Geek Is Sheek July 2015 | Page 6

Beginners Guide to Cosplay A fter visiting Colossalcon 2015, here in Ohio, I decided that it’s important to write a short guide with tips and tricks on how to cosplay for conventions, parties, photoshoots, etc. Now, before we begin on how to cosplay, let’s start by learning what it is. Cosplaying is similar to dressing up for Halloween, except it’s a little crazier and a lot more complicated. It is turning yourself into someone else… usually someone from a fictional story or TV show. It means dressing your body and your mind up. It’s an escape, an ability to be someone you’re not… even if it’s just for a day. Now, there are three really basic steps to cosplaying: Choosing a Character, Building your Costume, and Final Details. he first step to cosplaying is choosing a character. A lot of people who cosplay pick some of their favorite characters from books. When I went to Colossalcon this year, I cosplayed as the Cheshire Cat. I picked him because Alice in Wonderland is one of my favorite books and stories, and I’ve always had a magnetism to the Cheshire Cat. Other people pick a character because they already look like that character or have traits resembling that character. Eventually I’ll cosplay as Belle from Beauty and the Beast, because I have long brown hair and I LOVE to read! No matter what reason you have for picking a character, it is incredibly important to choose one that you are familiar with. You definitely do not want to cosplay a character that you know absolutely nothing about. I would never cosplay a character from T Death Note because I’ve only watched the show a couple of times. Always choose a character that you are comfortable mimicking, especially when you pose for pictures or speak for interviews. It is vital to be able to create a feeling that you ARE the character you are portraying! econdly, is creating your costume. This is the hardest, most expensive, and most time consuming part of the cosplay process. It’s frustrating, irritating, it’ll make you want to quit, and throw things. It is absolutely worth it in the end, though. There are two roads you can travel when it comes to acquiring a costume: purchasing or creating. S