"Cosplaying," short for "costume playing," has grown from throwing on a Halloween costume to a full-fledged subculture of people who devote great amounts of time, money and attention on crafting their characters in every detail. Cosplayers often attends cons in themed groups, posing for pictures and role-playing their chosen characters as much as a convention center will allow.

For most cosplayers it's a fun hobby, but Yaya Han, professional costume designer, model and cosplay entertainer (and celebrity guest at this weekend's FX convention in Orlando), does it full time.  She spoke to me recently about being other people for a living.

Why dress up for a convention? What do you get out of it?

It started out as a way to express my fandom. At the beginning it was just fun to portrait my favorite characters and interact with other fans. Costuming makes the most bold statement about what your fandom is, anyone can see what show you like from across the hall. It's a lot more creative and eye-catching than, say, wearing a shirt with the show's name on it, and it brightens the whole convention hall, which without costumers would be just a bunch of people in T-shirt and jeans.

In the last several years costuming has become more than just fun, it's
turned into my career. I make all of my own costumes as well as design
for customers such as TV production companies, clubs, and
photographers. I also make regular guest appearances at conventions to
teach panels and workshops on costuming, judge and/or host contests,
and meet my own fans and sign photos.

On top of all that, I an an exhibitor (vendor) at over 20 conventions
per year, selling my hand crafted costume accessories and items to the
general public.

So simple dressing up has led to a solid, integrated presence in the fandom community for me.

How long have you been cosplaying? How did you get started?

My first anime convention in the US was Anime Expo '99, and I went as
an artist showcasing and selling my work in the art show. From seeing
photos of the convention beforehand I knew people dressed up in
costumes that weekend, so I brought a kimono to wear and with the help
of a friend sewed a really simple costume. That was the first time I
used a sewing machine!

After that I was hooked like crazy. Until then the possibility of
dressing as your favorite manga/anime character never occurred to me so
all of a sudden the flood gates opened and all I could think about was
who to cosplay next! lol.

How do you choose which costumes to do next?

For replicating an existing character, It's a combination of love for
the character and the design of the costume. There has to be both for
me to want to spend the time and effort on making the outfit. For
designing my own costume, I get inspired by almost anything – music,
books, artwork and photos, movies etc. Usually something strikes me and
I become obsessed with turning an idea into a costume, and I start
sketching and looking for materials immediately. Deciding on a new
costume to make is very exhilarating, and I love the process of making
a costume even more than wearing it.

How much does each one cost, and how long do they take to make?

They cost between $50 – $600+, depending on complexity, and I have
spent as little time as 6 hours on a costume, and devoted more than 5
weeks to one. I have become much faster at sewing and crafting these
days so outfits that used to take 2 weeks I can now finish in a few
days.

Which ones are your favorites?

I love all my costumes, and it's hard to pick favorites. But if I had
to, these following ones were especially fun to make or fun to wear:

Baelfir the Fire Fairy because I put so much time and love into the
costume, even when I had no idea what I was doing, lol. I would like to
re-make this costume with the knowledge I have now.

Lady Deathstrike (from the "X-Men" comics and movies) because it is so fun to take fighting photos with everyone at conventions!

Empyrean Eyes, my Peacock costume, is one of my favorite original
designs. It's really comfortable to wear and easy to get into, but has
many textures and layers. I feel very elegant in it!

Which one do you think is the closest to your personality?

Ada Wong (from "Resident Evil") because I love posing with guns and she's such a kickass character.

Do you mind when people stop you to take pictures?

Of course not. As with every costumer, getting your photo taken is part
of dressing up. About the only time I do not enjoy photos of me to be
snapped is while I'm eating lol. You'd be surprised how often that
happens actually, to all of us costumers!

With all the attention, do you ever get to relax enough to have fun at a con?

I always make time for fun! The greatest benefit of traveling to over
20 cons per year is to see and meet people, and I am a lucky girl who
gets to see many of her friends who are scattered across the country.
Yes, it can be insane, getting up at 6 a.m. to go set up a booth, then
sell all day, and meanwhile dress up in costume and take photos, etc.
But I enjoy the cons a lot and at the end of day there is always a
group of us heading to dinner and then to hang out and chill.

Will you be cosplaying this weekend at FX?

