My first time in cosplay was when I was fresh out of the military and was fighting depression and PTSD. The first character was D.Va from Overwatch. I played her as a tank and did a deep dive into her story. Her cosplay led me to do Kiari, Canary, Korra, and so on! I am very grateful to the character D.Va as doing her cosplay opened the door to many opportunities.
My running goal with my cosplays is to get any and everyone into cosplaying that one character that they felt a connection with. With everything going on in this nation it’s nice to escape into the world of creatives, comics, manga, books, anime, cartoons..etc.
My favorite part about being a cosplayer is feeling as if I am in the world of the character I am portraying. Every character I have cosplayed, a connection was formed as I feel that would be me if I was in that story. I pride myself to not wear wigs but my natural hair with all my cosplays because yes its the character but its still me.
- Instagram – MidoriHana08
My first cosplay was actually Uraraka Ocacho from My Hero Academia in 2019
My favorite part about cosplay is that it forces you to think outside the box. There is no one right way to cosplay , whether you choose to buy them, craft them from scratch , or do closet cosplays , and that is the beauty of it.
You are also able to embody the character in any way you like whether it true to the character or to twist it to match your personality or personal style. The possibilities are endless in cosplay.
- Instagram – Animeinkart1
My first cosplay build was the Samurai Link.
I’m in my 2nd year of cosplay building with my Ghost of Hyrule/ Samurai Link being my first cosplay build ever, and my SOLDIER of Hyrule/ Link Strife being my 2nd.
I’ve only entered 3 cosplay contests and have won 2 awards (2023 DreamCon judges Award, 2024 BlerdCon Best Journeyman). My builds are detailed and creatively solid mashups of different characters
The building process. I love getting hands on and allowing for a creative outlet since I haven’t been painting/drawing as much as I’d want to in recent years. Foam building has been my main focus but I just taught myself sewing this year for the Link Strife cosplay
- Instagram – roux_fee_ohh
Instagram – Gabefreeland
I started cosplaying at cons in 2019 but I’ve always enjoyed making costumes and cosplay. I like to make my cosplay using mixed materials and things that I’ve thrift.
- Instagram – Madimorphosis_
My first time cosplaying was at Dragoncon many moons ago. I had fun! I was trying to cosplay one of the Aes Sedai from Wheel of Time, but I looked like a medieval maiden (laugh!).
I love what I recently discovered, that cosplaying can not only bring you joy, but others as well.
- Instagram – nubianarwen
My first experience as a cosplayer was at BlerDCon, where I cosplayed as Zoro from One Piece, Nanami from Jujutsu Kaisen, and Miles Morales. I was really nervous at first since cosplaying was a new space for me, but everyone at BlerDCon was incredibly welcoming and created a safe environment. It was so rewarding to see months of hard work on my cosplays appreciated by others. I also had a lot of fun getting into character, taking pictures with people, and seeing the creativity of others through their cosplays.
My favorite part about being a cosplayer is the entire process of bringing a character to life, from start to finish. It begins with inspiration, often from a show, anime, comic book, or manga that resonated with me, whether because the character is significant to the story, highly relatable, or simply just cool. I love the research and creative process that follows, where I gather materials and craft the costume, not just to replicate the look, but to add my own personal touch and truly make it my own.
- Instagram – jeysthoughts
My first time cosplaying was way back in 2013. I was getting ready for my first convention, and I wanted to submerge myself in the anime/con culture, so after looking at several YouTube videos about conventions, I decided to give cosplay a try! At the time, I was very obsessed with an anime called Hetalia, so ultimately, I wanted my first cosplay to be from that anime. I used my birthday money to buy myself a costume and went to several stores looking for a wig. I gathered small accessories and I poorly styled my very first wig. But I enjoyed every step of the way. I was proud when it all came together.
Wearing my cosplay at the convention made me extremely happy. I met other cosplayers and saw all the possibilities of who you can dress up as. By the end of the convention, I fell in love with cosplaying.
My favorite part of being a cosplayer is seeing how I can add my personal flare and style to a character. I like having cosplays reflect the type of energy and vibe I want to bring to them!
- Instagram – its.kerobits
- Instagram – jeysthoughts
- Instagram – JussySama
My first time cosplaying was the Summer of 2021 at Central Florida Comic Con. The cosplay was Kikyo from Inuyasha.
I love the community/camaraderie. It was hard a group of people to feel close to after the military, so I found that in the anime convention scene.
- Instagram – _celestialcj_
- Instagram – shotbyrwj
My first time being a cosplayer was very nerve-wracking. It was my first time fully dressing in character and I was so nervous about how my outfit would look! In the end, the experience was AMAZING and the pictures have since been published in a magazine!
- Instagram – les_ann21
- Instagram – ShunBImages
My first cosplay was a closet cosplay of the Joker. After that I started body painting and the rest is history.
- Instagram – everything.fe
- Instagram – elia_lizcano_photography
- Instagram – callme_msroyalty
- Instagram – rochellejlochner