This is Second Mourning Cosplay’s second time at RavenCon. The group was founded by a group of friends with varying cosplay skills. Second Mourning ranges from casual cosplayers to Masquerade winners.
Category: Costuming Guest (Page 2 of 2)
Hello! My name is shortstack and i enjoy cosplaying as well as reading. I am super excited to see all the amazing artists and people at RavenCon 2025!
Smashbcosplay—dubbed the “first family of cosplay”—is headed by myself, the creator and maker of the cosplays. You will find us volunteering at local comic cons to promote other conventions and frequenting cosplay meetups. I joined the cosplay community to make new friends and promote positive mental health. We compete both as a family and solo, as well as in groups with other cosplayers. I am known for my gender bends, such as Darth Maulmmy and IndiAnna Jones. Catch me hosting cosplay photography meetups or making some upcycled cosplays. My cosplay style is much like my approach to parenting: Fun, hands-on, homemade, and sprinkled with a lot of love.
I have a deep love for fantasy and sci-fi which is a common theme in our cosplays. I enjoy sharing my love of public speaking by hosting fun panels such as “Cosplay with Younglings,” “Making Connections at Conventions,” “Con Prep for Families” and many others.
Stormraven has a knack for hyperfixating to an annoying degree on fictional characters. An avid 3D printer and aspiring clay artist, she’s normally found at home surrounded by fluffy critters and their well-loved chew toys.
Valentine is a published cosplayer, panelist, Twitch streamer, and content creator. She mainly focuses on cosplaying from anime and video games. Utilizing her extensive theater background, she has spent her cosplay career applying tactics and methods she learned to her cosplays as shown through her wig styling, garment making, and her personal favorite, her makeup. She has paneled at multiple conventions up and down the East Coast, her favorite being Galaxycon Raleigh this past summer, where she spoke about using fashion and cosplay as a storytelling device in different animes. Valentine strives to spread love and positivity in the cosplay community, especially lifting up her fellow chronically ill cosplayers.
Lena Volkova is an award-winning costume designer, model, and actor from the DMV. Lena mostly spends her time as a costume arts educator and designer in the theatrical world. Most recently, her credits include Urinetown (Workhouse Arts Center), Julius Caesar (Avant Bard), and Every Brilliant Thing (Workhouse Arts Center). In addition to her work as a costume designer, she is also a scare actor and creative designer for the annual Workhouse Arts Haunted Trail. Lena also serves on the board of directors for DC Cosplay Photo Shoots, a photography and costume arts education nonprofit that serves the Greater Washington Metropolitan Area.
Lena has been a staple in the DMV’s cosplay community since 2016. She became a media personality in the costume arts world in 2018 with the launch of her podcast, The Cosplay Cast. Previously, she was well-known within the South Texas cosplay and horror communities where she served as a celebrity judge for the Facial Hair League and community-driven philanthropic events.
These days, Lena primarily focuses on arts education and is dedicated to empowering the cosplay community with educational opportunities, resources, and information. Lena’s primary goal is not only to help make costuming a mainstream hobby but also to educate people on the merits of costume-based work and to accept costuming as a valid art form. In 2023, she curated an Art Exhibition at the Workhouse Arts Center, featuring selected works from DC Cosplay Photo Shoots’ members. The week-long gallery installation was the first of its kind and was the highlight of February 2023’s Second Saturday Art Walk. In 2024, she curated “Tulpa” featuring more works from DC Cosplay Photo Shoots members and was also a featured artist. Lena and her mission and experiences as a costumer have previously been featured in CanvasRebel, Voyage Baltimore, and Metro Weekly magazines.
