We May be Mixed, but We Support #28DaysofBlackCosplay

Sean & I totally relate to the awesome article & hashtag, 

"It's a blerd, it's a plane: 28 Days of Black Cosplay!"

#28DaysofBlackCosplay 

Even though we are of mixed ethnicities, the essential meaning behind this movement speaks to us. Those of us who are "darker" in skin tone sometimes get overlooked in the cosplay community or even told that we're the "wrong" skin tone for certain characters. Then there's the issue of, 

"Where the hell are all the GOOD characters of DARKER ETHNICITIES?"

Sean & I cosplaying as X-Force (Marvel) characters,
Warpath (Native American) & Storm (African)

Us geeks/nerds with more melanin in our skin, sometimes get looked at as if we're a strange alien breed...people tend to be freaked out by the idea that we could possibly like very "un-stereotypical" things for "people of our ethnicities". It is just unreal that many of us STILL get this sort of treatment. 

After finding this hashtag, Sean & I are definitely going to show some serious love to all characters & cosplayers of color - ANY COLOR this month. You're lighter than that character? SO WHAT. Cosplay him. You're not the ethnicity of that character? SO WHAT. Cosplay her.

Here are a few characters we've cosplayed who are either: 

- A Minority Ethnicity 

OR

- We're a different ethnicity/gender than the character(s)

We cosplayed characters from an old Anime, Fist of the Northstar. Sean is the hero, KENSHIRO (who we believe is of Asian or Caucasion decent...). I (left) cosplayed a male villain (not my ethicity/gender), DEMON KING KAIOH. My sister (right), Valentina, cosplayed another male villain (not of her ethnicity/gender), HYOH.

I cosplayed JADE from video game, "Beyond Good & Evil" (mixed ethnicities & actually looks close to me). Sean cosplayed RIDDICK from movies, "Pitch Black" & "Chronicles of Riddick" (Sean looks like to Vin Diesel, but is not the same ethnicity)

Our steampunk versions of CAT WOMAN & BANE - characters normally seen as "lighter" ethnicities

Here's Sean as video game character (Street Fighter), AKUMA, who is represented as Asian.

Me as one of the few MIXED ETHNICITY comic book characters, ANYA CORAZON/ARANA/SPIDER GIRL

This year Sean & I will be taking a good look at characters that we normally wouldn't cosplay (out of fear for being ridiculed) because of "skin tone" issues and just say "SCREW IT." We look forward to bending the cosplay game and just sharing the love of some of our favorite characters, regardless of ethnicity or even gender. #28DaysofBlackCosplay may only be a hashtag for this month, but we'll be repping the vibe of the hashtag even after Feb is over. 

Some other questions & discussions that should happen are: 

"What do you mean by 'wrong'?" 

"Why does it matter if someone doesn't look like that character?" 

"Why would you think I'm not into that comic/movie/series/genre/etc?"

"If I love a character, shouldn't I be able to pay homage & cosplay him/her?"

"You want me to cosplay a character I look like? Name 5 good ones."

"Would you judge a little girl for wanting to dress up as Batman?" 

"Why are we looking to 'qualify' costumes as 'cosplay'?" 

"Do I have to justify why I love a character/series/genre/etc?"

And ultimately,

WHO CARES.

This all goes back to let's have FUN with Cosplay.

Credit: Unknown - but found on a "Cosplayers Against Bullying" FB Group

Now if you have a character you love and have cosplayed - regardless of being the same color, gender, ethnicity, etc - share it with us (even if you're of of a lighter skin tone cosplaying a darker skin toned character)! We'd love to highlight some of your pics along with our fav "darker" cosplays & characters this month on our facebook page: Dynamic Cosplay Couple

Cosplayers of ALL Colors, UNITE!

- Lani