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115-669: Lucca Comics & Games is an annual comic book and gaming convention in Lucca , Italy, traditionally held at the end of October, in conjunction with All Saints' Day . It is the largest comics festival in Europe , and the second biggest in the world after the Comiket . The Salone Internazionale del Comics ("International Congress of Comics") was launched by a Franco-Italian partnership, consisting of Italians Rinaldo Traini and Romano Calisi and Frenchman Claude Moliterni  [ fr ] (forming

230-430: A blend word of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character . Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture , and a broader use of the term "cosplay" applies to any costumed role-playing in venues apart from the stage. Any entity that lends itself to dramatic interpretation may be taken up as

345-529: A comic book convention was at the 1st Academy Con held at Broadway Central Hotel in New York in August 1965. Roy Thomas , future editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics but then just transitioning from a fanzine editor to a professional comic book writer, attended in a Plastic Man costume. The first Masquerade Ball held at San Diego Comic-Con was in 1974 during the convention's 6th event. Voice actress June Foray

460-537: A "major offensive against Reed Exhibitions ' New York Comic Con ," Wizard scheduled "three East Coast shows in a row — the New England Comic-Con in Boston on October 1-3, Big Apple the same weekend, and the new New Jersey Comic-Con the weekend after, on October 15-17." This was the beginning of what came to be known as the "Con Wars": in fact, Wizard originally scheduled the 2010 Big Apple Comic Con for October 7–10,

575-502: A Bar Senestro costume (from the novel The Blind Spot by Austin Hall and Homer Eon Flint ). Other costumed attendees included guest of honor E. E. Smith as Northwest Smith (from C. L. Moore 's series of short stories) and both Ackerman and Douglas wearing their futuristicostumes again. Masquerades and costume balls continued to be part of World Science Fiction Convention tradition thereafter. Early Worldcon masquerade balls featured

690-531: A UK convention, and Star Trek Las Vegas , a US convention. In different comic fairs, "Thematic Areas" are set up where cosplayers can take photos in an environment that follows that of the game or animation product from which they are taken. Sometimes the cosplayers are part of the area, playing the role of staff with the task of entertaining the other visitors. Some examples are the thematic areas dedicated to Star Wars or to Fallout. The areas are set up by not for profit associations of fans, but in some major fairs it

805-431: A band, dancing, food and drinks. Contestants either walked across a stage or a cleared area of the dance floor. Ackerman wore a "Hunchbackerman of Notre Dame" costume to the 3rd Worldcon (1941), which included a mask designed and created by Ray Harryhausen , but soon stopped wearing costumes to conventions. Douglas wore an Akka costume (from A. Merritt 's novel The Moon Pool ), the mask again made by Harryhausen, to

920-621: A convention run by the Academy of Comic-Book Fans and Collectors , the Alley Awards were presented at all three Academy Cons. The 1965 Academy Con also featured one of the first recorded "superhero masquerades", or costume contests. 1965 also saw the genesis of what became the annual Italian comic book convention Lucca Comics & Games . Rinaldo Traini and Romano Calisi (forming the International Congress of Cartoonists and Animators) held

1035-535: A convention were science fiction fans Forrest J Ackerman and Myrtle R. Douglas, known in fandom as Morojo . They attended the 1939 1st World Science Fiction Convention (Nycon or 1st Worldcon ) in the Caravan Hall, New York, US dressed in "futuristicostumes", including green cape and breeches, based on the pulp magazine artwork of Frank R. Paul and the 1936 film Things to Come , designed and created by Douglas. Ackerman later stated that he thought everyone

1150-625: A dealer room, and film showings.) In addition, an unnamed convention held May 24, 1964, in the Hotel Tuller , Detroit, Michigan, was organized by teenagers Robert Brusch and Dave Szurek, with assistance from Bails and members of the Michigan Science Fiction Society. This gathering featured about 80 fans of the comic book medium. The first recorded "official" comic book convention occurred in 1964 in New York City. Known as

1265-597: A fan event in Japan was at Ashinocon (1978), in Hakone , at which future science fiction critic Mari Kotani wore a costume based on the cover art for Edgar Rice Burroughs ' novel A Fighting Man of Mars . In an interview Kotani states that there were about twenty costumed attendees at the convention's costume party—made up of members of her Triton of the Sea fan club and Kansai Entertainers ( 関西芸人 , Kansai Geinin ) , antecedent of

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1380-702: A feature of the Carnival season in the 15th century, and involved increasingly elaborate allegorical Royal Entries , pageants, and triumphal processions celebrating marriages and other dynastic events of late medieval court life. They were extended into costumed public festivities in Italy during the 16th century Renaissance , generally elaborate dances held for members of the upper classes, which were particularly popular in Venice . In April 1877, Jules Verne sent out almost 700 invitations for an elaborate costume ball, where several of

1495-656: A fusion of different genres (e.g., a steampunk version of a character), and it is a part of the ethos of cosplay that anybody can be anything, as with genderbending , crossplay , or drag , a cosplayer playing a character of another ethnicity, or a hijabi portraying Captain America . Cosplayers obtain their apparel through many different methods. Manufacturers produce and sell packaged outfits for use in cosplay, with varying levels of quality. These costumes are often sold online, but also can be purchased from dealers at conventions. Japanese manufacturers of cosplay costumes reported

1610-412: A holiday event. As such, when in costume, some cosplayers often seek to adopt the affect, mannerisms, and body language of the characters they portray (with "out of character" breaks). The characters chosen to be cosplayed may be sourced from any movie, TV series, book, comic book, video game, music band, anime, or manga. Some cosplayers even choose to cosplay an original character of their own design or

1725-566: A keynote speech by Kirby, a discussion about censorship between Don Thompson and Comics Code Authority acting administrator Leonard Darvin, a panel about the Golden Age of Comics , and one on the "so-called 'Forgotten '50s", particularly EC Comics . Bhob Stewart, on a panel with Archie Goodwin and Ted White, predicted that there would soon be " underground comics " just as there were already " underground films ". That same summer (August 12–14) in New York, Dave Kaler produced Academy Con II at

