Kotaku: Cosplay

Atlus Cosplayers Do Atlus Proud

Mike Fahey — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:20:00 MST

Atlus just announced the winners of their 2008 Atlus-O-Weenie Halloween Costume Contest, which had fans of the company's games dressing themselves up as popular characters for a chance at an Atlus prize pack filled with goodies. Judging from some of the shots they received the real winner here was the folks on the other end of the entry email address. Just look at this cosplay of Velvet from Odin Sphere. The sheer amount of physical fitness represented in that one picture alone is enough to leave my lazy ass winded - and she didn't even win!

No, Velvet was just a runner up. The winner was the girl who dressed up as Izuna, The Unemployed Ninja, who did a lovely job of representing the DS series despite not having quite the same assets to work with. Check out the gallery for the rest of the runners up, or hit the link to see all the entries, a disturbing number of which have guns pointed at their heads.

Atlus-O-Weenie Contest Entries [Atlus]

Pay Maids To Role Play, Cosplay With You

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 02:00:00 MST

Shopping in Akihabara? Fun. Shopping in Akihabara with a role-playing maid? Funner. Maid establishment Ecri offers discerning Japanese otaku the chance to hire a maid to "role play" video game or anime characters while hanging out, grabbing lunch or shopping with your maid companion. The Akihabara-only service is ¥6,000 (US$60), and there are three options for your companion's outfit: maid, cosplay and civilian clothes.

This is not prostitution. Though for some, having a woman pretend she's Gundam's Sayla Mass and you Amuro Ray might very well be better than sex.

Ecri [Official Site via Danny Choo]

And The Best Cosplay Is...

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 23:00:00 MST

We've picked a winner, we've picked a winner, we've picked a winner. That's right, our Dead Space helmet cosplay contest has drawn to a close. It's over! One lucky cosplayer will get this amazing helmet to wear around their neighborhood and freak out small children.

Hit the jump for the winner.

CONGRATS! Winner person please send us an email at tipsATkotakuDOTcom to claim your prize.

Side note: When the contest post went live, we told everyone not to write multiple comments in posts OR ELSE. Those commenters have met a sad, grisly fate. Common sense tells one not to vote twice (or gum up the comments section with idle chatter), and manners tell one to be polite and respectful. Live and learn!

Who Says Nintendogs are Only on the DS?

Owen Good — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 15:00:00 MDT

Gizmodo is gonna think I am copying their homework but, seriously, you gotta see these two dogs dressed as a Wii and a Wiimote for Halloween, and these poor sons of bitches (literally) do not look happy about it. Looks like they are having less fun playing Nintendo hardware than this guy did.

In deference to our sister site for this great get, you can see the second one on the link.

Halloween Wii Dogs Make Us Laugh, Shed Single Tear [Gizmodo]

Red Hair, Blue Hair, Real Hair, Fake Hair

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:00:00 MDT

More picture of Kotaku readers in costumes with bonus hair hi-jinx. That's reader JD who points out, yes, that is his own, honest-to-goodness, real moptop. For that, he has our undying love and fear. After the jump, furry reader HezaChan dresses up as Felicia from Darkstalkers, complete with blue hair and foot-high-heel-contraptions. Here's what is going on:

Dress-up like a game character (any game character is okay!) and send along a picture of you holding up a Kotaku sign to kotakucontestATgmailDOTcom with the subject line Cosplay Contest. Please do not send photos of Kotaku signs Photoshopped in. The deadline is November 1st. The winner will be selected by Kotakuland and get this helmet. Everyone will get INTERNET FAME.

Hand Made Devil May Cry Cosplay That GLOWS

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 01:00:00 MDT

Not only is that Devil May Cry 4 Nero costume totally handmade, it's totally function. That's right, reader Hawaiian_spawn has even made a Devil Bringer that glows in the dark. Hit the jump for a look at that — Hawaiian_spawn points out that it is not photoshopped at all.

Oh! If you notice the sign, Hawaiian_spawn and Zaya_Spif are a cosplaying couple. "I thought it would have been better to pose together but she chose separately," he told us. Here is what's going on:

Bloody Butcher Smock, Nurse Uniform, And Furry In Nintendo Boxers

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:00 MDT

Halloween is right around the corner, and we're excited. We're all dressed up in top hats and blood covered bed sheets, and wondering when we should really get a costume. Inspiration is coming from our cosplay contest entries. Above is Pyramid Head, a nurse and the best damn use of a paper plate we've seen in forever. Thanks reader John for this. Here is what's going on:

While John's entry was scary, Geoff's is even scarier. He writes, "I was going to dress my dog up as Amaratsu this year, but I realized I don't have a dog. Ooops! ...Yes, I realize my boxers are showing, but they say Nintendo on them, so thats like +2 right? (or 1up maybe)" Furry and Nintendo boxer action after the jump.

