Michael Sacco of Fanboy has several pictures of cosplay competitions from fan conventions in the 1970s, including Star Trek, Doctor Who, and Marvel Comics. Pictured above is Wendy Pini as Red Sonja. Pini is a now comic book artist and with her husband was the creator of Elfquest.
Link
She's been one for at least 20 years that I know of.
Elfquest if you want to find it.
I agree with you, these were the pre-HFCS days, and if i may add, the pre-New Puritan Dark Age of today.
Anything pre-90s or nothing for this comic book reader makes me want to vomit. with a few rare exceptions like Transmetorpolitan and the early run of 100 bullets.
The art is better, for the most part, I'll give them that.
Lovely costume. Reminds me of a few con moments of my own.
* The twin sisters in matching (but mirror reversed) body paint -- both painted by the same off-duty BBC Cameraman.
* The absolutely *stunning* Dr Who Leela costume, the wearer of which I completely failed to get the name of.
* (My wife's story) "The lift opened and there was an 7-foot wookie and a woman wearing the snake-dancer costume from Blade Runner." (We became good friends with the latter years later and I was always sort of glad I'd not seen that costume because my eyes would have impolitely bugged six foot out of my head....)
Does anyone know where it was originally published?