Colourful characters invade Adelaide to celebrate International Cosplay Day

Updated

Around 300 superheroes, anime stars, video game villains and costumed characters will invade Adelaide’s Elder Park this Saturday to celebrate the global craze of cosplay.

The term cosplay, or costume play, is believed to have originated in mid-1980s Japan, when reporter Nobuyuki Takahashi wrote about a group of extravagantly dressed fans at the 1984 World Science Fiction Convention.

As opposed to simply wearing a costume, cosplayers adopt the personality of their character.

The origins of costume play can be dated back to the first World Science Convention at New York in 1939 when sci-fi fan and collector Forrest J Ackerman dressed in a futuristic costume.

Current adaptations gained popularity through social media and similar conventions in the past two decades.

Dressing up for cosplay

Cosplayers go to great lengths to imitate their favourite character with wigs, make-up, contact lenses and body paint frequently used to complement outfits.

The sale of cosplay items and costumes is now a multi-billion dollar industry throughout Asia and the US.

Cosplayers either purchase pre-made costumes or hand-craft their own, though to some cosplayers the only true form is the homemade costume.

“Sometimes people can be a little bit elitist, especially if they have made their costumes,” Caroline Short, a cosplayer and the event organiser said.

“I, personally, don’t see that there is a difference.”

Ms Short, 16, decided to create a Facebook event to celebrate the international day.

She has been overwhelmed by the local response.

“When I made the event...I posted it to a couple of cosplay groups that I was a part of I thought a maximum number of people of about 30 [would be attending], so having over 250 people is a huge surprise.”

The attraction of cosplay

Ms Short said a wide range of people are attracted to cosplay, particularly those who might be introverted and see the hobby as a great way to lose their inhibitions by creating their own persona or hero.

“It has helped me get a lot more friends and made me more confident," she said.

Teenagers are not the only ones attracted to the culture, with participants' ages extending to their 30s and beyond.

International Cosplay Day Adelaide will be held at Elder Park, King William Road, from midday August 30.

Topics: popular-culture, roleplay, grown-ups, adelaide-5000

First posted