This story of a woman whose hobby and vocation is Cosplay is worth a read if you were ever wondering why someone would choose that hobby. Part of what struck me is the quality of the writing, presentation and (especially) the video associated with the piece. Since Cosplay is generally something that interests the young, and is based on a segment of the culture that’s popular but not really mainstream, a long-form piece done by, say, the New York Times Magazine would have probably treated the woman in the story like some kind of foreign object to be studied like a science experiment. This piece is in a gaming magazine (Polygon), so the author can just dispense with a discussion of, or excuse for, the choice of Cosplay as a subject, and dive into what drives this particular player.
Though there are ads on the page, I thought the whole experience was quite a bit better than, say, The Atlantic. Just to pick one example, they don’t try to jam ads in your face by putting in a pop-over as soon as you click on a story. Overall, the design was just a lot better than the average MSM magazine on the web.
Polygon is from Vox, the same company behind SB Nation and the Verge. All three of those sites are leaders in their categories. If you want to see the “future of journalism”, at least for specialty magazines, look at those sites.
BGinCHI
I thought Cosplay was what Bill Cosby did with Mrs. Cosby prior to sexy time activities.
I really learn a lot reading this blog.
me
They really screwed the pooch with their Sim City review though.
MikeJ
I liked the fact they didn’t chop the story into ten pages so they could claim 10x page views.
Cassidy
I’m always interested in reading pieces like these, to include the Lara Croft incident from the article and the various “booth girl” battles. It really shows some interesting facets of the convention sub-culture.
mistermix
@me: I don’t know about Polygon but one of the problems with the Verge is that they want to be first with every review so sometimes they miss issues that you only see once a product has been used for a few days.
raven
@Cassidy: I’m glad you are.
Cassidy
@raven: Kinda can’t help it when you’re a D&D nerd.
Paul W.
I’ve been following this site since it was just a segment on The Verge, their chief editor is Arthur Geis whose podcast I have listened to for the past 3-4 years.
They write great stuff, from reviews on out to features like the one you mention here (which I just read last night). They’ve become a goto gaming site for me, along with PCGamesN which is great for PC Gaming and esports especially.
reflectionephemeral
If you want to see the “future of journalism”, at least for specialty magazines, look at those sites.
Interesting– I just came across this piece about “the future of journalism” writ large. Ann Friedman writes that things have never been better, because “You have access to a world of sources. … Consumers have access to a world of media [expanding the reach of journalists] … And you have direct access to news consumers. … Chaos is good for creativity.”
Thing is, none of that makes money.
I can see a lot of great things happening in specialty journalism, but mainstream journalism has to compete with those things, and with BuzzFeed, which seems to do a better job making money.
I would love to be wrong, but I’m not optimistic about general journalism. Stories and personalities sell, so David Gregory and Tom Friedman will talk stories, not facts.
Joe Max
My daughter has done a fair bit of cosplay conventions, but her spin on it was to play a male character – specifically Link, from “Zelda” game fame. Her mom made her costume and long slender frame fits the character perfectly. I made her props (an ornate bow, a sword and an ocarina). It was family fun!
She’s also done Finn from the “Adventure Time” cartoon series.
Playing male characters has neatly sidestepped the “sexy” question. She’s a gorgeous girl, but nobody hits on her while she’s in her Link costume (though she still gets a lot of compliments on execution.)
I go to Steampunk cons myself, and my wife and I make all our costumes. Steampunk has a lot more personal imagination to it, in that there are not so many specific characters that have to be emulated – you make up your own character. I’ve also noticed a lot less harassment problems for the women, even though there are some very sexy costumes. Maybe it’s the fact that, though sexy, the typical Steampunk woman exposes a lot less skin than an Anime character (though corsets and cleavage are de rigueur) and the cosplayers in this genre tend to be older (the greyhairs definitely outnumber the teenagers.)
raven
@Cassidy: Yea, I am totally clueless. I worked with some IT guys that went to whatever that thing is in Atlanta all dressed up in star wars shit. Great guys, goofy fucking hobby.
eta, I guess that’s what this is all about, no?
raven
@Joe Max: I googled Steampunk images and got some nice bike pix, guess it’s not all bad.
