Anime convention in Toronto brings together comics fans and cosplayers

Costume-clad Skylar Spalla stood on the curb at the Toronto Congress Centre on a recent weekend, watching hundreds of fellow cosplayers pass by. His twin brother flitted around him, making sure Spalla’s massive suit of armour, which they strapped on using zip ties, held together. Every few minutes, a person approached to ask for a photo with him, from muscle-bound warriors to little kids with their parents. The art student’s costume, a recreation of the character Havel from the video game Dark Souls 3, was made of little more than papier mâché, paint and pop tabs. It took him countless hours to make, and showing it at Anime North, an annual fan-run convention celebrating anime, manga and video games, he said, brings him a great sense of pride.