Cosplay (costume play) is the art of wearing specific costume and accessories to dress as characters from mediums of entertainment such as film, television, comics and video games. Cosplaying is a hobby to most, which is usually exploited at Comic Cons, Expos and other entertainment events around the world. Heck, even I was bitten by the cosplay bug at EGX 2014 as I cosplayed for the very first time as DMC: Devil May Cry’s Dante. However, it can also become an occupation following recognition for the dedication that individuals put into their cosplay efforts. Such is the case for veteran cosplayers Jessica Nigri and Yaya Han.
San Diego and MCM London Comic Cons are events which welcome an impressive amount of diverse and individual cosplayers who seemingly bring their A-game every year with their efforts. YouTubers Sneaky Zebra have captured the incredible cosplayers doing what they do best in their videos below.
Cosplay Boom is a news website which offers daily cosplayer spotlights, music videos, tutorials and blog articles relating to the performance art and craft of cosplay. As a big BioWare fan, I was thrilled to see their recent video dedicated to those who cosplay as characters from both the Mass Effect and Dragon Age franchises. Hearing other fans discuss their views on BioWare and their iconic well-written characters is inspiring and clearly displays a dedicated fan base. But ultimately, Mass Effect and Dragon Age are popular in the cosplay stratosphere due to the levels of customisation available with each series – Commander Shepherd, The Hero of Ferelden and Hawk are created to your physical specifications and lend themselves perfectly to the nature of cosplay.
King of the North Cosplays
Chris Mason is a dedicated cosplay master from Warrington, England. His costume and physical dedications are stand out and have allowed him to be regarded as one of the World’s Fittest Cosplayers. His cosplay interests are predominantly formed from his love of movies and video games as he continues to build upon his catalogue of characters.
How long have you been cosplaying?
Just over a year and a half now
Which characters have you cosplayed as?
Dark Knight Rises Bane, Resident Evil 5 Chris Redfield, Mr Incredible, Casey Jones from TMNT, New 52 Version of Bane, Axel from Streets of Rage, Spartacus from Spartacus: Blood and Sand and Ken from Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist.
Which cons/expos/events have you cosplayed at?
MCM London, Birmingham and Manchester. LFCC, Eurogamer. Spartacus: Rebels Convention in Paris
Have you bumped into anyone who has been cosplaying as the same character as you?
I’ve bumped into several Dark Knight Rises Bane’s whilst cosplaying the character. Currently seems to be a popular Cosplay.
How expensive is it to cosplay?
It really, really varies. All depends on the individuals craft skill levels, materials they are working with and if commissions are needed. I’d love to have the incredible skills of some of the cosplayers I admire.
Which has been your favourite cosplay character and why?
Probably Chris Redfield, as it was such a broad learning experience and I was really happy with how it came together.
How do you find the cosplay community? Friendly? Competitive?
I have met some amazing people from Cosplaying, some people I feel blessed to know and now be friends with. There can be some negative and competitive attitudes, but it’s all down to the individual.
Why do you cosplay?
To have fun and hang out with some awesome people.
How far to you go when embodying a character? Do you role-play the character’s persona?
Mainly I train to become as close physically as I can to the character I wish to portray. Before I choose to do a cosplay I look at the character and consider how likely it is that I can get their physically.
Do you feel cosplay offers anything in terms of escapism?
Yes it’s a fun hobby, that allows you to become someone and something else. It has personally helped me gain confidence and meet some amazing like-minded people.
Would you ever consider LARPing?
I would really like to give it a go in the future, my friends Tabitha and Callum are both LARPers and always seem to have an awesome time.
Which characters would you be interested in cosplaying as in the future?
I would love to do an Assassin from the Assassin’s Creed games. Always wanted to do it, but always put it off. Currently looking at Shay Patrick Cormac from Assassins Creed: Rogue
Can you share your next cosplay character and how the costume making/acquiring is coming along?
I’m just about to make a start on the S.T.A.R.S Version of Chris Redfield from the original Resident Evil. I’m just at the sourcing stage now.
I can see that you’ve really nailed the physique of your Chris Redfield and Spartacus cosplays. How do you approach the physical challenges of adapting your body to fit the physicality of your cosplay character?
If there is a character I really wish to do after figuring out if the costume itself is possible, I take a look at the characters physique and try to think if I can change myself to closer resemble the character in the time frame I wish to adhere to. Then I will change my diet accordingly and my training route in regards to cardio and weights. Some characters also have body parts that stand out like Chris’s forearms and tricep’s so I will give those additional attention. The two characters that were most different were Dark Knight Rise’s Bane and Spartacus. Bane I needed to bulk up as much as possible especially around the arms and shoulders. Spartacus was light weight, a lot of time on the treadmill and rowing machine and a lot of dietary changes. Eating far less and being very strict with what I was eating, not much fun lol.
Check out King of the North Cosplays’ Facebook page here
Giulio Nardozzi
Giulio Nardozzi is a veteran cosplayer who views cosplaying as art as opposed to perceptions of it as a competition. He has received numerous recognition for his cosplay talents and won the ‘Best Video Game Couple’ cosplay award at Rome Comix 2013 (with fellow cosplayer Leon Chiro). On the art of cosplaying, he states:
For me cosplay is not a joke, it is a real evasion out of reality. It is like a daydream.
How long have you been cosplaying?
I’ve been cosplaying for three amazing years.
Which characters have you cosplayed as?
I’ve cosplayed in order from first to last: Gray Fullbuster from Fairy Tail, Gohan Super Saiyan 2 (Cell Game), Dante from DMC 3, Dante from DmC: Devil May Cry and Neo Dante (one skin DLC).
Which cons/expos/events have you cosplayed at?
I’ve been to Lucca Comics and Games, Rimini Comix, Naples Comicon, and Romics in Rome.
Have you bumped into anyone who has been cosplaying as the same character as you?
Yes, it was a funny moment!
How expensive is it to cosplay?
In my opinion is not very expensive because I often look for cheap materials and fabrics. But it depends on the costume.
Which has been your favourite cosplay character and why?
My favourite character was immediately the last, Dante, because I relate to him a lot.
How do you find the cosplay community? Friendly? Competitive?
In Italy they’re so competitive, unlike other countries.
Why do you cosplay?
Cosplay make me feel free and careless. For me it is not a joke but it is a real evasion out of reality. It is like a daydream. I’m very happy about it, because I can show my creativity to make costumes starting from 0 people to other people.
How far to you go when embodying a character? Do you role-play the character’s persona?
For me embodying is really important as it’s half of the work.
Do you feel cosplay offers anything in terms of escapism?
Yes, I do.
Would you ever consider LARPing?
No, not for now.
Which characters would you be interested in cosplaying as in the future?
Link from the Legend of Zelda.
Can you share your next cosplay character and how the costume making/acquiring is coming along?
Perhaps, it’s in project but the latest version of Link (blue clothe).
Check out Giulio Nardozzi‘s Facebook page here.