I’ve shared a lot about my hobbies here, but I feel like I can never run out of hobbies to talk about. My latest hyperfixation is cosplay.
Merriam-Webster dictionary defines cosplay as “the activity or practice of dressing up as a character from a work of fiction (such as a comic book, video game, or television show).” It’s a combination of the words “costume” and “play” that was first coined in 1984 in Japan. Now an international term, cosplay is mostly, but not entirely, seen at different nerdy conventions, such as comic or anime conventions.
I first got into cosplay in around 2015 after my brother begged my mom to take us to PAX South, a gaming convention in San Antonio. I had heard of some of my friends going to conventions in costume, but this was my first experience going to one myself. I’ve always loved designing and wearing costumes, so I decided to wear a cosplay I made out of items in my closet.
Was it good? No.
Was it in any way relevant to the gaming convention I went to? Nope.
Did I love it anyways? Yes, yes I did.
I dressed up as the lead singer of My Chemical Romance, Gerard Way, who is known for his dramatic costuming in music videos and on stage. I wore a black button down shirt, black ripped jeans and a red tie, with white face paint and black eyeshadow all around my eyes. I did not fit in with any of the other attendees or cosplayers, but I do remember getting compliments on my outfit. As they say, the rest is history.
Since then, I’ve made costumes for characters from Spiderman, DC Comics, indie games, like Sally Face, and more. I’ve also gone in outfits that aren’t considered cosplay, but are instead part of a Japanese street fashion called lolita.
Not to be confused by the novel of the same name, lolita fashion is inspired by Victorian and Rococo fashion. The conventions I’ve gone to have been mostly anime and Japanese culture conventions — it used to be frowned upon to wear comic cosplays to anime conventions and vice versa- — but nowadays you can wear whatever you want to any convention you want, within reason of course.
Another aspect of cosplaying is entering cosplay competitions. Now, I’ve never entered a competition, but it is definitely on my bucket list. For most competitions you have to make a majority, if not all, of your costume in order to be qualified for participation. Prizes can range from a certificate to a trophy to a cash prize and even qualification for a bigger competition.
Conventions are now held all over the world, so there’s likely one near you. In fact, because of its size and population, Texas is one of the best places for all kinds of nerdy conventions. The bigger cities like Dallas, Houston and San Antonio hold the biggest conventions, but there are also some smaller ones in smaller places that are just as fun.
For anyone who wants to get into cosplay or conventions, just do it. It’s more fun than you could ever imagine and there is nothing like making a costume, or parts of a costume, and showing it off to other fans as you walk around. Sometimes people ask for pictures or compliment your cosplay and there is no other feeling like it. Even if you don’t enter a cosplay competition, nothing beats being proud of your cosplay.
Brown is a reporter for the Hays Free Press/News-Dispatch. He can be reached by emailing [email protected].
