The Magic of Transformation

Cosplay offers a new way to experience favorite characters

by

Kristina Wheeler vividly remembers the first time she was up close and personal with Captain Jack Sparrow and Pokémon gym leader Misty. They weren’t Hollywood stars lighting up a screen; they were regular people like her — except that they were dressed as characters at a convention.

Thinking back to her first experience with costume play — more commonly known as cosplay — Wheeler recalls the joy of seeing fictional characters from films, comic books, anime, TV and video games come to life. A few years and more than 50 conventions later, cosplay has become an intrinsic part of her life. But instead of just observing, Wheeler is the one in costume now.

Among the characters she portrays are Shinobu from the Japanese manga series “Demon Slayer,” Pokemon’s Glaceon and Anna from Disney’s “Frozen,” which always goes over well. “Everyone lights up when you’re doing a character they really love. It’s a great feeling,” she says.

Although a hobby and performance art that’s been around for decades — the term was coined in Japan in 1984 — cosplay has really taken off in Richmond in recent years, Wheeler says. She is the co-founder of a local meetup group called Cos-Slayers (on TikTok as @cosslayers) and an administrator of an online group, the Cosplayers of Virginia.

The cosplay community is known for its acceptance and positive energy, Wheeler says. “Cosplay is for everyone. People are accepting of each other. Everyone is loved and taken care of in our group.”

Friend and fellow cosplayer Emm Wilde, who prefers they/them pronouns, agrees. Wilde has been cosplaying for more than 10 years, and it’s changed their life. “It is such a wonderful way to express yourself, whether you’re showing love for a character in a bought costume or showing great craftsmanship and artistry with handmade garments. It is truly a world for anybody,” they say.

In addition to supporting the creativity of cosplay, the community encourages people to be free and comfortable in themselves, Wilde explains. “I am a queer, gender-nonconforming neurodivergent, and I recently became a paraplegic, so I am now in a wheelchair. Even with this new disability, I have still been welcomed into competitions and group cosplays, and my regular cosplay group is working to better accommodate my disability for future cons as well.”

Getting Started

A quick internet search will show that costumes are widely available for purchase, but creating their own is part of the fun for many cosplayers — and can help keep cosplay budget friendly. When Wheeler began, she assembled costumes by pairing items from eBay and Amazon with things she already owned. “A lot of people do what is called closet cosplay — use what you have and make it into a character,” she says.

When you’re ready to join the community, you can scale cosplay to your personal comfort level. Some cosplayers meet at local parks or restaurants. Pop culture conventions such as Comicon offer an opportunity to showcase their hard work, see what other cosplayers are wearing, and pick up ideas or props. Richmond hosts conventions throughout the year (see below), which can reduce travel costs. For more options, visit fancons.com for a list of nationwide conventions.   

Save the Dates