The Fantasy of Embodiment: Afrofuturism, Cosplay and the Afrodiaspora A Research Creation Thesis in The Department of Communication Studies Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Media Studies at Concordia University Montreal, Quebec, Canada August 2019 ©Nicole Taylor CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY Taylor ii School of Graduate Studies This is to certify that the thesis prepared By: Nicole Taylor Entitled: The Fantasy of Embodiment: Afrofuturism, Cosplay and the Afrodiaspora and submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Media Studies) complies with the regulations of the University and meets the accepted standards with respect to originality and quality. Signed by the final Examining Committee: __________________________________ Chair Dr. Alessandra Renzi __________________________________ Examiner Dr. Philip S. Howard __________________________________ Examiner Dr. Matt Soar _________________________________ Supervisor Dr. Yasmin Jiwani Approved by _______________________________________________ Chair of Department or Graduate Program Director 2019 Taylor iii Abstract The Fantasy of Embodiment: Afrofuturism, Cosplay and the Afrodiaspora By: Nicole Taylor Cosplay, or costume play, refers to the act of dressing up as characters from Japanese manga and anime, television, film, comics, cartoons and video games. Costumes are infused with the imaginative power capable of transporting cosplayers into different realms of existence. Cosplayers step into the narratives of the characters that they dress up as. For people of colour (POC), most especially those who belong to the Afrodiasporic community, cosplay can be understood as a social experiment that creates a discursive space to play with preconceived racial stereotypes. Commonly, cosplay is described as being an expressive realm to show passion for a fandom, but by melding cosplay subculture with Afrofuturist theories on play, the power of the imagination, and the creation of alternative systems of being and belonging, it can be conceptualized as a tool that possesses the capability to (re)signify and (re)present blackness by encouraging cosplayers to take control of self-visualization. Along with building from the theoretical framings of Afrofuturism, this project makes use of interviews with Afrofuturist scholars and artists, as well as cosplay participants to interrogate the relationship between cosplay and authentic visual representation. This work culminates in a research-creation project that depicts a visual and interactive guide that expounds on how conceiving cosplay, as an Afrofuturist tool, can encourage a desire to play with embodiment to create new narratives that allow for greater expression from and for racialized cosplayers. Keywords: Cosplay, Costume play, Afrofuturism, Afrodiaspora, Self-visualization, Play, Bricolage, Visionary fiction, Embodiment Taylor iv Acknowledgements I would like to express my deepest gratitude for everyone who has supported, encouraged and aided the completion of this project. Firstly, to my supervisor, Dr. Yasmin Jiwani, who I sincerely value and I am so thankful that I was able to pursue this research with her guidance and support. I can say with a full heart that I am truly grateful and fortunate to have been able to have been given the opportunity to work closely with Dr. Jiwani, not only in regards to my own research, but also with building up the Intersectionality Research Hub and the Digital Graveyards Project. I believe that my unforgettable experience pursuing a Master’s at Concordia University was greatly bolstered by Dr. Jiwani’s vibrant and infectious energy, her understanding and compassion. Some of my fondest memories of Montreal are the result of being engaged with the community that Dr. Jiwani put together for her students so that they would be able to thrive together, leaning on each other when needed. Thank you Dr. Jiwani for your wise words, your patience, and your dedication to your student’s success. I would also like to warmly thank the members of the Intersectionality Research Hub who became a beam up support during some of the toughest times while pursuing my research. Countless days were spent together in the Hub, working, laughing and wading through the failures, while celebrating the accomplishments. This passionate, caring and inspiring group of people have left an imprint and I owe the completion of this MA to them I owe a big thank you to the professors at Concordia University who imparted their knowledge and lent their time, and to my thesis committee for their enduring patience and willingness to go on this cosplay journey. To the dear professors at York University who believed in me, encouraged my pursuit of graduate studies and shaped the academic that I am today. To my family who have always encouraged me to go after the things that I want in life and have been incredibly patient as I embarked on this scholastic journey. Finally, to fate, to God, to the bits of magic that find me every now again – I give my deepest thanks. Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................ iii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................... iv List of Figures ....................................................................................................................... 2 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 3 Ruminating on black vs African ...................................................................................................6 The Project ...................................................................................................................................7 Cosplay as Tactic ........................................................................................................................ 11 Chapter 1 – Literature Review ............................................................................................. 13 Afrofuturism, Fantasy, and Playing with Costumes .................................................................... 16 The Foundation of The Fantasy of Embodiment Project .............................................................. 18 Race as Technology..................................................................................................................... 18 Cosplay Subculture & Fan Studies ............................................................................................. 19 Cosplay Multi-egos ..................................................................................................................... 22 Chapter 2 – Methodology ..................................................................................................... 24 Autoethnography ........................................................................................................................ 24 Participant Interviews ................................................................................................................ 26 Recruitment process ................................................................................................................... 29 Research Creation ...................................................................................................................... 30 Chapter 3 – The Fantasy of Embodiment Project ................................................................. 35 Imagination – Unearthing the Power of Imagining ..................................................................... 35 Discover – The Pillars of the Project ........................................................................................... 37 Create – Visionary Cosplay ........................................................................................................ 41 (Cos)play – The Stories Behind Playing Fantasy ......................................................................... 47 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 52 Critique of Afrofuturism ............................................................................................................ 55 The Culmination of the Fantasy of Embodiment Project ............................................................. 57 References........................................................................................................................... 60 Multimedia References ............................................................................................................... 69 Appendices .......................................................................................................................... 70 APPENDIX 1 .............................................................................................................................. 70 Taylor 1 APPENDIX 2 .............................................................................................................................. 72 APPENDIX 3 .............................................................................................................................. 73 Taylor 2 List of Figures Figure 1: The front page of the Fantasy of Embodiment project. The project is divided into four components. 32 Figure 2: Imagine: Unearthing