Come show us your awesome cosplays at the CrashCityCon Cosplay contest on Sunday! All cosplays are welcome including original characters!  Please read our contest rules located below. Also, If you plan on bringing a prop of any kind make sure to check the prop guidelines below. Additionally, please bring reference and progress photos to show the judges.  Now lets meet our judges and cosplay director!

Matt Correll, The creator of The State of the Nerd Community on Facebook and Twitter, avid gamer and Dungeon Master / Game Master of various tabletop role-playing games for over 25 years.

Anissa Medina-Castillo of Enticing Alter Egos Cosplay is a cosplayer from southwest Virginia who has been cosplaying and competing at numerous conventions since 2014. She advocates for body positivity within the cosplay world, and believes cosplay is for all. Over the years she has won several awards for her costumes, and now she enjoys judging at different conventions through Virginia including Mysticon, Roanoke Valley Comic Con, and now Crash City!

Sarah Oliver, a nurse by day and an avid artist and cosplayer by night. Her majors include Sports Medicine, Occupational therapy, and Athletic training. But don’t let that fool you, she loves all things SciFi, anime and video games. She is a new mother who is juggling work and play, along with endeavoring to start her own bissness. Her art specializes in 3D mixed media, paint, paper crafts, and charcoal portraits. She’s been cosplaying since 2004, has competed and won awards in many masquerades since and was interviewed by Roanoke Times in 2014 about her cosplay. She is an advocate for anti-bullying and gender stereotypes in the cosplay community and is a safe place for anyone who needs it.

Katelyn Law Sarver CrashCityCon Cosplay Director –  Katelyn of Wickedly Stitched cosplay by Kate is so excited to be the Cosplay Director for CrashCityCon 2024! Katelyn is a professional seamstress from Rocky Mount, VA who owns her own sewing business making custom corsets, formal wear, and costumes for her clients. She has been cosplaying since 2013 and has won numerous awards for her work. She has also judged and helped with several costume contests including Mysticon, Big Lick Comic-con, RavenCon, Geekmob, Kantaicon, Holly Hill Comic-Con in North Carolina and Danville Comicon. Check out her pages at:

https://www.facebook.com/wickedlystitchedcosplay/

https://www.instagram.com/wickedlystitchedcosplaybykate

        CrashcityCon Cosplay Contest Rules

  • CrashCityCon is open to any costumed individual or group, but all participants must have valid CrashCityCon membership badge.
  • The contest will be held on Sunday afternoon. (See our schedule for the times and locations.)
  • Cosplay contest sign-ups will be done at the convention until 2:00 pm on Sunday. No entries will be accepted after that time. 
  • There will be no live microphone for contestants to use on stage.
  • There will be no spotlights or other lighting effects available on stage.
  • If you plan to draw or otherwise “use” a prop during your presentation, note that on your cosplay contest sign-up sheet. The cosplay director will make any necessary determination of suitability and safety.
  • If you are taking part in a group entry, only one cosplay contest sign-up sheet is necessary for the entire group, but the name of all group members must be listed on that sheet.
  • The contest is open to all ages. An adult must accompany children under 12. Non-costumed parents of young entrants will be able to accompany their children at all times, including while children are onstage if they so wish or find it necessary. Costumed parents can accompany their children onstage as well.
  • Awards categories may include: Best in Show, Best Master, Best Journeyman, Best Novice, Best Group ,Best Child, Best Original Character and Judge’s Choice. Depending on the number of participants, other awards may be added or awards may be removed. Participants will be judged on costume construction, originality, and presentation. All child participants will receive a certificate regardless of their performance.  Decisions of the judges will be final.
  • Novice costumers are those who are over the age of 13 and have never won any major awards in a cosplay contest. Journeyman costumers are those who have won 1 or 2 major cosplay awards but have won no more than 3 major  awards. Master costumers are those who have won more than three (3) Best in Show or Best Overall awards or thoughts who are considered professionals. Child costumers are anyone 12years old or younger. Any participant may choose to compete in a higher category.  Judges have the right to move you to a different category based on your skill level. Major awards are considered Best in show, Best overall,First place, Second place, Third place, Best Master, Best Journeyman,Best Novice.
  • No individual may present more than one costume in the contest. You cannot wear a costume onstage, then change into another costume and present it, too, for competition.
  • Individuals are limited to one 1 minute on stage. Group entries are limited to one 1 minute plus 30seconds for each additional member up to a maximum of three 3 minutes on stage. There will be no extended songs, skits, monologues, or conversations.
  • Any of the following on stage will result in disqualification and ejection from the cosplay contest: smoke effects, open flames, squirting liquids, firing projectiles, throwing objects into the audience, use of obscene language, pornographic representations, full or partial nudity. Help us keep CrashcityCon a safe and family-friendly convention.
  • Judging will incorporate a weighted system, meaning that the standards will be stricter for a Master-level costume than for a Novice entry. This helps encourage participation by newcomers.
  • Points may be deducted for missing costume parts, poor makeup, inaccurate accessories, or outfits that disintegrate onstage.  
  • We ask that anyone with a costume which has won 1 or more Best in show,Best overall, or First place in any masquerade or costume competition elsewhere not enter that particular costume into the CrashcityCon cosplay contest unless it has been significantly changed or improved.
  • Participants must be present and on time for prejuding , stage walk and award ceremony in order to receive an award.
  • CrashcityCon reserves the right to remove anyone from the contest at any time for any reason, including but not limited to: indecent costume, unprofessional conduct, tardiness, and disruption of the contest.
  • Participants must stay within the contest area until judging is completed and awards are presented. Bathroom breaks are allowed but please notify a member of the cosplay contest staff.

Prop guidelines

All props must be checked and peace bound at prop check upon arrival at the convention. NO actual guns or swords/knives will be allowed. Prop guns with an orange tip are allowed. Foam and plastic prop swords/knives/axes/etc. are allowed. 

CrashCityCon 2024 is August 23-25, 2024 at the Berglund Center Special Events Center!!!!!!!