Cosplayer Acrostic

Wikipedia puts acrostics under the category of Graphic Poetry, which seemed appropriate for a group of people whose hobby originates in graphic novels and computer graphics!

C – Creatively costumed – okay, so that’s two C’s, but both true. Competitive also works, though many cosplayers dress merely to express and share their fandom, not to win prizes.

O – Otaku is a Japanese word to describe people with obsessive interests, particularly anime, manga, or video games. (Warning: in Japan it’s often used negatively.)

S – Super-fans - Cosplayers are more than just casual fans. Casual fans might not even show up to a con, let alone dress in costume as a much-beloved character!

P – Performers – Cosplay is more than just wearing a costume, it involves taking on the characteristics of the fictional persona, which is why it is sometimes described as performance art.

L – Labor of Love – It takes a certain level of dedication to prepare for cosplay, since often accessories need to be made by hand (going back to “C”, above) and elaborate hair and makeup is often involved, all of which costs time and money. Live-action is another way to use the “L”, since cosplay involves bringing to life characters that previously only existed in graphic form.

A - Accessorize – As mentioned above, accessories complete the costume and a good cosplayer works hard to do it well.

Y – Youthful enthusiasm – Cosplay isn’t for kids, but for those who have decided not to put aside what others might call childish. Instead, cosplayers embrace those things in the name of fun. “Y” could also stand for Generation Y, since most cosplayers fall into that demographic.

E – Expressive – clearly cosplay is an expression of creativity and fandom.

R – Risk Takers – Cosplayers put themselves out there, wearing costumes that non-fanboys and fangirls might call ridiculous, sometimes even risqué, in the name of their fandom!