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Communities have held a special place in human culture for as long as human culture has
existed. By nature, humans are social creatures. That have always belonged in communities with those
who share their motivations and interests. From prehistoric times humans have depended on each other
to complete a variety of goals and a single motive: survival. We can thank our survival to this point in
time to our long past ancestors whom formed in small communities to hunt, gather, and fend off the
dangers of prehistoric times. As seen in the past, we use communities to fulfill all sorts of needs- In fact,
these needs can be observed in Maslows hierarchy of needs ( See Figure 1 ) a theory created by A. H.
Maslow. In his paper A Theory of Human Motivation humans are required to have certain needs
fulfilled before they are able to reach self-actualization that rests at the top of the pyramid. One of the
needs which appear on Maslows Pyramid is belongingness and to be in a community fulfills that need
of belonging that comes with being a part of the human race.
The unexpected, and slightly unusual, community which I have been drawn to due to my own
personal interests is the cosplay and convention community of Florida. The concept of gathering for a
common interest is not a new one. Conventions have been in existence for years but only now is the
concept beginning to boom with a new generation that no longer stigmatizes dressing up in cosplay and
celebrating what you enjoy with others around you. But what is cosplay? Cosplay is a term which
mixes the words costume and play- describing an activity which a person will select a character
from a series they are interested in, whether that be a television show, videogame, manga, or another
genre and dresses up as the character with the intention of showcasing their interest in the character and
series. Cosplayers of all shapes, races, genders, and paths of life have come together, from all different
forms of interests, to create a community all on its own. The cosplay community has come to heavily
rely on various forms of social media, forum, and blogging sites to continue to talk and keep in contact

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with friends made at conventions. Without these genres, the community would in no way be able to run
as well as it does- and it can be firmly stated that genres shape the convention community.

Figure 1( A. H Maslows Hierarchy of Needs )

What exactly is a genre in the first place? A genre, as defined by the Merriam-Webster Online
Dictionary, is a category of artistic, musical, or literary composition characterized by a particular style,
form, or content . Though the genres which we will be looking at goes beyond the usual definition of
genre. The following genres which we will be exploring are all very artistic and abstract. When
someone thinks of the word genre they may think of a textbook or pamphlet, or even your favorite
genre of book (fantasy, nonfiction, ect.) but these genres are not quite as typical. Genres that were
formed with the creation of the internet are new compared to many other genres, and allow many people
to contribute to the formation of the genre. Forums are a perfect example of these abstract types of
genre.
The use of internet forums, a website that provides an online exchange of information
between people about a particular topic ( PC Magazine ), have been popularized over the past decade.

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This is due to the emergence of very popular and widely known forums that encourage talk about topics
such as anime, videogames, and social issues. The forum that we will be focused on will be the popular
internet forum 4chan due to its current popularity and sub-form dedicated to cosplay. The forum 4chan

Figure 2 ( Example of Sub-Forums on 4chan )

was launched in 2003 by Christopher Poole who drew inspiration from another online forum called
2chan. Following a similar layout as 2chan, 4chan has several sub-forums ( see figure 2 ) which are
genres on their own, making it so users can choose a sub-category that are meant to hone in on particular
interests. Forums are fully anonymous on 4chan and only those who are moderating the sub-forms have
the ability to sign up- and that anonymity has many positives. Ryan Rosado, a cosplayer, actor, and
frequent user of forums like 4chan, states to me in an interview that Anonymity is positive for shy users
who cannot comment regularly and allows them to give their thoughts without fear of judgement or
backlash. Unlike other genres, forums are the only ones which actively encourage anonymity and do
not allow you to be anything but anonymous.
The sub-forum we will be focusing on is named CGL board since it connects closely to the
interests of the community which I observed. The sub-forum of CGL stands for Cosplay and Gothic
Lolita, though we will be focusing on the cosplay aspect of this sub-form. In Figure 3 is an example of a
common thread that is posted within the CGL board, specifically titling the thread Sports

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Figure 3 ( Example of 4chan Thread within CGL Board )

Manga/Anime General stating that the purpose of the particular thread is meant to be for people to
post about animes and mangas that focus on sports. From there, anyone is invited to come in and talk
about cosplay-related topics that deal with sports anime and manga, ultimately narrow down into its own
genre.

