On a breezy October day three years ago, I stepped foot into an extremely-crowded Javits Center, wearing a navy blue blazer with matching black-striped, orange bike shorts and knee-high socks. My snow-white wavy bob with blunt bangs was the same color as the furry tail swinging from my bum. Cat ears were protruding from my head. That day I was cosplaying the Hunter x Hunter villain Neferpitou at New York Comic Con (NYCC) for the very first time.
That day, I also discovered the comic book series Niobe, which is named after the protagonist, a Black girl. While walking around the convention center, I noticed a booth with books featuring Black characters on the covers and a few dressed-up Black women dressed up standing nearby. As soon as they caught my eye, I made a beeline for the table, started chatting with them, and ended up leaving with a set of comic books.
Trying to find fictional stories that center around Black folks is like looking for a needle in a haystack, only to realize the needle was actually never in the haystack and instead thrown into a nearby field. The internet does make this search easier; through it, I'd already started to stumble upon the many subcommunities of Blerds — a popular shorthand for Black and nerd. It's how I found companies and platforms like Hypland and Blerdcon and a ton of Black cosplayers who have left their mark on me and the larger community. But it felt particularly special to discover the Niobe series and see those Black women cosplaying as its characters in person.
Unfortunately, even when we create spaces for ourselves it doesn't stop the racism that comes from other members of many fandoms. The controversy over Halle Bailey's casting as Ariel is a prime example. Some folks were very explicit with their racism while others tried to hide behind the thinly veiled excuse of "she doesn't look like The Little Mermaid."
This is far from the only instance where people have actively created a hostile environment for Black folks and other folks of color who love the worlds of comics, anime, and gaming. Black cosplayers can face accusations of cultural appropriation and "sexualization" of characters, as was the case for Mia Rios in 2021, after she dressed up as Asuka Langley Soryu from the anime Evangelion. It wasn't the first time she had to deal with nonsense and harassment from the fandom, but unfortunately, after a few days of harassment regarding this particular incident, her TikTok was removed for violating community guidelines. Rios told Vice that in the over 10 years she has been cosplaying, she'll frequently receive racist comments, "Like, 'Oh, that character isn't Black,' and other people would say, 'You look weird, you look like an alien.'"
Despite all that, Black cosplayers aren't disappearing anytime soon. This year, I was back at New York Comic Con, where I got to speak with some of the Black cosplayers also in attendance. Some have been cosplaying for a decade, others were doing it for the first time at the convention, but all of them looked incredible.
Kendra as Starfire
If the ruby red forehead gem and blue cloak with a red brooch weren't enough of an indicator, this is Raven — well more specifically, this is Kendra cosplaying as the half-demon Teen Titan from the cartoons. Kendra's look is proof you don't need to become an exact, one-for-one replica of a character to have a successful cosplay: Instead of Raven's dark purple bob, Kendra's opted for equally impactful, duo-toned box braids. She also captured the color of Raven's hair with dark purple, glittery lips and eyes that complement the blue in her braids.
Kendra has cosplayed before, but not at NYCC. Admittedly, it was "a lot more hectic" than she was used to, she told Allure, but the convention was still "really cool" in the end. Her best tip for cosplay beginners? "Wear what you want. Be unapologetic. Don't care about what anyone else has to say because it does not matter. Just be happy."
Vivienne as Poison Ivy
I met Vivienne alongside her adorable family (you'll meet them further down) who decided to cosplay together. Especially considering it was Vivienne's first time at Comic Con, this DIY Poison Ivy costume was beyond remarkable from head to toe. She replicated the character's vibrant red hair by adding loc extensions to her own shorter sister locs.
Vivienne is inspiringly resourceful: She created the foliage on her costume by adhering leaves to removable bra pads and then sewing them onto this glittery, green, bodycon jumpsuit. She also created a leaf-covered belt using cut-up face coverings. Her bejeweled forehead and cheeks along with the vines of leaves woven through her hair perfectly embody the DC comic character.
Jan-Dell as Sweet Paprika
Friends Jan-Dell, Charlotte, and D'Mari got ready for NYCC together, hyping each other up as they made all the necessary alterations to their costumes. While her two friends cosplayed two characters from the same show, Jan-Dell chose a lesser-known character named Sweet Paprika, the protagonist of an Italian comic book of the same name, she informed me. Her shimmery champagne ribbed horns and pointy tail match Sweet Paprika's own.
Charlotte as Arcane's Ekko
Charlotte has been cosplaying since 2006, so she's a bit of a pro at putting together costumes. This year, she dressed up as Arcane's rebellious Ekko because he is the most relatable character and literally "embodies her personality," she shared. For her own take on Ekko's white twists, Charlotte twisted her own short hair and dyed it a gray hue instead.
D'Mari as Arcane's Mel
While her friend Charlotte chose Ekko from Arcane, D'Mari opted to cosplay the aristocrat Mel. She aced all of the politician's golden accessories, from the cuffs on her arms to the charms in her locs. As a first-time cosplayer, she said attending NYCC was amazing, but putting the costume together took some effort. According to D'Mari, the hardest part of the costume was sewing, which involved "a lot of trial and error." In total, it took three weeks to create.
Ria as Rumi Usagiyama aka Mirko
Folks unfamiliar with My Hero Academia might just think that Ria was a cool-looking bunny with this printed bodysuit and long white ears, and you're not fully wrong. She's dressed up as the butt-kicking pro-hero from My Hero Academia, Mirko, whose power just so happens to give her rabbit-like qualities. Mirko's eyebrows are as white as her hair, but I love how Ria chose to add silvery pigment to her arched brows. Her makeup was on the minimalist side but those fluffy lashes and coffin-shaped, C-curve French manicure definitely caught my attention.
