TY - CHAP
T1 - Professional cosplayers entrepreneurial identity and exploitation
AU - McCutcheon, Chris
AU - Hitchens, Michael
AU - McEwan, Mitchell
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - We interviewed ten Australian professional and semiprofessional cosplayers focusing on topics of identity, perception, and exploitation for this relatively new category of entrepreneurs. Using thematic analysis, we identified a number of issues such as self-esteem, body positivity, cosplay business practices and settings, and exploitation. We discovered that, contrary to current theory, professional cosplayers do not identify with the characters they cosplay. However, professional cosplayers face personal and business obstacles that leave them vulnerable to exploitation by non-cosplay businesses.
AB - We interviewed ten Australian professional and semiprofessional cosplayers focusing on topics of identity, perception, and exploitation for this relatively new category of entrepreneurs. Using thematic analysis, we identified a number of issues such as self-esteem, body positivity, cosplay business practices and settings, and exploitation. We discovered that, contrary to current theory, professional cosplayers do not identify with the characters they cosplay. However, professional cosplayers face personal and business obstacles that leave them vulnerable to exploitation by non-cosplay businesses.
U2 - 10.4324/9781003271109-4
DO - 10.4324/9781003271109-4
M3 - Chapter
SN - 9781032217581
SN - 9781032220888
T3 - Routledge Studies In Media And Cultural Industries
SP - 33
EP - 48
BT - Entrepreneurial cosplay
A2 - Nichols, Elizabeth Gackstetter
A2 - Lewis, Amy C.
A2 - Tomczyk, Dave
PB - Routledge
CY - Oxon ; New York
ER -