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[Letamendi] Cosplay is
the visible expression of one's fandom...
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usually through masks, helmets, makeup,
props and some kind of costume,
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and is an extension of someone's passion
for a particular character.
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[Letamendi]
In order to connect to this practice,
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cosplayers design the costume,
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they sew it,
they put it on, and they wear it
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in a public place like a convention,
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and they are emulating the character
that they're connected to.
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You put on a costume,
and you walk into this giant floor,
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and there's all these people,
and someone takes a photo of you.
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That's the moment that you're like,
"Oh, I belong here."
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That is what cosplay is about.
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[Cink] There are so many ways that people
express their passion for comic books,
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but I think cosplay
is the most pure expression of fandom
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because you have to be unafraid.
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You realize that you're making yourself
really vulnerable
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in the face of everyone around you
to put on this costume
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and insert yourself and announce yourself
into society as a fan at this level.
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Cosplay is, very simply, "costume play."
It's an elision of two words
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that was really coined
by a Japanese journalist
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named Nobuyuki Takahashi
around the mid '80s.
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He came up with the term "cosplay,"
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and cosplay really means just that,
costume play.
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You wear a costume to a convention.
You embody a character.
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You need to know the poses so that you can
really imbue yourself with that character.
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Comic cons really kicked off in 1939.
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There was Worldcon, which was in New York
City, and it was about 200 people.
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And that was really the birth
of modern cosplay.
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There was a woman named Myrtle Douglas
who dressed up in futuristic costumes.
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That caught on over time,
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and then, I think, it really started
to explode in the early '70s.
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The first San Diego Comic-Con, which was
then called Golden State Con, kicked off.
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Marvel had its first convention
in 1975 in New York City.
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I think New York Comic Con
to me is, one, a really special con
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because it's Marvel's home con.
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Marvel is the home of superheroes.
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So when you are at New York Comic Con,
it is like you are in the Marvel Universe.
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I really think of fandom
as a shared experience.
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Cosplay has always been
about community and coming together,
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and there's this
really electric experience
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where somebody sees your costume
and they're like,
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"Oh, man, that's sick. I love that."
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And you get this dopamine burst
of, "Oh, my God, you see me.
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You understand me.
You get what I'm about."
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[Jasmine]
New York Comic Con's very, very close.
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Still have to prep a little bit for it.
It's huge. I've only been once.
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Working towards a con,
there is a certain date I have to be done,
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so I'm stressed out trying to finish.
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[Vincent] So, Jasmine,
the only piece missing is the wig?
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-[Jasmine] Uh, yeah.
-Okay.
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You sure that it's not in the luggage?
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[Jasmine] I definitely have to lean
on my husband a lot.
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Make sure we have everything.
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[Jasmine] Honestly,
he's a huge support system.
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[Vincent] Makeup good.
Still looking for the wig.
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How does the makeup look?
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Perfect as always.
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I would not finish a lot of costumes and
be mentally sound if I didn't have him.
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Many costumes,
I can't get dressed or even put it on
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if I don't have him helping me out.
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[Vincent] All right?
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-I need to look in the mirror, actually.
-Okay.
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By participating in this thing
that is so important to her
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and that makes her so happy,
that makes me happy as a by-product.
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-You look good.
-I look so tall.
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I know.
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[Jasmine] I like being able
to not be yourself for a minute
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'cause it gets boring
just being you every day, all day.
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It's really cool to be able to put on
makeup and have wigs and the hair
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and just become a different person.
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CutiePieSensei is my online persona.
She is me.
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I made it my username when I was
13 years old, and then it just stuck.
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And it got too late to change it.
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Now I have 172,000 followers
on my Instagram.
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[chuckles] So I was like, "All right,
just gonna go with it. This is me now."
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Cosplay is cool because regardless
of what we look like,
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height, body shape, race, hair color,
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you make it whatever you want.
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My way of having a voice and being loud
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and doing certain characters
that are powerful,
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which is different than I am in real life.
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I'm trying to see...
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I look so awkward. I'm trying to find one
where I don't look awkward.
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I like these.
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Overall, I'm a very quiet person.
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I really am very, kind of, low-key.
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I think it was going
between that one and...
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I describe myself as a nerd
because... mainly because I do cosplay.
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You should do that one
with this as a side-by-side.
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No. [laughs]
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We are absolutely,
positively nerds in every way.
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My background's in computer engineering.
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I manage a team of engineers that work
on solutions for power companies.
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So, a lot more boring
than what Jasmine does.
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[Jasmine] I'm a concept artist
for a video game company,
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so I draw characters
that they put into the game.
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I'm drawing all the time for work.
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I kind of want to do something else
when I get home,
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and cosplay's really cool for me
because it allows me to be creative
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in a way that's not the same way
I'm creative during the day.
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I can get a chance to sew
and still use my hands
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and take something that's just fabric
and random craft foam and stuff,
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it doesn't look like anything,
and being able to turn it into something.
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Shuri is a super powerful character.
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What ends up happening in the comics,
T'Challa gets injured,
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so she has to come up and be like,
"Okay. Wakanda still needs protecting.
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Somebody has to be the Black Panther.
He can't do it right now."
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So she's able to take on that role,
and she gets to eat the herb
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and get the whole supernatural abilities
in terms of speed and strength,
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and she gets the ability to shape-shift,
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and at one point, she's able
to bring back Wakandans from the dead
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or re-animate them and stuff.
It's really cool.
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So she definitely trains and gets
to be the Black Panther for a while,
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and she's proven
that she's strong enough to do so.
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Growing up, I didn't see a lot
of characters that looked like me.
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So, being able to actually see yourself
in a character,
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specifically a black female
that's not just a side character
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but someone who's actually
important to that universe
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and who makes a difference and is strong,
beautiful and confident, is really cool.
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It's through these characters that other
people in the world can find a community.
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The door is open for anyone in this world.
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Any skin tone, any shape, any size,
any age, any type, you are welcome here.
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[Marcy] I'm from Colorado originally,
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although both my parents are
from Connecticut and New York,
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so I kind of ended up bouncing back
to where they started.
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I went to an art school in Brooklyn,
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and then I ended up
just sticking around, to be honest.
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I fell in love with the city.
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I love the life and the vibrancy
and the culture here.
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And I was like, "You know, I really want
to stay here, maybe forever."
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Ever since I was a little,
little, little kid,
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I was building stuff, cutting up paper,
pretending to be animals.
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My mom used to make me costumes
when I was little,
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and then I started doing it for myself.
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Dr. Strange is the more magical side
of the Marvel Universe.
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He lives in a house in New York,
which is actually kind of cool.
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And sometimes people come
to him with cases
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or unusual happenings
that he'll try to help with.
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He is a master of the mystical arts.
[laughs]
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He can do, frankly, quite a lot of things,
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often dimensional magic,
sometimes time magic.
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He can move objects.
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He can fight spirits
that other people can't see.
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He can fly. He can do things
with his cape. There are a lot of options.
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I think when people think of Dr. Strange,
they really think of that cape.
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So that's the one thing
I really wanna nail.
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I love that I have access
to the Garment District.
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I think I can find
a lot more very unique fabrics.
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It's truly a treasure hunt,
which is kind of fun.
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When I'm doing comics costumes,
because the colors are so flat in comics,
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I think really hard
about the type of fabric that I'm picking
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and how to make a flat color something
that's more interesting in the real world.
