Masquerade Best of Show: Optimus Prime
Masquerade Results
Last night, the 2026 Comic-Con Masquerade filled Ballroom 20, the Sails Pavilion seating area, and some of Ballroom 6A. It featured 29 entries, with a total of 91 costumes crossing the stage. Emcees were artists/writers/publishers Phil Foglio and Kaja Foglio of Studio Foglio’s, best known for their Girl Genius series of graphic novels and comics.
For the judging intermission, the audience was treated to a new Star Wars lightsaber drama-performance by combined chapters of The Saber Guild and a new modern dance performance by the popular Corps Dance Crew.
Masquerade Trophy Winners:
- Best in Show – Optimus Prime – Worn By: Maksym Dokiienko; Made By: Maksym Dokiienko, Vadym Lukhtyzskyi, and Hanna Lukhtyzskyi
- Judges’ Choice – Horus Heresy – Worn By: Beyonder Joe, Michael, and Noah Ramirez, and Dominick Hansel; Made By: Beyonder Joe
Best Re-Creation – Evil Queen – Worn By: Kstroobz Cosplay; Made By: Kstroobz Cosplay
Best Original Design – Berry Demure, Berry Couture! – Worn By: Kie Shimokawa, Lynleigh Sato, Lily Gruenke, Wendy Colon, and Eri Espejo; Made By: Kie Shimokawa, Lynleigh Sato, Lily Gruenke, Wendy Colon, Eri Espejo, Ashley Brown, and Ethan Shimokawa
Best Workmanship – Rosie’s Hungry… FOR POWER! – Worn By: Nina London; Made By: Nina London
Most Humorous – Zero To Hero – Worn By: Jordan Munn-Hughes, Nathaniel Dolquist, Kevin Allen, Kit Leitenmier, Ty Nelson, Felicia Wade, and Nil Gills; Made By: Chad Evett, Jordan Munn-Hughes, Justin Moak, Kit Leitenmier, Matt Hammerhand, and Veronica Swarens
Most Beautiful – For The Better – Worn By: Chad Hatter and Logan Allison; Made By: Chad Hatter, Logan Allison, Jaime Catalano, VeronicaSwarens, Theo Tiedemann, and Felicia Wade
Best Young Fan – Deceit-Filled Cookies – Worn By: Kai Moussette and Cole Hall;
Made By: Kai Moussette and Cole Hall
In addition, the judges awarded Honorable Mentions to the following entries:
- Honorable Mention for Best Retro Re-Creation given to Shockwave – Worn By: Jason Ley; Made By: Jason Ley
- Honorable Mention for Original Design given to Mandocultural – Worn By: Arielle, Chelsea, Tiah, Alia, Amber, Rob, and Sam Audio & Sound Design by David; Made By: Arielle, Chelsea, Tiah, Alia, Amber, Rob, and Sam Audio & Sound Design by David
- Honorable Mention for Most Beautiful given to Only Until Midnight – Worn By: Starlit Memory Cosplay and Zeazonal; Made By: Starlit Memory Cosplay
- Honorable Mention for Most Humorous given to Muppet Peter Pan – Worn By: PerditasWardrobe, LuciferBob, CosplayMom99, LovelyLadyVee, and Kiez21; Made By: PerditasWardrobe
Industry-Sponsored Award Winners:
- The Costume Designers Guild, IATSE Local 892 – Best Costume Entry: Rosie’s Hungry… FOR POWER! – Worn By: Nina London; Made By: Nina London.
- The Art Directors Guild, IATSE Local 800 – Award for Original Concept Design: Mandocultural – Worn By: Arielle, Chelsea, Tiah, Alia, Amber, Rob, and Sam Audio & Sound Design by David; Made By: Arielle, Chelsea, Tiah, Alia, Amber, Rob, and Sam Audio & Sound Design by David; and Award for Best Visual Design: For The Better – Worn By: Chad Hatter and Logan Allison; Made By: Chad Hatter, Logan Allison, Jaime Catalano, VeronicaSwarens, Theo Tiedemann, and Felicia Wade.
