Masquerade Information, Rules and Entry Form

OUR 50th ANNIVERSARY MASQUERADE!

It was back in 1974 that after so many great costumes were seen at the first few San Diego Comic-Cons, a special on-stage event to show them off was added. Since then, there has been a Masquerade every single year, even during our two years of virtual conventions, and over those decades, our staging, our technology, and the costumes have evolved considerably! Our “Cosplay Competition,” to use a newer term for it, showcases costumes crafted by our attendees and inspired by all the popular arts, plus original designs from the imagination. Trophies and generous cash or other awards are given to the top costumes. Not a dance or party, it is an exhibition on a stage, and is free for our Saturday attendees to participate in or be in the audience.

Most contestants supply recorded music to add mood and story to their presentation. Some entries will be individuals, and others will be groups with a shared theme. The large stage features special lighting and projections, and great viewing for all is provided by giant high-definition screens. During the judging break, we will have new performances by the Saber Guild Star Wars group and The Corps Dance Crew. Our 2023 audience filled all 3,900 seats in Ballroom 20, with a thousand more watching on large screens in the Sails Pavilion and Room 6A.

Showtime will be Saturday, July 27, at 8:30 p.m. in Ballroom 20 in the San Diego Convention Center. The event will run for two and a half hours, and doors will open for audience seating at 8:00, but the line will start forming hours earlier.

Free tickets are available but not required. To reduce time waiting in line, tickets for seating will be passed out starting at 12:00 noon Saturday at the Masquerade ticket line, then again at the Masquerade Desk from 3:00–5:00. A ticket guarantees a seat until 8:30, so you can enjoy other daytime programming and return to the line later and know there is a seat for you. After the ticketed line has entered, those without tickets are welcome until the room is filled. Convention special guests and approved press can request reserved seats at masq@comic.con.org or visit the Masquerade Desk at the convention.

HOW TO ENTER:

Submit a completed Entry Form soon and no later than July 5 to masq@comic-con.org Reserving a contestant spot early is advised, since in 2023 we filled up in early June. Photos of the costume you will be wearing are required for review for sufficient original crafting, quality and content. Until the photos are approved your entry is only tentatively accepted.  You may email your photos to masq@comic-con.org the same day you submit your form, or you can submit your form now and email the photos later, by July 5. ”Work in Progress” photos are accepted if only a minor amount of work remains. Groups must show photos of all costumes. For safety reasons Young Fans must be at least age 12.

IMPORTANT CONTESTANT INFORMATION:

Soon after you arrive at the convention, sign in at the Masquerade Desk in the Ballroom 20 lobby to confirm your arrival and complete your show forms. Completed forms must be submitted no later than 10:30 AM on Saturday, either at the Desk or the Contestant Orientation. If you do not sign in by 10:30 we may assume you have canceled and release your spot to someone from the Waiting List. All contestants and their helpers need Backstage Passes, obtainable at the Desk and at the Orientation. Each entry may bring a backstage helper with them, but any helpers will also need a Saturday attendee badge. Desk hours are 10:00 to 5:00, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

“Help! I have a great costume to display on the stage but was unable to buy a badge during the online badge sales!” Contestants who submit an entry form and photos and are APPROVED as a contestant can request a special online code to use to buy a badge, even though the convention is sold out. This is also true for costume groups that are accepted or if you need to bring a helper. Codes will be distributed in June to contestants that we confirm as eligible and accepted into the show.

We strongly recommend that contestants attend the Contestant Orientation at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday in our Rehearsal Room 31AB, where we will discuss your technical needs and other details of your evening ahead. You may bring your costume at that time if you like and store it there, or wait until you arrive for the show check-in later to bring it.

The Ballroom 20 stage will be in use for other events during the day, but the rehearsal stage in our Rehearsal Room 31AB will be the same size: 32 feet wide by 20 feet deep, and will be available all Saturday afternoon for rehearsing. The actual stage is 4 feet high, and a full stage diagram will be sent to those sending in Entry Forms. A locking storage room is available for costumes and props starting Thursday. Loading dock access and a freight elevator are available for items impractical to carry into the building but require reserving a day in advance.

Please do not wear your contest costume at the convention before it is seen in the show, or it will be ineligible for the competition. Our audiences wait a long time in line to see something special, not what they have already seen in the halls. This will also protect your costume from the wear and tear that can occur while wearing it during the day, especially if the weather is hot or humid. We have seen great costumes drop out just before the show from damage or the wearer’s exhaustion, so keep yours safe and secret until Saturday evening to be a surprise to the audience, and also in perfect condition for the photographers and judges.

For changing into your costume at the center we have curtained dressing booths, or you may change elsewhere if you prefer, such as your hotel room or the large backstage restrooms. If you dress away from the center, please avoid lingering in public areas as much as possible and proceed straight to the backstage rooms. Sometimes a large coat is sufficient for keeping your costume out of sight.