Walker
@raven:
I worked with some IT guys that went to whatever that thing is in Atlanta all dressed up in star wars shit.
DragonCon. Good times.
raven
@Walker: Oh yea, I think it is the same weekend as the kickoff classic in the Dome. Almost as weird a contrast as the Peach Bowl and Widespread on New Years Eve!
Cassidy
@raven: It’s a goofy hobby (sometimes), but also pretty neat. Once you start crossing into “furry” territory is where my personal line is, but live and let live.
On one hand, you get to see a lot of really great constumes and re-imaginings (female Hellboy, etc.) and there are some amazing cosplayers out there, none too few who are attractive and sexy as all get out (male and female). Unfortunately, Mrs. Tysk is correct in that the viewers of cosplay have focused more on the sexiness than the art of it. A lot of these men and women put a lot of effort into fabricating a highly detailed costume and the commentary they get if their abs aren’t flat or her breasts are too small, ass too big/small, etc. is horrendous. It’s really off-putting. Mysogyny in the nerd community has really raised it’s ugly head.
ETA: What is it about? Remember being a kid and pretending to be your favorite movie/ comic/ tv action character? Now, you’re older, still have the passion for something geeky, and the time and money to actually do it. I never got into it myself, but I was a theatre guy in HS and, unashamedly, admit to LARPing during college, so I get it.
jrg
All the elderly cosplay participants ever feel like dressing up as is Paul Revere. Freeeedom!!!
Belafon (formerly anonevent)
@raven: Eh, it’s a lot better than a bunch of people sitting together, stroking their AR-15s, and fantasizing about overthrowing the government. At least one group knows it’s not real.
zattarra
@Joe Max: Girls going is Link from “Zelda” is incredibly common. I actually can’t think of the last time I saw a guy go as Link. Girls dressing up as TIm from Adventure Time started becoming big last year and it surprised me. Of course anyone CosPlaying Adventure Time surprises me as I don’t get the appeal of the show.
I’ve been doing conventions (sci fi, comic book, anime, gaming, etc.) for 30+ years. You used to get the costuming at the larger shows but nothing as elaborate as what you see today. With sanctioned events, categories, rankings, award winners and stuff it’s amazing how much Cosplay has taken off in the last 10-15 years. Mostly due to girls getting involved in the convention culture, something I’ve always attributed to the popularity of Sailor Moon – that seemed to be the anime that changed the demographics at the big conventions in the late 90s. I always leave major shows now with dozens or hundreds of pictures of the folks in costumes. They make for a good convention photo book.
Cassidy
Wait? Link isn’t a girl?
andrewsomething
Does Kos still own Vox or did he cash out?
Southern Beale
So, this is probably more talk than action:
Yes, Tea Partiers. DO tell me how much you love free speech, the constitution, private enterprise, etc. I’m ALL ears.
Belafon (formerly anonevent)
@zattarra: My kids and I like it because the characters and their stories have grown more interesting and complex as it goes along. We also like catching the hints about the Mushroom war that are sometimes thrown in. Marceline and the Ice King’s back story is really interesting.
Cassidy
@Belafon (formerly anonevent): Yeah. It’s really subtle, but once you get dragged in, it’s kind of crazy and cool.
jrg
@Southern Beale: That’s their right as shareholders. Saying dissent violates freedom of speech seems very Palinesque.
geg6
@Belafon (formerly anonevent):
True. I am completely puzzled by this whole phenomenon, but it seems harmless and the people who are into are having fun, so who am I to judge. I feel the same way about the Furries. Since they seem to have adopted Pittsburgh as their favorite place (they have a huge convention here every year), I’ve had a lot of contact with them. They all seem to be very nice people. Odd in too many ways to even describe, but very kind, friendly and fun-loving.
