Hot Springs to welcome cosplayers at Spa-Con
HOT SPRINGS — A cosplay competition judged by four cosplay performers has been added to Spa-Con V, the comics and pop culture convention set for Sept. 24-26 at the Hot Springs Convention Center.
Bill Solleder, marketing director for the city’s tourism agency, said the contest on Sept. 25 is one of the most popular features of the annual convention.
“Any Spa-Con pass holder is eligible to compete in the Cosplay Contest,” Solleder said in a news release. To enter, “just show up” in full cosplay at the prejudging at 5 p.m. Sept. 25. Rules, regulations and more information can be found at http://www. Spa-Con.org.
“Cosplay Club is one of the favorite Spa-Con traditions; every year convention goers gather in Horner Hall to dance and watch the final round of the Cosplay Contest. The contest is presented by Hot Springs Beauty College,” he said.
THE FOUR JUDGES ARE:
■ Michael “Knightmage” Wilson, a 21-year veteran deputy sheriff for the Mahoning County sheriff’s office. Wilson has been cosplaying since 2012. He has worked on and has been featured in several fan films and productions such as “Flash Fall” by Together Brother Productions and the YouTube series “Man at Arms: Reforged.”
■ MCubed is a Dallas-area content creator, cosplayer and model. She is most widely known for her movie-accurate Slave Leia and Rey.
■ Gregory Harris has been a cosplayer since 2016. During this time, he has performed twice in the international cosplay contest, Crown Championships of Cosplay in Chicago and performed twice in the Masquerade at San Diego Comic-Con. He has been interviewed on “Good Morning America,” Netflix and FXM, Fox Movie Channel.
■ Crafty Fox began cosplaying in 2015 after visiting her first convention . Since then, she has been making costumes from a variety of genres including video games, Dungeons & Dragons, Disney, anime and manga. Crafty Fox is a full-time college student majoring in physics. Crafty Fox won the Spa-Con Cosplay Contest in 2019.
The following schedule for the 2021 Cosplay Contest on Sept. 25 was released:
■ Prejudging starts — 5 p.m. in Room 208. The time allotted for each cosplay is one minute.
■ Prejudging ends — 6:30 p.m.
■ Cosplay Club opens — 7 p.m. in Horner Hall.
■ Final Round starts — 7:30 p.m. The time allotted per cosplay is one minute.
■ Final Round ends — 8:30 p.m.
The cosplay divisions will include: Best Overall Cosplay 18 and older; Best Overall Cosplay 17 and younger; Best Group Cosplay; and Best Couple Cosplay. Awards also will be given for Most Original; Throwback Award, given to a cosplay the judges deem represent a character or icon from the past; Best Makeup/Hair; and Best Craftsmanship.
Other cosplay-related activities at Spa-Con will include the following:
SEPT. 25
■ 10 a.m. — Mask Sculpting Workshop with Tony Buck FX, Room 202.
■ 1 p.m. — Costuming on a Budget with MCubed, Room 205.
SEPT. 26
■ 1 p.m. — Cosplay Makeup Workshop w/Knightmage, Room 202.
■ 2 p.m. — Kids Cosplay Showcase, Spa-Con Theater Room 208.
This year’s Spa-Con V will feature a competitive Super Smash Bros. Ultimate video game tournament with cash prizes on Sept. 25. Solleder said registration for the video game tournament must be completed via a link hosted at http://www. smash.gg/tournament/spa-conshowdown-2021/register.
The tournament is limited to 96 players, and the deadline to register is noon Thursday, Sept. 23. Spa-Con Showdown is presented by the Garland County Library and Visit Hot Springs. For more information, email Paul Kagebein pkagebein@gclibrary.com
VIP passes, at $100, and weekend passes, at $35, are available on Spa-Con’s website, http://www.spa-con.org.