Mar 28, 2016 7:00 AM

Gallery: Cosplayers Are Just Like You! Only They Buy Lots of Spandex

Ejen Chuang
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Harrison makes a living with his business Volpin Props in Atlanta, GA. He’s even been commissioned to design props for major gaming companies.
Ejen Chuang
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Yaya Han works in her sewing room in Atlanta, GA. She quit her job in 2005 to open a successful costume business.

Ejen Chuang
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Carolann and Carrie in Brooklyn, NY.
Ejen Chuang
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Matt and his wife Erica make up Barefoot Sewing in Lawrence, KS. They offer everything from custom costumes to 3-D printed props.

Ejen Chuang
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A cosplayer named Regina compares a fabric swatch to a reference photo at Fabric Depot in Portland, OR.
Ejen Chuang
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Beth, a cosplayer from Minneapolis, MN, tries to pick the perfect fabric in an S.R. Harris.

Ejen Chuang
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Shawn of Orlando, FL, started cosplaying when he was 28 years old. An avid fan of Halloween, Shawn made increasingly elaborate costumes until a friend told him about fan conventions for "geek stuff." His first event was Megacon 2006.
Ejen Chuang
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A freshly dyed wig hangs on a drying rack on a balcony in Los Angeles, CA.

Ejen Chuang
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Asia spray paints segments of her cosplay costume on the sidewalk outside her apartment in Brooklyn, NY.
Ejen Chuang
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Utah, a cosplayer from Ooltewah, TN, gets ready for Katsucon in Washington, D.C. In order to make the perfect Esther Blanchett costume, Utah sewed over 14,000 rhinestones and 10,000 pearls onto her dress. The costume took 10 months to complete.

Ejen Chuang
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Jerry and Lindsay help Alyssa into her costume, based on Fauno from *Pan's Labyrinth*, for Dragon Con in Atlanta, GA.
Ejen Chuang
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Aaron helps his son with his Bender costume they made together for Rose City Comic Con in Portland, OR.

Ejen Chuang
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Cosplayers stretch out on the floor after a busy day at Rose City Comic Con in Portland, OR.
Ejen Chuang
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Christina and Britt from Rancho Santa Margarita, California at Anime Expo in Los Angeles, CA.

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