Belafon (formerly anonevent)
@Cassidy: And who wouldn’t want a BMO?
beth
O/T but Steve Stockman of Texas is having a contest to give away a Bushmaster AR-15 (the gun Obama doesn’t want you to have!). Here’s a bit from the rules, presented with no comment (but my bolding):
DISCLAIMER: No purchase or donation necessary to win. Void where prohibited. Must be a U.S. resident at least 18 years of age to be eligible to win. Winner drawn randomly. Firearms prizes must be claimed through a licensed firearms dealer in accordance with federal, state and local law. Firearms prize winners must meet all legal requirements and will be subject to a dealer’s background check
Butch
@geg6: Geg6, I was holding back on commenting, partly because I wasn’t sure my comment had any value, but I agree. It seems kinda bizarre to me, but what’s the harm?
Gustavo
@andrewsomething at #20 already asked, and I’ll ask again: does Kos own that company?
I always found it funny that the most prominent liberal blogger got rich as a web entrepreneur while lets say Michelle Malkin sucks off the wingnut welfare teat. Similar to the upset in conservative circles this week when Al Gore’s big April came out. gore was widely mocked for creating Current and other investments, but…
FourTen
Oy, if Polygon et al are the future of news, count me out. That site is chock-a-block full of the worst kind of gamers: self-haters who’ve forgotton the meaning of fun eager to take shots those we aren’t into hipster detachment. It’s like The AV Club opened a gaming site. (which they did and it does it suck and for the same reason)
And I say that not just becasue they wouldn’t hire me.
AA+ Bonds
On a related topic, David Brothers, the pop culture writer who had a piece in the Atlantic a few weeks back, has seen his writing career put into jeopardy because AOL suddenly decided to shutter the site Comics Alliance where he was recently given a regular column (as well as a bunch of their other media news sites such as AOL Music).
Comics Alliance was pretty much the last place on the Internet providing mainstream comics coverage that included critical commentary, particularly from the perspective of race and gender – most of the sites that are left are either focused on indie comics or are basically promotional pseudo-news for Disney and Time Warner.
For want of a better comparison, Brothers is, among other things, the Ta-Nehisi Coates of comics commentary, as well as an incisive and intelligent commentator on music, film, and other topics regarding race, class and gender. He has really risked a lot to speak out honestly about the scarcity of non-white, non-male perspectives in mainstream comics – to the point that he lost work writing for Marvel Comics’ site because he wrote honestly and critically about the company.
I hope that places like the Atlantic, New Yorker, etc. are smart enough to give him more work, as well as the sites mentioned above – he writes on games as well and has a number of articles for Kotaku discussing non-white heroes.
Brothers has been a gadfly on the “Big Two” (Marvel/DC) but has also garnered an immense amount of goodwill from both indie and mainstream creators as well as comics readers.
His site is here, with links to his blog 4thletter, his work for the Atlantic, Kotaku and ComicsAlliance, plus his Twitter and tumblr pages.
Another Halocene Human
They’re right about props. I went to a con years ago where this group had done an Evangelion cosplay and had a miniature forged metal Lance of Longinius (Lance of Longness according to the shitty translation, but give me a break.) That thing was badass. Also, the peace bonders were kind of stumped. (It was Virginia, and they told us if our fake weapons looked too real, we could be shot by undercover cops on sight. Not sure how that fits in with FREEDUMB! On that same note, a lot of my friends bought katanas, usually kind of cheap replicas, others better quality but not sharpened. Well, they were not allowed in dorm rooms or really in a lot of places and sometimes required logistics to bring home. But in Virginia you can concealed carry!)
Forum Transmitted Disease
@Southern Beale: Good for them. Seriously. I approve. Here’s the real question:
Where are the liberals that should have been doing this to Fox shareholders all these years?
Sometimes being of the liberal persuasion is a great cause of shame.
Another Halocene Human
@AA+ Bonds: I hope i09 picks him up. You’re right about the collapse of the comics websites. I think the field, which had already shrunk a lot, is collapsing fast. For me, it’s because of a lot of the things that Brothers is writing about. Of course there’s also the fact that young people don’t want to buy the floppies and find ways to not pay for ecomics either. But the floppies have felt like a rip for a long time. We bought Simpsons comics, MAD Magazine, and Animaniacs comics as kids and you could dog-ear those comics reading them over and over again. But DC moved to a model where they were writing to floppies to make into “graphic novels” (trade paperbacks, damnit, most of them don’t deserve the former title), but still expected the floppies to make money on their own. Delusional. Japan had hung in there with the much cheaper, weekly comics. The funny thing is that US inking is perfectly good but they only want to sell stuff that’s been coated in layer after layer in photoshop (sometimes changing the art in a detrimental way).
