Who would scare you if you were trapped in an elevator?
Mia: R’Kelly of course, that would be the true horror… 😉 nearly as bad as being trapped with Justin Bieber!
Raven: Did you do it for the artistry, the lucrative commissions, or something else?
Mia: At first, I did it only for the artistry. But then after some time several people approached me and complimented me on my costumes and asked if I could build some costume parts for them as well. So I started making commissions parallel to my costume builds.
Raven. Now that is wonderful to hear you can make a living on what you love to do.
Raven: Do people, who meet you for the first time, surprised to know what you do?
Mia: Yes, often people are surprised when they find out what I do.
Raven: What torture object would Mia Shinda be most afraid of if someone was trying to kill her?
Mia: That would be a clarinet *shudder*
Raven: How long does it take to create a complete outfit from start to finish?
Mia: Well, it depends on the outfit, especially how detailed and playful it shall be. On one particular outfit, I am building for 8 years now. There are always things to add, to improve, to change. For another costume, it took me over a year, from the first sketches to the finished result. But for some more basic outfits, I only need a few days or weeks.
Raven: What is currently the number of cosplay outfits do you own?
Mia: I currently have over 40 outfits and the number is still growing… 😉
Raven: I say, it is never enough!
Raven: Do you have a walk-in closet?
Mia: Yes, I have, otherwise, it would not work with so many costumes.
Raven: What is your favorite cosplay outfit?
Mia: My Zombie Girl “Marie” and my Khajiit “Kimana” are my two all-time favorites.
Raven: Are you willing to stay overnight in Kirchlengern Forest?
Mia: Of course, I would! 😀 So exciting!
Raven: During my search to interview female cosplayers, I came across one of your photos of you as a Zombie cleaning maid. It’s both sexy and haunting. Are most of your cosplay characters a combination of both sexy and/or gruesome?
Mia: Yes many of them are. I like the combined style and it is somewhat unique because most female cosplays only focus on being cute and sexy.
Raven: It is Hauntingly Lovely!
Raven: What sort of characters are you drawn to?
Mia: All creepy characters, not just by their looks but also how they move differently or behave differently from people. Like the nurses from Silent Hill for example.
Raven: What photoshoots do you prefer, on location or in a studio?
Mia: Definitely on location. It brings a unique flair to the pictures.
Raven: Who is your photographer(s)?
Mia: First and foremost Thomas Kilian – Soulcatcher Photography, is my favorite photographer. Furthermore, I shoot with Rico Aloha, eosAndy, and Jamari Lior Photography, they do a magnificent job!
Raven: If Mia Shinda, due to a lab explosion, caused her to become invisible, what sort of evil thing would she do?
Mia: She would wait in an elevator and poke everyone on their sides and blame it on other people.
Raven: Seeing most of your photoshoots deal with abandoned building locations. Have you ever been injured during a photoshoot?
Mia: I’ve been was very lucky that I did not injure myself! I hope it will stay that way! 😉
Raven: Also on location, has there ever been a ghost or spirit presence while working there?
Mia: Actually yes, in one location we heard voices that were talking to each other and steps coming up the stairs and as we used our flashlights to look who’s coming there was nobody on the stairs. That was creepy!!! I love these things! 😀
Raven: BOO! Just Kidding.
Raven: Have you or will you ever cosplay something outside your comfort zone?
Mia: No, I have not and I will not leave from what I love my style of cosplay.
Raven: For Mia Shinda, what animal would best describe your personality?
Mia: I would say a squirrel. ☺ It’s always busy, collecting much stuff and is small and bubbly!
Raven: That’s one squirrel I would always visit and admire!
Raven: Do you think Werewolves are sexy?
Mia: No, they have too much fur… but zombies are sexy *hrhrhr* 😉
Raven: What is your opinion on Lewd/Spicy photoshoots?
Mia: As long as it has aesthetics as the main focus and is not cheap, I like it a lot.
Raven: Should cosplayers do it?
Mia: If they feel comfortable with themselves while doing it, I don’t see a problem.
Raven: Have you ever done Lewd/Spicy photos?
Mia: Yes, I have done lewd/spicy photos regularly.
Raven: Wow. So you were the one who broke the internet!
Raven: Is it for profit or artistry?
Mia: Profit is certainly an aspect, but the main focus is on artistry.
Raven: Do German people celebrate Halloween?
Mia: Yes, but unfortunately very limited and not so much as in the USA. There are some parties, but no big trick or treat events in the neighborhood.
Raven: What are some of the German traditions on Halloween?
Mia: There are no explicit German Halloween traditions that I am aware of, but many Germans inhabited Halloween traditions from the USA.
Raven: What have been the reactions from people who see you wearing one of your outfits?
Mia: Overall they react astounded and many want to take a picture, some are scared or a bit frightened, but in general the reactions are positive.
Raven: What places would you show me that best represents your hometown?
Mia: I don’t know any special places that would represent my hometown, I live in a normal small village.
Raven: Are there any new projects you are planning to have for this Halloween?
Mia: I’m planning to rebuild a speaking doll 😀
Raven: Now that’s a scary vision!
Raven: If Mia Shinda became a blood-thirsty vampire, would she drink the blood of David Hasselhoff?
Mia: She would rather starve to death than suck the blood from David Hasselhoff. Sorry, David! 😉
Raven: What advice can you offer to those wanting to do this kind of cosplay?
Mia: My biggest advice would be that one must be very patient when crafting a new cosplay. Plan ahead so one has enough time… And a high frustration resistance would be good… 😉
Raven: Can I have a hug?
Mia: Normally yes, but due to the Covid-Crisis this would not be such a good idea at the moment, but a virtual hug is perfectly fine! 😉 *virtual hug*
Raven: That’s it. It is in the Books! Thank you so much Mia Shinda for taking the time to do this interview.
Mia: Thank you. It has been a pleasure doing this. Happy Halloween everyone!
Raven: If I could as one more question, where can readers find more of Mia Shinda?
Mia: Not a problem. For more of my dark and twisted cosplay, here is my website you can subscribe to:
Mia Shinda (@miashinda) • Instagram photos and videos
Mia Shinda is creating alternative motives, movies, and artworks
Mia Shinda Facebook page Mia Shinda Youtube Channel
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This has been a Raven Steel Exclusive.