Cosplay: Catgirls and Other Critters

by Gerry Poulos

Why just draw your favorite anime character when you can be it? Cosplay-short for "costume play"-is sweeping the anime con scene from coast to coast, and once again we're leading the way with a pair of books for both beginning and veteran cosplayers. Each volume transforming ordinary fabric and accessories into fabulous contest winners
creating genre-specific costumes from scratch
duplicating your favorite characters or inventing your very own
cosplaying both for competition and just for fun
accessories from shoes to makeup
finding hard-to-get and imported items
patterns, measurements, and sewing techniques
money-saving tips and how-tos for cosplay on a budget
pointers on the care and transportation of costumes
resource lists, websites, where to find character models, etc
. full-color photos, plans, and drawings. Volume 1 covers Catgirls, a favorite of fans from All Purpose Cultural Catgirl Nuku-Nuku to Hyper Police and great for purring and prowling. Volume 2 is all about Schoolgirls (think "Sailor Moon") and how to make uniforms with just the right bouncy-skirt anime style. Gerry Poulos is a longtime anime reviewer, illustrator, and photographer. He lives in Ohio.

80 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2006

Reviews

[(Jen) The Artist Librarian · Rating 1 out of 5]

I personally "did not like it" so it's a one star for me.

This book contains very basic construction techniques. No step-by-step photos, though there are illustrated and it's better than nothing. Though perhaps a good resource for someone who wants to cosplay but doesn't have any sewing experience, I'd suggest finding some basic "how to sew" or other technique books instead.

Definitely take a look at or preview this book if at all possible before purchasing to see if it will fit your needs.

[Dracolibris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book will be very helpful for my teen otaku, as it has some good, simple step-by-step intructions on how to make certain costume pieces.