Once again, it seems that just like when DC ditched Milestone, there’s only room for a very tiny comics industry pitching to a very privileged group of people. And that’s a shame.
aimai
@jrg:
This is a point that Fred Clark at Slactivist has made in another way–he argues that there’s a real Cosplay/LARP aspect to a lot of fundamentalist Christian activities such as modest dressing and imitation of the perfect male or female role model.
Cassidy
@Another Halocene Human: It’s collapsing because the stories have turned to crap. The big 2 care more about milking the cash cow than providing a quality book.
Belafon (formerly anonevent)
@aimai: And the crucifixion and nativity reenactments (he may have mentioned them, but it kind of makes sense).
Certified Mutant Enemy
@Belafon (formerly anonevent):
Though they tend to wimp out when it comes to crucifixion reenactments…
nemesis
Arent those sites owned by the GOS’s Markos?
Frankensteinbeck
@raven:
Pretty much all hobbies are goofy if you’re not into them. Someone not into sports watching sports fans goes ‘Seriously?’ It’s a smaller scale version of the same visceral reactions to sex. What you’re into is great. If you’re not into it, it seems creepy and messed up.
Another Halocene Human
@zattarra: Sailor Moon also caused cosplay to really take off in the US as well. Including people making costumes and selling them to others. It made everyone want to participate but the nature of the character design meant putting work into it unlike just buying some props (like when you do Star Trek or many Star Wars costumes).
However, I think it would be unfair not to point out that there were some insane costume and prop makers in the 1980s in the scifi fandom.
They did their own Klingon uniforms, Klingon weapons, Stormtrooper getups, also crossed over with Renfaire culture (especially the Klingons) people making their own chain mail and linen clothing. Some of this stuff is just insane.
raven
@Frankensteinbeck: Yea, catching big fish and skelatonizing their skulls ain’t for everyone.
Another Halocene Human
@Cassidy: It used to piss me off when people would harass male Sailor Scout cosplayers. Who gives a fuck? What, never seen a man in a dress before? Grow the fuck up.
Back when I was going to cons there were some drag cosplayers who were incredible. Some of them had the best costumes at the con.
There are some people who seem to be deeply uncomfortable with men in women’s clothing. I. Don’t. Get. It.
Belafon (formerly anonevent)
@Another Halocene Human: Ever been to a Renaissance Fair? I went to one in MA in 1990. There were wenches and knaves everywhere. Someone had a small forge. Friends of mine used the swords they bought there in the McBeth play later in the year (they ended up having to get the nicks fixed after getting a little too into character).
Frankensteinbeck
@Another Halocene Human:
I’m not one of them, but I completely get it. The 80s were the worst period for it, but our society is HARSH to men who aren’t manly enough. The threat of physical abuse and public shaming has left a whole lot of men with major complexes about the issue – especially the ones who toed the line to avoid facing that pain, and ESPECIALLY especially the ones who repressed even occasional moments of being attracted to other men.
Another Halocene Human
@Walker: I got so bored at Dragon*Con and went to the underground Peachtree Ctr thing and Coca Cola World instead (it was forgettable… literally… I don’t remember shit), walked around downtown and a creepy guy told me people get killed down here… okayyyy, dude, why don’t you get a hobby and put down that urge to kill? I was too scared to go in the subway because it looked about 3 stories deep and was dirty and I started to feel cornered as I went down the stairs. I understand people ride Marta every day but it was a Sunday and the area was deserted. It looked like one of those late 70s movies in New York where the gang is waiting for you at the turnstiles.
But when about 70 people walked outside in a parade of Stormtroopers (and these costumes looked real, okay?), that was awesome.
Btw, I’m planning to ride Marta in a few weeks. I’ll be thinking “Marta Slide”. Back it up back it up, gonna make room.
scav
@Another Halocene Human: SCA you probably covered under the Renfaire rubric, bur SCAer could get intense. I was more into the cooking end of the spectrum (there were nevertheless long discussions of tent design in the household, and searches for forks with barely legitimate number of tines) but the feasts and warfare and general immersiveness was grand. The devotion to facial hair was a bit of a giveaway for some of the fighting guys during the 80s.
raven
These dudes hung out on the Quad at Illinois in the early 70’s
Society for Creative Anachronism
Running into them when one was, let’s say, high as the cost of living could send one off.
