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Project Educate:Cosplay (A Final Summary):

Cosplay, short for costume play, is a type of performance art in which participants don costumes and accessories to represent a specific character, or idea. Characters are often drawn from popular fiction in Japan, but recent trends have included American cartoons and science fiction.

Favorite sources include manga, anime, tokusatsu, comic books, graphic novels, video games, hentai and fantasy movies, as well as anthropomorphic manifestations.

Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture centered around role play. A broader use of the term cosplay applies to any costumed role play in venues apart from the stage, regardless of the cultural context.</i>

_{Informational text cited from Wikipedia.org. and Costuming.org}

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This last week, from November 5th to 11th, 2012, has been wonderful! I hope to have inspired, taught, and helped you enjoy a little bit of the Cosplay scene, and I even learned a few new things myself.

Unfortunately, it has come to an end. I had wanted to do so much more with it, but I did two Project Educate's back to back, and was not able to include everything I wanted to. If you've found these informative and would like me to continue to do features, let me know. I would be more than happy to try to make some kind of bi-weekly information articles!

Without further ado, here is the summary of this last week for #projecteducate - Cosplay:

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Project Educate: Welcome to Cosplay Week!

A brief introduction as to what would be expected in the coming week.

PE: The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (A, B, C)

A feature article using A, B, and C, covering anthropomorphic, Bakuan and conventions and crossplay.

The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (D, E, F)

A feature article using D, E and F, covering dealer's room, El Hazard, and Final Fantasy.

Costuming for a Cause - by ^j-z-belexes

An article supplied by ^JZLobo about Cosplaying for Charity.

The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (G, H, I)

A feature article using G, H, and I, covering Gijnka, horror, and In the Beginning (A brief history on cosplaying)

Project Educate: Steampunk

A short article outlining the basics of the Steampunk Genre.

The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (J, K, L)

A feature article using J, K and L, covering J-Pop/J-Rock, kigurumi and LARP.

The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (M, N, O)

A feature article using M, N and O, covering mascots, Naruto, and original costumes.

The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (P, Q, R, S)

A feature article using P, Q, R and S, covering props, Queen's Blade, Riona Heartilly and skits.

The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (T, U, V, W)

A feature article using T, U, V and W, covering Trigun, Utena Tenjou, Variations and wigs.

The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (X, Y, Z)

A feature article using X, Y and Z, covering X/1999, Yaciru Kusajishi, and zentai.

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Thank you for allowing me to create these articles! Look for the next exciting week over at #projecteducate!

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Project Educate: A, B, C's of Cosplay 2:

Cosplay, short for costume play, is a type of performance art in which participants don costumes and accessories to represent a specific character, or idea. Characters are often drawn from popular fiction in Japan, but recent trends have included American cartoons and science fiction.

Favorite sources include manga, anime, tokusatsu, comic books, graphic novels, video games, hentai and fantasy movies, as well as anthropomorphic manifestations.

Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture centered around role play. A broader use of the term cosplay applies to any costumed role play in venues apart from the stage, regardless of the cultural context.

_{Informational text cited from Wikipedia.org. and Costuming.org}

For the rest of the week, I would love to do enough featurettes to cover the entire alphabet, and hopefully help educate about interesting animes, mangas, terms and events which happen all around in the world of Cosplay!

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X is for X/1999:

X/1999 is a Japanese shōjo manga series created by Clamp. It premiered in 1992, and ran until the increasingly violent storyline raised concerns and went on a hiatus in 2003. Taking place at the end of days, 1999, it follows Kamui Shirō, a young esper who returns home to Tokyo after a six-year absence to face his destiny as the one who will determine humanity's fate. Classified as apocalyptic fiction, it has a lot of various end of days elements, as well as its own unique plotlines and twists.

Apparently, all but one or two final chapters have been published. Adapted to audio dramas , as well as a 1996 feature film and a 2001 television series. Viz Media published all 18 volumes in North America.

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Y is for Yachiru Kusajishi:

Yachiru Kusajishi is the lieutenant of the 11th Division in the Gotei 13, under command of Kenpachi Zaraki, from "Bleach".