- Comickaze Comics & Pop Culture Store – Best In-Character Performance: For The Better – Worn By: Chad Hatter and Logan Allison; Made By: Chad Hatter, Logan
- Allison, Jaime Catalano, VeronicaSwarens, Theo Tiedemann, and Felicia Wade
- Comic-Con International Alan Campbell Award: Best Re-Creation of Comics Character: A Night in Gotham – Worn By: Prue, Stacey, Ryan, Cameron, and Elizabeth; Made By: Prue Ductions
- The Costumer’s Guild West (CGW) – Showing the Most Promise: The Couture Creature – Worn By: Cheerfully Morbid Cosplay; Made By: Cheerfully Morbid Cosplay
- Frank & Son Collectible Show of the City of Industry – Audience Favorite: Zero To Hero – Worn By: Jordan Munn-Hughes, Nathaniel Dolquist, Kevin Allen, Kit Leitenmier, Ty Nelson, Felicia Wade, and Nil Gills; Made By: Chad Evett, Jordan Munn-Hughes, Justin Moak, Kit Leitenmier, Matt Hammerhand, and Veronica Swarens
Comic-Con International gives a hearty thank-you to everyone who participated in the show!
Comic-Con Museum Updates
To keep the Comic-Con Museum experience fresh, two new exhibits were opened last month.
Center Stage: The Art of Mel Marcelo
This exhibit showcases a collection of original digital illustrations created by San Diego artist Mel Marcelo. These works were commissioned exclusively for artists and events appearing at Pechanga Arena San Diego between 2010 and 2022. Prints were presented as commemorative gifts and keepsakes, with each piece capturing a unique moment in the venue’s history from legendary concerts to championship sporting events. Mel Marcelo created all the artwork featured in this exhibit for concert tours and special events appearing at the venue, everything from classic rock to contemporary pop and hip hop, including Elton John, The Who, and Guns N’ Roses, Janet Jackson, Pink, Taylor Swift, and Bad Bunny. Visitors can marvel at the art capturing the spirit and energy of one of San Diego’s most iconic venues by great local artist Mel Marcelo.
Chas Addams: Family and Friends
This exhibit celebrates the brilliantly macabre imagination of Charles “Chas” Addams. Probably best known as creator of The Addams Family TV shows and films, Addams always considered himself a cartoonist and humorist first. Over his long career, Addams drew over 1,300 cartoons, and many of his original artworks are on display. A highlight is a group that shows the progression from original concept to final published piece. Come to the museum to explore this hilarious dark take on love, society, and human nature.
Other Exhibits
As you may know, the Comic-Con Museum opened the North American premiere of Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder: Where Science Meets Fiction last year. Due to tremendous demand, the exhibit has been held over until January 2027. Any Whovians who might have missed it should check it out before it leaves, unless you happen to have a TARDIS, then you can probably just go anytime.
One request we often hear from patrons at the Comic-Con Museum is that they didn’t see Comic-Con. Cover Story: Six Decades of Comic-Con attempts to answer that. Since 1970, Comic-Con has produced numerous publications featuring art from many of the top comic artists of all time: Milton Caniff, Jack Kirby, Will Eisner, Neal Adams, Frank Miller, Moebius, Jim Lee, Alex Ross, Babs Tarr, and Frank Cho. These publications, along with photos, memorabilia, and art, give a glimpse at the history and evolution of the Comic-Con cultural phenomenon. In addition, the semi-permanent museum exhibit Masquerade: The Art of the Costume has recently received a makeover with new cosplay pieces on display.
Want to find out more about the Comic-Con Museum? Be sure to attend Comic-Con Museum: Bringing the Popular Arts to Balboa Park (11:30 am – 12:30 pm, Room 25ABC). Kevin Miserocchi (Tee and Charles Addams Foundation), Taylor Henderson (Pechanga Arena San Diego), and Ashley Eckstein (Star Wars, Ahsoka Tano), who provides insight into the Masquerade: The Art of the Costume exhibit, join moderator Eddie Ibrahim (Comic-Con Program Director) for this discussion of all things related to the Comic-Con Museum.