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-That looks like Dr. Strange.
-Well, that's the goal.
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-Ah!
-[chuckles]
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[Marcy] I daydream about making costumes
all the time,
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and with New York Comic Con coming up,
you really have to think ahead
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about wearing it,
about what it's gonna feel like.
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And, yeah, it's fun just to imagine
yourself swooshing around in New York.
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It's a good combo.
I think that's a good choice.
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One thing that's really cool
about the cosplay community
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is that, you know, as long as
you're being respectful,
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you can cosplay anybody you want.
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I think that labels can be very useful
for some people,
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but I've always just been like,
"I am who I am,"
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and I don't really need to decide that
based on other people's framework.
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As many people do as you grow up,
you learn more and more about yourself.
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I don't think I've ever really strongly
felt connected to any particular gender.
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I'm fairly relaxed about pronoun usage,
but I think "they, them"
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is just a little bit closer to the fact
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that I don't feel
strongly feminine or masculine.
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I think that cosplay
can be a really good opportunity
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to explore presentation
in a way that might be new.
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I've seen a lot of people
who either identify as
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or were assigned male or female at birth
who will try out something different.
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Cosplay's a great way
for people to explore that.
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For a lot of cosplayers,
we all see pieces of ourselves
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in the characters that we connect with.
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Heroes are exciting.
They're always gonna be exciting,
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but the reason that we really connect
to superheroes is their human side
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and what it is that makes them a hero
in the first place.
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I work as a toy designer these days.
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We have a lot of Marvel licenses,
which is really fun
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because it allows me to work on characters
that I think are really interesting.
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I do specialize in the soft outfits,
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so they were very excited to know
that I was a cosplayer
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because it meant that I understood
how physical clothing was made
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and how to design superhero outfits
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so that they could go onto a body
and move right.
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This is a version of Lady Loki
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that I designed based on a combination
of runway fashion
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as well as some of the comic elements.
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So many iterations of Loki
have been shown as male,
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but he has taken on female form before
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and, especially,
more recently in the comics,
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the newer, younger Loki
has actually spoken a little bit
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about maybe being gender variant
or being queer,
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which has been pretty cool, I think,
for a lot of queer readers to be like,
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"Okay, we always kind of knew this,
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but to have it so explicitly stated
in the comic is pretty unusual."
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I think because I love the craft
of cosplay so much,
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it's a great way for me
to display the thing that I've made.
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I mean, it's like,
a 2D artist might have a gallery show,
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and here's a bunch of friends
or people that I don't know
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that I want to show what I made,
that I want to say,
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"Hey, look,
here's a bunch of stuff I made."
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So in a way wearing a costume is a
great way to display the finished product.
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Superheroes are defined
by caring about the people around them
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and wanting to do what they can,
and that can be big or that can be little.
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It doesn't mean that you have
to save the universe every single time.
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Even just helping someone who's struggling
can still be a heroic act.
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A lot of us are turning to these
characters because of the relationships,
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the connection to heroism, something
that I think a lot of us are looking for.
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What does it mean to be a hero?
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What does it mean to be a good person?
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All right.
Come on, you crazy bunch. Let's go.
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[Josh] We have a zoo. [laughs]
We have a couple dogs, couple cats.
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You guys are having waffles this morning.
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I'm married. I have two little girls.
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-What do you want, butter or cream cheese?
-Both.
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And Adaline is my oldest daughter
and then Ayla is my youngest.
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-Hi, guys.
-Mommy!
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[Josh] Trish is my wife.
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We're actually going to be celebrating
our ten-year anniversary next year,
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but we've been together 18 years.
225
00:15:52,786 --> 00:15:55,536
We own a business photographing weddings.
226
00:15:55,622 --> 00:15:57,422
It has its days like anything else,
227
00:15:57,499 --> 00:16:00,339
but for the most part,
we work really seamless together.
228
00:16:00,418 --> 00:16:04,338
We were childhood friends,
and then we started dating in high school.
229
00:16:04,422 --> 00:16:05,762
I've always been into comics,
230
00:16:05,840 --> 00:16:08,390
and then she kind of got into the culture
because I was.
231
00:16:09,386 --> 00:16:12,096
Can you show them
your Captain Marvel pose?
232
00:16:12,180 --> 00:16:15,020
[Trish] Some people don't know
what cosplay is,
233
00:16:15,100 --> 00:16:18,440
and when I tell them, they look
at me like I'm crazy a little bit.
234
00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:21,060
Like, "My husband dresses up
as a full superhero."
235
00:16:21,856 --> 00:16:24,276
[Josh] Being somebody
who is naturally a little bit shy,
236
00:16:24,359 --> 00:16:26,819
I've tried to stay under the radar
for a long time...
237
00:16:27,487 --> 00:16:30,447
and then I went to my first Comic Con
a number of years ago.
238
00:16:30,990 --> 00:16:34,200
It did take some getting used to,
but, almost in a weird way,
239
00:16:34,285 --> 00:16:36,825
I think it was
almost like a confidence builder.
240
00:16:37,664 --> 00:16:41,084
[Trish] As we became more accepted of it,
we became more open about it.
241
00:16:41,835 --> 00:16:44,165
Like, "Hey, this is what we do.
We have fun with it."
242
00:16:45,130 --> 00:16:47,720
[Josh] Right after we bought the house,
my wife was like,
243
00:16:47,799 --> 00:16:51,589
"Why don't you just take the garage,
refinish it and just--
244
00:16:51,678 --> 00:16:54,848
You have all this amazing stuff,
and a lot of it sits in boxes.
245
00:16:54,931 --> 00:16:56,061
Just go for it."
246
00:16:56,850 --> 00:16:59,480
The agreement was, "You can have
the whole garage to yourself,"
247
00:16:59,561 --> 00:17:02,561
and he, you know, renovated it,
and it's his workspace.
248
00:17:02,647 --> 00:17:05,277
It's where he creates everything.
249
00:17:06,484 --> 00:17:10,244
[Josh] My great-grandfather Harry Sahle
was a Timely Comics artist.
250
00:17:10,321 --> 00:17:12,451
Like, the Golden Age.
This was, like, the '40s.
251
00:17:12,949 --> 00:17:16,699
He worked
on The Human Torch and All Winners.
252
00:17:16,786 --> 00:17:20,706
He created a couple different characters
for Timely. One was the Black Widow.
253
00:17:20,790 --> 00:17:24,210
Not Natasha Romanoff but something,
from what I've understood,
254
00:17:24,294 --> 00:17:28,174
was somewhat of an inspiration
and ultimately led to what we know.
255
00:17:28,256 --> 00:17:31,836
He worked on about seven or eight
Captain America titles.
256
00:17:31,926 --> 00:17:34,926
It's neat to be able to have
some sort of small family lineage
257
00:17:35,013 --> 00:17:37,723
to a character like Captain America.
258
00:17:39,976 --> 00:17:42,726
I've always really liked
Captain America's story.
259
00:17:42,812 --> 00:17:44,692
I'm always one for the underdog.
260
00:17:44,773 --> 00:17:48,363
He is a guy who just wanted to serve
his country and do the right thing,
261
00:17:48,443 --> 00:17:51,323
but 'cause he was a scrawny guy,
was constantly rejected
262
00:17:51,404 --> 00:17:54,414
and then becomes
this amazing super soldier.
