The average cosplayer heads to conventions to show their love for a favorite TV show or movie, but for some, cosplaying provides a chance to reconnect to a world they left back home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At this year’s Long Beach Comic Con, cosplayers from hailing from Long Beach and even as far as Russia were in attendance to celebrate a culture they love so much, they are willing to get dressed up for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
John Castillo, born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico decided to move out at the age of 19 to find work in San Pedro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When his father passed away at a young age Castillo became the only man in a home that included his mother and three sisters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen I finally decided to move to California, it was difficult to make friends because I wasn\u2019t going to school anymore, I was just going to work,\u201d Castillo said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Back in Monterrey, Castillo found great joy in comic books and pop culture, but never went to any conventions because of how uncommon it is in Mexico.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After a few months in California, Castillo started to become more isolated and antisocial, and decided to join a world he couldn’t in Mexico.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAfter I found out about how many conventions going on around me, I was like \u201cI have to go to all these,\u201d Castillo said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy mom always teases me by saying that I like dressing up because my sisters used to dress me up when I was little.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When James Luis isn\u2019t cosplaying at Long Beach Comic Con he works at the convention center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s always weird because I see people who I work with, and they see me in these clothes,\u201d Luis said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Luis was born and raised in Columbia until the age of 6 when his entire family moved to Fresno to reconnect with relatives that moved prior of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2014, Luis started working at the convention center and one of his first events that he had to plan for was Long Beach Comic Con.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI never really read comics but I like a bunch of comic book movies and so one year I decided to go for it,\u201d Luis said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI bought this horrible makeup from a Halloween store to cosplay as Joker and it went horribly. But then I found this guy who makes these costumes and so he\u2019s my guy now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Luis went to Long Beach City College for half a semester but had to drop due to personal issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Soon he enrolled at Cerritos and majored in public relations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After graduating, Luis moved to Signal Hill to live with his girlfriend.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy girlfriend doesn\u2019t cosplay with me. She just laughs when I walk out of the house in my costume and get in my car,\u201d Luis said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nadir Zokhrabov loved watching action movies with his dad when he was little, which led him to pursue the dream in Hollywood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At 21, Zokhrabov decided to move to Los Angeles to become just like the people he used to watch on the screen with his dad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However the decision didn\u2019t come easy; He had to leave all his family and friends behind in Russia where he was born and raised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zokhrabov now attends conventions to remind himself to have some fun on his journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very difficult to find a good job here in America, and it can be very tiring,\u201d Zokhrabov said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut doing this always reminds me of my dad, which is good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The time and craftsmanship that goes into creating a costume has provided cosplayers with therapeutic nostalgia at Comic Con conventions across the world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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