Shame Tanooki Mario Didn't Have Golden Testicles

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 05:00:00 MDT

They're not giant monsters. And they sure don't appear in giant Japanese monster movies. They're yokai, fodder for Japanese folk tales, and they sometimes do appear in video games. Just in time for Halloween, authors Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt have a book called Yokai Attack! on the creatures, and just to show how pervasive yokai are in Japan, Alt has quickly drawn up a list of some in-game yokai. Here's a sample:

The tanuki, or "raccoon-dog," is a staple of Japanese folkore. They're known as tricksters, shape-shifters...and as a symbol of good luck. You can find statues of them outside of restaurants throughout Japan. They're considered lucky because their enormous scrotums (which are called "kintama" or "golden balls," in Japanese) are the source of their supernatural powers. Too bad Mario didn't get a nice super-sized sack when he suited up in his "tanooki suit" (as it was spelled for the English language release of the game.)

Knew there was something missing with that Tanooki Suit Mario. Make that somethings.

Pixel Yokai! [AltJapan]

Here Are Nice Costumes Our Nice Readers Made

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 04:00:00 MDT

Our cosplay contest keeps on keepin' on. Reader Spif send this pic along of Devil May Cry 4's Kyrie. Classy! Spif also made the costume, so be impressed with that. We're giving a Dead Space helmet away to the best costume — or rather, the costume Kotakuland likes teh best.

The contest: Dress-up like a game character (any game character is okay!) and send along a picture of you holding up a Kotaku sign to kotakucontestATgmailDOTcom with the subject line Cosplay Contest. Please do not send photos of Kotaku signs Photoshopped in. The deadline is November 1st. The winner will be selected by Kotakuland and get this helmet. Happy Halloween to everyone and all that crap!

Hit the jump for another D.I.Y. costume. This one is vault dweller from Kotakuite Vice552.

Writes Vice552:

i tried to get every detail right from looking at hundreds of screenshots and game play videos. (the 101 on the collar, the cool tech tube thing that goes over the shoulder, the shoulder armor, pipboy, random belts, and the 1 fingerless glove with the tech part with a tube coming out.) everything but the belts are hand made from scratch... my hand made pipboy 3000. I wanted to make it as real as possible and i wanted the main screen to be something more than just a light up green square so i made the entire thing into what is pretty much a giant watch. the screen is from a cheep travel alarm clock i bought at walmart and gutted. the 5 buttons above the screen are the clocks functions, (back light on/off, date set , hours set, minutes set, temperature F/C).

This is going to be the bestest Halloween ever. Fun contest, too.

London MCM Expo Cosplay Gallery

Stuart Houghton — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 19:20:00 MDT

There was something heartwarming about the cosplay on display at last weekend's MCM Expo in London's Docklands.

Lots of people - young and old - were having fun dressing up as their favorite game or anime characters. Giggling catgirls and mopey Death Note obsessives wandered the corridors of the Excel Centre offering FREE HUGS and renewing friendships from conventions past. It was infectious, frivolous, colorful and wonderfully daft.

Best of all though - the inspired stunt-booking that juxtaposed outlandishly-attired nerds in one half of the conference facility with a thoroughly baffled Muslim Global Peace And Unity Conference in the other half. Surreal doesn't begin to cover it...

Nintendo Rewards Pet Dress-Up

Brian Crecente — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 09:00:00 MDT

Alert the SPCA.

With just under three weeks to go before the new Animal Crossing hits the Wii, Nintendo is kicking off a Cosplay contest to try and generate a bit more attention for their game.

But not content to get gamers to dress up in absurdly embarrassing outfits, the Animal Crossing Welcome Waggin’ Costume Contest is an invitation to instead embarrass pets.

The entrants of the top 50 photos of animals dressed in costumes or characters from Animal Crossing will receive a Wii video game system, a copy of Animal Crossing: City Folk, a Wii Speak microphone, access to exclusive information about the game and the eternal and voiceless scorn of their pets.