1840-581: A literal call by one Herbert Tibbits for what would today be described as "cosplayers" was advertised for an event held from 5–10 March that year at the Royal Albert Hall in London, for the so-named Vril-Ya Bazaar and Fete based on a science fiction novel and its characters, published two decades earlier. A.D. Condo 's science fiction comic strip character Mr. Skygack, from Mars (a Martian ethnographer who comically misunderstands many Earthly affairs)

1955-547: A movement started in 2013 by Rochelle Keyhan, Erin Filson, and Anna Kegler, brought attention to the issue of sexual harassment in the convention attending cosplay community. Harassment of cosplayers include photography without permission, verbal abuse, touching, and groping. Harassment is not limited to women in provocative outfits as male cosplayers talked about being bullied for not fitting certain costume and characters. Starting in 2014, New York Comic Con placed large signs at

2070-653: A new convention, Gateway Con, was inaugurated in St. Louis . In 1968, two important conventions had their start. Taking over for the Academy Con, Brooklyn native and school teacher Phil Seuling hosted the International Convention of Comic Book Art at the Statler Hilton Hotel in New York City on July 4–7. The guests of honor were Stan Lee and Burne Hogarth This annual convention, which later became known as

2185-435: A non-speaking role in her first student film, Zyzak is King (1980), and later photographing her for the cover of the first issue of Femme Fatales (1992). Stevens attributes these events to launching her acting career. As early as a year after the 1975 release of The Rocky Horror Picture Show , audience members began dressing as characters from the movie and role-playing (although the initial incentive for dressing-up

2300-544: A not-for-profit basis, though nowadays most events catering to fans are managed by commercial interests for profit. Many conventions have award presentations relating to comics (such as the Eisner Awards , which have been presented at San Diego Comic-Con since 1988; or the Harvey Awards , which have been presented at a variety of venues also since 1988). At commercial events, comic book creators often sign autographs for

2415-648: A number of categories" in a manner similar to the Oscars . The first Alley Awards, given for the calendar year 1961, were reported in Alter Ego No. 4 (Oct. 1962). On March 21–22, 1964, the first annual "Alley Tally" by ACBFC members was organized by Bails at his house in Detroit, with the purpose of counting "the Alley Award ballots for 1963". This became notable in retrospect as the first major gathering of comics fans, predating

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2530-525: A number of small conventions were organized during the mid-1990s that emphasized comics, particularly those not published by the big mainstream companies DC Comics and Marvel Comics . Many of these "indy cons" were inspired by Cerebus creator Dave Sim . In 1992, Sim partnered with Great Eastern Conventions in promoting small conventions in more than 20 U.S. locations, including Indiana, Oregon, Texas, as well as in South Florida. And in 1995, Sim toured

2645-669: A problem for women who cosplay, as is " slut-shaming ". Animegao kigurumi players, a niche group in the realm of cosplay, are often male cosplayers who use zentai and stylized masks to represent female anime characters. These cosplayers completely hide their real features so the original appearance of their characters may be reproduced as literally as possible, and to display all the abstractions and stylizations such as oversized eyes and tiny mouths often seen in Japanese cartoon art. This does not mean that only males perform animegao or that masks are only female. "Cosplay Is Not Consent",

2760-516: A profit of 35 billion yen in 2008. A number of individuals also work on commission, creating custom costumes, props , or wigs designed and fitted to the individual. Other cosplayers, who prefer to create their own costumes, still provide a market for individual elements, and various raw materials , such as unstyled wigs , hair dye, cloth and sewing notions, liquid latex , body paint , costume jewelry , and prop weapons. Cosplay represents an act of embodiment . Cosplay has been closely linked to

2875-415: A prop weapon, sew their own clothing, buy character jewelry from a cosplay accessory manufacturer, or buy a pair of off-the-rack shoes, and modify them to match the desired look. Cosplay may be presented in a number of ways and places. A subset of cosplay culture is centered on sex appeal , with cosplayers specifically choosing characters known for their attractiveness or revealing costumes. However, wearing

2990-469: A revealing costume can be a sensitive issue while appearing in public. People appearing naked at American science fiction fandom conventions during the 1970s were so common, a "no costume is no costume" rule was introduced. Some conventions throughout the United States, such as Phoenix Comicon (now known as Phoenix Fan Fusion ) and Penny Arcade Expo , have also issued rules upon which they reserve

3105-438: A screen overhead. Other contestants may simply choose to pose as their characters. Often, contestants are briefly interviewed on stage by a master of ceremonies . The audience is given a chance to take photos of the cosplayers. Cosplayers may compete solo or in a group. Awards are presented, and these awards may vary greatly. Generally, a best cosplayer award, a best group award, and runner-up prizes are given. Awards may also go to

3220-548: A special mention was awarded in an emotional moment to Mahasen Al-Khateeb , Palestinan illustrator and character designer killed in an Israeli bombardment in her home town of Gaza . From 2006. Comic book convention A comic book convention or comic con is a fan convention emphasizing comic books and comic book culture, in which comic book fans gather to meet creators, experts, and each other. Commonly, comic conventions are multi-day events hosted at convention centers, hotels, or college campuses. They feature

3335-513: A subject. Favorite sources include anime , cartoons , comic books , manga , television series , rock music performances , video games and in some cases, original characters. Cosplay grew out of the practice of fan costuming at science fiction conventions , beginning with Morojo 's "futuristicostumes" created for the 1st World Science Fiction Convention held in New York City in 1939. The Japanese term "cosplay" ( コスプレ , kosupure )

3450-577: A weekend attendance of more than 58,000 people. In 2002, Wizard produced "Wizard World East" in Philadelphia, a still-ongoing show (now known as "FanExpo Philadelphia"). The company added ongoing shows in Texas in 2003, Los Angeles in 2004, and Boston in 2005. In 2007–2008, Wizard held conventions in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago , and Texas. Beginning in 2009, Wizard made a concerted push to dominate