Robert
I only just started cosplaying last year but I’ve been making costumes and props for other cosplayers for years. It’s just such a welcoming community at conventions. You can find people you’re probably going to get along with based on who you choose to dress up as.
I mean, when I went to NYCC as Fry from Futurama, I had Nintendo reps stop me in front of one of their big advertising spaces and ask me if I’d take photos with them. They left their paid post to bs with me for a few minutes. A lot of the artist alley vendors were calling me over to their booths and having me pose with their merch to put on their websites. I also had a Nickelodeon-hired film crew who were in charge of viral marketing for the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series direct me through an improv scene through a huge sewer set because they recognized my Shaun of the Dead cosplay. Just a couple weeks ago, I got to spend some time with one of the most famous New England cosplayers, Misa on Wheels, because we both showed up to a con in Death Note cosplay. I also got called out repeatedly during panels whenever the show was mentioned and applause and cheers followed. It just feels good to connect with like-minded people over your shared nerdy tastes.
You do it because you love it. The professional cosplayers earn it through years of hard work. That girl who got hired to be the official BioShock Infinite Elizabeth cosplayer had been cosplaying as other characters for years before getting her big break. It’s pretty rare for companies to hire models to cosplay nowadays in the US because they can actually hire real cosplayers who like the franchise to do a better job.
Cassidy
@Another Halocene Human: My pet peeve is the fat comments. I get the whole blinding, red rage thing when someone is put down because they don’t have the perfect body type.
raven
@Another Halocene Human: Five Points Marta and Underground is pretty rough. The morons didn’t build a train station near Turner Field so people have to take Marta to Five and run a gauntlet of cops to get on a bus going to the park. Mostly it’s not any more dangerous than any other big city mass transit.
scav
@raven: Freaking the Mundanes. Practically an art form in itself.
raven
@Robert: It cost me $2000 to catch a tuna on Maui and it belonged to the boat Another $800 for the replica on the wall. I love it.
raven
@scav: What do dat means?
Holy chit, that means you no likey?
” In science fiction fandom and related fandoms the term is used to refer, sometimes deprecatingly, to non-fans; this use of the term antedates 1955″
Just Some Fuckhead
Nobody wants to talk about these freakshows. Do an open thread, asshole.
raven
@scav: Sort of like how fly fishermen look down on the rest of us.
Another Halocene Human
@Belafon (formerly anonevent): I don’t personally go because my fear that it’s just a big money pit (wait… I paid all this money … to go to a shopping mall… but all the other arts festivals around here are free… wahhh… wahhh), but it’s my understanding that the guy who invented the batleth still does the renfaire circuit selling custom blades.
I have a friend in thieves guild who is a sword technician. Gave me a lot of respect for what they do.
Of course a lot of attendees are just fans but there’s plenty of crossover with Hollywood’s fx industry, prop-makers, stunts, etc. AV nerds.
I had a chance to go to the local renfaire for free as a volunteer once, but it’s SCA heavy and I’m pissed at a lot of the members of the local SCA (long story), so why put myself through that? Though if you go to a certain BBQ joint near the fairgrounds you can see all the costumes pass through at dinnertime for free. Heh heh.
raven
@Just Some Fuckhead: There you go dick-lick. New thread just for you.
scav
@raven: Mundanes are those not in garb. Generally treated with benign respect, except when it was decided not to, usually by going deeper into character. Best results when attempted en masse.
raven
@scav: They had sword fights on the Quad.
Another Halocene Human
@scav: Yes!! Half the fun of Otakon was all these huge lunch crowds (you couldn’t eat inside–Aramark–that shit’s not food) invading downtown Baltimore (which was pretty depressed back then, and racially segregated) in crazy getups–Digichara, Dragonball Z, Oh My Goddess (dating myself), giant panda suits, whatever.
