Every month in OTW Signal we take a look at stories that connect to the OTW’s mission and projects, including legal, technology, academic, fannish history, and preservation issues that are important for fandom, fan culture or transformative works.

In the News

Costume fandom and cosplay are both proponents of creativity, drive, and expression of self as discussed in this Transformative Works and Cultures (TWC) article on the history of costuming, its practices, and its motivations.

Firstly, the article defines the difference between cosplay and costuming.

Cosplay is specifically defined as dressing up and performing as fictional characters from any intellectual property, particularly science fiction and fantasy. In addition to physical appearance, people may express their cosplay through narratives, characteristics, and traits associated with the character. As of recent research, features such as ease of wear, looks, creative challenges of making the costume, the availability of the costume if it is not created by the cosplayer, or even following group cosplays or themes are equally present as motivations for cosplaying. Along with fictional characters, cosplayers may also reproduce non-player characters, background characters, and unnamed characters.

Costuming, on the other hand, is defined by the International Costumer’s Guild (ICG) as the art and practice of designing, wearing, and creating costumes as a representation of a character or concept to express creativity, craftsmanship, and the use of various materials and techniques to achieve a certain look or adhere to a degree of accuracy. Many costumers begin with what the ICG calls Re-creation costumes—reproductions or derivations of designs from various visual media—before branching out to the Historic and Original costume categories. Historic costumers research, document, and reproduce designs from various time periods—this is seen in Renaissance fairs, English Regency dances, balls, and the like. Finally, Original costumers are either inspired by their own imagination or literary description.

Costume fandom and cosplay are both their own fan practices, rather than being derivatives of one another. While sharing similar qualities such as possibly being inspired by an already existing work, they both have their preferred terms and definitions, which must be respected.

For example, in the field of fan studies, mashups or steampunk versions of characters are considered transformative; in costume fandom, they’re called Re-creation costumes. But while costume fandom and cosplay are distinct, costumers and cosplayers often share similar motivations in their craft. As said in the article, these can include but are not limited to: practicality, creativity, aesthetics, gaining or improving craft skills, and other fans’ creations or praise.

Fans and creators recently gathered together to celebrate African comics, animation, gaming, and more at the 2024 Lagos Comic Con (LCC). An article from OkayAfrica sums up what makes LCC so special:

…Lagos Comic Con is providing a multi-generational platform for African comic publishers to thrive and for their readers to see themselves reflected in their published works. As some of the attendees told OkayAfrica, Lagos Comic Con provides a safe, judgment-free space for people with shared interests to revel in and freely discuss their interests. Although Comic Conventions are a great way for animation and comic book lovers to meet their favorite voice-over actors as well as the writers and publishers of their beloved comic books, these events have almost always been out of reach for Africans—with Lagos Comic Con, animation and comic book lovers on the continent can be a part of a strong community that appreciates their interests.

Asked about African representation in comics, cosplayer Kelechi was excited by Akintoba Kalejaye’s VISIONARY series about Yoruba god of thunder, Shango (Sango), telling OkayAfrica that “[It] was interesting when I saw [Shango] was made into a comic and not just the European gods.” Fellow cosplayer Peephunkey agreed: “We should have Sango as our own Thor out there.”

A process that often takes months of planning, LCC’s cosplayers’ character interpretation is a “journey of self-discovery and community”. Find out about another such journey in this new article from TWC, which follows a group of fans of the video game Until Dawn and explores their use of cosplay to disrupt and restory horror stereotypes.

OTW Tips

Did you know the OTW can be found at fan conventions? Come find us anywhere from Comic Cons and fannish gatherings to your local library event! Local volunteers represent the OTW at cons around the world—we have had events on four continents so far.

Expect to find games like #OTWThreeTropeDraw, where you draw three cards from the OTW card deck (available as a donation gift!) and then use those as a fanwork prompt. We also have the fic rec board, where everyone gets to take and leave a recommendation of their favorite story. At the end of the event, we put up a collection with everything people added to the board. We also have stickers, zines, and ribbons, and we love to talk fandom!

Are you involved in an event and want to see the OTW there? Email our Development & Membership Committee.

We want your suggestions for the next OTW Signal post! If you know of an essay, video, article, podcast, or news story you think we should know about, send us a link. We are looking for content in all languages! Submitting a link doesn’t guarantee that it will be included in an OTW post, and inclusion of a link doesn’t mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.