3565-431: A well-recognized figure both within and outside cosplay circuits". Jessica Nigri , used her recognition in cosplay to gain other opportunities such as voice acting and her own documentary on Rooster Teeth . Liz Katz used her fanbase to take her cosplay from a hobby to a successful business venture, sparking debate through the cosplay community whether cosplayers should be allowed to fund and profit from their work. In

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3680-464: A wide variety of activities and panels, with a larger number of attendees participating with cosplay than for most other types of fan conventions . Comic book conventions are also used as a method by which publishers, distributors, and retailers represent their comic-related releases. Comic book conventions may be considered derivatives of science-fiction conventions , which began during the late 1930s. Comic-cons were traditionally organized by fans on

3795-477: Is arguably the first fictional character that people emulated by wearing costumes, as in 1908 Mr. and Mrs. William Fell of Cincinnati, Ohio , are reported to have attended a masquerade at a skating rink wearing Mr. Skygack and Miss Dillpickles costumes. Later, in 1910, an unnamed woman won first prize at masquerade ball in Tacoma, Washington , wearing another Skygack costume. The first people to wear costumes to attend

3910-505: Is perceived to be. Authenticity is measured by a cosplayer's individual ability to translate on-screen manifestation to the cosplay itself. Some have argued that cosplay can never be a true representation of the character; instead, it can only be read through the body, and that true embodiment of a character is judged based on nearness to the original character form. Cosplaying can also help some of those with self-esteem problems. Many cosplayers create their own outfits, referencing images of

4025-670: Is possible to visit areas set up directly by the developers of the video games or the producers of the anime. The appearance of cosplayers at public events makes them a popular draw for photographers. As this became apparent in the late 1980s, a new variant of cosplay developed in which cosplayers attended events mainly for the purpose of modeling their characters for still photography rather than engaging in continuous role play. Rules of etiquette were developed to minimize awkward situations involving boundaries. Cosplayers pose for photographers and photographers do not press them for personal contact information or private sessions, follow them out of

4140-493: Is very popular among all genders, and it is not unusual to see crossplay , also referred to as gender-bending. The term "cosplay" is a Japanese blend word of the English terms costume and play. The term was coined by Nobuyuki Takahashi  [ ja ] of Studio Hard after he attended the 1984 World Science Fiction Convention ( Worldcon ) in Los Angeles and saw costumed fans, which he later wrote about in an article for

4255-919: The Alternative Press Expo (APE), which debuted in San Jose, California, in 1994; and the Small Press Expo (SPX), which premiered in Bethesda, Maryland in 1994. Wizard Entertainment purchased the Chicago Comicon in 1997 to expand from its core publishing business into trade/consumer conventions. The renamed "Wizard World Chicago" was the template for a new kind of convention that shifted its emphasis from actual comic books to ancillary elements of popular culture fandom: celebrity performers, movies, television, video games, and toys – "comic conventions" almost in name only. By 2006, Wizard World Chicago boasted

4370-847: The Comic Art Convention (CAC), hosted the presentation of the Alley Awards from 1968 to 1970. CAC ran annually (occasionally in Philadelphia ) over Independence Day weekend, until 1983. In England, Phil Clarke produced Comicon '68 (British Comic Art Convention) at the Midland Hotel, Birmingham , from August 30 to September 2, 1968. "Member"-guests include Alan Moore , Paul Neary , Jim Baikie , Steve Moore , and Nick Landau ; there were 70 attendees. The British Comicon ran annually, variously in Birmingham, London, and Sheffield , until 1981. Comic book conventions increased dramatically during

4485-565: The Gainax anime studio—with most attendees in ordinary clothing. One of the Kansai group, an unnamed friend of Yasuhiro Takeda , wore an impromptu Tusken Raider costume (from the film Star Wars ) made from one of the host-hotel's rolls of toilet paper. Costume contests became a permanent part of the Nihon SF Taikai conventions from Tokon VII in 1980. Possibly the first costume contest held at

4600-618: The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center . (The 1995 show was the last comic book convention held at the Javits Center until the New York Comic Con in 2006.) Great Eastern also ran shows in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Oregon, Minnesota, Texas, and South Florida. Despite their large fan attendance and expansive venues, however, Great Eastern's large shows were criticized by many within

4715-460: The New York Coliseum on 59th St. & Columbus Circle. As a substitute event, comic book retailer Michael Carbonaro and others quickly organized the first Big Apple Comic Con , now a long-running show. Greenberg and Great Eastern Conventions disappeared from the fan convention circuit from that time. In response to the big conventions' shifting of emphasis away from comic books themselves,

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4830-601: The New Yorker Hotel , in New York City. The guest of honor was Jim Steranko . From that time until the late 1980s, Creation Entertainment continued producing large annual conventions in New York City, usually occurring the weekend after Thanksgiving. A popular venue for the Thanksgiving cons was the Statler Hilton Hotel . In the mid-1970s, attendance at the New York Creation conventions averaged around 5,000 fans;

4945-994: The Salone Internazionale del Comics ("International Congress of Comics") in Bordighera . In 1966, it was relocated to a small piazza in the center of Lucca , and has grown in size and importance over the years. In 1966, comic book conventions continued to evolve and expand, The July 23–24 New York Comicon (not to be confused with the later New York Comic Con ) was held at the Park Sheraton Hotel, in New York. Produced by John Benson, guests included Jack Kirby , Jim Steranko , Otto Binder , Len Brown , Larry Ivie , Jack Binder , Roy Thomas , Gil Kane , Archie Goodwin , Bhob Stewart , Klaus Nordling , Sal Trapani , Rocke Mastroserio , and Ted White . (There were four women in attendance: Pat Lupoff , Lee Hoffman , Flo Steinberg , and Maggie Thompson .) Featured events included

