Cosplay now and then

Today I saw two girls who were probably on their way to a costume party. They were wearing some kind of colourful pirate costumes, very well made, and just passed the cash machine at the town square. The funny thing was that some japanese tourists stopped them and wanted their picture taken together with these tall pirate girls. My first reaction was that they surely have cosplayers at home, and don't need to go to Sweden to take their picture with a pirate. But then again, why not?

This makes me think of this piece by Forrest Ackerman were he tells us, among other things, about the origins of costuming at science fiction conventions. I'm not especially enthusiastic about costuming, but I always admire people who make things (like the Steampunk Workshop). And I remember a photo I've seen in an old Swedish fanzine, with a young Sam J. Lundwall dressed as a Martian. It can be kind of fun and good for the atmosphere at a convention, in small doses. (Never more costumes than interesting literary discussions!)

This old photo in turn makes me think of things I started. Now maybe I'll have time to take up my old fanhistory project. A couple of years ago I put together an anthology of Swedish convention reports, from the 50's until now (then). I want to continue this project, and make as much as possible of it available on the web. And maybe write an article about the joys of working with a fanzine archive... there's so much I want to do!