There used to be this awesome Afghan restaurant near the Baltimore Convention Ctr. We made a point of eating there in 2001. (And the food was so good.) But there was also that jacked up downtown McDonald’s where the prices were 10c cheaper than other McD’s nationally. I think that McD’s did a star turn since then as a spot where some people got a beatdown and it went viral. Or the sketchy local fish place. Good times.
I went back to Balto Harbor last year and the place was much changed. I mean, improved, and all that, but it makes you mad about the way things were, as if you weren’t already, because it was so unnecessary.
Fucking racists. Made you embarrassed to be an America. DC the same way at the time.
scav
@raven: Of course. On many a Quad, usually with rattan but metal for best and / or parade best. Many a No Parking sign lurked behind the shields and the rings for chain mail could be found in plastic baggies, unassembled. Wars between kingdoms were even more impressive.
raven
@scav: Huh, never paid much attention I guess, we was all fucking freaks back then.
Another Halocene Human
@Cassidy: No, you’re right to. I was going to cons when it was about 50/50 male/female but still college kids and up. It rapidly transitioned to much younger children when Cartoon Network started running dubbed anime in a big way. (Of course there were always some kids into Sailor Moon or DBZ or games with their parents, but the 20-something crowd outnumbered them.) I rapidly started to feel like the oldest person there and the culture changed a lot and I quit.
So I don’t recall a lot of fat shaming and there were fat cosplayers but it was more about the costume. It felt like a really low stress escape from real life for me (I guess what Disney feels like to some people) where everybody could be who they were without judgment. And of course that changed. I do remember hearing about who “shouldn’t” cosplay at my last cons. I can only imagine it’s worse now. It’s no longer a secret nerd subculture thing.
I’ve also heard stories about Black cosplayers being told they couldn’t or shouldn’t cosplay as certain characters, which is such bullshit. And I remember even when I was going to the game rooms were testosterone fests. Some of the crowd I was with were hardcore female gamers and they were really pissed off b/c of some of the things said to them. Those rooms also had a rep for being smelly hangouts of anti-social non-bathers. I stayed away.
Another Halocene Human
@Robert: Totally agree with your comment.
raven
@Another Halocene Human: I once took a visiting faculty member from Manchester to a Braves game. He was half way ok with the game but the post-game conversation on the radio was like this thread for me. May as well be Swahili.
Culture of Truth
Does your Mayor Cosplay?
scav
@raven: I’m sorry, the world and interwebs really is too funny. Entirely different period in my life, I was involved peripherally with taking visiting faculty Yoruba-speakers to football-games and trying to explain. (much easier just to choose a side in the world cup and consume do-do, goat and massive amounts of beer.)
raven
@scav: It’s all good.
Robert
Oh, there are jerks who will read you for a bad cosplay on the show floor. That’s when you get to the nearest staffer and let them know what’s up. The fat shamers aren’t too proud when they’re being escorted out of the convention hall for harassing other attendees. I’ve never had it happen to me but I have seen it happen at craftsmanship contests. That’s where they really won’t tolerate it. If you’re not on staff, you’re not critiquing anyone else’s work during a craftsmanship evaluation.
You know your body. You know what you’re comfortable cosplaying in. You don’t have the time to let anyone else talk down to you for doing something you enjoy doing. Just find a character you like that you can perform as for the cameras and have fun.
Joel
So, LARPing.
Cassidy
@Joel: Not exactly.
Anoniminous
@Another Halocene Human:
There was an insane costume and prop maker at the first Science Fiction convention in 1939. Forrey Ackerman, to be precise.
freemark
Funny. VOX, was started and is run by one Markos Moulitos. Otherwise known as the man behind the curtain of the Great Orange Satan.
NotMax
@Another Halocene Human
Costume contests pre-date that considerably.
Wendy Pini, pre-ElfQuest, was a known name in fandom because of her turns in a Red Sonja outfit in the 70s.
Friend of mine and myself were in the costume presentation at the first Star Trek convention (’70? ’71?) in NYC. Our extremely minor claim to fame was being the first ones ever to scan the judges with a tricorder and soberly announce “No signs of intelligent life there, Captain.”
And those were, by far, not the first costume events at fan conventions.