Many people going to Gen Con go to escape the real world by playing game. Others go even a bit farther with cosplay. While Gen Con is known for gaming, it is often the cosplay that gets the most discussion by those that don’t attend. Cosplay is when a person dresses up as a character from a work of fiction. In the case of Gen Con, most cosplayers are dressed as someone from anime, video games, movies, TV, or a D&D character. It is this plethora of unique fictional characters walking around Gen Con that often gets people’s attention.
Anyone attending Gen Con can cosplay. the level of commitment to costumes can range from very casual to professional. Costumes can range from a simple mask all the way up to complete body prosthetics and professional controls. Most people are somewhere in between.
Cosplay is a feature of Gen Con. Each day you will find a variety of characters wondering the convention center and downtown Indianapolis. The biggest day for finding the most cosplayers is Saturday.
The Gen Con Cosplay Parade and Costume Contest
Saturday is the biggest day for cosplay. The day culminates with a parade followed by a costume contest. For the parade, cosplayers congregate around Hall A near the West Street Plaza of the convention center at 3:00pm. The parade of cosplayers then meanders down the convention center halls towards the 500 Ballroom where there will be costume contest starting at 4:00. The Costume contest is a ticketed event that has sold out. Because the tickets are free, there are likely to be ticketed people who don’t show up. This means that after the ticked people enter the event, there is a chance for stand-by people to get in as well.
You can check the Gen Con program book for more information on the parade route.
Gen Con newbie Tip: The parade starts around 3:00pm on Saturday. People will start lining the hallways much earlier. If you want to be near the beginning of the parade to see all the cosplayers walk by, you’ll want to get there early to get a good spot.
Cosplay Viewing Area and Interacting with Cosplayers
The best place to find them is outside of the vendor hall on the north side, Gen Con marks an area where cosplayers can congregate. This area is generally taped off to provide an area where cosplayers that are okay with pictures being taken can hangout and interact.
You will also find cosplayers all throughout the convention. There are a number of general rules to keep in mind regarding cosplayers and interacting with them whether in the designated area mentioned or elsewhere:
- You should ask permission before taking a picture of a cosplayer.
- Cosplayers are at Gen Con to enjoy the convention. Most are at Gen Con to playing games, eating, or do other activities. Keep this in mind before approaching a cosplayer. You should not interrupt their activities.
- You should not touch cosplayers or their costumes.
- If complimenting or talking about a cosplayer, you should focus on the costume and the character, not the person’s body. Be considerate.
- If you have a kid, make sure to remind them they should not grab or touch costumes.
- If you see a cosplayer sitting out of the way, fixing a costume, or looking tired, then leave please them alone.
- A lot of the areas of Gen Con are crowded. Don’t stop cosplayers in crowded areas or ask for pictures in crowded areas. Again, that’s why there is a dedicated area where pictures can be taken.
The core principle of cosplay is that Cosplay is not consent — You can admire a costume, but you don’t touch the cosplayer, their props, or their body without explicit permission. Similarly, you should ask before taking a picture.
Gen Con newbie tip: It is easy to get distracted when you see a great cosplay outfit. Keep in mind that if you stop in the middle of a busy hallway, you are likely blocking people. Step out of the way if you are going to gawk!
The Rules of Cosplaying
Anyone can cosplay. There are, however, a few rules to what is allowed at Gen Con. These rules can be found on the Gen Con site at https://www.gencon.com/attend/policies#costumes. Some of the core rule are obvious:
- Dress needs to be publicly acceptable. No speedos or thongs. No gaping boxer shorts (for those cosplaying Dungeon Crawler Carl). At a minimum, costumes and general attire must provide the same level of body coverage expected at an all-ages public beach.
- Outfits should contain no words or messaging deemed inappropriate.
- Footwear is required at all times.
- Your costumes can’t get in other people’s way. You have to be able to move and allow others to move.
- Costumes must fit through a standard American doorway.
- Costumes should not have any functional sharp edges or points that could be a risk to yourself or others.
- No 20th and 21st-century uniforms may be worn as costumes. These include any uniform that can be construed as a military uniform from any countr or a uniform worn in an official capacity, such as security guard, police officer, deputy, fire marshal, paramedic, etc. Active duty military personnel are permitted to wear their government-issued uniforms.
- Costumes and cosplays may incorporate audio or lighting elements of reasonable volume or intensity. Sounds and lights must be able to be turned off easily if they become disruptive to nearby attendees or events. They may not include smoke, odors, or fog.
- Cosplay weapons cannot include historical or modern weapons or items that could be confused for them. This includes (but is not limited to): self-defense equipment like pepper spray or tasers; recreational weapons like Airsoft, paintball, water, cap, or BB guns; sharp-edged tools like knives or scissors; or martial-arts weaponry including wooden practice weapons.
- Fantasy or sci-fi/futuristic weapons are allowed so long as they do not resemble actual historical or modern weapons and are handled with respect for other attendees’ safety and personal space.
- No live steel or weapons that can fire projectiles.
- Weapons and props must not exceed the height of a standard American doorway.
- Any weapon or prop that makes noise must be able to be turned off and must not be excessively loud.
Overall, the best rule for creating a costume is to use common sense. You are going to be in public. You are going to be in a crowded place. Remember, young kids attend Gen Con too.
The Costume Contest
Anyone can enter the costume contest on Saturday, however, it requires that you fill out a form and submit it by 9:00am Saturday morning. Categories include:
- Pop Culture (Robots, aliens, spaceship pilots, heroes, villains, and so on.)
- Fantasy / Historical (Wizards, barbarians, pixies, mermaids, warriors, Renaissance citizens, and so on.)
- Child (Ages 0–13, all costume types)
- Groups: Teams of two or more costumers.
- Game Characters (Characters from video games, board games, role-playing games, and so on).
- Professional
- Pot Luck (Anything that doesn’t fit in other categories)
You can learn more about the contest at https://www.gencon.com/gen-con-indy/costume-contest.
In Conclusion
This post scratches the surface of cosplay. There is a lot more to it including meetups and even aged 18+events. As a newbie, the things to be aware of are the rules mentioned above for interacting with cosplayers and to be aware of the cosplay viewing area.
Ultimately cosplay brings a bit more fun and make believe to Gen Con. The key to doing cosplay is to have fun. The key to observing cosplay is to be respectful.
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See the other articles in this series here.