North American Cons for Cosplayers
A guide to the biggest and most impressive conventions for aspiring cosplayers
Fan. Enthusiast. Cosplayer. Artist. Writer. Everybody who thinks about a Con after the first five minutes of hearing about it has an itch to participate. Being based in Canada and a fan of anime and manga, I set out to find a list of the biggest and most impressive Cons for people to visit.
Most Cons nowadays are now held by the umbrella of Comic-Cons, portmanteau for comic conventions. These Comic-Cons may be more than just a convention for comics, including anime, manga and video games.
There are four major cons in Canada spread out from Winnipeg to Toronto to Ottawa to Montreal. The biggest Comic Con in Canada is the C4, the Central Canadian Comic Con held at the Winnipeg Convention Centre in Winnieg, Manitoba from the 31st of October to the 3rd of November.
Other major Comic Cons are the Montreal Comiccon, the semi-annual Toronto Comiccon held at various times throughout the year and the Ottawa Comiccon. Additionally, there are numerous anime conventions held throughout Canada in many cities, big and small.
Further South, the United States is bursting with a plethora of Cons for fans. The biggest and most famous of cons is the San Diego Comic Con, home to the biggest Comic Con in the Unites States and the world.
Below is a video of the highlights of the first day at the 2013 SDCC.
Held mainly in the San Diego Convention Center, the San Diego Comic Con International hosts upwards of 130,000 people a year. A long cherished dream of many a fan — myself included — is to attend.
Represented are actors, writers, directors, artists and producers of not only anime and manga, but comics, video games, television shows of all genres and movies.
Other, less well known but just as interesting are the Wizard World Big Apple Comic Con in New York City, the Wizard World Chicago, the Salt Lake Comic Con and the Pittsburgh Comicon.
If you are feeling a bit shy, take a moment to look at the following reasons people cosplay.
- A way for people to express themselves amongst others who feel the same way
- Introduce others to new and interesting characters and help them expand their interests
- A way to challenge yourself to design great clothing and learn from others
- You want to break free of the monotonous socially acceptable attire you wear for the rest of the year
- To have fun and get into the spirit of the Con with a great hobby
There is no need to feel anxious. People express themselves in their clothing. You do not need to feel like you are pressured into being defined in a social category.
Sports fans wear jerseys and people who want to look sharp dress preppy. Who knows? Maybe you can make lasting friendships and have interesting stories to tell others.