I have only ever cried over two celebrities in my life: the so-attractive-he-was-probably-carved-from-a-mountainside Karl Urban, my favourite man in the world; and – perhaps this is unexpected – world-famous costume designer and cosplayer, Yaya Han. The tears came with surprise, drawn out by her genuine kindness and thoughtfulness. She is more than lovely, giving me a big hug once the cameras stopped rolling. But let’s rewind.

We have interviewed a few cosplayers for this magazine, but there are none quite like Yaya Han. Most of those in the fan, geek and costuming community know who she is – an artist who has transformed her love of crafting into an international business, going from competing in costume contests to being the featured face on Syfy’s Heroes of Cosplay. One might say she is notorious, however, let it be known we would only use that word to describe her in the best sense. If the cosplay community was a comic series, Yaya would be the equivalent to Marvel’s Nick Fury.

On that note, Yaya is also a comic book character. Or at least she has released The Yaya Han Saga, which follows a cosplayer similar to Yaya herself, who gains superpowers. But it’s not a trip down Vanity Lane; rather, the comic serves as a vehicle of positivity for everyone entering the convention circuit, whether they cosplay or not.

Body positivity is a big thing among cosplayers, who find themselves matching their bodies up against often unreasonable expectations made in comic books, movies, and anime. Beyond that, there is sometimes a level of competition amongst other cosplayers to ‘out do’ one another, as if this were high school all over again. While many like Yaya are outspoken against cosplay elitists, as they are called, it is still a rough fight.

"I really wanted to go back to the feel of what it was like for me when I first started cosplaying," she explained. "I feel like cosplay has helped me come out of my shell over the years, and I hope that reflects in the comic as well."

It is Yaya’s hope that the comic will help inspire and embolden current and former cosplayers to be more confident. "It doesn’t matter where you’re from, or what you look like – if you’re at a convention, we should all accept each other; we should all be there to support each other. We’re all geeks, we’re all fans, we all love something – that’s why we’re here.

"I started cosplaying 15 years ago and, because the cosplay community was very small back then, we were actually able to wear more variety of costumes. I felt like it was safer for girls to be in revealing costumes at conventions, because everyone who went to cons were all fans. They all understood if you were dressed as, you know, Yoko from Gurren Lagann, that you were cosplaying. Where versus now, cosplay and conventions are so mainstream that people will come that have maybe never seen a show like that and just be like Why is she running around in a bikini? The popularity has brought more scrutiny to cosplay."

That scrutiny has added another element to cosplay: a popularity quest. To some people, a cosplay’s success hinges on how many photos are taken of it. When a cosplay fails to garner a lot of notice, many cosplayers are discouraged and see it as a sign of failure. "I always encourage cosplayers to look within themselves and re-evaluate why you’re doing this," Yaya said. "If no one asks you for a photo, that’s okay, because maybe you can do some photos with your friends. Make sure that you at least have some photos and don’t let it discourage you."

Anyone who is seen in the public eye can get a lot of negativity thrown at them, but Yaya uses the spotlight for good (her Facebook page, for example, recently broke 1.5 million likes). Several months ago she spoke out when she was grabbed while walking on the street in New York. This was during the convention circuit, but not while she was in the convention hall itself. "I was very unsure if I should make a post like that, because I do not ever want to be negative. I want people to always look to the positive," she said. "I don’t ever want to bitch just for the sake of bitching.

"When I made the post, it was really to illustrate that I actually feel safe at conventions, versus being out just as a woman in the world. So I really hope that it reminds us to be there for each other as fans. When we’re at cons, if you see something, say something. And also just treat each other like equals. The world is a big, scary place and this is our reprieve."

To anyone that has ever felt unsafe simply walking home from work or heading to the store, the safe haven that a convention can be is incredibly important – and easily jeopardized if we don’t do anything about it.

There are a lot of critics over Yaya Han. That’s an unavoidable reaction to being well-known. I’m certain of this, though: she is genuine; she is kind; she is passionate about what she does; and she wants to give back. Have you ever tried to make a cat suit? If you’ve done any sort of costuming at all – from drag to theatre – you probably know how difficult and daunting of a task that is, and how impossible it is to find a good pattern for. Well, at least it used to be. When the McCall Pattern Company approached Yaya to see if she would design some patterns for them, there was no question as to which she would draft first. Now you can purchase a helpful bodysuit pattern with different style options. The release of this pattern was the cosplayer equivalent of dropping the mic. "I just hope it’s helpful," Yaya said – all class.

Yes, Yaya made a small attack on my tear ducts, but that’s okay. As far as movers and shakers go, the costuming community has lucked out with her. Have you ever wanted to dress up as your favourite character or pop culture reference without having to wait until Halloween? Go for it. Break out the sewing machine, check out websites, go thrifting, and arrive at your local convention with style. Yaya Han has made a career out of it, but you don’t have to in order to enjoy yourself. Do what you love, and the rest will follow.