Enjoy dressing up as your favorite characters? Youmacon has many cosplay opportunities.

Signing Up

All attendees wishing to enter their costume in a contest require a judging appointment. There is a desk in Artists' Alley with the required forms, as well as a list of available appointment times. Entrants will sign up for a craftsmanship judging time, a skit approval time, or both. You may enter either or both of the hall cosplay contests, and/or the masquerade, provided that you have a different costume for each. Only the masquerade entrants will be on stage during the masquerade.

During craftsmanship judging, our judges will evaluate the quality and accuracy of the costume(s). During skit approval, our staff will evaluate skits for time and content. CDs with dialogue and/or music to use during the masquerade will also be collected at this point. Skit performance is not pre-judged, but our approvers may give advice to make your final performance more effective.

Masquerade participants should be at the Masquerade Green Room in Panel 1 at 6:00 with their badges for check-in. Participants will wait in the Green Room for their number to be called and return there after their presentation. Awards for both hall cosplay and the masquerade will be given out at the end of the masquerade performances.

General Cosplay Rules

• No metal weapons, real firearms, or props loaded with high-velocity projectiles. Realistic weapon props may be peace-bonded at the discretion of security or masquerade staff.
• Props should be carried and posed with in a way that does not inconvenience or injure other attendees.
• Costumes must be tasteful and cover appropriate areas of the body.

Judging Categories

• Novice: Cosplayers with no prior awards
• Journeyman: Cosplayers with 1-5 awards
• Master: Cosplayers with 6 or more awards
• Youth: Cosplayers age 12 and under
• Staff: Youmacon staff members

Categories are based on any type of previous awards, craftsmanship or presentation. Division qualifications are subject to change to ensure even award distribution.

Hall Cosplay Contest

The hall cosplay contests give cosplayers a chance to get their craftsmanship judged without the pressures of an audience and a chance to get additional costumes judged.

Craftsmanship Judging Rules

• All of the general cosplay rules above apply.
• All participants must be registered for Youmacon and bring their registration badge to judging.
• Participants must fill out a cosplay registration form with legitimate information for award purposes.
• You may enter the Friday and Saturday hall cosplay contests and the masquerade, but not with the same costume.
• Reference material is required.
• Costumes entered must be of Japanese game, anime, manga or media (Sentai, music, J-rock, etc.) origin. No original characters are permitted. Korean media may be accepted.
• Costumes cannot be judged for craftsmanship if they were primarily store-bought or commissioned. Children 12 and under are exempt from this rule.
• Costumes that have won a major award at other events are ineligible to win another award in the same category.
• You need to make a judging appointment upon cosplay registration. Be sure to show up to judging a few minutes early in your costume. If you miss your appointment, you will be rescheduled, time permitting.
• Costumes judged must be able to traverse the Youmacon hallways.

Masquerade

Put on a performance or show off your costuming work in front of a large audience at Youmacon's masquerade! Skits can enter for performance, craftsmanship, or both, or you can model your costume in a walk-on for craftsmanship judging.

Time Allotments

Masquerade Rules

• All the general cosplay and craftsmanship judging rules above apply.
• Keep skits PG-13 rated.
• Groups may not exceed 8 people.
• Participants' costumes and props must be able to traverse the 6' wide backstage hallway.
• No jumping onto or off of the stage or acrobatics.
• No throwing items off of the stage.
• Clean up after yourself. Do not leave anything behind on the stage.
• Stage combat will be allowed only if approved by the judges after a demonstration.
• No special effects. Electronic flashes are permitted only if okayed by masquerade staff. An announcement will be made to attendees at the start of your skit.
• Karaoke is not a skit. Please save it for the karaoke.
• No surprises.
• Groups with three or more participants are highly recommended to pre-record audio to ensure being heard by the audience and judges. Handheld microphone availability is not guaranteed.

Cosplay Photo Shoot Gatherings

Youmacon features scheduled gatherings for cosplayers from the same series to meet up and get photos. The location of these gatherings is still under debate, but will be posted as soon as it is known. Times will be determined when the con schedule is released in the fall; many will be coordinated with events.

Currently we're planning for:

• None at this time

If you want a gathering to be added to the list, suggest it in our forum, and if it gathers enough interest we'll add it.