All three days! I am bringing costumes for general wear and for
scheduled photoshoots. You will be able to find me at booth #1019 with
CMI Toys, signing photos and in costume. I will also have items from my
cosplay store available.

What advice would you give beginner cosplayers?

Have fun for yourself, don't dress up in costumes for attention or to
fit in – those are not fulfilling reasons to put all this time and
effort into a hobby. Really try to find the joy in researching and
making your costumes – you can google for just about any crafting and
sewing technique these days and there are many tutorials.

Also, don't judge other people and their costumes, and don't let them judge you either. Just go have a blast!

You don't have to be a professional seamstress or model to cosplay, of course. At least month's MegaCon Crystal Rodriquez of Palm Coast became Mia the Unicorn, based on "Peter S. Beagle's Last Unicorn, the Unicorn Tapestries, and a little bit of My
Little Pony." Mia was her Rodriquez's first costume, and it changed her con experience dramatically.

"Normally I go to conventions in a t-shirt and jeans and always enjoyed shopping
and taking pictures of cosplayers," she said. "Megacon 2009 was Mia's debut and the
reception I got, I could never have predicted it would be that big. At one point
in the costume, a 5-minute walk took me 45 minutes because everyone stopped me
for pictures. I've never been the center of attention before and it was very
new, but I enjoyed every minute of it."

Christian Mercado, 18, from Apopka, cosplays at every convention he attends. "I wouldn't have it any other way!" he said. "It's definitely a completely different experience going in costume! It is so much more fun, in my opinion. And it's immensely satisfying when people come up to you to take pictures and compliment on your work!"

Which characters does Mercado cosplay? It might be easier to list the ones he has not. "Being a Star Wars junkie, my first costume ever made was my Darth Vader, which was used for a movie themed Christmas showcase in December of 2007," he said. His other costumes have included "the original Joker from Batman, Snake from Metal Gear Solid, Garindan from Star Wars, a New Republic Jedi from Star Wars, Mario from Super Mario Brothers, a Nazgul (Ringwraith) from Lord of The Rings, Rorschach from Watchmen, Luffy from One Piece, and Edward Elric from Full Metal Alchemist. I have also made my own interpretations of characters from either books or series that have pretty generalized characters, such as the Thought Police from the book '1984,' The Pirate King from the musical Pirates of Penzance, a Robot based off the ones in the Animatrix, and a Hollow from Bleach. I'm also currently working on cosplaying Light Yagami from Death Note, Son Goku from Saiyuki, and Auron from Final Fantasy X!"

"It's just so much fun walking into a hall or (dealers) room and seeing people scramble to take pictures of you and your friends," Mercado said. "Good memories and tons of fun!"

You can find more about cosplaying and plenty of pictures of Yaya Han in costume — along with details on the characters and what each costume entailed — at her website AngelicStar.net. Don't miss seeing her (and many, many other cosplayers) at this weekend's FX convention at the Orange City Convention Center in Orlando. And if you're interested in giving it a shot yourself, you can check out sites like cosplay.com or even my own tips on cosplaying here.

All Yaya Han images © AngelicStar.net and the respective photographers, used by permission. Mia image © C. A. Bridges. Rorshach image © Christian Mercado.

Well, you wouldn't, actually, because trying to boil it down to a single word would probably do nasty things to your brainmeat. But then again, so does his work. It might be easier to describe the sorts of things this Australian commercial-artist-turned-comics-superstar does, and let you draw your own conclusions.

- Artist and co-creator with Steve Niles of "30 Days of Night" (and many spinoffs), about a vampire gang living in Alaska. Became a movie with Josh Hartnett, Melissa George and Danny Huston. Nominated for an Eisner Award, comics' highest honor. Won the Spike TV Scream Award for Best Comic.
- Creator of "Wormword: Gentleman Corpse," about an extra-dimensional sentient maggot that embodies corpses in order to drink Guinness and, occasionally, save the world. Hardback collection made the New York Times Bestseller list.
- Artist for "Fell," written by Warren Ellis, about an honorable detective in a city gone feral. Nominated for an Eisner Award three years running.
- Creator of "Welcome to Hosford," where a prison run by Russian werewolves gets a new inmate/hunt victim named Ray Delgado, who turns out to be just the right kind of delusional murderer to fight back.
- Artist for "Groom Lake," written by Chris Ryall, about the day-to-day job of keeping UFOs secret.

