Heroes of Cosplay

Written by:  Shae

A brand new type of show premiered the other night on Syfy. It's called, Heroes of Cosplay. The show follow's a handful of dedicated costumers as they make their way through conventions. The world of cosplay has become it's own unique breed. Carving a place in many of our nerd hearts; cosplay stands as not just a hobby, but a way of life (for some). 

Showcasing the finer points of the cosplay world, these people work tirelessly to complete stunningly amazing costumes for the costume contest. One of the people on the show, Yaya Han, is a veteran cosplayer who has taken her costuming from contestant to judge. Her work is so good that conventions have personally asked her to judge the costume contests.  The other's on the show are competing to have fame and respect to Yaya's level. What's the draw? Not just bargaining rights (because seriously, wow) but money. Cosplay skills are being showcased for not just esthetics but for how well their costumes are made. First place winners can win not just a couple hundred but a thousand and up.

Not only does the winner earn bargaining rights and cash, they also get their name out there. Contestants fight for fan approval. This growing  phenomenon has dedicated costumers working to up their game. It's not just about how good your costume is, it's about how many fans you have. A few of the cosplayers even model. Something that is not unheard of. Many a dedicated Cosplayer has a fan page, photoshoot pictures. For those lucky few, like Yaya Han, they even get asked for autographs.

The purpose of the show is to not just showcase ability, but craftsman ship. Why? Money. Jesse, the only male cosplayer shown to be competing in tonight's episode wants people to not only like his work. He wants them to like it enough to buy from him. Many have gone to the extreme. Becky, for instance, debuted her Merida costume as well as her embodiment of the character. She went out of her way to not just work out to achieve the perfect figure for the latest Disney princess. She also worked tirelessly to perfect her Scottish accent.

Tonight's show kicked off the season of this new interesting show. It gives a deeper look into the side of cosplay that is hardly talked about. Unless, you're me. Someone who cosplays just for the fun of it. Who knew there was money to be made doing this? I certainly didn't…

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