263
00:17:54,991 --> 00:17:59,001
I mean, you just look at this
and this is what, in my mind,
264
00:17:59,079 --> 00:18:04,039
what Captain America would look like
in the real world if he really existed.
265
00:18:04,125 --> 00:18:07,295
So that's kind of what we're striving
to do is bring that suit to life.
266
00:18:08,546 --> 00:18:12,626
The New York Comic Con is next weekend,
so we're kind of feeling the con crunch.
267
00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:16,600
Today,
we're going to be 3D printing the wings.
268
00:18:17,222 --> 00:18:20,482
We're gonna take the "A"
that has been cut and threaded.
269
00:18:20,558 --> 00:18:23,398
We're gonna mold that.
We're gonna cast that.
270
00:18:23,478 --> 00:18:26,818
And we're gonna become Steve Rogers.
We're gonna become Captain America.
271
00:18:27,816 --> 00:18:29,896
The guys that I work with, Mark and Dan,
272
00:18:29,984 --> 00:18:31,994
we all work very seamlessly
with one another.
273
00:18:32,070 --> 00:18:35,450
So Mark designs the files,
and then I take those files
274
00:18:35,532 --> 00:18:40,542
and bring those to life, and then we work
with Dan, who does our soft goods.
275
00:18:40,620 --> 00:18:44,370
So he sews the fabrics
and things like that.
276
00:18:44,457 --> 00:18:47,457
[Josh] What do you think about the "A"?
Should we texture the "A" at all?
277
00:18:47,544 --> 00:18:51,264
Because the fabric for the cowl
is so textural,
278
00:18:51,339 --> 00:18:54,219
I think leaving it nice and flat
is a good choice.
279
00:18:54,801 --> 00:18:56,221
-Hi.
-Hey.
280
00:18:57,178 --> 00:18:58,178
Hi.
281
00:18:59,514 --> 00:19:00,434
Iron Man?
282
00:19:00,515 --> 00:19:02,175
-[Josh] Oh, yeah, Iron Man.
-[Trish] Iron Man, yeah.
283
00:19:02,267 --> 00:19:03,477
[Josh] Yeah, you like that?
284
00:19:03,560 --> 00:19:06,150
This year, I am going with Trish.
285
00:19:06,229 --> 00:19:08,689
She's been to Comic Con as a spectator,
286
00:19:08,773 --> 00:19:10,783
but this is her first time going
in cosplay,
287
00:19:10,859 --> 00:19:12,239
so it should be a fun experience.
288
00:19:12,318 --> 00:19:13,818
-[Trish] Dan.
-Where'd you go?
289
00:19:13,903 --> 00:19:18,533
[Trish] This year I'm gonna be Peggy,
who is Captain America's love interest.
290
00:19:19,034 --> 00:19:23,544
I guess I never felt a character
I connected with until recently.
291
00:19:23,621 --> 00:19:25,501
I can be a little shy.
292
00:19:25,582 --> 00:19:29,792
So, the thought of dressing up and having
people come up and talk to me.
293
00:19:30,587 --> 00:19:32,507
Random strangers
want to take pictures with me.
294
00:19:32,589 --> 00:19:33,839
I was just a little resistant,
295
00:19:33,923 --> 00:19:36,973
but his mom always tells me,
"It's ingrained into our blood.
296
00:19:37,052 --> 00:19:38,932
Comics are ingrained in our blood."
297
00:19:39,012 --> 00:19:41,062
And she's sort of right.
298
00:19:41,139 --> 00:19:43,769
So I'm gonna just roll with it.
299
00:19:49,356 --> 00:19:51,396
[Josh] I think a lot of people,
when they think superheroes,
300
00:19:51,483 --> 00:19:56,573
they naturally immediately think
of somebody who was born with powers
301
00:19:56,654 --> 00:19:58,704
or had an accident or something.
302
00:19:58,782 --> 00:20:01,792
But the whole idea
behind a superhero is just...
303
00:20:02,285 --> 00:20:04,905
Really, it's somebody
who's doing the right thing.
304
00:20:05,663 --> 00:20:10,883
Cosplaying as Captain America
has definitely made me more aware
305
00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:13,550
of how everybody should act.
306
00:20:13,630 --> 00:20:16,760
It's like it's made me want
to be a better person.
307
00:20:18,802 --> 00:20:20,932
It's somebody
I just feel very at home with.
308
00:20:21,012 --> 00:20:24,472
It feels like a part of me,
rather than a costume.
309
00:20:32,357 --> 00:20:35,437
Cosplay brings out the different side
of who you are.
310
00:20:37,028 --> 00:20:40,818
And now that my daughter and my wife
are getting into it, it's a lot of fun.
311
00:20:40,907 --> 00:20:44,407
You know, for me, that's where it's like,
"Okay, this is cool.
312
00:20:45,203 --> 00:20:47,793
This is way more fun than it ever was."
313
00:20:53,503 --> 00:20:57,013
People, when they first get
into Marvel cosplay,
314
00:20:57,090 --> 00:21:00,430
are usually really drawn in
by a specific character.
315
00:21:00,510 --> 00:21:04,180
Maybe you look a little bit like that
person and you're like, "I see myself.
316
00:21:04,264 --> 00:21:07,644
I see aspects
of that character in myself."
317
00:21:07,726 --> 00:21:11,226
And you let the two come together as one.
318
00:21:21,948 --> 00:21:23,068
[Amanda] Come on, Kirby. Kirby?
319
00:21:26,202 --> 00:21:29,832
I own a dog hotel that's part of my house.
320
00:21:30,331 --> 00:21:34,131
Usually I have an average
of ten to 12 dogs here at a time.
321
00:21:34,794 --> 00:21:36,304
-Guys, come on!
-[dogs barking]
322
00:21:36,379 --> 00:21:41,179
I love what I do. I don't think
I would pick it if I didn't like dogs.
323
00:21:41,259 --> 00:21:42,259
[laughs]
324
00:21:42,344 --> 00:21:46,934
I mainly picked it because I get to deal
with dogs more than I do people.
325
00:21:47,432 --> 00:21:49,642
I've had a bunch of different jobs
and stuff before,
326
00:21:49,726 --> 00:21:53,306
but I seem to work better with animals,
and it's just always been that way.
327
00:21:53,396 --> 00:21:56,396
I tried to be a pet sitter
for my neighbors when I was little.
328
00:21:56,483 --> 00:21:57,653
[laughs]
329
00:21:57,734 --> 00:22:01,454
I mean, I was walking around with a flyer
at age seven being like,
330
00:22:01,529 --> 00:22:04,869
"I'll watch your bunnies and dogs
for you."
331
00:22:04,949 --> 00:22:06,989
But that's kind of always something
I wanted to do,
332
00:22:07,077 --> 00:22:10,407
so I turned it into a full career.
333
00:22:11,331 --> 00:22:17,251
I even painted my mural in the front room
based on my favorite clients.
334
00:22:18,296 --> 00:22:20,166
It was, like, superhero themed.
335
00:22:22,634 --> 00:22:24,934
This was when I first started cosplaying.
336
00:22:25,553 --> 00:22:27,063
I was wearing Dr. Strange.
