COSPLAY AT THE SHOW

Cosplay at SoCal Gaming Expo is a vibrant and immersive experience that brings together enthusiasts from all corners of the gaming world. As attendees roam the convention floor, they're greeted by a kaleidoscope of characters brought to life with meticulous attention to detail. From iconic heroes and heroines of classic video games to the latest protagonists from cutting-edge releases, every cosplay is a testament to creativity and passion.

The atmosphere crackles with excitement as photographers capture stunning portraits, and fellow fans eagerly exchange compliments and pose for group shots. Whether participants meticulously craft their costumes for months or spontaneously don their favorite character's attire, cosplay at SoCal Gaming Expo embodies the inclusive and celebratory spirit of the gaming community

COSPLAY CONTEST

The SoCal Gaming Expo Cosplay Contest is open to attendees of all ages and skill levels! In the fun and casual event, you will get 30 seconds to walk across the stage, strike a few poses, and impress our panel of judges and the audience! You might even win a cool prize package along the way! If you would like to participate, please click the link below to register:

General Cosplay Contest Rules

  • You must be a registered attendee of SoCal Gaming Expo to compete
  • You may sign up for the contest online or in-person. At-con sign-ups will close roughly 1 hour prior to the contest start time, but may close sooner depending on the number of entries received.
  • You may sign up as an individual (1 cosplayer) or as a group (2 or more cosplayers) under one registration form.
  • The contest is open to characters from published works; movies, TV shows, comic books, cartoons, video games, and card games.
  • Handmade and purchased costumes are all permitted to enter. (See “Contest Information: Categories” section for costume criteria)
  • You may enter and model a handmade costume made by someone else, but any awards won will go to the costume maker
  • Each contestant may only enter one costume into the contest

Contest Information

  • The contest will take place on the Main Stage of the Exhibit Hall Floor
  • You will be given your entry number on the day of the contest. Contestants will go on-stage in order of entry.
  • Please check in at the SuncakeMooncake Cosplay booth in the Hallway near the front entrance on contest day to confirm your registration and receive your entry number.
  • Check-ins will close 1 hour prior to the contest start time. If you do not check in, you will be dropped from the contest.
  • Contestants should meet at the Main Stage at least 30 minutes prior to the contest start time so they can line up in entry number order. If you are not present for the line up time, you will be dropped from the contest.
  • During the contest, the MC will announce your entry name, character name and series, and your optional fun fact. All of this will be taken from your registration form, so please ensure your information there is correct.
  • You will have 30 seconds to go onto the stage, strike 1-3 poses, then come off the stage. The judges will judge you based on what you show on-stage, so put your heart into it!

Categories

  • Handmade: Ages 13 and older. At least 70% of the costume is handmade
  • Purchased: Ages 13 and older. Costume is less than 70% handmade
  • Kids: Ages 12 and under, all costume types welcome

If you’re unsure which category to enter, please email the cosplay contest team at suncakemooncake888@gmail.com

Prizing

  • 1x Best Handmade Cosplay
  • 1x Runner-up Handmade Cosplay
  • 1x Best Purchased Cosplay
  • 1x Runner-up Purchased Cosplay
  • 1x Kids Category Winner

Each winner will receive a trophy, a ticket to next year’s SoCal Gaming Expo, and a swag bag of goodies! Any prizes won by a group will be split among the group members. We unfortunately cannot provide extra trophies.or tickets.

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Cosplay Contest Host

Suncake is one half of the award-winning duo SuncakeMooncake Cosplay, who has been creating costumes from scratch for over 16 years. In that time, Suncake has specialized in many forms of fabrication, including sewing, armor making, 3d printing, wig styling, and more. They love researching new techniques to add to their repertoire, teaching at cosplay panels, and spreading the art of cosplay to newcomers and veterans alike. They also enjoy playing video games, especially those from Nintendo and Capcom! Suncake is very excited to be hosting SoCalGaming Expo Cosplay Contest and can't wait to see all the cosplays!

Cosplay Judge

For over ten years, All Nighter Cosplay has been creating cosplays for competition and for fun!

After such a long time in fandom, he loves seeing innovative crafting techniques and new takes on beloved characters. He now strives to teach new cosplayers the art of both performance and craftsmanship as the community continues to grow.

Cosplay Judge

Maka is a professional costumer right out of Hollywood, who’s worked on costumes for the screen, as well as for theme park live entertainment. Their current costuming interest includes making shoes from scratch, tailoring, pattern making, and finding new ways to push their costumes to the limit. When they're not researching their next cosplay build, they enjoy spending time with their dog, and playing video games at home!

