The theme this year was Space Operas — think Star Wars, Firefly, Dune, and other such sci-fi epics. We were much bigger fans of this year’s theme than 2016’s (which was titled “But How Will We Get There?” and focused on…nerdy transportation? It was kind of a hot mess, to be quite honest). Being the huge space opera fans that we are, we resonated with the aesthetic, and there were a lot more panels we were interested in this time around, both space-y and otherwise.

Panels are always a bit of a gamble in terms of enjoyment value, but the good ones we went to were real good. Some of our favorites were an inspiring panel called “Geeky Careers You’ve Not Thought Of” (featuring a full-time knitting designer and a dating/social coach for nerds, among others), a panel on Asian folklore that was a wealth of fantastic stories and tropes I’d never heard of, and a truly delightful fan panel about Stranger Things.

Beyond the panels, we got the chance to experience all our favorite parts of the con, like copious amounts of people-watching (so many great cosplays!), seeing a few of our good friends play in a taiko drumming show, and hitting up the ever-amazing party rooms. Along with our old favorites, there were some great new ones this year, including a Spider-M an-themed room and a Harry Potter one that was so detailed and just impressive as all get-out.

As far as cosplay went, we definitely did our fair share, but we decided to keep it more low-key this year (no, not Loki…not this year, at least) — after constructing Groot and Rocket costumes at like 2:00 in the morning the night before the con for the first year and fabricating/otherwise putting together so many pieces for my Rey and Raven costumes last year, I was ready for comfy clothes and zero body paint this time around. Nevertheless, we had a great time with our costumes! I was femme!Fourth Doctor on the first day, and Peder and I went as hipster!Beauty & the Beast on the second day, with our friends dressed as other assorted hipster-ified Disney characters (Smee, Tink, Ariel, and Hook, to be exact). Saturday was our favorite cosplay day–we went as Okabe and Kurisu from Steins;Gate, a new favorite anime of ours (which Peder reviewed a little while ago). It’s by far the most obscure cosplay we’ve done to date, so there weren’t many people who recognized us, but that just made it all the more fun when someone did. And we even spotted another couple who dressed as the same characters the day before, which was so much fun to see!

But enough squeeing for now…time for more pictures!

All in all, this year’s con was highly successful — I felt like I got everything out of it that I wanted to, and planned things out well enough that I didn’t tire myself out in the process (something that must be learned the hard way, it seems!). We have all sorts of great memories from this year’s con, and are already starting to muse about what cosplays we’ll do next year.

If you’re in the Twin Cities area, did you make it to CONvergence this year? What were the highlights for you? If you’re not from around these parts, tell us about your favorite nerdy event to attend in the summertime!

———————

Share questions, ideas for articles, or comments with us!

Email us at nerdologists@gmail.com
Follow us on Twitter at @NerdologistCast
Message me directly on Twitter at @Kefka73
Visit us on Facebook here.

But though I spend a fair bit of time plotting future cosplays, it’s always a long time between events, and a lot of work ends up going into costumes that really, I’ll only spend a few hours wearing. As much as I enjoy going to cons and cosplaying, sometimes it’s fun to have something that I can get a little more mileage out of.

What am I talking about? Why, everyday cosplay, of course! Simply put, it’s a way to rep your favorite stories and characters during a normal day — to subtly (or not-so-subtly, if you choose) show your geeky pride, just for the sheer joy of it.

There are tons of ways to incorporate casual cosplay into a regular day–ways that go beyond just wearing a t-shirt with your favorite superhero on it (though that’s always great fun too). You can go subtle with clever jewelry, like this Divergent-inspired necklace:

Or a little bolder:

You can wear an accent piece that can be covered or shown at will:

Or go all out and put together an outfit inspired by your favorite character’s look:

And you can even take it one step further and decorate your house with nerdy swag:

These are just a few ways to incorporate fandom love into your everyday environment. Don’t wait until the next convention to bring the magic of your favorite stories to life in the real world — carry a little piece of that magic with you all day!

What’s your favorite way to engage in everyday cosplay? Share with us below!

———————————
Share questions, ideas for articles, or comments with us!

Email us at nerdologists@gmail.com
Follow us on Twitter at @NerdologistCast
Message me directly on Twitter at @Kefka73
Visit us on Facebook here.

Let me start with the disclaimer that by no means do I intend to talk down to anybody via these cosplay do’s and don’ts, nor are they necessarily hard-and-fast rules that will hold true in every case. Just think of this post as a friendly reminder, from one awkward nerd to another, that when we find ourselves in large groups together, especially at something as exciting as a convention we’ve been waiting months to go to, we can sometimes go a little nuts and do things we wouldn’t even think of doing in other, less spandex-laden settings. This is just a way to think about how we can channel all that nerdy energy and excitement in positive and respectful ways, ensuring that a good time is had by all.

*Deep breath*…here we go!

Don’t assume that someone in costume is ready to engage with you

Let’s face it — one of the things we love most about cons is the people-watching. There are always so many amazing cosplays, and it’s a ton of fun to see all the different characters other con-goers chose to portray. And it’s totally fine (and even encouraged) to talk to other cosplayers and tell them how much you love their costume/character/story their character is from.

