Have you ever found yourself immersed in a favourite book, movie, or TV show, wishing you could be more like your beloved hero or heroine? Perhaps you've fantasised about wielding a lightsaber like Luke Skywalker, casting spells like Harry Potter, or summoning the strength of Goku from Dragon Ball Z? For many fans, the allure of their favourite fictional characters lies not just in their extraordinary abilities, but in the values, traits, and personalities that make them inspiring and relatable.
Cosplay, the practice of creating and wearing costumes to represent fictional characters, offers a unique way for fans to embody their favourite heroes and heroines. By crafting intricate costumes, accessories, and props, cosplayers can momentarily transform themselves into the characters they admire, experiencing the thrill of becoming someone else. Whether it's the confidence of Wonder Woman, the wit of Tony Stark, or the courage of Link from The Legend of Zelda, cosplay allows fans to tap into the qualities that make their favourite characters so compelling.
In Pakistan, this phenomenon has taken root in the form of events like GeekCon, which brings together fans, cosplayers, and industry professionals to celebrate their shared passions. As the country's cosplay scene continues to grow, it's clear that this form of creative expression has tapped into a deep well of enthusiasm and dedication. From Karachi to Lahore, and from Islamabad to Peshawar, cosplayers are coming together to share their love of science fiction, fantasy, and superheroes.
But what drives this fascination with cosplay in Pakistan? How did a community of enthusiasts, who were once marginalised and overlooked, manage to create a thriving and inclusive space for themselves? What challenges have they faced, and how have they overcome them? The evolution of cosplay in Pakistan, tracing its history, growth, and the factors that have contributed to its increasing popularity.
The allure of cosplay
The lights dimmed, and the crowd erupted in cheers as the doors opened to GeekCon, one of Pakistan's largest gatherings of comic book enthusiasts, gamers, and science fiction fans. The air was electric with excitement, as attendees of all ages donned elaborate costumes, transforming themselves into their favourite superheroes, villains, and fictional characters. The venue was a kaleidoscope of colors, with intricate costumes, props, and backdrops that transported visitors to fantastical worlds.
For many, the allure of cosplay lies in the thrill of escapism – the chance to momentarily shed their everyday identities and embody the powers, abilities, and personalities of their beloved characters. While they may not be able to wield Superman's strength or wield Thor's hammer, they can certainly look the part. And at events like GeekCon, they're surrounded by like-minded enthusiasts who celebrate and praise their creativity.
As the attendees mingled, took photos, and showcased their artistic talents, it was clear that cosplay had become an integral part of Pakistan's pop culture landscape.
Pakistan's cosplay community has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 2012. “The cosplay community has evolved massively over the past decade,” shares Yasir Obaid, the co-founder and managing partner at Geek Haven, which organised GeekCon. “We are easily on par with the best cosplayers in India and Middle East.” This remarkable growth is evidence to the dedication and passion of the community's members, many of who have been involved since the early days.
As Yasir notes, “This community started in 2012 and a big chunk of the same people are still a part of it, including us. At this point, it's a very closely-knit, niche community that's spread all over Pakistan. Everyone knows everyone. A Comic Con at Expo Center was a collective goal of many that was finally achieved this year through us.” This sense of camaraderie and shared purpose has helped to foster a supportive environment that encourages creativity and self-expression.
Despite its progress, however, the cosplay community in Pakistan still faces challenges. As Yasir points out, “Despite the evolution of this community over time, cosplaying is a relatively new concept in Pakistan, and the masses still don't fully understand it.” This lack of understanding can lead to judgment and scrutiny, making it essential for event organisers like GeekCon to provide a safe and secure environment for cosplayers. As Yasir emphasises, “Due to this, we always have to ensure a very controlled and secure environment at our events to make sure every cosplayer feels safe, without any judgment whatsoever.”
To address this issue, Yasir believes that raising awareness and promoting education about cosplay is crucial. By helping the masses develop a broader understanding of this art form, the community can work towards creating a more inclusive and supportive environment for cosplayers.
However, for the community to truly reach its full potential, Yasir emphasises the need for support from brands and sponsors. As he notes, “Cosplay has infinite potential to serve Pakistan. Helping the masses develop a broader understanding through awareness is something we've been doing for years and have excelled at. But to truly move to a scale where we can go international, we sincerely need support from brands and sponsors.”
Despite the success of GeekCon's events, which have been organised independently without sponsorships, Yasir believes that securing backing from major brands could help take the community to the next level, enabling them to showcase their talents on an international stage. “Every single Comic Con we've done over the years so far has been done independently of sponsorships,” he adds.
