Cosplay and Fandom

Cosplay, short for “costume play,” is a type of performance art in which people dress as different [Page 149]characters (or items) from fictional universes. As an art form, cosplay began in Japan in the 1970s during fan conventions for Japanese animation (anime) and comics (manga). Within Western fandoms, early cosplay was usually centered in Stars Wars and Star Trek. In the 1990s, the growing popularity of anime within the United States brought about an increase in the popularity of cosplay at anime conventions. Over time, both Eastern and Western fandoms expanded to include cosplay from movies, television, games, comic books, or any virtual representation of a piece of popular culture with which a fan feels a connection (a “canon”). Today, the San Diego Comic-Con and the World Cosplay Summit (held in Nagoya, Japan) are the two largest conventions with venues specifically for cosplay.

The costumes range from intricately detailed replications of the source to more casual attempts to invoke the feeling of a character. Cross-dressing as a character is commonly accepted, and many cosplayers—particularly female cosplayers—will often “genderbend” their costumes so that the character they are portraying is transformed to an opposite-sex version. When in costume, many cosplayers will adopt the mannerisms, speech patterns, or other idiosyncrasies of the character they are attempting to portray to increase accuracy. Cosplayers also use forms of body modification to enhance their costumes. The use of contact lenses, permanent marker, body paint, or permanent tattoos increases the look or feel of the costume. Wigs, hair dye, and spray-in color are also common elements of costumes. Groups often form to create cooperative cosplays; for example, a group may decide to cosplay all of the characters in a particular superhero team. During conventions, cosplay groups often compete, including skits and other performances that further enhance or show off the skills of the group.

While the performance of cosplay happens in person, the rise of the Internet in the 1990s has been vital in spreading and encouraging the practice. Cosplayers have their own communities within individual fandoms and, more generally, on social networking sites, such as Livejournal, Tumblr, and Twitter. These communities are used as tools for meet-and-greets, tips in creating costumes or places to find costumes, and sharing pictures, videos, or stories about cosplays performed. These communities are also used to create networks for subgroups within the cosplay portions of a fandom.

The most common subgroups are to specific fandoms. A person interested in cosplaying within the Marvel comic book universe would join a group devoted to that fandom. Groups also form around different types of cosplay, such as “genderbending” or “steampunk.” Several of the groups may require certain qualifications to join or restrict membership. Some of the exclusivity is due to the desire to maintain a tight-knit network and due to the type of cosplays being performed. Cosplay groups that are more adult oriented often require proof of age as a restriction. Other groups, such as “furry” cosplays, or anthropomorphic animal cosplays, often need membership exclusivity to reduce the amount of abuse, or trolling, they receive. Other groups will form around the commercial aspects of cosplay, such as selling costumes and materials, and for fans of other commercial enterprises like cosplay restaurants, such as “maid cafes.” Maid cafes originated in Japan and combine the traditional restaurant with service staff dressed as maids, butlers, or other outfits as the theme requires. Cosplay has also influenced youth style and fashion in Japan. Fashion trends such as the “Lolita” style have been reimagined within youth culture, anime, and manga and can now be found in regular department stores.

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