NEWSLETTER

INTERVIEW BY ARTUR TAVARES
PHOTOS BY FERNANDA NEGRINI

In Brazil, the birth of cosplay occurred at an anime convention in São Paulo in 1996. Since then, the act of wearing of elaborate costumes and then going to a big room to compete and hang out with other people wearing elaborate costumes has exploded. Brazilian nerds were starving for something like this, and now that they have it, they are chomping it down like a horde of Jewish dads at a tantalizing bar mitzvah buffet of deep-fried obscure cartoon characters. Here are a few cosplay devotees we recently met in Liberdade, a Japanese neighborhood in São Paulo. They were in costume for no apparent reason other than that it’s awesome.

Leonardo Piccoli Mendes, 19 years old Vice: What are you wearing? Leonardo: I am Oogie Boogie from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Is he your most favoritest ever? He is one of my favorites. The whole project is mine: the design, the material, the way to build it, and how to make it look fat. It seems like you’re a little uncomfortable. It is a bit claustrophobic, but I managed to come up with some tactics to make it more malleable and breathable. It has a back zipper and a neck zipper, so I can take the head off when I want to talk, have some water, or eat something. The eyes and the mouth are made out of a fabric similar to nylon, which makes it easier to breathe. And how much did it cost you? My grandma sews, so I don’t spend money on making them. For this costume, I spent less than $20. Do people make fun of you? There is strong prejudice. They say it’s childish to wear costumes and “It’s stupid to think you’re someone else.” Some people who have different beliefs even say this is profanity.

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Comments

	marinesnow, on Sep 9, 2009 wrote: the girl in the boots is mega hot.
Anonymous, on Jul 27, 2009 wrote: What an amazing person
Anonymous, on Jun 29, 2009 wrote: It would be pertinent to point out that Sao Paulo has the highest population of Japanese people in the world (excepting japan)
Anonymous, on Jun 9, 2009 wrote: su pucha esta bien rica
	greeksalot, on Jun 5, 2009 wrote: Its nice to see that nerds are ostracized in the rest of the worlds. Fuck the Nerds.
Anonymous, on Jun 3, 2009 wrote: Loren de Oliveira Louro has caused me to waste a weeks worth of semen. On the upside, I can think clearly for once..
Anonymous, on May 29, 2009 wrote: Isn’t that guy kinda big for a superhero? I mean his leg holster is pulling back his fat.
Anonymous, on May 22, 2009 wrote: haha... that oogie boogie costume is making me laugh so hard.
Anonymous, on May 20, 2009 wrote: no way. the Oogie Boogie costume is the best
Anonymous, on May 20, 2009 wrote: call my crazy but I get the distinct feeling Fabiola Russo isnt really asian... i suspect she is just squinting her eyes
Anonymous, on May 20, 2009 wrote: that yoda costume is amazing!! did he make that himself??
Anonymous, on May 20, 2009 wrote: Loren de Oliveira Louro is a comic book nerds wet dream personified
Anonymous, on May 20, 2009 wrote: costume design is actually really intricate. these guys are bad ass
Anonymous, on May 19, 2009 wrote: i would’ve loved to see deadpool’s cop father in the outfit and take pictures to send to the precinct.
Anonymous, on May 19, 2009 wrote: wow these guys put in a lot of work into their costumes
	Dilettante, on May 19, 2009 wrote: Oogie Boogie there looks like a voodoo doll, I wonder if people chase him around the streets of brazil with needles
Anonymous, on May 19, 2009 wrote: best.fucking.cosplay.ever. seriousely. EVER.
Anonymous, on May 19, 2009 wrote: deadpools aged. he’s got a gut, 2 baby mamas, and a drinking problem.
	dick butkus, on May 19, 2009 wrote: Well, now I know what I’m doing with the rest of my life.
Anonymous, on May 19, 2009 wrote: ah, grandmas..you can always count on her to sew your blown out crotch, make you some awesome homecooked food and listen to your relationship problems that you might not want to ask your parents
Anonymous, on May 19, 2009 wrote: oogie boogie is my favorite. that would be perfect for halloween
Anonymous, on May 19, 2009 wrote: i can understand these people that go to costume fairs. i feel like if i was as into the comics as they were, i’d probably have fun too running around disguised as some superhero not giving a shit about what people think.
Anonymous, on May 19, 2009 wrote: i wonder if yoda is actually a crouching 6 foot tall brazilian dude
Anonymous, on May 19, 2009 wrote: D.I.Y girlfriend.
Anonymous, on May 19, 2009 wrote: i wanna hear Fabiola say her last response in Portuguese.
Anonymous, on May 19, 2009 wrote: $20? That’s awesome.
Anonymous, on May 19, 2009 wrote: wow, didn’t think that the whole nerdy costume play thing would make me so horny.
	bird is the word, on May 19, 2009 wrote: deadpool! that was the name..i coulda sworn it was spawn
	bad news brown, on May 19, 2009 wrote: goddamn, it must be hot as fuck in that thing
Anonymous, on May 19, 2009 wrote: i feel like i should be a lot more annoyed by cosplay than i actually am. i feel like these kids are a lot less weird/obnoxious than people that are really into renaissance fairs.