Cosplay 101

Welcome to cosplay!

"Cosplay" is short for costume play. This term originated in 1983, but the culture of cosplay has steadily increased since 1990. Cosplayers generally reserve their hobby for various fan conventions held throughout the year all over the country. The first US fan convention, or "con", was held in 1942. The largest American con, San Diego Comic Con International was first held in 1970.

Cons feature celebrity appearances, expert panels, various vendors, costume contests, photo ops, etc. They generally attract fans of comic books, video games, sci-fi and fantasy movies and TV shows, Japanese animation, and cult fandoms. A "fandom" is a culture of fans with common interests (i.e. Trekkies, Whovians, Twihards, etc.).

How cosplay differs from wearing a costume on Halloween is in the "play". Cosplayers emulate their characters' personalities. Cosplaying can range from signature expressions and poses to full blown monologues and skits. (This is not the same as LARPing, or Live Action Role Playing.)

Another important aspect of cosplay is craftsmanship. Cosplaying can be very expensive, but while some cosplayers can afford to buy elaborate costumes, others choose to piece their costumes together, make their own costumes from scratch, or even repurpose items they already own.

This cosplayer chose to purchase her Catwoman costume.

Chelsea Murphy made this steampunk Cinderella costume.

Rob Playter pieced together his 11th Doctor costume (from Dr. Who).

Most cosplayers choose mainstream characters that are easy to identify, however others prefer to pick more unique costumes to stand out from the masses. If done well, many people can still identify even the most obscure character.

A growing trend among cosplayers is the creation of mashup costumes. This is done by combining 2 genres of fandom such as steampunk, super heroes, Disney characters, etc. Others combine 2 or more versions of the same character from literature and/or film versions. Some cosplayers even design their own characters.

The best characters to cosplay are those you feel a personal connection to, whether you already relate to them or you aspire to be more like them. Whatever franchise you consider yourself a fan of, there are countless opportunities to display your fandom proudly.