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Celebrate the World of Cosplay in Overstreet's New Guide

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by Andy Mueller

Over the last few years, as comic book conventions have exploded into massively popular pop culture events, one of the biggest reasons for that has been the rise of cosplay.

The Overstreet Guide to Cosplay (SEP151411) takes an in-depth look at this vibrant hobby with "how to" articles on the various ways to get a costume together, things to expect at conventions, the issues facing cosplayers today, and a wide variety of topics that even the most seasoned seamstress will find thought-provoking.

Cosplay newbies and veterans alike will find a lot to love in this book, particularly since it's packed cosplayer photos.

PREVIEWSworld was able to speak with the guide's authors Melissa Bowersox, Eddie Newsome, and Carrie Wood to learn more about the world of cosplay found in their new book.

The Overstreet Guide to Cosplay (SEP151411) is in comic shops November 25.

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PREVIEWSworld: Cosplay seems to be more popular than ever, but just how big has the world of cosplay become?

Carrie Wood: I think anyone who’s been going to conventions for longer than a couple of years would agree that it’s totally exploded. I started attending anime conventions in 2002 and I remember being pretty blown away by it then – now, it’s seemingly more common to see someone at a con in costume than out of one.

Eddie Newsome: Cosplay has evolved from a hobby, to a movement, to what is now a culture with a life and pulse of its own.

Melissa Bowersox: I'm so fortunate that I was raised around comic shops and conventions, so cosplay was never outside the norm for me, but at the same time I don't think anyone could have anticipated how big it's become.

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PREVIEWSworld: It’s great to see Overstreet add to their line of “How To” books with a comprehensive guide to cosplay. Give us an overview?

Carrie Wood: There’s a lot going on in this book! We’ve got spotlights on a wide variety of cosplayers, convention coverage from around the country, tutorials on different costume aspects, and even some more in-depth articles on some of the hot-button issues. I think we somehow managed not to leave anything important out!

Eddie Newsome: This book will not only be a how-to book, but also a reflection of the community as a whole. You'll be able to see yourself in this book, as well as what you want your skill or talent level to be at in the future.

Melissa Bowersox: Gemstone's Overstreet "How To" line has gone over really well, particularly The Overstreet Guide To Collecting Comics and The Overstreet Guide To Grading Comics. Using them as models, we looked at all the issues facing cosplayers and the industry and tried to address them.

PREVIEWSworld: Tell us about the process of putting this guide together?

Carrie Wood: We got started on this book in late 2014. Since then, we’ve been working on putting our own individual cosplay knowledge to paper, but we’ve also attended a number of different conventions all over the country. We’ve also relied heavily on the contributions that all of our advisers have made, as far as getting different perspectives on a number of topics that we’d otherwise have a pretty limited vision of.

Eddie Newsome: It was a hard journey, but so much fun. To be able to see the conventions, cosplayers and the whole experience through a different set of eyes gave me a newfound perspective.

Melissa Bowersox: I had been kicking this idea back and forth with Gemstone's J.C. Vaughn as he and I had both observed this huge increase in cosplayer attendance and U.S. comic conventions. Of course that was after years of it growing at manga and anime shows. It was already far less "fad" and much more "trend" by that point, so the only real question was could we find the right people to work on the book. I met Eddie, and Carrie joined the Gemstone staff right about then. The timing was excellent.

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Eddie Newsome as Captain America

PREVIEWSworld: How does this guide help a person who is new to cosplay?

Carrie Wood: Cosplay newbies will find a lot in here! We’ve got some general advice pieces on different approaches to cosplay, like buying a mass produced costume or commissioning someone to make a custom piece, plus some instructional pieces on some common cosplay elements.

Melissa Bowersox: I think Carrie covered that pretty well. I'd just like to add that I believe it's a really good introduction to this world.

Eddie Newsome: This book can be considered a road map for them. Someone may want a deeper insight on conventions, or where to go outside of cons, or how put together a costume concept. This book gives them all that, along with a lot of cool photos from around the country!

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Carrie Wood as Utena Tenjou (Rose Bride)

PREVIEWSworld: And being a seasoned cosplay veterans, how does this guide help cosplayers like you?

Carrie Wood: I think even the most seasoned cosplayer will find a lot in here that they can apply. Personally, even though I’ve been cosplaying for more than a decade, I’ve never worked with certain materials like Worbla or plastics, so the knowledge that Eddie is bringing on that front will be super useful to me. I’ve also only dabbled in photography, and we’ve got a huge piece on how cosplay photography differs from other genres of photo-taking; it’s those kind of articles that will provide a helping hand to more than just the newcomers.

Eddie Newsome: I would like to think it would serve not only for motivation for the next project, but inspiration as well. The goal of cosplay is to constantly push the envelope and the craft forward, and the only way we can do this is to share ideas and concepts. I'd like to think this book serves that purpose.

Melissa Bowersox: This part is as important as the introduction for newcomers, and it's a great part of the Overstreet tradition. It's not only a lot of great information, it gives you a context that might help you think differently about things you're already doing.

PREVIEWSworld: Finally, what do you see in the future for cosplay?

Carrie Wood: Well, it’s clearly not going away anytime soon! We’ve already seen a pretty significant swell of public knowledge and public acceptance of the hobby. When I first started, it was considered pretty weird to go to an anime or comic convention, especially if you dressed up for it. Now, we’ve got television shows about cosplay, and Marvel’s even spotlighting a number of cosplayers on variant covers for books this fall! When I got into the convention scene, I remember my parents referring to it as a “phase.” And now I’ve been able to author a book on this incredibly creative hobby. Take that, mom and dad!

Eddie Newsome: The future of cosplay is what we want it to be. Anytime you can walk onto a convention floor and see costumes that look better than the version you see on the big screen, that should tell you something. I was an introvert who didn't go to my high school prom, and the term “geek” and “nerd” were badges of shame. Fast-forward to now and I'm not only a co-author of a cosplay book but I've met great people along the way, and now I'm the cover model for the Marvel comic Sam Wilson: Captain America! So what do I see for the future of cosplay? Growth, evolution, and acceptance.

Melissa Bowersox: With the success of comic-centric TV shows and movies, the growth in conventions, and the social acceptance of what we do, I don't think this will be slowing down anytime soon.



Get The Overstreet Guide To Cosplay on November 25th at your local comic shop!

Available in softcover with two photo covers (Cover A - SEP151411, Cover B - SEP151413 -SRP: $15.00)  and in a PREVIEWS Exclusive hardcover edition (SEP151412 - SRP: $25.00)! 

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