The Cosplay Show: Here’s a Look at Fandom in 1980s England
Remember earlier today when I was all “this War Machine costume is the best example of cosplay you’ll ever see?” It turns out that I spoke too soon. So in honor of Cosplay Appreciation Day, which is a thing according to Twitter, let’s travel back in time to 1982 to examine what pre-Internet fandom was like. Hint: It involved a ridiculous amount of silver costumes.The above video comes from a 1982 UK television show called Look North West that featured the organizers of the Scouse Con One convention. At the 2:16 point you are treated to a fantastic homemade Zaphod Beeblebrox costume worn by a guy who does a dead-on impersonation of the original Zaphod, Mark Wing-Davey. When his impression is met with silence by the host and his fellow cosplayers, viewers at home were given an exact approximation of the awkwardness and isolation of the convention experience.That’s downright impressive. Not wanting to stop the discomfort train from chugging along, the host wraps up the segment by showing the most miserable robot ever glimpsed by mankind. Marvin the Paranoid Android has nothing on this masterpiece of sulk, who clearly couldn’t believe that she skipped out on seeing Siouxise and the Banshees at the Rainbow Theatre in order to indulge Clive’s kinky robot fetish. Man, I want to hug everything about this video.
That’s it for me today, thanks for being such a great audience.
About The Author
Chris Cummins is a pop culture writer and Archie comics historian who has contributed to The Robot's Voice, Den of Geek US, Philebrity, Geekadelphia, Uproxx, and Unicorn Booty. He is the co-producer and co-host of Nerd Nite Philadelphia, and is regularly involved in producing and hosting New York Super Week events. In 2014, Chris began Sci-Fi Explosion, a mix of live performance, trivia and funny clips celebrating the weirdest in science fiction that regularly travels around the United States. He wrote the introductions to the compilations Archie's Favorite Comics From The Vault and (with Paul Castiglia) Archie's Favorite High School Stories. You can find Chris on Twitter at @bionicbigfoot and @scifiexplosion.