This week I’m featuring an article my sister wrote for Talk Magazine, a great blog that discusses art in all of its many forms. Her essay focuses on a lesser known art, the art of cosplay, or the creation of costumes and the performance art of wearing them. My sister and I competed in the cosplay contest during this year’s Denver Comic Con. Her article talks about that experience, as well as some of the fun and challenge of cosplay. Enjoy!
I am a cosplayer. My tools are grommets, super glue, papier-mâché and anything else that might not fit into your average conception of a sewing kit. I spend hours hunching over fabric, ripping out miles of seams, and brainstorming ways to defy physics. When I step onto the floor of the convention hall, I wear a disguise that tells everyone exactly who I am.
Photo by Ariane Peveto
The word cosplay, a portmanteau of “costume” and “play,” is much more than a Halloween costume or dressing up. When someone builds a cosplay and wears it, it speaks to who she is, what kind of person she wants to be. A cosplayer’s job is to become a character. To put on not only that character’s clothes, but also mannerisms and demeanor.
There is a huge difference between buying a bagged costume and creating a functioning set of angel…
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