5060-519: The University of London Union . Guests included such U.K. stars as Steve Bissette , Bill Sienkiewicz , Dave Sim , Marv Wolfman , Brian Bolland , John Bolton , Eddie Campbell , Alan Davis , Hunt Emerson , Brett Ewins , Dave Gibbons , Ian Gibson , Denis Gifford , Alan Grant , Garry Leach , David Lloyd , Mike McMahon , Alan Moore , Steve Moore , Paul Neary , Kevin O'Neill , Ron Smith , Dez Skinn , Bryan Talbot , and John Wagner . Admission

5175-407: The presentation of self , yet cosplayers' ability to perform is limited by their physical features. The accuracy of a cosplay is judged based on the ability to accurately represent a character through the body, and individual cosplayers frequently are faced by their own "bodily limits" such as level of attractiveness, body size, and disability that often restrict and confine how accurate the cosplay

5290-506: The "New York Comicon", it was held July 24, 1964, at the Workman's Circle Building. A one-day convention organized by 16-year-old Bernie Bubnis and fellow enthusiast Ron Fradkin, official guests of the Tri-State Con included Steve Ditko , Flo Steinberg , and Tom Gill . Reports were of over 100 attendees. A 16-year-old George R. R. Martin attended the convention and claimed to be

5405-536: The 1970s, with many of the largest conventions of the modern era being established during the decade. During the early 1970s, conventions were initiated in almost every major American city (and some minor ones), as well as in London, with Comic Mart , a bimonthly trade show which ran regularly until the mid-1980s. Comic book creators, editors, and publishers began to make it part of their routine to attend conventions as official guests. Major comics-related news events were often revealed at annual conventions: examples include

5520-418: The 1980s and started to fall thereafter. This trend was reversed when the concept of cosplay was re-imported from Japan. Cosplay costumes vary greatly and can range from simple themed clothing to highly detailed costumes. It is generally considered different from Halloween and Mardi Gras costume wear, as the intention is to replicate a specific character, rather than to reflect the culture and symbolism of

5635-495: The 1st Cytricon (1955), in Kettering , wearing costumes and continued to do so in subsequent years. The 15th Worldcon (1957) brought the first official convention masquerade to the UK. The 1960 Eastercon in London may have been the first British-based convention to hold an official fancy dress party as part of its programme. The joint winners were Ethel Lindsay and Ina Shorrock as two of

5750-411: The 3rd Worldcon and a Snake Mother costume (another Merritt costume, from The Snake Mother ) to the 4th Worldcon (1946). Terminology was yet unsettled; the 1944 edition of Jack Speer 's Fancyclopedia used the term costume party . Rules governing costumes became established in response to specific costumes and costuming trends. The first nude contestant at a Worldcon masquerade was in 1952; but

5865-638: The City Squire Inn. Meanwhile, also in 1966, the first Southwesterncon was held in Dallas, Texas . Organized by Larry Herndon (of the fanzine Star Studded Comics ), the official guest was Dave Kaler; about 70 attendees participated. Later Southwesterncons rotated between Houston (" Houstoncon ") and Dallas ("D-Con"), adding Oklahoma City ("Multicon") to the mix in 1970. The Southwesterncon partnership lasted roughly until 1971, with Houstoncon, D-Con, and Multicon continuing separately until 1982. In 1966,

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5980-403: The International Congress of Cartoonists and Animators) in 1965 in Bordighera . In 1966, it moved to a small piazza in the center of Lucca, and grew in size and importance over the years. Funding issues reduced the frequency of the festival to every two years, beginning in 1977. In the 1980s, the festival was moved to a sports center outside the city walls, where it remained until 1992, when it

6095-494: The International Superman Expo. Held June 16–19, official guests include Curt Swan , Jerry Ordway , George Pérez , Marv Wolfman , and Julius Schwartz . By the end of the 1980s, comic book conventions were evolving into sprawling affairs that promoted movies, television shows, celebrity performers, video games, toys, and cosplay as much as (if not more than) comic books. Many historians date this shift to

6210-592: The Japanese magazine My Anime  [ ja ] . Takahashi decided to coin a new word rather than use the existing translation of the English term "masquerade" because that translates into Japanese as " an aristocratic costume party ", which did not match his experience of the Worldcon. The coinage reflects a common Japanese method of abbreviation in which the first two moras of a pair of words are used to form an independent compound: 'costume' becomes kosu (コス) and 'play' becomes pure (プレ). Masquerade balls were

6325-679: The Nordic Cosplay Championship (finals taking place at NärCon in Linköping , Sweden). This table contains a list of the most common cosplay competition judging criteria, as seen from World Cosplay Summit, Cyprus Comic Con , and ReplayFX. Portraying a character of the opposite sex is called crossplay . The practicality of crossplay and cross-dress stems in part from the abundance in manga of male characters with delicate and somewhat androgynous features. Such characters, known as bishōnen (lit. "pretty boy"), are Asian equivalent of

6440-702: The North American convention circuit. The company began by starting new shows in various cities, and then by acquiring existing conventions, such as New York City's longest-running multigenre popular culture convention, the Big Apple Convention , and the Paradise Comics Toronto Comicon . Wizard's 2010 "North American Comic Con" tour included shows in Toronto , Anaheim, Philadelphia, Chicago , New York City , Austin, and Boston. As part of

6555-593: The Philippines and EOY Cosplay Festival in Singapore. The single largest event featuring cosplay is the semiannual doujinshi market, Comic Market ( Comiket ), held in Japan during summer and winter. Comiket attracts hundreds of thousands of manga and anime fans, where thousands of cosplayers congregate on the roof of the exhibition center. In North America, the highest-attended fan conventions featuring cosplayers are San Diego Comic-Con and New York Comic Con held in

6670-585: The Pick-Congress Hotel, was the first Chicago-area comics and collectibles convention. Produced by Nancy Warner, the show had about 2,000 attendees. That show evolved into the Chicago Comicon (now known as Fan Expo Chicago ), and has been known to attract as many as 70,000 attendees annually. The Angoulême International Comics Festival debuted in Angoulême, France, in January 1974. 10,000 attendees made it

