The Subculture of Cosplay
Cosplay is a Japanese portmanteau of "costume play", and it is a form of performance art where it typically involves people dressing up in fashions and donning specific accessories and props that represent specific ideas, typically fictional characters from various media and series.
The term is coined by Nobuyuki Takahashi, when he attendedn the 1984 WorldCon in Los Angeles (YeinJee's Asian Blog, 2008). Technically, then, it is considered a relatively recent subculture that has popped up in recent times, although the practice of dressing up -- or costuming -- in the same fashion as fictional characters have been around in Western popular culture since the 1930s (Kyle, D., 2002). It is arguable that cosplay only started gaining a widespread attention in many countries in more recent times, especially when Japanese animation and games are now being distributed to different countries, as well as them being available through downloads, online, and through the sale and distribution of translated Japanese comics. Cosplay in Japan can be considered a very widespread subculture of its own; there are cosplay events and dedicated formalities regarding cosplay photography, and there are even cosplay cafes springing up not only in Japan, but also in other parts of the world where cosplay is fast gaining a following.
Much of cosplay depends greatly on the process of design -- cosplayers are made to play the role as designer, artist, tailor (if they make their own costumes) prop maker and performer (especially if they are involved in cosplay competitions). And if they happen to design their own cosplay cards, they also play the role of graphic designer as well! Therefore, it can be inferred that a lot of thought, effort and brainstorming comes into play in the process of creating a realistic, believable cosplay. It can be very time-consuming and also eats up a lot of costs, but in the end it is worth it to the cosplayer that enjoys what they do, hence why it is a hobby for many enthusiasts around the world.
It has become such a widespread subculture, especially during the recent times, that it now can be considered an art form. There are many tutorials and guides dedicated to help those who want to begin cosplaying, or need tips and tricks to make their cosplays better. Competitions are held every time an animation, comics and games (ACG) convention is held, receiving much positive response from the public. Once disregarded as a wasteful and negative hobby, now it is fast gaining following and support for the public.
In Malaysia, particularly, this seems to be very widespread. More cosplay competitions are being held year round, within ACG conventions and out, and are sponsored by big brands and companies as a way to attract youths to spend their time in a wise and fun manner.
Reference:
Dave Kyle. 2002. Caravan to the Stars. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.jophan.org/mimosa/m29/kyle.htm. [Accessed 15 December 14].
YeinJee's Asian Blog. 2008. Origin of the word cosplay. [ONLINE] Available at: http://yeinjee.com/tag/nobuyuki-nov-takahashi/. [Accessed 15 December 14].
Showing posts with label Discourse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Discourse. Show all posts
Sunday, 14 December 2014
Discourse - 1: Practical work and analysis on work
What practical work am I doing?
I am doing a campaign to promote a local town (Mantin, Negeri Sembilan). Most of my work involves digital printing and the usage of the computer, as well as experimenting with embroidery for some promotional materials.
Why work in that way?
Mostly because I think working digitally is much less time-consuming and also helps me see how my project looks like almost immediately. The research involved in this project does not just involve what the places of interest in Mantin are, but also on some current trends that designers today are delving into -- vintage-style photography and minimalism, especially. Judging from my target demographic for this project (mainly young people aged 18 to 35), I thought these trends would translate well into my project.
How am I doing the work?
I start off with researching about Mantin and what places of interest that can be found there. I learned that there are quite a number of places of interest in Mantin -- a homestay in Kampung Rawa (not far off from the town of Mantin), Broga Hill, Lenggeng Forest Reserve, as well as The Dusun. Many of these places of interest are not exactly located in the town of Mantin, but they are within the area.
After that, I start developing ideas. At first I wanted to focus solely on social media, but decided otherwise as it might end up becoming a time-consuming process. So I brainstormed, and came up with a number of ideas: souvenirs, embroidering a logo on practical items like backpacks and caps, and a mockup of a magazine article. In the end, I decided on actually embroidering the logo of my project on a cap, as well as making an A3 poster and a magazine feature mockup.
What will make the work stronger?
I think many of my mistakes come from poor time management and plenty of procrastination. I believe that I have solid ideas for my work, but more often than not, most of then did not turn out the way I envision them to. Mostly I believe that, by planning my time better and working on them at a timely fashion, I can create more solid, workable designs for my future projects.
I am doing a campaign to promote a local town (Mantin, Negeri Sembilan). Most of my work involves digital printing and the usage of the computer, as well as experimenting with embroidery for some promotional materials.
Why work in that way?
Mostly because I think working digitally is much less time-consuming and also helps me see how my project looks like almost immediately. The research involved in this project does not just involve what the places of interest in Mantin are, but also on some current trends that designers today are delving into -- vintage-style photography and minimalism, especially. Judging from my target demographic for this project (mainly young people aged 18 to 35), I thought these trends would translate well into my project.
How am I doing the work?
I start off with researching about Mantin and what places of interest that can be found there. I learned that there are quite a number of places of interest in Mantin -- a homestay in Kampung Rawa (not far off from the town of Mantin), Broga Hill, Lenggeng Forest Reserve, as well as The Dusun. Many of these places of interest are not exactly located in the town of Mantin, but they are within the area.
After that, I start developing ideas. At first I wanted to focus solely on social media, but decided otherwise as it might end up becoming a time-consuming process. So I brainstormed, and came up with a number of ideas: souvenirs, embroidering a logo on practical items like backpacks and caps, and a mockup of a magazine article. In the end, I decided on actually embroidering the logo of my project on a cap, as well as making an A3 poster and a magazine feature mockup.
What will make the work stronger?
