Cosplay has become synonymous with comic conventions in the last decade or so, spreading into a thriving and passionate subculture of dedicated and talented fans. You, however, may be asking yourself, ‘what is cosplay?’ so consider this your introduction to the weird and wonderful world of cosplaying.
Cosplay, or costume play, is actually pretty self-explanatory, and for many, myself included, it is the best thing about conventions. The name says it all really – fans dress up as their favourite characters, not only from the world of comics, but also from manga, anime, film and television, and video games. The practice originated in Japan and while it may seem very similar to simple fancy dress of the type you see at parties or at Halloween, it is actually a little more involved than that. Cosplayers attempt to accurately reproduce the detail of a fictional costume as well as the attitude and mannerisms of the character. Hence the ‘play’ part of the name. These mutli-talented folks are actors as well as craftsmen. Some of the more inventive trends in cosplay involve human versions of inanimate objects or animals, steampunk or Victoriana inspired version of well-known heroes or gender swapped characters, in what is known as crossplay.
Cosplayers dedicate a lot of time and money to their costumes, and their commitment really shows is some of the elaborate work. Some enter cosplay competitions at various sci-fi and comic conventions while others simply attend the convention in costume, stopping for photographs with other fans. At the recent MCM Expo in London, a British cosplayer named Xaerael won this year’s Eurocosplay championships, cosplaying as the Skeksil Chamberlin from the Dark Crystal movie, and won himself a trip to Japan. A fitting prize for all the hard work he put into his costume, which included blinking eyes.
In fact, some people are fans of specific cosplayers themselves rather than the characters they play as, which is a measure of how popular and respected the activity has become. Conventions are seemingly the one place where fans can feel comfortable to express their love of certain characters and franchises through cosplay and be fully accepted by like-minded people. Endlessly creative and frequently mind-blowing, the cosplay community is varied and vibrant, and whether you are inspired to try your hand at some cosplaying yourself, or just fascinated by the talent of those who do, check out my favourites below, click on some links and there’s a good chance you’ll soon be hooked. (You will also notice that a lot of the cosplayers use an alias – after all, all the best performers use stage names!)
The beautiful Bellechere is my absolute favourite cosplayer. Her version of DC’s Powergirl is second to none and her Flickr stream is full of amazing work – from Rogue to Jessica Rabbit. She makes each and every one of her costumes and wears them with flair.
Akuriko as Princess Zelda from Nintendo’s ‘The Legend of Zelda’ video game franchise. The attention to detail here is stunning.
An anonymous movie version of the Transformer, Bumblebee, taken at San Diego Comic Con in 2009 by Howie Muzika
A gender swapped Justice League of America, cosplayed by United Underworld and photographed by LynxPics. My favourite is the hunky male version of Powergirl on the left. *swoon*
Victorian inspired Mystique. I like her mask prop – it really works in the context of Mystique’s powers.
Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride, cosplayed by Malro-Doll and photographed by Kifir. And no, I have no idea how she rigged up that skeleton arm.
An inventive take on the Death star by Jennifer Landa
A suitably handsome Superman, photographed by UberA Est92
And finally, Steampunk X-Men (The X-Gentlemen) by These Are Strange Days
