Do you cosplay? If so, who as? If not, who WOULD you cosplay as?

I've played video games pretty much my whole life (I'm 30 now), and I hold a lot of video games near and dear to my heart. Video Games are probably one of my main defining hobbies, but I've not understood the draw to cosplaying. Granted, I've never been to a video game convention either, so without somewhere to cosplay, it's kind of a pointless exercise (yes, I'm aware that cosplaying is bigger than just at cons).

The closest I ever got to 'cosplaying' was dressing up as Captain Haddock from the Tintin comics when I was 6 years old for our school's 'Book Week'. I have a physical photo somewhere (I'd have to dig through many albums to find it), but I had a little sailor hat, blue turtleneck shirt with an anchor on it, a fake cobb piper, a fake black beard (6 year old me did not have a real black beard) and a water bottle that was labelled "Whiskey". I ran around all day shouting "Blistering Barnacles". I recall coming second in the parade.

So I was recently watching a show called "How to be a fan with Hex" (probably only able to be viewed from Aus) and it had an episode on Cosplay and it got me thinking about how big a thing cosplay has become.

http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/how-to-be-a-fan-with-hex/LE1520H001S00

It got me wondering about people on GB who might cosplay (my thought is mainly video game related, but I suppose it could extend to other interests), or, if you don't cosplay and you ever had to, who would you cosplay as?

For me, I'll stick with the above Pirate theme. I think it would be awesome to dress up as LeChuck from the Monkey Island Series. Specifically, Monkey Island 2 LeChuck. Simply because I think it is a look that I could possible manage (I don't have the build for GuyBrush)

But can you meme hard enough?

The one time I cosplayed

, I did it as poison Ivy! :D not incredibly original, but it was still fun! :)

I don't cosplay but if I did, I would find a buddy and go as Ornstein and Smough.

I've never cosplayed, but if I did, I'd probably do Major Kusanagi in one of her many amazing outfits. I've been watching through Stand Alone Complex with a friend who'd never seen it before recently, and every single time she wore something different we'd both exclaim about how great she looked.

I've never cosplayed before but I want to one day cosplay as Dogs Bower from Blue Stinger.

I don't do cosplay but if I did, I'd go as Ironman. Because he's cool. But getting the costume would be a pain.

I've never cosplayed but if I did it would be as Travis Touchdown

I haven't but if I could it would probably be Chewbacca. Would need to wear some platform shoes or something though.

Never cosplayed before, but I would go as Clay Davis from the Wire.

Never have- I think it appeals to a love of dress up and fancy I've never possessed. If I were they would likely be really human characters, like john marston. Though it would be cool to stomp around as a space marine

I used to cosplay casual when I was around 10-15. My sister was an artist, and clothing creator, so she had great cosplay costumes she made. Mine were rubbish, but her and my Dad would help just cause I wanted to be involved.

Fun fact: I cosplayed as Noctis from Final Fantasy Versus XIII (now FFXV) over 10 years ago!

I use to do it all the time as a kid. I was so excited about how good I looked that I would show the entire neighborhood and they would shower me with candy.

Thought about it over the years, but the cosplay scene has become less and less interesting as the years went by.

But if I would: genderswapped Chie.

I don't play much Anti-Mage but I would definitely cosplay as him if anyone.

I don't cosplay, but I met some people this year that do and want me to come to ACEN with them next year.

So after thinking long and hard, I found the laziest but best option for someone like me:

I would cos-play as a box -copy of Shemenu and I would find a nice women to cosplay as Jeff Gerstmann...then we would hold hands and skip around the hall for hours.

I've gotten more and more into it, the last couple of years. The last two that I made were Oogie Boogie and Cornelius from Planet of the Apes. I'm going to start working on a Radditz costume soon, if I can pull off the hair, it'll be sweet!

I don't cosplay, but if I did, I'd go as Commander John Shepard. He looks just like me!

