So, you went to Supanova without a costume and felt oddly out of place. Now you've vowed to not make the same mistake next time. But where exactly do you begin?
Jumping on the Cosplay bandwagon can be pretty damn daunting. Although geek culture only reached mainstream-acceptable status in the last decade or so, that short amount of time was all Cosplayers needed to hone their skills to almost-professional levels and crafting things like homemade armour forged from real metal, authentic fur-lined Westerosian outfits, and even hairpieces that emulate the (frankly ridiculous) hairstyles seen in Japanese animation.
Considering this, it may seem hard for beginners to make their mark in the scene. Fortunately, the cosplay community is a (generally) accepting one, so there's really no need to feel intimidated by the seriously skilled cosplayers. However, if you've got the guys to try and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the pros, here are some hints from this year's Brisbane Supanova.
Combine Relevance With Imagination
It's been six years since Heath Ledger aced it as the Joker, but that hasn't stopped legions of wannabe clown gangsters donning purple suits and cheap face paint at every convention, to the point where it's become a Cosplay cliché. Yes, Ledger played an awesome Joker, but can we please mix it up with some of the other versions of the character?Likewise, this year's Cosplay scene was packed with Queen Elsas and Maleficents of varying quality. While they're more topical than Ledger's Joker, there's already an over-saturation of them. On the other hand, very few 'Guardians of the Galaxy' costumes were present, which is surprising given the movie's popularity. Sure, a Dancing Baby Groot costume may take more effort to craft than a sparkly blue dress and blonde wig, but you'll get way more high-fives for it than going for the “obvious” choice.
Play To Your (Physical) Strengths
This is a bit of a controversial matter within the scene; some enthusiasts believe you should choose a character that your body type can support. In other words, if you're a little porky then you should stick to “bigger” characters. While I find this idea shallow and potentially damaging to the community, some Cosplayers interpret it not as a restriction, but as a way to take their costumes to a whole new level.
That's what Morgan did; he put his tall stature and appreciation of fried chicken to good use and became the greatest Colonel Sanders impersonator ever. Sure, it'd be perfectly okay for him to dress up as Bilbo Baggins or Captain America, but that would deprive the world of this imaginative, well-executed take on a family favourite.Get Your Mates In On It
Do you and your friends look like the Ghostbusters? How about the study group from 'Community'? Or maybe even (insert random anime posse here)?If you can convince your mates to collaborate on matching Cosplay outfits, there are some real benefits involved. For example, people will look past any shortcomings in your design skills thanks to the added effort of coordinating a whole troupe, and it also increases your odds of having a well-crafted costume, as the extra numbers provide further quality assurance. And who knows, maybe one of your friends has a hidden talent for sewing S.H.I.E.L.D. uniforms? Finally, the “cool factor” of a Cosplay group can help override any Cosplay faux pas.
For example, while the Mario Sisters above risked falling into cliché territory, they were miles ahead of all the other Marios and Luigis on the convention floor due to their attention to detail and devotion to their characters. Not only did they make their overalls from scratch, but even went as far as rocking identical hairstyles.Learn The Rules, Then Break Them
A bad costume will go ignored. An intentionally bad costume will be applauded. Be weird, be meta, subvert the norm and aim to turn heads. Just keep in mind that although crafting a bad costume isn't difficult in the technical sense, formulating an impressively bad concept requires a bit of effort; you're not cutting corners, you're innovating.
© Alexander ThansoulisSee that? That's not a bad costume. That's genius. That's Picasso. That's the Cosplay equivalent of Tommy Wiseau's 'The Room'.
However, innovation really is the keyword here, as bad Cosplay clichés do exist. Go to any convention and you're guaranteed to spot a fat, beardy Sailor Moon, a costume so overdone it stopped being funny long before Cosplay entered the mainstream. If you're dead set on gender-swapping, try raising the stakes a little.
Supanova Dates 2015
10th to 12th April – Melbourne Showgrounds17th to 19th April – Gold Coast Convention And Exhibition Centre
19th to 21st June – Sydney Showground
26th to 28th June – Perth Convention And Exhibition Centre