337
00:22:27,138 --> 00:22:31,688
That's actually the second costume
I ever made. [laughs]
338
00:22:31,768 --> 00:22:34,898
And it was a lot of sewing
and that's why it doesn't look very great
339
00:22:34,979 --> 00:22:37,569
because I still didn't really know
what I was doing.
340
00:22:37,649 --> 00:22:40,609
I got a bunch of pictures
of Merly and Kirby up here.
341
00:22:40,694 --> 00:22:42,534
Here's one of them together.
342
00:22:42,612 --> 00:22:47,202
And then here's a picture of Merly,
her first professional photo shoot.
343
00:22:47,867 --> 00:22:50,617
And then here's little, like,
stuffed animals of them.
344
00:22:50,704 --> 00:22:52,914
So this is Merly and this is Kirby.
345
00:22:53,623 --> 00:22:56,963
I actually named my dog Kirby
after Jack Kirby.
346
00:22:57,460 --> 00:23:00,510
Jack was one of the original artists
for Marvel Comics.
347
00:23:02,257 --> 00:23:06,387
Here's where I make
all of Merly's costumes and some of mine.
348
00:23:06,469 --> 00:23:09,259
I only make about half of mine,
but I make all of Merly's.
349
00:23:09,347 --> 00:23:14,977
And I've got closet racks of all
of her costumes 'cause she has so many.
350
00:23:15,353 --> 00:23:18,483
She's got, like, 30 on this side
and, like, 50 on this side,
351
00:23:18,565 --> 00:23:21,185
and these ones are actually all Marvel.
352
00:23:21,693 --> 00:23:24,033
[woman] Oh, my God.
353
00:23:24,112 --> 00:23:25,952
[Amanda] It's pretty fun
to do a convention
354
00:23:26,031 --> 00:23:27,871
where Merly and Kirby can be part of it.
355
00:23:34,956 --> 00:23:38,786
I try to make my costume simple
if that's gonna be the case
356
00:23:38,877 --> 00:23:41,707
because then I have
to have two dogs with me.
357
00:23:44,007 --> 00:23:46,297
I was extremely shy as a kid.
358
00:23:46,384 --> 00:23:49,724
I would only have one best friend,
and I would talk to nobody else.
359
00:23:49,804 --> 00:23:52,354
[chuckles]
That was pretty much it.
360
00:23:52,974 --> 00:23:57,444
It was hard
because people thought I was mean
361
00:23:57,520 --> 00:23:59,440
just because I was too scared
to talk to them,
362
00:23:59,522 --> 00:24:03,442
and I kinda have
not a very welcoming-looking face
363
00:24:03,526 --> 00:24:05,566
when I'm just resting, I guess.
364
00:24:05,653 --> 00:24:10,373
So, yeah, everyone would think
I was really rude or unapproachable
365
00:24:10,450 --> 00:24:13,620
just because I was too scared
to talk to anybody.
366
00:24:15,705 --> 00:24:16,705
Good, girl.
367
00:24:16,790 --> 00:24:19,130
I didn't know I had autism.
368
00:24:19,209 --> 00:24:20,249
Come here. Come here.
369
00:24:20,335 --> 00:24:23,125
I didn't know it was a part of my life
until last year
370
00:24:23,213 --> 00:24:27,593
'cause that's when I found out,
in last summer.
371
00:24:27,676 --> 00:24:30,716
Which is part of the reason
I was able to understand
372
00:24:30,804 --> 00:24:32,434
what was actually going on with me
373
00:24:32,514 --> 00:24:35,894
and be able to learn
how to cope better than I was.
374
00:24:35,975 --> 00:24:38,515
Okay. Come here, Merly. Come here.
375
00:24:38,603 --> 00:24:40,943
Merly is a service dog...
376
00:24:41,022 --> 00:24:42,022
Good girl. Sit.
377
00:24:42,107 --> 00:24:45,937
...which is a task-trained dog
that can help you
378
00:24:46,027 --> 00:24:49,947
with a variety of different disabilities
or issues.
379
00:24:50,573 --> 00:24:54,663
Sensory overload
causes, like, similar to a panic attack,
380
00:24:54,744 --> 00:24:57,914
and I wasn't able to cope
with that very well.
381
00:24:58,331 --> 00:25:02,541
And so Merly would be able to let me know
when I needed to sit down
382
00:25:02,627 --> 00:25:06,797
or when I needed to get away from people
or when I needed to go take a break.
383
00:25:07,674 --> 00:25:08,724
Good girl.
384
00:25:13,722 --> 00:25:17,932
I specifically like Moon Knight
because he's kinda dark,
385
00:25:18,393 --> 00:25:24,403
and the fact
that he has a mental disorder,
386
00:25:24,482 --> 00:25:29,902
I think, is pretty neat
because, I mean, I have one too.
387
00:25:29,988 --> 00:25:32,698
It's not the same,
but I just think it's cool
388
00:25:32,782 --> 00:25:36,042
that they included someone way back then
389
00:25:36,119 --> 00:25:38,909
that had something like that
in the comics.
390
00:25:40,707 --> 00:25:43,247
[Cink] Moon Knight
is a really interesting character
391
00:25:43,335 --> 00:25:47,455
because he is imbued with powers
from an Egyptian god,
392
00:25:47,547 --> 00:25:51,337
but he also has
a dissociative personality disorder,
393
00:25:51,426 --> 00:25:56,596
so he has different personalities
to help him deal with different things.
394
00:25:56,681 --> 00:25:59,681
Sometimes his demons are literal.
395
00:25:59,768 --> 00:26:02,348
Sometimes he's dealing with demons
in his mind.
396
00:26:02,437 --> 00:26:06,897
And sometimes he's just trying to deal
with daily life,
397
00:26:06,983 --> 00:26:08,943
and they're all very complicated.
398
00:26:13,740 --> 00:26:15,950
That's the magic of comic books.
399
00:26:16,034 --> 00:26:19,334
It's visually splashed across the page.
400
00:26:19,412 --> 00:26:24,632
So, if you're a person who is dealing
with some of those mental issues,
401
00:26:24,709 --> 00:26:29,339
it might be the first time that you've
seen it visualized on a page in that way.
402
00:26:31,257 --> 00:26:34,587
It's also a way for people
who experience those things
403
00:26:34,678 --> 00:26:38,218
to share it with other people,
to say, "Maybe this is how I feel,"
404
00:26:38,306 --> 00:26:40,726
or, "Maybe this is how
I experience something,"
405
00:26:40,809 --> 00:26:44,769
or, "I didn't even realize
I experienced it in this way."
406
00:26:50,235 --> 00:26:53,195
As humans,
we've always been searching for our story
407
00:26:53,279 --> 00:26:57,329
and looking at our setbacks and
our failures and trying to make meaning.
408
00:26:57,409 --> 00:27:00,579
And so, I think
there is an element of acceptance
409
00:27:00,662 --> 00:27:05,042
and inclusion into that larger picture
that feels really rewarding.
410
00:27:10,922 --> 00:27:14,052
[Amanda] I'll be going
to New York Comic Con this weekend.
411
00:27:15,093 --> 00:27:18,433
I'm driving the whole way. It's 26 hours.
412
00:27:20,473 --> 00:27:23,733
I'm going with my friend Greg,
who's my best friend.
413
00:27:25,812 --> 00:27:27,402
I like driving, a lot.
414
00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:30,820
So, I don't know if he likes driving.
