A Guide to Manga, Anime and Video Game Cosplay is a good beginner overview for multi-genre cosplay by Holly Swinyard. Tentatively due out 30th April 2022 from Pen & Sword on their White Owl imprint, it's 128 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

This is a good general starting place for readers who are interested in cosplay. The author does a superb job introducing the background, current culture, and selecting projects and figuring out how to make a start for people just beginning in the hobby. I really liked her encouraging and supportive writing style. I (literally) grew up in the fandom world. My dad (and my grandfather! to a lesser degree) were early golden/silver age comics fans and I was along for the ride. To say that the fandom can be exclusionary and clique-y is a major understatement and Ms. Swinyard's welcoming and encouraging vibe are really nice to see.

The chapters following the introduction are arranged thematically and give some good advice on where to find inspiration and resources to choosing a character to cosplay through getting started and making the props and costumes. This is -not- a specific tutorial guide and there are no actual patterns contained here. The book is lavishly illustrated throughout with pictures from fan-group archives of cosplayers past and present. Spelling and terminology are British standard English throughout. That won't present a problem in context for readers outside the UK, but it is something to be aware of.

There is a companion book by the same author to cosplay for film & TV cosplay and both have a similar format. Here's a quote from my other review of the Film & TV book which applies equally to this book:

"The models are diverse. Representation is important! I remember being a nerdy girl in a *very* male dominated gaming, comics, and SF fandom and being told that I didn't belong. I gave up a million times, discouraged. Honestly it was the stories which always dragged me back (and finding a solid group of friends who stopped noticing I was female). I -wanted- Starfleet and the Federation to be true... I -needed- them to be true. Fandom is where we get to make the dreams true for just a little while. That's important and this author clearly "gets it".

The following chapters take cosplayers through choosing a cosplay (or more than one) to put together and gives some concrete advice beyond "pick your favourite character". There's quite a lot to think about and the author does a good job of being encouraging and thorough. I really liked that they took the time to specifically say that cosplayers don't need to feel locked into a particular character because they might have similar physical characteristics to that character - it's ok to love the costume, to relate to the character for other emotional reasons, to get outside one's own skin (hint: that's why we *do* this). "

The author has included some of the best chapter notes and references for further reading I've seen in a book of this type. This would make a superlative selection for library acquisition, maker's groups, theatre/recreation/SCA use and similar.

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Cosplay, and how to get it… Holly Swinyard waxes lyrical about the cosplay phenomenon in relation to Manga, Anime and Video Games.

bout a year before the pandemic, I attended my first Comic Con in London. I was spellbound being in the same room as luminaries from the big and wee screen such as David Warner, Tom Baker, Peter Mayhew and Bernard Cribbins. But these acting talents were not the only ones proficient in becoming a fictional character at this convention.

As part of this fun day, many of my fellow Comic Con attendees had turned up in an amazing array of breathtaking professional looking, homemade costumes. Their cosplay tributes were seen in their inspiring and heartfelt homages to characters in the fictional world of film, TV, anime, video games and more. Tributes included Deadpool, The Incredibles, Star Wars and various video games characters.

In Holly Swinyard’s book A Guide to Manga, Anime and Video Game Cosplay, this author passionately writes about cosplay in a short but succinct 128 pages. This book is her welcome follow up companion to A Guide to Film and TV Cosplay. Swinyard often refers to her first book and adds that both books;

“are little portals for anyone who wants to take a look at cosplay and everything that goes with it”.

Swinyard is a passionate and credible advocate for this subject as she is a cosplayer herself and she is also the editor, of the magazine, The Cosplay Journal. Her book A Guide to Manga, Anime and Video Game Cosplay is divided into three sections that often have some merging of ideas and discussion topics. Swinyard’s camaraderie as an author is felt immediately, as she asks you to join her,

“into the wonderful world of escapism, artistic crafts and fantastic creation that is cosplay.”

Her friendliness and never-ending enthusiasm for this subject and her sharing of ideas I had seen as traits in other cosplayers. I had been impressed by these attributes when I attended the Comic Con. I noticed those dressed up in similar ways and from the same pop culture universes always gave nods of recognition, high fives and advice on costume making and makeup to other wannabe cosplayers. These strengths are mirrored in this book, in the personality of the author, the content and those cosplayers seen in photographs within this book.

In the first section, Swinyard examines what cosplay is, the benefits for individuals in using cosplay and its history. She explores the popularity and lure of cosplay for adults and argues that cosplay is an extension of dressing up and play, where one can escape from reality, create a fantasy and have fun. She adds this activity also encourages,

“new sense of self and inner strength”.

Swinyard reflects on this activity and suggests cosplay is an activity where you can add your imagination uniquely and express your own thoughts about a character. This she believes is carried out by the use of your own choice of creative arts in creating costumes, applying makeup and in prop making. The end result has you expressing these in your character in your own individual way.

The history of cosplay is vividly told from its earliest uses to the present day, and the author recalls those early conventions and cosplay tributes. In doing so she discovers the first use of the word cosplay – attributed by a Japanese journalist – and the first cosplayer. In her research, she debunks those misconceived myths related to these areas. You’ll be surprised at the origins of this craft and I concur with the author as she advocates that historical use of cosplay should include cavemen dressing up when telling stories around the fire and those masked balls.