However, don’t let your desire to do so overrule your good sense. If the person whose costume you are admiring looks like they’re in the middle of something, or is having a conversation with someone else, wait for the opportune moment to catch their attention. Maybe they’re trying to make plans for meeting up with a friend later, or maybe they’ve just had five different people stop them for a photo when they’re already late for a panel session they really want to go to.

It’s tempting to try to snag someone before the opportunity passes, but remember that, as much as we all feel like elaborate, mobile works of art while we’re cosplaying, we’re all just people — people who might be feeling frazzled from all the chaos, or who might have tired feet from tromping through the convention center all day. Know that you can and should go up to fellow cosplayers to talk to them and compliment their apparel, but use the same politeness you would when addressing anyone else you’ve just met.

And on the other side of the coin…

Remember that cosplay = attention

If you’re an introverted cosplayer, like I am, you’ll know that, while cosplaying is fun, it’s kind of exhausting. When I cosplayed at my first con, I knew on some level that people were going to be paying attention to me because I was in costume, but I don’t think I was really prepared for just what that meant — strangers talking to me like they knew me just because they knew about the character I was cosplaying, the requests for photos, the random (and sometimes personal) questions about my costume, etc. And while it’s fun to get a little extra attention, sometimes the amount you receive as a cosplayer can be overwhelming.

However, on some level, all cosplayers do what they do because they really do want to get noticed. If they didn’t like the attention and admiration at least a little, they wouldn’t go in costume. If you’ll be cosplaying, go into it prepared to get gawked at a little, get some requests for photos, and have people suddenly quiz you on the finer points of the story your character is from. And just remember, the vast majority of people have good intentions, and they’re looking at you and interacting with you because they think you look awesome! Which is pretty great, actually.

Be courteous when asking for a photo

As many of you know, it’s common practice at cons to ask cosplayers if you can take a picture of or with them. This is completely fine, and generally makes the experience more fun and memorable. However, when you see someone you’d like to ask, remember that, while they’re probably expecting to get asked for pictures, your request still has the potential to catch them off guard. Don’t be abrupt when you ask, or try to sneak a pic as someone walks by, and for heaven’s sake, don’t touch someone you don’t know to get their attention (harder to remember than it seems!). Granted, there are some people who’d be fine with any of these things, but since you don’t know the person you’re asking and can’t be sure how they’d feel about it, it’s better to err on the side of caution.

Don’t judge

This is an important one, and the one that’s often hardest for me, personally. Unfortunately, along with the admiration of some con-goers’ cosplay sometimes comes disdain for others’ costumes. Whether it’s thinking that someone’s costume is extra-revealing, thinking I’ve done a better job on my costume than someone else has on theirs, deciding someone’s interpretation of a character isn’t in keeping with that character’s persona, or other things of that sort, it can get pretty icky, folks. So join me in trying your best not to judge others based on their costume choices (or, conversely, look down on yourself because you think someone else’s costume is better than yours), and focus on the aspects of someone’s costume that makes it cool and unique, or compliment someone on a costume that they clearly worked hard on. Sincerity, respect, and perspective is where it’s at.

These are a few of the things I try to keep in mind when cosplaying — what have I missed? What do you try to make sure to do (or not do) to make an awesome cosplaying experience even better? Share with us in the comments!

———————

Share questions, ideas for articles, or comments with us!

Email us at nerdologists@gmail.com
Follow us on Twitter at @NerdologistCast
Message me directly on Twitter at @Kefka73
Visit us on Facebook here.

But that doesn’t have to stop you from tackling it! Today, we’ll look at some ways to keep costs down while still enjoying your cosplay experience to the fullest. And since cosplaying on a budget is basically the only type I do, as I have not become rich and famous yet (ha!), hopefully some of the things I’ve picked up on the way will help you in your own costume-making ventures.

1. Start by setting a budget.

This step is crucial, as it helps you figure out what’s feasible. For example, you may be able to set a budget that gives you some wiggle room, but which precludes you from doing something like sewing yourself a Princess Peach ballgown from scratch. Though setting a firm budget does limit you, this can actually be a good thing — with the zillions of characters you could choose to cosplay, this is a great way to make the decision process easier.

2. Decide whether to make or buy each piece

It seems like it should almost always be cheaper to make something yourself than to buy it, right? Well, more often than not these days, that’s not the case.

To get the most bang for your buck in this respect, I suggest taking some time to plan out all of the different pieces you’ll need for your costume. Once you know what you’re looking for, you can decide whether it makes more sense to buy or make each piece. For example, you might be great at sewing and know where to get inexpensive fabric; if so, sewing the garments needed for your costume might be the way to go for you. If not, you’ll likely want to seek out a place you can buy them online.

And let’s face it; some stuff is just easier and less expensive to buy than to fabricate. For example, when I cosplayed as Rocket the Raccoon, I wanted to have a giant fake gun to carry around. I could have built one, but that would’ve required a lot more time and money than I was willing to sacrifice to the cause, so I decided buying a reasonably priced Super Soaker and spray-painting it black was a better bet in that case.

