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[Rangiku12]

With my first con coming up soon I've been trying to find a partner or group to go with but having no luck finding anyone. So I'm trying to think of other ways right now till I can find someone. I was thinking of attaching a plushie to my Cosplay or dress my American girl sized doll in Cosplay and carry her along as a chibi. Now I know that may sound silly but I'm sure others do it I think. I'm really shy in person so asking someone at the con may be hard to do. I've been asking online but only like 3 ppl I've spoke to are going to cons I'm going to but are cosplays things I have no idea what they are.

How do you guys find ppl to Cosplay with? Be it a actual person or not.

[TenTigerLilies]

My cosplay group consists of approximately twelve people, and it started out as three five years ago; just talk to people at your school! I live in the South, which is pop-culturally dead, but even I managed to find people to cosplay with here. I'm not sure of you're a student or not, but...

If you're too shy to outright start a conversation, put a few of your anime pins/keychains on a bag you take to school. That's actually how I met the now-president of our club; I was drawing Rin from Inuyasha and she noticed.

[Rangiku12]

I'm a bit too old to be in school but I know what you mean as back then I had a lot of friends who were into naruto and bleach. After graduation I moved away from them and can't find many ppl still into the animes/video games I like. I may try to start my own but I know that's tough too..

[nintendo424]

Yes, I would like to find out ways to find people to cosplay with.

I've been to 8 conventions in total, but I still have yet to have a planned group to go with. I wish I could find one!

[nathancarter]

There are also con-specific forums on this site that seem to cover most of the major cons. Post in those forums looking for like-minded people - who knows, you may just make some new friends.

I wouldn't intentionally carry any excess baggage (e.g. the dressed-up doll) when going to a con. If it doesn't directly contribute to your costume, and it's not functional, then don't bring it. By the end of the day, your arms are going to be full of con swag and you'll be kicking yourself for bringing anything extra to carry.

[Rangiku12]

Originally Posted by nintendo424

Yes, I would like to find out ways to find people to cosplay with.

I've been to 8 conventions in total, but I still have yet to have a planned group to go with. I wish I could find one!

woah 8 cons and not a group yet? That worries me

Originally Posted by nathancarter

There are also con-specific forums on this site that seem to cover most of the major cons. Post in those forums looking for like-minded people - who knows, you may just make some new friends.

I wouldn't intentionally carry any excess baggage (e.g. the dressed-up doll) when going to a con. If it doesn't directly contribute to your costume, and it's not functional, then don't bring it. By the end of the day, your arms are going to be full of con swag and you'll be kicking yourself for bringing anything extra to carry.

good idea and yeah the doll idea was good as I have a Pokemon outfit for her to wear so she'd match me but yeah I might not want to carry her all day..which is why I need a real person lol

[PSY-chan]

You could organize or suggest a 21+ gathering at the next con you attend. Meet some where outside the convention, at a restaurant/park/bar, whichever seems popular. That way you can mingle with people in your age range, and maybe meet some potential cosplay partners or at least collaborators.

Or organize a cosplay gathering at a local park/bowling alley/skating rink. I went to one at a park when I was visiting my mom two years ago. Met some members of a cosplay group. When I moved to that area, I got to know them much better, and starting hanging out with them at conventions. They even invited me to share their hotel room for Fanime. I consider them my CA cosplay friends, and am hoping to collaborate on some cosplay projects in the future (if I get my butt in gear). My point is, it starts with one or two casual meetings, and if you hit it off with some one, or a group, you go from there.

[nintendo424]

Originally Posted by PSY-chan

You could organize or suggest a 21+ gathering at the next con you attend. Meet some where outside the convention, at a restaurant/park/bar, whichever seems popular. That way you can mingle with people in your age range, and maybe meet some potential cosplay partners or at least collaborators.

Or organize a cosplay gathering at a local park/bowling alley/skating rink. I went to one at a park when I was visiting my mom two years ago. Met some members of a cosplay group. When I moved to that area, I got to know them much better, and starting hanging out with them at conventions. They even invited me to share their hotel room for Fanime. I consider them my CA cosplay friends, and am hoping to collaborate on some cosplay projects in the future (if I get my butt in gear). My point is, it starts with one or two casual meetings, and if you hit it off with some one, or a group, you go from there.

