Easy Way to Make 200 Grand A Year This is no joke, if you would love to make $200,000 a year and have some fun doing it, you could try the Cosplay scene at the comic book and science fiction conventions. Several times a year, scores of attractive women and some men, make their way to various Conventions around the U.S. and abroad.Just last week Comic Con in California was the target market for these vixens of the Dime novel. Once there, they don skimpy cosplay outfits to entertain the conventions superhero fans. Many do it just for fun, but for some its a job that pays well into the six figures. In addition to a per diem and travel costs, popular professionalcos-playerscan make at least $5,000 to $10,000 a show,comic book expert Christian Beranek said. If you add in mail order sales, crowd funding contributions and YouTube ad revenue, the top talents are pulling in close to $200,000 a year. Of course it helps if you happen to be attractive and young, but neither is a necessary requirement. A good body image and nice personality go a long way with the crowds. Take Boy Meets World actress Maitland Ward, who has become one of the most popular cosplay stars. She said a Star Wars themed photo shoot she did in 2015 got the ball rolling. It actually started when a few photographers who covered me and my daring red carpet looks thought it would be a cool idea if I became the girl that posed in Star Wars gear for the holiday and annual Star Wars celebration, May the Fourth Be with You, she said. I thought it was a cool idea to shoot as slave Leia, and didnt give it much thought. It was only after the photos came out did I realize how much fans enjoyed seeing me dressed up. Ward wont say just how much she made for her appearances, but said theres plenty of money changing hands at the conventions. Ive seen cosplayers charge $20 to $30 for selfies, and they charge just as much for their autograph. I could never do that, Ward said. A lot of the desirability of a character is in the costume. They should be sexy but true to the character you are portraying. For instance, you would not find Cat Woman running around wearing a red Jessica Rabbit cocktail dress. And if youre a guy, you wont be a big draw if you are paying tribute to a Star Wars Sand Person. Ginny McQueen has been dressing up in character costumes since 1998. Her website features a hire me section as well as a support section that allows fans to donate money to her projects, including cosplay, but McQueen said she does it because she loves it. While I have received many opportunities over the years because of cosplay, it is still first and foremost a hobby for me, said McQueen. Ward agreed telling interviewers, if you dont like it, you wont last long. The key to having longevity as a cosplayer is first you have to enjoy it, because most days you are on your feet all day, the costumes arent that comfortable, and the shoes have to match the outfit, said the 39 year old. So if you are in it to make money, you will burn out fast. But some critics say the original intention of celebrating comic book art, shows, and movies at the conventions has been tainted by cosplayers looking to cash in on their looks. Some Comic-Coners probably dont appreciate the half-naked women in body paint and sexy costumes gathering crowds, said Bill Swift, editor of Egotastic.com, a site that features many of the popular Cosplay women. But as is the case of half-naked women in body paint and sexy costumes, the majority of fanboys are well in favor. Swift added that while not all women who dress up as Leia or Lara Croft are genuine fangirls, they work hard for what they earn. The popular ones communicate with the nerd fan base 365 days a year on social media, he said. So its not as if they just show up to Comic-Con and suddenly have cred. Nope, it is like everything else in life, if youre going too succeeded, you have to work at your trade, and good looks will only get you so far. Fox News contributed to this story. 2016 R. L. Grimes 