Yaya Han, Kamui Cosplay, & More – Best Cosplay Books for Gift Giving Season
From history to culture to construction, we’ve compiled a list of the best cosplay books to buy!
The holiday season is full of impulse buys and joy injections for many. This season instead of stocking up on TVs and Playstations, consider building your collection of cosplay resources. Between rounds of egg nog and family stories, whip out those crafting skills and get to work planning next season’s projects.
One of the glorious parts of the cosplay world is that those who rise to the most success insist on sharing that success with the next generation. The top cosplayers take painstaking care in documenting their craft process, so others can benefit from the knowledge. We’ve curated a powerful list of cosplay books for you to gift the cosplayer in your life (especially if that’s you!)
Ultimate Cosplay Encyclopedia’s Armor Up! Thermoplastics
Hot off the presses this season is a new cosplay reference collaboration from a huge cast of cosplayers (Including Tiffany Gordon Cosplay). If you plan to dip into the hot shop of thermoplastics for armor builds and other creative projects, the first reviews say this is just the resource for you.
Cosplay: A History: The Builders, Fans, and Makers Who Bring Your Favorite Stories to Life
Andrew Liptak’s book is a treasure trove of historical facts, pictures, and insights into the world of cosplay. Cosplay is an artistic, performative genre that has a long history. It’s fascinating to see the timeline of Cosplay’s rise to prominence laid out so comprehensively. Few folks can speak to its development than groups like the 501st Legion, who contributed. This book is a must-have for cosplay enthusiasts!
Yaya Han’s World of Cosplay: A Guide to Fandom Costume Culture
The Queen of cosplay put out this book to educate people on the culture of cosplay. It’s both a biography and a pictorial guide. It’s an excellent read for anybody who is stepping into cosplay for the first time or who wants to make a professional path in cosplay. You can hear more about her thoughts behind this book in her DragonCon 2023 interview!
The Cosplay Handbook: A Book of Cosplay and Prop-Making Techniques
Local hero Grace Herbert (Formally known as Zonbi, now known as GraceWillowCrafts) has been traversing the cosplay scene in Austin for over a decade. Her first cosplay book has all the hometown charm of its creator. Her work is bright and enthusiastic. Well worth the purchase!
Creative Cosplay: Selecting & Sewing Costumes Way Beyond Basic
JediManda has some of the most intricate cosplays around. Her work is stunning, and her duo of cosplay books help any cosplayer make their projects more robust and precise. The first book starts with basics, teaching competencies, and basic skills. It provides plenty of gorgeous examples to lead you on your path to cosplay greatness.
Level Up! Creative Cosplay: Costume Design & Creation, SFX Makeup, LED Basics & More
The second book by JediManda just dropped last season. This second installment builds on the first beautifully. It “levels up” the skills taught in the first book. It brings in new themes and elements to cosplay as well!
The Costume Making Guide: Creating Armor and Props for Cosplay
Kamui Cosplay is known for her fantastic tutorials. Both on her video channel and website, she is constantly cranking out educational resources for cosplayers. Her books are just as detailed. You can pick this book up for a great starting guide, and check out all of Kamui’s other fantastic resource manuals!
Cosplay Costume Design Planner & Sketchbook
The last item on our list is meant to inspire your creative cosplay journey. Once you’ve discovered all the tips and tricks of the amazing cosplayers in this list, it’s time to build your own! This book will be a great resource to get you started! Write down all your cosplay ideas, and you’re on the path to achieving cosplay greatness! Good luck, and happy crafting!
Oh hey! BoLS might make a little dolla-dolla if you decide to buy these items. The cosplay shelves are growing constantly, and we need to build a larger closet. Check out some of these items and make Yaya Han really happy. You want Yaya Han to be happy, right?!
~Join us next week for more Cosplay Coverage~
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