Adelaide wrestler ‘to thank’ for cosplay culture boom
As fans flock to the Adelaide Showgrounds this weekend for Oz Comic-Con, one expert is praising an Adelaide wrestling legend for bringing the theatrical sport into the dress-up fold.
An Adelaide-based cosplay expert says the world of dressing up as your favourite character is no longer just for superheroes or anime, and Adelaide’s global WWE megastar Rhea Ripley is the one to thank.
Canadian-born Justine Gaudreau-Fewster, an Adelaide local who has been cosplaying at conventions since 2011, will be hosting a panel at this year’s Comic-Con Oz, called “From Suplexes to Spandex” – all about dressing as professional wrestlers.
She has cosplayed as many wrestlers over the years, including top WWE star Chelsea Green and Adelaide-born global megastar Rhea Ripley, and she says more people are starting to do the same.
“In 2013 I was the only wrestling cosplayer I’d ever met. I’d never seen anyone else dress up as another wrestler at a con before, and I just sort of kept doing it because I love wrestling,” she says.
“I think we have Rhea Ripley and the Netflix deal [with WWE] to thank for this. A lot more people are just dipping their toes into wrestling.”
This year, she will be dressing as DC Comics character Zatanna, as well as Catherine Parr from the musical Six for the two-day convention. She says the variety of characters people dress as is always expanding, and her own cosplay interests are wide.
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“I’ve definitely got a lot of Marvel and DC superhero type stuff,” she says.
“That’s definitely where I started. I do a lot of wrestlers actually, WWE especially, and musical theatre, as well as cosplaying Taylor Swift. Especially in the last couple of years, it feels like cosplay has really opened up from just not just being video games, anime, movies. Now, if you can recreate it, you can wear it.”
The all-ages pop culture event is set to take place in Adelaide this weekend, featuring beloved actors and voice actors from a variety of entertainment types.
Oz Comic-Con runs across the country, with events in including Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane, and Perth. Many attendees engage in cosplay at these events by wearing costumes related to their favourite characters.
Among this year’s guests are David Giuntoli and Bitsie Tulloch, best known for their starring roles in Grimm, as well as in Superman & Lois. Georgina Leahy (Helluva Boss, Normal British Series), Chris Tergliafera (Demon Slayer, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Pokémon), and Barrett Wilbert Weed (Mean Girls, Heathers: The Musical) will also be appearing, with experience in acting, anime, and musical theatre, respectively.
In addition to celebrity guests, the convention features an artist alley, cosplay competitions, workshops, collectibles, and immersive pop culture experiences including a talk from the Adelaide Sword Academy, a Just Dance stage, and a Magic: The Gathering workshop.
Several cosplay experts will also present, sharing their experiences and advice about getting into cosplaying or improving existing costumes.
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Gaudreau-Fewster says her favourite part about Oz Comic-Con is meeting all the other dedicated fans and cosplayers.
“For me, it’s always about the interactions with people. I love seeing cosplay, I love seeing the guests, I love doing a little shop in Artist Alley, but my favourite, favourite part is interacting with people. Having conversations about fandom things, about cosplay things, and just those interpersonal dynamics. That’s what makes Oz Comic-Con so special to me.”
She says those interested in getting into cosplay should “just do it”.
“Don’t overthink it, don’t try to make it perfect. Whether it’s buying a costume, whether it’s putting something together out of your closet that looks close enough, you’ve got to start somewhere,” she said.
“Do the thing that gets you excited, the character that you love and really want to be, and just put yourself out there.”
Oz Comic-Con Sales and Event Manager Peter Thompson says that Oz Comic-Con has been seeing increased attendance in recent years.
“When you’re looking over the last two or three years, the attendance has spiked significantly,” he said.
“We’re finding not just with us, but across the board in events in general, that the attendance for a lot of events that people are interested in is increasing.
“The beauty of these Comic-Cons and our fan base is they’re very passionate about what they love.”
Thompson says that he is “in awe of cosplayers in general”.
“The creativity they have to see a character that they love and to be able to translate that from a screen or from a picture to real life. They build the armour, or they sew the costume together, or do the face paint, or whatever it is. It’s absolutely awe-inspiring how these cosplayers can do that,” he says.
Oz Comic-Con is on May 30 and 31 at the Adelaide Showgrounds.
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