Cosplay Post: The Necessity of A Good Cosplay Handler

Yes, yes, I know… another cosplay post?

Well, until I get home, you’re pretty much going to have to deal with what I can give you, as I can’t play anything in the way of MMO’s right now.  And cosplay is fun anyways (well, maybe if you’re an attention hog, like myself.)  Besides, this post may actually be informative!

So, how many of you cosplayers have ever tried walking a convention and had some minor catastrophic damage to your costume almost send you over the edge?  I say ‘minor catastrophic damage’ because it was probably really just ‘minor damage’ but it turned ‘catastrophic’ because you had no way of fixing it without stripping down to your underwear in the bathroom, only then to realize you left your super glue at home.  So, what started off as a nice afternoon of you posing for dozens of pictures quickly degenerated into a frustrating, hair- pulling day of posing for those same pictures KNOWING there was something wrong with your costume and you couldn’t do anything to fix it.

Cosplay is great, but if something goes wrong, what can you do?  Well, with a little planning- and a helpful friend- these problems are easily manageable!  Which brings me to the subject of today’s blog post!

Cosplay Post: The Necessity of A Good Cosplay Handler

Hold mah BIG ASS DRINK.

COSPLAYERS:  having a good handler is probably the best thing you can do for yourself while in costume.  Take it from someone who has gone to conventions with- and without- a handler.  I’ll take with any day!

Why would I be advocating this?  Its simple really.  How many of you cosplayers actually plan for your costumes to have things most of us can’t live without on a daily basis-  things like pockets, bags or purses (or murses, if you’re so inclined) to carry wallets, cameras, extra fix it material?  Don’t all of you nod you’re heads.  I KNOW most of you don’t.  I’ve seen a lot of cosplayers at a lot of conventions and I know for a FACT that most of you forget about how you’re going to carry the ID you need to get into the convention, cash to buy food and water once you’re there, a pocket to stuff your digital camera in so you can take pictures of other cosplayers.  I know this because I have neglected to plan for these things in the past, and it made cosplaying a royal pain in the arse.

The cosplay handler is that oft neglected, plainclothes wearing individual who’s generally right next to- or just behind- the cosplayer, wearing a smile and a utility belt full of stuff that might be needed.  The cosplay handler is usually that person who doesn’t mind you being the center of attention, and is more than willing to carry around your stuff for the price of a ticket to the ‘con.  You see, too often cosplayers  are wandering around conventions in costumes that:

• limit visibility
• limit movement
• are uncomfortable (though why is still a question- suffering for your art is so… cliche… -waves her hand dismissively-)

To you cosplayers, I say that the ‘cosplay handler’ is a simple solution to a complicated problem!  A cosplay handler’s duties include, but are not limited to:

• traipsing around after you all day and dusting off the hem of your trailing robes
• keeping your massive shoulderplates from poking people’s eyes out
• preventing you from tripping over your own costume
• helping you move through a crowd in a polite, pleasant manner
• knowing when to tell you to sit down and take a breather/ drink some water/ have a bite to eat, and
• being good natured enough to rib you occasionally for wearing such a complicated torture device

A cosplay handler also should possess a certain amount of knowledge:

• the basics of cosplay construction, such as materials used, adhesive techniques, and buckling/ strapping
• an overall understanding of your SPECIFIC cosplay’s construction.  Having your handler be someone who actually helped you build the cosplay is ideal, and
• an in-depth understanding of who- or what- you’re cosplaying as, especially if you’re going as something relatively obscure or you can’t really describe it yourself because you have some massive headpiece on.  Hey, someone’s going to need to explain to the hordes of people what, exactly, you are.

And, perhaps most importantly, a cosplay handler should be a Boy Scout- always prepared!  Tools and fix-its are an absolute necessity (and you can carry them in a neat series of pouches, if you like):

Ok, if you need power tools for cosplay repair, maybe you should reconsider...

• super glue (quick dry stuff only, please!)
• duck tape (it does hold the universe together)
• a needle and thread that matches your costume
• extra velcro or strapping
• small notebook with pen (for writing down websites where your cosplayer’s picture is planned on being shown)
• wallets/ IDs, cameras

Ultimately, you want your cosplay handler to be a good natured friend in comfortable clothes and with the patience of a saint, someone you can rely on to fix your ‘minor damage’ before it becomes ‘catastrophic’ and you become a sobbing heap int he corner of the bathroom- which nobody likes to see.

That’s it for today’s blog post!  Let’s take a whirl around the blogosphere and see what other people are cookin’ up today!

Blogosphere

• Over at Wolf’s Gaming Blog, Wolf talks about Australia’s really weird game ratings system and how it strikes again!
• Over at BigBearButt, BBB wants to know what blogs you watch!
• And over at Troll Bouquet, Matojo has been cheating on WoW!  -gasp-

So go, have fun, and stay tuned for my next post where I will be diving into the world of tablets and why everyone seems to need one.  Until then, stay geeky, my friends!

Cheers!

~Pyo