The Fangirl Experience: Attending Colossalcon 2017

The Fangirl Experience is a column suggested by Jaime Heller, featuring contributions from both our staff and our readers. Everybody has those moments when being a fangirl feels like the world has become perfectly balanced. It's those moments when you feel a stir in your heart that maybe you've made the right decision in falling down the fandom vortex. When, in the words of my good "friend" Zachary Levi, your "unbridled passion for something, or things, defines who they are as a person without fear of other people's judgment." It's that moment you want to share with the whole world, scream to the rooftops, about what happened. Maybe it's a small moment, maybe it's a big one. But every fangirl has one--or will have one--and we would like to share ours with you.

Because our Initiative would be nothing without the Experience.

Deadpool in a Little Mermaid outfit at the Kingdom Hearts shoot. My life is complete.

Just like last year, I ended up attending Colossalcon, an anime convention in Sandusky, Ohio. What's special about it is that it's one of the largest cons in the area and is located in Kalahari, an indoor water park. This year, I decided to go back and had the privilege to go with Jaime from The Fangirl Initiative. It was her first time at Colossalcon, so I couldn’t wait to see how she’d like it.

Colossalcon welcomes fans who appreciate a variety of fandoms, including anime, video games, and even book series. It's also a place to meet amazing people and have grand and, quite frankly, interesting adventures. So, without further ado, I introduce our 2017 Colossalcon adventure.

Panels

Finally! A Kingdom Hearts panel.

When I wrote this post last year, I ended up going to a ton of panels, but this time I was only able to attend a small amount. However, what I did see was quality stuff.

Thankfully, Colossalcon had a Kingdom Hearts panel (which made sense since everyone’s hoping to see KH 3 at E3) that, rather than delving into the heart of Kingdom Hearts (that was intentional), they took the theory route and touched on what to expect in future games. I appreciated all the speculation. It was fascinating, yet it should be noted that it wasn't a panel a beginner should attend.

Johnny Yong Bosch in all his glory.

I also ended up going with Jaime to two Johnny Yong Bosch (the second Black Power Ranger and voice actor for several anime series) panels. Both were beyond entertaining. He just had a presence that was hilarious and charismatic, a certain something that I couldn’t help but love. Besides, I fangirled pretty hard when he was telling one story and just said the word dollars, which reminded me of a character he voiced named Izaya Orihara from Durarara!!. It took me a good solid five minutes to get over myself.

There was also another panel called Shall We Dance? and was all about ballroom dancing. Jaime and I had the guts to try it and, even though it was nerve-racking, it was extremely fun. I thoroughly enjoyed swing dancing and meeting the random partners we had to pair up with. 

Quinton Flynn enlightening us with his wisdom.

One of the last panels I went to was also one of the most exciting for me. It was a panel where Quinton Flynn (voice actor of Axel from Kingdom Hearts, as well as a ton of other characters) answered questions from the audience. He was outstanding and just as wise and charming as Axel. Everything he said was quotable, one such saying being, "You are all creative. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." He elaborated on that by adding that we all have the capability to create, it's just dependent on a person's motivation. 

Photo Shoots

"The princess of MY heart"

This year I was able to actually cosplay, which meant that I had the opportunity to attend many photo shoots and engage in a plethora of interesting and entertaining conversations.

If you didn’t know, Colossalcon has a variety of photo shoot slots that passionate fans can sign up for to give those who’ve cosplayed in one fandom an opportunity to all get together and take pictures. My con was mostly spent attending shoots, and though some were poorly organized and executed, others were handled with loving care and consideration. 

"I looked everywhere for you, Riku!"

The Kingdom Hearts photo shoot this year was outside, unlike last year’s which was held inside (due to rain and such). Though I still adored the KH shoot and thought it was handled well, it wasn’t my favorite (more on that later). The character shipping suggestions were quite amusing. 

(taken by Joey Render from Joey Render Industries)

Directly after the KH shoot was the Percy Jackson one. I was beyond excited for this, though truthfully a little nervous, since I wasn’t sure how many people would be attending said photo shoot. I had my friend Joey Harker from Joey Render Industries come with Jaime and me. We arrived in the outdoor waterpark and didn’t see ANY Percy Jackson characters. Getting a tad worried, we decided to swiftly scope out the park and look for orange t-shirted cosplayers until we saw the comforting sight of demigods emerge from the water park entrance (and even a Hawaiian shirt clad Percy). The organizer never showed up, unfortunately, but we did take charge and headed to a secluded area between two sides of the park. It was perfect! I even met another Annabeth! 

Sweet! Found a Tuxedo Mask.

