Ready… Set… Cosplay!

To paraphrase an old adage, “In the spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of Cosplay”.  And with good reason.  This year as Cosplay conventions kick off around the universe, players can expect a return of the usual suspects with some interlopers thrown in for good measure.There will be no shortage of technology driven costumes, themes taken from memes, comic books, movies and of course iconic manga and anime.  Just as there are trends in gaming, film and literature, fashion and food, there are trends you’ll see at the various Cosplay events this year.  Digimon, Wonder Woman, Logan and the latest media darlings will no doubt be represented.  And you can expect tributes to Princess Lea – May the Force be With Her!  Beauty and her Beast should be expected and it’s anticipated that Guzma and Lucimine will be in heavy rotation.

It’s worth remembering that what was once just geeky kids playing dress up as their favorite character has now become a global phenomenon.  Whether you raid the local thrift store or 3-D print your weapon, shop Hot Topic for the latest deals on all the cool gear you need to accentuate your look.  Pokemon Sun and Moon, Professor Kukui or Logan?  With so many ways to chop it up, you can look to a spot like Hot Topic to keep it real.  But don’t just shop Hot Topic when you can shop Hot Topic through Groupon.  There’s money to be saved like 20% off Pokemon merch and 20% off clearance – and these are coupons you can use instore or online.

Hot Topicis really cool because they get the cosplay crowd.  They bridge the gap between those who can sink chunks of money into costumes and gear and those who might not go all out, but don’t want to look like they just stepped off a tourist bus snapping selfies all in your face, with no consent either.  At Hot Topic you will find all the items you need when you want the look for less.  Groupon coupons go along way to achieve the less part, by the way, because you can apply a Groupon and save tons of cash on their stuff.

So once again, explain to your folks that cosplay is the practice of dressing up as a character from a movie, comic book, or video game, especially one from the Japanese genres of manga and anime and that you’re not being recruited into some terrorist organization because you need a weapon.  Then go out there and knock ‘em dead!