Edriko Rickson, a name you most definitely have heard if you have even the slightest bit of connection to the Cosplay Community of Bangladesh. And why wouldn’t you?! Edriko is undoubtedly one of the most talented and influential cosplayers in the country.

Cosplay in Bangladesh is fairly new as a mainstream attraction. However, the start was more than a decade ago. In the last five to six years, it has gained a huge fan following and hype. Edriko Rickson is one of the cosplayers responsible for the rise of Cosplay Culture in Bangladesh.

From afar you might be intimidated by such a successful cosplayer with astonishing talent for crafting and absolute passion for cosplaying. However, as a person, he is fun to be with and he is always full of smiles; speaking from my personal experience. One thing that I noticed from our frequent interactions is that Edriko is always thinking about cosplay. Whether for himself or suggesting fitting cosplays to others.  

As a cosplayer myself I have had my fair share of experience in the art of cosplay, but still I sometimes get amazed at the ideas and visions presented by Edriko Rickson. He can instantly visualize the perfection of crafting and costume-making. Such is the talent and knowledge he possesses.

I have had the pleasure of talking with Edriko Rickson about Cosplay and related topics in this particular interview. And it has truly been an eye-opening experience in some cases. Now, let’s delve into the marvelous myriad world of Edriko Rickson’s Cosplay.

Edriko Rickson’s Journey

What was the spark that got Edriko Rickson into the fascinating world of cosplay?! The start of this spunky story is quite funny yet extremely inspiring. Most of us used to fantasize about superheroes in our childhood and wanted to become like them. Edriko is not different in this regard but what differentiates him from others is how he went on about realizing his dream at that tender age. “I remember myself fantasizing about being a superhero when I was a child. I used to wear my mom’s veil as a cape and mask made out of cardboard, impersonating as Perman.”, Edriko reminisced with a nostalgic smile.

Much later in life, during his adolescent years, Edriko Rickson came to know about cosplay and was awe-struck. He felt like this was something he dreamt to do all his life and it is actually a thing, as in a popular thing that people do and others appreciate. That was the start of his journey as a professional cosplayer as he explained, “I came to know about cosplay in 2013 when I stumbled upon a picture of Jessica Nigri cosplaying as Connor Kenway. Later that year, airtel posted an image of Dhaka Comic Con 2013 which inspired me to attend and cosplay at comic conventions.”

Edriko started cosplaying in 2016 and has given us many mind-blowing cosplay performances since then. He mostly cosplays at conventions and his most favorite ones are, “I can’t lie about this, it has to be Dhaka Comic Con and AnimeCon Dhaka. My best memories were from these events.” Rickson normally cosplays 3-4 times a year but depending on the situation the instances can be much more as he is absolutely passionate about it. “Usually 3-4 times. Actually, it varies. If I really want to cosplay then I will despite being busy.”, he insisted.

About his first-ever cosplay, Edriko has shown a symptom of narcissism. Well, I am not saying it in a negative way because if you are extremely talented in something some level of narcissism and arrogance is absolutely justified and fairly necessary. On that note, Rickson said, “I laugh at my first costume, not because it’s bad but because it’s wacky and well put. I made Shuffle Bot’s costume from LMFAO (Music-Duo) with bicycle lights.”

Awards, Accolades & Upcoming Cosplays

Edriko Rickson has won numerous awards and achieved countless accolades over the years. The list is still growing rapidly and rightly so. “I remember winning my first ever award in DCC 17’, finalist award. So far, I have achieved 28 or 29 awards. Mostly comprised of Champion award and finalist crests.”, he surmised announcing his illustrious career.

Apart from attending conventions, Edriko has never been to a collaborative photoshoot. But that is going to change soon as he is preparing for one with some other famed cosplayers. Rumor has it that it is going to be a Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood group cosplay.

At present Edriko Rickson confirmed that he is working on two different costumes. One is the iconic Griffith from Berserk and the other is Raiden from Metal Gear Rising Revengeance. As for me, I can’t wait to see the Griffith one as he didn’t say which version he would do. “2 costumes. Griffith from Berserk and Raiden from Metal Gear Rising Revengeance.”, that is all he said even after I pestered for more details.

Essence Of Cosplay

The enjoyment and fun factor are the muses that help Edriko cling to the art of cosplay. It is about love and passion. “When you embody the character you love, it becomes enjoyable. When I see myself in my desired character’s costume it gives me a sense of achievement and adrenaline rush.”, he remarked. As to the all-critical question of being in character, he answered, “A very subjective matter. Personally, it matters a lot. But if you want to cosplay for fun then no worries, as long as you have fun.”

As a cosplayer in Bangladesh, one may go through different experiences, some good some bad. For Edriko Rickson it is the same. Let’s hear from him what were the unique experiences he had.

“It was in AnimeCon Dhaka 2017. I crossplayed as Celty Sturluson from Durarara!!! If you’re not familiar with the term “crossplay” then let me tell you, it isn’t fun. Crossplay is basically crossdressing cosplay.  I arrived at the event and quickly changed my outfit. Celty wears a biker helmet. I also wore fake chest to boost my appearance. Throughout the event, I stayed silent and did not utter a single word. Everyone thought I was a girl. It was funny but also scary. I burst everyone’s bubble when I revealed my face during the performance. The reaction from the audience, the judges and the crowd were phenomenal. Truly a sight I cannot forget!”

“Harassment.  The General audience does not understand the concept of consent and will absolutely creep you out or force you to do something they want. The dramatic realization happened during a Halloween event where I was crossplaying.”

“Another bad experience that I wanna add is from 2021. I remember working my ass off for this particular event. I had an admission test on the same day as the event.  I arrived late at the event and was denied entry into the competition.  Not only that, I paid double entry as I brought an extra helping hand.  It was truly one of the worst experiences I faced.”

So that was all that came to light from the in-depth interview with Edriko Rickson. If you want to know more about other Bangladeshi cosplayers then check out my feature on Friyana Quraishi.