Mini-Harley Quinn -- Big Cosplayers Come In Little Packages

Mini-Harley Quinn is quite the little cosplayer and she's only four-years old! Her love started with a simple cape and has since transformed into a wide range of costumes including her adorably popular Mini-Harley Quinn.

I thought it would be fun to interview one of the smallest little cosplayer. In a mix of her own words (she's only four-years old after all) and translations by her mother, come with me as we learn about Mini-Harley's current projects, her love of helping the furry and what it's like to be a four-year old cosplaying star. Mini-Harley Quinn will also reveal why she loves Harley Quinn and why she means so much to her.

GeekMom: What was the first character you dressed up as?
Mini-Harley: Her first costume was Tinker Bell for her first Halloween she was 11 3/4 months old. Her first costume for a convention was Supergirl at Mega Con (she was two years old) because her real name is Kara and she liked to play in the cape around the house.

GM: Which costume is your favorite and why?
MH: Her eyes lit up. "Harley Quinn!" When I asked her why she said "because I love Harley Quinn!" At her first Mega Con convention (where she was Supergirl) she met an Alex Ross Harley Quinn and Joker. They played with her for a long time and answered all of her questions. She's loved Harley ever since.

GM: Who makes your costumes?
MH: Holly Messinger is her amazing seamstress. I sent her the measurements and she makes them (we found her on Etsy). "Mommy and Papi make my hammer and gun though." She is finally old enough for a mask and the people at Karneval Masques made one just for her. She went for the fittings to make sure it was perfect for her little face.

GM: Do you remember any instance in particular where you were dressed up and people gave you an awesome reaction?
MH: "Mega Con because a lot of people took pictures of me and screamed." This was the first time she wore Harley Quinn to a convention. She wore a Harley Quinn her aunt and I made her for Halloween, but it fell apart on Halloween, so Mini-Harley Quinn debuted Saturday at Mega Con last year. She had so much fun that we went to Disney on Sunday (only did Mega Con Saturday last year) and when I told her we were going to Disney she got mad at me and told me she wanted to go back to Mega Con and be Harley. She was ticked that I "made" her go to Disney.

GM: How often do you get to wear your costumes?
MH: "Whenever I want to and at Mega Con, costume contests, and Disney. I love to dress up and have fun." (By the way, all conventions to her are Mega Con.) She goes to Disney once a month and wears a different princess dress to each park we go to. She loves to twirl with the princesses and the attention she gets from the cast members and the characters. The Fairy Godmother in the parade always does the heart thing with her hands, so now Kara does it to all of the people going by in the parade too.

GM: Do you read any books that include your favorite costumed characters?
MH: “Read books? I’m four, mommy!" I do read to her, but she gets bored and goes off to play. She prefers playing alone and using her imagination. She enjoys watching Batman: The Animated Series and loves watching the Disney Channel, Curious George and Martha Speaks on Netflix.

GM: What are you plans for Mega Con this year?
MH: "Is it time for Mega Con Mommy!?!?!? I want to be Cinderella, Supergirl, Harley Quinn, Catwoman. And I want to take pictures with people. I'd love to see Batman, Superman, Supergirl, Hulk Smash, Joker, and Harley and..." She went on to name about twenty different characters at this point and I lost track.

GM: What's your favorite memory while in costume?
MH: "Winning costume contests. I love the trophies and taking pictures with people." She believes the trophies are the coolest thing and the people taking pictures of her on stage. She loves the attention and loves to watch other people on stage and ask people about the characters they are dressed up as.

She's been asked by celebrities at the conventions to take pictures with them and they play with her, but she doesn't know how they are. She just likes playing with them. They are all so sweet to her and she talks about some of them often. Thanks to some of the Walking Dead cast members, she now has a Zombie obsession...

GM: Besides dressing up, what else do you like to do?
MH: "Playing with my toys, on the computer, going to school, playing outside, going to Disney, playing with my puppies, and finding them new mommies and daddies. A lot of stuff!"

Our current foster puppies are named after the X-Men; Jean, Scott, and Logan. She's already working on names for the next puppies when these "find new mommies and daddies." Our rescue has been in operation since June and in the first six-months we have saved and found homes for 60 dogs!

She also has The Little People DC and Princess collections and they all play together. Usually Batman is saving the Princesses from Joker, or Batman and Joker are wrestling. She loves the Florida Supercon Wrestling guys and she acts out wrestling quite often with her toys. She also likes to play kitchen and cook and play cashier and check you out with your groceries. Her prices are very high though.

GM: Would you like to give anyone a shout out?
MH: "A what? No mommy"... Florida Supercon Wrestling, One By One Dog Rescue. FSCW guys have been so good to her and watch out for her like a daughter. Great group of guys and great extra security for a tiny socialite like Kara. Kara knows no fear so chasing her around for twelve hours in a convention while she socializes and speaks to everyone about whatever costume they have on is very exhausting.

GM: What do you like to spend your costume award money on?
MH: "Money? That is for the puppies and for Disney." She hasn't won very much money and actually likes the trophies more. She shows anyone who comes over her trophies, because she is very proud of them. She likes to go to the pet store and buy toys for her puppies and dog food. She also goes to Disney once a month. While she doesn't ask for much, she gets new things at almost every convention.

We always end up buying prints for her room. At Animate she got Harley Quinn, Supergirl, and Belle with Beast prints that she picked out along with a My Little Pony plush and a set of seven ponies. We like to buy from vendors at the conventions because they are small businesses and we always support small businesses when we can.

GM: Do you have any future costume plans?
MH: "Supergirl!!!" I had been searching for Supergirl boots in her size for over a year because she wanted to be Supergirl. She got them for Christmas so now we are working on getting the Supergirl costume made for Mega Con. I wish I had time to learn to sew so I could make them with her. If she is still into this when she gets a bit older and wants to learn to sew, I will happily find a teacher to teach her and let her live out her dreams and do what she loves.

After the interview, Kara's mom had this to say about her daughter's unique hobby:

"As long as Kara wants to dress up, I will support her as long as manners and school come first. Conventions have allowed Kara to become a very social child and excel in school. She was picked as a role model student for her three-year-old program at school because of her social and verbal skills. I have conventions to thank for that. I thank every person who has ever come in contact with her that has become a positive experience in her childhood and helping her do what she loves. All the questions she asks about the character or the costume you all always spend the time to answer her and explain and that means so much to me.

I hope people understand that we go to Mega Con and let her dress up because everyone else does (the Supergirl costume was in a bag, we let her decide to wear it when she was two). We never thought going to a convention and having fun would turn into everything that it has. The minute she says she doesn't want to do it anymore, then it is done and over."

While Kara is best known at conventions for her Harley-Quinn, she has a closet full of other costumes including every Disney Princess, Princess Leia, American Dream (with the Captain America shield), Supergirl, Catwoman, Doctor Scrubs, and White doctor coat with doctor's bag (she loves Doc McStuffins).

Her next appearance will be at Mega Con in Orlando, Florida. If you see her, say hi and feel free to talk to her about your costume.