Templesmith will be attending the FX convention in Orlando this weekend, and took a moment to talk to me about it.

Vampires, werewolves, corpses, inexplicable Nixon-mask-wearing nuns… Is the inside of your head a safe place to be?

Absolutely. It's the guys that draw cutesy crap, the Mickey Mouse guys, who you need to worry about. They internalize everything, until it all boils over. Me? I get it all out onto the page, so I'm honestly a nice guy if you were to meet me face to face. Well, except for my small baby eating habit.

How did you get started in comics?

An art director for
Todd McFarlane Productions ( He's the guy that created Spawn, etc ) saw
my work online at my website and offered me a job. That's it in a
nutshell.

Are there any artists that have influenced you? I see a bit of Sienkiewicz in there…

Can't
claim to be a huge Sienkiewicz fan. Didn't grow up looking at his work
at all really. I did however, grow up admiring people who were heavily
influenced by him, so I'm more second generation on that. However, my
real early influences are Ralph Steadman and Victor Ambrus, two non-comic guys.

What attracts you to the comics medium? Do you have plans to do more work with movies?

For
me, it's about telling stories. To be able to control the visuals, the
pacing and get your ideas out there in rather pure form. It's most
definitely my medium of choice but I am, these days, looking at other
media. I get asked about doing things elsewhere all the time now though
I'll always go back to comics.

What's your typical work day like?

Right
now, until June, I actually work out of one of my publisher's offices on actual office hours, which kills me. (I'm a night owl usually) So I
wake up at an ungodly early hour, grab a coffee, head into work around
9 a.m., sit there and draw/paint/twitter etc until 6 p.m., then go home
and collapse or simply do a bit more work. My natural work flow for
years has been to wake up around 12 p.m., chill out, grab some food
then work through til the early morning at my home studio, crash into
bed, then repeat the next day. I'm no good at the standard office
hours.

And your con day?

Not as fun an answer.
Wake up, ungodly early (since I was probably out late drinking with pro
friends the previous night), drag myself into the con, sit at my booth
and proceed to draw commissions and meet fans. That's really about it.
I rarely leave my booth since I get a steady stream of people to meet
and greet, then when the con closes all the pros go out and catch up.

Why do you go to cons? Do you primarily come to sell, to meet fans, or to see colleagues? Or is it a soul-gathering thing?

Primarily
it's to meet and greet the kind of people who buy my work which allow me
to pay my rent. Recently I've brought stuff to actually sell, which
people seem to like. Meeting fellow pros is also a highlight as
generally comics can be a rather solitary profession, notwithstanding
the internet chats.

Do whimsical horror writer/artists get a different class of fans at cons?

No idea. I get some very friendly and dedicated people. A particular niche demographic I guess. I'm lucky to have anyone!

Has anyone come up to you in a Wormword costume?

More
and more. About 5 now. Each time, they get better and better, so the
most impressive one was at my last con. No one has yet dressed up as
any of the demonic strippers with living tattoos as yet though. (Hint
hint hint…)

What's your favorite con experience, either as guest or fan?

Coming
from Australia, I never grew up going to cons, so my only convention
experience was as a professional basically. As a guest, I don't have to
pay to get in, I know that!

Will you be at the Drink and Draw event Friday night?

If it's at a bar, no doubt I will be. I am Australian, I think I lose my citizenship if I *don't* turn up.

You can find more about Ben Templesmith at his site Templesmith.com, and you can probably find out far more than you ever wanted to know about Ben Templesmith by following his frequently updated Twitter account. And be sure to look for him — and over 170 other artists and writers including Special Guest of Honor Michael Golden ("Batman," "Vampirella," "Captain
America," "Micronauts"), Olivier Coipel ("Thor"), Mark Texeira ("Moon Knight," "Ghost Rider"), Frank Brunner ("Doctor Strange," "Conan the Barbarian," "Red Sonja," "Vampirella," "Man-Thing," "Silver Surfer") and many more.
Avatar Press will be making its first U.S. convention appearance, with
limited edition comics made especially for this FX con, and editors
from Marvel Comics will be holding panels and making announcements. And
don't miss Creators Alley filled with more than a hundred artists of
all disciplines displaying their work. — this weekend at FX 2009.

