Have you heard of ‘Cosplay’? Cosplay is a very popular pastime enjoyed by many people around the world. In a nutshell, Cosplay involves dressing up to look like your favorite Comic, Anime, Manga character – the name combines the words ‘Costume’ and ‘Play’ – Cosplay.

Behold the photograph accompanying our text. At first glance, one might think that this is a vintage picture of a hapless explorer or company scout sometime in the 1800’s. But look a little more closely, and the whole scene begins to unwind.

It turns out this an early example of Cosplay, a picture of J.A. Molloy, Artist, masquerading as a Lewis & Clark explorer type, photographed by Paul Shambroom.

Mr. Molloy had in the previous year (1990) produced a mountain of Journal art, wood and linoleum cuts, steel engravings and various historical reproductions of American Indian artifacts. All for the filming of ‘The Song of Sacajawea.’ A children’s storybook classic video produced by Rabbit Ears Productions, with narration by Laura Dern along with music by David Lindley. Throughout the endeavor, the project got the better of him, and he slowly morphed into the form of the fellow in the picture. Indeed he is as we have coined him the ‘Cosplay Pioneer.’