I thought this was a fun way to present a lot of not very exciting logistics for cosplay. Not only a great guide to making some basic costumes, but also a primer in thinking creatively to make a costume on a budget, and basics of what to expect and how to behave at a con.

Create a Costume! is another outstanding entry in the Maker Comics line. Kids these days want to dress up for conventions and other gatherings, and the emphasis here is very much encouraging do-it-yourself.

Readers learn how to create a pattern, add details to basic clothes, cut and pin fabric, craft headgear and props, and use a sewing machine. There are a lot of instructions and details, so aspiring costumers may find themselves going over key pages multiple times. The directions here seem workable, and the pictures help a lot, but they do seem a bit intimidating as well. Some readers may be interested in knowing what goes into cosplay without wanting to try it to this degree.

There are plenty of safety tips, too, on protecting yourself from the sharp items used in sewing; using tools and potentially toxic paints and glues sensibly; and designing costumes while considering visibility and long-term comfort.

Maker Comics: Create a Costume! is a great introduction to expressing imagination through creativity with fabric, foam, and other ways to make outfits.

This is a cute intro to cosplay for kids. If you want some early skills in sewing, foam work, adapting thrifted clothes (really loved this), and more, this is a cute way to get it!

This gave me so many ideas! I've always thought cosplaying was way too involved and I've always just gone with store-bought costumes for Halloween, but this did a great job of breaking down how to make different parts for different genres out of cheap (or free!) materials. I'm so excited for my son's future costuming possibilities now!

On the flip side, I thought doing this as a graphic novel was a little weird? Like, most how-tos have great photographs, so one can really tell if they've got the right materials and are following the steps correctly, and with drawings it might be a little harder to tell. (I didn't actually try to make any of the costumes so I can't say for sure).

I did really like the ending too - the premise was two friends making a variety of costumes (anime, witch/wizard, space, cute animals, aliens, monsters) to go to a local comicon - so the last section followed them to the con with all sorts of helpful tips (tips that perhaps I wish I'd known before I went to NYCC years back! lol)

Bonus points for stressing body positivity, avoiding frustration, being proud of your costuming accomplishments no matter your budget, and good con manners!!

Interesting combination of graphic novel with a how-to guide for creating costumes. I'm not sure it worked really well together though. The how-to guide just didn't work.

This is more of a DIY book than a book with any sort of plot or characters. It shows you a step by step guide on how to create various costumes. It shows how to create a witch costume, superhero, animals, etc. it is nice to have for someone that is crafty and would take the time to make some of these things. The projects are fairly lofty, so if you’re getting this for a kid they will need help. Thank you to Netgalley for providing an arc of this! This did affect my opinions of this book.

The book was OK. I didn't really like it because the story was too obviously a vehicle to get the costuming tips across.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for a review copy.

This is the first book I've read from the Maker Comics series, and I'll definitely be picking them up for my library. This is a great how-to not only for costume construction and sewing but also for attending a convention or other cosplay event. I think tweens and young teens will really respond to it. The costumes illustrated were not necessarily anything special, but they did a good job of covering a variety of materials and skills to use. Besides, for most kids interested in cosplay, they already have a good idea of who or what they want to be, it's figuring out how that needs a little help! The situations the two characters were in were realistic, if a little hokey, and did a good job of providing techniques to relieve convention anxiety, safety concerns, and common troubleshooting. Great series.

I love First Second's Science Comics, so I was ecstatic to hear that they were starting a line of Maker Comics to go alongside them. I loved the Maker Comic title on car repair and upkeep, but sadly was a little more blasé on this title. I love that the writers made sure to emphasize that anyone can cosplay, no matter what they look like. I did not love the particular things they chose to include in their book. It felt a bit like a mash-up of internet costume how-tos and while it's nice to have them all in this one book, it just didn't feel like it was anything really new or necessary, which was really just sad for me. I will still definitely purchase the title for my library's collection, because I know this book has a reader that will love it, but I just did not.