Cosplay and the Dressing of Identity

Vivian Asimos lives in Salisbury, UK, and is the author of Digital Monsters (2020) and Digital Mythology and the Internet’s Monster: The Slender Man (2021). She explores nerd culture and fandom in her podcast I’m A Fan of That!.

• Introduction: What is Cosplay?1 Myth, Pop Culture and Cosplay2 The Art of Dressing3 Cosplay and the Art of Performance4 Cosplaying in Place5 Cosplay’s Community6 Skill and Cosplay7 Cosplay, Gender and Sexuality8 The Transformative Art of CosplayReferencesSelect BibliographyAcknowledgementsIndex

The artistic and expressive value of fan practices has been increasingly analysed, and Cosplay and the Dressing of Identity is a highly relevant contribution to this growing field of fandom and media studies. This book offers a compelling account about fan costuming and what this hobby offers fans in terms of identity. Vivian Asimos looks at cosplay as an art form, showing a deep understanding and appreciation for using characters and bodies as a medium for self-expression, and gains deeper insights into the practice through her qualitative research and dialogue with other fans. This is a book about how we each use bodies, fashion and characters to tell our own, unique stories in today’s media culture. - Nicolle Lamerichs, Senior Lecturer in Creative Business, HU University of Applied Sciences, Utrecht, cosplay scholar and author of Productive Fandom