Cosplay Judge

Mooncake

Mooncake is one half of the award-winning duo SuncakeMooncake Cosplay! With over 16 years of sewing, crafting, and cosplay contest experience, they love bringing their favorite characters to life and performing in cosplay skits for the stage! They're also passionate about getting newcomers into the hobby through hosting educational panels and helping out at local cosplay contests. And of course they love playing video games, especially those on Nintendo consoles! Mooncake is so honored to be judging for the SoCalGaming Expo Cosplay Contest and excited to see what this year's contestants will bring!

Judging Criteria

  • Cosplay will be evaluated on the following criteria:Costume
    • Appearance (How does the costume look on-stage overall? Does it fit the cosplayer well? Are any parts of the costume falling off?)
    • Cleanliness (How well put-together is the costume? Are the fabric parts ironed? Is the finishing smooth on hard/armor pieces?)
    • Creativity (Did the cosplayer add any personal touches to the costume, such as making patches/accessories/weapons/etc? Did the cosplayer use any unique materials or techniques on the costume?)

     

    Stage Walk

    • Presentation (Was the cosplayer confident on-stage? Did the cosplayer embody their character during their stage walk? Were the cosplayer’s stage walk and poses engaging to the judges and audience?)
    • Mobility/Function (Was the costume easy to move around in? Did the cosplayer use the whole stage? Did all parts of the costume work as intended, such as lights/voice boxes turning on properly, props not breaking when being used for poses, etc?)

Safety & Costume Rules

Safety Rules

  • After you’ve finished your stage walk, please do not linger in the show area for too long, in character or not. Everyone deserves a chance to have their costume seen, so please be mindful of contestants waiting their turn behind.
  • No acrobatics/flips/cartwheels will be allowed.
  • No part of your costume should be removed, destroyed, or otherwise startle or interact with the audience. The only exception to removing a costume piece is if you are wearing another costume that complies with the Safety Rules underneath. (i.e. Removing a jacket/cloak/outerwear, or removing a “quick-change” outer costume that is held on with velcro or other similar modifications).
  • Contestants are not allowed to throw anything into the audience, use projectiles, or use anything in the show area 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. All prop weapons must conform to the prop policies, including being checked.
  • The use of makeup/body paint/body socks to darken your skin to the appearance of another human race will not be permitted.
  • All cosplay must cover "swimsuit areas" – no nudity. Body paint costumes are not allowed
  • Please follow the "PG rule"
  • Hate symbols, even historical hate symbols, will not be tolerated on costumes, gestures, or anything of the sort.
  • If you require ADA assistance, please contact us in advance at suncakemooncake888@gmail.com

Prop Policy

All costume weapons and props must conform to federal, state, and local law. A weapon is considered anything that could accidentally or purposefully cause injury to another attendee. We ask that you use common sense when bringing any prop weapon to the event. Avoid bringing hard prop weapons to the event. It is encouraged to use light materials such as foam, composite, light woods, and cardboard for prop weapons. All prop weapons must be inspected.

Functional firearms are not permitted in the event or on event grounds. Not allowed:

 

  • actual firearms
  • BB guns
  • airsoft guns
  • pellet guns
  • paintball guns
  • cap guns

All prop, toy, or fake firearms must be clearly marked with a brightly colored safety cap on the barrel. We will have a cosplay check and all foam weapon look-a-likes must be tagged by a SoCal Gaming Expo representative.

 

Functional projectile weapons are not permitted including;

 

  • slingshots or other sling devices
  • crossbows
  • long and short bows
  • rubber band guns, etc.
  • Bows and the like are permitted so long as the string is removed or loosened to the point that it cannot fire a projectile. Arrows or projectiles are allowed so long as they do not have a sharp tip and/or any sharp tip is removed.

 

Metal blade weapons that are sharpened are not permitted; swords, daggers, knives, throwing stars, axes, etc.

 

Blunt weapons are not permitted including; hockey sticks, baseball bats, nunchaku clubs, brass knuckles, slug devices, etc.

 

Chemical weapons and explosives including fireworks are not permitted. Incendiary weapons, i.e., which spark, shoot flame(s), burn, smolder, or can otherwise cause combustion or which exist for no purpose other than to be lit with a combustion device.

 

Self-defense weapons, i.e., pepper spray, mace, stun-guns, and tasers are prohibited.

Any prop that does not adhere to the guidelines above will be asked to be stored off property, admittance will not be allowed otherwise