exploring-cosplay-blog - Tumblr blog

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i watched the untamed recently

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Why NHS is the most relatable character in mdzs:

Hates politics

He simply does not dream of labor

Hates studying

Cheats at exams in school

Answers with "I don't know" to every question

Horny 24/7

Drama queen™

Lives for the gossip

I, too, have an extreme urge to fake faint when facing every minor inconvenience

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No Flash Photography: The Relationship Between Cosplayers and Photographers

Having a skilled photographer take photos of your cosplay is critical to showcasing your talent as a cosplayer. Due to the powerful visual and performative dimension of cosplay, cosplayers rely upon photographers to produce photographs that are flattering, unique and creative. The cosplay and photography community share a special bond, and cooperation between the two parties is often mutually beneficial. As a general rule, cosplayers seek to gain exposure and notoriety within the community by sharing photos of their costumes, and through taking these photos, photographers are able to expand their portfolio of work and exhibit their artistic skill. Fundamentally, this relationship is based on reciprocated trust and respect. This is not only paramount for enabling the production of high-quality photographs, but is also essential to upholding the powerful sense of community that both cosplayers and photographers share together.

(Photo: Lemon.Ikon.Photography)

However, it is important to note that in the relationship between cosplayer and photographer, the photographer is typically the party that holds the most power. Regardless of whether the photographer is a professional or amateur, it is often down to the cosplayer to approach the photographer and request a photoshoot. Whilst I cannot emphasise enough that the overwhelming majority of photographers are wonderful people, there are those out there who choose to exploit this power imbalance for their own selfish desires. Manipulation, intimidation and even empty promises of ‘cosplay fame’ are increasingly being used by corrupt photographers to force cosplayers to submit to their personal desires. Not only is this profoundly unethical and deeply harmful to a cosplayer’s wellbeing, but in many cases it is actually illegal.

Recently in Australia, Richard T Bui, a professional photographer renowned for his cosplay photos and work with popular cosplayers, attracted a significant amount of unwanted attention when a number of cosplayers who had approached him for a photoshoot went public with his attempts at acquiring indecent photographs of them. Bui took full advantage of his powerful position as a well-known photographer when he demanded that his clients, some of whom were underage, send him a series full-frontal naked images of themselves to show that they were “committed,” describing his outlandish request as “standard” for photographers and required practice for achieving “the best pictures possible.”

(Image source)

Bui has since been reported to police for his horrific actions, however this incident highlights the importance of cosplayers having the courage to call-out instances of indecent behaviour, as taking this sort of initiative is imperative in keeping members of the cosplay community safe. Resources such as the Cosplay Creepers Tumblr blog have also proven to be useful tools in documenting and publicising instances of offensive behaviour directed towards cosplayers. Spreading awareness about the issue of indecent behaviour in the cosplay community is of utmost importance in both protecting cosplayers and discouraging the occurrence of further incidents.

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Gotta cosplay ‘em all: Character selection

Cosplay has given me commitment issues. With thousands of amazing characters to choose from, deciding which particular character I want to cosplay, and committing to creating that costume is arguably one of the most difficult steps in the entire cosplay process. However, unbeknownst to many non-cosplayers, character selection for cosplay has a lot more depth than simply picking out a costume at the local dollar store and wearing it to a convention. In fact, choosing a character to cosplay is an oft-overlooked area of the hobby that is crucial in understanding why cosplayers are so passionate about what they do. To illustrate how cosplayers choose which character they want to portray, I’ve outlined a few of the main factors that influence cosplay character choice drawing upon my own experiences selecting costumes.

Character Admiration

Sometimes when you’re watching a series, playing a video game or reading a comic book, there will be that one character that you are just totally and utterly drawn to. Perhaps you identify with their personality or the adversities they’re facing, or maybe they have served as a source of inspiration to you. You might just be totally overcome by how utterly awesome they are and find yourself fervently reading Fanfiction about them in the ungodly hours of the morning. Whatever the reason, you just feel like you’ve been run over by the feels truck and desperately want to bring this character to life through cosplay.

Character admiration is a very powerful instigator for cosplay, and I can personally attest to this method of character selection as being a particularly influential factor regarding cosplay character selection. My admiration of the character Celty Sturluson from the anime series Durarara!! incited my own desire to cosplay. Celty immediately stood out to me because I could identify and empathise with her struggles to belong, and her personality was similar to my own. I desperately wanted to share my love and appreciation for this character with the world, and felt that cosplay was the best way to do it.

