Pharon Wright
You’ve probably heard before that your personality is composed of all the people who have influenced you. Whether it be sports stars, family, teachers or friends, you can usually spot which mannerisms you got from whom. But what if you grew up identifying more with characters? Movies, TV shows, books, comics, videogames, anime and internet icons: these are all categories these characters can come from, and most of us can say we have at least one or two characters we really relate to. You might even dress up as one for Halloween. But what if I told you that didn’t have to be the only time it was acceptable to do that? What if I told you there was an entire subculture based on creating or purchasing these costumes to portray a person’s favorite characters? Well, I am telling you this, and there is such a culture. Most people who are familiar with it refer to it as “cosplaying” or “costume-playing.”
It may help to create a working definition of cosplaying by comparing them to the face-characters at Disney Theme Parks. Just like the woman playing Cinderella or the man playing Donald Duck, cosplayers not only dress-up as, but also embody a character. They act like them, speak like them, and accommodate any specific quirks a character might have into a temporary personality (which can be not-so-temporary for some). Cosplayers might make their own costumes, commission them from a maker, buy them premade, or even put together any assortment of items to create something totally unique! As someone who has been cosplaying for a little over five years, I can say I’ve obtained costumes using all of these methods.
Cosplayers also gather at large conventions that are held all over the world, designed to let them express and celebrate their common interests. These conventions usually have events like panels run by fans, in which they talk about a chosen facet of pop culture and can play related games or activities. I find conventions are the highlight of my year. I get to meet up with many of my friends from across the state, make new friends, spend way too much money in the dealer’s room and party at the rave that many cons tend to throw.
As previously stated, I’ve been cosplaying for quite a while now, and it is one of my favorite things to do. A very large number of my closest friends were gained through convention-going or attending local meet-ups. It sounds like a scary experience, being in a huge convention place without knowing anyone at first. I was definitely scared my first time con-going, too, but what’s so great about it is that just about everyone is so friendly, all you have to do is walk up to someone and recognize who they’re cosplaying. Within minutes, you’re good friends. The simple connection of being interested in a few similar things can turn a stranger into someone you feel like you’ve known your whole life! A lot of people within the cosplaying community feel ostracized from the culture they’re surrounded with normally. Because of this and other various reasons, they tend to be an open and accepting bunch, knowing what it feels like to not quite fit in. As fun as it is to goof off with peers, it almost serves as group therapy. The feeling of not being alone you receive when cosplaying is enough to make it worth it, but there are so many other perks and fun attributes, it gets good enough to be addictive to some (I may be one of these people).
I have gone through many cosplays, and I will create or buy even more. My roommate still turns a wonderstruck brow to my extensive and flamboyant wig collection I’ve brought with me to Wooster (which isn’t even half of the wigs I own). Although people are thrown off by how many colored contacts, vials of body paint, props and prosthetics a person like me can own, their fascination makes it even more appealing. I get to explain to them what I do and how I do it, show them pictures, tell them stories, and in a lot of cases spark their interest too! It’s the best feeling someone can get. Cosplaying helps me feel unique, express my interests, gain life-long friends, and be creative in a functional way. I can see myself doing this for many more years. I always see older people, nearing their 40s and 50s, at the conventions I go to. I try to acquaint myself with them when I can. If our personalities really are made up of the people or characters we associate with, I want to make sure I adopt whatever drive kept these cosplayers doing what they do for as many years as they have.