Another one of my favorites was the Sailor Moon Swimsuit Shoot, which Joey, my friend Reeka, and I organized. Trust me, cons are rife with cosplayers in bathing suits, especially when you’re at a water park, so we managed to gather a good-sized group. Though we had most every main character, Sailor Mars never made an appearance! Perhaps, she was too busy with her shrine maiden duties. However, we did see a Black Lady, Mini Moon, and even a Prince Diamond!

Now for my favorite shoot of the entire con. Surprisingly it wasn’t the Kingdom Hearts one or the official Final Fantasy shoot, which did happen and was quite pleasant (there was a Ravus!). Instead, my favorite turned out to be the Final Fantasy XV campfire shoot, which had the absolute perfect place for a FF XV campground. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get my hands on the photos from that shoot, but if you're interested in seeing them or any other photos from Colossalcon, pictures should be posted soon at Joey Render Industries.

Ardyn from Final Fantasy XV

If you’re unfamiliar with Final Fantasy XV, in the game, in order to level up, one must rest by either checking the boys into an inn OR camping out under the stars. Usually, campsites are marked by a dim glow on a hill or rocky incline, far away from any danger, so when we found out that the shoot was on a hill, surrounded by a crop of trees, it made my inner fangirl happy. It was even more amazing when I realized that the organizers had an actual Coleman camp set (which is the camping set that the characters use in game)!!

Believe it or not, it got better.

For one, everyone was super nice and looked professional-level amazing. We had an array of characters. Heck, we even had an Ardyn (the main villain) and a stellar older Noctis. Though we didn't see King Regis or Luna's brother Ravus, I was quite impressed by the variety.

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To begin, everyone had to take a group shot with some characters sitting in a few fold-up chairs while the rest of the characters gathered around. But even better was when a Prompto (whose actual character takes pictures of the main cast throughout the game) took a selfie with the entire group, thumb in lens and all. 

Plus, the photo suggestions were wonderful. Some were refreshing and fun, others were as heartrendingly breathtaking as the actual game. I was even able to take a lovely picture with two cosplayers, one older Noct and the other younger Noct, both of whom looked like they had been pulled straight from out of the game.

What was most interesting about the shoot was that our photographer ended up getting a few shots that brought us to tears! Literal tears!! I kid you not. Everyone did a fabulous job. Oh! And I even was able to take my picture with older and younger Noctis. Young Noct embodied the character perfectly, down to the character's exact mannerisms. Older Noct was just as fortifying and grand as he would be in-game.

Friendships 

(taken by Joey Render from Joey Render Industries)

The best thing about the con was that I was able to see old friends and meet new ones. There’s some kind of unexplained fellowship and affability when attending a con, as seen by all the amazing people I met. Everyone was polite and kind when asking to take a picture, complimenting people on their hard work, or helping out someone. 

I'm seeing double! TWO Lunas.

New friendships sprung up from such simple interactions. Even if it was as easy as meeting another Luna (dressed as Noctis), it was a way to introduce myself to another person, it was a way to show them that I had something in common, and it made it possible to begin a friendship. I’m overjoyed that I had the opportunity to meet such talented, such kindhearted people. 

Cindy, Prompto, Iris, and Luna from Final Fantasy XV

Conventions are a way to express yourself and your interests, to get to know other people who are just as enthusiastic. They are a way to see that you're not alone in what you care about. You can share in your love of particular fandoms and connect because of shared "fangirl experiences."

Jaime

The first anime convention I went to (if it could be called a convention) was a one-day event at a fairly large university three hours away from where I live. It had all the typical highlights of a convention: panels on various topics, cosplayers from all across the fandom spectrum, and lots of geeky, nerdy, exceptionally fandom-y conversations and activities. It was small, but I was still overwhelmed. There seemed to be no end to the amount of people, the cosplayers and the fans, and it was tiring to sit in panels all day. I didn’t think I would much enjoy attending other anime conventions let alone something as huge as Comic-Con (as awesome as that would be). But last weekend, I attended my second anime convention (though I would argue it was my first “real” convention since I now think one has to participate in multiple days of panels, cosplaying and more with little to no sleep to truly understand the convention experience).

My cosplays for the weekend: Nico di Angelo (and apparently Thalia Grace), Wonder Woman, Hipster Peter Pan, and Hipster Rapunzel with Flynn. 

Colossalcon is exactly what it’s called: colossal. In 2015, there were over 17,000 attendees, and I’m sure it’s only grown in the past two years. It’s one of the biggest anime conventions in America, and it was, to say the least, overwhelming. However, it was definitely worth it.

On the first day, I spent most of my day wandering around the Kalahari Convention Center with wide eyes and a mind buzzing with too many thoughts to process. First, there were so many people. So many. Each corridor was overcrowded with people trying to squeeze through, waiting in line, or taking pictures. And they just kept coming. From every direction! There were so many cars in the parking lot, some people had to be a little creative to park. I knew, based on what I've seen from Comic-Con pictures, that many people are willing to admit their love for some kind of fandom without shame, but to witness it is a whole other experience. It was bewildering to realize this many people share the same kind of feeling about movies, TV shows, books, and video games as I do.

