The Show Must Go On!
Real cosplayers reveal their tips, tricks, and must-have items for conquering the SDCC.
July 22, 2026
At Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) 2015, a cosplayer hobbled over to Colleen Kelly Burks’ fan table, cradling a brown boot with a peeling sole.
Burks dug through her supplies for a solution, but all she had to offer was a roll of silver duct tape. Nevertheless, she wrapped the boot as best she could, added a matching patch to its twin, and sent the cosplayer skipping back to the floor, grinning ear to ear. Later that night, Burks quietly added brown duct tape to her Amazon cart, and Cosplay First Aid was born.
Every SDCC cosplayer has an emergency toolkit: gaff tape, bobby pins, setting spray, and enough ibuprofen to survive a long day at the San Diego Convention Center. However, when something goes wrong — as it always does — the most useful tool in cosplayers’ back pockets isn’t a makeup palette, a prop, or even a portable fan — it’s each other.
Armed with an arsenal of safety pins, super glue, and nearly 50 years of costuming know-how, Burks has become a lifeline for SDCC cosplayers in crisis. Her fan table, officially dubbed Cosplay First Aid in 2022, saves hundreds of ‘fits from falling apart every year, from little quick fixes to full-blown rebuilds. In 2025, Burks logged more than 200 repairs across the four-day con, so many that she had to recruit a second Cosplay Medic just to keep up with demand.
“I know the heartbreak when a costume or prop breaks or tears,” Burks says. “Using my past experiences and knowledge to help patch or repair a cosplay gives me a sense of accomplishment. I love making people smile.”
Burks may have the actual toolbox, but the instinct to help a fellow fan runs through many cosplayers on the floor. For Shawn Thorsson, who usually ringleads large-squad cosplays, teamwork is an absolute necessity for conquering the con.
“After you’ve gone through a few rounds of herding cats and chasing down all of the nuts and bolts to get a dozen matched outfits to show up all at once … there’s nothing I can’t fix with a bit of gaff tape and CA glue or a scrap of foam,” he says.
When Thorsson is packing for SDCC, he’s not only thinking about his own needs, but also the rest of his group’s. With so many people to keep track of, disaster could strike at any moment. His approach: “Game out all of the ‘What could go wrong?’ questions in advance and pack accordingly. One way or another, the show must go on.”
Whether it’s sharing supplies, playing handler for your group, or helping a stranger salvage months of hard work, these small acts of generosity are what turn a crowded convention center into a community — as Burks puts it, “a family within fandom” — held together by hot glue, helping hands, and a collective love of cosplay.
Your Ultimate SDCC Packing List
- Fingernail clippers are always good for snipping loose threads or cutting something quickly (as well as trimming fingernails)! — Colleen Kelly Burks
- Gaff tape, zip ties, a bottle of rubberized CA-glue, and a kicker. Just about anything that goes wrong can be patched with those three things long enough to get you through a few hours and back to your hotel room. — Shawn Thorsson
- Superfeet insoles. We often get 22,000 steps a day, which is only possible when we take care of our feet. — Sofia Hussain, @sofiahussain6
- Vividress Latex Dressing Aid. If you are wearing a large latex costume, this helps keep it from sticking or ripping, and makes getting in and out easy-peasy. — Chad Nelson, @chadpool
- NYX Setting Spray works great with my oily skin and keeps my makeup in place all day. — Señora Pamela, @pams.youniverse
- It’s the middle of the summer, and it’s hot everywhere you go. If you are wearing a wig, a portable fan is a lifesaver. — Mellyssa Angel Diggs, @mellyssaangeldiggs
- WestmoreFX SilicOne Adhesive for prosthetic or wig adhesive (also the Remover! It’s the best!). — Jacqueline Goehner, @jacquelinegoehner
- With inflatable costumes, three things are essential: batteries, fans, and something to keep you cool. We have a vest from ThermApparelthat’s great for keeping heat under control! — Taylor Pope, @devisingdelight
- Must have a glue gun. It repairs things back at the hotel, so you’re ready again if something breaks. — Jeannie Herger, @tobbys_adventures
- Water-based makeup from Kryolan because it goes on easily, stays on my skin, and washes off with soap and water. — Dennis Hanon
- Safety pins. They fix everything. — Jeannie Herger, @tobbys_adventures
- An extended straw. You can’t get out of big costumes, so you often need friends to keep you hydrated in weird ways, like drinking through the costume’s neck or nose. — Chad Nelson, @chadpool
- Get a portable stool. Trust me, you would wish you had one. — Mellyssa Angel Diggs, @mellyssaangeldiggs
- A bottle of ibuprofen. Aches and pains can ruin your con experience. — Nancy Karst, @luckysevengirl
- Snacks — because once in Hall-H, I want to stay and watch everything! — Jacqueline Turner, @jacquelinecamus13
- Sun protection is absolutely mission-critical. — Bill Davis
- Kövulfix contact cement in a small size. It’s very strong. — Martina Hussain, @cos.wonder
- MAC Cosmetics’ Hyper Real Fresh Canvas Cleansing Oil and its makeup wipes will instantly remove even red or blue full-face makeup without leaving residue. — Sofia Hussain, @sofiahussain6
- To keep prosthetic ridges on my head, I use Pros-aide by ADM Tronics. It requires a bond off to remove, but it’s so worth it. — Dennis Hanon
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