Cosplay, or Costume Play is the act of dressing up and acting as a character from pop culture including cartoons, anime, manga, comics, video games, movies or TV. Many cosplayers hand-make their own costumes so they accurately resemble the characters while others purchase readily-made ones for the fun.
Cyprus Comic Con receives a large number of cosplayers every year who can benefit from:
- Free entrance to the event
- Free professional photos at the CCC Cosplay Photobooth
- Access to the Cosplay Village where they can hang out and rest alongside fellow cosplayers
- Access to a cloakroom where they can safely store their belongings
- Access to private changing rooms
- Access to a fully equipped repair station
- The chance to compete and win huge prizes!
Cosplay Contests
Cyprus Comic Con holds two contests during the weekend of the event. They are craftsmanship oriented and cater to all levels of cosplay experience ranging from beginners to those more proficient. Cosplayers with hand-made or partly hand-made costumes can participate in the following contests, as long as they can meet the contest requirements and criteria.
It is only permitted to participate in both contests if you’re wearing a different costume for each one.
The EuroCosplay Championship is comprised of a series of qualifier cosplay competitions held in conventions all over Europe. The winner of each qualifier receives the honour of representing their country in the EuroCosplay Final which is held annually at the MCM London Comic Con in October.
The winner of the Cypriot Qualifier will not only be awarded with the usual grand prizes, but will also receive a return plane ticket to London, accommodation for 2 nights and a VIP 3-day pass to the October 2019 MCM London Comic Con.
Competition Day: Saturday April 20th
Maximum Entries: 25
Registration Deadline: Sunday March 31st – Online Only
Check-In: Saturday April 20th 10:00am – 1:00 pm at the Cosplay Desk
1st Place: €1000
+ Representation of Cyprus at EuroCosplay in London
+ A paid flight ticket to London & accommodation
+ VIP entrance to MCM Expo for 3 days
+ Photoshoot of your costume before the final
2nd Place: €500
3rd Place: €250
4th Place: XL Worbla Sheet
5th Place: XL Worbla Sheet
In order to be eligible for representing Cyprus in the EuroCosplay Final, you need to:
- Be 18 years old or over by the start of MCM Expo (26/10/2019)
- Be of Cypriot nationality with relevant documents OR have lived in Cyprus for 3 years or more
- Have a fully handmade costume which was made by yourself with minor help from others
- Be available to travel to the UK from the 25th until the 27th of October 2019 with valid travel documents
- Comply to all of the rules in the official EuroCosplay rulebook (click to view)
- Once a cosplayer registers using the form, they will receive a confirmation email indicating that we have received their registration.
- They will then have to email their photos to the cosplay team following this guide.
- The cosplay team will then assess their costume photos and eligibility and will let them know via email if they’ve made it into the contest. All registered cosplayers will go through this screening process due to the limited amount of competition spots. Anyone who doesn’t make it into the EuroCosplay Qualifier, is welcome to compete on CCC Masquerade on Sunday.
- The approved cosplayers will then discuss their stage performance with the cosplay team.
- All contestants are required to perform a skit lasting between 1 to 2 minutes on the cosplay stage.
- An mp3 of the performance audio has to be provided by the contestant and lighting settings will be discussed with the cosplay team.
- Stage props with the maximum dimensions of 2m x 2m x 1m are allowed and should require 30 seconds or less stage preparation time.
- CCC Cosplay Rules and Guidelines still apply.
There will be a private judging session before the stage show, where the judges can closely look at your costume and ask you questions.
Construction – 40%
The judges will pay close attention to:
- the quality, stitching and finish of fabric
- the choice of structural materials such as foam, worbla, wood or cardboard and the way they were treated
- the detail put into crafting the decorations and trimmings
- the overall techniques used and the originality of ideas applied in the costume
- the quality of the wigs, wig-styling, props, customised shoes and makeup
Accuracy – 40%
The judges will be checking how faithful your costume, hair, make-up and props are to the character you’re cosplaying as. Important things to look for are dimensions, material and textures, colours and detailing. The reference photos you provide are incredibly important.
Performance – 20%
The goal is to look as much like your cosplay character as possible, this includes body motions and poses. Your stage performance can be dramatic or comedic or a mix of both. Overall a good performance should entertain the audience and the judges.
The EuroCosplay Final is one of the biggest international cosplay contests with over 25 countries participating. The judging panel of the London Final is always comprised of big names from the international cosplay scene flown in from America or Asia. The main focus of the judges is craftsmanship and all participating cosplayers are scored according to their accuracy 40%, costume construction 40% and performance 20%.
All participants are first inspected by the judges in a private session before the stage show, then they are given a couple of minutes on stage to perform a quick skit which best shows off their costume such as a dance or performance (e.g. sword swinging and posing), a song or even a short theatrical performance.
Visit the EuroCosplay Facebook Page, Twitter or Website.
This competition welcomes all hand-made and partly hand-made costumes! Any skill level is eligible, from beginners to the more proficient. Both locals and foreigners can compete, solo or as groups of 2-3.
Competition Day: Sunday April 21st
Maximum Entries: 40, register and check in early before all the spots fill up
Registration:
- Online until Friday April 19th 12:00 am
- At Cosplay Desk on Saturday April 20th until 1:00 pm
- At Cosplay Desk on Sunday April 21st until 1:00 pm
Group Participation Allowed: Maximum 3 people
Check-In: Sunday April 21st 10:00am – 1:00 pm at the Cosplay Desk
1st Place: €500
2nd Place: €250
3rd Place: €100
4th Place: XL Worbla Sheet
5th Place: XL Worbla Sheet
- Have a partly or fully hand-made costume. Purchased costumes are not eligible.
- Be 12 years old or over
Judging will take place on stage where each contestant at a time will have 2 minutes to be assessed by the judges. Remain in character, strike poses and act like your character as much as possible.
Construction – 40%
The judges will pay close attention to:
- the difficulty of the project and effort put into making the costume
- the attention to detail and craftsmanship quality
- the prop and accessory quality
- the amount of pieces created from basic materials and not purchased. Fully handmade costumes have a distinct advantage.
Accuracy – 40%
The judges will be checking how faithful your costume, hair, make-up and props are to the character you’re cosplaying as. Important things to look for are dimensions, material and textures, colours and detailing. The reference photos you provide are incredibly important.
Performance – 20%
The goal of cosplay is to look as much like your cosplay character as possible, this includes body motions, poses and phrases you say. Those who act in character will score higher than those who do not. We encourage you to remain in character during your on-stage judging!
Cosplay Parade
An on-stage cosplay parade will take place on Sunday during the Masquerade.
All Cosplayers are welcome to get on stage and show off their costume, both contestants and not!
To participate, be at the Cosplay Village in Hall 5 on Sunday at 18:30!