I’m not trying to throw out my age here but the first Anime Expo I went to was in 1994. Instead of the massive event it is now that invades Downtown Los Angeles, it was a rather muted affair back then – anime was far from being as popular or as available as it is today in the USA and it was a time when fans had to resort to bootleg VHS tapes and small college clubs to get their anime fix.

As such, Anime Expo ‘94 occupied a small portion of the Anaheim Marriott Hotel and Convention Center and its number of vendors would be easily dwarfed by the endless rows of vendors in today’s LA Convention Center exhibit hall.

But I was very young and tired of being the only kid in school who was into anime, and therefore excited to see what other anime fans were like for the first time. So walking into the Marriott was definitely a moment.

And then I saw him.

Confidently striding through the hotel’s carpeted halls was a big, bearded dude barely squeezing out of his Sailor Jupiter uniform.

Shocking as it was for a kid like me, it was nonetheless a great introduction to cosplay as well as an important lesson about it: anyone can be anyone.

In the years since then with Anime Expo growing massively in size, so has cosplaying, becoming more reflective of a fanbase in this country that is getting more diverse and dedicated to their craft. There are cosplayers who aim to be the best version of the character they’re portraying, while there are some cosplayers who just want to make others laugh or do something fun with their friends. Either way, it takes a lot of time, a lot of money, and a lot of passion to cosplay.

Like so many people who roam in and out of the convention center with cameras in their hands, I’ve made it a hobby to capture these cosplayers in whatever element they’re in. And it’s great to see all of them not just be immersed in their characters, but feel empowered to do so and share. So if you do take a picture, please remember to be respectful and thank them for their time!

Here are some of my favorite snaps at Anime Expo from over the years: