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Crosscurrents
Crosscurrents is our award-winning radio news magazine, broadcasting Mondays through Thursdays at 11 a.m. on 91.7 FM. We make joyful, informative stories that engage people across the economic, social, and cultural divides in our community. Listen to full episodes at kalw.org/crosscurrents

Cosplayer Bill Burns brings characters to life and smiles to faces

Bill Burns cosplay of Walt Disney drew millions of views online.
Joy Liu
Bill Burns cosplay of Walt Disney drew millions of views online.

This interview aired in the October 30, 2024 episode of Crosscurrents

Click the play button above to listen!

Most days, Bay Area resident Bill Burns is a sign artist. But on other days… he can be J. Jonah Jameson, Spiderman’s short-tempered editor… or the Star Wars villain, Count Dooku.

And he’s not in costume because Halloween is around the corner. Bill is also a cosplayer. In 2022, he went viral for performing a very realistic Walt Disney at Disneyland. Bill has been dressing up in costumes as a hobby since he was a kid. And at 61, he continues to bring a lot of people joy embodying characters.

This interview was co-produced with Porfiro Rangel.

Crosscurrents
Jeneé Darden is an award-winning journalist, author, public speaker and proud Oakland native. She is the executive producer and host of the weekly arts segment Sights & Sounds as well as the series Sights + Sounds Magazine. Jeneé also covers East Oakland for KALW. Jeneé has reported for NPR, Marketplace, KQED, KPCC, The Los Angeles Times, Ebony magazine, Refinery29 and other outlets. In 2005, she reported on the London transit bombings for Time magazine. Prior to coming to KALW, she hosted the podcast Mental Health and Wellness Radio.