Meet Angelic Empyress: Original Character Cosplayer, Comic Author & Illustrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Angelic Empyress and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Angelic, career-wise, where do you want to be in the end?
I never really like to think of the end of my career, but I do think quite often of the goals I’d like to have accomplished. Building a vast and detailed fantasy world, I would hope that many people have come to journey through it, got encouragement from it, learned through it and even created fan art, stories and creations within it. I’m one of those people that would love for people to theorize about all the hidden secrets within the stories. On a larger scale, I want to have something that doesn’t die with me. Something that I can leave behind that continues to grow and encourage others for many more years to come. 

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
It is never easy to be a trail blazer, in fact, it can be one of the most difficult and yet satisfying things you could ever do. Twenty years ago I started building a fantasy world of my very own I had no idea where I would be today. It is hard to present something completely new and have it actually stick. One of the best things I’ve learned in these twenty years is that you have to keep getting outside of your comfort zone and growing to new levels. That is where cosplaying stemmed from. Originally, I just “dressed up” as my characters to get more eyes on my comics. Eventually, I stepped outside of my own comfort zone and started cosplaying seriously, which led to amazing opportunities that not only helped my cosplay career, but also Astria Legends in general. I am now able to take cosplay and combine it with my art and performance to create even more ways to bring Astria Legends to more people. This also goes for opportunities that show up, never put limits on what you can do or how far you can go. You never know who will take a chance on you if you never try. Recently I entered the Fort Worth Community Arts Center’s Arts at a Distance competition for a chance to perform in their theater in 2021. At the time the idea of winning seemed impossible to me but I chose to go for it anyway. Though I doubted my abilities I stepped out and did it anyway, and I’m really looking forward to performing in 2021!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
This time I want to acknowledge some of my favorite lesser known spots. First is Evolution Games, as I’m an avid trading card collector and they have a wide selection and also some of the most friendly staff I’ve met. the other is Geek Out, a comic and gaming store, and the first store ever to sell my comic books. So very thankful that they are open to independent creatives.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
You really can’t do anything all on your own and I would never be where I am today without those who have been there to encourage me along the way. First and foremost, all thanks go to God, whom I could never do any of this without. Then I give thanks to my absolute best friend April, who has been with me since second grade and my wonderful boyfriend Adrian, whose been a backbone to help me expand Astria Legends in ways I couldn’t do alone. I also give thanks to every single person that is in my Discord, my majestic inner circle, full of people supporting me and looking forward to everything that Astria Legends has to offer. And I can’t forget my volunteer voice actors who help make my performances and publication extra unique and special. To all of you, you truly mean the world to me!

Website: www.astrialegends.com
Instagram: @angelicempyress
Twitter: @angelicempyress
Facebook: @astrialegends
Other: Patreon: patreon.com/astrialegends Twitch: twitch.tv/angelicempyress

Image Credits
Photos by Blue Coco Photography and David Hamblet