I think many of my mistakes come from poor time management and plenty of procrastination. I believe that I have solid ideas for my work, but more often than not, most of then did not turn out the way I envision them to. Mostly I believe that, by planning my time better and working on them at a timely fashion, I can create more solid, workable designs for my future projects.
Sunday, 15 December 2013
Discourse - Influences
1. Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was born on December 5, 1901 in Illinois. Disney was an animator and the founder of Walt Disney Productions with his brother Roy E. Disney, which is now known as one of the leading motion picture production companies in the world. He was also known for creating the iconic character Mickey Mouse, and earned 22 Academy Awards during his lifetime for his work.
Disney's movies are an integral part of my childhood and is a huge source of inspiration for me, and I especially appreciate how a lot of his successors strive to aspire to Disney's ideas and inspirations long after he has passed. In the more recent years, they have introduced characters of color as well as 'unconventional heroes' such as Flynn Rider in 'Tangled', who started out as a thief before moving on to play the role of the 'prince' in the story. Growing up, I have a better appreciation of the messages in which my favorite childhood animations try to convey to people.
2. Akira Toriyama
Akira Toriyama is a Japanese comic artist most noted for his work on Dr Slump and Dragon Ball. He was born in Kiyosu, Aichi, Japan in April 5 1955. His first manga (comic) was Wonder Island, published in Shonen Jump in 1978. He shot to fame with his first hit, Dr Slump, and continued on to create Dragon Ball, now considered a classic in the Japanese comic industry. He is also known as character designer for the Dragon Quest video game series and Chrono Trigger.
Akira Toriyama can be considered a major influence to me, as I grew up reading his comics and watching the animated adaptation of these comics. He is the reason why I became interested in comics and character design, and subsequently, graphic design and animation. He has a very distinct style that people can easily recognize as his, departing from the generic anime style by adopting a more cartoonish look.
3. Tetsuya Nomura
Tetsuya Nomura was born in Kochi prefecture in Japan, on October 10, 1970. He is best known for his work on the Final Fantasy series, as well as the Disney-Square Enix collaborative game Kingdom Hearts. Best known as video game director and character designer, he first gained recognition with his character designs for Final Fantasy VII. While he adopts a predominant anime style, he also integrates a more realistic, Western style, apparent in his designs for Final Fantasy VIII and X.
Tetsuya Nomura is currently my biggest influence, and I aspire to create characters with impressive designs and backstories like many of his characters do.
4. Muse
Muse is an English rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, and was formed in 1994. The band consisted of Matthew Bellamy, Christopher Wolstenholme, and Dominic Howard.
Muse has been known to be diverse in their rock music, fusing many other music genres in their work. To date they have released 6 albums so far, and many of the songs are diverse in their fusions, as well as incredibly energetic. I tend to listen to many of the band's songs when I work - they often give off energetic vibes that helps get me going when I work. Furthermore, many of their songs have interesting themes; for example in their 2009 album, The Resistance, most of the songs deal a lot with conspiracy theories and a need for revolution.
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was born on December 5, 1901 in Illinois. Disney was an animator and the founder of Walt Disney Productions with his brother Roy E. Disney, which is now known as one of the leading motion picture production companies in the world. He was also known for creating the iconic character Mickey Mouse, and earned 22 Academy Awards during his lifetime for his work.
Disney's movies are an integral part of my childhood and is a huge source of inspiration for me, and I especially appreciate how a lot of his successors strive to aspire to Disney's ideas and inspirations long after he has passed. In the more recent years, they have introduced characters of color as well as 'unconventional heroes' such as Flynn Rider in 'Tangled', who started out as a thief before moving on to play the role of the 'prince' in the story. Growing up, I have a better appreciation of the messages in which my favorite childhood animations try to convey to people.
2. Akira Toriyama
Akira Toriyama is a Japanese comic artist most noted for his work on Dr Slump and Dragon Ball. He was born in Kiyosu, Aichi, Japan in April 5 1955. His first manga (comic) was Wonder Island, published in Shonen Jump in 1978. He shot to fame with his first hit, Dr Slump, and continued on to create Dragon Ball, now considered a classic in the Japanese comic industry. He is also known as character designer for the Dragon Quest video game series and Chrono Trigger.
Akira Toriyama can be considered a major influence to me, as I grew up reading his comics and watching the animated adaptation of these comics. He is the reason why I became interested in comics and character design, and subsequently, graphic design and animation. He has a very distinct style that people can easily recognize as his, departing from the generic anime style by adopting a more cartoonish look.
3. Tetsuya Nomura
Tetsuya Nomura was born in Kochi prefecture in Japan, on October 10, 1970. He is best known for his work on the Final Fantasy series, as well as the Disney-Square Enix collaborative game Kingdom Hearts. Best known as video game director and character designer, he first gained recognition with his character designs for Final Fantasy VII. While he adopts a predominant anime style, he also integrates a more realistic, Western style, apparent in his designs for Final Fantasy VIII and X.
Tetsuya Nomura is currently my biggest influence, and I aspire to create characters with impressive designs and backstories like many of his characters do.
4. Muse
Muse is an English rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, and was formed in 1994. The band consisted of Matthew Bellamy, Christopher Wolstenholme, and Dominic Howard.
Muse has been known to be diverse in their rock music, fusing many other music genres in their work. To date they have released 6 albums so far, and many of the songs are diverse in their fusions, as well as incredibly energetic. I tend to listen to many of the band's songs when I work - they often give off energetic vibes that helps get me going when I work. Furthermore, many of their songs have interesting themes; for example in their 2009 album, The Resistance, most of the songs deal a lot with conspiracy theories and a need for revolution.
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