I guess I'll find out.
415
00:27:30,900 --> 00:27:33,780
I've done road trips
with some people before where I'm like,
416
00:27:33,862 --> 00:27:37,452
"Oh, I'm so excited," and then they end up
being not a great road trip person,
417
00:27:37,532 --> 00:27:40,372
so I'm hoping
he's a good road trip person.
418
00:27:47,751 --> 00:27:49,501
[Amanda squeals, chuckles]
419
00:27:49,586 --> 00:27:51,916
Hi, everybody. I'm gonna give her a hug.
420
00:27:52,005 --> 00:27:55,295
Making friends is pretty easy
when you're wearing similar costumes
421
00:27:55,383 --> 00:27:57,223
because then
they want to take pictures together
422
00:27:57,302 --> 00:27:59,102
and you end up talking
and stuff like that.
423
00:27:59,179 --> 00:28:02,469
So, that's how I made most of my friends,
is that way, and then they had friends,
424
00:28:02,557 --> 00:28:05,437
and then we all introduced each other
to everyone's friends.
425
00:28:05,518 --> 00:28:06,598
[Amanda] Justin!
426
00:28:06,686 --> 00:28:11,356
[Greg] I honestly didn't even know what
cosplay was until really a few years ago.
427
00:28:11,441 --> 00:28:16,151
And then once I started deciding to put
myself out there a little bit more
428
00:28:16,237 --> 00:28:19,737
and finding groups like we have here
through Amanda,
429
00:28:19,824 --> 00:28:25,254
it kinda helped me get more confident
in being a cosplayer in general.
430
00:28:26,039 --> 00:28:30,629
She's taking me with her to New York,
so that is something I'm excited about.
431
00:28:31,503 --> 00:28:33,253
[Amanda] We're gonna do Cyclops and Cable.
432
00:28:33,880 --> 00:28:36,720
Cable is Cyclops' son.
433
00:28:37,342 --> 00:28:39,392
He lives in the future, and he comes back.
434
00:28:39,469 --> 00:28:40,549
[laughs]
435
00:28:40,637 --> 00:28:42,847
I always thought he was really cool.
436
00:28:43,890 --> 00:28:46,270
I would say, New York Comic Con
437
00:28:46,351 --> 00:28:51,111
is probably like the Olympics,
if anything. Major leagues. The big tops.
438
00:28:51,189 --> 00:28:54,979
You want to come with your A game.
You want to go all out.
439
00:28:55,068 --> 00:28:57,818
You want to do everything
down to the last detail
440
00:28:57,904 --> 00:29:01,124
to make sure that everybody sees
your costume and says,
441
00:29:01,199 --> 00:29:05,039
"Wow. They really did
their absolute greatest with that."
442
00:29:05,787 --> 00:29:08,077
[all shouting]
443
00:29:13,003 --> 00:29:17,673
I'm definitely a person who loves having
a diverse set of characters to cosplay.
444
00:29:17,757 --> 00:29:18,837
But for Dr. Strange,
445
00:29:18,925 --> 00:29:22,845
I will not display the costume
until I get to the convention center.
446
00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:25,310
The people who come to New York Comic Con
447
00:29:25,390 --> 00:29:28,140
are super excited
about debuting maybe a new costume
448
00:29:28,226 --> 00:29:30,056
or bringing back an old costume.
449
00:29:31,604 --> 00:29:34,774
I live a little bit over an hour away
from the convention center.
450
00:29:34,858 --> 00:29:38,568
And yeah, I've ridden the subway
in full costume quite a few times.
451
00:29:38,653 --> 00:29:39,573
[chuckles]
452
00:29:40,238 --> 00:29:42,948
Hi. Can I get a pretzel
and a Sprite, please?
453
00:29:43,033 --> 00:29:44,913
-No problem.
-Thank you.
454
00:29:44,993 --> 00:29:49,543
[Marcy] The funny thing about New Yorkers
is they will absolutely look,
455
00:29:49,622 --> 00:29:52,672
but for the most part,
they don't really come up and bother you.
456
00:29:52,751 --> 00:29:56,671
They don't look down on you or heckle you,
but they'll stare.
457
00:29:57,589 --> 00:30:00,879
Things have definitely changed,
even since I started cosplaying.
458
00:30:00,967 --> 00:30:04,677
It's so much more acceptable
to be a quote, unquote "nerd."
459
00:30:04,763 --> 00:30:09,433
But really just to be vocal
about loving comics or superheroes.
460
00:30:17,067 --> 00:30:23,867
[Vincent] So, I have the glue gun,
glue sticks, lip balm,
461
00:30:23,948 --> 00:30:27,658
power packs for the lights on the suit.
462
00:30:27,744 --> 00:30:32,834
A handler is really just a supporter
to a cosplayer. Whatever they need.
463
00:30:32,916 --> 00:30:36,666
Making sure they're hydrated,
having repair supplies.
464
00:30:36,753 --> 00:30:41,383
There are some cosplay accidents
that happen, especially at a convention.
465
00:30:41,466 --> 00:30:43,216
You know, a part might come off,
466
00:30:43,885 --> 00:30:47,055
but I like to make sure
that I'm always prepared.
467
00:30:47,138 --> 00:30:49,518
I'm a little nervous, but...
468
00:30:50,016 --> 00:30:51,306
[Vincent] Ah, it'll be fine.
469
00:30:51,810 --> 00:30:54,230
I told you I'm shy. I don't... [chuckles]
470
00:30:54,312 --> 00:30:57,692
I always feel like I'm awkward
whenever I meet people
471
00:30:57,774 --> 00:30:59,574
'cause they'll be like, "I follow you."
472
00:30:59,651 --> 00:31:02,571
And there's this little part of me
that's like, "Why?"
473
00:31:03,571 --> 00:31:07,491
I'm just one person,
like, in a million people, so...
474
00:31:07,909 --> 00:31:09,449
He has to deal with a lot with me
475
00:31:09,536 --> 00:31:13,416
because if I'm stressed before a con,
I know I can be snappy.
476
00:31:13,998 --> 00:31:15,628
The face dots are crooked.
477
00:31:16,292 --> 00:31:18,252
-They are?
-Mm-hmm.
478
00:31:18,336 --> 00:31:19,876
This side's higher than this side.
479
00:31:20,797 --> 00:31:22,167
-I can't tell.
-Okay.
480
00:31:22,257 --> 00:31:24,547
Wait, wait. Let me see. No, I can't tell.
481
00:31:24,634 --> 00:31:25,644
Okay.
482
00:31:26,761 --> 00:31:28,811
-How can you...
-I can tell.
483
00:31:28,888 --> 00:31:32,388
-You know I have a thing about symmetry.
-I know but...
484
00:31:32,475 --> 00:31:36,345
[Vincent] While it can be stressful,
there is joy in that,
485
00:31:36,438 --> 00:31:39,068
especially when we're working together.
486
00:31:39,566 --> 00:31:42,486
-Suit, boots, gloves...
-Yeah. Laces.
487
00:31:42,569 --> 00:31:43,609
-...belt.
-Utility belt.
488
00:31:43,695 --> 00:31:45,945
-You have the, um...
-Battery packs.
489
00:31:46,031 --> 00:31:48,451
-[Vincent] Yeah.
-Yeah. So, I think that's everything.