"It is assumed by her chidish appearance and personality that Yachiru is also the youngest of all officers in the Gotei 13. Yachiru wears the normal shinigami uniform and her division's crest on her left arm, which is common to all lieutenants. Unusually, she carries her zanpakutō by a string tied to her left arm." _{Cited from wikipedia.org}.

Her short, bright pink hair and rosy cheeks make her a very popular character to cosplay, not only with women, but also with men and children.

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Z is for Zentai:

There are so many versions of full body costumes when it comes to cosplaying, but by far one of the most uncomfortable, and hardest to pull off, are zentai. Zentai are full body suits which run the ENTIRE length of the body, including your hands, head, and feet. Usually they are used as a base for another costume entirely, but sometimes they are the costume itself.

Made with stretchy, clinging fabric like lycra or spandex, a completed zentai is hard to breathe through, and hard to see through, but done well they are a startling addition to conventions. They can also be made with more extreme materials, such as PVC and rubber, but those are generally used for a different type of costume, almost exclusively being used for fetish wear.

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Project Educate: Welcome to Cosplay Week!
PE: The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (A, B, C)
The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (D, E, F)
Costuming for a Cause - by ^j-z-belexes
The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (G, H, I)
Project Educate: Steampunk
The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (J, K, L)
The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (M, N, O)
The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (P, Q, R, S)
The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (T, U, V, W)

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Project Educate: A, B, C's of Cosplay 2:

Cosplay, short for costume play, is a type of performance art in which participants don costumes and accessories to represent a specific character, or idea. Characters are often drawn from popular fiction in Japan, but recent trends have included American cartoons and science fiction.

Favorite sources include manga, anime, tokusatsu, comic books, graphic novels, video games, hentai and fantasy movies, as well as anthropomorphic manifestations.

Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture centered around role play. A broader use of the term cosplay applies to any costumed role play in venues apart from the stage, regardless of the cultural context.

_{Informational text cited from Wikipedia.org. and Costuming.org}

For the rest of the week, I would love to do enough featurettes to cover the entire alphabet, and hopefully help educate about interesting animes, mangas, terms and events which happen all around in the world of Cosplay!

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T is for Trigun:

When I compiled the A, B, C's of Cosplay 2, I seriously, honestly tried to stay away from Trigun. I considered covering Trap for T (a trap is somebody who is easily, and often, mistaken for the opposite gender in cosplay. Either sex is convincingly and accurately dressed as the opposite gender. It is not limited to people who are crossplaying.) but I kept coming back to Trigun, which is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yasuhiro Nightow. It spans 17 collective volumes published in between 1996 to 2008.

Trigun has an easily recognizable Space Western theme, and is about a man named Vash the Stampede. He has followers, though - two Bernardelli Insurance Society employees who follow him around in order to minimize the damages inevitably caused by his appearance. Most of the damage isn't caused by Vash himself, but from the bounty hunters after the 60,000,000,000$$ bounty on Vash's head. Vash can't remember why he has a bounty on his head, though...he has amnesia.

Trigun was animated by Madhouse and broadcast on TV Tokyo in 1998. There is also a film and video game adaptation.

Vash has a trademark red leather coat and yellow tinted glasses, along with spiky blonde hair. He is easily recognized from a distance at any convention.

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U is for Utena Tenjou:

Utena Tenjou (From Revolutionary Girl Utena) is an often cosplayed character from the anime and manga carrying her name. The serial began in 1996, and the anime first broadcast in 1997.

Utena is a tomboy-ish teenage girl who was so impressed by a Prince in her childhood that she became a prince herslf. While the show has the appearance of a magical girl series, is also highly metaphysical, surreal, and allegorical.

Cosplayers dressed as Utena are generally clad in her 'Prince' outfit, with her trademark pink hair. Any convention will see at least one of these, and she is visible from a distance (again, the hair!).

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V is for Variations:

When choosing to create a cosplay outfit, some Cosplayers will take the time to modify their work to make them distinct, and stand out. While a completely accurate cosplay is acceptable, and encouraged, sometimes a little knick knack here and there makes you memorable, and people will snap their fingers and say, "Oh! Yes! I recall seeing them!"

