1. idea generation
- sexism/ sexualization in cosplay, cosplay and consent
-idolisation of cosplayers, putting them on a pedestal, how cosplayers
aren't seen as real people with feelings etc (especially younger ones)
- fiction vs reality, expectations for cosplayers to look exactly like the
character despite them being completely unrealistic. Also how
cosplay is supposed to be for fun or as a hobby etc but has so many
unspoken criteria's from fans such as perfect lighting, flawless
makeup, perfected wigs & outfits etc
- the male gaze vs the female gaze
- how normalized incest, cheating
and childish characteristics on
women are within adult media,
the infantilization of women
- how all men see women as an
object rather than a human
- the extremely unrealistic
standards that are put on women
(obligated to carry a child, beauty
standards)
The effect of adult media on men: Issues within the cosplay community:
I can interview any woman since
almost every-one has witnessed/
experienced something similar.
podcast/ fanzine
fanzine
I can interview the
cosplayers I'm
friends with,
ones with a bigger
platform, and ones
with a smaller
platform.
Talk about peoples
experiences with
the algorithm,
conventions and
hate/criticism.
Talk about
peoples experiences
with past
relationships,
expectations placed
on them by men in
their life and around
them, life as a
teenage girl growing
up around young
boys
2. plan
A Fanzine that lasts about 5 pages, I want to talk about the effect that that adult media has on men
and how that ties into ongoing issues in the cosplay community.
-gather multiple "interviews" and photos from cosplayers
-a page designated its own theme, e.g. sexualization, racism, high expectations, boundaries
Some thing that I want to incorporate either visually are:
-bright colours (pink, blue, white, black)
-photo slideshows/ text bubbles
- tips, interviews, photos
Cosplay is Not Consent: Social Issues within the Cosplay Scene – downthetubes.net
Racism and Race in Cosplay — The Cosplay Journal
4. Influence/Inspiration
One of the main influences that helped me settle on an idea for my fanzine
was coshd.co.uk. When I first saw it, I liked how the homepage was set out
and how simplistic yet eye catching it was. I knew that I wanted to do
something similar to this right away because it looked really nice. The
general idea for me choosing to make my fanzine about cosplay/ issues in
the cosplay community was because I enjoy cosplaying a lot and I have a
lot of friends who could help out and add parts to it such as photos,
interviews etc. I think this is also something very different to what other
people are doing so I thought it would be a good choice as it would be
something new for the people marking.
5. Skills Audit
I am very confident in my skills to prepare for
production and planning because I enjoy decorating and
creating pages/ posters etc. They allow me to be more
creative as most of the time it can be about something I
enjoy, which then makes me more motivated.
6. Why are you making this project?
I am making my project about cosplay because, as ive
said previously, its something I enjoy doing and I can go
multiple ways with doing it. I decided to go with the
route of talking about issues in the community as it can
help bring awareness and also help bring back
boundaries etc.
7. Hopes for the project
My hopes for this project are to create an aesthetically
pleasing fanzine that looks appealing while at the same
time still tells you what you want to know. I also hope
for it to look somewhat professional and not like a
childrens poster.
8. Strengths and Limitations
I think that one strong point I have for this project is
creating backgrounds and fonts/ photos and colours
that all match while still being bold and bright. One of
my limitations will be working under a strict deadline
as I get overwhelmed and burnt out easily when it
comes to working on a time limit.
9. Potential Research Activities
To gain more knowledge for my project I could
research:
-other cosplay magazines/ fanzines/ websites
-interview cosplayers
-what colours, fonts, sizings and layouts are used in
popular magazines
Editor's Notes
Collect their work, beliefs, approaches to work.
Focus on the person- who they are? What they believe? Their approach to work. What have they said about the medium your working in?
Make it detailed. Become an expert on the people you look at.
Include images to illustrate the topic.
Min. 3 of each with explanation and how it affects your production