via press release:
SYFY’S NEW HEROES OF COSPLAY SHINES THE LIGHT ON UNCONVENTIONAL CONVENTIONEERS WHO ARE ALL DRESSED UP WITH SOMEPLACE TO GO
Six-Episode Docu-series Showcasing the Fascinating World of Cosplay
Debuts August 13, 2013 on Syfy
NEW YORK, NY – July 3, 2013 – Cosplayers and cosplay contests are a fixture and highlight at the many comic book and genre fan conventions around the world. These conventions provide an international stage for fans to showcase often spectacular handcrafted costumes and portray their favorite characters from sci-fi movies, video games, anime and more. In Syfy’s new Heroes of Cosplay (formerly Cosworld), nine passionate fans put their imagination and skills to the test to make a name for themselves in the competitive world of cosplay.
The six-episode series debuts Tuesday, August 13 at 10:30 PM ET/PT following the special 90-minute Season 5 of Syfy’s hit competition series, Face Off. It then moves to its regular time – 10 PM Tuesdays – starting August 20.
Heroes of Cosplay is a tantalizing docu-series that lifts the veil on the imaginative world of cosplay competition, because fans at the comic book conventions don’t merely dress up as their favorite character; they also compete to see who’s the best!
The series follows cosplayers of all levels, from legend Yaya Han, to rising stars and newbies, as they make a splash at comic book conventions around the country, diving deep into their lives, following their process as they create extravagant and visually arresting costumes each week. These personalities constantly defy odds and race against the clock to transform themselves into amazing fictional characters that push the boundaries between fantasy and reality, all in hopes of impressing the convention judges to win a cash prizes and take their cosplay stardom to new heights.
Heroes of Cosplay is produced by 51 Minds, an Endemol Company. Executive producers are Mark Cronin, Courtland Cox and Dave Caplan.
The Heroes of Cosplay cast bring to life a variety of fictional characters but the pressure each one faces and the drama that ensues is very real. The cast includes:
Yaya Han – Yaya is one of the acknowledged legends of cosplay whose entrance at each convention – always in full costume – never fails to create a stir. A source of inspiration and intimidation to the contestants, Atlanta-based Yaya Han is often a judge at contests.
Riki LeCotey – Riki moved from rural Canada to the United States to follow her passion for cosplay. A special effects technician on sci-fi films, she is also the founder of Cosplay for a Cause, which has raised money for victims of the Japanese Tsunami.
Monika Lee – Monika is from Atlanta and a student at the Georgia Institute of technology, where she’s majoring in industrial design. A cosplayer since the age of 13, competed in numerous craftsmanship contests winning several “Best in Shows” and various other awards.
Victoria Schmidt – Victoria is co-founder of the geek fashion and style blog settostunning.com. A passionate fan of cosplay since high school, she’s especially proud of being Princess Leia on LucasFilm’s Star Wars float in the 2007 Rose Parade.
Chloe Dykstra was almost fated to be in the cosplay COMMUNITY; her father is an F/X legend, having worked on the original Star Wars and Star Trek films. An actress and model, she hosts the Just Cos show on YouTube’s Nerdist channel.
Jessica Merizan and Holly Conrad
Jessica has performed in regional theater in Southern California since she was five years old. Together, she and fellow cast member Holly Conrad co-founded a costume fabrication shop, cosplay COMMUNITY and new media entertainment company.
Holly was mentored by her very qualified grandfather, Dorse Lanpher, an F/X animator for Disney and others. She now works in the special effects business for several major studios, in addition to her business with Jessica.
Becky Young – Becky has created costumes since attending San Diego Comic-Con in 2006. A trained actress, she has voiced Video Game Nussie on Maxim Radio and was a judge on CBS Sports’ Guitar Hero Competiton show. She lives in Burbank.
Jesse Lagers – Jesse lives in Portland, Oregon, where he works as a software systems administrator. He hopes that success in cosplay competitions will lead to his own business creating costumes and props. Jesse is a stickler for realism and authenticity in all of the costumes he creates.
Oh great. A bunch of bums and idiots who have no life.
@Tony
Could you be more narrowminded?
To be an actual master at cosplay takes a lot of work and as for the above bum comment some of these people are running their own fx shops so how is being gainfully employed the same as a bum?
@ tony the war for the world is over and the geeks won. That’s why you see a lot of highschool super cool jokes working at gas stations and their super used to be hot wives at pta meetings regreting not dating the now wealthy science ners. I picked the geek he turned out hot as hell as an adult with a masters degree and you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to princess attatude to boot. So I will always take the geeks side hell I think I might have. Become one over the last 8 years.
one male? wow..to many females its boring! yaya? prime exxample of “tits” making her famous.that is it
I’m not sure how they intend to “shine a light” on cosplay. I attended a convention where they “filmed” an episode. Like all “reality” television, this will be a total sham and will belittle the real costumers who make awesome costumes in their own home (and not in a professional workshop and thousands of dollars in resources on hand). Unfortunately, they made me sign a document disallowing me from saying much more. Let’s just say I’ve lost a lot of respect for every single “cosplayer” on their list.
Like all “reality” television, this will be a total sham and will belittle the real costumers who make awesome costumes in their own home
Since the show is produced by the same people that created Flavor of Love (and Rock of Love, Daisy of Love, I Love Money, etc.) I fully expect it to be “lovingly” mocking cosplayers and people that go to conventions.
Forget whether it’s real reality or sham reality or whether cosplayers are losers or not, SIX EPISODES???? WHAT??? Really, they couldn’t get this subject done in an hour??? Oh, but that wouldn’t be enough ad time to be worth anyone’s while. Next season, twelve eps of cosplayers bidding on storage lockers containing dates.
This would have went to G4 if NBC Universal wasn’t going to “make it over” in a few months. Oddly enough, NBC is still promoting the soon-to-be-defunct network on its airings of “American Ninja Warrior”