Second, there were so many amazing cosplays! There are a lot of talented people out there who make costumes from scratch, including detailed weapons and props as well as wigs and other accessories. I was amazed. I continually was pulling out of my phone to snap a quick photo of someone passing by. It was also cool to see everybody being nice to one another; if you asked for a photo, they would usually say yes. They didn’t mind stopping for a pose, and everybody was quick to give compliments. I had one guy hug me simply because the character I was half-heartedly cosplaying as needs a hug in the books! It was interesting to see all the different types of people who attended the convention as well. Anybody, no matter who you are outside of the convention center, can come together for a shared experience because you simply love a specific story or enjoy this or that character. It was an amazing thing to witness throughout the weekend.

Cosplays from the weekend: Dinosaur with Keyblades, Toothless, Sophie and Howl, Sly Cooper, Newt Scamander, Ms. Marvel, Lego Batman, Green Arrow, Elvis Stormtrooper, Eleven, Dread Pirate Roberts, and Tiny Spider-Man. 

Third, there was a lot to do. From panels every hour or two to the arcade and video game rooms to autograph signings and the waterpark, the convention was packed full of events and activities to participate. It was incredible. Sometimes it was hard to choose which panels to attend, and oftentimes, I was too tired from the day to pay attention during the late-night panels. Still, the panels I attended were a mixture of absolutely fantastic to mediocre, but they were all interesting and fueled my love for fandom. I continually think about what I’ve experienced and just smile to myself at how much fun the whole weekend was.

Of course, the whole weekend wasn’t completely "the best thing ever." I was tired a lot. It was hot outside when we did photoshoots, and sometimes I was just tired of bumping into people. (I need a bubble; don’t touch my bubble.) Of course, eating schedules were all wonky, and sometimes we went a while between meals. But I think overall it was definitely worth all the yawns and jostling for the rest of the experience.

There were a few highlights of the weekend that truly made the experience memorable. Samurai Dan is freaking hilarious, and I enjoyed learning about ninja fighting. I wish I would have gone to more of his panels because it was intriguing and entertaining. Maybe next year? I attended a Kingdom Hearts panel, and while I didn’t understand everything they discussed, I could tell the panel leaders truly loved what they were discussing, and I think it was cool they have the opportunity to share about what they love. I also learned how to ballroom dance, which was fun. There was a Star Trek panel, a space pirates panel, and more! Most of the panels I went to I enjoyed; a few were too long or disappointing, but not many. And of course, I enjoyed my time at the waterpark, although at first I was absolutely terrified of the slides!

The biggest highlight of the weekend, however, was Johnny Yong Bosch. Johnny is a voice-actor for a ton of different anime series and video games, and he also played Adam Park, the Black Power Ranger in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I’ve only seen one anime series where he voiced a character (and a few episodes here and there from other series), so I didn’t really feel like a fan. But after his first panel, I swiftly fell into fangirl mode and was already making a list of which anime series to watch when I got home (and of course, Power Rangers). He had three panels throughout the weekend, and each one was hilarious, fun, and awesome. He told stories, answered questions, and even made a short video with volunteers from the audience (and the rest of the crowd making sound effects). It was freaking ridiculous, but I love it.

I went to one of his autograph signings in order to get my boyfriend’s DVD signed, but I also wanted to get a picture so I bought a print. I was so nervous the entire time in line, and I didn’t even know what I should say or do when I got up there. Unfortunately, I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t think of anything to say. He signed the stuff, we took a picture, and I walked away… completely mortified with myself. I was probably full of nervous anxiety for about an hour afterwards. I have this problem, apparently, where I meet semi-famous people and say absolutely nothing to them. It didn’t matter, however, because he was still cool and funny. And it didn’t hinder my experience, just sitting in the panels was enough.

His stories, I think, were the most important part because it just made me realize that all these celebrities, whether they’re super famous or only semi-famous, whether they’re popular now or were popular in the past--they’re all just people like me and you. They make mistakes. They have struggles. They have families and friends. They’ve overcome obstacles to get where they are today. And it’s just kind of cool to think they aren't so different, despite having pictures of their face on giant posters or their autograph sprinkled across hundreds of souvenirs. And the words Johnny spoke just kind of gave me hope: about life, my future, my desire to be creative in my work. Nobody is perfect, and sometimes it takes a while to get to where you want to be.