Variations of costumes can be anything, but are usually quite small and hardly noticable - until you notice. Sometimes, though, they are evident at first glance, almost overpowering.

People who choose to make variations to their costumes are often times subject to people heckling them, for most would rather see a perfect replication of their favorite characters.

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W is for Wigs:

One of the most important parts of a cosplay, and most often the first created, is the hair. A wig is essential, for most cosplayers do not have the required hair to recreate some of the sprawling hairstyles which are evident in anime and manga, video games, etc.

Cosplayers will sometimes post pictures of their work in progress, and some companies only deal with outlandish and extreme wigs that would be harder to make if crafted at home, such as Sailor Moon's, Yugi Mutou's and Goku's - especially when he goes Super Saiyan.

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Project Educate: Welcome to Cosplay Week!
PE: The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (A, B, C)
The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (D, E, F)
Costuming for a Cause - by ^j-z-belexes
The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (G, H, I)
Project Educate: Steampunk
The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (J, K, L)
The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (M, N, O)
The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (P, Q, R, S)

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Project Educate: A, B, C's of Cosplay 2:

Cosplay, short for costume play, is a type of performance art in which participants don costumes and accessories to represent a specific character, or idea. Characters are often drawn from popular fiction in Japan, but recent trends have included American cartoons and science fiction.

Favorite sources include manga, anime, tokusatsu, comic books, graphic novels, video games, hentai and fantasy movies, as well as anthropomorphic manifestations.

Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture centered around role play. A broader use of the term cosplay applies to any costumed role play in venues apart from the stage, regardless of the cultural context.

_{Informational text cited from Wikipedia.org. and Costuming.org}

For the rest of the week, I would love to do enough featurettes to cover the entire alphabet, and hopefully help educate about interesting animes, mangas, terms and events which happen all around in the world of Cosplay!

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P is for Props:

A really thought out costume will come complete with props. They can range from a specialized ring, to hair clips, to weaponry or wings, and sometimes a specially crafted wig to compliment their character.

Props can be hand made, or bought from convention vendors or online, or in some specialty stores. They can be original, or modelled after a characters weapon or armor, etc.

Real weaponry, such as guns or swords, are not allowed inside of a convention space, so a lot of people create their accessories out of foam, latex, wood and rubber, as well as assembling a brand new weapon or armor out of a pre-existing toy.

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Q is for Queen's Blade:

Queen's Blade is a series of visual combat books first published in 2005. The plot revolves around a tournament called the Queen's Blade, which is held once every four years to determine a Queen.

It spans four manga adaptations, three anime adaptations, three light novels, and one video game.

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R is for Riona Heartilly:

Riona Heartilly is a female protagonist and playable character from Final Fantasy VIII. Her trademark is angel wings printed on the back of her duster sweater, and as such her character symbol is a white feather which signifies the wings.

She is Squall Leonhart's love interest. One of the most cherished video game moments, and a frequently cosplayed costume of Rinoa's, is the dance cutscene from the video game.

Riona is a commonly cosplayed character, her fairly easy to accomplish looks and heart shaped face are a favorite among females who enjoyed the Final Fantasy video games. Her costume would be one that required little effort, as she has no embellishments that would be complicated to make, but the overall effect is usually very well done, with similarities on virtually every serious cosplayer marking the costume as easy to identify.

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S is for Skit:

Cosplaying isn't just about showing off your costume to everyone. Sometimes, you have an opportunity to act out in a skit, where you become your character for everybody to not only see, but watch as well. The skits are usually short theater productions, lasting no more than a few minutes, and most try to be comical and often make fun of the series or character the cosplayers are portraying. Some, though, go for dramatic effect, which can be amazing if done correctly, but hardly settles well with the excited mood of a convention!

Skits performed by con-goers are usually part of a contest, but they can also be hosted by the convention itself in order to make things like speeches more interesting.

