CAPTAIN'S COMIC EXPO PRESENTS: COSPLAY LIVE!

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Captain’s Comic Expo has and always will be a welcoming place for the cosplay community. We know cosplay goes beyond just putting a costume on because these are more than “just characters.” Cosplay is putting on the mask and instantly feeling the courage in your heart to stand up tall and walk proudly: Cosplay is CONFIDENCE! Cosplay is working tirelessly on every single detail of your costume until you feel it was plucked straight from the silver screen: Cosplay is CRAFTSMANSHIP! Cosplay is grabbing a store-bought costume or old clothes from your closet, and for just a day or two, you become someone else: Cosplay is CREATIVITY! Cosplay is all these things and more, and should be celebrated! It’s not a competition, it’s COSPLAY! 

We have made some permanent changes to the celebration of cosplay at Captain’s Comic Expo. There is no longer an official “stage contest,” as we have chosen an alternative path to incorporate cosplay as an intricate backbone to the atmosphere of the Expo. Don’t worry, we still recognize all the wonderful cosplayers for their beautiful costumes. Continue reading to see what’s new for cosplay at Captain’s this year: 

Our Special Guest Cosplayers have years of experience and dedication to the art of cosplay and love seeing all the various cosplays at the Expo floor each year! This year, each special guest cosplayer has “Awesome Cosplay Award” ribbons they can award to ANY cosplayer on ANY basis throughout the weekend. Whether the craftsmanship is perfect or your performance of the character is memorable, if you’ve been awarded a ribbon then you can feel confident you’ve caught the attention of the pros and certainly earned your recognition! 

Cosplay LIVE! is our celebration of all things COSPLAY! Throughout the weekend our Special Guest Cosplayers will take over the official Captain’s Comic Expo social media and highlight cosplays directly from the Expo floor! The pinnacle of our cosplay celebration, however, comes in our annual Cosplay LIVE! showcase which takes place Sunday afternoon and center stage for the whole Expo to see! There’s no cost to participate and no barrier for entry. All are welcome to “strut their stuff” and show off their cosplay on stage with our Special Guest Cosplayer Shawn “Agent” Simmons as MC. Sign-ups for the Cosplay LIVE! showcase open on Sunday morning. Sign-up as a solo or a group, just see a member of our Cosplay LIVE! team and tell them you want to be in our showcase!

New this year is our Jr. Cos-Parade on Sunday afternoon! Meant for our 10 & under crowd, all "junior" Expo attendees who are dressed in cosplay are invited to take part! No sign-ups needed, just meet our Cosplay LIVE! team in the front foyer a few moments before the start of the parade at 2pm. Our Cosplay LIVE! team will lead the parade around the Expo floor and the event will be MC'd by Special Guest Cosplayer Shawn Simmons. After a quick photo-op on the front of the stage, the Cos-Parade will circle back and end where it started, in the front foyer. Parents are invited to participate however they feel most comfortable: walk with their child, wait for them at the stage for the photo-op, or meet them back in the foyer at the end of the parade. 

So, please be encouraged to show up in cosplay, and have fun! Whether you find yourself with an Awesome Cosplay ribbon or bask in the stage lights of our Cosplay LIVE! showcase, it’s our desire for you to make wonderful memories at Captain’s Comic Expo each year!