S2 E13 The Cosplay Crunch W/ Dr. Emerald L King

Attendance at this Cosplay University course is MANDATORY! And we have a LOT of subject matter to cover! In this episode of The Cosplay Crunch, we welcome Dr. Emerald L. King, an academic and cosplayer from Tasmania, Australia. We discuss the unique aspects of cosplay culture in Australia, Emerald's academic background and studies, her various involvement from volunteer staff to competitors at the World Cosplay Summit, and her journey through the cosplay community. We explore the historical context of cosplay in Australia, the influence of Japanese media, and the evolution of cosplay events over the years. Emerald shares her experiences and insights into the cosplay community, highlighting the differences and similarities between Australian and global cosplay cultures. We learn about various Australian and global events such as the Madman National Cosplay Championship and ICON Photo Festival. We get VERY cerebral as we delve into the themes of violence and masochism in Japanese literature and costuming. Join us down DOWN under as this episode is certainly a conversation unlike any other on the Cosplay Crunch!

Interested in most things dark and twisty, Dr Emerald L King is Lecturer in Humanities at University of Tasmania. Her research interests include violence in text, masochistic theory, kimono in Japanese literature, costume representation in anime and manga, and cosplay in Japan and Australia. Her work ties these disparate areas together with an overarching interest in costume and word. Her most recent work on cosplay and gender is guided by her experiences as an award-winning cosplayer. Since 2017 she has volunteered as a translator and interpreter at the World Cosplay Summit championships in Japan, and in 2020 she was named a WCS Support Ambassador. Emerald was one half of the 2024 WCS Team Australia.

Find Emerald’s work on Instagram @emeraldlking and online at https://www.emeraldlking.com/
Photo by @_tessu_