A brief history of cosplay, explained in 5 historical conventions

Andrew Liptak is a chronicler of geek culture, and all around good dude. In addition to his regular Transfer Orbit newsletter — one of my favorite round-up resources for all things sci-fi/fantasy publishing and movie news — he's also written a fantastic new book titled Cosplay: A History: The Builders, Fans, and Makers Who Bring Your Favorite Stories to Life:

In recent years, cosplay—the practice of dressing up in costume as a character—has exploded, becoming a mainstream cultural phenomenon.