crammed into such a small place and yet, everyone around couldn’t be nicer. If you want to see humanity at some of its best, go to a comic convention as see all the dames and kindness that permeates those halls. It’s always incredible to me when people cosplaying their favorite characters meet other people, that they have never met, and form an immediate connection. Or when characters from the same team of heroes meet and take pictures together. Everyone is welcome here, everyone is encouraged to be themselves. When you see a group of Disney princess of all ages, shapes and sizes all pose together, you can’t help but smile.
There is a sort or real, genuine magic that wafts through the convention hall. The Anaheim Convention Center and surrounding area make for great picture-taking opportunities. How often do you, as an adult, get the chance to let your inner child out to live again. The cosplay world allows one to drop the veneer of adulthood that turns many people without an outlet, into bitter curmudgeons. A lot has been made about the cosplay scene over the years; that the people are living crazy fantasies, that they really think they are these characters or even that some mental condition leads them to dress up in public. In reality, the incredible amount of people I have met here at WonderCon, and at other convention have been some of the most stable people I’ve seen. These are people and fans from all walks of life, coming together to have fun. That’s really all there is to it. This activity is fun; from learning to sew and tailor, or dreaming up how elaborate your next outfit will be, cosplay is an expression of self. As I sat, relaxing from hours of being on my feet, I overheard a conversation between two strangers portraying the same character. One person was clearly a serious costlier, with an immense amount of detail put in ( I think the mentioned spending near 100 hours on it in total) talking with someone who credited their outfit over a long weekend only to see if they could. They each stood there sharing ideas, trading tips and showing this honest interest in each others work. One looking up to the other as to where they could be someday, and the other looking back at their own humble beginnings, helping the next generation.