Superman takeoff: why is the role playing convention into a big business?

I am in London super Comic Convention – a three day festival of science and technology personnel. Grab my self timer and wear an ordinary orange shirt. I think it’s in the peacock pigeon. On my left, a muscle builder looks like a skeleton with a radiant neon green face, a super blue arm, and a giant Scepter on the goat’s skull. On my right, a 40 year old voice engineer is like an eccentric calisthenics instructor’s Brown tights. The multi level grey clothing keeps floating with the rising 5ft tail, hidden by the clever helium balloon.

“I incomparable squirrel girl,” he said of his little-known character. “She was beaten in the universe but she had never been defeated, usually by setting her squirrels to win the army.” When we said the camera’s cheese, he put two Plush Chipmunks on my shoulder.

You think how to dress up as a loinclothed villain or a rodent that is higher than the life of a rodent may be based on the comic characters of your feelings. For role players, the art of playing a role from a movie, a book, or a video game is often further. For some people, it is a kind of indulgence, but simple, they want to be more powerful, more cunning, more attractive, and perhaps a little rebellious. “I have seen the most shy people come to the meeting, and suddenly they feel confident and sexy,” said a woman wearing a yellow brown tiger, full of whiskers and furry hats. “They leave and apply their confidence to real life.”

For other people, it can help cope with personal trauma. Robin Rosenberg, a psychologist and author of what Batman thing University of California? He described the dark knight as “posters boy after trauma”. After all, this role witnessed his parents’ murder and then vowed to fight crime. This story brought meaning to those who overcome difficulties in their own lives.

But when I see Darth Vader’s mask and pallid Severus Snapes parade, COSPLAY seems the most common point of whimsy and distraction from the plight of whether any number of impending nuclear disaster or waiting power game the next series. “The world is going to hell, I’m unemployed,” spider man suit told me when we wait for our Smoothie. “Why don’t you dress up?” ”

The force and the calendar are with them. Thousands of “opponents” have taken place every year. In one of the biggest, they can attend workshops and discussions, which will feature panel with the cast of Star Trek or doctor. In recent years, more than 180000 people have been held in New York’s Animation Festival, and its famous competitors have attracted more than 130000 people in Santiago. Often go to the event, and New York BronyCon, of which more than 10000 fans celebrate the cartoon flash comb I Little Pony.

But the superhero is still the biggest driver. In the year to November 2017, North American consumers bought more than 83 million comic books – up to $286 million. The number is down 8% year on year, but the franchise of Marvel and DC, which accounts for nearly 75% of the comic book sales, continues to support the film’s rich. Last year, the superhero universe claimed five big box office three highest film (seven before 15) in the United States wonder woman, guard the Milky Way 2 and spider man: home. The three film box office is more than a billion dollars in the country. (top – the film star wars: the last of the Jedi and beauty and the beast, they stimulate cosplays. Many)

It is undisputed that a large part of the “bookworm” of cultural enthusiasts and has, sometimes felt marginalized, their interests. However, the safety space that organizers try to create is associated with their own dangers. As the big harassment policy at the entrance of the London super comedy theater suggests, “please note that no ‘is actually not. Stop means stop.” “Go away” means to go away.

Reed of Ireland, an engineer working for the American army in California, was in a black tights. She is famous for playing Cosplay Mileena world, from an evil character deadly fighting game series. She told me that she had been touched once in five years, but it was more intentional than intentional. “Many people participate in the pros and cons, really do not know how to socialize, they are excited to meet the characters, people like characters,” she said, adding that harassment policies do not have specific sex or gender.

The London Convention arouses the interest, so later during a visit to my home in Atlanta, I signed up Dragoncon – one of the world’s biggest pop culture convention. Dragoncon attracts more than 80000 people, more than five days, staging panels on all from science fiction and horror animations and video games. A ticket for five days costs $95, and a lifetime ticket costs $2500. The event has a good reputation and smooth clothing, the charm in the South: the local zombie and death soldier punctuation “Lady” and “you”.

In the United States, a country where people spend 2017 dollars in halloween costumes is a ritual 3.4bn. Coupled with the national self-service industry, it is estimated that there will be 11 billion dollars, which seems unavoidable. The Convention will help me release my female squirrel or skeleton — perhaps the best of myself. I have been looking for it. And it’s not fast enough. As a freelancer, I spent too much time alone, and now it’s much better to communicate than someone else. In the crowded public places, I sometimes pretend to talk with Vietnamese mothers and discourage tourists from asking me the way. Maybe a little dressing up can warm my cold heart.

My head city, a $50 Superman costume, is a Halloween fantasy and selection tool. It is made of a “bodice” with a guide coat, cloak and belt. I slipped to blue and red Lyca at the moment of my posture change. Thin, often winding staircases to my apartment, I have never been so PEC-Tacular, and I can not help pushing up my chest, aggravating my sudden change of fate.

At the meeting a few minutes, I asked parents and their children pose – dressed as a mini Mutant Ninja Turtles, and goblins. Amy Cuddy, a psychologist, may be on fire recently. Her controversial (and difficult to copy) research suggests that the implementation of the magic woman’s “power constitution” can enhance your self-confidence and reduce the stress hormone cortisol. But when I put the r2d2s and the dragon of the queen of Khaleesi, I couldn’t help thinking that Cuddy was right.

It will soon be clear, however, that the Atlanta convention is at the technical level with London at another level. Less Halloween and high fashion. In a workshop, the top players, teachers, lawyers, personal trainers, and more experts on film and clothing used to discuss their thermoplastic plastics, sheet metal cutting machine, foam and 3D printer front panel. The promise of their art is unbelievable. “When you get a plastic is not hot enough or heat up the oven, you release chemicals into the air is slowly killing you,” said Travis Scott Merrill, who had been in things to strangers, the Milky Way Guardian 2 clothing and props in the other play.

At the end of the day, I was dazzled and inspired. I walked out to the courtyard by the conference organizers to take the participants to the superhero group photo – professional souvenir bottles for all the self-esteem. I will be other superhuman wind gently blowing our Cape near the super heroes honed their breastplate. Suddenly, a woman’s organizer – high and eye – catching red hair, purple lips are my killers. “I’m sorry, the director won’t allow it,” she said, looking at my clothes. “These muscles – it’s obvious that this is bought by the store.” You have to go. ”

In a moment, she gave me my cheap girl from Superman drops. After a long walk in the crowded courtyard, I felt naked. The spectators are busy doing their work, but I think they are singing “shame.” I huff and puff the hotel lobby, where I rush to the official website, obviously letting me a second-class role player rule, which seems to be built on the possibility of big events. I can’t find anything clear. But in some of the criteria, there is a sharp question: “did anyone go out and buy this thing?” Or the players spend hours sticking, seams, welding, etc., is it love or money? ”

I walked into a small bag with my clothes to remind people that the reality often reflected the novel. From the X Revenge of the X-Men Fantastic Four, we think the super heroes have their own factions too.