Phoenix Comic Fest reschedules Masquerade for today, gives Saturday attendees free Sunday access

27 MAY 2018

After last night's deja vu fire evacuation at Phoenix Comic Fest (it's happened before), all kinds of speculation raced through the restless nerds waiting in the streets. When were we getting back in? What would happen to the Masquerade and the cosplayers who've dedicated months of their lives to that moment? Why does this convention center have so many problems with fire alarms?

The crowd gradually thinned out but there were still plenty of people left by 10:30, when the event announced the night activities were officially cancelled. They held a media briefing at 7:00 am today to discuss it. Were you up at that hour? Yeah, me neither.

The 2 big announcements are this:

• The Masquerade will be held today. That's better than canceling it altogether but I'm sure cosplayers who worked themselves into a certain head space yesterday will be thrown off their game.
• Attendees with single day Saturday access will get free access today. Just bring your Saturday wristband to any redemption station and they'll give you a Sunday one.

It's worth noting that the evacuation could have been much more disastrous if it happened earlier in the day. Last night was atypically beautiful but waiting for hours under a blazing sun would have incurred a high degree of attendee wrath.

I've heard many people griping about Phoenix Comic Fest's incompetence in regard to the fire alarm - but you have to remember this is ultimately a facility issue. They rent the convention center for the event. I know people are irritated, especially if they were looking forward to last night's many scheduled events, but I can't see how Square Egg could have prevented what turned out to be a sensor issue. They've already stepped up security this year after last year's incident when a guy dressed as the Punisher showed up with guns and a knife. Their volunteer corps is also well staffed (over staffed, in the opinion of some volunteers.) There's only so much they can control.

Hopefully we don't get a repeat of the same today - or next year. While I've heard that attendance is down this year, there's a palpable uptick in the quality of talent and panels. A high number of attendees seem to be from out of state and the cosplay is better than it's ever been. It's clear that Phoenix Comic Fest is finally becoming a Con to be reckoned with and it'd be a shame if it developed a reputation as the Firedrill Con.

See you later today.

It's time to enter the Masquerade

9 FEBRUARY 2016

Cosplayers, gather round: San Diego Comic-Con wants you to enter the Masquerade in all your costumed finery.

If you're not familiar with the Masquerade, you can educate yourself through YouTube. Here's what you need to know right now.

• It's not just a cosplay contest. It's a spectacle involving professional lighting, music, makeup, performance and costuming.
• Prizes are varied but this one should catch your attention: the winner of any category gets a badge to SDCC 2017.
• Those categories include Best in Show, Best Young Fan, Most Beautiful, Most Humorous, Best Workmanship, Best Recreation, Best Original Design and Judges' Choice.
• The official deadline is 30 June, but that's nonsense; they'll fill their spots way earlier so apply as soon as you can.
• If you wind up not getting a Saturday badge BUT you've been accepted into the Masquerade once since 2012, CCI will give you a badge. Now that's motivation.

First-timers, please understand that while this is excellent cosplay theatre, it is not the only cosplay opportunity at San Diego Comic-Con. Sometimes I think that with all the gorgeous cosplay photos out there, everyday nerds who'd like to wear a simple costume just for the sheer fan love of it can feel a little intimidated. Don't. The Masquerade is a beautiful production but you'll also find group photo shoots, cosplay parties and other events to participate in. And of course plenty of people will admire and photograph you just walking around the Con.

Those of you who are applying - good luck.

Masquerade entries are closed

15 MAY 2015



In a repeat of last year, Comic-Con has already filled their Masquerade lineup well before the June deadline. Don't say you weren't warned.

If this is crushing news for you - if you really wanted to compete this year but just haven't had time to get your application together - try not to be too disappointed. There will be plenty of cosplay events for you to attend, and of course you will be able to strut your glory all over the convention center and city. Put together a good costume or group and you'll have all the attention you could want. And of course there will be Marvel and DC cosplay photo shoots, there's that Horror Celebration and various themed meetups and parades for cosplayers.

In conclusion: even if you didn't make it into the Masquerade, you should still bring your A game. I guarantee others will appreciate it.

Masquerade applications are open - and you could get a badge out of it

7 FEBRUARY 2015

Look what's here early: Masquerade applications.

Seasoned attendees and cosplayers, you already know what the Masquerade is - a chance to bask in your costumed glory before your peers and possibly collect a variety of prizes. Hopeful first-timers, the best way to understand the Masquerade is as a cosplay talent competition and performance. Yes, performance. Participants don't just walk a runaway, they tell a story with their costume and actions.

While participants have to make their own costumes - no recycling your zombie Wonder Woman getup you bought from the local Spirit store last Halloween - the skill level is very high and the whole affair is more elaborate than just a costume party. In fact, some people are operating at a professional level in makeup and costume design and use this as a career springboard.

That isn't to discourage you from having fun with it - just know that you should bring a moderate amount of cosplay game to this.

Now, let's address the whole badge issue. See, to participate you must have a Saturday badge. And quite a few of you have no idea if you'll have a Saturday badge since Open Reg is still weeks away. So SDCC is doing something interesting. If you've been accepted into the Masquerade at least once since 2011 and you get accepted into this one, it COULD be "arranged" that you can buy a 2015 attendee badge even if they are sold out. Only a limited number of Masquerade contestants will get this opportunity.

