Yaya Han - Yaya Hans World of Cosplay: A Guide to Fandom Costume Culture

Vivid colors and varied shapes entered my vision whenever I turned my head. I stood against a railing on the second level of the Jacob Javits Convention Center, in the heart of New York City, and marveled at the sea of people below, both in costume and out of it. The shuffle of a thousand bodies mixed with countless voices speaking at once. The music blaring from various loudspeakers filled the air with a continuous roar, as if the building itself had come alive.

I picked out a duo of Disney princesses floating in their shimmering pastel gowns, clutching their skirts as if already late to the ball. Loki, Marvel Comics beloved antihero, strutted alongside the dames, his golden horns bobbing. A bright blue backpack hung from his shoulder. The Jansport logo clashed against his green-and-black royal attire. A few steps behind him, a group of Batman villains fought to move forward as attendees pressed them back, begging for photos. The Dark Knight himself appeared and walked right past the pack of scoundrels, preoccupied with securing a lanyard around his rubber cowl. No interest in fighting crime today.

People of all ages and walks of life melted into the endless stream, moving with palpable excitement. Familiar and unfamiliar characters tugged at my memory, turning this people-watching moment into a mental game of geek trivia.

There is only one event that can cause such sensory overload and blur the boundaries of fantasy and reality so seamlessly: New York Comic Con.

It was day three, and I was dressed in a red-and-black ensemblea tight, off-the-shoulder corset with embroidered floral patterns. The garment displayed more cleavage than I would ever feel comfortable showing in everyday situations. Sleek black pants; a short, flowing red cape; and six-inch platform booties completed the outfit. My purple hair was hidden under a voluminous auburn wig, its waves cascading past my shoulders and down my back. A glittering, ruby-red headpiece made entirely of wire and mesh sat atop my head, covered in Swarovski crystals. The jagged edges dripped with long strands of glass beads that perfectly matched my crimson lipstick.

The crowd at New York Comic Con

I was a bona fide superhero: far more beautiful, strong, and confident than I felt in my regular life. I was no longer Yaya, a bookish, vertically challenged Chinese girl who grew up on three continents and often felt out of place. Now I was Wanda Maximoff, better known as the Scarlet Witch: a mutant with the ability to alter reality, the daughter of Magneto, and a member of the Avengers. Thanks to cosplay, I could become whoever I wanted. When I caught my reflection in the tall panes of glass lining the hallway, the Scarlet Witch gazed back at me.

Id re-created Wandas costume a few weeks earlier to be photographed for a variant cover of Marvel Comics Scarlet Witch stand-alone series. I was about to walk into the Marvel Live studio, to talk on air about the Marvel cosplay covers project, now in its second year of running. Though I had already been on the cover of a Marvel comic issue the year before, as Medusa from The Inhumans, it was still difficult for me to believe that a major comic book publisher such as Marvel would hire fanscosplayersto be featured as official characters on their comic book covers. Such a move would have been unfathomable up until recently.

Me as the Scarlet Witch

I felt amazed as I once again reminded myself that cosplay is no longer a niche hobby in the fandom world. There is no shame or stigma attached to it anymore. Cosplay has become a global phenomenon, a lifestyle, and an artistic industry. Cosplay is mainstream.

With one last glance at my superhero attire, I drew in a deep breath and knocked on the door.

Hello, dear reader, and welcome to the world of cosplay!

There is a good chance that you have heard the term cosplay before, either mentioned on a late-night talk show such as Conan or in a viral article about video game character lookalikes. You have probably guessed by now that the term cosplay is an amalgamation of the words costume and play. You may have even skimmed through a disjointed Wikipedia entry about it.

People have lots of assumptions about what cosplay is, but in reality, cosplay is an activity that blends fandom, creativity, and entertainment into a unique phenomenon. The layers and nuances of the craft reach far beyond the frivolous idea of dress-up. Cosplay is a lifestyle and a way of being. I have lived and breathed this life for the past twenty years.

In this book, I will share my personal journey through cosplay and offer a comprehensive look into this complex world. We will explore where cosplay came from and why it is considered a form of fan expression, a creative outlet, a social activity, and even a path to self-discovery. Well also discuss the prestige and pitfalls of cosplay. Finally, well look at the current state of the cosplay industry and where it might be headed in the future.