The popularity of comic conventions and cosplays has been steadily rising in the recent years. It includes dressing up as your favourite comic character. People put in a lot of effort in this and look for various unique costumes and it has become more than just a hobby for them. It involves getting the perfect piece and also handcrafting for the required designs. It also shows the devotion of the participants in this regard.
Many events which are organized attract hundreds of thousands of participants and the money this industry generates is huge. It is not just the revenue it creates from the tickets, but participants also spend money on paints, materials and to making their costumes more attractive.
It is debated that whether this rise seen in cosplays is because of the tough economic times the young people are going through as they do not have jobs and want to become someone else without spending a lot of money.
No matter what the numbers are, the creativity of the participants which they show in the events is quite extraordinary and worth praising and it is giving them a creative output. Many of the participants research different materials and their properties and have become a master in those. People who were once novices have now become pretty good in design development and sketching. Cosplaying for many people has become more of a journey in the designing world whether it is SFX makeup, costume design or prop and product design. Cosplay opens a creative door for them and gives them a chance to exhibit their design flair and display artwork.
Many costumes designed in the events are better than you can imagine. The costumes of women however are surrounded by the inevitable controversy that cosplay sexualises their appearance and the media also does not help too. When we look at the real character or the concept and idea behind it, this is when we get the idea of where the inspiration come from.
Many of the participants of the comic conventions or in short, the Comic Con, don’t just want to wear a particular costume but want to be their favourite character for the event. This also brings up the hard work they put into it.
You are definitely mistaken if you think that cosplay is just about wearing a costume to look great. Cosplay is an art and it has grown up into a creative pursuit and a hobby. But more than that, ti is also a way of life for many.
-Noor_White
