Cosplay is a combination of costume and play. It is a style of fandom that allows someone to dress up and take on the persona as their favorite character from a book, movie, tv-series, or game. The players wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a particular character.
What is the History of Cosplay?
The first supposed Cosplay event was the Science Fiction Event called Worldcon in 1939 with just 300 people. However, this was more an isolated form of entertainment. Although there were isolated events where people dressed up as characters from movies and television shows for years, it wasn’t until the ’90s when this became an actual event.
A Japanese writer Nobuyuki Takahashi was said to have first coined the concept and phrase ‘Cosplay’.Even though the Japanese had been dressing up in costume for many years previously. However, the name soon got wind by many cultures and is immensely popular today. In Japan Anime, Maga and Cosplay are popular forms of character play.
Famous Cosplay Characters
Many beginning players prefer to take on characters from books, movies, tv shows, and games where the costumes are easy to obtain and wear.
Some famous players have been around for two decades and some have been around for a few years. From the Philippines to Thailand, Japan, and the United States to name a few. Most of these players are professionals and make their living using a number of personas.
Some famous Cosplay Characters are:
| Name | Country of Origin | Cosplayer |
| ALODIA GOSIENGFIAO | Philippines | https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=50&v=NJhe1x1eNeU&feature=emb_logo |
| AMIE LYNN | United States | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3AnTuRIOfo |
| AZA MIYUKO | South Korean | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDaMEbFdXwc |
| ELY COSPLAY | Taiwan | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edYNM6WMuVc |
| JESSICA NIGRI | United States | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mB3y7G1QwgI |
| Liz Brickley | United States | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NITMAOn1AGM |
| MISA CHIANG | Taiwan | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY05MgauVnc |
But truly there are many more great cosplayers out in the world and many more are gaining fame on Youtube and Instagram all the time.
Professional Cosplayers
Cosplay is now so popular that there are a number of professional Coplayers around the world. These players However many people across the globe are now making a living being a cosplayer. They attend Cosplay conventions and perform on their own social media sites.
Some professional cosplay actors have other industry-related jobs such as makeup artists, hairdressers, and costume makers.
Getting into the full costume can for some players take hours to do. The makeup can take a long time to apply depending on the intricacies of the character they are playing.
Some of these Cosplayers have Youtube channels and Patreon accounts which add to their income as professional players. Some players actually take on the persona of their characters, while others enjoy the costume and the reaction from the public.
Some Cosplayers are also sponsored by large companies to wear and promote their products on their social media sites and in person at conventions. Interestingly many players actually make their own costumes, props, and accessories.
For the layperson, there are online stores which have a vast array of costumes from which to choose from, if a person is more inclined to have them already made for them)
A Big no no in Cosplay, is not to ‘play’ the race of a person you are playing. Such as don’t do Blackface or darken your skin to look a certain race. Whatever race you are, stay with that, and wear the costume with makeup to enhance your look.
The third way a lot of professional Cosplayers make a living is through print and photography modeling. They sell their own merchandise and or make money through others selling them for them.
There are also apps which players use to upload their photos. They are upvoted and the players get a clip of the ticket. The more they upload the more money they get.
Another way Cosplayers make a living is through lifestreaming their fanbase on sites like, ‘DokiDokilive’. This allows fans to send items on the screen which are converted to money.
which was adopted by Japan from the Aime phenomenon. This influence spread across the Western world and has now been established in Festivals and major events worldwide.
Cosplay has gone from a few hardcore fans who dress up and meet ups to a huge net of costume enthusiasts across the globe. It has become a unique but wide-reaching impact.
The Cosplay Handbook: A Book of Cosplay and Prop Making Techniques
The Cosplay Handbook is full of techniques, and tips for everyone interested in cosplay! Learn how to create your own patterns, costumes, props, photoshoots, and more. Click on the link to take you to Amazon to purchase it.
What is the Difference Between Cosplay and Costumes
The main difference between Cosplay and Costume play is the quality and identification of the character a person has with their costume. Usually, the Cosplay costume is high quality, often tailored to the person who is going to wear it. Costumes are often cheaply made and easy to hire. People who wear costumes are usually wearing them to go to a fancy dress or costume party or similar.
Cosplayers’ costumes and the accessories are often made by the wearer, which means they are more meaningful and allow the player to inhabit the character more fully. Many make their own props and do their own makeup. These players go from meetups to venues that are holding cosplay events regularly. Becoming a player becomes a way of life for these people.
Sometimes, however, costumes that can be bought are still of excellent quality and can satisfy the average cosplayer who is either beginning in the genre or who has a limited budget. You can find some excellent quality costumes with prices that are notably less than the more tailored version. To see the current prices of Cosplayshopper.com check here.
If you are more interested in the fun everyday cosplay wear that is very affordable, check out the current pricing in Amazon here.
Wanting to know about how Costumes designers design and source their ideas for stage costumes, check out this link to take to you my personally written post.
