Neal Adams

What populates a comic-book convention? Well there's actors, and there's dealers, and there's comic-book artists and writers, and there's cosplay people, toy sales people, people who are selling trading cards, and people selling swords. It's not a flea market.

American Artist

Paul Di Filippo

Steampunk, the repurposing of Victorian culture and technology for contemporary fun and profit, is so ubiquitous - in media, books, fashion, music, cosplay, and maker culture - that we tend to imagine its superficial aspects are all that define it.

American Writer

Mary Wiseman

I've seen so much good Tilly cosplay. I've seen a lot of Captain Killy. I've seen a Cadet Tilly with dreads. I've seen stuff - it's the most incredible experience, and I think I probably fangirl over the cosplayers more than they do over me.

American Actress

Yaya Han

It can literally change someone's life; it's very positive for young teenagers to get into cosplay if they do it with their friends or with supervision from their parents - it can really foster their social skills.

Chinese Designer

Camilla Luddington

I think Comic Con pushes you to have a little more fun and be playful. Everyone else is dressed in cosplay... it would feel weird to wear something boring when you're standing next to a Khaleesi!

English Actress

Lights

I've never been this massive artist, but I've always had this really wicked cool fanbase - people that really dive in, know every single B-side, and cosplay characters at our shows.

Canadian Musician

Jessica Nigri

I've been fairly private about my personal life. I've been approached by other companies to do a documentary about cosplay and about my life, but I've never felt comfortable.

American Entertainer

Wil Wheaton

I've done a lot of geeky things in my life, but I think the geekiest of all was my first effort to build props and cosplay, when I was about twelve years-old.

American Actor

Xavier Woods

I do a bunch of cosplay stuff with a guy by the name of Michael Mosley. He's fantastic. We always go to an event called DragonCon together every September.

American Wrestler

Simon Sinek

I have friends who are majorly into the cosplay culture and have urged me to go to a convention for no other reason than to meet others like me.

English Author

Cosplay is often linked to pop culture conventions and fan gatherings.

Pop Culture

Cosplay allows fans to creatively express their admiration for a character.

Creative Expression

Attention to detail is important to accurately represent a character in cosplay.

Attention to Detail

To cosplay a character means not just dressing like them, but also acting like them.

Character Embodiment

People also cosplay at events like movie premieres and book releases.

Beyond Conventions

Cosplay can showcase personal skills such as sewing, crafting, and makeup.

Personal Skill Showcase

 Now ostensibly, cosplay means people who dress up as their favorite characters from film and television and especially anime, but it is so much more than that. These aren't just people who find a costume and put it on -- they mash them up. They bend them to their will. They change them to be the characters they want to be in those productions.