6785-589: The Pierremont Plaza Hotel, in Atlanta, Georgia. Official guests were Michael Moorcock (his first convention appearance in twelve years), Robert Asprin , Lynn Abbey , Robert Adams , Richard "Lord British" Garriott , Gary Gygax , and Toastmaster Brad Strickland ; and there were 1,400 attendees. In 1988, in commemoration of Superman 's 50th anniversary, the Cleveland Convention Center hosted

6900-737: The United States, and the anime-specific Anime North in Toronto, Otakon held in Washington, D.C. and Anime Expo held in Los Angeles. Europe's largest event is Japan Expo held in Paris, while the London MCM Expo and the London Super Comic Convention are the most notable in the UK. Supanova Pop Culture Expo is Australia's biggest event. Star Trek conventions have featured cosplay for many decades. These include Destination Star Trek ,

7015-454: The admission was around $ 5/day. The 1971 Comic Art Convention (held July 2–4 at the Statler Hilton Hotel , New York City) was notable for being the convention credited by Will Eisner for his return to comics: I came back into the field because of [convention organizer Phil Seuling ]. I remember [him] calling me in New London, [Connecticut] , where I was sitting there as chairman of

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7130-427: The area, or take photos without permission. The rules allow the collaborative relationship between photographers and cosplayers to continue with the least inconvenience to each other. Some cosplayers choose to have a professional photographer take high quality images of them in their costumes posing as the character. Cosplayers and photographers frequently exhibit their work online and sometimes sell their images. As

7245-632: The best skit and a number of cosplay skill subcategories, such as master tailor, master weapon-maker, master armorer, and so forth. The most well-known cosplay contest event is the World Cosplay Summit , selecting cosplayers from 40 countries to compete in the final round in Nagoya , Japan. Some other international events include European Cosplay Gathering (finals taking place at Japan Expo in Paris), EuroCosplay (finals taking place at London MCM Comic Con), and

7360-414: The biggest shows include a large range of popular culture and entertainment elements of virtually all genres, including horror, animation, anime , manga , toys, collectible card games , video games , webcomics , and fantasy novels. San Diego Comic-Con , a multigenre entertainment and comic convention held annually in San Diego since 1970, is the best known of U.S. comic-cons. According to Forbes ,

7475-463: The board of Croft Publishing Co. My secretary said, 'There's a Mr. Seuling on the phone and he's talking about a comics convention. What is that?' She said, 'I didn't know you were a cartoonist , Mr. Eisner.' 'Oh, yes,' I said, 'secretly; I'm a closet cartoonist.' I came down and was stunned at the existence of the whole world. ... That was a world that I had left, and I found it very exciting, very stimulating". Nostalgia '72, held July 22–23, 1972, at

7590-493: The characters in the process. In the creation of the outfits, much time is given to detail and qualities, thus the skill of a cosplayer may be measured by how difficult the details of the outfit are and how well they have been replicated. Because of the difficulty of replicating some details and materials, cosplayers often educate themselves in crafting specialties such as textiles , sculpture , face paint , fiberglass , fashion design , woodworking , and other uses of materials in

7705-448: The characters they are portraying, cosplayers might also engage in various forms of body modification . Cosplayers may opt to change their skin color utilizing make-up to more simulate the race of the character they are adopting. Contact lenses that match the color of their character's eyes are a common form of this, especially in the case of characters with particularly unique eyes as part of their trademark look. Contact lenses that make

7820-575: The community have been attributed to the lack of representation in the industry and in media. Issues such as blackface , brownface , and yellowface are still controversial since a large part of the cosplay community see these as separate problems, or simply an acceptable part of cosplay. Cosplay has influenced the advertising industry, in which cosplayers are often used for event work previously assigned to agency models. Some cosplayers have thus transformed their hobby into profitable, professional careers. Japan's entertainment industry has been home to

7935-506: The company was the main producer of comic book conventions nationwide. For instance, in 1986, Creation produced large-scale comics conventions in at least six cities, including Philadelphia, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and New Brunswick, New Jersey. (The New York show featured a special tribute to Marvel Comics ' 25th anniversary; guests included Stan Lee and Jim Shooter .) During this time, Creation branched out from comics and began producing conventions for

8050-489: The competition). Another costume that instigated a rule change was an attendee at the 20th Worldcon (1962) whose blaster prop fired a jet of real flame; which led to fire being banned. At the 30th WorldCon (1972), artist Scott Shaw wore a costume composed largely of peanut butter to represent his own underground comix character called "The Turd". The peanut butter rubbed off, doing damage to soft furnishings and other peoples' costumes, and then began to go rancid under

8165-424: The convention business worldwide. Most 2020 conventions scheduled for after mid-March of that year were canceled, and many were displayed online only in 2021. Wizard World had only six in-person conventions in 2021, and that August the company announced it would be selling the convention events business to FanExpo , with the final Wizard World Chicago show occurring in October. Cosplay Cosplay ,

8280-596: The convention is the "largest convention of its kind in the world"; and is also the largest convention held in San Diego. According to the San Diego Convention and Visitor's Bureau, the convention has an annual regional economic effect of $ 162.8 million, with a $ 180 million economic impact in 2011. However, in 2017, SDCC lost its record of the largest annual multigenre convention to São Paulo 's Comic Con Experience (first held in 2014). Internationally,

8395-430: The cosplay community. As cosplay has entered more mainstream media, ethnicity becomes a controversial point. Cosplayers of different skin color than the character are often ridiculed for not being 'accurate' or 'faithful'. Many cosplayers feel as if anyone can cosplay any character, but it becomes complicated when cosplayers are not respectful of the character's ethnicity. These views against non-white cosplayers within

