In this competition, participants are judged on the Design, Detail, Craftsmanship, and Overall Presentation of their costume (or cosplay) that they personally constructed. Awards will be given out in this category. To be qualified to enter this competition, participants must abide by the following rules:

 

• The cosplay along with any and all props or weapons must follow the Cosplay & Weapons Convention Policy, as well as all posted Animarathon rules.

• The cosplay may be from any origin (movies, games, TV, anime, gijinka, original design, etc), but the competitor MUST be able to produce accurate reference material in order to be judged. If no reference material can be produced, the contestant is subject to disqualification.

• The cosplay must be at least 60% made by hand. Modified and/or altered pre-made clothing does not count as made by hand. This rule excludes shoes and wigs, however, more points are awarded to those who do make their own. Pre-bought or commissioned cosplays, portions of cosplays or props are strictly prohibited in the craftsmanship portion of the competition. The only exception to this rule is if the commissioner is present with the cosplayer during the pre-screening and the contest. However, any award given to the cosplay will be given to the commissioner, not the cosplayer. This kind of cosplay competition entry will be registered as a “group cosplay” and both the cosplayer’s and the commissioner’s name must appear on the registration form. For cosplays and props not made by hand, see the walk-on section.

• Participants may only have one entry in the craftsmanship category. If you are entering a cosplay you have made as well as a cosplay you made for someone else, you and the other participant(s) must be entered together as a group and judged at the same time.

• The cosplayer must be able to move freely in the cosplay and must be able to navigate stairs. A handler is allowed to accompany the cosplayer on stage if the cosplay requires one. Each entry/group is limited to 1 handler. An exception to this rule may be made for a medically-required, wheelchair bound person but arrangements must be made in advance and are NOT guaranteed.

• What comes on stage must leave the stage. This means the cosplay must not shed, all body paint must be properly sealed, and no confetti, loose sparkles, fire, flash powder, lasers, explosives, or open flame of any kind will be allowed to be part of the cosplay.

• If your cosplay has been entered AND won major awards (these include: Best in Show, Best Craftsmanship, 1st place, Best Novice, Best Advanced, Best Journeyman, Best Masters, or Best [category]) at previous competitions at Animarathon or any other convention, your cosplay will be disqualified. Cosplays that you have entered in previous competitions that did NOT place and have been modified are allowed. Cosplays that have won minor awards such as Judge’s choice or runner-up may enter their cosplay again if they have made modifications.

• All participants of the Cosplay Competition must pre-register and sign up for a pre-judging session. This pre-judging session will be 5 minutes long. JUDGING WILL OCCUR DURING THE PRE-SCREENING SESSIONS. This means do not be late for your appointed time and arrive in full cosplay AND make-up for our judges to be able to go through the judging process. Failure to do so will result in disqualification from the competition.

• When you pre-register, you will be asked to enter into one of 3 divisions. These divisions help the judges determine your past experience and will help us get a sense of your skill level which helps level the playing field for newcomers for a chance to win. The 3 divisions are as follows:
   

  • Junior Division: This division is reserved for our younger participants under the age of 13. We do ask that a parent/guardian over 18 be present at sign up. Guardians will be allowed to stay with the child during set up and the competition.

  • Novice Division: The lower of the 2 divisions, this division is reserved for first time participants and participants who have yet to win a Major Award (these include: Best in Show, Best Craftsmanship, 1st place, Best Novice, Best Advance, Best Journeyman, Best Masters, or Best [category]).

  • Advanced Division: The higher of the 2 divisions (also known as Journeyman and/or Master Division at other conventions), this division is reserved for well-seasoned participants who have won Major Awards in the past OR make a living off of their ability to craft clothing and/or props.
     

• You may not enter the competition at a level lower than you have already won a previous competition at (i.e. you cannot register as Novice if you have already won Best Journeymen). Contestants may be bumped up into a higher division based on judges’ discretion.

• Any participant found guilty of falsifying claims about their cosplay or their past experience (including but not limited to; falsely claiming you crafted all or portions of your cosplay, falsely claiming a lower rank that you are, or falsely claiming you have never won a prize with the cosplay you have entered, and trying to enter the contest without a badge or with a falsified badge) will be disqualified and BANNED from future Animarathon Cosplay Contests. Participants found guilty of falsifying claims may be moved to the Walk-on Category without prior notice, or asked to leave. Pictures may be taken of your cosplay as evidence of falsifying claims. All pictures not used to support the judge’s claim of a participant falsifying information will be deleted at the end of the convention.

• If you are not satisfied with the results of the competition, you agree to contact the Cosplay Staff general email (cosplay.animarathon@gmail.com) for clarification and communication. If you decide to ignore this as an option, and disparage the judges publicly online or show poor sportsmanship due to disliking the results in person or online, you understand you may forfeit your right to compete in this competition in the future.