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Project Educate: Welcome to Cosplay Week!
PE: The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (A, B, C)
The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (D, E, F)
Costuming for a Cause - by ^j-z-belexes
The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (G, H, I)
Project Educate: Steampunk
The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (J, K, L)
The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (M, N, O)

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Project Educate: A, B, C's of Cosplay 2:

Cosplay, short for costume play, is a type of performance art in which participants don costumes and accessories to represent a specific character, or idea. Characters are often drawn from popular fiction in Japan, but recent trends have included American cartoons and science fiction.

Favorite sources include manga, anime, tokusatsu, comic books, graphic novels, video games, hentai and fantasy movies, as well as anthropomorphic manifestations.

Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture centered around role play. A broader use of the term cosplay applies to any costumed role play in venues apart from the stage, regardless of the cultural context.

_{Informational text cited from Wikipedia.org. and Costuming.org}

For the rest of the week, I would love to do enough featurettes to cover the entire alphabet, and hopefully help educate about interesting animes, mangas, terms and events which happen all around in the world of Cosplay!

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M is for Mascot:

Although this is a form of kigurumi, mascot cosplay employs the use of a full body costume, as well as a head cover. It differs from a furry costume, as furry is exclusive to animal or animal-like creates, and wearing a mascot cosplay can also include inanimate objects. Mascots tend to be less detailed, however, and the costumes are someone lower quality because of it. They are also a little funnier looking, with oversized heads and hands, and the people who cosplay as them tend to be goofy, seeking laughs over a serious attire.

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N is for Naruto:

Naruto, a Japanese manga series written, and illustrated, by Masashi Kishimoto, took the world by storm. A one shot comic was released in Akamaru Jump in August, 1997, and the manga was first published in 1999 by Shueisha in the 43rd issue of Japan's Weekly Shōnen Jump, which led to an anime that premiered on Animax in October, 2002.

Naruto is one of best selling manga of all time. The English adaptation of Naruto has appeared several times in the USA Today Booklist, and won the Quil Award in 2006.

There are also eight films, light novels, soundtracks, video games, a trading game, and art and guidebooks.

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O is for Original Costume:

One of the coolest parts about cosplay is the ability to create your own character. You can be as detailed, or as lax, in the creation as you want to, because it is yours! Usually, an original costume tends to be worn by the characters creator, but sometimes it is not uncommon for the characters creator to choose somebody who fits the character's description better than they do to wear the costume.

A lot of original costumes have manga and anime and movie inspired elements, but the best part about them is that they can still be considered original, because they have never appeared in a movie, manga, anime or video game before.

An original character idea can be thrown in to a pre-existing setting, and as such, a lot of people tend to create original Dungeons and Dragons characters, giving them different base qualities, and putting them in that world. Same goes for other L.A.R.P intensive conventions or situations.

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Project Educate: Welcome to Cosplay Week!
PE: The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (A, B, C)
The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (D, E, F)
Costuming for a Cause - by ^j-z-belexes
The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (G, H, I)
Project Educate: Steampunk
The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (J, K, L)

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Project Educate: A, B, C's of Cosplay 2:

Cosplay, short for costume play, is a type of performance art in which participants don costumes and accessories to represent a specific character, or idea. Characters are often drawn from popular fiction in Japan, but recent trends have included American cartoons and science fiction.

Favorite sources include manga, anime, tokusatsu, comic books, graphic novels, video games, hentai and fantasy movies, as well as anthropomorphic manifestations.

Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture centered around role play. A broader use of the term cosplay applies to any costumed role play in venues apart from the stage, regardless of the cultural context.

_{Informational text cited from Wikipedia.org. and Costuming.org}

For the rest of the week, I would love to do enough featurettes to cover the entire alphabet, and hopefully help educate about interesting animes, mangas, terms and events which happen all around in the world of Cosplay!

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J is for J-Pop/J-Rock:

You must be wondering why I would include a genre of music in an article about Cosplay. The answer is fairly simple! J-Pop, which is short for Japenese Pop, and J-Rock, which is short for Japanese Rock, while they are popular in Japan, have gained extreme popularity worldwide for anime and manga fans. It is common for J-Pop/Rock bands to record introductions and endings to anime/manga and video games, as well as play at conventions, which often leads folks to not only enjoy their work, but they also end up cosplaying as the artist(s) themselves. Con-goers can and will cosplay as their favorite J-Pop/Rock band members, some to extreme likeness!