8510-672: The country in a self-styled nine-stop "Spirits of Independence" tour. The antecedent to these new "comic festivals" may have been Berkeleycon 73, held April 20–22, 1973, at the Pauley Ballroom, ASUC Building, University of California, Berkeley . Berkeleycon was the first convention devoted to underground comix (which had their unofficial mecca in the San Francisco Bay Area ). The first exclusively small press conventions were CAPTION , which debuted in Oxford, England, in 1992;

8625-417: The desired hairstyle. It is also commonplace for them to shave off their eyebrows to gain a more accurate look. Some anime and video game characters have weapons or other accessories that are hard to replicate, and conventions have strict rules regarding those weapons, but most cosplayers engage in some combination of methods to obtain all the items necessary for their costumes; for example, they may commission

8740-525: The earliest comic book conventions, which were held later in the year. Attendees included Ronn Foss, Don Glut, Don and Maggie Thompson , Mike Vosburg , and Grass Green . Comics historian Bill Schelly notes that the Alley Tally and "even larger fan meetings in Chicago ... helped build momentum" for these earliest conventions. (The Chicago gathering occurred May 9–10, 1964; it featured "several dozen" attendees,

8855-464: The effort to render the look and texture of a costume accurately. Cosplayers often wear wigs in conjunction with their outfit to further improve the resemblance to the character. This is especially necessary for anime and manga or video-game characters who often have unnaturally colored and uniquely styled hair. Simpler outfits may be compensated for their lack of complexity by paying attention to material choice and overall high quality. To look more like

8970-551: The elfin boy archetype represented in Western tradition by figures such as Peter Pan and Ariel . Male to female cosplayers may experience issues when trying to portray a female character because it is hard to maintain the sexualized femininity of a character. Male cosplayers may also be subjected to discrimination, including homophobic comments and being touched without permission. This affects men possibly even more often than it affects women, despite inappropriate contact already being

9085-406: The entertainment behemoth was deliberately trying to cause its competitors to fail. However, many praised Wizard's professional and standardized method of producing conventions. In 2015, however, Wizard lost $ 4.25 million in revenue and cut back from 25 to 19 convention events in 2016. By 2018, the company was producing thirteen annual conventions around the U.S. The COVID-19 pandemic harmed

9200-448: The entrance stating that "Cosplay is Not Consent". Attendees were reminded to ask permission for photos and respect the person's right to say no. The movement against sexual harassment against cosplayers has continued to gain momentum and awareness since being publicized. Traditional mainstream news media like The Mercury News and Los Angeles Times have reported on the topic, bringing awareness of sexual harassment to those outside of

9315-503: The exact same dates as the previously scheduled 2010 New York Comic Con. After a public outcry, Wizard moved the dates of its 2010 New York convention to October 1–3. (Ultimately, the "Wizard World New York Experience" conventions were not successful; the company omitted New York entirely in 2012 and gave up the New York market after 2013.) In 2013, Wizard produced conventions in 13 cities, expanding to 20 in 2014. This increase of Wizard-produced conventions resulted in accusations that

9430-438: The fans, sometimes in exchange for a fixed appearance fee, and may sometimes draw illustrations for a per-item fee. Commercial conventions are usually quite expensive and are hosted in hotels. This represents a change for comic book conventions, which were traditionally more oriented toward comic books as a mode of literature, and maintained less differentiation between professional and fan. The first official comic book convention

9545-464: The festival redubbed itself "Lucca Changes" amidst a shift to virtual programming during the COVID-19 pandemic , the awards shifted to a new system under the umbrella term Lucca Comics Awards , consisting of nine categories (three Yellow Kids, five Gran Guinigis, and one Stefano Beani Award named for a former festival director), "regardless of nationality, editorial format or distribution method". In 2024,

9660-766: The first permanent establishment, Cure Maid Café, which opened in March 2001. The first World Cosplay Summit was held on 12 October 2003 at the Rose Court Hotel in Nagoya, Japan, with five cosplayers invited from Germany, France and Italy. There was no contest until 2005, when the World Cosplay Championship began. The first winners were the Italian team of Giorgia Vecchini  [ it ] , Francesca Dani and Emilia Fata Livia. Worldcon masquerade attendance peaked in

9775-571: The first person who signed up for the event. Continuing the momentum from the previous year, Bails, Shel Dorf , and the members of the Michigan Science Fiction Society formed the "organizing committee" of the multigenre convention Detroit Triple Fan Fair (DTFF), which was held July 24–25, 1965 at the Embassy Hotel, in Detroit, Michigan. The DTTF was held annually in Detroit until 1978. Meanwhile, in New York City, teacher/comics enthusiast Dave Kaler had taken over as ACBFC Executive Secretary;

9890-807: The first time, the 2024 edition will see the poster of the fair designed by the famous Japanese artist Yoshitaka Amano , the illustrator of the Final Fantasy series . The three event posters created by Yoshitaka Amano are inspired by the works of Giacomo Puccini , the centenary of whose death occurs this year. From 1970 to 1992, the festival presented the Yellow Kid Award — named in honor of Richard F. Outcault 's seminal comic strip character The Yellow Kid — in such categories as Best Cartoonist, Best Illustrator, Best Newcomer, Best Foreign Artist, and Lifetime Achievement. Yellow Kid Awards were also presented to publishers, both domestic and foreign. Before taking on

10005-415: The flesh, in much the same way that film actors come to be identified in the public mind with specific roles. Cosplayers have modeled for print magazines like Cosmode and a successful cosplay model can become the brand ambassador for companies like Cospa . Some cosplay models can achieve significant recognition. While there are many significant cosplay models, Yaya Han was described as having emerged "as

10120-465: The genres of horror and science fiction; it was known particularly for its Doctor Who conventions. After 1988, the company stopped producing comic book conventions to emphasize its other, more profitable, fan conventions. Both the Heroes Convention and the multigenre Dallas Fantasy Fair debuted in 1982. HeroesCon is one of the largest independent comic book conventions still operating; during