Today there are many different types of costumes, wigs, and accessories which fit the desired character as there are stars in the sky. Some costumes are more traditional looking to the book, some are direct imitations from the movie and some are influenced by the original character with a touch of difference, for example; a steampunk version of Alice from the book and play, Alice in Wonderland.
The Costume Making Guide: Creating Armor and Props for Cosplay
• How to choose a costume and find good reference art
• A short shopping list of necessary materials and tools for beginning cosplayers
• Basic safety tips
• A beautiful photo gallery featuring inspiring images from other cosplayers
• Next steps–how to grow your workshop, take professional photos, participate in contests and join the cosplay community
What Types of Conventions Are there?
There are many different types of Cosplay conventions around the world.
AnimeJapan: is the Japanese Anime convention which is held annually. It’s a trade show held at Odaiba’s Big Sight convention center. It’s one of the largest Anime conventions in the world showing the animation-related industry.
Much of the space features a range of animation companies showing their films in mini theaters, screenings, and costume showings. There is also a Cosplay area for people to show their costumes off to the rest of the public.
Comic World in South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, are also very popular events with hundreds of thousands attending. Many famous South Koren Cosplay actors come along as main features. Many fans accumulate and worship the players as well.
Cosmode is a very popular magazine in Japan.
Black Girl Cosplay with black women playing a number of roles very successfully.
Cosplay Ideas for Beginners
So you really want to part-take in the whole Cosplay adventure, and you need to start somewhere. Many people search online for ideas and eventually come across sites like this.
You want to start off with an easy cosplay costume idea first. Often you might want to buy a costume from a well-known site like Amazon and buy an easy Star Wars or Thor costume. There is a huge range of different costumes to choose from. Of course, the quality will also range. But for beginners that will be a good start. Also, they tend to be a lot cheaper than more established cosplay costumes.
You will need to source your own shoes in the same cases and more than likely do your own makeup. You can hire these costumes from a local hire shop and buy the makeup from any makeup store.
For those who loved their First Cosplaying Adventure or Event
So you’ve attended your first event and you’ve got the bug. Your next port of call is to research decent costumes, where once again you’d rather buy some than get your sewing machine to make them. There are a number of good options. Stores that actually specialize in Cosplay costumes.
If you are a female you might want to dress up as Wonderwoman, Spiderwoman, a character from a Fairytale such as Beauty from Beauty and the Beast. YOu will often find beautiful dresses that are higher in quality and would do the trick. There is a range of good ideas for both females and males who want to ebb more into this field.
Wonder woman Odison from The Avengers
These particular costumes are harder wearing and would last longer than the cheaper versions.
Basically you want to research good stores which make costumes, especially for players. Just ensure you order your costume in time for your next event.
At this level, you might need to invest in more money for things like obtaining props or even money to make your own props. You’d need to buy makeup or even professional makeup which is often applied in professional theatre to get the proper tools for your desired look.
Author: I know that when I needed to whiten the face to play noble men and women in a play, I went cheap and applied white powder on the actor’s faces. They looked sub-par. I promised that I’d never do that again and splash out more money to buy the real deal.
Again with your costume, some won’t come with the desired shoes and you might need to purchase them separately. But at least you know in sites which cater to the Cosplay crowd that your more than likely to have your footwear there.
Try On Your Costume and Rehearse Your Character with Props
Because Cosplay is more than merely wearing a costume, you might need to wear the costumes, put on the wig and or shoes and try out any props you have. Take a look in the mirror and check your costume all over the body. From here you might need to make adjustments, to ensure a good fit. You may even need to make your own props if you are willing and have the skills.
What is the etiquette for costumes, when working in production and taking care of them after an event and or performance? Check out my post here.
Remember your job is to inhabit the character you are playing so you might need feedback from others from the different poses, speech, and dialogue you might have.
Cosplay Poses To Grab the Attention of Your Adoring Public
Let’s face it, you love dressing up as your favorite character so much that you think, feel, and act like them. You do need to rehearse and work on your cosplay poses. Check out your character by watching the movie, game, or tv program they feature and practice their poses. Youtube has a wealth of examples, especially when you type in poses for your character.
The more you inhabit your character, the more people will take an interest in you and your costume and feel you’re the real deal. Who knows, you might earn a sponsorship deal or have a fun interview with a local newsgroup.
Check out my post on how to inhabit your character through the Magic If and Illusion of First Time, which is derived from Stanislavski’s acting techniques.
Here is a great example of a famous Cosplayer taking on the role of a female action figure and she nails her character. This is Josain Lassard nailing the Junko pose:
Here are examples of a variety of Cosplay poses which you might like to try if you are a female.
Make sure your face isn’t dead in the eyes, but that you always have a want and need while posing. This will look more alive in photos, than merely posing for fun.
In a Nutshell
Cosplay is the dramatic characterization of characters from a book, electronic game, movie, and television program. People choose a character to portray and attend conventions, events, and meetups which promote the exploration of or a well-known character portrayed with a specific costume and accessories. There is so much to cosplay and the performer needs to delve into what it entails from costumes to character portrayal, to attending events, to developing a professional lifestyle for others.