Her arguments pertaining to those more recent cosplay tributes in manga, anime and videogames are supported in a selection of stunning photographs from conventions from the 1980s and 1990s. The use of these genres in cosplay is supported in her fascinating research and histories of these unique forms of cosplay.

She details the first uses of manga (cartoon strips) that led to the rise of anime (animated cartoons) in Japan and the impact of video games on cosplayers worldwide. She illustrates these genres, by including some fantastic photographs and pictures from magazines on a wide range of characters. These colourful additions to the book also reinforce the fun nature of this activity.

Swinyard then looks at the theories which are consciously or unconsciously used when designing costumes. She describes how to create a fictional character in-depth. This in her deep analysis of how you can create and design a costume and she reflects on how using cosplay you can tribute the well known, Star Wars character, Luke Skywalker. She provides valuable information on internet sources that can assist you in designing costumes. In this section, she reinforces that cosplay is an activity that can encourage new creative skills such as embroidery, machine work and sewing activities.

Finally, Swinyard shares her valuable tips for the fledgling or seasoned cosplayer with tips on how to add to your costume. She has some fabulous insights into how you can accessorise a costume with props of all sorts such as makeup, wigs and prosthetics. She also adds that these final costumes are often shared within the cosplaying community through the use of photographs or video and often share the creative process.

Throughout this book, Swinyard supports her writing with over 130 fantastic photographs of some inspirational cosplayers in all manner of tributes. These photographs show the inclusivity of cosplayers as they show cosplayers in all shapes, sizes, genders and ages. Each cosplayer is featured in a variety of shots which beautifully demonstrate this cosplayer’s love for their craft in the creation of their chosen character. The use of such a wide range of cosplayers and costumes reinforces many of the themes which are prevalent throughout this book.

Swinyard’s exuberance of this subject is always present in her warm telling of this subject and in her detailed look at the history and practice of cosplay in relation to manga, anime and video games. Swinyard’s themes strengthen the idea that this is a fun hobby, an art and a creative hobby that can appeal to wherever your imagination takes you.

Just reading about this hobby, brought back fun childhood memories of dressing up as a princess, accessorising my outfit with a tin foil crown (and probably a glittery handbag) and then plastering make-up on my face. This book reignited my love of that childhood hobby. Now as an adult, perhaps the next time I go to a convention, it will be in a cosplay inspired costume. And that in doing that I can dress up as whoever I want, express my individuality with my level of creativity and know I’ll not be judged. And know, in the words of that well known Frank Sinatra song,

“And more, much more than this, I did it my way.”

Cosplay is becoming a big thing. It is a fun hobby that you can dedicate as much or as little time to and still end up with half-decent results.

The title of this book includes the word ‘guide’, so while getting some history on cosplay is a nice bonus, I would have expected more actually cosplay advice. About one third of the book is dedicated to the history of cosplay, and what cosplay actually is. The next 3rd is around researching and designing your cosplay. The final third is dedicated to creating your look. Hair and makeup are focused on heavily, with props being the other main focus. As you can tell, unfortunately, I do believe that the balance of the book is not quite right. Now don’t get me wrong, understanding how cosplay came to be is probably very important to individuals who end up cosplaying for a living, but for someone who wants to give it a try then having so much of the book dedicated to this subject may be overwhelming and may put some people off giving it a try.

The photographs used in this book are stunning. My only issue with them is not the quality, or even the quantity since they are on almost every page. It is the fact that no photographs of unfitted cosplays are included. None of the instruction pages give you and visual guide as to what is going on, or what the difference in materials that are available look like. I personally would have liked to have the same prop made in different ways to see how easy it is to make them with different materials.

If you are more interested in the origin of cosplay, and are not too concerned about learning how to create a cosplay in too much detail, the this is the book for you.

So.. I feel this is kind of a misleading name.. kinda... there's no actually tutorials
Instead, it gives a lot of general advice on many different facets of cosplay.
This might be good for someone who is not familiar with costume making at all.. and also isn't sure they want to undertake the effort. Overall a nice little guide with plenty of nice pictures.

I enjoyed this book! I'm already pretty familiar with cosplaying and the community, but I learned a few things while reading. This is a great read for anyone new or wherever you are in your cosplaying journey. It's better suited for newer people, there's a lot of helpful tips and great photos. Cosplaying is so much fun! 4 out of 5 stars.

This is a fantastic introductory book. You might not learn how to sew, or the more technical aspects of the skills you need in cosplay, but you will learn how to choose your aesthetic and how to build your character around it. I enjoyed reading it, but as the title states it only covers manga, anime, and video game characters. You will not find movie or tv characters. I think the best part of this book were the excellent pictures.

An excellent introductory guide. Has a fantastic opening section all about the History of Gaming Cosplay including some great pictures based on early cons- It's fascinating to see the differences between some early conventions and something like LFCC or San Diego Comic-Con.
The photo images are both high quality and show a wide variety of body shapes and sizes. This is a great change as many older cosplay books only show 'modelesque' or sexy cosplayers. In this one you have fuller-figured characters and many different skin tones which shows how cosplay is all-inclusive.
The one criticism I have is that in the tutorial pages there are still pictures of cosplayers and not of materials or techniques. However, there is a large reference section pointing you towards other books that do cover those topics.
All in all, a very useful book with enough variety to give you ideas and help you take your first steps into Cosplay.