Getting in character

Life can feel too complicated, moving too fast nowadays.

Tensions are rising in the Middle East. An upcoming election could further split an already divisive country. Not to mention deadlines, commitments, bills and ruminating over the things you forgot to do – and things you wish you didn't do – that can feel all consuming. 

But simplicity and a slower pace was found inside Eastern New Mexico University's Golden Student Success Center as the High Plains Cosplay Club took place on Sept. 27. It was the first of a seven-part series led by ENMU's Regina Bouley Sweeten. 

For attendees unaware of cosplay, the goal was to inform, excite and begin the process of building a costume. These costumes involve picking a character from a book, video game, comic, show or movie, and turning them into real life. Think fan fiction meets sewing machines. 

For cosplay-enthusiasts, meanwhile, it's an opportunity to find like-minded folks while exploring their passions. 

"My goal is to make this a community where everyone can enjoy their different fandoms together, whether two people have a different interpretation of a single character, or they're learning about new things in fandom and just giving them a place where they can talk about what they love," said Bouley Sweeten, an ENMU Archives and Special Collections librarian.

Some attendees were young enough to be on a first-name basis with the tooth fairy, others were old enough to teach courses at ENMU – literally. 

Here we have Aiden Juge, an assistant professor of animal science with black hair and pierced ears. He falls into the cosplay-enthusiasts category. 

Juge started in 2014, has competed in cosplay competitions and participated in clubs while in high school and in college while attending Texas A&M. He said he's placed at Galaxy Con in Austin and Anime Houston. 

His passion for it stems from two parts; first there's the crafts aspect. He enjoys taking an idea in his head and spending countless hours turning into real life. One costume, Jaskier from "The Witcher" series, took him nearly a year to complete.

"I bought an oud, which is like a type of Middle Eastern usable instrument. Tore it up and made a loot out of it. That took a month of working, two or three hours a day just for that," he said. 

Then there's the character aspect of it. 

"Some people like to write fan fiction. Some people like to draw. I like to do crafts about it. And so cosplay is a way of expressing that enthusiasm," Juge said. 

Juge's fascination is a window into why cosplay has experienced a boom over the last couple of decades. 

According to Future Market Insights, "From 2023 to 2033, the market is anticipated to showcase a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 6.1%, accumulating a revenue of US $8,656.2 million by its end."

One psychologist, writing for Forbes, found that cosplay's penchant for creative self-expression, escaping reality and a sense of community can have positive impacts on mental health.

The idea for the High Plains Cosplay Club, which is free and open to anybody, started with Bouley Sweeten and her ambition to create a more interactive experience with science fiction or video games. 

"I knew that I wanted to get people thinking about what they're reading in a fun way. And cosplay is a way to do that. You read a book and you think, 'What does the person look like?'" said Bouley Sweeten, who entered the cosplay world through making Halloween costumes for her daughter. 

Not one for doing things, "half measure," she thought to herself, "Well, let's just turn this into a whole series where someone can go from, 'What is cosplay?' all the way to having an event at the end where someone can wear the costume that they've put together over the year."

The first meeting covered how cosplay started, ground rules, offered an opportunity for roughly 10 people to share their cosplay experience and concluded with members sketching their ideas out. The next one, which covers basic sewing, is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday at University Theatre Center Lobby.

The remaining five will transcend from costume design, to hair and makeup, and conclude in April with a photography and conventions session. 

Bouley Sweeten says her goal is to, "see if we can finish up the series before the Jack Williamson lectureship."

With the nearest cosplay event in Lubbock and Roswell, this is the closest cosplay event. It also honors the legendary Williamson, a science fiction author who attended ENMU and, in 1976, "was named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction Writers of America, only the second author, after Robert A. Heinlein, to be so honored," according to the New York Times. 

When that day comes, Bouley Sweeten can only imagine the sights and scenes.

Aliens. Anime characters. Princesses. Vibrant colors. Character lauding. Character loathing. Just people, their passions, pricked fingers and an escape into the bliss of simplicity.

Eventually, it'll be time to go home and slog through wars and deadlines. 

But for the time being, those can wait.