Cosplay Contest Rules

The Contest

I.  Costumes can be of comic, anime, video game, pop culture (cyberpunk, steampunk, music icons, etc), science fiction, and movies/television origin. The SwampCon Costume Contest is a walk-on competition for showcasing costumes, it is open to all cosplayers of all levels, ages, and abilities.

II. Judging will be based upon craftmanship, originality, accuracy and likeness to the character. Personal changes to the costume will be judged to be seen as better or worse.

III. You MUST have reference image(s).

IV. Any questions, concerns, suggestions, confirmation requests and offers of help regarding the SwampCon Costume Contest, please contact administrator Devan Baird at cosplay@swampcon.com

2) Eligibility

I. All entries must be SwampCon attendees, this means you MUST have your wrist band in order to participate.

II. Entries MUST be the product of your OWN creation.
Store bought costumes/commissioned costumes will not be accepted for judging but will be eligible to walk on stage. Yes, we know what a commissioned costume looks like.
The costume does not have to be 100% made by you, such as socks, belts, shoes or wigs. At least a minimum of 75% of the costume must be made by you.

III. If you have someone modeling your costume for you, YOU must be present at the
time of judging in order to explain details of your costume to the judges. Your model
may accept the reward on your behalf with your expressed permission.

IV. Group entries MUST have all members of the group present at prejudging in order to be judged fairly.

V. If you are entering at the convention cosplay, submissions will be accepted from 12-3pm on Saturday 1/12 and pre-judging will begin the same day at 3pm

3) Safety

I. An adult must accompany all contestants under the age of 15. The adult does not have to be on stage during the presentation of the costume.

II. No flashpots, explosive devices, liquids or gels. Anything that creates a mess and a potential hazard for other contestants is strictly prohibited.

III. Please do not jump on or off the stage. Doing so will result in an immediate disqualification of your entry.

IV. Weapons must be peace-bonded via weapons and prop checkers before pre-judging. This is for the safety of all con attendees. There will be no projectile weapons allowed on stage, any weapon not approved by the convention will not be allowed on stage. 

V. Brandishing a weapon at anyone not in your cosplay group may result in your disqualification. This also applies to: Insulting or injuring other entrants, convention members, judges, guests or their costumes. Please be courteous. Show all performers the same respect that you want them to show you, and keep your volume down in the preparation and stage areas.

VI. Weapons, belonging to you MUST not leave the safety of your hands during your time on stage. This means, PLEASE do not throw your weapon.
4) Adult Content

I. Swampcon is a family friendly environment. This means that we are holding the restriction for the cosplay contest at PG-13.

II. No profanity, or excessive violence.

III. No sexual activity allowed.

IV. No nudity allowed, this entails inappropriate exposure of private body parts. We reserve the right to refuse your costume if it is deemed too inappropriate.

V. Any adult content is subject to review by the judges. Any content deemed too explicit for family viewing may require you to re-adjust either your costumes or poses. Refusal will result in your disqualification.
5) Technical Difficulties and Scheduling

I. All entrants are required to show up for the costume pre-judging.

II. Be prepared for stalls, it is recommended that you arrive for both pre-judging and the costume contest at least 5 minutes ahead of time.

III. Once on stage, please limit the amount of time you remain on stage. 3 poses per
person and group should be sufficient enough for each participant.
6) Other

I. Please note: Rules are subject to change at our digression.