Cosplay, a portmanteau of "costume play", is an activity
and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes
and fashion accessories to represent a specific character. Cosplayers
often interact to create a subculture, and a broader use of the term
"cosplay" applies to any costumed role-playing in venues apart from the
stage. Any entity that lends itself to dramatic interpretation may be
taken up as a subject. Favorite sources include anime, cartoons, comic
books, manga, television series, and video games. Cosplay grew out of the
practice of fan costuming at science fiction conventions, beginning with
Morojo's "futuristicostumes" created for the 1st World Science Fiction
Convention held in New York City in 1939. The Japanese term "cosplay"
(コスプレ, kosupure) was coined in 1984. A rapid growth in the number of
people cosplaying as a hobby since the 1990s has made the phenomenon a
significant aspect of popular culture in Japan, as well as in other parts
of East Asia and in the Western world. Cosplay events are common features
of fan conventions, and today there are many dedicated conventions and
competitions, as well as social networks, websites, and other forms of
media centered on cosplay activities. Cosplay is very popular among all
genders, and it is not unusual to see genders switched.
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