Daily photo picks and details about the contest will be posted over at www.welcomewaggincontest.com, which appeared not to be working when I checked it a bit earlier today. Entries for the contest will be accepted starting today and running through Nov. 16.

Nintendo News: Animal Crossing Costume Contest Gives Fans a Chance to Win Prizes, Exclusive Info

Fans of Nintendo’s Animal Crossing™ franchise are some of the most loyal in the world. To reward them for their devotion to these community-building games and to get players fired up for the Nov. 16 release of Animal Crossing™: City Folk for Nintendo’s Wii™ console, Nintendo is hosting an outrageous animal costume contest.

Critter lovers can show their creativity by submitting the most original images of animals dressed in costumes or even as characters from the hit video game franchise Animal Crossing. The entrants of the top 50 photos in the “Animal Crossing Welcome Waggin’ Costume Contest” will win membership to the exclusive Welcome Waggin’ Committee. All committee members will receive a Wii video game system, a copy of Animal Crossing: City Folk, a Wii Speak™ microphone, access to exclusive information about the game and more.

Expanding on the popularity of the Animal Crossing series, Animal Crossing: City Folk lets every member of the household partake in the fun of a unique animal-filled town. Players use the simple controls of the wireless Wii Remote™ controller to customize their own characters and surroundings. And for the first time, players can take their adventure to the city, complete with shopping and theater excursions. It’s also the first game to make use of the Wii Speak microphone, a new accessory that enables players to use voice chat over a broadband Internet connection. The Wii Speak microphone is sold separately.

Daily photo picks and details about the “Animal Crossing Welcome Waggin’ Costume Contest” will be posted at www.WelcomeWagginContest.com. Entries will be accepted Oct. 27 - Nov. 16. For more information about Animal Crossing: City Folk, please visit www.Animal-Crossing.com.

Dress Up, Win A Helmet

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 21:00:00 MDT

Scary! Kotakuite Mikhail is going as a BioShock splicer this Halloween and sent in this entry for out cosplay contest. Here's what is going on: Dress-up like a game character (any game character is okay!) and send along a picture of you holding up a Kotaku sign to kotakucontestATgmailDOTcom with the subject line Cosplay Contest. Please do not send photos of Kotaku signs Photoshopped in. The deadline is November 1st. The winner will be selected by Kotakuland and get this helmet.

Hit the jump to look at the helmet.

Is This Halloween All About Chun-Li Or Viking Link?

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 22:00:00 MDT

Need help dressing yourself for Halloween? (Need help dressing yourself?) BuyCostumes.com is here to help. The site has a bunch of Street Fighter costumes (each under US$50) and all new for 2008. Seems like Chun-Li could very well be teh female gamer costume of 2008. Hey, it might even be the male gamer costume of 2008. It's really too early to call. But not everyone looks good in blue and yellow. Some look better in green.

TV host Olivia Munn dresses as the Capcom fighter after the jump. Reader Chesu as link. COSTUME FIGHT!

In related cosplay news, our cosplay contest is in full swing. Reader Chesu sends along his entry (above, not Chun-Li). Our minds? Blown.

We've got a handmade Dead Space helmet we're giving away. Dress-up like a game character (any game character is okay!) and send along a picture of you holding up a Kotaku sign to kotakucontestATgmailDOTcom with the subject line Cosplay Contest. Please do not send photos of Kotaku signs Photoshopped in. The deadline is November 1. The winner will be selected by Kotakuland and get this helmet. Happy Halloween to everyone and all that crap!

Olivia Munn Trades In The Leia Costume For Chun Li’s Threads [Das Gamer]
Street Fighter Costumes! [Capcom]

Halloween Cosplay Contest Start!

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 01:00:00 MDT

Check your calenders, because soon it will be Halloween. What better way to celebrate Halloween than dressing up in scary costumes. And what better way to encourage you to do that than have a cosplay contest. We've got a hand-made Dead Space helmet. There are only 8 of this on the planet Earth.

The contest: Dress-up like a game character (any game character is okay!) and send along a picture of you holding up a Kotaku sign to kotakucontestATgmailDOTcom with the subject line Cosplay Contest. Please do not send photos of Kotaku signs Photoshopped in. The deadline is November 1st. The winner will be selected by Kotakuland and get this helmet. Happy Halloween to everyone and all that crap!

