Culture

Our favorite cosplay from San Diego Comic-Con

From Deadpool dressed as Bob Ross to a Hawaiian Stormtrooper, people let their costume creativity fly this year
By Kristina Manente    Published on 07/21/2018 at 3:06 PM EDT
A cosplayer dressed as Symbiote at San Diego Comic-Con 2018. Kristina Manente

Cosplay is one of the hallmarks of any fan convention. Cosplay, a.k.a. costume play, started back in the ’60s and ’70s at science-fiction conventions. It allows people to dress as their favorite fictional characters while also showing off their creativity and handicraft.

Although at nearly any con you’re bound to see many store bought pre-made costumes, you’ll also see intricately constructed works of wearable art. No character is off-limits and creative mash-ups of different characters make cosplay at San Diego Comic-Con even more fun.

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SDCC is the mother of all cosplay stages. Amateurs and professionals alike roam the halls and the Gaslamp Quarter (the district where the event is held), showing off their outfits. Many cosplayers plan all year for what to wear at the mega convention that sees upwards of 150,000 attendees.

This year we saw all sorts of characters and great use of imagination, including the soldiers of Wakanda, a dog dressed as Iron Man, a Hawaiian Stormtrooper and Deadpool as Bob Ross. (Yes, really.) Click through the gallery below to see some of our favorites. And be sure to let us know in the comments what your favorites are (or leave pictures of your own cosplay if you have them!).

'Game of Thrones’ characters Jaime Lannister, Cersei Lannister and Brienne or Tarth
Arya with The Hound, also from 'Game of Thrones'
A Hawaiian Stormtrooper alongside Han Solo

Please note the adorable Yorkie Chewbacca.

Mina Harker from 'The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen’
Cindy Aurum from 'Final Fantasy XV' and Sailor Moon
Deadpool as Bob Ross
Mantis from 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' and 'Avengers: Infinity War'
Nebula, also from 'Guardians' and 'Avengers'
Kristina Manente
Symbiote from 'Amazing Spider-Man'
Doc Brown from 'Back to the Future'
A baby Doctor Strange
Two Blank Panthers

Photo courtesy of @alexisvictorious.

Michael from 'The Good Place'
Steampunk March Hare and Tim Burton’s Mad Hatter from 'Alice in Wonderland'
Super Voters
Iron Man dog
'Teen Titans’ characters Beast Boy and Raven
Lady Loki from 'Thor'
Lup, Angus and Taako from 'The Adventure Zone’

The Adventure Zone is a podcast based loosely on Dungeons & Dragons.

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