In March of 2023, Gary Con XV kicked-off its first annual Gary Con Cosplay Contest! In March of 2024—the year marking the 50th anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons—the cosplay contest will once again continue for Gary Con XVI, continuing the celebration of the fun and creative spirits alive in so many of our attendees.
We look forward to seeing what whimsy and wonder you bring with you to Lake Geneva this year as you try to wow our fantastic panel of judges—Elisa Teague, Alicia Marie, Joe Manganiello, Todd Stashwick, and Jason Charles Miller!!
Check the TTE site for event info here!
Gary Con 2nd Annual Cosplay Competition
Cosplay General Rules
Official rules that apply to ALL entrants, regardless of category, must adhere to the official Gary Con Cosplay Competition Special Policies.
All categories will close once they are filled up, and there is no onsite registration.
Entry into the event is at the discretion of the event staff, who reserve the right to reject ANY entrant not adhering to the rules and/or whose costume is in violation of convention policies.
Please be aware that there will be no dressing room available, but you are free to wear your costume on the convention floor!
Registration: Please ensure that you are registering for the correct cosplay category—Novice -OR- Masters. Each contestant may only register once. Group entries are accepted and may have up to four members, but groups will only be awarded one prize/item. For group entries, ONE person should register for ONE ticket for the entirety of the group—that ticket will be for all members of your group. People participating as part of a group entry may not participate a second time as a single entry participant in either category.
Pre-Judging: You MUST be available to check-in and attend pre-judging at the start of the event. Be on time, as no late entries will be allowed once pre-judging ends. Pre-judging will be staggered by category starting with Novice and ending with Masters. If you miss pre-judging, you automatically forfeit your entry into the competition.
Prohibited Items: Please refer to the official Gary Con costume/weapon policy for prohibited items. If you are not willing to comply with these policies, please do not bring your costume weapons.
Novice Category
Registration for this event acts as your registration in the NOVICE category only (details below).
Check the TTE site for event availability to participate here!
Novice Division
Every entrant is limited to participating in ONE division. There will be prizes/recognition for the top three winners (either solo or group) in this division.
This division is limited to encourage those new to costuming and competitions. Entrants in the Novice category may wear costumes or costume pieces that are store bought or made by a custom costume maker, as long as at least 20% of the costume is made, modified, or enhanced by the entrant, including makeup.
Costume Composition
Entirely store-bought costumes are NOT PERMITTED! Your costume needs to be made or modified by you, not including store bought shoes.
Modifications will be carefully assessed by our judges and judging applies to all aspects of your costume.During prejudging, our judges may ask you to verify that your costume is an original construction or to confirm an acceptable amount of modifications have been made to pre-existing materials.
You may also give credit to friends and fellow costumer(s) who assisted you during the construction of your entry. Any assistance can only be up to 30% assistance, for example, you may have purchased a 3D printed prop as opposed to modeling and printing it yourself but you may have finished the piece off yourself.
Costume Presentation
Anticipate a 2-4 minute explanation of your costume for 1-4 people during mandatory pre-judging. Depending on the complexity and detail, the judges may request additional time to observe and properly judge your costume during pre-judging or during the actual show.
During the main stage portion of the competition, there will be time for a small up to one-minute presentation. During this time there will be a small walk and point of posing on the stage to show off your creation to the crowd and to give one last look from the judges! Detailed information and instruction will be presented at show time.
Masters Category
Registration for this event acts as your registration in the MASTERS category only (details below).
Check the TTE site for event availability to participate here!
Masters Division
Every entrant is limited to participating in ONE division. There will be prizes/recognition for the top three winners (either solo or group) in this division.
This division is designed for the most advanced competitors. Entrants in the Masters must create at least 80% of their cosplay, including makeup effects, but not including shoes or other footwear. Acceptable costume weapons (please check the costume policy for Gary Con) may be included or excluded from this percentage at your choice.
Costume Composition
Entirely store-bought costumes are NOT PERMITTED! Your costume needs to be made or modified by you, not including store bought shoes.
Modifications will be carefully assessed by our judges and judging applies to all aspects of your costume. During prejudging, our judges may ask you to verify that your costume is an original construction or to confirm an acceptable amount of modifications have been made to pre-existing materials. Remember that the MASTERS category does not allow more than 20% modifications to purchased costume pieces, and the majority of the costume must be made entirely by the entrant.
You may also give credit to friends and fellow costumer(s) who assisted you during the construction of your entry. Any assistance can only be up to 30% assistance, for example, you may have purchased a 3D printed prop as opposed to modeling and printing it yourself but you may have finished the piece off yourself.
Costume Presentation
Anticipate a 2-4 minute explanation of your costume for 1-4 people during mandatory pre-judging. Depending on the complexity and detail, the judges may request additional time to observe and properly judge your costume during pre-judging or during the actual show.
During the main stage portion of the competition, there will be time for a small up to one-minute presentation. During this time there will be a small walk and point of posing on the stage to show off your creation to the crowd and to give one last look from the judges! Detailed information and instruction will be presented at show time.
See you on Saturday for the show!