Cosplay 101: What is Cosplay?

Costumes & Cosplay
What is cosplay? What does it mean, how do you do it, how does it work? Why was there a Batman next to me on the Long Island Railroad? Cosplay 101 is a 1-hour introduction to the world of cosplay to give attendees a better sense of what the hobby is, how one can get involved, its origins, and how it has evolved in 2025. With an interactive presentation to keep attendees engaged and interactive, Cosplay 101 also lets you leave with the first steps of your very own cosplay prop! Tools will be provided to help you build a cosplay wand, staff, scepter, or prop of your choice, using everyday items and basic craft supplies to showcase that cosplay can be done by all ages with some creativity.

Cosplay 101: What is Cosplay? project image
Rizuki Maker Picture

Rizuki

Rizuki is a Puerto Rican & Colombian cosplayer who has enjoyed the hobby since 1998 and is most known for her Sailor Moon & retro video game cosplays. She works in her local community as the Cosplay Coordinator for the Long Island Retro Gaming Expo and is a facilitator of Cosplay 101 workshops at various Long Island libraries. She has hosted panels, workshops, and meetups at multiple events including New York Comic Con, Anime NYC, AnimeNEXT, I-CON, Katsucon, and Otakon. She has been a guest judge at local events including CradleCon, I-CON, EmCon Anime Festival, Inbeon Con, amongs

Categories: Costumes & Cosplay

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http://www.instagram.com/rizuki

What inspired you to make this project?
I have been working at local libraries teaching about cosplay since 2016/2017. I have traveled throughout Nassau and Suffolk County providing Cosplay 101 workshops to libraries beyond what I do at larger events and conventions. For me, it's my way to give back to the community and to help motivate and inspire the next generation ... as well as veterans in the community. Cosplay is for anyone of any age and my goal is to continue to push that message and provide a place of diversity, inclusion, and of course community within the local cosplay community.

What are some of the challenges you have encountered and how did you address them?
With every single aspect of working with the public, you are working on the fly. You will always deal with ambiguity and need to think on your feet in the moment with how to handle each and every situation as it happens. You end up talking to people of all ages so it is imperative to know how to talk to people and how to adjust how you speak and engage. This can be incredibly tricky sometimes but the end result of inspiring people makes it beyond worth it. Years of teaching at a former job and training to be able to teach on a 1-on-1 level and in a group environment have helped me learn to adapt to any situation and think on the fly. This is a challenge every single time but as us gamers say ... challenge accepted! :)