490
00:32:03,965 --> 00:32:08,755
The thing that I particularly love
about New York Comic Con
491
00:32:08,845 --> 00:32:12,805
is that you feel like,
"I'm in the home of superheroes."
492
00:32:12,891 --> 00:32:16,641
The first Marvel convention that
ever existed took place in New York City.
493
00:32:16,728 --> 00:32:20,858
So it feels very much
like you are a part of history
494
00:32:20,940 --> 00:32:24,240
when you're at New York Comic Con,
and it's really exciting.
495
00:32:24,319 --> 00:32:28,239
It also feels really important sometimes
that you know as much as you can,
496
00:32:28,323 --> 00:32:29,993
that you're as prepared as you can
497
00:32:30,075 --> 00:32:35,205
because you really are trying
to do justice to 80 years of creation
498
00:32:35,288 --> 00:32:38,538
because that's how long
the Marvel Universe has been around.
499
00:32:39,292 --> 00:32:42,672
[Laboy] Three hundred and fifty thousand
are expected to attend the convention.
500
00:32:42,754 --> 00:32:46,264
Each year, it just seems the popularity
just continues to grow and grow,
501
00:32:46,341 --> 00:32:49,261
and, yeah, it gets crazy. That's for sure.
502
00:32:50,053 --> 00:32:53,223
Put your claws out here.
Right there, hold that.
503
00:32:53,306 --> 00:32:54,966
[Justice] There's no shame
in why you cosplay.
504
00:32:55,058 --> 00:32:57,848
You don't have to be the fan
who knows everything about the character.
505
00:32:57,936 --> 00:33:00,476
You don't necessarily have to be
the encyclopedia of Marvel Comics.
506
00:33:00,563 --> 00:33:03,483
Although if you are, respect. Me too.
But I feel like people should understand
507
00:33:03,566 --> 00:33:06,276
that cosplay's something that really
comes from the heart for a lot of people.
508
00:33:06,361 --> 00:33:09,741
Cosplay is for fun.
That is it. That's why we do it.
509
00:33:09,823 --> 00:33:12,413
If it's not fun anymore,
something's being done wrong.
510
00:33:12,492 --> 00:33:14,452
-[laughs]
-[man] Thank you. That's awesome.
511
00:33:18,707 --> 00:33:23,037
I feel a little nervous, but he's been
bothering me to do this for ten years.
512
00:33:23,128 --> 00:33:26,128
So... he finally got me to do it, so...
513
00:33:26,214 --> 00:33:28,174
I'll finally be immersed
in his world today.
514
00:33:29,426 --> 00:33:32,216
All right. Here we go.
515
00:33:33,430 --> 00:33:35,600
[Josh] Trish is Peggy Carter,
and I'm pretty excited about that.
516
00:33:35,682 --> 00:33:39,192
This is her first cosplay,
so it should be a fun experience.
517
00:33:39,269 --> 00:33:40,689
[chattering]
518
00:33:43,523 --> 00:33:45,443
[Trish] Her character is in the military.
519
00:33:45,525 --> 00:33:47,065
So cool.
520
00:33:47,152 --> 00:33:50,782
I love that, and she's a strong woman
for the time period she's in.
521
00:33:51,990 --> 00:33:55,290
And of course, she's really cool
and badass in the comics.
522
00:33:55,994 --> 00:33:57,004
You're very welcome.
523
00:33:57,078 --> 00:33:58,198
-Pleasure, mate.
-Take care.
524
00:33:58,288 --> 00:34:01,958
I always understood the cosplay community,
525
00:34:02,042 --> 00:34:05,002
but it's different being immersed
inside of it.
526
00:34:05,378 --> 00:34:08,088
Will we ever make it out of this room
into another room?
527
00:34:08,173 --> 00:34:11,013
Um, yeah, it takes a while.
It takes a while to kinda--
528
00:34:11,092 --> 00:34:13,682
So, do you not make eye contact and run?
529
00:34:15,263 --> 00:34:17,273
Anything else, you don't understand it
until you do it.
530
00:34:18,099 --> 00:34:23,189
So now that I'm in it,
and actually interacting and posing,
531
00:34:23,271 --> 00:34:27,861
and I see the fun of it. For sure.
532
00:34:27,942 --> 00:34:30,152
-[man] Awesome. Thanks, bud.
-You're very welcome.
533
00:34:31,071 --> 00:34:32,071
Hi.
534
00:34:33,448 --> 00:34:35,028
Got it? Okay.
535
00:34:36,076 --> 00:34:37,866
Ooh. Hi.
536
00:34:39,621 --> 00:34:41,871
Is my lipstick and my makeup
and stuff still okay?
537
00:34:41,956 --> 00:34:44,496
-Perfection.
-Okay.
538
00:34:45,043 --> 00:34:47,843
[Vincent]
She puts her all into every costume.
539
00:34:47,921 --> 00:34:49,841
[Jasmine] Yeah, we can make it.
We'll just rush.
540
00:34:50,632 --> 00:34:54,222
[Vincent] By the time she gets
to a convention it truly is perfect.
541
00:34:54,302 --> 00:34:57,352
I mean,
she's crafted this amazing costume...
542
00:34:58,515 --> 00:35:03,015
and just seeing people's reactions to it
and how they gravitate to it
543
00:35:03,103 --> 00:35:05,983
and wanna take pictures of it,
I'm just proud.
544
00:35:06,064 --> 00:35:07,234
[Jasmine] Thank you.
545
00:35:07,315 --> 00:35:09,525
-Hi. No, he's just fixing me.
-[Vincent] Yeah, it's no big deal.
546
00:35:10,318 --> 00:35:12,028
Thank you. You look so beautiful.
547
00:35:16,199 --> 00:35:18,239
You're like such an inspiration for me.
548
00:35:18,326 --> 00:35:20,116
-I love you so much.
-Thank you so much.
549
00:35:20,203 --> 00:35:23,753
And one of the reasons why I like cons
is 'cause the few opportunities I get
550
00:35:23,832 --> 00:35:28,212
to be around people
who not only are into comics
551
00:35:28,294 --> 00:35:32,724
but also who appreciate
the craft of cosplay too.
552
00:35:33,174 --> 00:35:34,684
I love your Storm.
553
00:35:34,759 --> 00:35:38,509
Just talking to other people
who craft things is really cool
554
00:35:38,596 --> 00:35:41,556
'cause when you're in person
you can see their stuff up close,
555
00:35:41,641 --> 00:35:43,561
but like, "How did you make this?"
556
00:35:43,643 --> 00:35:46,273
And, honestly,
that's where I've gotten a lot of advice.
557
00:35:46,354 --> 00:35:48,404
Okay, so I'm gonna fight you.
558
00:35:48,481 --> 00:35:51,441
Especially if you see someone
from the same universe as you.
559
00:35:51,526 --> 00:35:55,236
Like, "Oh, my God. I need a picture
with you right now."
560
00:35:55,321 --> 00:35:57,991
Yeah, come on. Come on!
Yeah! This is so good.
561
00:35:58,074 --> 00:35:59,704
[Vincent laughs] It's on now.