(Cosplayer: Deceptively Darling Cosplay [me], personal photograph)

 Nostalgia

The iconic characters from our childhood serve as powerful reminders of the joys of being a kid. Whether you aspired to be strong and courageous like Goku or defend the galaxy like Sailor Moon, the sentimental value of these characters occupies a special place in our hearts. Thus this powerful nostalgia is another factor that commonly influences cosplay costume selection, as many cosplayers feel that cosplaying the iconic figures from our childhood is an ideal way to pay homage to these characters. Furthermore, many of these characters are widely recognised by the majority of convention patrons, which often results in plenty of attention, photo opportunities and conversations with like-minded fans!

As a child, I religiously watched Cardcaptor Sakura every morning before school and idolised the main character, Sakura, for her optimism and plethora of amazing battle costumes. When I re-watched this series as a teenager, I was unexpectantly overwhelmed by my feelings of childhood nostalgia. To put these powerful emotions to good use, I crafted my Cardcaptor Sakura costume and chose to wear her iconic red and white dress. This costume was very enjoyable to wear, and I really got a lot out of talking with people at the convention who were excited to see a character from their childhood brought to life through cosplay.

(Cosplayer: me, Photographer: Alain Rafer)

Costume lust

Sometimes, you just see a character whose attire is so elaborate, visually incredible or iconic that the desire to replicate their costume hits you like a bullet from a machine gun. There is no hesitation in this form of character selection  – you know that you are having this costume in your life come hell or high water. The opportunity to stand out from the crowd and gain social capital and popularity as a cosplayer often influences people’s desire to pursue extravagant costumes. Character selection based on the costume itself is especially popular among cosplayers who compete in cosplay competitions where they are judged on their costume craftsmanship.

 It was actually ‘costume-lust’ that ignited my desire to cosplay Dark Magician Girl from the anime series Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Monsters. Despite appearing to be relatively simple in its design, producing this costume from scratch was immensely difficult due to the angularity of the different pieces of her outfit. Each piece of armour required creating an individual pattern piece which had to be cut from foam, before being covering in fabric. Many of the seams also required piping large amounts of handmade pink piping around the edges. I was drawn to this costume as the character is very eye-catching, and I had noticed that despite the popularity of Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Monsters, few people actually chose to cosplay from this series. Despite the impractically of Dark Magician Girl’s costume (I can’t bend my elbows!) the unexpected positive reception my depiction of this character attracted from Yu-Gi-Oh! fans made all the hard work worthwhile.

(Cosplayer: me, Photographer: Mumei)

 Group Cosplays Nothing is more fun than cosplaying with your friends, making group cosplays is a very popular method of selecting a character. Character selection in a group cosplay context can vary greatly. For example, a group of friends may each choose to cosplay their favourite character, or one may simply wish to be a part of the group and be content with having a character allocated to them, or an individual scout out cosplayers who already own costumes that fit the group theme and form a group in this manner. Cosplaying in a group typically places less emphasis on each individual character, with the overall image of a ‘full cast’ of characters being a priority, which makes group-based cosplay an excellent way for shy or first-time cosplayers to ease into the hobby and make friends.

The excitement and enjoyment I feel when cosplaying with my friends has by far been my favourite experience as a cosplayer. My choice to cosplay Honoka Kousaka in a Love Live! themed group was partially influenced by my love for that character, and also her friendship with the two characters my friends had chosen. I have been part of a cosplay group a number of times, and definitely want to participate in more. With so many characters to choose from and so little time to cosplay, you’d better choose carefully!

(Cosplayers [back row from right]: Rose Cosplay, Stephie’s Cosplay, Smol Cosplay, Final Hearts Cosplay, Peachy P Cosplay, Deceptively Darling Cosplay, One Minute Cosplay [Kohana]; [front row from right]: VINA, One Minute Cosplay [Zebbie], Photographer: Andrew Cook Photography)

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hey! just wondering, how do you choose a character to cosplay? thanks :)

Hi! Thanks for the question :) I’ve written a blog post about this in response so I’ll post it up soon!

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Net Nasties: Cyberbullying Cosplayers

Cyberbullying is a sad reality that a number of cosplayers experience. Due to the strong online dimension of cosplay (most notably sharing photos), the euphoria one experiences while cosplaying with friends can be instantly eliminated by a nasty comment on the Internet. So why do people feel the need to criticise someone’s costume?

(Source)

When you cosplay, you are attempting to portray the physical realization of a fictional character that both you and other people have an attachment to. However, when this sense of attachment mutates into ‘entitlement,’ cyberbullies feel as though they have the right to criticise a cosplayer’s depiction of that character if this doesn’t live up to their expectations. Because cosplay involves ‘putting yourself out there’ and quite literally ‘wearing your fandom on your sleeve,’ the potential for keyboard warriors to judge you from behind the safety and anonymity of a computer screen is very real.

