Cosplaying: Virtual to Reality

                                                       By Heather Barren

 Everything is crowded. Walking through is difficult and you're starting to get hot. The sun beats down on the large windows, and cameras flash and people pose. You look around, seeing people everywhere. Then someone taps you lightly on the shoulder. You turn around suddenly to see who it is. Someone is holding a camera, and they ask you for a picture, you're their favorite character. You are in a convention. You are cosplaying. Cosplayers are involved in a world all their own, from private photoshoots to large conventions containing over 20,000 people like them. Cosplayers bring in a world that should only be fictional. They dress as their favorite characters from comic books, anime, books and movies. The trend began in Japan, but spread to countries around the world. Those who cosplay spend time and money to make their costume perfect, and flaws are often never overlooked. "I am very passionate about every character that I cosplay [...] It's a great and unique way of expressing one's self without being one's self." says Catlin Beards, An avid cosplayer.

Felicia Grundler putting on her wig and getting into character

 

Most of the time, hotel rooms are turned into a make shift studio. People often have to put the finishing touches on a wig, or resewing a patch on a shirt. They stay up until 4:00 AM with fellow friends and cosplayers just to finish it up the day before the con. Usually, you can hardly tell if the costume was finished the day before, or 5 months before hand. All the hotel rooms have crazy styled wigs scattered around on headstands, garments hanging carefully on hangers, and large props leaning against the wall. And often enough, there is a suitcase used only for shoes! You never travel lightly, but this allows the cosplayer to change into multiple outfits through out the day.

A wig mid-style

There is also another form of cosplaying, which is crossplaying. It is basically the same, although with different genders. A girl is a guy, a guy a girl. Lots of cosplayer girls prefer being guys over girls, because some characters require to show more skin, and not everyone is comfortable with that. "[...] it does get uncomfortable after a while, especially when some of the creepier people ask for pictures or stare at you blatantly," says Jackie Ohh.

Whether it comes down to carrying around a large scepter made out of styrofoam and painted gold, or wearing a bright green wig that goes down to your knees, cosplaying is what makes people happy. "I also enjoy the challenge of seeing if I can make this design that shouldn't or couldn't exist in real life and make it so." Brennan West says.