Overall, despite being tired and overwhelmed by literally everything, the experience of Colosslacon was so fun. It gave me a new perspective on what it means to be a fangirl or fanboy, what nerdom has done to our world, and what it’s like to function with little sleep and not enough food. (Just kidding!) It reminded me why I love being part of fandoms, why I love stories, and why I love being a fangirl. 

Have you ever had an out-of-this-world fangirl experience? The Fangirl Initiative wouldn't be complete without the help of you, our readers. We want to hear and feature your stories and tales. If you have a fangirl experience you'd like to share in this column, let us know!

For more of the Experience, check out our Instagram for daily Fangirl Experiences.

All photos, gifs, and videos were taken by Kelly Chaplin and Jaime Heller unless otherwise noted.

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7 Last-Minute Literary Costumes

Ah, Halloween. That time of year when people can dress like sluts and drink the night away and not be judged for it. Or, for some of us, the panic-inducing time of year in which we know we’ll have to go to parties and be judged specifically on what we’re wearing.

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If you put in too much effort and it doesn't turn out just right, you feel like an absolute failure--the (nonexistent) judgmental glances of your peers poking so many holes in your self-esteem that your psyche starts to look like Charlie Brown’s ghost. But on the flip side, if you don't put any effort and don't have a good enough explanation as to what you are, people give you that little pitying smile and (at least in your head) start to wonder why they invited you anywhere. It's a fine line to walk.

You don't want to be cliche, you don't really want to spend three weeks making a costume you can only wear once, and you don't particularly want to dress like a slutty anything. So what do you do?

Which is... not much, at this point. And better spent reading. (source)

You dress like a literary character, of course. Here are seven literary costumes that won't take you more than one five-minute trip to the thrift store to complete with foolproof explanations that are guaranteed* to put you on even footing with everyone else at the party--or at least help you find the other literary nerds so you can venture together to find the host’s dog and bond over how much you hate parties.

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Bonus: These probably won't win you the costume contest, so no extra undue attention!

*Guarantee is based on participant's social standing, ability to interact with people, sense of humor, and ability to recognize a joke, among other things.

7. Tricia McMillan

Who: Trillian is pretty much the only female character in Douglas Adams’s The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. She was picked up at an earth party--in every sense of the word--by Zaphod Beeblebrox before setting out on a space voyage. (She was also played by Zooey Deschanel in the movie, but we're going to pretend that didn't happen. The movie. And her being in the movie.)

Just, no. To all of it. (source)

How: Put on a party dress. Or even just jeans and a sparkly top--really just whatever you can find in your closet that looks vaguely party-esque--and carry around two white mice. You could get real ones, but that might not go over well with your host. So you can find fake ones here or here.

What to Say: "Are you from another planet? No? Ah, well. You're of no interest to me. I'm Trillian, by the way."

6. Arthur Dent

Who: Like Trillian, Arthur is a character from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. He's an unwilling hitchhiker on the spaceship The Heart of Gold who really just wants a good cup of tea.

How: Wear an old, comfy bathrobe over pajama pants. Carry a towel. Make yourself a cup of tea and carry that around, too. It's pretty much the comfiest costume ever.

Unlike Zooey, Martin was a perfect casting choice. (source)

What to Say: "Don't panic." If they still don't get it, they're really not worth your time.

5. Joseph

Who: Joseph is a servant at Wuthering Heights. He's an irritable, bible-thumping, all-around unpleasant fellow.

How: Wear your dirtiest yard work clothes, carry around a Bible, and when people you dislike try to engage you in conversation, just start going off in an unintelligible Yorkshire accent. You can find a quick(ish) tutorial here.

What to Say: "Yah're a nowt, and it's no use talking—yah'll niver mend o'yer ill ways, but goa raight to t' divil, like yer mother afore ye!"

4. Basil Hallward

Who: Basil is the underappreciated man who painted the picture of Dorian Gray. A friend of Lord Henry--the man who started Dorian's life on a downward spiral--Basil is shy, awkward, and devoted (probably to an unhealthy degree) to Dorian Gray.

Awkward and smitten. The easiest fangirl costume ever. (source)

How: Grab a paintbrush and a thrift store portrait and follow your loud, opinionated friend around. Bonus points if the portrait looks like your friend.

What to Say: *quietly* "I've put too much of myself in my work. I couldn't possibly explain it to you." Then let the opinionated friend take over.

3. Moby Dick

Who: The great White Whale is the ever-present force in his eponymous novel by Herman Melville.

(source)

How: Wear all white, pick the person(s) at the party you most don't want to talk to, and spend the entirety of the party running away from them. If they get too close, punch them.

What to Say: "Moby Dick, man. Is that---? Catch ya later!"

2. Holden Caulfield

Who: Holden Caulfield is the main character and narrator of The Catcher in the Rye.

How: Put an ugly, red deer hunting hat on your head and a rather large chip on your shoulder and walk around spewing teenage philosophies using grammar bad enough to show just how many schools you've been kicked out of.

