The 7 Steps June
1. CONTEXT
Mindmap
anything you
know about thetopic, including
vocabulary. Do
some research
online to help.

Comic Book Conventions

Listening Questions 1
1. Why did fans originally start hosting comic book conventions?

2. QUESTIONS.
2. When and where was the first Comic-Con held? How has it changed?
.

Read the listening
questions tocheck yourunderstanding.
Look up any new
vocabulary.

3. How does Comiket differ from Comic-Con?
.
4. What is a “circle”? How many are usually present at Comiket?
.
5. What is one feature shared by Comic-Con and Comiket?
.
Listening Questions 2

3. LISTEN

1. What is cosplay and where do cosplayers draw their inspiration from?
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2. What kind of event does Comic-Con have every year related to cosplay?
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3. How much did Enako make per month from cosplay appearances in 2017?
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4. How else can cosplayers make money?
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5. What issues has cosplay caused for comic book conventions?
.

Listen and answer
the questions
using full
sentences. Circle
the number oftimes and % you
understood.

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Listening 1
2 3 4

5%%%Discussion Questions

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Listening 2
2 3 45%%%

1. How do you feel the mainstreaming of comic culture has affectedsociety? Has this affect been positive?
2. What aspects of Japanese culture have been exported around theworld? What aspects do you think will explode in popularity next?

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4. CHECK ANSWERS

From blockbuster movies to theme parks, comic book culture has entered mainstream society
in a big way over the last decade. However, comics have not always enjoyed such success.
Fans of this medium wanted to create a space where like-minded people could gather, hencethe emergence of comic book conventions.

Read through thetranscript andunderline theanswers. Checkthem against yourown answers.

Two of the major comic book conventions are Comic-Con and Comiket. Comic-Con started in1970 in San Diego, California and was originally focused primarily on science fiction and fantasy
media, with a heavy spotlight on comics. It has gradually expanded over the years to include
products related to gaming, anime, films and other forms of popular culture.

5. CHECK VOCABULARY
Read thetranscript andcircle any new
vocabulary youfind. Look themup and add themto your list.

Read thetranscript aloudat least 5 times,
focusing on
intonation andpronunciation.

223344557. SHADOWING
Say the transcript
aloud at the sametime as the audio
without reading
it. Circle how
many times
below.

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Japan holds another major comic book convention called Comiket. Similar to Comic-Con it isnon-profit, but differs in that it primarily features fan-created works and publications. The works
are known as dojinshi and the authors are referred to as dojin. There is of course a corporate
presence at the event but the majority of works are produced by “circles,” or amateur authorgroups. There is an average of 35,000 circles present each year. Despite the differences
between the two events, both share features in common such as a strong connection tocosplay.
MATCH THE SYNONYMS BY DRAWING LINES BELOW:

6. READ ALOUD

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TRANSCRIPT 1

Presence

As a Result

Mainstream

Complication

Hence

Occurrence

Phenomenon

Interweaving

Overlapping

Conventional

MediumExistence

SnagForm

TRANSCRIPT 2Cosplay, a combination of the terms costume and play, is a social phenomenon where fansdress up in elaborate costumes based on characters from popular culture including comics. Dueto the overlapping of source material, Comic-Con and Comiket both have a robust cosplay
presence. Comic-Con even has an annual cosplay competition where the best costumes of theyear are recognized. It has become so popular that there are now conventions dedicatedspecifically to cosplay.
As with all popular phenomena, there is a financial side to cosplay as well. One of the premiercosplayers in Japan, Enako, stated in 2017 that she made close to 1 million yen per month fromher cosplay appearances alone. Cosplayers seek to make money through appearances, social
media posts and photo shoots. Costumes can represent a significant investment for them as
top-tier designs can run into the thousands of dollars.

55The relationship between cosplay and conventions is mostly a beneficial one; however there
have been a few snags. Events have had to designate specific areas and rules for cosplay toavoid congestion and protect the safety of the cosplayers as well.