Dead Space [Official Site]

The Top 50 Cosplay Cleavage Shots [Updated]

Owen Good — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 17:00:00 MDT

Well, it's noon, that means we can break out the porn. I have to wonder what Juan over at Kezins is doing in his spare time, if he has room for this kind of research. Actually, check that, I don't want to visualize what Juan does in his spare time. Anyway, he's put together a gallery of the 50 best cosplay cleavage shots — which is a lot harder than googling "cosplay cleavage" with moderate safesearch off. (I know, I tried.) I just can't not show you this. So, even though there is no nipple, this is NSFW, NSFgirlfriend in the room, NSFviewing at the kitchen table because your moms moved the computer there after she found and deleted your stash, all that. Three others on the jump, with a link the whole shootin' match.

Update: Kezins crashed [10/26: SINCE REPAIRED]. I tried giving you a cached site but that didn't work. But have no fear! Heather, our friend in the first picture, sent two others (she wasn't too happy with the one we chose. Says it was 4 years old). And so here you are. Everyone say nice things to Heather or I will kick your asses. Don't ask how, dammit, just sit there and be threatened and enjoy these pictures. The second one is on the jump.

Heather has a profile at Cosplay.com if you want to check it out. (Please don't crash that server too.)

The 50 Best Cosplay Cleavage Pics [Kezins]

Stay Classy This Halloween With Ms Pac-man Lingerie

Stuart Houghton — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:20:00 MDT

Ah, Halloween. You Americans really have the right idea. While we Brits are bobbing for apples and being angrily told that there will be neither trick nor treat, thank you very much, you lot are going full on with the mainstream cosplay - pirates, vampires, pop-culture icons - and for the ladies.. the same, but with a Sexy prefix.

That said, it might be a bit cold for this particular outfit. While recent weeks have seen Pac-Man iconography take the world of high fashion by storm the lower-rent, novelty end of the rag trade was not to be left out.

This tasteful little number from 'lingerie and sexy costumes' outlet 3Wishes.com goes by the lawyer-friendly moniker "Miss Video Game". They do a Chun Li outfit too. Just sayin'.

Actually, it is possible that this isn't one of their 'Sexy Halloween' costumes at all but rather falls under the "Lingerie and sexy costumes for an enchanted evening of romance and make believe" category - in which case, what the hell are you making believe?

Only At 3Wishes [3Wishes.com via Joystick Division]

Rubie's Costumes Make Even Bigger WoW Geeks

Mike Fahey — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:30:00 MDT

At BlizzCon 2008 there was one booth I managed to avoid for the majority of the show, but towards the end when the crowds were clearing off I couldn't help but notice the amazing masks and accessories the folks at Rubie's Costume Company had brought along with them. Not only did they sell your standard latex elf ears and a full assortment of masks, including the $160+ full Tauren, they were even working on new masks at the booth. I sat and watched a guy working on the Illidan head for awhile, but I was really impressed with the detail on the Draenei being created on the other side of the booth. If not for my abject fear of putting plastic over my head, I might have been tempted to pick one up myself.

Metal Gear Solid 4 Raiden Cosplay: You Have To See It

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:00:00 MDT

Normally, we'd slave over a snappy headline to lure you in. Something with "boobs" or "first this or that" or "Haruhi" in the title. But this is Metal Gear Solid 4 cosplay. This is gender-bending Raiden cosplay. It's a hard sell. And you have to see it. Try as we might, our command of the English language is woefully inadequate in describing just how spectacular this particular outfit is in a simple headline. From the neck down, it's fairly banal at first blush. From the chin-up however, it's cosplay brilliance.

Machined visor, lighted LEDs on the headpiece, fits-like-a-glove chin strap, picture perfect wig — we can't even begin to comprehend the starting point on this one or how much it ultimately cost. Unless this is some off the shelf contraption that how somehow escaped us, this is an amazing piece of work. Consider us humbled.

Cosplay Alley: The Other Side Of The Lens

Michael McWhertor — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 20:30:00 MDT

Tart yourself up in the style of your favorite anime or video game character, ladies, and the lonely Tokyo Game Show hordes will eat you alive. Photographically, that is. When a largely bare-assed Cammy strutted her way out to Cosplay Alley, she instantly broke a dozen hearts, perhaps twice that number of zippers. Security was forced to insert itself into the situation, politely asking this top-shelf Cammy clone to move along, step to the side, attempting to stem the flow of bodily fluids from becoming a knee deep pool. It was gruesome.