A list of some J-Pop bands can be found here.
A list of some J-Rock bands can be found here.

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K is for Kigurumi:

Kigurumi is a form of cosplay which utilizes a full body suit. It is a part of Japanese culture which represents performing people who dress up like popular cartoon characters. The word is actually two words in one - Kiru, which means 'to wear', and Nuigurumi, which means 'stuffed toy'.

In North America, your local teams mascot can actually be considered kigurumi cosplay suits. There is really no limit to what a kigurumi cosplay can be. Notiably, Pikachu and Hello Kitty would be the top two that you might think of when you consider full body suit costumes.

A lot of kigurumi cosplay revolves around sex appeal, and the costumery can be revealing...and sometimes explicit. The size, shape and overall attractiveness of a character is then a leading force in choosing a kigurumi costume.

Kigurumi, while most active in Japan, has rubbed off in North America, as well as most European countries. With the limitless ideas of what you can dress up as, kigurumi can be enjoyed by anybody, young and old.

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L is for L.A.R.P:

L.A.R.P, which is short for "Live Action Role Play", is essentially where you dress up like a character, and then you become that character and act out your role. It can be a very simple encounter, such as friends meeting up for a few hours and just hanging out, or it can be incredibly advanced, where organized groups of people show up and spend hours, sometimes DAYS, being in character and acting out scenarios and situations. Thousands of people might attend a larger scale L.A.R.P event, and acres of land have been known to be leased for Medival festivals. Historical reenactments can also qualify as Live Action Role Play.

A history of live action role playing games.

Though LARPing has been around since the dawn of time (think childrens games, playing house, learning to hunt through watching as adults acted out mammoth hunts, etc), and around commercially since the 1970's (1982 marked a critical stage of LARPing in Europe, with Treasure Trap), a vast majority of LARP gaming was centered around Vampire: The Masquerade. I will even admit to participating heavily in this particular genre of cosplay! The game uses the cursed and immortal vampiric condition as a backdrop to explore themes of morality, depravity, the human condition (or appreciation of the human condition in its absence), salvation, and personal horror. _{Last line cited directly from Wikipedia.org.}

Dungeons and Dragons, with it's vast array of characters to develop, is also a very common theme with Cosplayers.

In the early 1990's, Summerfest had gained an attendance of over a thousand players. The Lorien Trust, formed in 1992, epitomised the principal of 'fest LRP' with an annual event called The Gathering, which features huge scale battles with over 1000 players on each side - not to mention politics, a real licensed tavern, and a marketplace for OOC (Out of Character) costume sales, weapons, props, etc. Sadly, the Lorien Trust had internal conflict and branched off in to other sections - which isn't to say it is gone, it is just now different manifestations!

LARPing is an excellent way to really feel the depth of a character, one which in most cases the cosplayer has created, from the top of its head to its feet!

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Project Educate: Welcome to Cosplay Week!
PE: The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (A, B, C)
The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (D, E, F)
Costuming for a Cause - by ^j-z-belexes
The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (G, H, I)
Project Educate: Steampunk

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_{Some source cited from Wikipedia.org.}

Project Educate: Steampunk:

Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction. It typically will feature steam powered vehicles not limited to trains, and is inspired by industrialized Western civilization during the 19th century. It may also convey traces of a dystopian or post-apocalyptic environment, and often contains elements of the Wild West.

Before we called it 'Steampunk', there were elements in books and movies. The oldest precursor is the film 'Metropolis', a 1927 German expressionist science-fiction directed by Fritz Lang.

The term we now call it originated in the late 1980's, a variant of cyberpunk. It wasn't until 1995, though, that something was actually titled using it, Paul Di Filippo's Steampunk Trilogy.

For a long time, the elements of steampunk were used mainly in literature. It was easier, and of course cheaper, to describe the giant cities, and steam based machinery then it would be to create it for the screen. There was a 1960's television show which featured many elements of advanced steam-powered technology set in the Wild West, but it was Dr.Who that really set things in to motion.

