Signups for the contest will be at the show at the Special Cosplay Guest Zone

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COSPLAY & COSPLAY CONTEST RULES:

• Participation in the Cosplay Contest is free for all attendees. Vendors, fan group members, and special guests are not eligible to participate in the Cosplay Contest.

• Cosplay Contest is a family-friendly event. All costumes must cover "swimsuit areas" – no nudity. Full body-paint costumes are not eligible for craftsmanship.

• Cosplay Contest is a safe and PG-13 friendly environment. Any participant exhibiting hate speech and behavior towards any group will be disqualified from the competition and asked to leave the event. Language and hand gestures on stage have to be in compliance with the PG-13 rule. Violators may be disqualified from the competition.

• The contest is open to characters from published works; movies, TV shows, comic books, cartoons, video games, and card games, as well as crossover characters and original characters

• The contest will be held in 4 categories: Kids (ages 0 to 12), Teens (ages 13-19), Adults (ages 20 and up), and Groups (all ages, up to 5 contestants per group).

• Each contestant may only enter one costume into the competition and can be in only one Category.

• Cosplay Contest entries are capped as following: Adults – 40 entries, Kids – 30 entries, Teens – 30 entries, Groups – 20 entries.

• Registration for the Cosplay Contest will be at the show.

• Judgment criteria: Visual Design, Creativity, Craftsmanship, Overall Image and Presentation.

• Store-bought costumes are eligible to enter. However, preference might be given to crafted costumes, at the judges’ discretion. Exceptions may be given in the Kids Category.

• Contestants are not allowed to throw anything off the stage or use anything on stage that will leave a mess. This includes (but is not limited to) liquids, glitter, and confetti. No pyrotechnics, fire, explosive devices, live animals, or similar special effects can be used during the competition.

• No real weapons are allowed to be used as part of costumes both during the event and the cosplay contest. Prohibited: metal blades whether sharp or blunt e.g. swords, axes, and knives; actual guns, rifles, or artillery; heavy bats; toughened plastic training sword; explosives and incendiary devices; functional strung bows or crossbows, sharp arrows or bolts; heavy gas canisters; protruding nails or other sharp items; laser pointers. All prop weapons must be safe to be worn in public. Orange tip required.

• All contestants must be present at the beginning of the Cosplay Contest. No-shows are not eligible to compete even if the registration form was filled out.

• All events at Silver Age Comic Con, including the cosplay contest, have the potential to be photographed/filmed/recorded in some fashion. These recordings may be used in future galleries or promotions. Signing up for, and/or attending, any cosplay event is done with the understanding that recording could occur at any time, and permission is tacitly given for the participant's likeness to be used.

• Top three places in each Category will be awarded with prizes. Grand prize for 1st Place Adults is a trophy and $300 cash.