Figure 4 ( Example of Posts in Specific Thread )

In Figure 4, within the specific Sports Anime/Manga General thread, an anonymous person
asks about possible cosplays for themselves with information, specifically their height, and is given a

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response of a possible character with another anonymous persons knowledge of the series. It allows for
the general community to give each other advice and suggestions.
Another form of abstract genre which has become popular is the social media website:
Facebook. It acts as an easy way to connect to other people, no matter the distance, that share your own
interests- and cosplay is no exception. With the formatting of the website, the process of making an
account and connecting to people in your area with your interests becomes easy and frustration free.
Facebook has several different genres that are constantly used to organize, shape, and bring cosplayers
together.
The first of these genres is the Facebook group, and we will be looking very specifically at a
Facebook group that I am involved with named JoJo Florida Enthusiasts (JJFE) and how this
community of people use a few genres to communicate to each other. The reason behind the creation of
the group itself is stated in the groups information page, and it very telling of what the

Figure 5 ( JJFE Facebook Group Page )

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groups goal is: This was mainly created to bring together the JoJo fans of Florida that enjoy attending
conventions and cosplay. All are welcome; invite your friends! It is a very welcoming message to see
as you join the group, and is very unifying over all. The banner for the group (see figure 5) mimics the
familiar title of the manga and anime series that they all have interest in, communicating that the entire
group itself is a fan of a common series. Its not just text, it is a symbol to those in the group.
To speak from my own personal experience with the group: I found it surprising to find a
community so accepting and wonderful despite what some may say about the social hierarchy that tends
to be seen in the cosplay and convention community. With my past experiences with other communities
within the entirety of the cosplay community, I find many of them seem to be full of negative people
looking for drama and encourage intergroup aggressions and rivalries. At first, when I was entering the
community I expected this to be the case, but the community itself defied these motions totally. Within
the Jojo Bizarre Adventures community, from my own observations, I was surprised to find that there
are very few toxic people in this tight knit group of people. Everyone seemed to keep each other
accountable and to assure that the community is a safe, non-toxic community that is only meant for fun.
I am, of course, very connected and completely involved in this community, so there may be some bias
to my words since my experiences with the community have been limited to a single year compared to
others who have been around for many years. But as an objective observer I cannot see many negatives
of the community.
To speak more about the groups interests, the group identifies itself by all having a heavy
interest in Hirohiko Arakis Jojos Bizarre Adventures, a manga and anime series which has been around
since the late 1980s. The plot line revolves around a lineage which receives telepathic powers and fights
to defend against vampires and other symbols of evil and destruction through its eight archs of story
lines- and is currently still ongoing. With a large amount of characters and the sheer amount of time that

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it has existed, Jojos Bizarre Adventures has amassed a very dedicated fan base who take the series very
seriously. Even famous celebrities like Clint Eastwood has openly been recognized as a fan of the series
and an inspiration for the mangaka1 who used him as a model for one of the protagonists. The
community uses the group to be able to communicate with one another about planning events, cosplays,
and any updates

Figure 6 ( JOJOmenon Magazine Ft. Clint Eastwood Posing like the Character He Inspired )

and news about upcoming events or developments in the ongoing manga. A frequent user of the group
page and twenty seven year old cosplayer Nicole Dietz states: I think [ the group page ] is pretty useful.
I have a hard time keeping track of things sometimes so it helps with that. With Nicoles statement we
find that this group makes organizing events and communicating to other members much easier.
The Facebook Status ( see figure 7 ) is a genre used within this group for purposes of openly
communicating with the entire group, opening yourself up to accept ideas from others- similar to what is
being asked in Figure 7s post. The author of the post is asking for advice on what they should be
1 Mangaka: Japanese Cartoonist

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cosplaying next, further connecting the group members to one another and inspiring brain storming and
connections to one another. Statuses have very few limitations with the way the genre is set up- having a
nearly unlimited amount of characters which can be in any style of writing the writer wishes- formal or
informal. It also allows for the writer of the status to insert pictures that can act as center pieces for
conversations. The only limitations that I could see for this group would be non-related to Jojos Bizarre
Adventure posting: disturbing content, and spam2. Disturbing content and spam could have potential to
offend those in the group, leading to consequences to the poster such as a warning from moderators of
the group or banning if warnings are not heeded.

Figure 7 ( Example of Facebook Post Within JJFE Group )

Going hand in hand with the Facebook Status is the genre of a comment section, where people are
allowed to comment with formal or informal responses to the subject of the status. The effect of having
this sort of genre is that it allows for people to give feedback and other either critical or positive
comments. In figure 8, we can see a cosplayer has posted pictures of themselves in the group as a
particular character and is met with positive and enthusiastic comments by those who are a part of the
2 Spam: Irrelevant information posted or sent to a large amount of people.

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group. There are many other comments on this status alone, all very positive and congratulating the
cosplayer on their success on creating an accurate cosplay that is highly liked by the community. There
are no instances where a comment berating a cosplayers appearance would be appropriate- only
constructive criticism and positivity is acceptable in the community. There have been situations where a
cosplayer has posted their picture to the group and a particular member would say highly negative,
berating, or inappropriately sexual comments on the post- which ultimately resulted in complains and a
swift banning of the member from the group.