Clearly, the full version of this photo could be considered not safe for work — and at TGS, safe for wank — so it will have to reside after the jump.

You can expect a bombardment of master class cosplay action later, perfect for you to Save As... and view in a slideshow at your leisure.

The Obligatory BlizzCon 2008 Cosplay Post

Mike Fahey — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:20:00 MDT

I'd have to say that the very best cosplay I've seen at BlizzCon 2008 I've sadly seen without a camera. Like the two girls dressed up as a demon and a Draenei, kissing each other as I rushed to an interview with the lead designer on StarCraft II. Priorities won out in the end, but I will forever carry the image etched in my mind. Here's a selection of some of the costumes I did manage to catch on film. Oddly enough, the pirate is a girl I've known for nearly 10 years now and hadn't seen in nearly six of them. Smallish world after all, isn't it?

A Dressed-Up Stroll Down TGS Cosplay Alley

Brian Ashcraft — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 11:00:00 MDT

Normal people wearing costumes! That's right, today is Saturday, not only the first public day, but also the first day of cosplay fun. If you're interested in checking out fancy pants and wild wigs, we have still images for you. The cheeky stuff is later.

Feel free to pick your favorite. Or not.

Dress Your Baby In Murloc

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:00:47 MDT

Still don't know what to dress up your littlest spawn as this Halloween? Want to impress the other mommies at BlizzCon? How about a setting them off on the wrong foot by starting their World of Warcraft cosplay habit early — really early — with this handmade Baby Murloc costume? This apparent one of a kind beastly get up is going for a song on eBay right now, with less than a day left.

According to the seller, the Baby Murloc outfit comes with a "zippered front, snapped leg opening, hooded top, and reinforced spikes" as well as hands and feet. Pictures are limited, but from what we've seen it looks razor sharp (in a design way, not a baby hurting way) and should probably be going for much, much more.

We don't think Child Protection Services will say word one about it, either.

Baby Murloc Halloween costume World of Warcraft [eBay via Wonderland]

Even More Cosplay of PAX 2008

Brian Crecente — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 10:00:00 MDT

The cosplayers of Penny Arcade Expo are a diverse group, some coming as Penny Arcade characters, others as game characters, but they all share a resolve to mug for anyone's camera given the opportunity.

Hit the jump for a tasty selection of the cosplayers I captured on digital film. Gotta get them all.

Justify Your Fruit Fucker Cosplay

Brian Crecente — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 08:30:00 MDT

Hands, down the best bit of cosplay at the Penny Arcade Expo this year was the more than life-sized Fruit Fucker. A metal beastie with a turning key and the ability, for at least a bit, to spray juice from it's... um... juicer.

Forgive the bad audio and video in this clip, I was by myself and using a handheld camera.

Update: Sorry about the video mix-up. It should be fixed now.

Cosplay Runs Rampant At Games Convention

Mike Fahey — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 13:20:00 MDT

Anywhere you combine video games and large masses of the general public you are bound to find the odd cosplayer, but today at the Games Convention in Leipzig I not only found cosplayers - I found their nest. Entering the transparent dome building I've dubbed the Hall of Justice I only encountered one or two costumed con-goers, but once I got to the very back of the building I discovered an almost never-ending stream of them coming in through the back door. Following the trail, I discovered a veritable cosplayer hive. Resident Evil, Naruto, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, and many I was too dizzy to correctly identify, buzzing about their business until they spied the telltale glint of light off a camera lens, at which point they'd drop everything and go into their defensive poses. If I had to pick a winner, I'd say it was definitely the main character from The World Ends With You, though after snapping the pic of Link not posing I felt I had betrayed the cosplayer-camera guy trust and had to flee.

Sweet Pyro Costume from Down Under

Owen Good — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 12:00:00 MDT

Reader Paul from Australia sends in this pic (and two others) of his homebrewed homage to Pyro from Team Fortress 2. Naturally, because this is how my mind works, I thought "well if Pyro is a female character, this dude is running around in girls' clothes." I kid! I keeeed! The mask is right on, but the suit's not the same texture as Pyro's rubberized get-up, which in addition to being expensive would also look like fetish gear. What. What?!

