Quite often, the outside world gives cosplay a weird look. It’s difficult for outsiders to understand adults in costume outside of Halloween. But there is a core, a heart, to cosplay that is beautiful and unique, something that truly hit home this year on the Gold Coast at Supanova.
I met Wolverines, Deadpools, Red Rangers, and Thors. I saw glittery Angels, Pink Mercenaries, Master Jedi, and a father-son Captain America team that was full of cuteness. With so much creativity and imaginations, creators have even taken popular characters and spun them with their own style.
I am constantly in awe of the creators who take on the cosplay challenge, who create works of art that are near inseparable from their fictional counterparts. However, there is something more to the physical needle and thread that these creators so masterly wield.
For me, it’s the joy in seeing children eagerly joining the fray as DC Superhero Girls characters. Seeing strangers squeal with joy over design or spark conversations in actor lines. Discussions, passions, interactions, and talent from far more than the star panels just amazes me.
But what truly reminded me of how amazing this community is was when I met a Rogue cosplayer from X-men: Evolutions.
When I moved from Victoria to Queensland, it was a huge change. I had grown up in one school, had the same friends since prep, and my extended family was never more than ten minutes up the road. Queensland was an adventure, but when I arrived I realised I had to start again. I had my immediate family, but my friends were two states away now. Then, between lonely school days, I found the Xmen: Evolution cartoon. I found Rogue.
It wasn’t until talking with the cosplayer that I realised why I loved the character so much. Rogue was disconnected, her life suddenly moved from Mississippi to Bayville high, and she really struggled to make new friends.
With time, like Rogue, I found my place. I found family with my friends and I grew even closer to my immediate family.
This meet cemented for me why cosplay is such a remarkable addition to our community. It connects strangers through fiction and passions, and, more importantly, through characters.
It’s because of this I want to thank all cosplayers out there, from store bought to months of preparation. You bring to life what many can only dream of and bring so much happiness to nerds like me.
Article by Brittany Howarth
