November 2023 Volume 6, Issue 3
Faculty Feature: Getting to know this “Doc”
In a sleepy little midwestern town, there lives a professor with a secret. This is not just any old secret; it’s an extremely nerdy secret, and one that could change the course of history! (or not). The crowd waits with bated breath, anticipating the foreboding revelation. Someone cries out, “Dr. Lauren Orton is a cosplayer!”
An audible gasp rises from the crowd, while an elderly woman clutches her pearl necklace and nearly topples over. Somewhere, a baby cries out. However, one curious person pipes up, “What on earth is a cosplayer?”
“Does it have anything to do with dragons?” another brave soul asks. Dr. Orton smiles and begins her explanation,
“A cosplayer is someone who enjoys making and wearing costumes. But not just any run-of-the-mill Spirit Halloween ™ costumes. These are elaborate costumes, made by hand, with hundreds of hours put into sewing, crafting, riveting—I even learned how to weld from my father for a particularly tricky suit of armor. I’ve turned EVA foam into Wonder Woman and black patent vinyl into Michelle Pfeifer’s Catwoman. I’ve replicated an 18th century corset (and worn it for 12 hours straight—ouch) and a full American Revolution era gown. Marvel’s Black Widow and Agent Peggy Carter, Alice in Wonderland (both the traditional blue dress and Jabberwocky Armor), a Gryffindor student, Star Trek the Next Generation science officer, Elizabeth Swann from Pirates of the Caribbean, Mera from Aquaman, Elphaba from Wicked. The list goes on and on.”
“All that for a costume you wear once on Halloween?” a skeptic inquires.
“I don’t just wear it on Halloween, I enter costume competitions with these costumes. It is a lot of fun. Sometimes, I go to comic conventions in these costumes and attendees can take pictures with me dressed as their favorite character. It is a wonderful experience to see a kid’s face light up when they see Wonder Woman walking toward them.” the professor replies.
“That actually sounds interesting. Do you make costumes for your whole family too?” a young woman’s eyes twinkle as she asks.
“Absolutely! I’m lucky that my husband and kids are just as enthusiastic about cosplaying as I am. We are one big nerdy family. My husband has cosplayed as Batman from the Arkham City video game, Aquaman, the Mad Hatter, and Captain America. My daughter (who is a little obsessed with Frozen’s Elsa) has cosplayed as Elsa for at least 3 years—different versions between Frozen and Frozen 2. My son, who is only 2, hasn’t had the chance to really cosplay yet. But he did dress up as Mario (Super Mario Bros.) for Halloween this year. My husband was Luigi, my daughter was Princess Peach, and I was (the best Nintendo character ever) Yoshi.”
“Do you ALWAYS make the costumes or do you buy them?” a voice echoes in the silence.
“With a family of four, I occasionally resort to buying a costume or two. However, I always try to make them when I can. It’s more fun to pour your creativity into a costume!”
“I’m going to be a cosplayer when I grow up!” a young and ambitious kindergartener exclaims. With a high-five from Doc Orton, that little, future cosplayer is beaming with delight as they imagine a future filled with EVA foam, winding sewing bobbins, JoAnn Fabrics visits, MacGyver-esque ingenuity, perhaps welding, oh—and paint—lots of spray paint.