The art of transformation
Wasia Tahir, a talented cosplayer from Karachi, has been making waves in Pakistan's cosplay scene with her impressive creations. As the winner of GeekCon's first prize, Wasia's passion for cosplay is evident in every detail of her work. But what inspired her to start cosplaying in the first place?
“I really cannot recall what inspired me,” Wasia admits, “but I do remember always being interested in comic-cons because it was a place where similar people gathered, who watched anime, we equally invested in something the society looked down on.” This sense of community and shared passion drew Wasia in, and eventually, she found herself wanting to be an active part of it. “Eventually, that gave way to wanting to cosplay to be an actual part of that growing community, and then it started being really fun crafting a cosplay and then enjoying it.”
One of Wasia's most memorable cosplay experiences was when she brought Alphonse Elric from Full Metal Alchemist to life at the Karachi Anime and Comic Con (KACC) 2023. “It would, hands down, be Alphonse Elric,” she says, recalling the experience. “I cosplayed that character at Karachi Anime and Comic Con (KACC) 2023, hosted by Geek Haven. It was my overall third comic-con, and I had wanted to cosplay that character since 2019 (before COVID-19 hit and brought a halt to everything).” Wasia's dedication to the craft is evident in the intricate details of Alphonse's armor, which she handmade and painted herself.
“It was a huge build for me,” Wasia explains. “Alphonse's armor was entirely handmade, by me, painted by hand, it was a huge build for me. It was a functional armor, everything moved like in the actual thing, I replicated it down to the last detail.” The response to her cosplay was overwhelming, with many attendees praising her attention to detail. “It wasn't a character many people thought of cosplaying, so when I took that to the con, the love I received for it, was a really beautiful experience.”
Wasia's cosplay journey has seen her bring a diverse range of characters to life, including Sarutobi Hiruzen from Naruto, Kaido of the Hundred Beasts from One Piece, and Piccolo Jr. from Dragon Ball Z. Despite her busy schedule, which includes a full-time job and a Master's degree program, Wasia always finds time for cosplay.
“I have a full-time job five days a week, and enrollment in a Master's degree program during the weekends, so it gets really tough to balance both of these with cosplay,” she admits. However, Wasia's passion for cosplay keeps her motivated, and she's developed strategies to manage her time effectively. “The cosplay season in Karachi is usually in the winters, so I can prepare for it all beforehand, and same hosts usually have similar event dates every year, so it is easy to judge when an event might be and to start preparing accordingly.”
For aspiring cosplayers in Pakistan, Wasia's advice is simple; “Pick a character you want to cosplay, and just do it. If you want to make your own cosplays, we are always here to help! Nobody is going to judge you if you get your cosplay commissioned, or buy a pre-made one, you like it, you do it.” Wasia's own experience has shown her that the cosplay community in Pakistan is welcoming and supportive.
Since taking up cosplay, Wasia has noticed a significant impact on her creativity and life. “Crafting is a healthy hobby, and it has brought me new friends, like-minded people, something which I am very grateful about,” she says. Cosplay has also pushed Wasia to develop new skills and try new things. “The six-years-ago me would never have even guessed we'd be making our own cosplays!”
When asked to rate the level of cosplay in Pakistan compared to other countries, Wasia acknowledges that there's still room for growth. “There is only a handful of cosplayers in Pakistan who craft and cosplay on an international standard, their crafts are perfect and detailed and immaculate!” However, she's optimistic about the community's potential. “But since economy is hard on our wallets, and crafts supplies are expensive, most of us opt to budget our cosplays, and that says enough on its own. There is still a lot of stigma in Pakistan regarding arts and crafts, cosplaying too, so people are still hesitant in expressing themselves completely, that sets us a little back too worldwide. But we are a growing community, gathering courage and experience steadily, it will take a little more time, but we will get there, on the international stage.”
Another cosplayer who won the third place at the competition Abdul Muizz, has been making a name for himself in the country's growing cosplay scene. With his impressive portrayals of characters from anime, video games, and movies, Muizz has won over fans and critics alike.
“Around 2023, I was disillusioned by concerts and most social events,” Muizz recalls. “Didn't seem like my kind of thing, and being an engineering student, there's very little time I have to work on my artistic creativity.” However, when his friends told him about the Karachi Anime and Comic Con (KACC) 2023, Muizz saw an opportunity to explore his creative side. “That's when I thought of cosplaying as a fun way to be creative.”
One of Muizz's favourite cosplay experiences was at the recent GeekCon, where he cosplayed as Lelouch vi Britannia from Code Geass. “My favourite experience? Has to be the recent GeekCon,” he says. “A lot of people approached me in character, but I really loved some characters from the video game series Borderlands, who approached me and took some cool pictures.” Muizz enjoys the interaction with fellow fans and the sense of community that comes with cosplaying.