If you fit into this category, email the Masquerade coordinator. And don't wait for Open Reg before applying if you're ready to go.

Okay, onto what else you need to know to participate:

• Again, no store-bought costumes. Don't cheat.
• Space is limited and not everyone will be accepted.
• You can go solo or do a group theme.
• Typical portrayals are characters and recreations from Hollywood, video games, comics, sci-fi - you get the idea. You can also make something up.
• You can't wear your costume around the Con pre-Masquerade.
• There's an orientation the day of and a practice stage, giving you the opportunity to iron out your music and tech effects and do a dry run.
• The official deadline is 20 June, but you should throw that date right out the window and apply as soon as you can. Last year they were forced to close registration prior to the deadline because of the overwhelming number of entries.

And if you just want to attend:

• You still need a Saturday badge.
• Tickets are free and handed out that Saturday starting at noon. People do line up early for this (you're shocked, I know.) But my impression is that the line time and ticket demand have been pretty manageable the last 2 years. If I'm wrong, correct me.
• That's only if you want to watch it live in Ballroom 20. You don't need a ticket to watch it in the overflow rooms on big screens.

Award categories include Best in Show, Judges' Choice, Best Re-Creation, Best Original Design, Best Workmanship, Best Presentation, Most Beautiful and Best Young Fan; every category winner gets a free four-day badge to Comic-Con 2016. If a group wins, up to 4 memberships are awarded. There are also a number of vendors who hand out cash, collectibles and other prizes as well. One of them is new this year - the Will Eisner Spirit of Storytelling Award, which will go to whoever best exemplifies the "art of storytelling."

You can and should read all of the rules and details here.

 

The Masquerade entries are closed

16 JUNE 2014




If you were hoping to be a last-minute straggler in the entries to participate in the Masquerade, it's too late: the Masquerade is full. Yes, even though previously the deadline was given as 3 July, they've reached their limit. This is hardly surprising. No doubt it means that next year everyone will anxiously get their applications in by April and the Masquerade will be full before Tax Day. Such is the Comic-Con cycle of samsara.

You can read all about the prizes here.

Submit your entry now for The Masquerade

21 MARCH 2014

Now that spring is officially here, it's time for cosplayers to rev their engines and sign up to compete in The Masquerade. If you have a character you're dying to portray - from film, TV, comic books or your own imagination - this is your night. 

For the first-timers, The Masquerade is a cosplay talent competition. The costumes are quite impressive and all homegrown; no professionally-sourced costumes are allowed, although The Masquerade does often serve as a stepping stone for people interested in professional careers in costume design and makeup.

While it's never been my thing, it is a major event at Comic-Con and attended by thousands of people. Awards are given out for Best in Show, Judges' Choice, Best Re-Creation, Best Original Design, Best Workmanship, Best Presentation, Most Beautiful and Best Young Fan; every category winner gets a free four-day badge to Comic-Con 2015. And those are just the category awards. A number of vendors hand out cash, collectibles and other prizes as well.

The deadline is 3 July, but early submissions are strongly recommended. You can find out more and apply here.

Masquerade Information

9 MAY 2013

If you're a hardcore enough cosplayer to enter the Masquerade, you already know all this - but here it is anyway.

The Masquerade, Comic Con's major Saturday night event, is now accepting entries. The deadline isn't until 1 July (kind of surprising) but of course the people who take part in this have been getting their costumes together for months. 

If this year is your first Comic Con, you might think "Masquerade" sounds like some decadent Edgar Allan Poe-esque ball but it's actually a talent competition for cosplay. Or as CCI poetically describes it: "a show full of spectacle, beauty, awe, comedy, light-saber battles, and song and dance, an event where you never know what’s going to happen next."  

Most people dress up as characters from film, TV, comic books and so on, but some are completely original. This is all homegrown; no professionally-sourced costumes are allowed, although more than a few of the winners go on to professional careers in costume design and makeup.

The Masquerade has never been my thing, but I will admit the prizes are pretty sweet:

• If you win a trophy category, you get a free 4-day badge to Comic-Con 2014. No Registration Day angst for you.
• The "audience favorite" gets $1K and a trophy from Frank And Son Collectible Show
• The best DC Comics character portrayal wins a a DC Direct collectible valued over $300
• The best Star Wars costume gets "fabulous items" from Lucasfilms Licensing Archives, including limited-edition collectibles.
• Another "people's favorite" (these are judged independently by the award givers) will get $100 from "That's My Entertainment" while a "best movie representation" will also get $100
• The best movie or TV character gets a free digital subscription to Geek magazine plus a "prize package worth $500 from Geek magazine advertisers and sponsors"
• And for the cosplayers who prefer to compete in a narrow category: Century Guild is awarding $200 cash or $400 booth credit to whoever best portrays "the elements of Archaic Technologies or Art Nouveau"

As for whether anyone can compete in this: technically, yes. But the efforts here are way beyond the kind of homegrown costumes people throw together for their neighbor's Halloween party, and if you show up with a half-assed Catwoman costume, you'll probably feel like an idiot when you see your competition. Contestants go on stage before thousands of people. Just something to keep in mind if you're obsessing over those free 4-day badges for 2014.