What to Say: "If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth."

1. Bartleby

Who: A lesser-known short story by Herman Melville, "Bartleby, the Scrivener" is about a scrivener named Bartleby who refuses to do anything.

How: Wear whatever you want, just respond to every request with “I would prefer not to.” Occasionally opt to do nothing but stare at the wall.

What to Say: "I would prefer not to." Or buy a shirt that says it for you here.

(source)

But, most important of all, take your character’s book with you this Halloween. Take it in part to help explain your costume, but mostly because parties get boring and it's always nice to have something to do that doesn't involve talking to people or eating stale chips.

Which literary character will you go as this Halloween?

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The Fangirl Experience: Animazement!

Animazement is a four day long fan convention in Raleigh, North Carolina. This year, between Thursday and Sunday, there were over 14,000 people in attendance, and I was lucky enough to be one of them! During the convention there are panels, showings of movies and anime, autographs, cosplay, photo-shoots and in-character performances.

This year was my second time to Animazement and my third convention overall, so I mostly knew what to expect and how to prepare. I packed enough snacks to feed an army, a portable battery charger, and even band-aids; but nothing in the world could have prepared me for what was about to happen… I had to learn how to sew.

Cosplay (Featuring: Molly's poor sewing skills)

It was Tuesday, the week of the convention. Since I had gone to a con in Winston-Salem earlier this year I already had a full Batgirl cosplay almost completely ready to go (minus some spray painting and helmet repairs), so instead of being content with my really kickin’ Batgirl cosplay (fandom: DC Comics) like any rational person would be, I decided to conquer an entirely different cosplay in the three weeks before the con (go big or go home, right?) So on this fateful Tuesday, I sat up well into the witching hour ripping the bad seams out of the dress for my Toriel cosplay (fandom: Undertale).

Luckily, with a lot of work to do and only a little bit of time, my mom came to the rescue, and after I completely took my dress apart, she redid the entire bodice for me. With my mom handling the dress, I could focus on the finishing touches, and things finally fell into place.

Thursday

Thursday evening, I packed my bags and loaded my cosplays and stage make-up into my car and headed to my friend Ashley’s house to stay for the weekend. After work, I headed to the convention center to meet a friend who was waiting in line for tickets. The line was out the door and wrapped literally the entire way around the convention center. An hour or two and an entire bag of gummy bears later, we were in the convention center. Thursday was just a pre-convention day, so we met up with our friends inside, got our maps, and departed to Ashley’s house. There, we met up with her friends from Michigan and ate a few cinnamon twists before leaving again for a late night Walmart run. Six girls piled into Ashley’s SUV and we sped off, singing K-Pop into the night. Around Midnight we all finally settled into bed, with visions of mochi dancing in our heads.

Friday

Friday morning we woke up around 5:30 to put scales on our faces and wing out our eyeliner. The thing about Cosplay is that it’s a lot like being on stage. You need strong features that can show up on camera, and you can literally be transforming your face into something completely different and unrecognizable (usually using latex or heavier formulas of stage makeup and various contour techniques). Seven A.M. rolled around and we all put our wigs and armor on and set out on our grand and very nerdy adventure.

(Left to right: Ari, Molly (Me), Jacey, Ashley, Laura, Margaret, and Kristin)

After a quick stop for breakfast, we got to the convention center. Our big activity of the day was a tea party with cosplayers from Ouran High School Host Club, an anime we had all seen. They served us tea and snacks in character, then preformed small skits. After that, we grabbed a large pizza and headed back so I could make it for the D.C. comics photoshoot.

(Note: The Joker being totally in character and looking at me like he’s going shoot me in the stomach. Again.)

Later, we had a little fun with the advantages of catwalks in the convention center…

...and met some of my favorite heroes...

(From left to right: Definitely not a Hydra agent, Cutest Batgirl in all of Gotham a.k.a. Barbara Gordon)

(This Batman is really nice, and we're kind of friends now, not to brag.)

…then took a little nap.

(Pictured here: Ari.)

...and after our last panel, it was pushing two A.M. So following almost 22 hours of being awake and probably about 20 hours of being in cosplay, we all finally crashed back at Ashley’s house.

(Picture from MTV's Teen Wolf)

Saturday

Saturday morning we made the unanimous decision to sleep in until around nine. Once everyone got rolling, it took a lot less time to get into cosplay. Mine had a lot less armor on Saturday because it was actually just a dress and tights. My cosplay for Saturday day was Toriel from Undertale (This was the dress I had been working on that my mom had to reconstruct), and it was a very fun cosplay to create and to wear out. The original character design for Toriel is 8-bit so there's a lot of creative freedoms you can take with the cosplay. I designed a shorter dress with a petticoat and flowing sleeves. I also decided against face-paint and opted for white tights and white shoes. My make-up was fun as well; I created a doe-like eye and painted my cheeks with some white freckles. Once I added a wig and flower crown, I was ready to roll. Here we all are heading out.

