Cosplay Your Way: In Color

With a global pandemic going on through out 2020 and into 2021, many conventions were cancelled and cosplay gatherings never happened. But Jabarr Lasley still found a way to give black cosplayers in the cosplay community a voice and a spotlight during the month of February.

For 2021, Jabarr put together footage he had taken over the years, along with small interviews with the cosplayers, and created a cosplay documentary called "Cosplay Your Way: In Color".

"A cosplay documentary from Cosplay Your Way spotlighting POC cosplayers that are taking the art of cosplay to new heights and ensuring that people of color who contribute to the craft are seen and recognized for their contributions. Go behind the scenes of the CosNoir shoot, co-hosted by AMP Cosplay, and not only learn how to cosplay, but get insight on why to cosplay along with the positive effects it has on the people that engage in the artistic expression. Cosplay artists discuss how they deal with the highs and lows of cosplay, from racism and body insecurities, to how cosplay is therapeutic, as well as how cosplay opened up the door to budding careers as designers, photographers and foamsiths.

Cosplay is more than a hobby; it is a lifestyle!

Use your name, express your style and do it your way."

I teamed up with my friend Dru of AMP Cosplay Photography to create posters to help promote the documentary. It was an honor to work with this group of creatives to help spread awareness in the cosplay community and give POC cosplayers a voice in the community.

If you’re on Instagram, be sure to give @cosplayyourway a follow and see some of the amazing costumes and photography in this series. I was responsible for photo editing and creating the typography for the posters.