anboys (or girls) are a special breed in the gaming world. With their zealous enthusiasm, they single-handedly have the ability to make or break games, breathe life back into flailing franchises and (if they use their powers for evil) start flame wars across the Internet. Their undying devotion for a developer, game or character has spawned Web-rings, epic works of art and the desire to participate in the ultimate fan tribute – cosplay.

Cosplayer: Lillyxandra \ Photographer: Ruthless J

The fact that you’re taking the time to read a video-game-enthusiast Web site means that you most likely have some fan tendencies inside of you. They may manifest in the form of geeking out when purchasing licensed goods or taking a field trip with friends to reserve a special-edition game months before its release.

For those interested in the art of cosplay – short for costume play – their fan tendencies funnel into the desire to step into the shoes of a character they love. While somewhat comparable to the Halloween tradition of dressing up, cosplay costumes are rarely purchased. Successful cosplayers have a deep understanding of costume design, sewing, wig styling, prop making, beauty and special-effects makeup – on top of having a high comfort level in front of a camera. Cosplayers have the ability to see an image on a screen or in an art print and translate it into reality. Taking on such daunting tasks is expensive, time consuming and mentally exhausting – but cosplayers unanimously agree the results are worth it.

Cosplay is often ignored in larger gaming outlets across the Web – unless it’s the butt of some bad joke. However, geek culture seems to be embracing the practice more and more each year. When a Swedish cosplayer recently revealed her latest video-game tribute costume – Metroid’s Samus Aran – within hours her photos graced the front page of dozens of nerd-culture blogs across the Internet.

Cosplayer: PixelNinja

Still – despite growing awareness and popularity - cosplay remains a mysterious creature. What is cosplay? Why do people do it? Like Mario, Godzilla and hentai, we can primarily thank Japan for the phenomenon. The internationally practiced hobby has its roots in the amorphous street-fashion trends of Japanese youth.

Forfeiting any form of normalcy, fashion-forward individuals in Japan have rocked bleach-blond hair, unnaturally dark skin and enough cute accessories to make Hello Kitty vomit – among other trends less easy to comprehend. Can’t visualize it? Google the term “ganguro” for some clarification. To this day, Japanese teens are a fashion force to be reckoned with, and their influence is felt worldwide. Often inspired by everything from pop artists, movies and historical dress - cosplay was a natural progression for these teens. Instead of simply looking for inspiration, they began to faithfully replicate character costumes. Teens began to assemble and show off costumes inspired by their favorite anime, manga, video game and movie characters. Currently in the Japanese Harajuku district – a youth-fashion Mecca – teens gather simply to be seen and photographed. Cosplay is seen mixed in with other fashion trends. Cosplay cafes welcome fellow costume enthusiast to sit and relax while being served by staff in popular-culture garb.

Cosplayer: Jaina Solo \ Photographer: Godly at www.cosplay.com