SAG-AFTRA Chief Negotiator Clarifies How Fans Can Both Cosplay and Support the Strike

The Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has offered clarification as to how fans of TV shows and films whose actors and writers are currently striking can continue to cosplay, as well as support the ongoing strikes.

In a panel at San Diego Comic-Con entitled “AI in Entertainment: The Performers’ Perspective,” SAG-AFTRA national executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland responded to a question from Temple of Geek regarding how fans interested in supporting the strikes can do so amid conflicting information as to whether or not it’s acceptable to cosplay characters from struck work. While SAG-AFTRA has endeavored to share clear guidelines for who can do what, many who are supportive of the strikes are concerned about inadvertently crossing picket lines.

Crabtree-Ireland responded first by thanking fans for their support, noting that the content communities taking strong public positions has been noticed and appreciated by those on the picket lines. “They appreciate it. It means everything to them.”

He then continued with guidance for cosplayers and fans, noting SAG-AFTRA’s strong rules about its members not promoting struck work:

The purpose of that is to make sure that every opportunity that the companies have to build revenue or to monetize these projects that have been done, is shut down to the greatest extent possible. It’s such a strict rule because we want the strike to be as short as possible and anything that we do that we can strike or lessons that resolve tends to drag the strike out, make it last longer. We don’t want that.

As far as individual cosplayers go, it is okay under our rules — our committee has said it is okay for them to do their cosplay. My suggestion to them would be if you are supportive of the strike, figure out a way to – because I know how creative cosplayers are because I’ve been here many, many times – figure out a way to combine your support for the strike with your favorite cosplay because then you are actually helping us send the message we are trying to make, which is the community at large is united, supporting us in the demands we are making which are reasonable demands. You’ve heard the actors talking about them here, and having the support of all the fandoms would be amazing.

Other members of the panel also weighed in with their thoughts on what fans could do to support. Horizon: Zero Dawn and Mythic Quest actor Ashly Burch suggested fans cosplay individuals such as SAG national president and actor Fran Drescher, or WGA board member and television host Adam Conover.

SAG-AFTRA negotiating member and actor Zeke Alton also shared both gratitude and suggestion:

“I just want to speak to the cosplayers: love what you love. Do what you do,” he said. “This whole thing is popular because you love the art that we create, so we can’t do this without you. We do this for you. And I think it’s been said here that you can do what you do and still support us. Weave it into your cosplay. We want to see the best Duncan Crabtree-Ireland that you could possibly do. You are creatives too, so use that creativity to benefit all of us.”

While it did dip into discussion of cosplay, the panel was convened to discuss how entertainment performers must adapt to the increased use of AI and machine learning to replicate their work, including the need for new legal frameworks and standards to help protect their art and rights as workers.

Both the cosplay questions and AI discussion follow SAG-AFTRA’s recent vote to strike after failing to reach an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) to ratify a new contract. The guild joins the Writers Guild of America (WGA), which has been on strike since May. Alongside concerns about the encroachment of AI, both groups are demanding better pay and job security on a number of fronts.

You can catch up on all the other news coming out of Comic-Con in our roundup of everything announced.