What Everyone Ought to Know About Comic Conventions
Imagine one hundred thousand people in close quarters with different opinions, beliefs, and convictions all finding common ground. Imagine, instead of conflict, they each find a way to support one another.
It’s not a fairytale. It’s a Comic Convention.
There is something magical about people coming together, even if only for a few days. Everyone that walks through those doors has tapped into their inner child and the imagination that once directed their life.
Imagination is a powerful tool. It’s been closely linked to the development of empathy and has been used to heal trauma in kids and adults.
Growing into adulthood makes it hard not to become cynical. It can be a real challenge to find a genuinely upbeat person on any given day. As a result, the energy and palpable joy people convey at a comic convention can be bewildering to newcomers. Afterall, it’s just a bunch of vendor booths right?
NOPE.
The booths are just there for the real attraction, the COSPLAYERS.
Standing in the entry hall is a troop of Captains; Captain America, Captain Underpants, and even Captain Crunch. Walking nearby is a very convincing Hulk Hogan taking pictures with the Queen of Hearts. A toddler Princess Leia poses with an 8-foot-tall Lich King. Every movie, tv show, book, and video game is represented by fans. Sometimes the costumes are simple and inexpensive, and sometimes they are huge elaborate marvels of engineering. People will invest thousands of dollars and years of their lives to get their costume just right.
If you’ve never attended a comic convention, this is the part where you want to know why.
Why would these people spend their spare time and hard-earned money on a costume?
One idea refers back to a 2012 study by Doctor Karen Pine about the effects our clothing has on the way we view ourselves. According to the study different clothing choices can affect our mood, success, and even how we connect with those around us. One specific example used superman shirts. By putting on a superhero shirt the participants quickly changed the way they viewed themselves. They each documented feeling stronger and more likeable than those wearing their regular clothing. Since then, several studies seem to confirm her conclusions.
From my experience cosplayers have tapped into precisely that.
Cosplayers are quick to tell of the uplifting effect of wearing a costume even before they attend a convention.
When wearing a costume their fears and social anxieties melt away. Most, quickly fall into character and remain there throughout the day, talking, laughing, and enjoying the company of everyone around them. Eager to get pictures with every costume they recognize, there is no hesitation, and they’re gladly received with open arms. No matter the costume chosen it will be met with affirmations and encouragement from every fellow fan that passes by.
Costumes can have a positive and profound effect on a person’s confidence and even their mental wellness. Cosplayers report feeling accepted and celebrated and unburdened by previous feelings of apprehension or insecurity.
There are entire communities on social media where cosplayers go for help, support, and advice in building their costumes. The members often become so invested in one another’s success that they will meet up at the convention like long lost friends eager to share in the joy.
At a comic convention a person is not defined by class, creed, politics, or any other stereotype. Free from the societal encumbrance cosplayers find community in a room full of vastly different minds, finding ways to celebrate themselves and those around them.
In this place they can just BE.
