Cosplay is becoming more and more popular each day. Short for “costume play,” people get to dress up as their favorite characters from their favorite TV shows, movies, comic books, video games, animes and mangas while attending multi-genre conventions and meeting others with the same interests. Thanks to the SyFy reality series, Heroes of Cosplay, and well known conventions such as Comic-Con and Dragon Con, more and more people are discovering the magic of cosplaying.
Thousands, even millions, of people cosplay and attend these conventions every year. Among those people, is Annalisa Baker, a 22-year-old senior criminal justice major at Georgia Southern University with a special knack for cosplaying as her favorite fantasy and fictional characters. As a huge fan of sci-fi and horror, this Arizona native has cosplayed as characters from her favorite shows such as Buffy and The Walking Dead. Baker spends hundreds of both hours and dollars to perfect her costumes in time for each convention. Her Campus Georgia Southern had the pleasure to chat with Miss Baker and jot down a few notes about the world of cosplaying.
HC: When did you start cosplaying and what got you into it?
AB: I think I was about 12-13 when I first discovered cosplay. What intrigued me so much about it were all the different colors and materials on the costumes everyone wore. It was beautiful!
HC: What was the first convention you attended?
AB: The first convention I ever attended was Dragon Con in Atlanta back in 2007. I didn’t dress up the first time I went, however seeing such an exciting atmosphere with so many different costumes of characters I loved growing up was what ignited my lifelong passion for cosplaying.
HC: Who was your first cosplay? Favorite?
AB: My first cosplay was Tank Girl in 2009. My all-time favorite cosplay would definitely have to be Sharon Carter from Captain America at this year’s Dragon Con.
HC: Could you tell us a little about the clubs and organizations you’re a part of here at Georgia Southern?
AB: I am a part of the Anime Crew here. It’s a very fun organization to be involved in. All we do is talk about our favorite animes and mangas. We read and watch them together every week. Oh and there’s food! It’s not just for anime/manga fans; we welcome members of all science fiction and fantasy genre communities.
Speaking of which, I am also an assistant of the comic book/graphic novel club at Galactic Comics and Games in Downtown Statesboro. We get together once a month to look at and trade comic books and graphic novels. We host card and board game tournaments every week. It is a great way to interact with and meet new people.
HC: What’s the process for getting your costumes ready like?
AB: Some cosplayers buy their entire costumes and some make their entire costumes from scratch. I like to do a little bit of both. For me, I buy certain items like patches and emblems with the character’s logo (since it’s a little hard to make yourself) and then put everything together such as the cloth for the uniform or armor and accessories. Perfecting your costumes takes weeks and months and sometimes even years.
HC: Miss Baker, it’s been a pleasure. One last question before you go: Any advice for people looking to start cosplaying or join some of the organizations that you’re a part of?
AB: My advice for newcomers is to just have fun. Be serious but don’t be serious. Pick a character that amplifies your personality. Sure making the actual costumes will be hard in the beginning, but just start out small. This culture is mainly for you and your friends to try new things and go out on adventures while interacting with other awesome people. One of the greatest things about going to conventions is that you get to meet some of your favorite actors and writers and see them speak at different panels. I had the pleasure to meet Stan Lee at this year’s Dragon Con! Once ya get used to the whole convention and cosplaying atmosphere, you’ll be a regular in no time!
The clubs are always looking for new members. We welcome everyone. Even if you don’t join, come on by and check us out. We’d love to meet you. It’s easy to look us up. Come find us before we find you!