MUSIC SOUNDTRACK:

If you are using music, recorded narration, or other sounds with your presentation (recommended), email an MP3 or MP4 format file to masq@comic-con.org by July 5 to allow us time to review it for content and any needed changes. There will be no microphones given to contestants, so any speech must be on your recording or printed for the Master of Ceremonies to read. We pay ASCAP/BMI music performance fees, so we can play any copyrighted music without any legal issues. If you cannot decide what to use, we can supply something for you. But if you prefer dramatic silence, that is fine.

If you are a mobility-impaired contestant or helper, let us know as soon as possible so we can make arrangements for your particular needs regarding access to our 4-foot elevated stage.

PROJECTED BACKGROUND IMAGES:

We have special projection equipment so our contestants can accompany their costume with a background image to suggest an environment. If you would like to submit a background image, it should be a JPG or PNG file no larger than 2048 x 2048 pixels, but do not choose a small file or dark image, or it may project poorly. Email your image file to masq@comic-con.org by July 5, or sooner, to give us time to check it for suitability. NO copyrighted or proprietary characters should be in your projected image. Please use only scenery, sets, public domain images, artwork, or abstract designs. If you do not supply an image, that is perfectly fine. We can select something to compliment your costume. Video files may be allowed depending on the content.

SHOW CHECK-IN TIME:

When arriving for the event Saturday evening, contestants must check in with the staff in Room 32. You may check in at 5:00 but no later than 6:45 and you must be stage-ready by 7:00 to allow for pre-show photos to be taken and judges to get a close look at you. Sorry, but if you are late, we may have to pull you from the show. For those final touches or repairs, we’ll have worktables, clothing racks, mirrors, and a make-up area. A costume repair kit will be available for emergency fixes, and large restrooms are close by for any preparations needing a sink and water.

REFERENCE MATERIALS:

If your costume is a Re-Creation, we suggest providing the judges with one or more reference images of what it is based on, since not all may be familiar with your design. You may submit reference materials at the convention, and they will be returned afterward. Most contestants simply provide a photo or two, but some create elaborate booklets detailing the features, design, and construction process, even fabric samples. In addition to helping the judges, they can also be a resume item toward a career in costuming or a fun memory book of your experience.

LARGE OR HEAVY ITEMS:

While our backstage crew are happy to assist you if they can, they are not intended to be your primary means of lifting and carrying heavy items. If you are bringing an item challenging for you to carry alone, consider bringing a helper, and inform us in advance so we are ready for it. We LOVE set pieces and large props, but if you are bringing something unique, surprise the audience, but never the backstage crew.

TROPHY CATEGORIES AND PRIZES:

The panel of guest judges will select winners of Comic-Con® trophies in categories of Best In Show, Judges’ Choice, Best Re-Creation, Best Original Design, Best Workmanship, Most Humorous, Most Beautiful, and Best Young Fan. These winners will also receive Free 4-day badges for Comic-Con 2025! Badges are non-transferable. If a group wins in a category, up to six in the group will receive a trophy and free badges.

In addition to those awards, several companies, professional organizations, and others will present their own generous prizes to winners their representatives select:

• Frank And Son Collectible Show, of the City of Industry, California, “Your one-stop show for ALL your collectible needs since 1988,” will take a break from their large bi-weekly mini-conventions to present to the entry that their representatives deem the Audience Favorite a generous $1,000 cash prize, plus a trophy!
• The Art Directors Guild, IATSE Local 800. The ADG, which has presented panels at Comic-Con for over a dozen years, has among its members art directors, graphic artists, illustrators, storyboard artists, model makers, pre-vis artists, production designers, scenic artists, set designers, and title artists of the motion picture, theater, and television industries. The ADG is presenting two awards: The Art Directors Guild Cosplay Award for Original Concept Design, presented to the entry most exemplifying an original concept, and The Art Directors Guild Cosplay Award for Best Visual Media Design, presented to the entry whose design best interprets a character or concept from a TV show or motion picture. Each comes with a $500 cash prize.
  
• Comickaze Comics & Pop Culture Store, San Diego’s #1 source for comics, graphic novels, and collectibles, located in the Clairemont Mesa area since 1993, will present an award for what they deem the Best In-Character Performance in the show, with a generous prize of a limited-edition collectible statuette, a $300 Amazon gift card, and a $200 Comickaze store gift card.
  
• The Costume Designers Guild IATSE Local 892: Celebrity Hollywood costume designer judges from the CDG will present to their favorite entry a CDG Masquerade trophy and generous prizes. They are Local 892 of the International Alliance of Theatrical & Stage Employees (IATSE), and they represent costume designers, assistant costume designers, and costume illustrators working in motion pictures, TV, commercials, music videos, and new media.
  
• The San Diego Comic-Con Alan Campbell Award: The Comic-Con Board of Directors is donating a $500 cash award, given in memory of long-time Committee and Board Member Alan Campbell, who passed away and is sorely missed. Alan was a great fan of the Masquerade, at times donating his own prize. This award is for the entry deemed the best re-creation from comics or related popular arts, as selected by one of the guest judges.
  
