Choose Your Character: The Motivations Behind Character Selection in the Art of Cosplay

Abstract

Most conventions and geek gatherings around the world will undoubtedly have at least a couple of attendees who have dressed in cosplay as various characters from popular culture. These cosplays range from instantly recognisable characters such as Darth Vader to characters that only the greatest superfans will be familiar with. They can be assembled from cardboard and regular clothes made a couple of days before the convention or be completely screen-accurate cosplays years in the making. With cosplay being such a diverse medium, this research aims to investigate the process that cosplayers undergo when choosing a character to cosplay. This research is also focused on cosplayers residing in South Africa and makes use of detailed and in-depth surveys and interviews with multiple members of the South African cosplay community to understand and classify the various aspects that play a role in the character selection process. This research makes use of discourse analysis to analyse the answers provided by participants, as well as the context of these answers to develop a deeper understanding.