"Mr. T"
Right outside the main showroom at NYCC stood Mr. T, whose real name I, unfortunately, didn't get, eagerly scowling at onlookers and showing off the many gilded chains and rings on his neck and hands. Every necessary detail of the A-Team character is here, including his distinctive mohawk and sideburns.
Atina and Vanessa as Starfire and Raven
Friends Atina (left) and Vanessa have cosplayed before, but for 2022 NYCC they wanted to coordinate their outfits. That's why they landed on the Teen Titans members, Starfire and Raven. The contrast between Atina's orange hair and Vanessa's purple hair is too cute.
Christina as Katara
Fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender may instantly recognize this as the disguise Katara wore while the gang was hiding within a fire nation town. Christina's bright red top and golden arm bracelets remind us exactly of the water bender's outfit. She fashioned her hair into a half-up, half-down style that incorporates a flip bun.
Johanni looks like the cutest goth with her Misa Amane cosplay. Her off-the-shoulder black lace dress and gloves mimic that of the Death Note character perfectly. Her holding the Death Note notebook sells the entire look.
Gabe as Pastel Clown
Not everyone who arrives at Comic Con is dressed up as a specific character. Take Gabe, who built her costume around these periwinkle curls. She told Allure that she chose to be herself (a clown) and wanted makeup that coordinated with the kinky-curly wig.
Gabe doesn't typically cosplay but loves playing around with face makeup, hence this pastel masterpiece. Clowns may creep some out, but Gabe's makeup-covered face looks like it could expertly piped frosting on a cake. Despite the kaleidoscope of colors on her face, the purple, green, blue, and red hues managed to still fit cohesively together.
Dominique Peterson as Harleen Quinzel
Peterson perfectly embodied the psychologist turned criminal with her duo-toned outfit, hair, and makeup. She braided her box braids with hot pink hair into one big braid and did the same to the other side of her head, using cobalt blue kanekalon hair instead. The colorful braided pigtails were a super cute twist on Harley Quinn's dip-dyed hair.
Quinn has several outfits, but her bright red lip and duo-toned makeup and hair are a consistent favorite. Initially, Peterson was going to come as Black Canary from Birds of Prey, but chose the criminal instead to complement her friend's Poison Ivy cosplay. With her red-and-black jester jumpsuit, bat, and gun, it was clear that Peterson means business.
Max and Danielle as Scissor Seven's Seven and Danganronpa's Kyoko Kirigiri
Friends Max (left) and Danielle (right) arrived at the convention dressed as the scissor-fighting Seven from the Netflix series Scissor Seven and the lavender-haired Kyoko Kirigiri from the video game Danganronpa.
Destiny as Niobe
Destiny Brown was working with Stranger Comics, the producers of the Niobe series, at NYCC, so she was dressed as the comic book series heroine. Her pointy elven ears, huge mane of kinks, and reddish face makeup could be spotted from miles away.
Markel as The Princess and the Frog's Dr. Facilier
Disney fans, this mask and cane might ring a bell. Initially, Markel shared he was aiming to be Marvel's Brother Voodoo, but after his cape broke he needed a backup plan. The villain Dr. Facilier was the next best thing. You can't tell us that he doesn't have friends on the other side.
Nediva as a Lolita
You may be thinking this pastel tulle dress is a sign of the sheep-herding Little Miss Bo Peep, as I did, but Nevida is dressed up as a Lolita. While Vladimir Nabokov's protagonist inspired the name of the trend, in Japanese culture, it has been popularized as a fashion style that centers cuteness with lots of lace, tulle, and ribbons to achieve a doll-like aesthetic. Nevida shared she chose the look because Comic Con, "is probably the only place I can dress like this and not get stares."
Mike as Yu Yu Hakusho's Yusuke Urameshi
There are truly not enough words to describe how utterly adorable this father-and-daughter Yu Yu Hakusho cosplay was. Michael came dressed up as the stubborn butt-kicking Yusuke Urameshi in a teal green outfit with his daughter dressed up as ruler of the Spirit World Koenma, who happens to look like a baby most of the time. All the baby is missing is the Spirit World ruler's signature blue pacifier.
Tracy as My Hero Academia's Toga
Tracy recreated Himiko Toga's likeness so well that you might have hurried right past her in fear she would try to suck your blood. Tracy told me she's been cosplaying for about five years, and she chose Toga simply because she loves My Hero Academia. "I feel as women of color, we feel like we are limited to dressing up to only people that look like us, and I want to push and break those boundaries," she said.
Obviously, the family that cosplays together stays together, right? I spotted this mom, dad, and daughter with grandma Vivienne (our Poison Ivy from earlier). The trio cosplayed three characters from Bleach: Ichigo (left), Nel (mom), and Yoruichi (daughter).
Dad's pumpkin orange hair, black ropes, and long sword were a dead giveaway that he was the show's protagonist. The reddish swirl on mom's face plus bright teal hair is damn near identical to Nel's, and Yoruichi's vibrant purple hair is simply gorgeous.
Since they have cosplayed a few times before, they had several helpful tips for beginners. Rule number one: don't bother purchasing a costume. "Go and try to make something yourself. Get creative with it," mom Shelly-Ann shares. Besides the satisfaction of creating your own costume, it also helps ensure that you won't end up looking exactly like someone else. They also recommend Amazon and eBay as shops for finding items, especially the latter because sometimes folks will sell items from their past cosplays.
Read more stories about avant-garde makeup:
- 30 Times Pat McGrath Proved She’s the Mother of All Makeup Artists
- Black Beauty Creator Shantal Martin Used Real Flowers for This Romantic Floral Makeup Look
- The Reverse Cut Crease Trend Is Basically Irresistible to Makeup Influencers
Now enjoy our November 2022 cover star, Ciara, walking us through her iconic looks:
