Civilians camping away from nerd culture may immediately encounter two familiar but unknown words in the first sentence.
Stargate, is a sci-fi series made in North America under the MGM logo and screened for ten years. It brought several spin-off shows to life and has also been broadcast on several channels in Hungary. But what is cosplay? In short, it is dressing up, passion, friends, and art; wearing different costumes and accessories to shape a beloved character—the number one program for fan clubs.
The genre, native primarily to America and Japan, may still be unusual in Hungary, but it is evolving. More and more cosplay clubs are being born in Hungary as well. Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings are the biggest at home, but if we look closely, we will also find hardline representatives of anime and manga culture sooner or later. Although the Stargate universe, launched in ’94 with the movie Stargate, has long been a defining factor in the sci-fi world, the home club has fewer members than before but has already joined them on their first birthday party.
The event was far from mass, but it didn’t affect the mood. The enthusiasm of the organizers and participants, common among the big brothers overseas, worked flawlessly. Already weeks before the date, you could vote for your favorite series episodes on the team’s Facebook page, which were screened; the organizers also launched several rounds of quiz games, and the prizes were stargate relics. There was also an opportunity to try on different uniforms seen in the series – the results can be viewed on the team’s album.
An enthusiastic small team organized along a common interest has every chance to outgrow itself and introduce as many interested people as possible to this species-heavy world and even to the sci-fi genre itself—the key factors needed to do so are already there. I had a great time; it was good to talk to people who love this world. I can’t wait for their second birthday.