cOSPLAY CONTEST

GUIDELINES

  • All entrants will have approximately 5 minutes in pre-judging. Groups of 4 or more will have approximately 10 minutes.

  • All contestants must be registered attendees of the Memphis Comic Expo.

  • No skits allowed due to time restrictions.

  • Any genre of costume is welcome. Although it is the Memphis Comic Expo, not all costumes must come from comic book sources.

  • No costume is no costume. Please remember that the Memphis Comic Expo is a family-friendly convention; all costumes should reflect that. Any costume with less coverage than a bikini will not be allowed to compete.

  • No real weapons will be allowed in the competition. Any prop gun that can fire cannot be loaded or fired during the presentation. If a sword is carried, it must stay sheathed at all times

  • Any contestant with a larger costume may bring a handler to assist if necessary.

  • Each participant will be able to show off their costume on stage in a catwalk presentation. Each participant must be present at pre-judging to be eligible for an award. Failure to show will result in disqualification from the contest.

Cosplay Contest Prizes

Kids 12 and Under:
1st and 2nd Places

Youth 13-17:
1st and 2nd Places 

Adult:
1st, 2nd, and 3rd Places

Best Group

Best Prop

Best Wig/Make-Up

All entrants are asked to bring the following: 

  • A completed cosplay contest entry form. If entering as a group, all members’ names must be listed.

  • A reference picture, preferably a color print. Handdrawn images will not be accepted unless the costume is an original design. A reference image is required for the judges’ sake. Don’t assume that the judges will know all the characters being presented.

  • All children 12 and under must be accompanied by a parent/guardian at all times during pre-judging and the stage presentation.

  • All contestants must have made or significantly altered at least 70% of their costumes. Store-bought or commissioned costumes will not be eligible for a prize. Children 12 and under are not required to make the majority of their costume, but if they assisted in its construction, that information should be presented at the time of pre-judging.

  • An entrant may enter the competition using a model. The entrant must be present at the time of judging and state that the person wearing the costume is a model, not the creator. Only one modeled costume per entrant.

  • Judges may inspect the construction of each costume closely. Please inform them if you are not comfortable with this.

  • Any costume that has won a Major award (i.e. Best in Show, Best Group, or Best Master) in another competition may not be entered into the contest.