Cosplay Deconstructed: Gen Con, Costumes and How to Start
It’s that time of year again!
The end of July brings the start of one of my favorite events held in Indy—Gen Con (July 30 to Aug. 2 this year). Ever since I was young, my parents have driven my sister and I through the streets of downtown to sightsee the massive crowds Gen Con brings in. Among them, Power Rangers talked to Hobbits, Darth Mal snapped pictures with Mario, and Spiderman did backflips with Goku. I loved seeing one Batman (Adam West version) talk to another Batman (Micheal Keaton version) about a different Batman’s outfit (Christian Bale version). To me, Gen Con was not so much about the convention, but more about the amazing costumes I got to see.
Costume creation is no joke; cosplayers often spend thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours perfecting their creation. But even the most experienced cosplayers started out somewhere—and so did the art of cosplay itself.
Photo courtesy of Kashawn Hernandez
The History of Cosplay:
Cosplay can be tracked all the way back to the 1800s, most often appearing in these early years as costume balls or masquerade balls. Notable author Jules Verne (of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea and Journey To The Center Of The Earth fame) threw one of these masquerade balls in the 1870s, and, while it was not required to, many people came dressed as characters from his novels.
However, cosplay didn’t truly find its footing until the 1940s with the first World Science Fiction Convention (WSFC) in New York City. There, dressing up for conventions was born and became a tradition for WSFC. In time, the act of dressing up spread to conventions all across the country and even internationally to Japan. It was in Japan that the word “cosplay” came to be, as a shorting of the worlds “costume” and “play”.
The Construction of Cosplay:
From its conception, cosplay’s roots can be found in sewing, as the earliest cosplays were all handmade. Many cosplayers to this day handmade their outfits at all levels of experience. If you are looking to start your cosplay journey, start with something small. Create what you can and buy what you aren’t able to make yet. Just remember to challenge yourself; there’s no improvement if you don’t try new things!
Don’t sleep on unconventional materials you may have lying around the house either—make Moon Knight out of toilet paper, live out your Master Chief fantasy with cardboard! Cosplays can cost a lot of money, so why not hone your skills with something inexpensive first?
Once you have a jumping off point, you can begin to master your craft, learning skills like how to dye cloth, embellish gems, and follow patterns. If learning to follow a sewing pattern sounds interesting to you, check out our intermediate level sewing class—you’ll learn how to hem, put a zipper on, follow a pattern and work with different textiles. Other cosplay construction tips can be found online, like how to care for and style a wig.
Photo courtesy of Kris Atomic
Gen Con’s Very Own:
If you are looking to put your cosplay skills to the test or need inspiration for your next creation, stop by the Convention Center on Aug. 1 for Gen Con’s fortieth annual costume competition.
The competition has seven categories: fantasy/historical, game characters, pop culture, child (ages 0-13), groups, potluck (a catch-all category), and professional.
Each category will have a grand winner, and three additional awards will be given out at the end of the competition: best in show, staff favorite, and the golden needle. The golden needle is awarded for best overall craftsmanship of a costume!
At Gen Con you’ll find all kinds of creatives: from cosplayers that have sewn their entire outfit to cosplayers that have 3D-printed their entire outfit. Find some inspiration and just create! And if you’re going for the golden needle—good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor.
