Tickets: https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/baltimore-cosplay

Profs and Pints Maryland presents: “The Way of Cosplay,” on the evolution, norms and debates of a worldwide subculture, with Luxx Mishou, cultural historian, former instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy and area community colleges, and author of Cosplayers: Gender and Identity.

Cosplay, which involves wearing costumes to mimic fictional figures, has grown to be a very real cultural phenomenon, with millions of enthusiasts worldwide estimated to spend at least $5 billion on it per year.

Outsiders, puzzled by the sight of grown adults dressed as Wolverine, Princess Leia, or various Japanese characters with Halloween months away, might find themselves asking: Who are cosplayers? What are they doing? Why?