(All images © Ben Templesmith and/or IDW Publishng, used by permission)

As we get closer to FX 2009, the massive pop culture convention coming to the Orange County Convention Center this weekend, it's time to dig a little and see what you can expect. First up, a few words from FX's Director of Exhibitions Michael Herz.

It's been 20 years. How did FX get started?

The first show was actually in Tampa in 1989, it was promoted by Bruce Zalkin and called the Tampa Toyfest. Meanwhile, I was promoting the Character and Collectible Show in Maryland. Bruce and I got together in 1990 and in 1991 changed the name to the Florida eXtravaganza (FX). We ran it together until 1997, and I bought it back from him in 2004. In 2007, the show became to big for me to run myself anymore and I took a corporate partner, that's when it became FX International.

What have your attendance numbers since it started?

We've gone from maybe 300 in 1990 to 10,000 in 1996, to 3,500 in 2004 and back up to an expected attendance this year of at least 20,000.

How do you set yourself apart from MegaCon and other scifi/comic conventions in the area?

My dream has always been to be different from the other big events. We want FX to be everything for everyone: A collectible toy show, a comic-con, a sci-i-fi show, a horror show, a sports show, with anime and gaming events and panels and celebrities,your basic pop-culture overload circus! I have always strived to bring in new and different genres and cutting edge activities. This year we have added the celebrity poker challenge, the Drink and Draw, The Disney Pin event, the Sports Pavilion and Project Vinyl has been amped up from prior years. I am always very interested in anything that supports art and artists of any genre, so we have a lot of art-centered events this year.

What's the biggest hassle of organizing what is essentially a small town in an even smaller room?

That's
a good analogy! There are a lot of hassles involved with promoting an
event of the size and scope of FX. I think the biggest one is that
everyone waits until the last second to get involved. Dealers,
industry, sponsors all wait until we become a blip on their radar,
which in most cases is in the last 60 – 90 days before the show. So our
staff is heavily involved in logistical tasks that could have been done
many months earlier, rather than the promotion and advertising. It
makes the last days before the show days of high stress and no sleep.

How much of the con is handled by volunteers?

We
have a huge group of wonderful, talented and loyal volunteers, I'd
adopt them all if I could. They make up about two third of the show
staff.

How do you decide which guests to invite?

Do
you remember when you were a kid throwing sharpened pencils at the
ceiling tiles to see how many you could make stick? Same thing. We all
brainstorm and come up with an A-list, then I start making offers. I
probably wind up making 8 – 10 times as many offers as I get in final
guests. I try to bring in guests from vintage entertainment that I
would consider icons. I also strive to bring in fresh hot stars and
guests from cult favorites. No matter who we get, I like for them to be
fresh newcomers to the show circuit.

Do you have a favorite guest story (that you can tell us)?

I
have quite a few of my favorites that I can't tell you! When I retire
from this business call me and we'll write a book. I have a couple of
sharable faves. One involves Hayden Panetierre. I was sitting with her
as her handler (actually at the New York Comic Con) when a young man,
probably 18ish, approached with his photo to be signed and he was
trembling and I don't mean slightly, this guy was shaking from head to
toe. He handed her the photo in a motion that looked like he was
fanning her and she said, "you're shaking, are you OK?" He replied back
that he was nervous meeting her.

Hayden gently took his hand
in hers and said that there was no reason to be nervous that she is a
person just like him. He almost immediately calmed down. The encounter
obviously made his month. She is great with the fans.

Another
favorite involved Nathan Fillion at FX last year. A handicapped woman
on a motorized scooter had just gotten her autograph from Nathan. He
very nicely asked if he could borrow the scooter for a moment, she said
yes, and he proceeded to tear around the exhibit floor on it, it was
very funny. Some of the ride was captured on video and is available on
YouTube. Nathan's the best all around guest we've ever had at FX.

Do you get the sense that FX attendees are a community unto themselves?

Yes,
it is like a reunion every year. I think that log distance friends plan
to get together to attend each year. It is the same with our staff.

FX
runs from Friday, April 17 to Sunday, April 19 at the Orange County
Convention Center on International Drive in Orlando. You can find more details here, and schedules, guest lists, and ticket information at fxshow.com

And so ends another wild weekend of scantily-clad women in bizarre costumes.