I cosplayed once. I did it because my fiancée wanted to do matching characters and it was my first PAX. Since I came up with my own concept for the character, it was a lot of fun building props and whatnot.

The worst part was walking around the convention with the props. By the end of the day you want to be done, but people want pictures all the time. It was fun to try at least once!

I went to a local convention with my nephew. He wore a great Finn the Human costume and I wore an Ash Katchem Hat.

I wanna do Big Boss or Mcree from Overwatch. You get the idea im going for.

I have never cosplayed and it's unlikely that I ever will but you know. I've thought about it at least. :P

If I had the money/time/skill to pull it off, I would LOVE an Elite Knight armor set from Dark Souls. That's my easy dream pick. But I wouldn't be happy unless it looked perfect, so that's never happening.

As for ones I might actually consider doing, Journey guy is up there. That's a cutesy simple one I would go for.

Fanboy picks I would consider Black Mage/Vivi from Final Fantasy, Auron too and maybe Solid Snake or Dante. Though I can already feel the embarassment of going outside dressed as any of the last 3. They're kind of boring picks anyways. Those have all been done to death.

I pretty much only do for Halloween. I've gone as Big Boss multiple times. Would post a pic, but I'm on my phone

This year at New York Comic Con will be my first cosplay. Itll be as Kylo Ren.

I have not. I would Cosplay as Bill Cosby. My Cosbyplay game is on point.

I would cosplay as Tracer, because Tracer is pretty and I am pretty.

@audiobusting: How the hell do you remember Dogs?

I've done a Winter Soldier cosplay that I'm kind of proud of and a mediocre Cyclops that I'm not very proud of. I've got a few ideas for what I'll do next. The two front-runners are Luke Skywalker from Return of the Jedi or Soldier: 76. I'm getting roadblocked by money and motivation, though.

Cosplayed twice as Wario at conventions in Manchester back in 2014, Manchester Comic-con and Play Expo, made a kart out of cardboard and fit it around my waist. It was a great success, would definitely do it again.

There's two kinds of cosplayer. 1 group of people who do it because they really like the character and take huge care and make incredible intricate costumes, then the 2nd group who do it because they can use assets bestowed to them to gather attention for themselves. The former are cool, the latter not so.

I'm bald and pretty thin so, as much as i would like to cosplay as Letho from the Witcher, i think i could maybe cosplay as everybody's favorit imp: Voldo, nothing more

Yup. Been doing it since summer last year. No, I don't care how silly I look. I'm 23 for anyone wondering. I know cosplay gets associated with young people, so that's how young I am.

Persona 5

Phantom Pain

Persona 4 Dancing All Night

Zero Escape

X-Men

I also do Poe Dameron from Star Wars but I don't have a good enough picture of that.

I don't mostly because I don't like doing things if I'm not going to do them extremely well and I don't have the time/patience/money to make a real good costume. That said, I would probably do P3 protag because that would require the minimum amount of effort.

If I was ever gonna go all out it would be as Mr. Freeze from the og animated series. My blank, bland face would work perfectly. And I can go in "ice-face" so skin colour doesn't matter.

Plus, that sweet dome!

@frostyryan: that's a pretty decent Kas outfit

I have a Robin Hood outfit for going to Renaissance Faires. It's not the tights. Lol

I am really interested in cosplaying. Considering going to an event next year in cosplay. I'm starting to get pretty beefed, but I have quite the baby face. For that reason, one of my biggest consideration for a cosplay is Deku Midoriya, from My Hero Academia. I've loved the manga for a long time, and I think I could do the character well.

Pit, from Kid Icarus would be pretty hilarious aswell.

