Elite Geek of the Month: Severin Stargher

February 1, 2013 0 By EVA

We are so excited to release our first Elite Geek of the Month! We caught up with Danielle (model name Severin Stargher) at our first GCE photoshoot to talk about what makes her the perfect candidate for being an Elite Geek, Star Trek, and her love for all things creative!

Check out her GCE gallery HERE!

Tell us a little about yourself.

Well, first off, thank you for letting me join the team! It’s been so fun already, and I am so excited for the future of your wicked-amazing website! About me… hmmm, these are always pretty hard to write out.

Born and raised in Burlington, oldest of 4 kids in a happy, family-oriented household. I am an artist at heart, started out drawing as soon as I could pick up a pencil and with the support of my family, I practiced daily. So, obviously in that mind-set, I wanted to be a well-known artist when I grew up. Fast-forward into my 20s, I thought that I would go to OCAD or Sheridan, but with life’s little twists and turns, I followed my gut and went to Complections (School of Makeup) instead, and what a great idea! Now I’m working in the alt industry in Toronto with absolutely incredible and talented individuals, and having so much fun doing it. I am currently saving up to move there to immerse myself in my work.

When did you first get into modelling?

My very first time modeling was at 11 years old at my cousin’s baby shower. She had hired her friend (who was a pro photographer), and upon seeing me, he asked me and my parents if he could take a few shots of me. Being so young, I had no reservations or self-esteem issues, and fell in love with being in front of a camera. But it wasn’t until halfway through high school that I picked it back up again for fun, and not until I turned 20 that I took it more seriously.

In the GCE photoshoot you crossplayed as Bane. Do you think crossplay is becoming more popular with female fans?

First of all, crossplaying is a huge thing for me, as gender-bending has always interested me, even as a young teen. I like to push my boundaries, as well as others’. Plus, some of the coolest characters are male, and being a woman playing them, adds a nice amount of shock value, and praise if done properly. So, I can definitely see it becoming quite popular with other ladies.

Would you crossplay other male characters and if so, who?

I love the anti-heroes and darker characters from films and comics the most. Which basically means, I have such a long list! (But I’ll try to keep it short…

– The Joker (The Dark Knight)
– Eric Draven (The Crow)
– Edward Scissorhands
– Beetle Juice
– The Goblin King (The Labyrinth)
– Carl Stargher’s God-like self (The Cell)
– Rorschach
– Punisher
– Toki, Nathan, Skwissgaar, or Ofdenson (Dethklok)
– Hannibal (Hannibal Rising, or Silence of the Lambs)
– Pyramid Head (Silent Hill)
– Atreyu (Never Ending Story)
– Captain Hook (from Hook)
– Capt. Jack Sparrow
– Legolas (Lord of the Rings)
– Pavi Largo (Repo! The Genetic Opera)
– Spike (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
– Powder (played by Sean Patrick Flanery)
– Daryl Dixon (The Walking Dead)
– Han Solo (Star Wars)
– Zorro (Antonio Banderas)
– Madmartigan (Willow)
– Frik (Merlin)
– Marilyn Manson (Any and All Eras between ’97 and ’07)
– Rob Zombie
– Alice Cooper

What character would you be interested in cosplaying next?

My next character… Hmmm, well if my budget can allow for it, by August, I would like a to own a FULL (Michelle Pfeifer) Catwoman body suit & all accessories. Dear lord… that would be perfect. Another female character for a future cosplay: a purple version of Oola the Twi-lek Dancer from Return of the Jedi. (She wears fishnet and leather… and has awesome tentacle-like appendages on her head, now what’s not sexy about that?)

Bane, Leeloo and an away team Vulcan. Which one is your favorite?

Hard to choose because I felt so awesome in each role, but I would have to say Leeloo. She is by far, one of my favorite characters of all time, and stepping into that role makes me feel incredibly happy, powerful, and sexy. My ode to her is very heartfelt.

You mentioned that your father is a huge collector of everything Star Trek. Is he the one that led you into the nerdy culture?

He sure did! One of my favorite memories as a kid was coming from from school, and watching some Star Trek: The Next Generation, Andromeda, Stargate: SG1, Battlestar Galactica, Hercules, Xena, Babylon 5, Farscape, Highlander, The Outer Limits, The Twilight Zone, and more. It was seeing all the crazy creatures, aliens, humanoids, and fantasy worlds that caught my attention, and fed my childhood dreams.

Which Star Trek series do you enjoy the most?

That’s an easy one for me. I love The Next Generation the most. And guess what? My little brother’s name is Jean-Luc. Yeah, we’re that awesome in my family. [laughs] I also had a huge crush on Commander Riker, and a strange affinity for Data. (And I had always secretly wished that I was really a powerful Empath like Deanna Troi).

Makeup is a big passion of yours. Any TV show or movie (past or upcoming) you would have loved to work on?

YES! It would be an honor to do makeup for zombie shows like Walking Dead, fantasy shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and sci-fi shows like Farscape!

Do you have any advice for people who are looking to get into alternative modelling or the makeup field?

Well, it’s a big market, but it’s very flooded. You need to have determination, confidence in your abilities, and you have to network like crazy to get your name out there. You also have to really love what you do. It’s a work of passion, and without it, you can’t go very far. I do it because it makes me truly happy to express myself this way. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

Check out Severin Stargher’s full gallery in our gallery section! If you’d like to see more of her work, please check out her Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/Severin.Stargher She will also be hanging out with us at Niagara Falls Comic Con June 8th and 9th so come say hello!