What? No, Bike Week is still going strong. I meant MegaCon, the annual science fiction convention in Orlando. Thousands of fans of science fiction TV shows and movies and comic books and Japanese anime, gathered together to put on costumes, meet their heroes, and buy stuff. And they did, in brightly-colored droves.

Cosplay (which sounds way better than "dressing up as") is huge at cons when fans take their opportunity to become the hero — or villain, or animal or yummy snack — they've always wanted to be, and with a lot more ingenuity than the old rubber pointy ears shtick.

They take their work seriously, they do, and their costumes often are intricate works of professional-quality art. But what if you're a beginner fan? Never fear! Cosplaying is only as complicated as you want to make it, and I have some handy tips to get you started.

1. Be choosy.

Pick a character you enjoy, pick a character whose strengths you wish to emulate, pick a character whose antics delight you, but most of all pick a character you won't mind seeing yourself as 10 years from now on Flickr. Trust me, that stuff never goes away.

2. Be realistic.

Take an honest look at yourself. Are you the superhero type? Can you pull off the spandex and cleavage look without your audience having to squint? Are you a Slave Leia that anyone would ever want to rescue? Craft your costume to meet your actual body type for a more polished look. Eschew Superman and Lara Croft if you're more ideally suited to the Penguin or Olive Oyl.

Exceptions can be made for ironic costumes or Elseworlds versions, because fat Batmen are just funny.

3. Be comfortable.

I saw several guys this weekend cosplaying Wolfwood, from the Japanese manga and anime series Trigun. Wolfwood carries a massive cross-shaped gun called the "Punisher," which contains two machine guns and a rocket launcher and delivers an amazing amount of firepower. As was hilariously demonstrated over and over again, the "Punisher" also is a bitch to manuever in your average food court or men's bathroom.

Remember, you'll have to deal with your costume all day. Make sure you can comfortably walk, drive, eat and visit the facilities without assistance, unless of course your costume includes a personal slave. Then go nuts.

4. Be accurate.

You're walking (or slithering) into a room full of very harsh critics who know at least as much about your character than you do, and usually much more than the character's own creator. Check your details carefully. Twice.

Also, try to pick something that people will recognize, or think they recognize. Having to spend half your con explaining your costume to people is just annoying.

5. Be wild.

Remember #2 above? Ignore it. Fans are more willing to accept a wider range of body types than most people and this could be your best chance to show off something you've always kept under layers for fear of laughter or villagers with torches. If you're confident, you can get away with anything, and many do. Go for it.

6. Be social.

Groups of themed costumes get even more attention, and it can help to have backup. Be the X-Men, be the cast of a video game, go as a multi-headed dragon (just be sure you all agree on directions first). Strength in numbers, and all that, you'll make for better photo shoots, and you can all gang up on the inevitable Domo Kun guy.

7. Be patient.

The better your costume, the more you'll get stopped for pictures. The frequency of these stops can be determined by this simple formula: Your attractiveness / how much skin you're showing = feet you'll be able to walk uninterrupted. Black Cats and Poison Ivys measure their hallway progress by millimeters. Plan your schedule accordingly.

8. Be dynamic.

When stopped for a photo, have your pose ready. Don't just stand there waiting, be your character! Your pose should be recognizable, exciting, and something you can hold without popping a hamstring when more photographers rush up and ask you to just hang on for a second more.

9.  Be careful.

Remember your new dimensions when you move around, especially if you've gone for the larger wingspans or taller stilts. Nothing ruins the illusion of your imposing magnitude faster than whanging off a door jamb or taking out a row of Cokes as you go by.

10. Have fun.

SciFi cons are the biggest moving costume parties around, why not jump in? You might even make new friends when you pair up with other people with the same outfit or, better, other people cosplaying your mortal enemy. And if you're in the right mood, nothing beats getting together with friends and grabbing dinner together at a nearby restaurant, in character.

Just don't go as Domo Kun, that's just creepy.

If you're an anime fan or just feel the urge to work your Japanese schoolgirl outfit, check out the upcoming Anime Express con coming next week at ERAU and be respectful: the people dressed as Rurouni Kenshin, Sailor Moon or the Prince of Tennis will be flying your plane someday.