Crossplaying and Cosplaying

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Some cosplayers may dress as characters that do not fit their gender. A girl may cosplay the masculine Vegeta while a boy might dress as the frilly, feminine Madoka. In these instances, the cosplayers are entitled ‘crossplayers’ because they’re cosplaying a character that isn’t their gender.

Here’s some advice when interacting with a crossplayer:

-Do not automatically believe they’re homosexual: when I cosplayed a male character people thought I was a homosexual. This doesn’t sound terrible at all, but being verbally and mentally harassed for supposedly being one is. While I do support homosexuals and whatnot, I’m a heterosexual woman who’s incredibly confident with her orientation. I know who and what I am. I felt comfortable with cosplaying the character (Jack Skellington) because I love the outfit and I can relate to the character. Speaking of which…

-Do not stop them from cosplaying the character: that character could have important meaning to them.  For me, cosplaying Jack Skellington was crafted from relating to the character (being bored of a routine life and finding something new and heavily embracing it), my overall admiration for “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and Tim Burton, and how that movie has shaped me into the creative individual I am today.

-Never humiliate them: or any cosplayer or anyone for that matter.  This includes trying to convert their sexuality into something or someone they’re not, publicly shaming them, sexual assault, and generally making them uncomfortable. No one likes experiencing those things regardless of their cosplay or sexual orientation.

-Treat them as a human being: because that’s what they are! Crossplayers (regardless of orientation) are just like you and me. There’s no need to mock them, degrade them or bring any harm to. Make friends with them, talk about how much your fandoms are fantastic, and just generally be good person.

Cosplaying is about having fun regardless of who you dress as or what that character’s gender is. Everyone cosplays characters for their own reasons, so let them express their love for their character.

Thank you for reading tonight’s entry. If you enjoyed it, feel free to comment, critique, share and subscribe.

So tell me, have you ever crossplayed?

Never Too Old for Cosplay

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

I apologize for the lack of entries last week – crafting cosplays, con going, and con recovery are incredibly tiring and fun. This past weekend I attended the Steampunk World’s Fair and from that con, I’ve retrieved some wisdom which has reassured me about one thing in life.

You're never too old for cosplay.

This is something I’ve learned at the Steampunk World’s Fair wherein I saw a good amount of elderly people cosplaying. They cosplayed couple outfits such as a bee and her beekeeper, an octopus and a fisher, and simply Victorian clad personas. Their outfits were wonderful and highly detailed and it made me wonder if older people spend their retirement money on cosplay.

When we think of growing old we recall things the media has shown us: travelling the world, retirement homes with Sunday bingo and crocheting, sitting around the house and knitting, grandchildren, medical bills and daily pills. Yet I find that even that concept has changed too and where some elders may engage in these activities, others might cosplay as I have witnessed this past weekend.

                                                                                                                   

Most of you are probably in your teens and twenties like me and embracing youth. None of us are contemplating retirement or when we hit our fifties. Yet sometimes in the late hours of the night or in the quietest moments of the day, we begin to wonder about ourselves. Will we be doing what we want to well into our lives? Will we still be the same person? Will we grow out of something we love by force of adulthood and responsibilities or stay true to it?

For someone who constantly wonders about the future and who I will be, it’s refreshing and wondrous to see elders cosplaying. It’s wonderful and reassuring to see creativity and passion outlast the hardships of life and our youth. It also shows that we still can have vivid imaginations and be ourselves right until our dying day. Maybe when I’m in my retirement, I can scrimp and save and craft some wondrous cosplay like what I saw at the Steampunk World’s Fair.

Will I be ninety five and still cosplaying? I would like to because it’s a part of who I am and knowing that it’s accepted by society, is strongly enticing and inviting.

Thanks for reading tonight’s entry. If you enjoyed it, feel free to comment, critique, share, and subscribe.

So tell me, have you ever seen older people cosplaying?

Basic Tips for Cosplay

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Tonight I’m going to impart some wisdom that has taken me a good time to realize, especially when it comes to cosplaying. Cosplaying is dressing up as a particular character that you happen to enjoy. People partake in this activity at various conventions; myself included.

So far I have only cosplayed a Pikachu gijinka, Emily Cavanaugh Gracey, and a female version of Lupin the Third (green jacket). In the near future, I’ll be doing a few more cosplays. From my brief experiment, I’ve realized that cosplay is like crafting a science fair project that can blow up in your face or be incredible. Here’s hoping you learn from my advice.

3. Alter

Alter, alter, alter. Alter your cosplay to fit your budget (especially if you have priorities like bills and rent), alter your cosplay to fit your body type, alter your cosplay to fit your dreams. For cosplaying on a budget, Dollar Stores and thrift stores are an automatic go to. Tutorials also help and show you how to lessen the cost of your cosplay. Or, you could be incredibly lucky like me and somehow unintentionally have your cosplay halfway completed.

2. Plan Ahead

It’s always good to schedule yourself for crafting cosplays. It’s also good to safely financially structure yourself so you can make your orders online (and estimate their shipping time), while paying off your bills. Also, prepare back up options for things you need for your cosplay as opposed to being determined to use that one thing that the stores may or may not have. 

1.Give Yourself Time

This is something I still somehow manage to forget about because time rushes by, especially when you’re older. It’s currently April 14^th. My two cosplays are barely completed and I have two conventions on May 14^th and May 15^th. I also work during the week from 9 to 5 and when I get home I have even more personal work to do.

See my dilemma?

Now what I should have done was start my cosplay back in March or February, thus allowing me more time to do what I want to. Even so, I refuse to half attempt anything or rush it. I’ll be pulling all nighters to finish my cosplays because time is not going to stop me from doing what I want. 

Thank you for reading tonight’s entry. If you enjoyed it, feel free to comment, critique, share, and subscribe.

So tell me, what are some other good cosplay tips?