Finding Cosplay at Boston Comic Con

By: Aperture.ISOAperture.ISO here! I'm back with more 2017 Convention Cosplay Coverage (try saying that 3 times fast). The latest in my cosplay chronicles is Boston Comic Con...or I thought it was. Boston Comic-Con was actually purchased last year and has been rebranded as Fan Expo Boston. This gets to the heart of the problem with the con as a whole, a major identity crisis.Let me begin by first saying I appreciate cosplay in every sense. From cardboard mech suits to 100+ hour works of craftsmanship art. I believe everyone should cosplay what they want and how they want to. Part of what makes cosplay exciting is being able to show it off at a convention amongst fans. It is what attracted me to conventions in the first place. That being said, cosplay needs the space to flourish so the artist can show off their work. Fan Expo Boston did a very lack luster job of providing that space.The inside of the Boston Convention Center was difficult to navigate, much less take photos in. A giant portion of the main lobby was sectioned off, and hallways were tight with lines. Certain areas outside of the convention center had very limited access. But, the most damaging mistake made by the convention was only using half of the showfloor space available. The space was further halved as a portion of the show floor was used as the main theater.I wish I had more photos to share of the fantastic cosplay that I was able to see at Fan Expo Boston, but unfortunately the space really did not allow for it. There were no designated spaces for cosplay, which conventions like PAX East and ConnectiCon have. The areas where cosplay could be seen was either cramped or off limits. It appears other photographers resorted to waiting outside of the convention center, taking photos as people entered and exited. If the space situation is the same next year, they'll find me out there with them.At the end of the day, Fan Expo Boston was not a bad con, just misguided. There is a lot of room for them to grow. I hope that they learn from their mistakes this year, and thrive in the years to come.