COSPLAY

Cosplay: The Beginning

It probably has never crossed your mind to wonder how cosplaying began.  For us, it always has been and always will be.  That’s enough.  But for those of you curious, here’s a little history on the invention of cosplay.

It began in a convention in 1939.  Yes, they had conventions in 1939, even though it does seem like the Dark Ages.  At the World Science Fiction Convention, a con-goer by the name of Forrest J. Ackerman decided that not only did he want to attend, but he wanted to dress up as a futuristic spaceman.  Google him – he’s got his own Wikipedia page.  (He ended up having a career in science fiction as well as an infamous passion for its memorabilia.)  His costume is rather laughable, and only vaguely space-esque, but it sparked the phenomenon that ties us to our sewing machines today.

The term “cosplay” wasn’t actually coined until 1984.  Nobuyuki Takahashi, president of Japan’s Studio Hard, was impressed by the various people dressed up at the Los Angeles Science Fiction Worldcon used the phrase.  It is a combination of the words “costume” and “play.”

Cosplaying as we think of it took off in the 1970s in Japan with the release of Gundam.  The frenzy found American in the 1980s, although most of you will probably want to block out any images from that (80s hairstyles were bad; the cosplaying was worse).  But, in their defense, it was less of an art form and more of a fun experience.  Today, with it so prominent in American anime culture, the talent involved in it as well as the criticism sometimes lashed out has risen significantly.

Since it has grown, various media outlets specifically for cosplay.  Particularly since the internet became widespread, more and more people have delved into the fandom and given it a chance, what with information so readily available to assist them.  With newer technologies, wider community acceptance, and more dedicated cosplayers, it is poised to grow even further in the coming years.

COSPLAY in the PHILIPPINES

        Cosplay is rapidly entering the mainstream in the Philippines, where cosplay events are often held within anime, manga, gaming, or sci-fi conventions. Guidelines made for events are seen to affect the character choices available to cosplayers. While Filipino cosplay rules generally allow fully commissioned costumes to participate in competitions, they also take into account the portrayal of the characters being cosplayed (the "play" aspect). This has led to some debate over what judges are looking for in cosplayers, with some participants complaining of a bias toward female cosplayers who dress up as scantily-clad characters, or a bias in picking some groups over others in terms of costume quality and accuracy in character portrayal.

A new phenomenon in the local scene is "costripping," a word formed from "cosplay-tripping." Cosplayers are said to be engaged in "costripping" whenever they show up in a convention or event where a cosplay contest is held in full costumed regalia, but without signing up to be a part of the said contest. Another way to be involved in "costripping" is to show up in full costume during meet-ups or EBs (eyeballs) where there are no cosplay contests being held.