Cosplaying and other cool things at Comic-Con

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Written by Linda Hohnholz

Although cosplaying is something which takes place across the world, from South Korea to Australia and even Belgium, it’s arguably the USA which draws the biggest and best crowds due to the many popular conventions happening in the country. More specifically, it’s San Diego’s Comic-Con (July 18th – 21st) which has become a haven for cosplayers and anyone interested in sci-fi, fantasy, and pop culture entertainment. Cosplaying, as most people know by now, is the practice of dressing up as a character from a (usually well-known) movie, TV show, comic book, novel, or video game. The costumes can be incredibly detailed and cosplayers put a lot of time, money, and effort into dressing up as their favorite characters, usually with no reward other than displaying their hard work to other like-minded people!

There are many conventions to list in the USA, but we’ll discuss a few reasons why cosplayers often choose Comic-Con to have the chance to show off their latest creations. You don’t have to be a professional cosplayer to attend the event! It’s entirely possible to buy ready-made outfits if you like dressing up but don’t want to make your own ensemble. Buying a wig or dyeing and cutting your hair is also a hard choice! Many prefer to alter their real hair for a more authentic look, as wigs can be ugly and a bit too fake looking. If you wanted to cosplay as Jessica Hamby from True Blood, for example, why not dye your hair strawberry blonde to bring more realism to your image.

So, why is Comic-Con such a revered event for cosplayers?

You’re no longer the “odd one out”

Some might view cosplaying as a bit childish and silly, as they might think, “What kind of adult dresses up as a cartoon character?” Adults who don’t want to be like everyone else, that’s who! When you’re at Comic-Con, you’re among your peers and no one is judging you. Not everyone who visits the event is dressing up, but many choose to have engage in some sort of cosplay, whether it be a full costume or even just a prop.

It has history and a major following

Comic-Con has been around since 1970 and has been a huge annual event ever since. Of course, the 200,000 attendees is far more than it was back in the day, but people love Comic-Con because it’s really an event created by fans, for the fans. For lovers of video games, comic books, sci-fi and fantasy movies and TV shows, there’s really no better place than to soak it all up and have the time of your life.

Exclusive panels, workshops, and trailers

Nowadays, many movie studios choose Comic-Con as the first place to show a new trailer, particularly for superhero films from Marvel or DC. This is done as a tribute to all the dedicated fans of these movies and people love to go to the event for the first sneak peek at upcoming blockbusters. Often, actors, directors, and producers will attend panels at Comic-Con, so fans and media can ask questions and discover interesting behind-the-scenes facts. There’s also a lot of merchandise stands, meet and greet opportunities, and even a Best Cosplay Contest! So maybe, all the effort to dress up will be worth it to win the prize!

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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