Outfit in picture
I am Cosplaying a Paratrooper from the 101st Airborne division. Place where my type of character have previously shown up are in the Medal of Honor and Call of Duty series, as well as several movies. My rank is 1st Sergeant. I have always been a military enthusiast and collector, and when that is coupled with my love of cosplay, things just added up.
How the outfit was made
I have been collecting military gear and memorabilia, with a focus on the Second World War, for quite some time now. Things have been coming together from different places, including old veteran friends, flea markets, and military surplus stores. This is nowhere near a complete or totally accurate airborne uniform; I still have much to do, and this was a cobbling together of military gear to make as accurate of a representation as I could. I hope that some time I will be able to create the full impression.
Reactions to the outfit
I had a lot of positive reactions to this outfit. Lots of people wanted to take pictures with me, and I met some military veterans who I was able to share some interesting stories with. It was a fun experience. I had a few little kids who particularly liked my outfit, and I posed with them for a picture. I think their mother was pleased. I think I might have proved the whole “girls love a man in uniform” thing too, because the majority of attention I got was female.
What got me started
Ever since I was a child, the highlight of the year for me was Halloween. I loved dressing up and being someone else for a while. When I learned about cosplay, it was like a whole new world opened up to me. Now I could not only take the time to have fun being different characters, but I’d also meet like minded individuals who shared the same idea as I did.
The meaning of cosplay
Cosplaying to me is the opportunity to take some time away from the monotony of everyday life and be someone who you’ve always admired or felt you’ve had a connection to. I think everyone always had a fantasy as a child: some wanted to be a firefighter, or others a princess, or others an actor or football star. To me, cosplay is a chance to spend some time living that fantasy for a while. Anime and culture today is full of so many people we look up to or want to be, and sometimes (usually because the world they live in is fantasy) we know we will never get the chance to be them. Cosplay is the chance to actually be them: to dress like them, act like them, and have people recognize you as them. It is as much a social and group dynamic as it is a personal challenge. It’s my way of saying “I’m not bound by the limitations of reality.”
Con History
My first con was AOD in San Francisco. That kicked the craze off for me. My second con was this one; Fanime ’09, and most certainly my favorite. The atmosphere of the never-ending party and the fact that everyone accepted everyone is the most contagious thing I have ever witnessed. I’m sure I don’t even hold a feather to the hardcore cosplayers, but I’ll get there at some point.
Dream costume
I would love to be able to create accurately the dress of Ezio from Assassin’s Creed II. It is an incredibly compley costume, with lots of bell and tackle. There are many minute designs on the cloth, and for the full effect, it has to be tight and form-fitting. However, if it can be pulled off accurately with character included, it is a jaw-dropping costume that can take the eyes of everyone in a room.
