Oh My Kanzume Goddess! Cosplayer and Tabletop Gamer Toni Darling
Cosplayer Toni Darling is slightly amused to have been the subject of at least two internet memes, both based around her female Thor cosplay. The Arizonan was a cosplay guest at the 2013 Las Vegas Comic Expo and counts Sailor Moon, Tier Halibel from Bleach, and Lady Death, among her many cosplays. But Darling confided that her true convention preference is for gaming conventions like Gen Con, which Darling attended earlier this year in August and says she’ll never miss again.
Toni Darling the Gamer
At Gen Con 2013, Darling worked at the Japanime Games’ booth and is an avid player of both their Kanzume Goddess card game and Krosmaster: Arena. Darling points to Kanzume Goddess as a game which she can easily teach to someone who’s not a gamer. When playing the deck-building card game, Darling says that she always wants to buy Aquarius, followed by Cancer and Gemini. As for Krosmaster, Darling said that a Queen of the Tofus costume is in the works as well as a King of the Gobballs and went on to premier them at the recent New York Comic Con.
Darling and Friends at New York Comic Con 2013
As for her Gen Con experience, Darling says, “I’ll never miss another one.” She regrets that she missed an opportunity for a V.I.P. tour of the True Dungeon experience, but looks forward to fighting a giant or dragon with a party of her own next year.
Darling as Thor Joined by Red Sonja, and Red Son Wonder Woman at LVCE 2013
While Magic: The Gathering is cool with Darling, she is much more enthusiastic about Cards Against Humanity. She’s also a huge fan of Dust Tactics, having painted her own set of figures as well as having cosplayed as the Axis sniper Angela. If Darling had all the money in the world, she says she would want “beautiful hand-painted miniatures of every Dust: Tactics character”. That dream may have to wait, but then again, Darling’s primary panel at the Las Vegas Comic Expo was “The Business of Cosplay”, which saw the cosplayer dispensing advice on how to financially benefit from costuming, so it may be sooner than one might think.
To keep up with Darling’s busy convention schedule and to invite her to upcoming tabletop gaming conventions, visit her Facebook page at http://facebook.com/ToniDarlingAZ.