Both of these ideas are impossible in my case. I am not 21, and I live in a rural area where I am the ONLY cosplayer. All the elderly and rednecks in my area shun anything like cosplaying.

[FuntomKitten]

You basically just have to go to a convention and find people cosplaying a series you love or the series you're cosplaying. Make friends, and eventually you'll get close and from the conventions you go to, the friends you have and how close they are will grow in number, then you'll get to the point where you have enough cosplayers on your Facebook to just ask for a group and hopefully find people.
If it's for a specific series, though, the forums of the convention you're going to, on here or the con's website will probably be best.
Just remember: it doesn't happen instantly, and you shouldn't seek people out just to make the perfect group. It takes time and you'll only get a really good group if all of you know each other well and all share mutual love for the series(es?)

[usuyukisou]

Location is everything... Unless your costume is mind-blowingly perfect, no one is going to fly halfway across the world to collaborate with you.

Having a cosplay version of a "comp card" sort of helps (it does NOT need to be fancy, just a sample of your work that represents you well!!), in that it shows others your general style without forcing them to browse through your entire history of cosplaying, as well as diversity/focus.

I don't do cons, but I have friends who go to cons. I can't really offer suggestions there, as they likely all knew each other before they got into cosplay. I would imagine if you meet someone you have a good rapport with at a con, and he/she doesn't live too far away, you guys could keep in touch.

[AlbinoShadow]

Originally Posted by usuyukisou

Location is everything... Unless your costume is mind-blowingly perfect, no one is going to fly halfway across the world to collaborate with you.

Having a cosplay version of a "comp card" sort of helps (it does NOT need to be fancy, just a sample of your work that represents you well!!), in that it shows others your general style without forcing them to browse through your entire history of cosplaying, as well as diversity/focus.

Mmm-hmm. The card I give out lists my Deviantart and email address (it's a special email that I only give out at cons; best to protect yourself from spammers and other kinds of trouble).

Originally Posted by Rangiku12

I'm really shy in person so asking someone at the con may be hard to do. I've been asking online but only like 3 ppl I've spoke to are going to cons I'm going to but are cosplays things I have no idea what they are.

I am shy too. That's hard to overcome when you want to make friends. Most of my cosplay friends are actually online. We talk online, meet up at cons, and maybe occasionally meet up outside of cons. It's not much, but it's what we can manage due to the physical distance between our homes.

Don't worry about cosplaying from different series than your companions. You can still enjoy being at the con together. Your passion for the character/costume you are wearing will help you feel comfortable and may also spark a conversation

Your profile says you are from Austin, TX...will you be going to Ikkicon in December? I don't have friends coming with me this year, but I will be there as long as I have the $$!

[nymph62442]

I have always had my sister to cosplay with but i the past we also met up with people on con forums a few weeks before! Good luck!

[Jabberwack]

If you can find people that are cosplaying as character from the same series as you, you can hang around them at the con, trust me, a majority of cosplayers want to find more friends. So, you hang around them, talk to em, get thier phone number BAM youve got a friend. hang out with them at upcoming cons.

[Lalnee]

For my part, we're four, and basically, I am the only "new", since the other 3 already knew each other. But I found them with a fan-forum about an anime I really love. One of the members joined a few weeks after me, and when she mentionned that she came from the same city, we exchanged e-mail adresses, our names and all, and she told me that they were 3 wanting to start cosplay. We met outside of a con (in fact, we will be going to our first con together ! ) And now we're four, and I have so much fun with them ^^

[eebee]

I always cosplay with my fiance, and we've only not done a pair costume once or twice. This year though, we met up with some people from coscom, went to planned photoshoots, and had lots of fun! This site makes it a lot easier to connect with fellow cosplayers and set up a group, whether or not the other people are cosplaying the same series or whatever as you are (I spent all of Thursday at NYCC as Emma Frost wandering around with an Enchantress!). You can use the convention boards or just the general boards and make plans to hang out with other cosplayers at cons! If you catch people early enough before the con, they might be happy to organize some sort of planned group cosplay too. ^^