One of the great things about attending San Diego Comic-Con is being introduced to hundreds–if not thousands–of new characters you have never seen. They come by way of cosplayers who have spent countless hours matching their wardrobe, armor, weapons, and other props to conjure well-known characters. Many are mash-ups of multiple characters. Some aren’t specific characters but evoke a time or place. Rarer yet are costumes cosplayers just decide to make of their own creations. It appears that it is this last group that will be featured on a new Syfy Channel series called Cosplay Meleé.
After the break, check out a preview of the new series. This is Syfy’s second foray into a cosplay-themed series. The first was Heroes of Cosplay, a short-lived show that filmed professional and semi-professional cosplayers preparing to compete at various comic book and pop culture conventions across the U.S. That show had the benefit of not being a Top Chef-variant series–viewers actually watched as the cosplayers built their costumes, usually based on characters from movies, TV, or anime, and they had the same time they would have in real life to build their cosplay. Certain contestants showed the positive side of cosplay, like the amiable contest winner Chloe Dykstra, and certain contestants… didn’t. A recent similar show began in 2015 on British Channel 4 called WTF is Cosplay?
The hook for Cosplay Meleé for many genre fans will be host Yvette Nicole Brown, co-star of the TV series Community. A make-up and special effects crewman from various movies (Christian Beckman) and a model (LeeAnna Vamp) will serve as co-judges with Brown. Four new contestants will be featured on each show, with a $10,000 prize at stake.
