A new event in cosplay competition is born. Emerald City Comicon will be the first stop in ReedPOP’s 2016 Global Cosplay Competition circuit in Seattle April 9, 2016 with Cosplay Judge LeeAnna Vamp.
ReedPOP announced that it will introduce the first leg of the 2016 Global Championships of Cosplay at Emerald City Comicon (ECCC) on Saturday April 9, 2016 in Seattle.
The Western Championships of Cosplay, a newly created event will be the largest and most prestigious Cosplay Competition on the West Coast, kicking off a yearlong series of cosplay competitions that will span four continents and ultimately culminate at the C2E2 Crown Championships of Cosplay in Chicago in 2017. As part of this debut, ReedPOP will also introduce new rules for the competition meant to broaden the scope and criteria for judging, shifting entries toward a skill-based category system. Actress and high-fashion model LeeAnna Vamp, has been named the first judge of this new event.
The ECCC Western Championships of Cosplay will officially launch as part of the Global Championships of Cosplay competition circuit. It will join regional cosplay competitions taking place at Comic Cons across the globe including Paris, Australia, India, Austria, Indonesia and China. Each regional champion will win a trip to compete in the C2E2 Crown Championships of Cosplay in 2017; the final stop in the global cosplay competition circuit. There, regional cosplay champions from around the globe will battle it out with local competitors on stage in front of thousands of Fans for even larger cash prizes as well as the title of Global Champion of Cosplay 2017. The winner of the Western Championship of Cosplay will be awarded cash and prizes as well as a trip to Chicago to represent the Western United States in the C2E2 Crown Championship of Cosplay Finals.
As part of the debut at ECCC, ReedPOP will introduce new rules based on feedback from previous competitors and Judges. Starting with the Western Championships of Cosplay, all global competitions will be judged upon a skill-based category system that divides competitors into the following four segments:
Needlework – Cosplay constructed primarily through sewing, stitching, embroidery, etc.
Armor – Cosplay constructed primarily by molding and shaping its outer layers using acrylic, EVA foam, Worbla, Wonderflex, cardboard, etc.
FX – Cosplay that primarily features animatronics, optical effects, mechanical effects, special effects makeup, prosthetics, etc.
Larger Than Life – Cosplay that encloses the maker and extends their limbs by at least one-foot in length.
“With the addition of the Western Championships of Cosplay at ECCC, we are steadily building the largest cosplay competition circuit on the planet,” said Lance Fensterman, Global Senior Vice President of ReedPOP. “As we create these events we also want to make adjustments so that they serve the community in the best way possible, so this year we have introduced new judging criteria and rules that will help make this a better competition series for all cosplayers.”
The ECCC Western Championships of Cosplay is a celebration of all pop culture and all entries must represent a character or element from comic books, film, television, video games, anime, manga or fantasy. Each entrant will submit an application to be reviewed by the ECCC team and may only enter one costume into the competition. Accepted contestants will be pre-judged for craftsmanship off stage and then battle it out on the Main Stage for cash prizes and ultimate bragging rights.
“It’s an honor to be a part of this amazing international event,” said LeeAnna Vamp, Western Championships of Cosplay Judge. “I am very excited to see what the contestants will bring to ECCC, I have no doubt it will be incredible!”
Emerald City Comicon is April 7-10, 2016 at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle. The big event is expanding to a fourth day for the first time.
By Editor