Cosplay on Display at SJPL

Get Dressed Up!

The Cosplay on Display program is a new annual San José tradition, paired with Summer Learning and the Graphic Novel Making Contest.

San José Public Library encourages creative costumers to get dressed up and pose with their San Jose library card every summer. Participants receive a Thank You gift and are invited to the annual Graphic Novel Making Contest Awards Ceremony to enjoy the festivities and see their featured photos.

What is Cosplay?

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, cosplay is "the activity or practice of dressing up as a character from a work of fiction (such as a comic book, video game, or television show) In cosplay, a good costume is as much about creativity with materials and construction as it is about the outcome." People who cosplay can either make their own costume or commission a costume from a creator. Cosplay costumes can be constructed to be true to the original design of the character they are cosplaying as or be modified, usually on a recognizable theme. Cosplay can also be gender-bent, where the original costume and character are of one gender and the cosplayer chooses to "bend" their cosplay to suit a different gender.

Featured Program

Learn how to participate in Cosplay on Display 2023!

The Cosplay on Display program was started in 2022 as a sister program to the Graphic Novel Making Contest and celebrates the creative design and fashion that is cosplay.

View Past Entries: Submissions are available online through Biblioboard.

Have questions or curiosities about Cosplay on Display? Email an SJPL staff member at graphicnovels@sjlibrary.org

Become an SJPL Card Holder

Want to participate in the Cosplay on Display program but don’t have a library card yet? Become a member!

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