Happy Takes a Spin at the Comic-Con Museum Booth
Finally, be sure to visit the Comic-Con Museum in the Exhibit Hall (Booth 1714). Join our mailing list or subscribe to Instagram for a chance to spin the wheel for fun and prizes. Comic-Con Museum Legend memberships for 2027 go on sale in the booth today at Noon. Legend member benefits include a 2027 four-day plus preview night Comic-Con badge, private docent tour, special legend pin, and name recognition on the Comic-Con Museum Legend wall. See the staff at the booth for more information.
P.O.W.E.R. Drawings Today
In true superhero spirit, Previously Offered Wristbands: Extra Redemption (P.O.W.E.R.) Drawings give attendees one last shot at scoring an Exclusive Signing (ES) Portal wristband. Sixty minutes before the start of an ES Portal signing, a special drawing may be held in the Autograph Area for any unclaimed wristbands, if available. This is your chance to swoop in and claim a spot that was previously awarded but not redeemed. The drawing will follow the Autograph Area Line Drawing procedures, so be sure you’re familiar with how it works (see page 78 of the Events Guide).
Potential P.O.W.E.R. Drawings and times for today are as follows:
- Bryan Lee O’Malley (10:00 am Drawing, signing at Oni Press Booth, #1829)
- Air Bud Returns and Robert Vince Photo Op (11:00 am Drawing)
Announcements
Hospitality Suite
After more years than she would like us to mention, Mikee Ritter is stepping down as head of Hospitality Suite this year. She will still be around, but she has made her last 35 gallons of onion dip. Thank you, Mikee, for all of your years of service.
At 1:45 pm – 2:45 pm in Room 6DE, the program title should be Transformers: The Good, the Bad, the Funny, not Hasbro Pulse Enhances Transformers Canon of Collectibles and Toys.
Toucan Tip Sunday
Can’t get enough of Comic-Con? You should check out WonderCon, March 26-28, 2027, in Anaheim. Badges are on sale now, and 3-day badges feature an Early Bird discount of over $20 off the adult badge price. WonderCon features over 900 exhibitors in a 412,000-square-foot Exhibit Hall filled with comics, original art, toys, and merchandise from many popular artists, publishers, and retailers. You can expect exclusive movie and television programming, a full slate of panels featuring the top comics professionals, autographs, games, portfolio reviews, the Masquerade, and much, much more. Best of all, you can buy badges without needing an elaborate strategy.
Comic-Con Gallery
Inkpots for Comic Creators Connection coordinators Doug Neff and Corey Rothermel.
Creators of the Upcoming Justice League Roleplaying Game.
Kickin’ It in the Lego Lounge.
Glad That’s Not Pointed Directly at the Camera Lens!
Avengers Assemble… at the Food Court!
Maybe Godzilla’s Kid Brother?
The Mad Dash (But No Running!) to Be the First in the Exhibit Hall.
Corps Dance Crew Rehearses Late Saturday for Performance at Masquerade Judging Intermission.
Safe With This One, Grogu Is.
Kneel Before Doom – Robert Downey, Jr., Address Hall H Crowd.
David Johnson Is Humbled to Be the New Black Panther.
By the Power of Grayskull…
Comic-Con Today does not accept photo submissions, but if you notice something cool that you think we should know about, please drop us a line at newsletter@comic-con.org; no guarantees. Be sure to include a phone number in case we have questions.
All content is the property of Comic-Con® International © 2026.
Photographer credits are indicated below. All photos are © 2026 SDCC.
Comic-Con Today
Editor-in-Chief – Chris Sturhann
Editor/Photographers: Justin Hurt Christopher Machado
Editor/Writer – Carly Neun