• The Costumer’s Guild West (CGW), southern California’s costuming fandom group, will present a one-year membership to CGW, plus a full scholarship and complimentary one-night hotel stay to their weekend conference, Costume College®, held each July at the Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles Hotel. It will be given to the entry they select as Showing The Most Promise. Costume College provides educational lectures and workshops in every aspect of costuming! This year their event is a week before ours, so their winner may choose to attend either 2025 or 2026.
  
• Pontik.com, an international source for the very latest entertainment, music, fan convention, cosplay, and international fashion news, including everything for the Geek Community, with a YouTube channel to promote all of that, will be participating for their first time, providing a $500 cash award for what they deem The Best Prop, based on the craftsmanship and how well it suits the accompanying costume.
  
• Oksana Shore Award for Excellence in Craftsmanship: As first presented at Comic-Con International 2023, this is given in memory of Oksana Shore, an exceptionally talented tailor, pattern maker, and friend to many in the industry. A member of IATSE Local 479, she made costumes for film and TV that are cosplayed around the world, and her craftsmanship was superb. Gotham Knights, Legacies, Loki, Stranger Things, and WandaVision were just a few of her projects. She was also a caring person who worked to make the world a little better and brighter by helping her friends and family in Ukraine. This award is given to the entry that captures her spirit and skill of patterning, construction, and craftsmanship, presented by professional costume designer Jennifer May Nickel, and will include a trophy and very generous prizes from industry sponsors.

2024 Masquerade Rules

1. Costumes must be of original construction or show significant modification of pre-existing materials. No costumes are allowed that are purchased or otherwise obtained from a commercial source. It is expected that some may include some purchased items as minor elements. If your entry utilizes many of these, check with the Coordinator. As a general rule, at least 75 percent of what you bring onto the stage must be crafted. If it could pass for street clothes, it is not a costume. You need not have made the costume yourself; perhaps a friend or family member did, but it cannot be one that has been purchased.
2. If your costume participated in our virtual Comic-Con@Home or WonderCon@Home Masquerades, or in WonderCons 2022-2024 in Anaheim, and has not already appeared on our Comic-Con stage, you are eligible to compete in this Masquerade as well. However, competing costumes must not be worn at the convention center prior to the show. So please keep your entry out of sight and safe from damage or wear until Saturday night. You may, of course, wear it on Sunday!
3. Maximum time on stage: 1–2 people: 1 minute 30 seconds. 3–6 people: 2 minutes. 7–10 people: 2 minutes 30 seconds. If your group is larger or you would like more time, check with the Coordinator. Show off your costume well and have fun, but remaining on stage overly long can lessen the impact, though do not be too quick to exit the stage, either!
4. No liquids, messy substances, fog, or anything that may pose a danger is allowed on stage. The unsheathing of bladed weapons is not allowed without clearance from the Coordinator. No throwing things into the audience. No touching the MCs. Violating these rules could disqualify you and possibly result in an escort off the premises.
5. Category definitions: Re-Creation: A costume copied from a pre-existing design, such as from a movie, comic book, published artwork, Broadway show, etc. Original: A design original to the maker/wearer. It may be inspired by some pre-existing art or media but is not a copy of it. Young Fan category: Ages 12–17.
6. You are not required to wear your costume yourself; someone else can present it in the show. But if it is worn on stage by someone other than you, that person should not be a paid individual, nor may your soundtrack or narration or costume include content that advertises an actual product, service, or website.
7. Contestants agree to report in with staff in the backstage rooms no later than 6:45 p.m. (7:00 if you want to skip pre-show judging), but 6:00 or earlier is suggested. Contestants also agree to sign a legal release to allow video recording and photography of their costumes for nonprofit promotional purposes.
8. Nothing is allowed that would get a movie an “R” rating, there are children in the audience. The Coordinator may reject an entry on the basis of inappropriate or unsafe behavior or content, or because of too many purchased items, or because the construction materials or techniques used do not meet the criteria of quality for the show, or because the event has reached its limit for entries.
9. For safety reasons, no children under age 12 are allowed on stage or in the backstage rooms. Often people are rushing around in sight-impairing masks, or on stilts, or using hot glue guns, scissors, or large prop weapons. Minors must have a parent or guardian present with them backstage who will need to sign a permission form. Minors may not perform combat simulations, as we have an elevated stage with an open front edge.

Final note: It is called a Masquerade because it is not just about displaying costumes, but about bringing characters to life and storytelling too. It is about creativity, celebrating the arts, and creating thousands of smiles that evening. The Masquerade team is made up of volunteers who donate their time because we love costuming as much as you do. Let’s have fun celebrating together the 50th anniversary of our honoring of fan costuming!

This document ©2024 by SAN DIEGO COMIC CONVENTION (Comic-Con International), a California Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation organized for charitable purposes and dedicated to creating the general public’s awareness of and appreciation for comics and related popular art forms, including participation in and support of public presentations, conventions, exhibits, museums and other public outreach activities which celebrate the historic and ongoing contribution of comics to art and culture.