Do I have to pay to enter the cosplay competition? No, the contest is free to enter for all guests with valid entry wristbands. There are no additional fees or charges associated with the competition.

Is my entry ticket paying for the commission prize? No, the funding for the commission prize is already secured and ready to be awarded.

Why is the prize a commission and not an upfront single payout? Taxes. Simply put, the commission makes it possible for cosplayers to access certain eligible tax deductions that would otherwise be unavailable, such as costs for materials, billable hours, equipment, portions of utilities, studio space and transportation. The commission also extends the amount of time the artist has access to those benefits. Cosplay is Art and you should be able to use the same tax benefits as other contemporary artists. (INSPIRY X, LLC., is not a professional tax service nor are we credentialed to give personal or business tax or legal advice. Always seek professional services from credentialed practitioners.)

Who decides how the commission prize is used? The artist. The commission was created as a way to give emerging “artists” (we consider cosplayers to be artists), a means to pursue the projects that spark their imagination and drive. It can be in the form of taking on a challenging build or upgrading the equipment and materials needed to do so. We’ve created the supporting infrastructure to establish the system and our first commission on 7 November will test it.

Who owns the commission when it is done? The artist. I don’t have space in my house for it. INSPIRY X is aligned to the purpose of artists shifting away from copyrighted intellectual properties and towards original works that they own in their entirety. From our perspective, ownership creates more opportunities for self-sustaining creative careers and encourages innovation in storytelling.

The prize is massive, why isn’t the build requirement higher than 70% from the cosplayer? We’re too new and strange to start off at a very high level of difficulty. Lowering the build requirement makes us more accessible to our audience of beginner to intermediate cosplayers. In the future the build requirement will go up to 80%. We’re leaving the remaining 20% open to encourage growth in the commissions market. Much like running a business, you can do a lot of things, but not everything.

How will I know what my build percentage is? We’re keeping it simple, the maximum percentage is 100%. Here’s an example: Your cosplay consists of 30 components, but you only made 15 of those components. 15 divided by 30 = 0.50 (50%), the minimum requirement is 70%, you would need to make 21 out of the 30 components (0.70×30=21). At 15 components you would be short by 20% and would need to make 6 more components.

(Total number of components divided by the number of components you made, equals your current percentage.)

(70% multiplied by the total number of components, equals the number you need to make yourself.)

*Components are defined as a complete piece of the cosplay and not the individual actions such as sewing, sanding and painting.

Who can enter the cosplay competition? The competition is open to all event guests 16 years old and above. Minors require parent consent indicated on the registration form on the day of the event.

Is there a kids category for this competition? No, our focus this time is on the primary age groups of 16 years+. If the event on 7 November is successful, we will launch two additional cosplay competitions. The second will focus on teens with the intent to establish a college grant.

Is the competition accessible to people who use assistance devices such as walkers or wheelchairs? Yes, the cosplay competition will take place in the main hall at floor level. Pre-judging will be downstairs accessible by elevator and also at floor level.

Can I perform a skit or dance? Not this time. We have plans in the works to accommodate performance cosplay in the future.

The character I want to cosplay is adult mature and parts of the cosplay are revealing. Can I wear the cosplay to the event? No. INSPIRY X is a family friendly event and will have minors in attendance. We respect the adult nature of characters as a form of expression. There are no plans to create 18+ Mature content or competitions under INSPIRY X, LLC or its properties and or subsidiaries.

Why are there no pre-registration sign-ups for the cosplay competition? We’re so new and unheard of that it’s hard to determine how many cosplayers will attend even if they’ve pre-registered. To prevent holes in the pre-judging schedule we are only accepting registration in-person on the day of the event.

When is pre-judging? Pre-judging is from 11:00 am until 4:00 pm. Late registrations will not be accepted. The judges are humans and need to rest, eat and prepare for the finale. The early bird gets the worm.

How will the judging work? We are setting the foundation with a simple points scale and common areas of focus that cosplayers are used to and expect. This system is developmental and will be improved after each competition to keep pace with the skill of the cosplayers and to provide a challenge. The judging rubrics are available to view under the competition section of the website. We don’t consider ourselves a prestige event, more like an innovation incubator to give cosplayers a reason to take the plunge, learn a new skill or push out of their comfort zones and to grow as artists.

Why are there 20 finalists? We wanted to showcase as many high quality cosplays as we could with the time we have at the venue. Our purpose is to inspire after all. There is only one top prize, yet there will be many deserving cosplayers, this is where the idea for our unique Masters cosplay competition comes into play. We won’t spoil all of our surprises, but I will say that the Masters competition is only open to those who have placed in the Top 20 from each convention and the prize will be much larger. I love a good underdog story and I think we’ve created a way to give those cosplayers another shot at the prize.