Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeremy Cardosa.
Jeremy, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
The name “Stryfe the Warrior” is actually a name I’ve been using since 2011 (and before that, only using Stryfe since 2005), but it really didn’t start getting branded until 2014. I was playing a game called the Hunting Grounds in 2005 at the time where when you entered the game, your username would be followed by your class like this: Simon the Knight.
I had always enjoyed playing as the Hero/Swordsman type, so anytime I logged in my character would read: Stryfe the Knight has entered the world. I chose Stryfe because it was the last name of my favorite Final Fantasy character (Cloud Strife), but I purposely misspelled with a y to give it a royal/regal look. When I entered into the amateur voice acting community in 2011, I was still using Stryfe as a nickname, but “the Knight” didn’t resonate with me, so I settled on using “the Warrior” instead.
I had gone through a rough relationship that ended in 2012 that saw me moving back home (I’m originally from Goliad, Texas, and was living in a neighboring county). One piece of advice I took in on how to get over a breakup was to try new things. Charles, one of my closest friends to this day and a fellow member of the AVA Community, suggested I should check out A-Kon with him this year (June 2013). I agreed since it looked fun the last time he went and it would be something to look forward once the college semester as over. Little did I know, A-Kon was actually the longest-running anime convention in the US and had recently moved to the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, which in my opinion is one of the nicest hotels I’ve ever been to. I was completely awestruck not only stepping into the hotel but the convention itself – people dressed up as their favorite characters, tons of merchandise, plenty of things to do, and people bonding over similar interests. I also cosplayed at a convention for the first time and wasn’t sure what to expect, but thankfully all weekend I received compliments on my costumes. It’s probably one of the few times I didn’t feel alone as a nerd – growing up in a town of less than 2000 people and having a graduating class a little over of 100 people where you’re one of few nerds in the school was tough and a lot of the time, I felt like I had to hold back on my hobbies and interests when making new friends. I was very sad on the 5-hour drive back home and if I could go back in time, I’d re-live that entire weekend.
After making it back to A-Kon again in 2014, I realized how big the Texas cosplay and convention community really was… in fact, there were conventions all over the state almost every weekend! Cosplay was my escape and I ended up going to a convention whenever I had the time and means to do so. After going to my first San Japan in 2014, I noticed a lot of my peers were making cosplay pages at the time, so I decided “why not?” and started to brand myself as Stryfe the Warrior Cosplay.
Early 2015 rolled around and little did I know that I was starting on a cosplay that would define one aspect of my brand forever – the Green Ranger from Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. I formed a friendship and a relationship with Bunni Plague Cosplay (who I initially met at San Japan the prior year and reconnected with at Delta H that following month), especially with founding members Joe and Abigail, who helped me piece together the initial version of my Green Ranger cosplay (and also designed my Dragon Shield). Needless to say, I was nervous about dressing up as one of my childhood heroes, and especially because it was the first time I wore a cosplay that was skintight. However, those fears quickly washed away as I realized how popular still Green Ranger was after all these years – I had both young and old rushing to take a picture with me. I was COMPLETELY blown away at the attention I was receiving and it was humbling a lot of the reactions I was getting that weekend (I also found out after the convention was over that my timing couldn’t have been better – Jason David Frank, the original actor who played Tommy/Green Ranger in the 90s made a guest appearance suit and all in the current iteration of Power Rangers at that time “Super Megaforce”). I’d be lying if I didn’t admit there were a couple of times I teared up happily that weekend when kids ran up and hugged me, telling me “Tommy, you’re my favorite,” “Please protect my parents” and “You’re the best!” Green Ranger was also fun in the fact that I had to rely a lot on body language and expressions because not a lot of people could hear me through my helmet. It was very rare to see Green Ranger not in my cosplay repertoire for a convention – I didn’t retire the cosplay until I sold it in mid – 2018 and the last time I wore the cosplay was at Texas Renaissance Festival in late 2017.
As I made improvements to my Green Ranger and slowly branched out to other cosplays, my social media presence was also growing. I eventually hit 1000 likes on my Facebook Page and was on track to 1000 followers on Instagram. I was also partnered with Vanimecustoms on their Twitch channel at the time, where I would contribute commentary and gameplay as they demonstrated their artwork on stream. Early 2016 came and we were partnered on Twitch. I can’t say that we were THE pioneers before Creative was even a category on Twitch, but we definitely were one of the few that helped pioneer creative, especially with our art + gaming format.
As mid-2016 rolled around, I became known for another cosplay – the Black Ninjetti/Ninja Ranger from Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: The Movie. I commissioned the costume from Bunni Plague (who prior created my Green Ninjetti/Ninja Ranger cosplay) and a lot of people noticed my resemblance to Johnny Yong Bosch (which I didn’t even notice until it was pointed out). It was also a time of self-growth, as I realized I was struggling with a lot of emotions I was trying to wrangle – depression, anxiety, and anger. I had the self-realization after stumbling upon an article titled “10 Signs You’re in an Emotionally and Mentally Abusive Relationship” – that I was in an abusive relationship and it stifled a lot of things for me, namely my social skills, how I handled emotions, how I was upset over things I had no control of, and my relationships with my friends and family. I went back and mended a lot of relationships, and realized how common anxiety and depression were challenges for a lot of peers in the cosplay community. I formed “Come As You Are” – a Facebook Group where people could support each other, vent about frustrations, and realize they weren’t alone in the challenges they faced day-to-day. This was also the basis for a panel I ran for three different conventions in 2017 “Positivity and Support in the Cosplay Community” – how to support your fellow peers, how to navigate through conventions, and how to reach out to others for help.
