–Feature Picture Story 2nd Place: Rich-Joseph Facun/The Virginian Pilot–“Cosplay” Cosplay, literally means “Costume Play.” Cosplay is a subculture where individuals dress up and pretend to be a fictional character usually based upon a sci-fi, comic book, manga or anime character. The rapid growth in the number of people cosplaying as a hobby has made the phenomenon a significant aspect ofÊpopular cultureÊin Japan and some other parts of Asia and in the Western world. Cosplay events are common features ofÊfan conventionsÊand there are also dedicated conventions and local and international competitions, as well asÊsocial networks, websites and other forms of media centered on cosplay activities.
CAPTION: Taylor Whitehurst, 17, cosplays as Bonnie from Five Nights at Freddy’s. Whitehurst said she chose her character because “I could make her cute yet very creepy.”