Origins of Cosplay: How is it different from Halloween?
Fox News talks to cosplayers at Comic Con and author of 'Cosplay: The Fantasy World of Role Play,' Lauren Orsini to get all the facts on what cosplay actually is and why it is not just simply putting on a costume.
What's the difference between a Halloween costume and cosplay?
If you're a Comic Con veteran, the answer to that question migiht be crystal clear. But if you're a cosplay noob? It's probably more confusing.
Fortunately for us noobs, Lauren Orsini, the author of "Cosplay: The Fantasy World of Role Play," is giving Fox News the answer.
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Orisini explains that the concept of "cosplaying" was first practiced by Americans at World-Con in 1939, but the word "cosplay" — a portmanteau of the words cosplay and play — created by Japanese journalist Nobuyuki Takahashi in 1984.
And as for the difference between cosplay and simply wearing a Halloween costume?
“The best way to tell if somebody is cosplaying, is that they will be assuming the mannerisms of the character that they’re trying to portray," says Orsini, who also added that cosplay costumes are generally more involved than a Halloween costume. "They don’t just look like Superman, they might also have a pose like Superman too.”
Lawrence Asuncion, an experienced cosplayer who recently attended New York Comic Con as Voltron from the Netflix and DreamWorks series “Voltron: Legendary Defender," explains why his hobby is with the effort of building a costume and adopting the right mannerisms.
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“We can become anyone we want to be," says Asuncion, who spent at least 100 hours on the aforementioned Voltron costume. "And for the brief moments of Comic Con or other conventions like it, it's a chance to share that same passion with thousands of others.
"My favorite moments are from the reactions of kids and the sense of wonderment it brings into their eyes, as well as adults who turn into kids when they see a favorite character come to life," he adds.
Watch the segment above for more about the history of cosplay, along with some amazing examples of the craft.
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