3. Use cheaper materials when you can

On that note — buying items for your costume may work well for some things, but many costumes will include components that just can’t be purchased. Captain America shields may be relatively easy to come by, but Harley Quinn hammers, on the other hand, are not.

When you’re faced with the need to fabricate a costume piece yourself, my advice is to do an internet search for others who have cosplayed as your character of choice — someone almost definitely has, and has likely even written about it — and take a look at how they went about crafting that particular piece. Even if you don’t follow their method exactly, this is usually a good way to get ideas for how you’ll do it yourself.

Fabrication is one aspect of cosplay that will test your creativity (which, obviously, is what makes it so great). But never underestimate what can be done with craft foam, hot glue, and thrifted clothes. If you’re willing to spend some time searching and strategizing, you can find all sorts of ways to create something using materials that won’t break the bank.

4. Know where to get what you need

So you’ve decided on what you’ll need to put this costume together — but where will you find all of it?

This is another place where the internet will come in handy. Places like Etsy are a fantastic resource for special costume items that aren’t readily available. Look for vintage items that could be repurposed as costume pieces, or see if you can find smaller hard-to-find pieces that are reasonably priced — it may take a little extra digging, but with some patience and the right search terms, you can find them.

Other great places include craft stores like Michaels, JoAnn’s and the like. And thrift stores like Savers or Goodwill can often be a gold mine for things that can be bought on the cheap and remade into the perfect costume piece.

5. Simple is best

Finally, one of the main things to keep in mind is that a costume doesn’t have to be complicated or super detailed to be awesome. A stylized or simplified version can cost way less than trying to incorporate every detail of the original, and it can look just as great and be just as much fun to wear. This is another great area to get creative — dream up a modernized version of an Assassin’s Creed character, go as a hipster Disney princess, or imagine what Robin’s street clothes would look like. With a little ingenuity, you’ll find that cosplaying on a budget can be as nuanced, innovative, and enjoyable as the more expensive variety — and often, even more so.

These are just some of the ways to enjoy cosplaying without going broke. What are your favorite tips and tricks for cosplaying on a budget? Share your ideas in the comments!

———————————
Share questions, ideas for articles, or comments with us!

Email us at nerdologists@gmail.com
Follow us on Twitter at @NerdologistCast
Message me directly on Twitter at @Kefka73
Visit us on Facebook here.

Cosplay as a concept came into being a long time before Comic Con was a thing (this article states that the first cosplayer donned his first costume in 1939), and it’s a pretty broad concept at that — essentially, anyone who dresses up in costume to attend a fan convention or other large fan event (like a movie premiere or a video game release) can be termed a cosplayer.

At its heart, cosplaying simply means dressing up as a fictional character — and that (very vague) definition allows for just as much variety and nuance as you’d expect. Cosplaying can be as simple as purchasing and wearing a pre-made costume, or as elaborate as creating a handmade one from scratch and putting your own unique spin on an existing character (Totoro-inspired ball gown, anyone?).

There are many hot topics when it comes to cosplay — what determines how good a costume is, how much work should go into one, whether or not you need to have made a costume yourself for it to “count,” what is and isn’t appropriate when it comes to reinterpreting a character according to your own vision, and many more.

But I’d advise those of you who are new to the cosplaying scene not to get too bogged down in all of that. That’s because the best thing about cosplay is that just about anything goes as long as you’re enjoying yourself and being respectful both of the character you’re cosplaying and of your fellow cosplayers.

Aside from the many and wildly varied opinions about it, cosplay can also seem overwhelming due to the sheer investment of time (and, let’s face it, plain ol’ money) it requires. It’s easy to see pictures of the awe-inspiring cosplays out there and just think, “That’s it…I’ll never be that good!” And maybe you won’t — but guess what? That’s completely okay! Cosplay is one of those things that you can work super hard at and spend a ton of time on, or approach in a more casual and lighthearted fashion, and have just as much fun with it either way.

But don’t sell yourself short, either. Maybe for your first cosplay, you stick with something simple and just get a feel for it before you throw more time and energy into it. But who knows — maybe as you get into it, you’ll find that you’re really passionate about it, and before you know it, you’re the next one to take home a 1st place award from your favorite con!

But again, whether you jazz up last year’s Halloween costume or decide to make your own chainmail, if you have a good time with it and dress up as a character you love, you can’t go wrong.

This is just a quick overview to give you a better idea of what cosplay’s all about, but as we know, there’s a ton more to talk about where cosplay is concerned! So be on the lookout for more articles from me about cosplay during the next couple of weeks — we’ll cover things like cosplaying on a budget, some of the cultural/historical aspects of cosplay, and more! And as always, let me know if there’s something in particular that you’d love to know more about, and I’ll add it to the docket.

—————–

Share questions, ideas for articles, or comments with us!

Email us at nerdologists@gmail.com
Follow us on Twitter at @NerdologistCast
Message me directly on Twitter at @Kefka73
Visit us on Facebook here.