Attending the Cosplay Fashion Show were Valerie Molina, Santiago Reyes, Devonnae Vizzerra, Oscar Figueroa, Linda Goth and Amy Vaterlaus.
Andrea Hummel
The Friends of the Robson Library, Sun Lakes’ own branch of Maricopa County Library System, has been partnering for some time with Gila Bend and Guadalupe branches. Since these small branches don’t have the wonderful bookstore that Robson Friends of the Library has to help with funding, the Robson FOL has been gratified to help support programs, add money for snacks and generally work with these great little branches.
Amy Vaterlaus, the Guadalupe librarian, invited the Robson FOL to come visit for a special event on May 4, so two of the Robson Friends visited the Guadalupe branch for a Cosplay Club Fashion Show.
What is Cosplay? Cosplay is a hobby in which participants make and wear costumes and fashion accessories like Sharingan eye contacts in order to represent a character from a movie, book, video game or comic. Often the costumes are then worn to comic con events, that is comic conventions. Phoenix will be hosting a comic con event, Phoenix Comic Fest, May 24 through May 27. These events generally offer opportunities to meet comic book artists, stars from TV and movies and events such as the downtown Lightsaber Walk.
The students involved in Cosplay at Guadalupe work after school at the library which has supplies, including sewing machines, to help with their efforts and diligently work to copy costumes they have found on the internet. Their creations are creative, colorful and often outrageous.
“These kids have worked after school for many hours and are really focused on their creations,” commented Amy Vaterlaus. “Not all who started stuck with it, but the three modeling today were really dedicated.”
Even the library staff got into the fun. Vaterlaus was dressed to represent one of the Wizard Schools from the Harry Potter books, wand and all, and Aide Juan Morena wore a shirt based on the Donkey Kong game. The library was full of school kids of all ages, drawn by the free show and staying for the free refreshments.
Judges for the event were Kimberlee Sossaman, President of the Queen Creek Friends of the Library; Valerie Molina, Mayor of Guadalupe; and Linda Goth, President of the Robson Friends of the Library.
The library staff had made a construction paper red carpet for the club members to parade down wearing their costumes. The winners were: first place, Devonnae Vizzerra, 15; second place, Santiago Reyes, 16; and third place, Oscar Abraham Figueroa, 17.
All three students received admission tickets to the Phoenix Comic Fest. These tickets were valued at $50 each.