10235-657: The guests showed up dressed as characters from Verne's novels. Costume parties (American English) or fancy dress parties (British English) were popular from the 19th century onwards. Costuming guides of the period, such as Samuel Miller's Male Character Costumes (1884) or Ardern Holt's Fancy Dresses Described (1887), feature mostly generic costumes, whether that be period costumes, national costumes, objects or abstract concepts such as "Autumn" or "Night". Most specific costumes described therein are for historical figures although some are sourced from fiction, like The Three Musketeers or Shakespeare characters. By March 1891,

10350-653: The heat of the lighting. Food, odious, and messy substances were banned as costume elements after that event. Costuming spread with the science fiction conventions and the interaction of fandom . The earliest known instance of costuming at a convention in the United Kingdom was at the London Science Fiction Convention (1953) but this was only as part of a play. However, members of the Liverpool Science Fantasy Society attended

10465-435: The height of this trend was in the 1970s and early 1980s, with a few every year. This eventually led to "No Costume is No Costume" rule, which banned full nudity, although partial nudity was still allowed as long as it was a legitimate representation of the character. Mike Resnick describes the best of the nude costumes as Kris Lundi wearing a harpy costume to the 32nd Worldcon (1974) (she received an honorable mention in

10580-607: The heyday of the Dallas Fantasy Fair, it was one of the largest comics conventions in the country, third in attendance behind San Diego Comic-Con and the Chicago Comicon. (The Dallas Fantasy Fair went defunct in 1995.) Comic book conventions spread to Canada and Switzerland in 1985; also debuting that year was the United Kingdom Comic Art Convention (UKCAC), first held September 21–22, 1985, at

10695-410: The industry for pandering to dealers and spectacle. As frequent participant Evan Dorkin stated, "The New York shows are extremely unfriendly to both creators and fans. ... There is limited programming, limited professional appearances at these shows." In March 1996, Great Eastern, at a very late time, cancelled what had been advertised as a larger-than-usual New York show, scheduled to be held at

10810-535: The late 1990s. A temporary maid café was set up at the Tokyo Character Collection event in August 1998 to promote the video game Welcome to Pia Carrot 2 (1997). An occasional Pia Carrot Restaurant was held at the shop Gamers in Akihabara in the years up to 2000. Being linked to specific intellectual properties limited the lifespan of these cafés, which was solved by using generic maids, leading to

10925-1253: The most successful inaugural comic book festival to that date. 1974 also saw the first OrlandoCon , organized by regional chairman of the National Cartoonists Society Jim Ivey; guests included C. C. Beck , Roy Crane , Hal Foster , Ron Goulart , and Les Turner . OrlandoCon ran annually for 20+ years until 1994. In 1976, there were 20 comic book conventions held throughout the United States; many of them attracted thousands of attendees. About this time specialized shows began being organized, emphasizing on such topics as so-called " underground comics ", EC Comics , women in comics, and individual creators like Frank Frazetta . In August 1979, FantaCo Enterprises publisher Thomas Skulan produced FantaCon '80 at The Egg convention center, Empire State Plaza , in Albany, New York. The first annual Albany-area horror and comic book convention, FantaCon ran annually until 1990. Beginning about 1980, Creation Entertainment expanded its conventions beyond New York, producing cons in San Francisco and Washington, D.C. By 1983,

11040-704: The name "Yellow Kid", the Lucca prize was known as the "Gran Guinigis" (named after Lucca's Guinigi Tower ). The Yellow Kid Awards were presented at the Salone Internazionale del Comics (International Comics and Cartooning Exhibition) in Rome from 1994 to 2005, at which point the Yellow Kid Awards were retired. In 2006, Lucca Comics & Games brought back the Gran Guinigi as a career accomplishment award. In 2020, as

11155-747: The news that Jack Kirby was defecting from Marvel to DC, and DC's announcement that it was reviving Captain Marvel . On August 1–3, 1970, Shel Dorf produced the Golden State Comic-Con , held at the U.S. Grant Hotel , in San Diego. Official guests were Forrest J. Ackerman , Ray Bradbury , Jack Kirby , Bob Stevens , and A. E. van Vogt , and it drew 300 people. The three-day show evolved into San Diego Comic-Con , and now attracts 130,000 or more attendees. The Creation Convention debuted in 1971, organized by 14-year-old Queens schoolboys Adam Malin and Gary Berman, and held over Thanksgiving weekend at

11270-641: The organization produced Academy Con I (officially known as "Comi Con: Second Annual Convention of Academy of Comic-Book Fans and Collectors"), held July 31 – August 1, 1965, at the Broadway Central Hotel . With Kaler's management, the academy produced three successful "Academy Con" shows in New York during the summers of 1965–1967, attracting industry professionals such as Otto Binder , Bill Finger , Gardner Fox , Mort Weisinger , James Warren , Roy Thomas , Gil Kane , Stan Lee , Bill Everett , Carmine Infantino , and Julius Schwartz . As befitting

11385-416: The popularity of cosplay has grown, many conventions have come to feature a contest surrounding cosplay that may be the main feature of the convention. Contestants present their cosplay, and often to be judged for an award, the cosplay must be self-made. The contestants may choose to perform a skit, which may consist of a short performed script or dance with optional accompanying audio, video, or images shown on

11500-450: The professional cosplayers since the rise of Comiket and Tokyo Game Show . The phenomenon is most apparent in Japan but exists to some degree in other countries as well. Professional cosplayers who profit from their art may experience problems related to copyright infringement . A cosplay model, also known as a cosplay idol, cosplays costumes for anime and manga or video game companies. Good cosplayers are viewed as fictional characters in

11615-554: The pupil look enlarged to visually echo the large eyes of anime and manga characters are also used. Another form of body modification in which cosplayers engage is to copy any tattoos or special markings their character might have. Temporary tattoos , permanent marker , body paint, and in rare cases, permanent tattoos, are all methods used by cosplayers to achieve the desired look. Permanent and temporary hair dye , spray-in hair coloring , and specialized extreme styling products are all used by some cosplayers whose natural hair can achieve

