Cosplay: Why heroes walk among us

Creating costumes and dressing up as characters are entertaining pastimes for fans and artists of the cosplay community.

Events like the Windsor ComiCon attract fans of all ages. Comic book collectors, artists, fans of movies and televison shows and people in costumes all attended this year’s event. Those dressed in costume are referred to as cosplayers. Cosplayers dress up as characters from movies, books, video games and other media and participate in conventions and attend cosplay events.

Cosplay began in the 1930s in North America. Back then it was called costuming. The term cosplay was invented in 1984 by a Japanese reporter, Nobuyuki Takahashi, after he attended a science convention in Los Angeles. Takahashi combined the words costume and play to create the term.

Rachel Petersen, 30, has been cosplaying for six years and considers herself a “semi-professional” cosplayer. She goes by ReyGray Cosplay on social media where she posts photos of her costumes. She sees cosplay as not only a way to express her interest in something but also a fun way to escape from some of the stress of daily routines.

“It’s freedom from our daily nine-to-five,” Peterson said.

Emma Scott, 19, is a student in the St.Clair College fashion design technician program. Scott is also a cosplayer who uses the name thescottydogscostumes on social media and enjoys making her own costumes. Scott agrees with Petersen about cosplay being a way to appreciate a piece of entertainment, as well as a way to boost confidence.

“I was scared to death of walking in that hall, afraid that people would judge me, and that I would feel too overwhelmed, but I ended up having a lot of fun,” Scott said. “I guess dressing as a hero really boosts your ego.”