(Left to right: Kristin, Jacey, Margaret, Ashley, and Molly (Me))

Saturday’s convention day was a lot more shopping and panel-going until the performances that

night. Saturday is always the busiest day by far. We did the best we could to find time for pictures...

...a coffee break…

(Featuring my grumpy sheep plushie)

And lots of selfies…

And after the performances (which have been immortalized here: x), the rest of the gang headed back to Ashley’s, and I went back home to my own bed.

The weekend, as a whole, was wonderful! I got to meet new friends, geek out with the old, and play dress up for two days straight! It was hot and tiring, and those of us that weren’t covered head to toe got sunburn, but the fangirl experience can’t all be roses. It takes thick skin (plus some sunscreen and Ibuprofen). Next year can’t come soon enough!

What’s your essential for con survival? Have you ever cosplayed? I want to know! Let’s talk!

This post brought to you by six cups of coffee to make up for the sleep I STILL haven’t caught up on.

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7 Tips for Cost-efficient Cosplaying

There are 364 days out of 365 that are not Halloween, right? So what do you do when you've come up with the most brilliant costume idea ever but it's, say, the middle of April, no where near Halloween?  Some people think we can't dress up on any other day of the year and if we do, we're considered (*gasp*) weird. Let me introduce you to the idea of: cosplay.

What is Cosplay?
According to my good friend Google, Cosplay is: "the practice of dressing up as a character from a movie, book, or video game (especially one from the Japanese  genres of manga and anime)." That last bit, shows where the practice of cosplay came from: Japan (obviously). But it's definitely become a popular thing recently for people across the world and beyond anime and manga. Events like Comic Con have made it more acceptable to go out in costume and have fun.

Personally, I think being a fangirl wouldn't be complete without the fun of cosplay, whether you actually take part or simply drool over pictures you've seen and daydream about having the guts and glory to do so. It's fun to dress up and step into the shoes of your favorite character, and taking pictures is half the fun as well.

However, I've drooled over those pictures of crazy exactly-to-the-detail costume and bugged out about the cost of such costumes. How in the world do people cosplay so many different ones when they cost hundreds of dollars? I for one would never be able to afford such a costume, yet I've cosplayed many times over the past few years and I doubt I've spend more than $20.

Sky and I are here to give you some advice with the hopes that you will find the courage in your heart to step out into cosplay and also not to spend a lot of money doing so. Cosplay shouldn't be something that's "weird" or expensive: it should be fun and adventurous! Here are our tips for cost-efficient cosplaying.

Tip #1: Raid Your Closet

Sky and I both have discussed our cosplaying strategies and our first thoughts were to look in our own closets. Most of the things you could use for a cosplay costume can be found within the contents of what you already own. Carefully searching for shirts, pants, socks, and shoes that can match or almost match a character's costume is efficient and effective in saying yourself money (just be careful not to fall too fall into the closet and find Narnia. Unless of course, you'd like to cosplaying as a king or queen for a few decades).

This is my friend Jacob as the 10th Doctor (Doctor Who). He used a blue button-down shirt as a suit jacket and completed his look with a trench coat and spiked up hair. He owned everything he used ahead of time. Looks pretty good, right?

For me, I already owned a white button down shirt and dark boots that I've used on numerous occasions for cosplays. Think simple, think in similar colors. When it comes to cosplay, it doesn't have to be exactly the same, just look for things that are similar or almost. For fun, my cousins and friends made a short zombie film and most of us had to dress as zombies from a hospital setting. We didn't have exact hospital gowns, but we have a few shirts that looked close enough. Mine was red and white striped, and we had another that was a weird shade, but it looks great in the video so it worked out well (the zombie make-up helped as well).

My friend Emily and myself as Zombie Patients! :D

Sky here! Last year, I did an impromptu cosplay of Stiles Stilinski from Teen Wolf. My inspiration was based on what a female Stiles would probably look like. It was 3 am, so what else was I to do but ransack my closet? Stiles wears a lot of plaids, so I found a plaid shirt. I wore my hair in a ponytail, picked earrings I thought Stiles would wear, and then took some photos. (If you feel like you are a character, then you are that character. That's my #1 cosplay rule.) I felt fantastic about it, and the most important thing: it was extremely fun. It led to this follow-up Stiles cosplay, and it taught me that you can cosplay right out of your own house. It's like playing dress up, only way better. Fangirl life is so cool.