No really, I think I have a strange form of Tourette's, that causes me to blurt out wildly inappropriate, if not profane, things. Fahey and Leigh can attest to that. So can my girlfriend from my senior year of high school. We saw "Ghost" on a date and, while she was crying during the scene where Patrick Swayze possesses the mystic's body so he can hold his wife one last time, I leaned in close to whisper, "You know, what's really going on here, is Demi Moore is actually dancing with and kissing Whoopi Goldberg." And I wondered why I was a teenage virgin.

Wow, that was a digression. Hit the jump for the images.

Paul also advises that it's available for sale if you want to buy it. You can e-mail him, just be sure to remove the ATs and DOTs.

E3 Gate Crasher: Ghetto Vader - Let Him In?

Noah R — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:35:21 MDT

Ghetto Vader here came all the way from The Bronx to crash E3 even though he doesn't have an invite. Should we let him in?

[Fukupayme]

Video Game Cosplay Record Brutally Beaten

Mike Fahey — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:00:00 MDT

In April we reported that Dallas-area anime convention A-Kon was planning on taking on the Guinness Book of World Record's Largest Gathering Of Game Characters cosplay record. Now the results are in and 80 Marios just got their asses handed to them. The record-breaking attempt held at the convention over the weekend drew 697 video game character cosplayers, from Links to Zeldas, SNK and Capcom fighters, fervent Final Fantasy fans, and even Kotakuites like Steven here, pictured as Lakitu, with friends Jenni and Spencer filling the roles of Toad and Toadette. Truly this is a great day in the history of people dressing up as other things.

Hit the jump for some more pictures from the event, and see if you can pick out which Final Fantasy character in the gallery is my personal favorite.

Racism In Tokyo

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 20 May 2008 06:00:00 MDT

It's game related. Or rather, otaku related. Somewhat.

Hit the jump for a totally non-game related clip from YouTuber tokyocooney. A totally brilliant non-game related one.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Cosplay Earns A Standing Ovation

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 14 May 2008 22:00:00 MDT

From who? Why, the internet, of course. When a bunch of cosplaying S.T.A.L.K.E.R. fans decided to hit the woods and engage in some wargames, re-enact some of the game's battles, fucking around was not on the schedule of events. They brought real weapons. Real uniforms. Real armoured personnel carriers. To real Chernobyl. The results (and resulting photgraphy) is a sight to behold.

Сталкер в реале [via Rock, Paper, Shotgun]

Halo Cosplay Turned Up To Eleven

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 14 May 2008 06:20:00 MDT

This is Adam and Walter, from the 405th. Hi Adam and Walter! Adam and Walter like Halo, and they like cosplay, so seeing them dressed as Halo characters isn't that big a shock. What is a shock is the quality of these costumes! If somebody told me these were photos smuggled off the set of the Halo movie I'd totally agree with them, for a second, before remembering there is no Halo movie, then saying "aaaahhhh, ya got me".

[Thanks Walter!]

Let's Pick The Bestest Cosplay Plane

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 01:00:04 MDT

Haven't forgotten! Here you are, the best reader dress-up-as-a-plane costume. There is a gallery below. Click through it and vote for ONE PLANE that you like by writing "I vote for this" directly under that photo. Vote only once. Failure to do so will cause your vote to be void and end in us showing you the door. To see how the voting worked last time, click on this post. Voting ends midnight, MOUNTAIN TIME.

Look, There On The Ground, It's WiiMan

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 03:30:00 MDT

Ladies and gentlemen: WiiMan. He won't save the day, but he will at least bring a smile to it, with his shiny white cape, rampant Nintendo fanboyism and snappy Zorro mask. Oh, and his super powers: the suit's a fully-functioning Wii Remote, complete with Bluetooth, IR cam, accelerometer and even working face buttons. All that, and not a single dwarf or urine joke in sight. Well done everyone involved.
WiiMan Superhero [thanks Chris!]

The GlaDOS Cosplay Video Endurance Challenge

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 14:40:38 MDT

How long can you tolerate this monologue without cringing or fast forwarding? I lasted about 8 seconds before my by-proxy embarrassment got the better of me. That's better than my mechanical bull record! Okay, without the crusty old curmudgeon attitude, this is some solid Portal cosplay, with some fantastic touches. Gotta give kudos for the ability to lug a massive cake around a convention hall all day, too. Anyone seen better pics from SakuraCon 2008 that might show this off better?

Thanks for the tip, Rebecca!

