Cosplay: Catgirls and Other Critters

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 features:

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.