Cosplay Burlesque

Cosplay Burlesque is a performance spectacle featuring comedians and enthusiasts dressed as popular characters bringing striptease and silliness to conventions up and down the East Coast. Cosplay Burlesque was founded in early 2008 by Victoria Belmont/Holly Ween. Victoria felt that conventions had let their ‘adult’ offerings fall to the wayside as they worked to become more ‘family friendly’. “I remember seeing Satoshi Kon’s Perfect Blue at the first anime convention I attended. It was R-rated; you had to have ID to get in.” says Belmont. “Since then many cons have reoriented their programming to attract younger attendees, which is all well and good, but they haven’t done much for the older crowd. I was hoping to add something new and different to the lineup.”