SDCC Masquerade Entry Form and Rules For 2018 Announced

The Masquerade is one of San Diego Comic-Con’s most anticipated events, and for cosplayers hoping to be able to walk the stage in their finest, Comic-Con International today revealed details on the 44th Annual Masquerade. You can find the official rules and entry form on their site.

The event, to be held on Saturday, July 21 in Ballroom 20 at 8:30PM, draws a crowd of 3,900 attendees (with 2,000 more watching in Sails Pavilion and other rooms, which act as overflow). Just as in previous years, the Masquerade is free to participate in for anyone with a Saturday badge.

Contestants can enter as a single participant or in a group, and medallions will be given to the winners in the following categories:

Best In Show
Judges’ Choice
Best Re-Creation
Best Original Design
Best Workmanship
Most Humorous
Most Beautiful
Best Young Fan

Winners in the above categories will also receive a free 4-day badge to San Diego Comic-Con 2019 – which is a big prize in and of itself. In the event that a group wins, up to five memberships (up from four in 2017) will be given.

Entrants are also eligible for certain sponsored awards that various organizations choose the winner of, including:

Frank And Son Collectible Show, of the City of Industry, Calif., “Your one-stop show for all your collectible needs” will present to the entry they deem the audience favorite $1,000 cash, plus a very impressive trophy.
DC Comics representatives will present a special, limited edition DC Collectibles item to the finest costume entry
portraying a DC Comics character or group of characters from the DC universe of publications and movies.
The Costume Designers Guild IATSE Local 892: Celebrity Hollywood costume designer judges from the CDG
will present to their favorite entry a special prize, plus a CDG Masquerade trophy provided by Legacy Effects and a full
year’s subscription to Costume Designer magazine.
The David C. Copley Award for Most Innovative Costume: UCLA’s David C. Copley Center for The Study of
Costume Design will bestow on their favorite entry the UCLA Copley Center Design Award of a $1,000 gift card to
Amazon.com, plus a copy of Hollywood Sketchbook: A Century of Costume Illustration, (cover price $75) by Deborah
Nadoolman Landis, Copley Center Director.
Sideshow Collectibles: Do you think your costume entry into this year’s contest will elicit lots of ooo’s and ahhhh’s
from the crowd? If that’s the case, you’ll be in the running to win a $350 gift card from Sideshow Collectibles for use on
their web site! So bring your best costume creation to Comic-Con’s Masquerade contest and you might walk (or strut)
away with Sideshow’s generously donated prize.
The Will Eisner Spirit of Storytelling Award commemorates Will Eisner’s contributions to the comics medium
and his imaginative storytelling skills as exemplified by his iconic comic character, The Spirit, and his many graphic
novels and textbooks. 2017 marked the centennial of Will Eisner’s birth and this award is bestowed by Will Eisner
Studios on the entry they deem best showcases that all-important “art of storytelling” in their stage presentation. The
costuming and story are equally important. At its peak, The Spirit Sunday comic newspaper section reached 5 million
readers and was known for its imaginative stories, creative artwork, and eye catching splash pages. The winning entrant
will receive $250 in Amazon gift cards plus limited-edition Will Eisner giclée lithographs.
Anime Pavilion, of Falls Church, Virginia, a source for all things anime and anime-related, will present to what they
choose as best anime-inspired costumes $200 credit at their popular Comic-Con Exhibit Hall booth or their expansive
website for their top choice, plus $50 cash to the best Young Fan anime-inspired entry.
Costumer’s Guild West, Inc. will be presenting a full scholarship and one night’s hotel (valued at $300) to their
weekend conference, Costume College®, held the last weekend in July at the Warner Center Marriott in Woodland Hills,
CA, awarded to the entry their representatives select as showing the most promise. Costume College provides educational
lectures and workshops in every aspect of costuming. Please get more details at: costumecollege.net