Figure 8 ( Example of Facebook Comment Section within JJFE Group )

Forums and Facebook are not the only places that the Jojos Bizzare Adventure community
communicate and interact with one another. In fact, it leads up to an event which allows all of those
whom interact on the internet to meet and interact in person. A convention is known by the general
public as a place that is attending by groups of people with a common goal or interest. A comic or anime
convention is one in which people, many in cosplay, come to celebrate their own interests and the

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communitys culture. Conventions allow for cosplayers with similar interests to gather in person and
socialize with others whom may have their own interests which they may not share with others in their
own workplaces, schools, or other places of socialization in a persons average life. This creates a very
positive social aspect of this community and a vacation from the cosplayers usual environment to spend
a weekend with others with the same peculiar interests.
Conventions themselves have their own set of genres which act as a way of promoting and
organizing the event. The most prominent of these genres is the convention website. The convention
which we will be focused on is the Metrocon 2015 webpage ( see figure 9 ) , the convention in which I
attended June 11th -14th in 2015. The convention uses its website to offer updates to those following

Figure 9 ( Picture of the Header of the Metrocon Website )

the convention, including incoming guests, ticket sales, and prominent events that are being scheduled
for the convention. Within the site, there are a variety of different genres such as the schedule of eventswhich tells when guest will be signing and where and when various panels will be showing. This allows
the Jojos Bizarre Adventures cosplay community to know when their own panels are scheduled and to
be able to plan events such as photoshoots for the entire community. I remember sitting in a circle with
my group of friends at Metrocon, listening to the quiet rumble of voices that come with being in a
convention center with thousands of people. To see those faces whom are usually just icons on a screenI was able to just sit there in that ring of people, raising their voices loud to make themselves heard in a

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noisy environment. To watch my friends covet each others freshly purchased merchandise, passing a
figurine and examining each intricate detail- running fingers over every important bump and curve of
the characters yellow clothing. I was able to fully experience what it was it was to be a part of this
community for the first time- to move from my perceptions of these people online to meeting them in
the physical. These relationships that you build within your community are more real than you could

Figure 10 ( JJFE Community Gathered for a Photoshoot )

even imagine, despite the fact that they are built through a variety of genres that only exist through the
internet. Through forums and Facebook, there is nothing more pleasing then sitting here in costumewith all of my friends that I have been waiting to see for months. And all of the build up to this event,
and all of genres that I never truly realized existed, has shaped my friendships and my life in the most
amazing ways. I realize that being a part of this online community is not only a community. This
community has become my family and the genres I interact with have made that all possible.

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Works Cited/Sources
Bevan, Sam. Jojo's Bizarre Adventures Photoshoot ( Figure 10 ). 2015. Tampa Convention Center, n.p.
Cain, Codi E. Figure 9. Digital Screenshot. N.p., n.d. Web.
Cain, Codi E. Figure 8. Digital Screenshot. N.p., n.d. Web.
Cain, Codi E. Figure 7. Digital Screenshot. N.p., n.d. Web.
Cain, Codi E. Figure 5. Digital Screenshot. N.p., n.d. Web.
Cain, Codi E. Figure 4. Digital Screenshot. N.p., n.d. Web.
Cain, Codi E. Figure 3. Digital Screenshot. N.p., n.d. Web.
Cain, Codi E. Figure 2. Digital Screenshot. N.p., n.d. Web.
Cain, Codi E. Figure 1. Digital Screenshot. N.p., n.d. Web.
Dietz, Nicole. "Importance of Event Pages." Personal interview. 07 July 2015.
"Internet Forum Definition from PC Magazine Encyclopedia." Internet Forum Definition from PC
"Google Trends - 4chan." Google Trends. 12 July 2015. Web. 12 July 2015.
"Genre." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 8 July 2015. <http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/genre>.
"JoJo's Bizarre Adventure." Know Your Meme News. Know Your Meme, n.d. Web. 12 July 2015.
Magazine Encyclopedia. PC Magazine, n.d. Web. 12 July 2015.
METROCON: Anime Convention. Team Dynamite Productions, n.d. Web. 13 July 2015.
Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford University Press, n.d. Web. 09 July 2015.

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Rosado, Ryan. "Genre and the Cosplay Community." Personal interview. 05 July 2015.
Sherman, Jennifer. "Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Creator Meets Clint Eastwood." Anime News Network.
N.p., 14 Oct. 2012. Web. 12 July 2015.
"4chan." Know Your Meme News. Know Your Meme, n.d. Web. 12 July 2015.