AMD: I was a closet geek before I met my husband; but I always loved dressing up for Halloween or themed parties. When I met Chris, I was introduced to conventions and the wonderful world of costuming. It was unreal to meet people who were like me, and for the first time, I didn't feel like an outsider.

SVC: What made you choose Scarlett as a Fantasy character to represent at those conventions?

AMD: When we are at the 2003 Dragon*Con, we saw a group of people dressed up as GI Joe characters. Our group of friends immediately jumped on the bandwagon. When we got home from the convention, we all checked out the site: www.gijoecostumers.com to see which costumes had been done and what characters were available to suit us. I was amazed that no one had done a Scarlett costume yet, especially since there is such a shortage of girls in the GI Joe universe. Since Scarlett was always my favorite and one of the most recognizable characters, I chose her. Recognizability is a HUGE thing with me. Yes, I just made that word up. When I work on a costume, I prefer to have it be a character people will know right off the bat.

SVC: Where/when did you wear the costume for the first time (either at a private party or publicly)?

AMD: The first place I wore Scarlett was at MegaCon. It's a big convention that's local here in Orlando and the first one we attended since the time we decided to do the Joe costumes.

SVC: Did you make the entire costume yourself? Was there any part that proved to be more difficult to make/get?

AMD: One of the best things about GI Joe costumes is that most of it can be purchased. ;) I am still struggling to find the perfect pair of boots, though. It was difficult enough to find leather boots the right color, height and style. Unfortunately, although the boots I have look HOT, they are very painful to wear since I don't have Barbie feet. When you're at conventions and on your feet a lot, big heels are not so fantastic. Also, the boots, leotard and gloves are not all the same color. They look pretty close in pictures; but I'm a little stubborn about it.

SVC: Is Scarlett the first character you made a costume of for public representation like this in fantasy conventions? If not, which ones have you done before and do you have any costume ideas/plans for other fantasy characters?

AMD: I think the first costume I did was an A-Wing pilot from Star Wars. Then came Scarlett and Misato Katsuragi from Neon Genesis Evangelion shortly after. Most recently was Trish from Devil May Cry and Heartwrencher, the new Dreadnok girl in the Devil's Due line of GI Joe comics. There are TONS of costumes I am looking to get together for upcoming conventions. Most of them are group cosplays we are working on with friends: Starfire from the cartoon Teen Titans along with Terra in her Slade Apprentice Costume. Then Miriya in her flight suit and dress uniform from Robotech, Aja from Jem and the Holograms and a friend of mine and I are doing Dee Dee from Batman Beyond...just to name a few. As anyone costumer knows, the wish list is ever growing and changing.

SVC: In a fight between Scarlett, Lady Jaye, Covergirl and Jinx, who would win ? Would it matter if the fight was in a Jell-O pool or not... personnaly I think so, because Scarlett already has the skin-tight outfit... would make her way more hard to grab, this question is an highly scientific one... let's see your take on it...

AMD: In a regular fight, I think it would come down to Scarlett and Jinx because of their extensive training and hand-to-hand combat and martial arts. In a pool of jello, I would have to agree with your slimy costume theory. Then again, Scarlett does have the longest hair available for grabbing...

SVC: Fantasy costuming aside, What are your other hobbies?

AMD: Right now, pretty much all my free time is devoted to being a host on the Sci Fi Zone radio show. I am a host on the show and "the anime chick." There are so many events, conventions and what not to go to for the show. Plus, there is a large anime community in central Florida and I try to do as much with them as I can. I LOVE it and hope it becomes a career sometime in the near future.

SVC: We learned earlier that you were happily married? How long have you been married?

AMD: I have been married to my husband Chris for about two and a half years now. He's the one who opened me up to feeling comfortable with who I am and the quirky stuff I like. I would never be who I am without him.

SVC: Can you tell us more about your experience in LA?

AMD: I worked out in LA for about two to two and a half years. I tried to be an actress but didn't have the passion for it that I thought I did. I worked several part-time jobs and did a lot of work as an extra. It's just what you do. I was fortunate enough to photo-double a lot and work on some really cool movies and TV shows. Most of the stars I've met have turned out to be some of the most wonderful and humble people I've met. I got to work on Minority Report for about a week as a Pre-Crime employee at times and a cop at other times and had TONS of fun. Sadly, 99% of what I did got cut from the film. I bought the DVD in hopes of seeing deleted scenes and it didn't have any! I got to work on the last episode Voyager as a student in The Doctor's class. It was such an honor because two of the other students there were from "Make a Wish" and their wish was the meet the cast of Voyager. It was very moving; everyone in the cast was so warm and open with spending time with these guys. Most of the stuff where I can actually be seen were episodes of Felicity. Though there was an episode of Buffy where I was with a group of kids playing spin the bottle and you can see me giving a look when the bottle is about to explode. It was a bad episode and I was sad because I was such a big Buffy fan. All in all, it was a fun experience. I met a lot of people and learned a lot about the industry.

SVC: Thanks again for taking a few minutes to sit down and answer a few questions for all the guys and girls out there who saw you in one of the cons but never had the chance to chit-chat a bit with you!

AMD: Once again, I appreciate and am flattered by your interest in interviewing me for the site. I can't wait to see how it's progressing!