Gallery

Here's a just a few photos of what I've done over the years, & it's become quite a hobby of mine. Just wish I go to more cons.
I made my first cosplay (MGS 3 Big Boss) around 2007 for Halloween, & when I started going to cons around '08/09 I really wanted to go back, work on Big Boss, & even beyond that.
So 2011 was the first year I Cosplayed officially, as MGS 3 Big Boss (Can't find my old photos for that), & it was awesome. I bought a compression shirt, some more accessories, & it fit so well.
Next year, I really got back into Persona 4 because of Persona 4 Arena & The Golden coming out, & Kanji was my favorite from the game. I took an old jacket, made the collar out of work pants & wire hanger, and the shirt is paint marker. Also, when you made the jacket, Yu is very easy alt cosplay. I even got a folding chair to go with it, that they let me carry on the show floor.
2014, I did one of my all time favorites, Ganondorf from Windwaker. The Jacket was an old graduation robe, hot clued felt, same with the shirt, the sash is an apron from work, the green pendent is from crayola foam (making a new one for this year), & the skirt is something my mother had laying around (really puts the whole costume together).
And most resent, I went back & worked Big Boss into Venom/Punished/Phantom Snake complete with working robot arm (as in, I can still move & use my hand while wearing it).
Working on Shovel Knight right now, it's just taking a bit more time than originally thought. Shooting for PAX 2017, hope to see you guys there.

The only one I've considered doing is italian mobster Mario. A couple years ago at PAX my buddy sort of did a version of mobster Luigi and coincidentally the same year some other duo we saw at the Giant Bomb panel walked out looking very similar. So I guess I wouldn't be the first, but I'd want to annoy Vinny with my Italian stereotype.

Ok, now that I am no longer on my phone and can post a picture, here is me cosplaying as Big Boss

Always wanted to get real FOX patch and refine it, but life got in the way

I've cosplayed for cons and parties for about six years now. Video game characters I've dressed up as are, Yukiko from Persona 4, Rei from Persona Q, Chihiro from Danganronpa, kimono Ninja from Etrian Odyssey 3, Shallotte from Atelier Shallie, and MAGES. from Neptunia. Non-video game characters I've dressed up as is a much shorter list- Hayate from Hayate the Combat Butler and Souta from Working!!. The way I see it, things like gender or body type not being the same or not being able to recreate every detail of a costume shouldn't be a discouragement. I have a lot of fun with it, and I think that's what's most important.

I have never cosplayed before, but if I did, I would totally go as this boss from the game Cho Aniki Muteki Ginga Saikyou Otoko.

I don't even know how I would do that, but the codpiece alone would make the whole experience worth it.

No I don't, but someone at Pax tapped me on the shoulder and said I'd be a good Kratos so.

I've never cosplayed, but I have thought about it randomly.

As for who, it would probably be somebody tall (I'm around 6' 7 - 6' 8"). One contender has been Kanji from Persona 4. This morning I randomly thought "You know, I could do a Zero the Second cosplay from Zero Time Dilemma. I'm drawing a blank on characters I actually look like and some characters are just a big no (who wants to see a 6' 7" guy with a beard dress up as D Va?). Somebody tall like Kanji or Zero would be fun because I can use my presence to add to the cosplay.

Now will I ever do any of this? My guess, nope!

@the_tribunal: How could I ever forget Dogs? Dude makes a hell of an impression.

I cosplayed as Rebel from Nuclear Throne during PAX Prime 2015! It was my first-ever cosplay and I had a ton of fun doing it. :D

I contracted a seamstress to make the costume proper, and rigged up a gun and the outfit itself with programmable greeting card speakers with multiple buttons so I could have the gun make in-game sounds and have Rebel "speak" using her voice samples. It's one of the biggest costume projects I've worked on and I'm super proud of it.

Next up for GaymerX I'm hoping to cosplay an original character, which should be fun! ^^

Now that I've given it some thought, I could totally go as a NERV operative. Should be quite easy to make the getup.

These two are my dream cosplays. It's a shame that the old anxiety/lack of friends means I could never go to a convention

Im a partypooper when it comes to this. I understand the appeal and respect people's enjoyment of it, but I personally find it dumb.