Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Cave
Hi Alex, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I grew up as a nerdy kid in the bay area. I was in choir and drama through out high school and really loved being on stage. Luckily, choir and drama weren’t nerdy at my school, but I loved video games and anime and spent a lot of my summers reading manga or watching Sailor Moon and Inuyasha. After college and having a really hard year, I decided to move closer to where Hollywood and opportunity were, and having just met my biological grandmother who lived in Orange County, an opportunity to be closer to some family. I met my best friends living in Ventura and we started going to conventions together. During the pandemic, I started doing Stand Up Comedy which led me to meet all sorts of incredible artists and performers. I decided to start my own business making nerdy jewelry and cosplay accessories while simultaneously performing at anime and gaming conventions!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Sometimes I feel like I attract struggles! I have a strong sense of justice, so I care a lot about treating everyone fairly and equally. In competitions and making money, that’s a really hard road to travel sometimes. For comedy, I’ve had venues cancel contracts or try to not pay us for performances, for comedy there are a lot of people who think it’s a game for bullying or that there’s not enough room on the stage for everyone. It’s also very shrouded in misogyny and has a history of treating minorities as punchlines. But I’ve been so lucky to have met the owners of Tao Comedy Studio who thrive on diversity and empowering women and queer folks, and I have an incredible support system and friends in the cosplay and convention world.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I have lasered in on small accessories that show off your love of anime or nerd culture that don’t outright say “I’m cosplaying.” I’ve been really proud of the cosplay accessories I’ve made that enhance what would be like a “basic” costume from Amazon. They usually make the fabric really great or passable, but the accessories don’t always line up, so someone who saved money on their costume may be willing to spend a little money on more detailed props that come from a small business. Running into a cosplayer who wears the beads I make for a Demon Slayer cosplay made me so elated I couldn’t focus on anything for the rest of the day! Someone at a recent con told me she could tell my products were home-made and that she LOVED them, and that made me so proud of all the work I do and that she could tell. For my comedy, I try to have a diverse range of comics and create a safe place for women and the LGBTQ community, because comedy isn’t always a safe space for us.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I try to be kind and authentic. People can tell that my comedy is to create a safe place or to educate, I really want folks to try to think differently or find a way around their bias. Every story I tell is always something completely true. And all my products I make are from my two hands – from the making the molds to painting to hanging, I do it all myself, and I think that care and love for the process shows!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/alexfofalix
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/alexfofalix
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AlexSheMakes
Image Credits
James Rios Photography (astrology), Rey Cabato (anime show)