562
00:36:02,829 --> 00:36:04,909
[Jasmine]
I feel role model is such a strong word,
563
00:36:04,998 --> 00:36:08,338
but being able
to embody strong female characters
564
00:36:08,418 --> 00:36:09,538
and have people see me
565
00:36:09,627 --> 00:36:14,507
'cause I know I've had people with kids
who will come up to me at cons and stuff
566
00:36:14,591 --> 00:36:20,311
and be like, "Hey, my daughter loves
seeing you dress up as these characters.
567
00:36:20,388 --> 00:36:21,808
It's really cool for her.
568
00:36:21,890 --> 00:36:24,390
Look at how strong and confident
this woman is,
569
00:36:24,476 --> 00:36:26,596
like, someone you can aspire to be like."
570
00:36:26,686 --> 00:36:28,516
So, it's really, really nice.
571
00:36:42,202 --> 00:36:43,832
[chattering]
572
00:36:48,291 --> 00:36:52,881
[Amanda] I am Cable from the X-Men,
which is Cyclops' son.
573
00:36:52,962 --> 00:36:56,012
He has, like, a technological disease,
574
00:36:56,091 --> 00:36:58,261
and so it's taken over
the left side of his body,
575
00:36:58,343 --> 00:37:02,223
and that's why he has a mechanical arm
and a mechanical eye that lights up.
576
00:37:03,056 --> 00:37:04,806
I really like this giant gun.
577
00:37:04,891 --> 00:37:06,771
That's probably
my favorite part about him,
578
00:37:06,851 --> 00:37:08,691
is that he just has this massive gun.
579
00:37:09,396 --> 00:37:12,646
It's, like, five feet long,
and it's ridiculous.
580
00:37:12,732 --> 00:37:14,612
[imitates shooting, laughs]
581
00:37:16,945 --> 00:37:18,775
He is one of my favorite characters,
582
00:37:18,863 --> 00:37:23,583
but it's just because
I always thought he was cute.
583
00:37:23,660 --> 00:37:24,660
[laughs]
584
00:37:25,662 --> 00:37:30,132
I literally can't get anywhere because
people keep stopping me for pictures.
585
00:37:30,208 --> 00:37:31,668
Which is really fun.
586
00:37:31,751 --> 00:37:35,131
It's really exciting, everyone loving
your costume and everything.
587
00:37:35,213 --> 00:37:38,173
It feels pretty good
because you worked hard on making them,
588
00:37:38,258 --> 00:37:40,968
and then it's nice
to see people appreciating them.
589
00:37:41,594 --> 00:37:44,184
It's, like, you feel like you're famous
for a weekend.
590
00:37:44,264 --> 00:37:48,444
[grunting, laughing]
591
00:37:48,518 --> 00:37:51,308
I had been depressed
for as long as I can remember,
592
00:37:51,396 --> 00:37:54,266
with negative thoughts
and stuff like that.
593
00:37:54,357 --> 00:37:56,937
But now I don't feel like an outsider.
594
00:37:57,902 --> 00:37:59,492
Hey!
595
00:38:00,655 --> 00:38:02,525
-What's up?
-[man] Sup?
596
00:38:02,615 --> 00:38:05,575
It's awesome. I love meeting people.
I love making friends.
597
00:38:06,411 --> 00:38:07,791
It's the best thing.
598
00:38:18,006 --> 00:38:21,716
[Marcy] So many phenomenal artists
go to New York Comic Con
599
00:38:21,801 --> 00:38:25,061
in various industries, comics, toys.
600
00:38:25,138 --> 00:38:29,598
I'll drop by. I'll say hi to people,
other cosplayers. It's very social.
601
00:38:29,684 --> 00:38:33,274
-I love this costume. It's actually--
-[woman] I like the eye. Oh, my God.
602
00:38:33,355 --> 00:38:38,275
It's 3D printed and 3D modeled,
but the lens makes it, like, follow you.
603
00:38:38,360 --> 00:38:41,950
It's really cool being able
to spend so much time making something,
604
00:38:42,030 --> 00:38:45,410
and then put it on and just really
feel the work I've put into it
605
00:38:45,492 --> 00:38:48,372
and the energy that it gives you.
606
00:38:49,079 --> 00:38:51,749
The cape definitely gives you a posture
607
00:38:51,831 --> 00:38:55,091
and a, sort of, walk and a movement
that's very cool.
608
00:38:55,168 --> 00:38:57,708
Welcome to the Marvel Becoming
Costume Contest.
609
00:38:57,796 --> 00:38:59,756
[crowd cheering]
610
00:38:59,839 --> 00:39:02,009
[Marcy]
I do follow a lot of other cosplayers,
611
00:39:02,092 --> 00:39:04,512
and I love seeing them compete,
and I love seeing them win.
612
00:39:04,594 --> 00:39:06,474
And now we're gonna get started...
613
00:39:06,554 --> 00:39:11,234
[Cink] The Marvel Becoming Costume Contest
is my favorite part of the show,
614
00:39:11,309 --> 00:39:14,599
and we want as many people who are
gonna be attending the con in costume
615
00:39:14,688 --> 00:39:18,068
to be able to have a chance to get up
on the stage in their Marvel costume.
616
00:39:18,149 --> 00:39:23,029
You are gonna see
some incredible cosplayers come up here
617
00:39:23,113 --> 00:39:25,243
in their most mighty Marvel costume.
618
00:39:25,323 --> 00:39:27,333
The booth is packed,
619
00:39:27,409 --> 00:39:31,579
and I think that everybody knows
that it's something just really special.
620
00:39:31,663 --> 00:39:36,333
We have an amazing panel of judges
who are often professional cosplayers.
621
00:39:36,418 --> 00:39:40,758
Jasmine was one
of our awesome Captain Marvel cosplayers
622
00:39:40,839 --> 00:39:43,379
-from Marvel Becoming...
-[crowd cheering]
623
00:39:43,466 --> 00:39:48,346
You never really know what's gonna happen,
but it is really, really electric.
624
00:39:48,430 --> 00:39:51,560
Black Widow.
625
00:39:54,060 --> 00:39:55,480
That's cool.
626
00:39:55,562 --> 00:39:59,772
When I'm judging costume contests,
I look for, just, overall craftsmanship.
627
00:39:59,858 --> 00:40:02,028
It's the Hijabi Villains!
628
00:40:02,110 --> 00:40:04,900
[Jasmine] I like asking people,
"Why did you choose this character?
629
00:40:04,988 --> 00:40:06,608
What's your favorite part of the suit?"
630
00:40:06,698 --> 00:40:10,288
So, they can kinda bring your attention
to things that you wouldn't notice.
631
00:40:10,368 --> 00:40:13,158
What inspired y'all
to put this group together?
632
00:40:13,246 --> 00:40:15,576
Our theme is Wrapped and Reckless.
633
00:40:15,665 --> 00:40:17,455
-[man] Yeah!
-[woman] Yeah!
634
00:40:17,542 --> 00:40:20,802
[emcee] Moving on to Jean Grey.
635
00:40:20,879 --> 00:40:23,879
It's a full latex suit.
Like, that's crazy.
636
00:40:23,965 --> 00:40:26,295
[Cink] I love it when the new cosplayers
are coming out,
637
00:40:26,384 --> 00:40:29,764
and they're working themselves up,
and they're really excited and nervous.
638
00:40:30,180 --> 00:40:33,020
And there's something really wonderful
also about getting to be like,
639
00:40:33,099 --> 00:40:37,189
"Come on up.
Welcome. Just do your best and have fun."
