It’s not exactly easy to become Batman, Kylo Ren, or Rose Quartz. But would-be heroes (and villains and secondary characters) can find a bit of help in Forest Glen, Maryland—home to what may well be the country’s first cosplay-specific makerspace.
Through a mix of costume design, make-up art, and performance, cosplayers transform into the characters they love from video games, TV shows, and movies. Now, there’s a new space just for them, hinting at the growing numbers of cosplayers out there.
Studio Cosplay soft-opened November in a modest space near the Forest Glen Metro station. Inside, aspiring costumers have access to sewing and embroidery machines, a ventilated room for painting and sanding, a changing room, photo booth, and even a wig styling station.
As far as cofounder Stefanie Hackenberg knows, it’s the first makerspace focused on cosplay in the country, and maybe the world. Other makerspaces have cosplay-focused classes or theme nights, but Studio Cosplay is all cosplay, all the time.
The space got its start over a year ago when Hackenberg and her co-founders—Liz Gmaz, Sabrina Maizland, and Daria Medved—decided that spray-painting props on apartment fire escapes sucked. Wouldn’t it be better if there was a dedicated space where costumers could get together, share equipment, and not have to worry about poisoning anyone? That led to a Kickstarter campaign in which the team raised over $30,000. That’s not champagne money, but Hackenberg says that the lean team plans to stretch that money for a year while the studio gets on its feet.
Over 100 people purchased memberships through the Kickstarter campaign, and more have joined since the space opened.
Hackenberg says the reaction has been an enthusiastic one from a crowd that doesn’t often feel understood. One member told her: “I feel so isolated in this hobby. My friends can’t relate to me, my parents think I’m weird.” But now cosplayers and costumers from across the D.C. area can find like-minded people to share ideas with, plan trips to conventions, or just to hang out. “After they’re done [working for the day],” Hackenberg says, “they stay.”
Like any makerspace, Studio Cosplay also offers loads of classes. Previous ones have focused on hand sewing basics, crafting with foam, and using Worbla (a thermoplastic modeling material that’s often used to make armor). Future classes might include mask making and even fitness get-togethers.
Hackenberg, who herself normally cosplays as a fairy or her World of Warcraft character, says that, for her at least, the hobby is about stepping into another person’s shoes, if just for a day—but it is also about being an artist. “The craftsmanship, the detail, the passion that went into it—[that] inspires me,” she says.
