JCPL’s Cosplay Contest is a time-honored feature of Comic Surge.
Experience incredible, handcrafted costumes. A team of cosplay professionals will judge entrants. And you can cast your vote in our crowd-favorite category!
Ready to show off your creativity? You could win some amazing prizes. We would love to see you or your group enter.
Read on to get inspired and start creating. We’ll see you—and your stunning craftsmanship—on the stage.
Past Winners
Prizes
All prizes are given in Comic Surge Cash which can be used to purchase items from vendors, artists, and authors at Comic Surge.
Children
First prize: $100
Second prize: $75
Third prize: $50
Teen
First prize: $100
Second prize: $75
Third prize: $50
Adult
First prize: $100
Second prize: $75
Third prize: $50
Group
First prize: $100
Second prize: $75
Third prize: $50
Crowd Favorites
Children: $100
Teen: $100
Adult: $100
Judges
Kim Is Possible
Kim is an autistic, disabled cosplayer who uses cosplay to push the limits of her disability.
She is also a competitive cosplayer and has won the 2023 fx award at Chicago’s Crown Championships of Cosplay. She is also going to be a competitor in the 2024 Page to Stage championship show at Dragon Con.
Tehdy B Cosplay
Tehdy B is a competitive master level craftsmanship cosplayer. While they’ve only been cosplaying for seven-ish years, they learn new skills incredibly fast.
Tehdy B Cosplay was the inaugural winner of the Page to Stage International Invitational competition in 2022 at Dragon Con and was asked to join the production team the following year as the second in command contest runner.
Since then, they’ve be judging and helping to run other cosplay contests and even hosting local contests. Tehdy B is also a cohost on the Defying Conventionalism podcast, covering the ins and outs of cosplay and fandoms alike.
Marymary Cosplay
Mary has been competing for seven years and is a multi-award winning cosplayer, including multiple placements in the prestigious Crown Championship of Cosplay. She appears as a cosplay guest and helps coordinate and judge cosplay costume competitions, working alongside convention owners and some of the best cosplayers in the world.
Mary’s work has been shown many times in cosplay publications. She’s also a founding member of CosOhana, a family and friends group of cosplayers who enjoy not only wearing cosplay but interacting with attendees as well.
Mary is skilled in multiple maker mediums, including multiple types of needlework, leatherwork, foam, thermoplastics, and 3D print.
How Costumes Are Judged
Our professional cosplay judges will be judging each contestant’s costume on a scale of 1 – 5 in the following areas:
- Accuracy. Resemblance of cosplay in its entirety to the intended character.
- Craftsmanship. Qualify of craftsmanship of entire cosplay, including sewing, prop construction, wig, accessories, etc.
- Difficulty/Complexity. Attention to detail with respect to the original character’s design complexity and difficulty.
- Portrayal. Resemblance of cosplayer to original character, in-character acting, and character knowledge.
Cosplay Rules
We want everyone to have a safe, fun day at Comic Surge!
Visit our Cosplay Rules page to learn how you can do your part, whether or not you choose to wear a costume.
Cosplay Resources at JCPL
Check out a sewing machine, learn to 3D print in our Creative Space, or read books about cosplay!