With large gatherings of people being discouraged or banned in many places, many conventions cancelled or postponed. The weekend of the 15th, Emerald City Comic Con, Naka-kon and 24 other conventions across the country shut down. Major conventions like San Diego Comic-Con, New York Comic Con, and Dragon Con were either called off entirely or moved to virtual formats, disappointing thousands of fans who look forward to these gatherings each year. The loss of revenue from ticket sales, exhibitor fees, and sponsorships has also had a financial impact on organizers and the businesses that rely on these events for exposure and sales.
Despite the setbacks, many fandom conventions have found innovative ways to continue engaging with their communities during the pandemic. Virtual conventions, livestreamed panels, and online art galleries have allowed fans to connect with their favorite creators and fellow enthusiasts from the comfort of their own homes. While these digital events may lack the in-person interactions and excitement of traditional conventions, they have provided a much-needed outlet for fans to stay connected and engaged during a time of social distancing and isolation.
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Comic-Con Is Live And In-Person Again And Yes, That Means Cosplayers Are Back. Why They’re So Excited
By Mike Roe San Diego’s Comic-Con International — and all the cosplaying fans — is back this week for the first time in three years. Cosplayers have been some of the most excited fans as live events start to return. They’ll be holding court and taking photos with onlookers at the con, which regularly draws…
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All dressed up with nowhere to go: Cosplaying in the pandemic
By Lauren Orsini JUNE 25, 2021 It took Michelle Anderson a month to create her E3 2019 outfit. It took her another hour to put it on. She wore a wig with red Afro puffs, an army-green tactical vest and fake bloodstained bandage. She completed the look with medical gloves and a mask looped around her…
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Jarod Nandin, the World of Warcraft South Park Cosplayer, Dies
By Joseph Knoop Jarod Nandin, a member of the Blizzard fan community known for his South Park World of Warcraft cosplay, has died. BlizzCon host Michele Morrow, who met Nandin in 2013, shared the news on Twitter Sunday afternoon, adding that Nandin had died due to COVID-19. “Today the @warcraft and greater @blizzard community lost one of…
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‘I Love Cosplay, But I Also Like Living’: Cosplayers in the Age of COVID-19
By Audrey Cleo Yap Every summer, some 130,000 attendees gather in San Diego for Comic-Conto celebrate entertainment, fandom and geek culture. Amy Vaughn had hoped to be one of them. Vaughn, an engineer, has wanted to attend the event ever since she started cosplaying two years ago. She tried getting passes last year but wasn’t able to…
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Cosplay Is a Business and It Is Suffering
By Beth Elderkin Yaya Han was supposed to be on tour right now. Instead of signing copies of books and posing for pictures with fans, the cosplayer is at home prepping her next shipment of washable masks to help people prevent the spread of covid-19. The novel coronavirus pandemic has become an international crisis, with over 4.7 million…