Cosplay Competition
Showcase your latest cosplay in our yearly main stage competition.
Welcome to this year’s WasabiCon Cosplay Competition! Have you been making something amazing? Are you looking for a chance to show your work off to the cosplay community? Well, here’s your chance! Come and join us for this year’s cosplay competition. We’re very excited to see all of the outstanding work you will bring this year’s convention.
There were so many unforgettable cosplays at last year’s show, we just knew we had to turn up the heat on this year’s competition. Please read all information in its entirety below before signing up.
Here are a couple of things to remember before you apply for this year’s competition.
SIGN-UP: Sign up below. Applications are open until July 20th!
PREJUDGING: Saturday from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM in the “Judge’s Chambers” aka the room labeled Studio located on the 3rd floor. Each contestant gets five (5) minutes.
EVENT DAY & TIME: Saturday at 5:00 PM; Contestants should arrive at 4:00 PM for staging and set up.
EVENT LOCATION: Main Events (Pavilion Ballroom).
Competition Ruleset
- You must have purchased an entry into the convention in order to enter/present on stage for the Cosplay Competition.
- The Cosplay Competition is a family-oriented event. Please keep all costumes to a “PG-13″ rating i.e. no nudity or overly revealing attire.
- The competition is open to all ages, however if under the age of 18 contestants are required to have a parent or guardian with them at all times during the competition process.
- Your cosplay must be at least 80% made by you. You may purchase parts of a cosplay, but this must be disclosed during the judging process. If you are not the maker of your cosplay and modeling a cosplay on stage, the creator of the cosplay must be present with you upon entry. If the cosplay wins an award, the award will go to the creator of the costume.
- Your cosplay must be at least 70% complete at the time of submission.
- Only one cosplay may be entered per cosplayer.
- Cosplays are judged as solo artists, so no groups.
- All weapons and props must conform with convention policies, hotel/conference center rules, and local laws concerning carrying a weapon. If there is a question of doubt, don’t bring it. You can read our event rules, including our Props Policy, online at https://pdx.wasabicon.com/policies/
- The Cosplay Competition Coordinator reserves the right to remove any participant that engages in behavior that is unbecoming of a contestant. Please be kind and act professionally. We want everyone to have a good time!
- Green Mustard Entertainment, Inc. reserves the right to modify, update, or amend these rules at any time.
What to Expect
The creation of cosplay for competition is a lot of work, so here is what you should expect if you enter:
- The application process is easy and will be open on this page until July 20th to enter this year’s cosplay competition!
- Once your application is submitted, it will be sent over to our panel of judges for review. They will be looking over all of the submissions and choosing the top twenty-five (25) to walk the show.
- The twenty-five (25) finalists will be notified via email on July 21st with plenty of time to put the finishing touches on before the competition. This email will also contain a link for the finalists to signup for their prejudging spot at the show.
- Prejudging will be held from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM on Saturday in the Judge’s Chambers (Studio) and will allow for five (5) minutes per contestant. This is your chance to show the judges all your amazing work and tell them about your build.
- At 4:00 PM on Saturday, finalists will be asked to gather in Main Events (Pavilion Ballroom) for setup before the competition begins.
- At 5:00 PM on Saturday the Cosplay Competition begins. Contestants will be asked to walk across the stage, making three poses as they go. (We are unable to accept lighting or music requests. No skits please)
Categories
With so many creative cosplays, it’s always hard to choose a winner! Awards will be given to the individuals that the judges select as first place in the following categories and, from those winners, they will select a best in show. Additionally, three judge’s choice awards will be given.
- Armor
- Threadwork
- SFX
Meet this year’s Cosplay Competition Judges!
AbbyCat Cosplay
AbbyCat Cosplay is a professional and award winning cosplayer who has been cosplaying for 10 years and a competitive sewist for over 30. She is the moderator for the SheProp! Presentation Panel Series and a frequent contributor to Team Totoro Cosplay. AbbyCat is known for her upcycled approach to gathering materials as well as a love for whimsical and comedic cosplays and characters. Her goal is to make amazing cosplay from surprising materials, make people laugh, and have fun while doing it. AbbyCat will be one of the talented judges at the WasabiCon PDX 2024 Cosplay Competition.
Eli Ebberts
Eli Ebberts is a cosplayer from the Pacific Northwest with over 15 years of experience and a degree in Theater Arts. Eli has a passion for dazzling performances and sparkling fabrics. She specializes in needlework, and historically inspired costumes. When she’s not at conventions she’s reading YA Fantasy, creating tutorials for her YouTube channel, or dancing with her idol group “Project Constellation”. Eli loves all things sparkly, pink, and cute! She is so excited to be a cosplay judge at WasabiCon PDX and cannot wait to see everyone’s incredible costumes. In the meantime she wants to remind you all to Keep Sewing, Stay Positive, and Have Fun!
MagicalGirl.Jes
Jes is a professional wig maker for theater and a hairstylist for TV and film with 10 years of experience in the industry. She is also a wig teacher and cosplayer and she adores being able to share her love for wigs with the community. Want to level up your wig styling skills? Then she is your gal! Jes will be joining her fellow judges in this year’s WasabiCon PDX Cosplay Competition.
