Creating and Growing Community-Based Cosplay Memory Project
MISSION
Our mission is to preserve and celebrate the history of cosplay and convention culture in the United States. Through collecting and archiving stories and photos, we aim to provide a resource for current and future cosplay enthusiasts.
STAFF
Ejen Chuang started Cosplay in America in 2008 after photographing cosplayers for the first time at Anime Expo. There has been two hardcover books, Cosplay in America (2010) and Cosplay in America V2 (2015).
Michael Miller, aka Zippy is the head writer as well as the editor-in-chief behind the pop culture website LastLooks.org. When he’s not covering pop culture for Last Looks, he can be found shooting cosplay and concert photography throughout the Southeast.
USAGE
Cosplay in America makes materials accessible through fair use and open access (Section 107-108, Copyright Act) for educational and scholarly pursuit, but we do not own copyrights to all materials. All images, magazines, newspaper clippings, and published materials are Copyright © by their respective authors/publishers.
Info@cosplayinamerica.com
PRAISE FOR THE COSPLAY IN AMERICA BOOKS
Cosplay in America is a gorgeous tribute to the people who attend conventions.Chuang did what I hope more people will do in the future, portrayed cosplay as art.
BOING BOING
It’s a heartwarming peek into their world, one inhabited by people too often, and too easily, dismissed as geeks or nerds.
WIRED.COM
Ejen Chuang’s photographs do what similar photo books weren’t able to do: show cosplayers as real people who like to dress up as fictitious characters, and treat them with respect for their passion for the anime, games and manga that inspired their costumes.
DEB AOKI
Not just the most elaborately dressed or the sexiest, what you see is a cross section of costumed America … each one is set in front of same black backdrop which lets you focus on the cosplayers and how much work they put into their costumes. Ejen’s message is clear : they’re the artist. He’s just the photographer.
SCPR(NPR)