It’s hard to imagine Batman, Deadpool and Ash from “Pokémon” bowling together, but the Wild Cat Mini Con hopes to make this dream a reality.
The Japanese Study Abroad Program is hosting a cosplay minicon to raise money for their study abroad trip in May.
Mariahn Seavello, organizer of Wild Cat Mini Con, said, “I believe this is the first that has been held at Weber State.”
With Utah’s popular events such as Comic Con, Fan X and Anime Banzai, the performance art of cosplaying is garnering more attention around the Beehive State.
Seth Smith, an active cosplayer, attempted to define cosplaying. He said, “The word ‘cosplay’ is literally a mashup of ‘costume’ and ‘play,’ so cosplay is to dress up as a character and act like them.”
Seavello said, “Cosplay is where you dress up as a character from a comic book, a show or movie. It usually entails you making your own costume, but a lot of people buy their costumes on the Internet.”
Smith and Seavello said they have cosplayed as characters from “Tokyo Ghoul,” “Black Butler,” “Final Fantasy,” “Resident Evil” and Batman.
Although some students may not be fans of anime, fantasy or science fiction, Seavello encourages people from all interests to attend the event.
She said, “It will definitely bring a community together with similar interests. Even if you haven’t heard of cosplay, people will still be interested in these characters that people are dressing up as. It could be from their favorite movies and shows.”
Smith also said, “Cosplay is [something] that everyone can do. You don’t need to be a basement-dwelling anime fan or some super nerd. Cosplay can be as easy as having your best friend and you both dress up in black suits with blue latex gloves, or it can be as complex as making a giant suit of armor.”
A popular genre of cosplay is characters from
anime. However, any type of character is permitted at the event.
“I made sure to let people know that all cosplay is allowed at this con. It’s not just about anime or games, but it will also be comic books and movies. I actually expect quite a few Deadpool [costumes,]” Seavello said.
Seavello is hopeful that several attendees will be cosplaying for the first time at this event. She offered this advice, “Have fun. Be creative. You don’t have to feel like you need to create.”
Smith also said, ““It doesn’t require vast amounts of time and detail. It’s a thing you can do very casually or extremely hardcore. It’s a fantastic way of showing what you are passionate about.”
The event will be held on April 16 from 4 to 9 p.m.
Go to the “Wild Cat Mini Con” Facebook page for details.
