A Special Masquerade Interview with Emcee and Guest of Honor Spotted Giraffe

Q: What is the origin of your name?

My Twitter handle? I’ve always loved giraffes. My dad is East African and we had a lot of giraffe art at home that my parents brought back from there. My favorite book growing up was Gilda the Giraffe (which is why all giraffes are named Gilda duh). My mom also used to say I was “such a giraffe” and it kind of stuck. When I needed to choose a screen name, I picked lyrical_girafe. Giraffe is spelled girafe in French, so you’ll see it that way sometimes. Once I started hanging out in US fandom spaces, people just called me Giraffe and it became my name. I love that something so personal turned into something people recognize me by.

Q: Do you have a fandom origin story?

I’m not totally sure what that means but I think things really took off when I became a co-host on Strange New Pod. That gave me visibility in the fandom in a new way. The moment that really felt like a shift was when I was asked to cosplay at Star Trek Day. That’s when a lot of people started associating me with the larger Trek community. It was wild and wonderful.

Q: Tell us about fandom in France. How does it differ from fandom in the US?

I wasn’t super involved in fandom when I lived in France. People are definitely passionate about shows and movies but it’s a bit more understated. I left France 20 years ago so I can’t speak to what it’s like now but I did go to one of the first Paris Comic Cons and it was full-on Star Wars. I guest on Le Quadrant Pop, which is one of the few French Star Trek podcasts out there. There’s a lot of great conversation happening but cosplay still feels pretty niche. I am starting to see more and more French cosplayers online though. They’re all a lot younger than me but I love seeing that excitement grow.

Q: When did you start cosplaying? What do you love about it? Who are some of your favorite characters to cosplay as?

We didn’t have Halloween in France, so Carnival was the one time you could dress up. My grandmother made me a princess costume and taught me how to sew and that changed everything. I’ve always loved making things but I really got into cosplay after moving to the US. I love the whole process. There’s something so satisfying about seeing a costume on screen and then figuring out how to build it with whatever you have around. I actually love the making part more than wearing it. I tend to go for villains or characters with a little edge because they’re so much fun to play. I also try to cosplay Black characters because when I was a kid, there just weren’t many, and it matters to see yourself in the story.

Q: Where did your love of Star Trek stem from? What are your favorite versions of Star Trek?

It all started with Uhura. She showed me that I could be powerful, smart, beautiful, and still look like myself. That meant everything. I’ve always been drawn to 1960s style and my grandparents’ house had furniture and wallpaper straight out of that era. I was in love with the vibe from the start. And honestly I love every version of Star Trek. When I want comfort I watch Voyager. When I need inspiration I go for Discovery. When I want to laugh I put on Lower Decks. When I’m designing or dreaming up something new, I watch TOS. It all speaks to me in different ways.

Q: If you could pitch a Star Trek show or film, what would your pitch look like?

I would love a Star Trek political drama set on Romulus. Think The West Wing meets Andor meets Rome. Give me all the intrigue, the strategy, the alliances, and the betrayals. That’s the show I want to watch.

Q: Tell us about your journey becoming the co-host of Strange New Pod.

It all started with me being a patron and popping into the chat during the live shows. I guess I made enough of an impression that I got invited on as a guest and then it just kind of grew from there. I never expected to be a podcaster but it turns out it’s not that different from teaching. I just get to talk about the things I love with people who love them too.

Q: Do you have any current or future projects you’d like to share with our attendees?

Honestly I can’t think beyond San Diego Comic Con right now. That’s the big focus and once it’s over I’ll figure out what’s next. In the meantime, I’m really excited about my birthday plan. I’m going to Medieval Times for the first time and my friends and I are learning corsetry so we can make our own Renaissance dresses. It’s going to be ridiculous and so much fun. I also made a Tiefling cosplay just to meet the cast of Baldur’s Gate at LA Comic Con… There’s always something brewing! 

Q: How many Ferengi does it take to screw in a light bulb?

One. But you’ll get billed separately for the bulb, the labor, the ladder, the wear and tear on the ladder, and the inconvenience of showing up. Rule of Acquisition 239: Never do anything for free.