As we know it now, steampunk is a widely acknowledged genre of film and literary media, and it is cosplayed often. A key element in choosing a cosplay outfit is that you can become your character, and it doesn't need to exist in a game, movie or book for you to be realistic.

Using cogs, clocks, goggles, corsets, bomber jackets, tophats and modified weapons, anyone can come up with a believable and excellent cosplay with a little time and effort.

Some people say that in order to make a great Steampunk cosplay, though, you have to believe you are the character. It wouldn't make sense for you to have vials and potions if you wanted to be a pilot!

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Steampunk Goggles Tutorials:

One thing almost every Steampunk cosplay needs is Goggles. Below are some excellent tutorials for you to try your hand at making this accessory.



Random Steampunk Bits n' Bobs:




Excellent Steampunk Cosplay:

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Project Educate: Welcome to Cosplay Week!
PE: The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (A, B, C)
The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (D, E, F)
Costuming for a Cause - by ^j-z-belexes
The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (G, H, I)

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Project Educate: A, B, C's of Cosplay 2:

Cosplay, short for costume play, is a type of performance art in which participants don costumes and accessories to represent a specific character, or idea. Characters are often drawn from popular fiction in Japan, but recent trends have included American cartoons and science fiction.

Favorite sources include manga, anime, tokusatsu, comic books, graphic novels, video games, hentai and fantasy movies, as well as anthropomorphic manifestations.

Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture centered around role play. A broader use of the term cosplay applies to any costumed role play in venues apart from the stage, regardless of the cultural context.

_{Informational text cited from Wikipedia.org. and Costuming.org}

For the rest of the week, I would love to do enough featurettes to cover the entire alphabet, and hopefully help educate about interesting animes, mangas, terms and events which happen all around in the world of Cosplay!

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G is for Gijinka:

Gijinka is a Japanese term which loosely means 'Humanoid.' While similar to a furry, a gijinka is an animal or animal-like creature personified in human or human like form.

'Furries' have distinctive traits, such as tails, ears, fangs and claws - while gijinka costumes are often clearly human, only resembling their animal counterpart.

These costumes are excellent when one doesn't wish to wear a full body suit, and can personify characters such as My Little Pony, Pokemon, Digimon, and Moogles.

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H is for Horror:

There is a large horror related fan base for cosplay, and some people make outrageous and interesting costumes based on different, sometimes incredibly obscure characters. While for the most part, cosplaying sometimes feels centered on more mainstream characters, the dedication and outcome of some of the cosplayers who take on terrible personas is inspiring. It's not the biggest niche in a Cosplaying world, but it is filled nicely with some really awesome outfits!

Some favorites would include Silent Hill, Lollipop Chainsaw, Fatal Frame and Resident Evil.



Sweet Tumblr full of horror cosplay shots: Horror Cosplay.

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I is for In The Beginning:

Cosplay has been around for a long time. More specifically, at the First World Science Fiction Convention in New York, 1939, a 22 year old man named Forrest Ackerman, alongside his friend Myrtle Jones, appeared in the first science fiction costumes. There were 185 attendees. Forrest was a rugged star pilot while Myrtle was dressed in a gown recreated from the 1933 film 'Things to Come'.

Now, costume fandom has come to represent so much more. While they created a stir with their 'fanciful and outlandish costumery', we as a culture have adapted and accepted dressing up as favorite characters, the more elaborate the better.

For many years costuming was only for science-fiction and fantasy conventions. Then, the term Cosplay was coined, and Nov Takahashi's enthusiastic words sparked the Japanese cosplay movement.

The approach to cosplaying is very different in Japan and North America. In Japan, cosplaying is more about 'being' a pre-existing character. There is not as much emphasis on making one's own costume, and there are not as many competitions as there are in North America. In North America, original concepts and designs are welcomed and encouraged.

In Japan, cosplay is considered more of a young womans hobby, though this has been changing significantly, while in North America, it is participated in by children, men, and women of all ages.

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Project Educate: Welcome to Cosplay Week!
PE: The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (A, B, C)
The A, B, C's of Cosplay 2 (D, E, F)
Costuming for a Cause - by ^j-z-belexes

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