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Cosplay Lab features tens of thousands of anime, manga, video game, J-Rock, sci-fi and fantasy costumes created by people just like you from all over the world. If you're new to cosplay, or are a seasoned cosplayer, Cosplay Lab is your one-stop shop for maintaining your entire costume collection, organize cosplay skits and photoshoots, meet other cosplayers, get info on upcoming anime conventions, and way more! Join for FREE and take your cosplay to new levels .

5/6/2008 7:35:00 AM - Extreme Cosplay Crackdown As much as we've enjoyed watching some performances recorded for the benefit of YouTube audiences, I applaud Akihabara's police for enforcing the law in one of Tokyo's busiest markets. Leave the cosplay skits to the professions in designated areas only. ^_^

4/18/2008 7:47:00 AM - Costuming and Cosplay - Distinctly Related Here's an interesting read about how one might typically find themselves drawn into costuming, the difference between it and cosplay, and the reaction of a few fans. Do enjoy.

Ragnarok Look-alike Winners

4/10/2008 -Congratulations to our Ragnarok look-alike contest winners! And thanks also to our dedicated judges (all of you guys) who took the time to help select the winners!

COSMODE Now Digitalized

4/8/2008 -OverDrive, Inc. has announced the release of COSMODE Online, a digitalized English edition of COSMODE magazine. COSMODE Online provides photos, tutorials, news, lifestyle tips, and etc. for cosplayers and fans of cosplay. It differs from other Japanese magazines which have been translated because it keeps all the original Japanese text. To read the content, users will move their mouse over the Japanese text area and the English text will appear in a rollover text box. Read the full press release and score an online copy of their first edition.

4/6/2008 12:22:00 PM - A-Kon Goes for the World Record! From the coordinators of A-kon (May 30-June 1): "We have learned that there is a record set for 'Most Video Game Costumes in One Place' currently in the Guinness Book of World Records™. The record is 80 at a gathering in Britain. We Think We Can Beat That! Rules are below for what constitutes a 'video game costume.' Judging/tallying will be in the Console Gaming Room (or nearby) at a day/time to be announced soon. The Console Gaming Room is on the 3rd floor of the convention center. COME IN A VIDEO GAME COSTUME and be part of history!" More details and guidelines here.

3/19/2008 7:16:00 AM - That Guinness Book Record Remember that Guinness Book of World records event we shared with you for most number of gaming cosplayers? Well the results are in. Here's a second link.

3/18/2008 7:22:00 AM - Korean Kids Love Japanese Culture Here an inspiring look at what South Korean youth (what a goofy word youth - I think only old people use that word) have to say about the influence of Japanese pop culture, including cosplay.

Sailor Jupiter | Sailor Venus Winners

3/12/2008 -Winner from last month's Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus look-alike contest are now posted. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better bunch of sailor senshi anywhere else. Awesome job everyone, including our distinguished panel of judges.

Grab Your Megacon Cosplay Photos

3/9/2008 -This year's Megacon surpassed not only attendance expectations, but also the quality of costumes. Here is an exclusive gallery of cosplay photos taken during the pre-judging session. I'd say they're outstanding, but then I'm biased. It doesn't take a lot of expensive equipment to get good results, but having good subjects definitely helps. Awesome work everyone!

Full Metal Alchemist look-alike Winners

2/8/2008 -Winners from our Full Metal Alchemist look-alike contest have been posted. Congrats to all the winners. It's great to see the level of cosplay really being raised in the costume construction as well as the photography. Awesome job everyone!

Ouran High School Winers

1/7/2008 -Winners from the Ouran High School Host Club have now been posted. The competition was fierce, but the judges made the tough decisions. Thanks to all who participated and congrats to the winners!

Digital Panoramic Exploration

12/31/2007 -If you like exploring abandoned houses, dilapidated buildings, or reliving the tone of the Silent Hill movie, check out 360icon's awesome gallery of immersive panoramas. They've done a great job of merging a bit of photo wizardry with technical knowhow to produce a site that is rich in ethereality. It's easy to lose your way once you get sucked in, so be careful.

Inside the Manga Industrial Complex

12/30/2007 -Here's a good article about Japan's manga scene courtesy of Wired magazine. It's not uncommon to see weekly manga the size of phone books being recycled by various readers on the train. No sense throwing it away like a newspaper when the next rider can enjoy it - free of charge.

12/24/2007 8:16:00 PM - A Mission in the Land of the Rising Son

We're excited to share a very special announcement with all of you. Summer of 2008, the "Tomoes" will be moving to Tokyo as full time missionaries to share the good news of God's plan of salvation with the people of Japan. Earlier this year, we had the priviledge of attending a church planting conference near Mt.Fuji, where God answered our prayer for His direction in our lives.

Here are some stats that put things in perspective for us:

• Every day 2,400 Japanese people die without a knowledge of Creator God.
• 64% either don't know what happens after death, or believe death is the end of their existence.
• Today's birth rate is half what it was 35 years ago.
• Nearly 1/3 of all pregnancies end in abortion.
• Less than 1% of the population believe in Jesus Christ.

While those statistics seem overwhelming, the people of Japan are very receptive to the idea of grace, in a world wrought with superstitions. Our objective is to be part of a larger movement, similar to the church described in the book of Acts, edifying the community through the common goal of loving God and loving each other. It's a foreign concept to most people - even here in the United States. Nevertheless, the call is clear and the time is now. This is a huge spiritual battle that we're entering and we covet your prayers of encouragement and strength to see that God's will would be done in Japan.

If you would like more info about our mission, or you have questions about who Jesus Christ really is, we'd love to hear from you. Things around the Lab will continue as normal, and we even have some exciting new stuff in the works for 2008 you will definitely like. Heck, if you're ever in Tokyo and need a place to stay for a couple of days we'd love to have you.

From our family at Cosplay Lab to you, Merry Hearty Christmas!

Premium Membership Features

One Dollar a Month for All This and More We're grateful to the dozens of serious cosplayers who see the value the Lab offers and who contribute to keep it running. Your $12 upgraded membership subscribes you to these nifty features: 10% discount on all contact lens orders! See how many times each of your costumes has been viewed by others. Enhanced search page lets you sort results for easier use. Schedule all of your costumes for future events by date and time. Track all of your favorite Cosplay Lab members on a single page. Pin point Lab members in other cities you plan to visit. View the newest and recently updated costumes on one page. 50% savings when you advertise your site in the ProShop. LightBox - see all full-size completed costume photos on one page for any cosplayer. Every dollar donated goes to support cosplay here at the Lab. If you have more than 10 completed costumes in your collection, we know you're serious about this art and we thank you for your continued financial support. Yay cosplay! Upgrade Your Cosplay Lab membership today

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