Tip #2: Ransack Someone Else's Closet

On numerous occasions, I've asked other people for clothing items. My mom or dad usually have something that works, or even a few of my friends. I dressed as the Raggedy Eleventh Doctor one year for Halloween and I borrowed a tie from my dad. It wasn't a perfect match but it looked similar and it worked. My mom usually is helpful in helping me design pieces to mix and match to make it work, or we borrow costumes from my church's stash.

Becca (my sister), Phil (my dad) Jacob (friend), myself, and William (beau) as Doctor Who character: River Song, Fourth Doctor, Tenth Doctor, Eleventh Doctor, Captain Jack Harkness

For Tolkien Reading Day this year, my friend Anna and I dressed as two hobbits. Neither of us have actual hobbit outfits, but she had a pair of pants and two jackets for me to wear and she borrowed on of my shirts. She got most of the pieces from her parents' closets. While my character (Merry) was supposed to have a green jacket and yellow vest, I had a brown jacket and a yellow jacket underneath to look like a vest. It worked out well and nobody even knew I was wearing two jackets. I'd call that success.

Meriodic Brandybuck, at your service.

Tip #3: Search Your Local Thrift Shops

Nothing is better than finding gems among thousands of recycled clothes. Whether you head to the Salvation Army, Goodwill, or local thrift stops and secondhand clothing shops, you'll sure to find something interesting and for a cheap price. Need black pants, a plain colored shirt, maybe even a vest or a hat: these are the places to look. I found an old brown jacket that matched the Indiana Jones style quite well. It didn't cost nearly as much as buying it new.

Myself as Mikasa from Attack on Titan (minus the cape). I got a cheap, brown jacket from Goodwill and added the Survey Corps Logo with paper and pins.

On many occasions, I've found the perfect piece to complete my outfit by searching through racks of clothes. Paying little for such a prize definitely feels good when you dress up and look spectacular. You might even be able to find shoes, props, and other such items to help you really pull of the quest of the decent cosplay.

My church had a western-themed VBS, so I found a cheap plaid shirt to wear, added a handkerchief, used my Indiana Jones hat, and added a fake mustache to seal the deal. I'm ready for Woody's Round-Up any day!

Tip #4: Make Something

While I know not everybody can sew or design a entire costume on their own (I know I can't), you might be able to make something small toward your outfit by thinking creatively. Fabric can be pricey, but if you're looking for a decent cosplay and you're willing to spend the money for a perfect fit, you might want to think about making something from scratch. You might also want to look around your house and stash to see if there's any fabrics or other items you've already collected that could be useful. In addition, if you can make something that you can use multiple times it's even better. I made a green cape for an Attack on Titan costume, but since then I've dressed as an elf and a hobbit and used it. There's a lot of possibilities for multiple uses of costume pieces.

Picture One: Myself as Mikasa from Attack on Titan. Picture Two: Myself as an Elf and my friend Anna as a hobbit.
I used the same cape and the same pair of boots! :)

I know of someone who is making a dress for every month of the year this year. While she's definitely over-the-top and talented, I adore her pictures. She's been using old dresses, t-shirts, and anything else fabric-wise to create the outfits; and she's asked other people to donate anything they don't want for her to use. My mom also has made numerous accessories for outfits myself or others that have cosplayed in the past. She has made a fez and peter pan-style hats out of felt, a gas mask made of bubble wrap and paper, and even a K9 (from Doctor Who) hat out of a shoe box for a little boy to wear. In addition, I'm positive there are plenty of DIY instructions for various cosplay outfits or costumes out there on the internet.

Picture One: my friend, Erinn, and myself as Dr. River Song and the Raggedy Doctor with homemade sonic screwdriver (read below for more on that).
Picture Two: my dad, my little buddy, Luke, and myself as the Fourth Doctor, K9, and Sarah Jane Smith. My aunt made the Who Scarf and my mom made the K9 hat. The TARDIS was also made by my mom's friends and adds to the photo.

Sky again. For Halloween last year, I cosplayed as Bucky Barnes. It may have seemed impossible, but I was determined to make it work. Of course, the hardest thing to figure out is how to make a metal arm. Never fear! That's what tin foil and a red solo cup is for.

I took a leather jacket and taped tin foil to it, then cut a red star out of a solo cup. While it fell apart rather quickly towards the end of the night, it worked well for the moment, and I felt totally cool. Everyone should dress up as an assassin at least once in their life.

 

Tip #5: Buy Something

Now I know we're going for cost-efficiency here, but sometimes you might just have to spend a little bit of money. There might be certain items or details you can't make no matter how hard you try. That's okay. Spending a little money--as long as you try your best to be efficient with most of the costume--is okay.

So this isn't an "official" cosplay, but I was stoked for Star Trek Into Darkness and wore my Star Trek uniform shirt I bought from a Cheez-Its special from the first reboot Star Trek movie. And I finally got a picture with Benedict Cumberbatch (note: poster in my hand). Cosplays can be small things like wearing the right shirt.