As 2016 ended, I also moved back home once more from Victoria, TX to Goliad as my partnership ended with Vanimecustoms and I went back to focus building my brand more as a standalone figure. In early 2017, I realized I was starting to burn myself out with cosplay, and realized it wasn’t as fun as it used to be for me. It got to the point that the last planned convention for myself felt more like an obligation than a hobby. I decided that for the time, I was going to be on hiatus attending conventions and cosplaying. However, I still wanted to be involved in the community and give a platform for other cosplayers to promote themselves. Thus, I launched my first ever podcast at the end of 2017/beginning of 2018, Cosplay Tōku, where I would bring on a cosplayer every episode. We would get to know the cosplayer in the first half of the episode, and discuss a topic relating to cosplay and/or the community in the second half.
As 2018 rolled on, I made the move to Houston in June to be with my girlfriend Erica (who I met back in 2015 and officially began dating near the end of 2017). I had the opportunity to go to Anime Expo, the largest Anime Convention in the United States out in California, which officially ended my hiatus as far as cosplay. Anime Expo was one of the few dream conventions I had on my list that I hadn’t visited, and was ecstatic to visit. I made a lot of connections and friends who I still keep in touch with today, and ended up visiting a few local conventions throughout 2018.
In September of 2018, I made the decision to come back to Twitch. I realized that I missed streaming and missed being able to entertain on that platform. I hit Twitch Affiliate back in November and started to slowly grow not only my presence on Twitch but rebranding myself as just Stryfe the Warrior – Veteran Cosplayer, Podcast Host, and Twitch Streamer. Today I stream four times a week, with 2 of those streams being collaboratives with DarkLancer81 – Flashback Friday, a show where we take turns streaming retro games, introducing the stream with appropriate music that came out that year the same time the game was released, and IWA Clash on Monday Nights – a virtual wrestling league simulated in-game with live commentary, post-produced in a video editor to simulate authenticity. I also have a community that is very involved and welcoming both in our Discord Server and the stream itself. We’d love to have you!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
A lot of personal changes, such as having to move several times, changing of personal career, and personal issues such as anxiety and PTSD, and feeling like when a big change occurred, I had to almost start over at square 1.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Stryfe the Warrior – what should we know?
As of today, I primarily bring entertainment through Twitch, Cosplay, and Podcasting.
My specialty is that in all three platforms, I am always looking how to bring in and entertain my audience. I’ve been known for a variety of cosplays, namely Green Ranger (Power Rangers), Wakka (Final Fantasy X), Ryu (Street Fighter), and Black Ninjetti/Ninja Ranger (Power Rangers).
I think the one thing I am most proud of is being able to prove I can do a variety of things outside of cosplay – producing high-quality streams, running a podcast, voice act, video skits, etc. I’d like to think I have too many interests and not enough times.
What sets me apart from others is my uniqueness – I’m very hard-working, detail-oriented, driven, and offer a unique entertainment experience like no one else can.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I have a LOT of people that helped me along the way, and I’m hoping I can name them all:
My Immediate Family – I love them all, and they molded the good habits I practice today. They’ve always been supportive in anything I’ve done.
Charles Nguyen – One of my earliest voice acting friends who was there for me throughout my days in the community, and if it wasn’t for him, there technically wouldn’t be a “Stryfe the Warrior Cosplay,’ because he invited me to my first ever convention.
Kam Burden – Another friend from my voice acting days and cosplay days, we always pick up right where we left off and he has always been there to offer his support and advice.
John Herrera – One of my best friends who has supported me throughout my entire cosplay journey, whether it was being my handler, having a friend to talk to, or helping me plan the next Green Ranger upgrade.
Raymond Miranda & TeamJDF – Big supporters as well, they gave me a platform to express my love for cosplay.
Amador Molina – While partnered with him during my early Twitch days, I was able to learn a lot about how to promote myself via social media and brand myself.
Lee White (AimedCrit) – No matter what kind of crazy cosplay or skit idea I had, Lee was always down to have fun and have a good time. He has been around since day one supporting anything I’ve done.
Sadiq Mosleh (M. Light Studios) – I met him through Lee, and he has been instrumental for also giving me a platform to express myself on.
Erica Hylemon, my then-girlfriend who had been there for both good times and bad
Adrian Ortiz – DarkLancer81, my co-host and fellow Twitch Streamer I collaborate with. When I came back to Twitch, he was a very big help into getting my stream set up and still someone today I go back to seek advice from.
My Discord and Twitch Mods – Thanks for all that you do in making sure my community is welcome to everyone!
Anyone else I forgot, I’m sorry, but I love you and you know who you are.
Contact Info:
- Website: twitch.tv/stryfethewarrior
- Email: stryfethewarrior@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/stryfethewarrior
- Facebook: facebook.com/stryfethewarriorcosplay
- Twitter: twitter.com/stryfetwarrior
- Other: https://discord.gg/XFx4Z8A
Image Credit:
Personal Photo – M. Light Studios and Fred Lindgren; Wakka Photo – Photobrandcosplay; Lance Photo – DTJAAAAM; Ryu Photo – SevenEightSeven Productions; Panel Photo – PRO Photography
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