The Love of Doctor Who Cosplay and How it Translates

(This was written about 2010 and I still feel the same about many of the cosplayers seven though they have moved on to other things.  They will always be good people and excellent cosplayers.)

I say this now--trying to be humble. This is not a essay about me alone, though it may focus on me somewhat because I am a writer.

To call oneself a writer is often very risky, and I admit a certain arrogance on my part.

I write well, but I am shitty in math--really shitty.

If you'd met me about 2 weeks ago, you'd probably have seen something of a different figure. That figure was driven--driven to shove his way straight into the Cosplay scene come hell or highwater. Perhaps it was best i chose to dress as Baker. Perhaps it was best that i latched immediately onto two of the most creative cosplayers i could find. The lucky thing is that I think i found Jesse first, and so, perhaps, given that Jesse really embodies the "do unto others as you might have the Doctor do unto you," philosophy, i couldn't easily not help her pull together the invasion.

Indeed, i was quite driven, at times, i thought it might be annoying. Indeed it could have been given the propensity of myself and most people--the difference i think is that Doctor Who is special. Not that other shows don't have special qualities. Doctor Who has a sort of radiance to it, a inner love, if you will that glows as fiercely as the heart of the Tardis itself, and like the Heart of the Tardis, it can in fact burn you--if you aren't careful.

What i learned about this group is that there is such love and it doesn't simply center around Doctor Who. It goes further, and its very encompassing give the excentricities and foibles of every person here. We all have our flaws. Yes we do. But, given those flaws, given our problems, we are an admirable group and i hesitate only for a second to say, pretty much friends--that friendship of course, has a price, it is the same price that any person would have for any friend, or companion, loyalty.

Maybe that's why its meant to work, or works so well, that even though some of us can sew and some of us can't. That some of us, are really good at Ebaying or ransacking goodwill stores, and even some are good at just faking it, it works because it has a radiance of love behind it. What i'm talking about is hard to say. Even the word love, seems weak. IT's a metaphor, or as my former teachers used to say, it comes from the mouth of fertility, or it lifts into a new realm, a realm beyond the reach of art, or it is filled with an intense yearning, that somehow transforms it to the human and universal.

Should i call it love? Well, we'll table that for a while. Here is what i know. When i walk down the streets of the renaissance faire and one in every three people i meet, tip their hat to me, or bow, and then i notice this "child-like wonder" of a grin forming on their face as a flip my scarf over my shoulder and nearly take out Nicole or Romana or Leela who is behind me, it just makes my day. When complete strangers ask to take my picture, or fathers beg me to be back next weeked for their sons, i feel that love--that grace.

I also feel it when Saijoy says on her facebook page that she loves Paul McGann. Whether that love was there all the time is up in the air, but to see her, walk around the faire and make joke after joke about her shoes and stealing motorcycles, or to see a girl, any girl willing to dress in pink spandex, or to make two awesome new friends, like Dianna or Robin who DRESSED in a 6 inch, um leather thingy (i want to say thong, but it feels inappropriate.) or a red dress in the hope someone would bring them a wig, and do it simply because, well, someone asked. And then of course, to do it, maybe not knowing the character, but willing to leap in and do it, then i know this club is right.

All the time, i know, that this club is a good club, that is faces some level of hardship together, but it grows each time. And i know that you have to love the doctor. I know i do. I think on some levels you have to love the character, and that is why i can see the translation of that love. But by all means, and i think Saijoy can attest, the minute you put on the clothes--Doctor or companion--something changes.

And if you are a doctor and are lucky enough to have someone who will be a companion for you, that's even better. That's like the ultimate gift, someone who is a friend can give you. most of us deserve a companion, or a doctor--and maybe we'll all get a shot.

To end this as easily i can, _if_ you can manage it, and you love to do it, you should put on the suspenders, the waist coat or sweater, or leather jacket, longcoat, or scarf and you should jump in. And maybe you'll learn something.

To say this is foreveryone is a large enough wopper that six probably couldn't catch, even with Peri bitchin in his ear, but at the same moment, it's different if you give it a shot.

I didn't want to be Baker at first.

But after 30 to 40 people tell you, your their "favorite," you start to love Baker.

It's a sshame we can't educate more people about the other doctors.

Still there is always hope--Always.

Part of being in Cosplay Gallifrey helps to educate and set the tone to others.

And that is a great responsibility and a great privalege. I thought for sure that at some point someone would tell me to stop, and perhaps it would have been okay if they had. But i didn't want to. Jesse barely knew me, but i wanted a cosplay group, and more importantly, Cosplay friends--which really translates into good friends. Friends who don't judge you or nitpick yourshit, and understand slightly when you say. "I'm dressing up as a character from a british sci-fi show."

And we all did it. And we all continue to do it. We have a very successful group and as far as i'm concerned, it only gets better from here.

Be the doctor, and love being the doctor.

Or be a companion or secondary character.

But love as you do and it will be better--infinitely better.

Doctors and companions, you heal yourselves when you dress up.

And it translates to the cosmos.