Tekko | Cosplay & Performance

Official Cosplan Frames

Tekko 2023 "Cosplan" frames coming soon...

Cosplay Guests

MelPool Cosplay

Mel is a cosplayer, content creator, gamer, and esports caster from the Washington DC Metro Area. He has been cosplaying for over 10 years and is known for big armor builds and foam and 3D-printed props. He has cosplayed from various anime, comic, and video gaming series such as Halo, Mass Effect, DC Comics, and Nintendo. Mel has recently expanded his cosplay skills to include sewing, electronics, and makeup to create intricate cosplays that incorporate multiple disciplines and skills. He has won awards in several different cosplay contests, and has even won MarioKart tournaments! Mel is excited to share his experience and knowledge with Tekko and the Pittsburgh community!

Lady Cels

Lady Cels (she/her) is a Maryland-based cosplayer who creates her own costumes from scratch. As a disabled ND professional, she strives to help create accessibility as well as acceptance within the cosplay community.

Lady Cels

Rakumaroo

Rakumaroo has performed at various conventions since 2016, with Tekko being her first. She has won judge's choice, first place, and best in show prizes over the years and performed the masquerade half-time show for Tekko 2022. She loves writing and performing anime themed musicals and hopes everyone will love this year's show!

Lutavia Cosplay

Lutavia Cosplay (they/them) is a nonbinary award-winning cosplayer and maker from Houston, Texas, who specializes in cosplay craftsmanship education for all, telling a story through costuming, and exploring new techniques through a mix of both armor and fabric designs. Their passion stems from making cosplay accessible at any scale for any design, from managing cost constraints and time to working with chronic illness or a full time job. With years of cosplay experience, paneling, and tons of tutorials and resources created for the community, there's nothing more they love than seeing your amazing costumes and helping with cosplay challenges, especially in their first visit to Pittsburgh and here at Tekko!

More cosplay guests to be announced soon...

Cosplay Craftsmanship Contest

In the Craftsmanship Contest, cosplayers are judged on their ability to skillfully recreate a design in a private, scheduled interview with a panel of experienced judges. Please review all of the rules below before registering for this competition.

Info & Rules

1 Only costumes handcrafted by the entrant are allowed to be entered into the Craftsmanship contest. Commissioned, store-bought, or thrifted costumes cannot compete. Most of the costume should be made from scratch or heavily altered.

2 Official designs or fan art designs of licensed characters are welcome to compete. Original characters will not be permitted. All entries must have accompanying reference materials brought to their judging appointment. Participants will be judged on faithfulness to the design in addition to craftsmanship.

3 Participants may not enter a costume that has been judged in any previous Tekko craftsmanship contests.

4 If a costume will be modeled by someone else, the crafter of the costume is considered the entrant. They are the person who must submit the application, speak to the judges, and the one eligible for a craftsmanship award, not the person wearing the costume.

5 All craftsmanship awards will be presented during the performance event. Attending the performance is HIGHLY encouraged. If the entrant cannot participate for any reason, please notify a judge or staff member during the scheduled judging session. Entrants may also participate in the Walk-On portion of the performance, but it is not required.

6. Entrants with a Friday judging time slot may participate in the skit portion of the performance event. Entrants with a Saturday judging slot may not, due to the performance rehearsal conflict. Preference for a Friday or Saturday time slot will be in the application form.

7. Please arrive at least 5 minutes prior to the scheduled appointment. If the participant does not show up at the time assigned, they will forfeit their right to compete.

8. Active Tekko staff and current guests are not permitted to compete.

Divisions

Junior : Participants 15 years of age or younger. This category is meant to encourage young participants to develop their crafting skills. As such, Junior entries must have made most of their own costume. Costumes made by adults for juniors cannot compete at the Junior level and must compete at the skill level of their creator.

Novice - You are new to costume making or have received no major* awards.

Journeyman - You have some experience in costume making or have received no more than 2 major awards.

Master - You are an experienced costumer or have received 3 or more major awards.

*Major award examples are: "Best Of…," "Best In…," "First Place," "Second Place," and so on. Judges' awards, fan favorite rewards, etc. do not count towards the participant’s skill level. Craftsmanship Contest skill levels only take into account awards won on the merit of craftsmanship. Performance rewards are not considered.

Participants may compete in a skill level higher than they are in, but may not compete lower level. We encourage entrants to challenge themselves! However, once the participant wins an award at a certain level, they can only compete at that level or higher from then on.

In a group, the skill level of that group is determined by the highest classed skill member of that group. For example, a group of Novices with one Journeyman must all compete as Journeymen.

Performance Contest

In the Performance Contest, cosplayers will take to the Main Stage and perform in front of a live audience. Performers are not judged on craftsmanship, only overall presentation. You may compete with bought or commissioned costumes.

Rules & Requirements

The Masquerade is open to Tekko attendees. Staff and guests are not permitted to compete.

You may not enter both Craftsmanship and Performance. Rehearsal conflicts with Craftsmanship judging. You cannot enter in both the Walk-Ons and Performance. You also cannot be in two different performance entries. Stage ninjas/helpers count as performers/entrants.

Being a cosplay masquerade, cosplay is required. No cosplay = no going onstage.

1 As this is a cosplay Masquerade, performers are required to be in cosplay. Please contact the coordinator if you have questions about your costume's appropriateness.

2 The Masquerade is open to Tekko attendees. Staff and guests are not permitted to compete.

3 Skits have a time limit of 4 minutes. The time it takes for you to get on and off the stage does not count toward your time limit. Your audio track must be within the time limit.

