Cosplay Positive Cosplay is more popular than ever in geek culture. Geeks of all colors, shapes, and sizes are embracing and thriving with the hobby. Cosplay Positive explores the world of cosplay with a nod towards the mantra: to love your cosplay is to love yourself.
Cosplay is more popular than ever in geek culture. Geeks of all colors, shapes, and sizes are embracing and thriving with the hobby. Cosplay Positive explores the world of cosplay with a nod towards the mantra: to love your cosplay is to love yourself.
Sep 02 2025
Going Behind the Needle with Rae Lundquist of DreamStitcher Custom Costume
Rae Lundquist is the cosplayer and sewist behind DreamStitcher Custom Costume. You might know her from her presence at Twin Cities conventions—including the Minnesota Comic Book Association‘s conventions, where I had the chance to talk to her. With her cosplay first-aid station (which I…
Jul 21 2025
3 Reasons to Try Closet Cosplay
Cosplay is a core aspect of conventions like CONvergence, Anime Detour, and Twin Cities Con. Many cosplayers spend hours and untold amounts of money perfecting their costumes. The result is often elaborate. Cosplay is as much a labor of love as of craft. If you are battling health issues like I am, though,…
Jun 06 2025
Quick Questions with Twin Cities Cosplayer and Artist Fira Rae
During my time volunteering with the last Minnesota Comic Book Association (MNCBA) convention, I got the chance to meet artist and cosplayer Fira Rae, whom I’d seen frequently at Minnesota conventions since I started attending regularly. Her booth was delightfully pink and covered with characters…
Jun 05 2025
Tips and Tales with Midwest Cosplayers Sara Spookystitch and LaRire Cosplay
At Anime Fusion 2024, I got the chance to meet a few featured cosplayers attending the event, including Sara Spookystitch and Lizz Henderson of LaRire Cosplay. As both of these cosplayers have competed and judged cosplay contests in the past, I took advantage of the opportunity to learn more about the…
Mar 03 2025
How to Clean and Maintain Your Cosplay
It’s the end of your latest convention weekend. You’re feeling great, but you’re also exhausted. It’s been a long day of sweating, eating, dancing, and more. You finally strip off your cosplay, and it’s then you notice the wear and tear. A stain here, a tear here, wrinkles everywhere. And it smells!
Because…
Dec 09 2024
How to Knit or Crochet Chain Mail for Cosplay
Several years ago, I made a chain-mail hauberk for a Legend of Zelda cosplay. It was steel rings in a simple four-in-in weave, and it looked pretty dang good, if I can be allowed to pat myself on the back there. However, it also weighed 13 pounds, and wearing it was desperately uncomfortable even though…
Oct 24 2024
How to Buy and Wear Costume Contact Lenses Safely
I remember when I first tried contact lenses. I was 14 years old, and I expected to pick up my trial pair and go straight home. Instead, I was led into a side room, where a technician showed me my lenses, still in their packaging, with the brand and lens powers listed on their foil coverings. She taught me how…
May 04 2023
An Introduction to the World of Custom Lightsabers
Ever since Star Wars debuted in movie theaters in 1977, kids have clamored for things to help them imagine being in the universe of a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.
The original action figures and spaceships by Kenner were cool, but the one thing that I and many of my elementary-school classmates…
Dec 07 2022
Cosplayer and Writer Ani-Mia Talks Bettie Page, Comics, and Costumes
Ani-Mia may be best known for cosplay, but if you’ve visited a comic book shop recently, you might also have seen her name on Bettie Page: The Alien Agenda, published by Dynamite. In addition, she has been writing for Otaku USA for seven years. Mia visited Minnesota for this year’s Twin Cities…
Jan 14 2021
The Twin Cities Geek 2021 Minnesota Convention Guide
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Fully Virtual 2021 Conventions | To Be Announced | Canceled
It was rough for all of us in 2020, and conventions were obviously hit hard. While some of the early-year events (such as CONsole Room, Con of the North, and MarsCon) fell in the beforetimes and were able to happen in person, the vast majority…