For one my cosplays I dressed as Peter Pan and I needed a green shirt. I didn't go some place expensive and find the best green shirt in the world. I knew I was going to cut pieces off and make it look like Peter Pan's ragged, jungle-boy shirt. So I bough a cheap, $5 t-shirt from Wal-Mart and found brown fabric at home to make myself a belt. I've also created my own TARDIS shirt with the same method: I bought a cheap t-shirt of the right color and drew the black lines of the squares and scrawled "Bad Wolf" on the back in white paint.  I didn't worry about having the right color of pants or shoes, I just went with the top half of my costume looking superb. If you have to buy something, budgeting and contemplating money spending is a good way to not spend loads of money.

Obviously Peter Pan, complete with a shadow and pixie dust sparkles! :) 

Tip #6: Location, Poses, and Props

Cosplaying in costume is great fun, but in addition, you might want to add a little something to make it feel truly magical. You can always add a few props to help you along. When I dressed as the Eleventh Doctor, I made a fake sonic screwdriver by covering up a flashlight with paper and a toilet paper roll. It took me maybe ten minutes tops to create it by drawing and coloring (later I did end up getting a plastic one that lights up). When I was a hobbit, I carried around a tankard-like mug (with Sleeping Beauty on it). It gave the impression that I had just come from the Green Dragon or I was drinking an Ent-draught. Props and other small accesories like hats, badges, and scarfs can help seal the deal on your cosplay.

My friend Anna and myself as hobbits (Pippin and Merry to be exact). She has her pipe and bag of Old Toby (really tea leaves) and I have homemade lebmas bread and my (Sleeping Beauty) tankard.

In addition, there's the fun of taking photos with your cosplay and others. A part of that is finding the best place to take the picture and also how to stand in the photo. While not everybody has picturesque settings to roll in the background, you can still find good neutral-style backgrounds that don't clash with your costume. But if you're a specific cosplay costume that works in certain settings, go for it! Dress up as Katniss and go find a tree to stand by; be a superhero and pretend to save someone or stand on a busy street corner (or find a phone booth to pose by); be a rabid fangirl (foaming at the mouth included) and chase someone down. You can even draw your background if you have the talent! addition, you can pose like your character to feel more authentic. Dress like the Doctor and copy his poses; dress as Sherlock and pretend to jump off a ledge (pick one that isn't too far up though!); strike a post like the Avengers.

For Halloween last year, myself, my beau, and his brother dressed as DC characters. First picture: Jacob and William (my beau) as Bruce Wayne/Batman and Clark Kent/Superman (playing off the movie coming out!). Second picture: William as Clark and myself as Lois Lane (mimicking Smallvile-style photos).

In addition, once the photos are taken you can always spice them up with special affects, words, and cool additions. Maybe that's cheating, but who cares if your having fun, right?

Tip #7: Have Fun

Cosplay doesn't if work you don't have fun doing it. Be confident and bold in your decision to dress up and nobody will make you feel "weird" for doing so. If you're having fun whether your outfit was thrown together on the spot or is a mismatch of crazy pieces or an authentic-just-like-the-real-thing replica, it'll work all the same.

Myself as Sherlock Holmes and my friend Denise as John Hamish Watson. We took multiple photos (even some dramatic-phone-call-and-jumping-off-tall-structures photos) for a scavenger hunt. We were running around campus in the hot sun in crazy clothes and had no cares because we were laughing so hard (and we got bonus points for it!)

I've had plenty of costumes where my pants weren't the right color, my glasses or short hair didn't fit the character, and I was a girl instead of a boy. But I didn't let any of that stop me: I dressed up, I had fun, and I felt good.

As you can probably tell, I cosplayed Doctor Who a lot during the 50th anniversary year in 2013. Here are some the people I dragged with me. :)

Remember: you're doing the cosplay because you want to. Not because you're trying to win an award, impress someone, or brag that you have this much money. No, people cosplay all sorts of costumes, mash-ups, and ideas because they think it's cool and they want to show people their ideas and have fun doing it. When you cosplay, be bold, be brave, and be initiative.

This is my (late) puppy dressed as four Doctor Who characters for the 50th Anniversary: Eleven, Captain Jack Harkness, Gas Mask Child, and the Fourth Doctor. I don't think he appreciated it as much as I had hoped, but he looks pretty rad.

Have you ever cosplayed? If so, what did you do to dress up? What is one cosplay you'd love to do? (For me personally, I'm dying to dress up as Rapunzel and make my beau dress as Flynn Rider!)

We want to see your cosplay photos! Send them to us at our Facebook page or via the Twitter hashtag #TFIcosplay.

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