We’re spotlighting talent in the cosplay community!
Every month, The Variant showcases cosplayers who display talent, creativity, and a positive voice within the cosplay community. 

Four years ago we decided to do something just a little extra for Black History Month. It was huge, it was insane, it was a metric ton of hard work and we (ok, me) decided to start doing it on January 15th. My team told me I was crazy. I went out with my garbage camera and did 25 out of 29 photo shoots of POC cosplayers and with a little help from a few of our Cosplay Spotlights, and the photography team, 29 Days Of Black Cosplay Spotlights was born. 

If you’re not familiar, we go out and get 28 (or 29 depending on the leap year) brand new photo shoots of some of the best and brightest cosplayers we can find in the POC Cosplay community. We decided it was such a huge project that we were only doing it once every other year, which makes every other one of these always land on a leap year. We did one in 2020, and then again in 2022 where we almost failed due to a huge blizzard at Ichibancon, one of the cons in January right before the deadline where we meet a lot of our Spotlights for February and specifically that project. 

This year was no different. We went to Ichibancon (which was 2 weekends in a row this year) and got almost all of our shoots done, except it was raining most of the weekend. We had plans to shoot a good majority of the people that signed up so we made use of the photo booth and made sure Tomisina, Fox & Sudds took extra care with those specific shoots and we even got some incredible headshots of everyone that are all just stunning.  

Anyway, long story short, we did it… Again. 
And I’ll reiterate what I said after the first 29 Days Spotlight back in 2020.
 You all did it.
Everyone that helped.
Everyone that participated.
Everyone that asked to be a part of this.
You’re all AMAZING!!!
I’m so thankful that each of you allowed us to take your photos and that we could 
represent the best of what the North and South Carolina POC Cosplay Community has to offer. 
For our returning #29Day Spotlights, I’m proud to know all of you.
For our new Spotlights, I’m ecstatic that we got to meet you and can’t wait to work with all of you in the future!!!

I hope you enjoy this project that we’ve done. Go follow all the cosplayers and photographers!
10 out of 10, they’re the real M.V.P.’s!!!

Our sincerest THANKS go out to:

The BEST Photographers
Tomisina Lynn
Fox Dream Photography
Sudds Photography

The MOST INCREDIBLE Cosplayers

ExpectedAcorn17
IceHagan
DanniFaFanni
Desirable DJ
ALyricalHigh
Puramu Fox
MootyVision
TurtleG_
Certified Cosplayer Boy
Boundless Perception
Malice
Natty CatDaddy
Book Of Blocker
The Anime Guru
Lulu Buni
Multiples of Misty
Pretty Guardian Sailor Sun
Zero Matsuta
MJ DP Cosplay
The Baked Chef
Artsy Abby
Bones McCoy
NVE___
Bunny Girl Shay
Syke.A.Delic
Actually Kratos
Dani The Dork
Parker Projects
Call Me Tater Tot

Click on their pictures in the grid below to follow them on the Instagrams and keep
scrolling to see all the incredible pictures of everyone!! 
Stay tuned every day in February to see all of these Cosplay Spotlights SHINE!!

…wait… why are you still reading this??
GO CHECK OUT THE PICS!!!!