Marty Gear -
Anime
Convention Personality of the Week - December 24, 2006
Costuming in the U.S. is older
than the Republic, and organized costuming dates back to 1985 and the
founding of the International Costumers' Guild. But in the 21st
century, the future of costuming doesn't lie with the traditional
sci-fi conventions and costuming events. Participants in those events
are growing old, and it's harder to find the sort of youth and
enthusiasm you need to keep any hobby going. That sort of enthusiasm
can mostly be found at anime conventions with their crowds of
cosplayers, which is why you're more likely to find Mary Gear at those
events. Gear and his late wife, Bobbi, were part of costuming before
the parents of many of today's costumers were born. At Katsucon in
2004, Gear was first introduced to anime costuming and was
exceptionally impressed with what he saw. He was convinced that the
best costumers at that convention were good enough to win top prizes
such as the Balticon he has helped to run for years, and his
predictions were borne out when anime costumers won top prizes in 2006
at the World Science Fiction Convention in California. Gear has been
part of the ICG since before anime conventions were fashionable, and
he's tried to bring these notoriously independent events in line with
the guild's costuming categories and judging guidelines. So you can
expect to see Gear at more anime conventions, trying to encourage the
young, talented costumers to join the old costuming traditions.
Costuming in the U.S. is older
than the Republic, and organized costuming dates back to 1985 and the
founding of the International Costumers' Guild. But in the 21st
century, the future of costuming doesn't lie with the traditional
sci-fi conventions and costuming events. Participants in those events
are growing old, and it's harder to find the sort of youth and
enthusiasm you need to keep any hobby going. That sort of enthusiasm
can mostly be found at anime conventions with their crowds of
cosplayers, which is why you're more likely to find Mary Gear at those
events. Gear and his late wife, Bobbi, were part of costuming before
the parents of many of today's costumers were born. At Katsucon in
2004, Gear was first introduced to anime costuming and was
exceptionally impressed with what he saw. He was convinced that the
best costumers at that convention were good enough to win top prizes
such as the Balticon he has helped to run for years, and his
predictions were borne out when anime costumers won top prizes in 2006
at the World Science Fiction Convention in California. Gear has been
part of the ICG since before anime conventions were fashionable, and
he's tried to bring these notoriously independent events in line with
the guild's costuming categories and judging guidelines. So you can
expect to see Gear at more anime conventions, trying to encourage the
young, talented costumers to join the old costuming traditions. 