Muizz has cosplayed a diverse range of characters, including Saiki Kusuo from The Disastrous Life of Saiki K, Big Boss from Metal Gear, Howl from Howl's Moving Castle, Patrick Bateman from American Psycho, and Jacket from Hotline Miami. His approach to cosplaying is centered around having fun and enjoying the process. “I guess the best advice I can give is to just do your thing,” Muizz says. “I have cosplayed characters that I liked, never felt forced, never did it for awards.”
As an engineering student, Muizz has to balance his cosplay hobby with his academic and professional commitments. “I'm an engineering student, who works in multiple other avenues to get by, balancing cosplays is definitely hard as a side hobby.” Muizz has developed strategies to manage his time effectively, often working on smaller cosplays for smaller events and saving his bigger projects for larger conventions.
Cosplay has had a significant impact on Muizz's life, providing him with a creative outlet and a sense of community. “As an engineering student, it has definitely given me an outlet to be creative,” he says. “I have tried my hand in arts, graphic design, video editing, and various other aspects of content creation, just to have a creative outlet while I focus on the mundane parts of my life too.”
When asked to rate the level of cosplay in Pakistan compared to other countries, Muizz is optimistic about the community's potential. “I'll be honest, I didn't expect much at my first convention,” he says. “But after having spent time in multiple cons, cosplaying as various characters who aren't that popular, and seeing others cosplay niche characters I'd never think anyone would be into, I can safely say Pakistan is a force to be reckoned in the pop culture scheme in the future.” Muizz believes that Pakistan's cosplay community has the talent, dedication, and perseverance to compete with the best in the world.
“Pakistanis may have a reputation for many things, but if there's one thing I can say for sure,” Muizz says. “Its that Pakistanis have persevered through all hardships. And the biggest lesson I've learnt, as someone who's not particularly wealthy, is that culture should not be restricted only to those who can afford it. Passion is priceless.”
Age doesn’t hold back creativity
Cosplay is often perceived as a hobby for the young and single, but Hafsa Mahida and Mustafa Afreedi, a talented couple from Pakistan, are proof that this isn't always the case. Not only do they participate in cosplay events together, but they also believe that there's no age limit to this creative and fun hobby.
Hafsa and Mustafa's journey into cosplay began with their shared love of science fiction and fantasy. For Hafsa, the inspiration came from her childhood experiences. “It was the Halloween and fancy-dress parties at my school,” she recalls. “Also, my family was big on arranging costume parties for birthdays.” Mustafa, on the other hand, was introduced to cosplay through a Halloween-themed party at a Model United Nations (MUN) event. “And both of us have been geeks since we were kids,” they add.
One of their favourite cosplay experiences was when they dressed up as Han Solo and Princess Leia from the Star Wars franchise. “Our favourite cosplay experience as a couple was our first one as Han Solo and Princess Leia,” Mustafa says. Hafsa's personal favourite was her portrayal of Bellatrix Lestrange meets Daku Rani, while Mustafa's favourite was his take on the 11th Doctor from Doctor Who.
Together, they have cosplayed a diverse range of characters, including the 10th and 11th Doctors from Doctor Who, Han Solo, Super Boy, Clark Kent aka Superman, Bellatrix Lestrange, the Evil Queen from Snow White, Princess Leia, a random Hogwarts student, and Lois Lane. Their approach to cosplaying is centered around having fun and being creative.
Cosplay has had a significant impact on Hafsa and Mustafa's lives, providing them with a creative outlet and a way to celebrate their shared love of science fiction and fantasy. “We seldom get bored,” Mustafa says. “We have realised that we are two geek kids who have some adult money and autonomy, so we intend to make the most of it.” They believe that cosplay has taught them the importance of embracing their creativity and having fun.
Unleash your inner geek
This creative outlet has not only brought people together but has also given them a sense of purpose and belonging. Whether you're a seasoned cosplayer or just starting out, the message is clear: cosplay is for everyone, regardless of age, background, or profession.
So, the next time you're scrolling through social media and come across a cosplayer dressed as your favourite superhero or anime character, remember that there's a person behind that costume, driven by passion, creativity, and a desire to express themselves. Who knows? You might just find yourself inspired to join the cosplay community and unleash your own inner geek.
Cosplay is more than just dressing up in costumes – it's a celebration of creativity, community, and the boundless power of imagination. So, go ahead, don your cape, grab your lightsaber, and join the cosplay revolution that's sweeping across Pakistan.
The future of cosplay in Pakistan looks bright, and we can't wait to see what's next. Will you be a part of it?