The abundance of blogs dedicated to shaming cosplayers for their appearance is seriously concerning. These pages rely on Internet trolls to submit photos of cosplayers they view as ‘unfit’ to portray certain characters, and criticise cosplayers for having an ‘unsuitable’ appearance for cosplay, be this due to someone’s weight, race, age, gender or costuming ability.  *Note: I have chosen not to link to any blogs shaming cosplayers as they don’t deserve the exposure.

It was for this reason that I was somewhat apprehensive to begin cosplaying. Despite being utterly enchanted by the photos of cosplayers I encountered online and longing to socialise with people who shared my passions, I was worried that if my costume wasn’t perfect I’d end up with my photo being laughed at on one of these blogs. Thankfully that never happened, and the unexpected praise and compliments my costume received both at the convention and online were a wonderful and much-needed boost to my self-confidence. The horrible thing is that my fear of being ridiculed for my costume on the Internet does happen to some cosplayers, and considering this fact it really makes you acknowledge just how devastating the impacts of cyberbullying could be for a cosplayer.  

It’s easy to laugh at a photo of someone on the Internet, and it’s easy to forget that behind the pixels (and the costume!) is a person who is real and whose feelings are legitimate. A really great campaign against reducing cosplayers to nothing more than an ‘image’ is the #NotACosplayer movement. This photography project involved photos of cosplayers holding signs displaying the comments people had made about them not being ‘good enough’ or ‘suitable’ to be a ‘real’ cosplayer.

Cosplay is for everyone, regardless of size, race, gender or age. It is about having fun and being proud of who you are, and no one has the right to criticize or belittle you for expressing your interests. Remember, it takes more guts to be true to yourself and wear a costume than mock someone on the Internet.

(Source) 

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Sexual Harassment at Conventions

Sexual harassment of cosplayers has always been an unwelcome guest at popular culture conventions. Just like in any other area of life, this form of abuse can occur for a variety of reasons, none of which are acceptable. Inappropriate comments, touching and photographs taken by sleazy attendees tend to be the most common forms of abuse experienced by cosplayers. Absurdly, it is often the cosplayers themselves who take the blame for sending ‘the wrong message’ to onlookers. Let me explain why.

(Source)

We live in a world that blames victims of sexual abuse for the crime occurring in the first place. A favourite dismissive justification for this inexcusable behavior is that the clothing one chooses to wear can send ‘the wrong message’ to offenders. Whilst any person with a shred of human decency knows that this is a load of crap, the fact that many female characters in popular culture are dressed in skimpy costumes or are highly sexualized to appeal to a perceived male-dominated audience (which is not at all the case), also complicates this issue. Obviously all cosplayers should use common sense when cosplaying in a public location and alter particularly revealing costumes so that they do not cause offence to other attendees. However, the rampant fetishization and objectification of fictional females (…females in general, really), combined with the misguided sense of ‘ownership’ some fans have for popular culture characters often means that when women cosplay, they risk becoming the target of some weirdo’s delusional misogynistic fantasies.

However, there is no need to boycott conventions or cosplay. I need to highlight the fact that my personal experience of conventions is that they are very safe and supportive spaces. I have never felt as though I was any more vulnerable there than I would be at any other social gathering. Furthermore, a number of initiatives to combat the problem of sexual harassment in conventions are currently being implemented and are having an immensely positive impact. 

The ‘Cosplay Is Not Consent’ campaign has been adopted by a number of conventions around the globe. This program aims to stop the sexual harassment of cosplayers by encouraging conventions implement strict anti-harassment policies, ensure that all convention staff and volunteers are appropriately trained to respond effectively to reported cases of harassment, and advertise that ‘Cosplay Does NOT Equal Consent.’

(Source) 

Cosplayers themselves have also fought back against sexual harassment. The ‘Cosplay Sentinels’ are a team of two Australian cosplayers and a professional bodyguard who aim to be readily accessible support beacons for cosplayers who feel as though they are at risk. The Sentinels are equipped with specialist skills in implementing anti-harassment techniques and aim to educate harassers about how to behave appropriately.

(The Cosplay Sentinels, source)

Both of these initiatives are extremely valuable to the cosplay community’s fight against sexual harassment, and it would be fantastic to see these services implemented at both major and local conventions globally. Behaving in a manner that makes people feel threatened is NEVER okay, and everybody has a responsibility to report inappropriate behavior to authorities. Conventions should be a place where everybody can have fun and feel safe, and it is imperative we unite as a community to make sure it stays this way.    

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So many ups and downs. My heart’s a battleground. I need true emotions. I need more affection than you know.

[Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep]

Algerot Blacksmith as Terra | Hysteria Nevan as Aqua

Earthshaker & Rainfell keyblades by Algerot’s Props Corp

Photography by Yuna Hime

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Oki-Cospi as Tifa seen at Dragon Con 2015

Photo by Mineralblu Photography

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I finally got around to making a tutorial on how I “painted” my Diablo Monk armor.  Hope some of you find this helpful :-)

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height differences ( T_T)＼(^-^ ) [1, 2]

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Cosplay: A Labour of Love

As a cosplayer, I frequently encounter questions regarding how much my costume cost. I understand and appreciate people’s genuine curiosity, however I can’t help but feel slightly awkward. The ‘cost’ of making a costume from scratch is so much more than simply throwing money at a pile of fabric and making a costume appear.

In the quest to portray a perfect physical realization of a fictional character, the ‘cost’ of a costume should not simply be reduced to an amount of money. The process of converting a costume (often 2D) into an accurate physical artifact is often an incredibly difficult and time-consuming process. For committed cosplayers, the standard and quality of the costume they wear is extremely high, and much of the talent required to produce a detailed and accurate costume is often concealed under the finished product. Spending large sums of money on a costume does not automatically make it ‘superior’ to a costume that someone put together on a budget – it all comes down to creativity and skill.

(Source)

On top of the lengthy research process that precedes costume construction, passionate cosplayers are often more than willing to try their hand at a number of new skills and techniques in pursuit of the perfect costume. Sewing, leatherworking, makeup artistry, hairdressing, working with plastics, 3D printing, pattern-making and prop-making are just a few of the expansive and time-consuming practices.

To highlight the lengths that dedicated cosplayers will go to in pursuit of perfection, I caught up with Zebbie and Kohana from One Minute Cosplay to discuss their stunning Madokami and Homucifer (from the Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Rebellion movie) costumes. 

(Left: Madokami [source] and right: Homucifer [source])

(Left: Zebbie as Madokami, right: Kohana as Homucifer, Photographer: Creed Photography)

Their costumes took approximately one month to finish, however copious hours of research, experimentation and fine-tuning were required prior to their completion.

Exploring a variety of new technologies and skills were crucial to the realisation of both costumes.

Zebbie’s Madokami wings were modeled using Autodesk Inventor software, with the wings of the Figma Ultimate Madoka Madokami figurine as a reference. The wing template was then sent to a plastics company where they were cut from clear acrylic using an industrial laser-cutter. 

(Source)

After washing the acrylic, Zebbie recounts spending an extensive amount of time researching suitable types of spray-paint and gradient-spraying techniques. This process was extremely difficult and delicate – just touching the clear acrylic had the potential to seriously jeopardize the smooth finish of the entire model. Through practicing spraying a gradient on extra pieces of acrylic, Zebbie was able to refine her technique and flawlessly complete her wings.

Kohana printed a scaled image of her wings to use as a life-sized template, and created the physical structure by pain-stakingly bending a length of copper pipe into the desired shape. Kohana explained that this process was challenging because although copper pipe is malleable, it is difficult to bend it in particular places. However, using the corners and curves of her cat’s scratching post, Kohana managed to manipulate the pipe to achieve her desired result. 

(Source)

She then made a paper template of the white parts of Homucifer’s wings and used this to cut the same shape out of foam board. After spray-painting the copper pipe, each feather was individually hot-glued onto the foam board, resulting in an immaculate finished product.

However, both Zebbie and Kohana agreed that their hoop skirts were the most challenging aspects of their costumes, simply due to their size and gravity-defying structures. Zebbie explained that the particular shape she was after for the skirts was incredibly difficult to achieve.  Because of the huge size of the skirts and their open fronts, many previous cosplays of these characters used cross-braces to support the skirt structures, which were often visible. To avoid using a visible brace, Zebbie and Kohana incorporated crab traps, hoola hoops, wire and sinkers into their skirts to get the ideal shape.

(Source)

Both cosplayers agree that this extensive process of trial and error has not only enhanced their creative abilities, but also provided them with the knowledge and skills to make future costume construction easier. Clearly, their huge outlay of time, effort and ingenuity has paid off – both costumes look absolutely fantastic.

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Have a question about cosplay, a cosplay related issue, or just need some advice?

Ask or submit your questions here!

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Because I’m feeling #inspired today! No matter who you are, what you look like, you skill level, or how you get your cosplay. You are an amazing cosplayer. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Cosplay is for everyone! Tag a person who inspires you below!!

@_glam.and.gore_ @missmeowlecat @respectful_toasting #instagram #cospositive #cosplay #cosplayisforeveryone #youareamazing #inspiration #inspired #staystrong #havefun #miss_nightfeathers

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Family photo by Nemodes

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Guardians of the Galaxy: Blast by SunjiCosplay