4 Tekko is an all-ages event and the material in the Performance section must reflect such. No explicit sexual references or gestures, obscene language, graphic violence, or nudity is permitted. All audio must be edited for content.

5 You will be required to submit a script of your skit for approval via email before the convention. Pre-recorded music and/or dialogue is HIGHLY ENCOURAGED and PREFERRED. We cannot guarantee more than 1 microphone. You will be asked to submit your audio file via email before the convention.

6 Masquerade rehearsal is mandatory unless cleared with the coordinator before the convention. Participants in Friday craftsmanship judging may also participate in the Masquerade, but not on Saturday judging as it is a scheduling conflict with rehearsal.

7 Stage combat and other more physical things will need approval at rehearsal to ensure the safety of attendees and equipment.

8 Whatever comes on the stage with you must leave the stage with you. Confetti, silly string, and other “messy” props are prohibited. Your performance must also be limited to the stage area.

9 You cannot enter in both the Walk-Ons and Performance. You also cannot be in two different performance entries. Stage ninjas/helpers count as performers/entrants. If you wish to enter both Craftsmanship and Performance, you must have a Friday judging time for craftsmanship.

Divisions

Novice - No more than 1 major award received Novices are new to performing and competing.

Advanced - 2 or more major awards received. Advanced competitors have some experience and have often competed or performed on stage before.

Categories may be changed/combined depending on cosplayer turnout.

Major awards are awards that are considered “Best Of” , “Best In”,”First Place”, “Second Place” and so on. Honorable mentions, gag awards and Judges awards do not count towards your skill level.

You may compete in a skill level higher than you are actually in, but you may not compete lower than your skill level. We encourage you to challenge yourself! BE AWARE- Once you win at a certain level you can only compete at that level or higher from then on out.

In a group, the skill level of that group is determined by the highest classed skill member of that group. For example, a group of novices with one journeyman must all compete as journeymen.

Walk-Ons

The Walk-Ons are a non-judged exhibition of cosplayers during the Performance Contest. You walk on the stage, pose a few times and that’s it!

This portion is open to all costumes from any genres, as well as original designs. You do not have to have made your costume to participate.

You may not be a Walk-on and in a Performance entry. Walk-ons do not attend rehearsal.

Registration for walk-ons will be done at con before the Performance Competition. Please show up at Main Events an hour before the competition starts and staff will direct you. There are limited spots available and they will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Please have the following information ready to go! This will be written on a card that you will hand to the MC, who will read it to the audience as you walk on stage.

*IF YOU ARE WALKING ALONE:*

The name you want to be called on stage. This is YOUR name, not your character's name. A cosplay handle, nickname, or first name are all acceptable.
The character's name that you are cosplaying. If you are not cosplaying a character, write out what your costume is. For example, "original fox spirit design" or "historical kimono."
The title the character is from. For example, "My Hero Academia," "Genshin Impact," "Disney." If you are not cosplaying from a series, you do not need this information.

Examples:

Erica as Princess Jasmine from Disney's Aladdin

Bob Cosplay as an original fox spirit design

John as Shoto Todoroki from My Hero Academia.

*IF YOU ARE WALKING AS A GROUP:*

You will all be listed on one card. Please have the name of each group member followed by the character they are cosplaying, as well as series if you are all cosplaying from different media. Make sure that they are all comfortable with the name you provide being broadcast.
The title of the media the character is from. For example, "My Hero Academia," "Genshin Impact," "Disney." If you are not cosplaying from a series, you do not need this information.
You do not all have to be from the same series, but all groups must be under ten people.

Example:

Erica as Kyoko Kirigiri, Bob Cosplay as Makoto Naegi, and John as Monobear from Dangan Ronpa.

Dragon Cosplay as Batman and Evan as Goku from Dragonball Z.

Iron Cosplay

Hosted by our cosplay guest: Ely Renae!

Make costumes from actual garbage, play outrageous mini games, SABOTAGE your friends!

Join us for a fast-paced creative adventure, where you get to speed-build costumes, and maybe sabotage your friends a little bit along the way! The audience will be split into teams and must choose their Cosplay Champions to create the ultimate costume and win the competition! Champions will have to use scrap cosplay materials and their imagination to make a kick-ass costume before the time runs out. If you're not a creative type, never fear! Audience participation will be paramount in helping your team win this event. Compete in mini-games in order to sabotage other teams, or to help your team receive items that will help them build their costume! All sorts of entertainment, inventiveness, and mischief will be had! Don't miss out on this outrageous event!

To sign up for the Iron Cosplay event, use this document !

Cosplay Repair Station

You are now entering Hangar Bay 16 aka Cosplay Repair! We are a highly skilled group of Cosplayers and enthusiasts here to help you fix your minor costume and prop mishaps.

This FREE service is available for all with badges to the convention!

You will recognize our staff by their aprons and CRC badges. We will also have a Cosplay Medic wandering the convention to help with on the spot needs.

We have dressing rooms and stations for Wigs, Glues and adhesives, Sewing, general repair and paint. Our staff is knowledgeable in all areas. We are a safe space where you can change outfits, fix items (yes, even your pants for you non-cosplayers!) and prepare for judging.

Open to cosplayers:

Friday 9am-11pm
Saturday 9am-11pm
Sunday 10am-2pm

Cosplay Guest Suggestions

Would you or someone you know make an amazing cosplay-themed guest at Tekko? Let us know who you want to see and why!