640
00:40:37,270 --> 00:40:39,650
And then getting to see the people
who've been doing it forever,
641
00:40:39,731 --> 00:40:43,491
and they are there to show off that they
are the best cosplayer in the community.
642
00:40:43,568 --> 00:40:45,528
The mouth moves. The mouth's not fake.
643
00:40:45,612 --> 00:40:48,112
Yeah. Oh, that's cool.
644
00:40:48,198 --> 00:40:51,738
[emcee] And here comes the Border Tribe.
645
00:40:51,826 --> 00:40:52,866
[crowd cheering]
646
00:40:52,952 --> 00:40:55,212
-I love it. I love it.
-[tribeswoman speaking Xhosa] Yibambe!
647
00:40:55,288 --> 00:40:56,288
Yibambe!
648
00:40:56,373 --> 00:40:57,873
-Yibambe!
-Yibambe!
649
00:40:57,957 --> 00:40:59,787
-Yibambe!
-Yibambe!
650
00:40:59,876 --> 00:41:01,876
-Border Tribe.
-Hey, hey!
651
00:41:03,088 --> 00:41:05,588
Yep, yep. I'm biased.
652
00:41:05,674 --> 00:41:07,514
[emcee] All right,
here comes Doctor Strange.
653
00:41:07,592 --> 00:41:09,642
[Marcy] It's a cool feeling
standing up there on the stage
654
00:41:09,719 --> 00:41:11,299
and seeing that sea of faces
655
00:41:11,388 --> 00:41:14,178
that are all just also really excited
to be there.
656
00:41:14,265 --> 00:41:17,845
It's not scary being up on stage
at the Marvel Costume Contest.
657
00:41:17,936 --> 00:41:20,266
I think that just because
you're not really expected
658
00:41:20,355 --> 00:41:22,645
to perform some kind of bit necessarily,
659
00:41:22,732 --> 00:41:25,862
you just kind of go,
"Hey, everyone. I'm here." [laughs]
660
00:41:28,988 --> 00:41:31,368
I really liked the Hijabi Villains.
661
00:41:31,449 --> 00:41:32,699
-I did too.
-[woman] Oh, my God.
662
00:41:32,784 --> 00:41:34,664
They're definitely high up on my list.
663
00:41:34,744 --> 00:41:37,754
And then also the Border Tribe
stood out to me too.
664
00:41:37,831 --> 00:41:40,541
-They handmade all of the blankets.
-[man] Really?
665
00:41:40,625 --> 00:41:42,495
Yeah, they hand-painted all that stuff.
666
00:41:42,585 --> 00:41:46,295
[Jasmine] The Guardians, obviously.
They were amazing.
667
00:41:46,381 --> 00:41:48,721
-The Wolverine dress.
-[woman] Yeah.
668
00:41:48,800 --> 00:41:50,390
So we've already called out
a lot of people.
669
00:41:50,468 --> 00:41:52,928
I feel like we need to start
doing some ranking here.
670
00:41:53,013 --> 00:41:53,933
Yes.
671
00:41:54,681 --> 00:41:56,431
[Cink] It looks like it's happening.
672
00:41:56,516 --> 00:41:57,926
Judges, come on up.
673
00:41:58,018 --> 00:42:03,518
In the fandom community, I think everyone
is so passionate about these characters
674
00:42:03,606 --> 00:42:06,026
that we all just want to do right by them.
675
00:42:06,109 --> 00:42:07,399
All right. An honorable mention.
676
00:42:07,485 --> 00:42:12,155
We all were just super impressed
by the amount of detail and creativity
677
00:42:12,240 --> 00:42:14,450
and just
thought that went into this design.
678
00:42:14,534 --> 00:42:17,794
It is our Wolverine couture dress.
679
00:42:17,871 --> 00:42:20,921
-[Cink] Oh, Wolverine couture dress.
-[Jasmine] Yes.
680
00:42:24,669 --> 00:42:29,169
And who do we have in first place?
681
00:42:29,257 --> 00:42:31,427
Three, two, one.
682
00:42:31,509 --> 00:42:34,099
[all] The Border Tribe!
683
00:42:34,179 --> 00:42:35,349
[crowd cheering]
684
00:42:35,430 --> 00:42:39,770
[Cink] They have beautiful prosthetic work
on all of their faces.
685
00:42:39,851 --> 00:42:42,901
Their design work is so untypical,
so detailed.
686
00:42:42,979 --> 00:42:44,309
Give it up!
687
00:42:44,397 --> 00:42:46,437
[crowd cheering]
688
00:42:46,524 --> 00:42:50,654
[Cink] All right, the winners
of the Marvel Becoming Costume Contest.
689
00:42:54,616 --> 00:42:56,116
Big Hulk smash, right?
690
00:42:56,951 --> 00:42:58,951
[growls]
691
00:42:59,037 --> 00:43:01,497
Well, life is too short
to be so serious all the time.
692
00:43:02,082 --> 00:43:06,962
So, it's nice just to have something
to be immersed in.
693
00:43:07,462 --> 00:43:08,462
You're a little short.
694
00:43:08,546 --> 00:43:10,756
You're a little shorter
than I thought you would be.
695
00:43:10,840 --> 00:43:12,130
You want to take a picture? Come on.
696
00:43:12,217 --> 00:43:14,837
[Trish] He is all about interacting
with the crowd
697
00:43:14,928 --> 00:43:17,098
and of making children happy and...
698
00:43:17,931 --> 00:43:19,561
I'm Captain America. This is Peggy.
699
00:43:19,641 --> 00:43:21,561
-I love your Spider-Man.
-This is so cool.
700
00:43:21,643 --> 00:43:24,103
[Trish] Usually, I just stay here
and handle his stuff for him,
701
00:43:24,187 --> 00:43:26,687
but to have people come up
to you and be excited.
702
00:43:26,773 --> 00:43:28,573
Like, "Oh, my God. You look so great."
703
00:43:28,650 --> 00:43:30,900
It's nice to bring excitement
to other people.
704
00:43:31,820 --> 00:43:35,070
-Your cheek is, like, spazzing out.
-It's all right. You get used to it.
705
00:43:37,951 --> 00:43:39,121
[Trish] This is exciting.
706
00:43:42,080 --> 00:43:45,670
I think it's so important
that everyone has a hero
707
00:43:45,750 --> 00:43:48,090
to look up to that they identify with.
708
00:43:53,633 --> 00:43:57,353
Cosplayers are really special people
that can disappear into the story
709
00:43:57,429 --> 00:43:59,099
and be taken away with that.
710
00:43:59,180 --> 00:44:01,850
You have to have a big heart
and imagination.
711
00:44:03,852 --> 00:44:06,312
I think all of life is costuming.
712
00:44:06,396 --> 00:44:09,356
We all wear clothes.
None of us were born in clothes.
713
00:44:11,526 --> 00:44:16,776
We're all putting on a costume
of what we want people to see us as.
714
00:44:16,865 --> 00:44:19,905
So I don't think it's that strange
to necessarily say,
715
00:44:19,993 --> 00:44:23,373
"I see myself in this hero,
so I want to dress up as them."
716
00:44:26,249 --> 00:44:28,629
And at the end of the day,
it's just really important
717
00:44:28,710 --> 00:44:31,800
that people have a chance
to see themself as heroes.