11730-535: The release of Tim Burton 's movie Batman in 1989, which began the convention circuit's newfound enthusiasm for movies. Great Eastern Conventions produced comic book conventions for almost 20 years, but most actively during the years 1987–1996. In New York City, the Great Eastern shows filled the gap after the mid-1980s demise of the annual Comic Art Convention and Creation Conventions . From 1993 to 1995, Great Eastern hosted two New York City shows annually at

11845-456: The right to ask attendees to leave or change their costumes if deemed to be inappropriate to a family-friendly environment or something of a similar nature. The most popular form of presenting a cosplay publicly is by wearing it to a fan convention . Multiple conventions dedicated to anime and manga, comics, TV shows, video games, science fiction, and fantasy may be found all around the world. Cosplay-centered conventions include Cosplay Mania in

11960-512: The titular witches from the novel The Witches of Karres by James H. Schmitz . Star Trek conventions began in 1969 and major conventions began in 1972 and they have featured cosplay throughout. In Japan, costuming at conventions was a fan activity from at least the 1970s, especially after the launch of the Comiket convention in December 1975. Costuming at this time was known as kasō ( 仮装 ) . The first documented case of costuming at

12075-461: The wake of Takahashi's report. The new term did not catch on immediately, however. It was a year or two after the article was published before it was in common use among fans at conventions. It was in the 1990s, after exposure on television and in magazines, that the term and practice of cosplaying became common knowledge in Japan. The first cosplay cafés appeared in the Akihabara area of Tokyo in

12190-417: The world's largest comic book convention, in terms of attendees, is Japan's Comiket (first held in 1975), which boasts an annual attendance of more than half a million people. Italy's Lucca Comics & Games (first held in 1965) and France's Angoulême International Comics Festival (first staged in 1974) are the world's second and third largest comic festivals, respectively. In 1961 or 1962, Jerry Bails

12305-515: Was coined in 1984. A rapid growth in the number of people cosplaying as a hobby since the 1990s has made the phenomenon a significant aspect of popular culture in Japan , as well as in other parts of East Asia and in the Western world. Cosplay events are common features of fan conventions , and today there are many dedicated conventions and competitions, as well as social networks , websites, and other forms of media centered on cosplay activities. Cosplay

12420-520: Was free admission) in often highly accurate costumes. Costume-Con, a conference dedicated to costuming, was first held in January 1983. The International Costumers Guild, Inc., originally known as the Greater Columbia Fantasy Costumer's Guild, was launched after the 3rd Costume-Con (1985) as a parent organization and to support costuming. Costuming had been a fan activity in Japan from the 1970s, and it became much more popular in

12535-944: Was held in 1964 in New York City and was named New York Comicon. Early conventions were small affairs, usually organized by local enthusiasts (such as Jerry Bails , known later as the "Father of Comic Fandom", and Dave Kaler of the Academy of Comic-Book Fans and Collectors ), and featuring a few industry guests. The first recurring conventions were the Detroit Triple Fan Fair , which ran from 1965 to 1978, and Academy Con , which ran from 1965 to 1967. Many recurring conventions begin as single-day events in small venues, which as they grow more popular expand to two days, or even three or more every year. Many comic-cons which had their start in church basements or union halls now fill convention centers in major cities. Nowadays, comic conventions are big business, with recurring shows in every major American city. Comic book conventions in name only,

12650-464: Was held in Rome from 1995 to 2005. In 2006, for the festival's 40th anniversary, the Salone merged with Lucca Comics & Games and moved back to Lucca's city center, with numerous tents and pavilions arranged in different squares within and outside the walls of the medieval city. In 2022 the festival sold 319,926 tickets, beating the record established in 2016, when it had attracted 270,000 attendees. For

12765-414: Was moved to another city (funding issues also forced the cancellation of the 1988 festival). After the Salone internazionale del Comics ended in Lucca, city leaders launched a new convention called simply Lucca Comics that was a reprise of the old one. In 1996, it changed its name to Lucca Comics & Games. The festival attracted 50,000 attendees in 2002. Meanwhile, the Salone internazionale del Comics

12880-532: Was supposed to wear a costume at a science fiction convention, although only he and Douglas did. Fan costuming caught on, however, and the 2nd Worldcon (1940) had both an unofficial masquerade held in Douglas' room and an official masquerade as part of the programme. David Kyle won the masquerade wearing a Ming the Merciless costume created by Leslie Perri , while Robert A. W. Lowndes received second place with

12995-533: Was the master of ceremonies . Future scream queen Brinke Stevens won first place wearing a Vampirella costume. Ackerman (who was the creator of Vampirella) was in attendance and posed with Stevens for photographs. They became friends and, according to Stevens "Forry and his wife, Wendayne, soon became like my god parents." Photographer Dan Golden saw a photograph of Stevens in the Vampirella costume while visiting Ackerman's house, leading to him hiring her for

13110-672: Was vital for the formation of the Academy of Comic-Book Fans and Collectors (ACBFC), the first official organization of comic book enthusiasts and historians. The ACBFC brought fans of the medium together, administered the first industry awards, and assisted with the establishment of the first comic book conventions. The academy's first order of business was to administer the Alley Awards , which traced their origin to "a letter to Jerry dated October 25, 1961", by fellow enthusiast (and future comics professional) Roy Thomas , in which he suggested to Bails that his fanzine Alter-Ego create its own awards to reward fandom's "favorite comic books in

13225-665: Was £7.50 for both days. UKCAC ran annually until 1998. A number of still-extant conventions debuted in 1987, beginning with the Wonderful World of Comics Convention , held at the Oakland Convention Center, in Oakland, California. Later to be known as WonderCon , the convention was founded by San Jose native John Barrett , co-owner of the retail chain Comics and Comix . The multigenre Dragon*Con also debuted that year, hosted by

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