Cosplay World Record: There Are Rules

ogood — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 12:00:00 MDT

I never thought that an act as passive as showing up in costume somewhere A) would merit a Guinness record or B) would require so many rules.

But first, remember how we threw down the gauntlet on the the 80 Marios who showed up in London back in mid-March? Right, just wait for the next anime convention, that'll be blown apart. And that's what's gonna happen.

A-Kon, "the oldest continually running, anime-based convention in North America (at 19 years)," thinks they can pwn 80 wimp-ass Marios, easy, at their gathering, May 30 - June 1 in Dallas. And just to make sure there are no protests or challenges or "nuh-uh, nuh-uh!(s)" from their cosplay rivals, they've drawn up a list of rules for everyone to follow. They want this locked down tight.

Among the rules:

• Characters can be both video game and TV/movie, but must have appeared first in video games (Sonic the Hedgehog, yes. Batman, no.)
• Guinness can still determine who counts and who don't. So you can't just grab a bunch of bald guys in jacket and tie and say they're Agent 47.
• Each participant must sign his or her name "in front of two independent witnesses of high standing in the community." They shall be dressed as Princess Toadstool and Sheriff Bartlett from Red Dead Revolver.

There's a whole bunch of other serious-sounding stuff on the A-Kon page. I mean, really. Folks, did we come here to dress up like the Battletoads, or did we come here to ~~f—-~~ fuck around?

A-KON GOES FOR THE GUINNESS BOOK RECORD! [A-Kon, thanks to reader Matt Frager]

How Many Haruhis Fit in a Phone Booth?

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 03:00:43 MDT

This has been bothering us. Really. We've been dying to know. For ages. The question: How many Haruhis fit into a telephone booth? Such a simple, yet profound question. Hit the jump for the exciting conclusion! Do it!!

FIVE. Whew, all better.
Haruhi College Students [Akiba Blog]

The Otaku Queen And The Most Explicit, NSFW Bean

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 04:00:00 MDT

When not hosting Pokémon cartoons, otaku queen Shoko Nakagawa enjoys the simple things like playing Final Fantasy VII, putting catheads in her mouth and cosplay. Some of her previously cosplays, like Super Robot Taisen, have been quite amazing. Spectacular, even. Her recent bean (yes, bean as in, you know, a bean) cosplay has left us speechless. It might sound innocuous, but it is totally MAXIMUM RISKY. Might be not safe for work, even! Pic after the jump. You've been warned. Enjoy.

Certainly, she knows, right? She must.
Shokotan... [NSFW Kangofu Blog]

Midna Cosplay Takes The Cosplay Cake

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 02:30:00 MDT

The 2007 Anime Expo at Long Beach was held last year. Why, then, has it taken until now for this amazing Midna cosplay photo to end up on my desk? You know what, forget it, I don't want to hear your pathetic excuses. Do not fail me again, internet. Click through for a full-size version.

Anime Expo 2007 [i360 via Go Nintendo]

Gamer Brits Set Pathetic Cosplaying Guinness World Record

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 19:30:53 MDT

It doesn't take much to impress the folks at the Guinness Book of World Records, I guess. They deemed the gathering of 80 cosplayers, each dressed up as a video game character, "The Largest Gathering of Games Characters" that they've ever had on record. The GameSpot report on the matter points out that the record wasn't officially recorded prior to the event, so it wasn't exactly hard.

That certainly doesn't mean that the 30 kids sporting Mario outfits from Argyle Primary School, Kings Cross aren't adorable. We're just expecting the record to be smashed by the weekend. There's surely a con happening somewhere.

UK cosplayers set Guinness World Record [GameSpot]

Cosplay, Dress Up for College Credits

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 06:00:28 MDT

Japan's largest vocational school, Vantan Career School, is offering an exciting new course this year: Cosplay. The three-month class, dubbed the "Cosplayers Course," teaches students how to do things like make light-weight, easy-to-carry costumes and how to do their hair and make-up. Says Cosplayers Course manager Satoshi Yamagiwa:

We had been running traditional fashion and hair/make-up courses for a long time, but we came to realize that many of our students wanted to apply those skills to cosplay.

The course includes 12 hours of tuition per week and costs a cool ¥560,000 (US $5,500). So far, the new class has attracted 35 students — approximately 80 and 90 percent women. The remaining percent merely look like women!
Cosplay Course [Japan Times via a geek by any other name] [Pic]