Cosplay Resources

I made a page for my Costume History LibGuide about Cosplay. I was surprised how hard it was to find good sources — so I’m sharing and hoping you will help me grow this list. Feel free to copy!

https://pxhere.com/en/photo/530452

Word List

This word list, which isn’t in my guide, should be useful for all you librarians. I’ve marked the LCSHs with an asterisk.

With this wordlist, I’ve had success in databases finding useful articles from about 2002 forward.

Cosplay*	costume design*	characters
alternative histories*	fashion*	video games*
fans (persons)*	clothing and dress*	comic strip characters*
steampunk culture*	gear	cartoon characters*
role playing*	gadget	video game characters*
victorian futurism	models and modelmaking*	dungeons and dragons*
fantasy	contraption	superhero
cybergothic, cyberpunk	technology in art*	women superfheroes*
fandom	wearable technology	graphic novels*
roleplay	clockwork	manga
subculture*	dress up	anime
geeks (computer enthusiasts)*		comic books, strips, etc.*
dystopian
street style
speculative
otaku

Books about Cosplay and Steampunk

Here are a few good books we have in our library; do you have others you can recommend?

• Costuming Cosplay: Dressing the Imagination by Therèsa M. Winge ISBN: 9781350035898, 2019 A serious study of the cosplay world, its costumes and performers. “Costuming Cosplay . . . [examines] how the practice of portraying fictional characters from popular culture through dress and performance has become a creative means of expressing and playing with different identities.”
• Anatomy of Steampunk: The Fashion of Victorian Futurism by Katherine Gleason; K. W. Jeter (Foreword by); Diana Pho (Introduction by) ISBN: 9781937994280, 2013 A book of ideas, showing specific individuals’ Steampunk efforts, and some instructions. There are many books in the popular press that show examples and include instructions. This is one example. “Steampunk fashion is not only entertaining, dynamic, and irreverent; it can also be colorful, sexy, and provocative.”
• Practical Fashion Tech: Wearable Technologies for Costume, Cosplay, and Everyday  by Joan Horvath; Lyn Hoge; Rich Cameron ISBN: 9781484216637, 2016 A hands-on how-to costuming book for enthusiasts that includes adding electronics. ” The fundamentals of both the sewing and the technology aspects of wearable tech for fashion; How to make a memorable costume that reacts to its wearer or environment “
• Productive Fandom: Intermediality and Affective Reception in Fan Cultures by Nicolle Lamerichs ISBN: 9789048528318, 2018 A collection of academic articles on specific fan cultures. “. . . a media ethnography of the digital culture, conventions, and urban spaces associated with fandoms, arguing that fandom is an area of productive, creative, and subversive value.”
• The Superhero Costume: identity and disguise in fact and fiction by Barbara Brownie; Danny Graydon; Joanne B. Eicher (Series edited by) ISBN: 9781472595911, 2015 “This book provides the first interdisciplinary analysis of the superhero costume and investigates wide-ranging issues such as identity, otherness, ritual dress and disguise. “

Some Cosplay Websites

I only found a few that were not sales-oriented. What others are you aware of?

• Wikipedia Overview
• Steampunk: Wikipedia Note: Wikipedia has tagged this as needing more resources; why don’t you help fix it?
• Cosplay Tutorial: Tutorial List A web page that lists and tracks tutorials of many types from many places: how to make anything from a tutu to a four-handed bug.
• Anime Character Database Choose the characteristics you desire and see a montage of characters to copy.
  Also: Anime series finder by year, themes, etc.

Organizations

After Comic-con International, (San Diego), the list of orgs and events should probably be local. On my guide, I have the nearest large convention and several local groups.