Inside the World of Dominican Cosplayers

Cosplaying – a subculture that involves dressing up as characters from movies, books, or video games (especially anime) – is still relatively new in the Dominican Republic. Its starting point on the island is generally regarded as 2006, and though the hobby has become increasingly popular in recent years, it’s still under the radar enough that participants have to find creative ways to get their looks together. As recently as December 2014, for example, there was no business on the island churning out professional-level costumes for this demographic, according to Acento.

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The Cosplay Dominicano Facebook page is one of the easiest ways to see the fruits of this labor. In a series of photos, for example, the page explored La Casa del Artista, a DR craft store making it possible for cosplayers to transform styrofoam, dyes, and modeling glue in ways you probably never thought possible.

Recently, Zona 5 profiled some Dominican cosplayers –  “a group of young artists who exhibit their talents masterfully.”

“I learned new things about art, painting, sewing, construction [because of cosplay],” Yeffery García told Zona 5. “It’s not only fun, it also helps you develop your talents.” Lorenny Antigua similarly credits the trial-and-error heavy process of creating a costume with improving her skills. Now, creating realistic looking burns from silicone is no thing.