Cosplay event promoted by Gwinnett County Public Library.

Coming this summer, the Gwinnett County Public Library will be hosting our first annual CosMania event to celebrate all things cosplay!

CosMania is a two-month library program for cosplayers and sewists ages 13 through adults. Join the Learning Labs at the Gwinnett County Public Library to learn new making, crafting, and cosplay skills and use them to make a cosplay to show off at our CosMania competition in August.
During the months of June and July, all nine of the Learning Labs will be hosting programs aimed towards different aspects of cosplay. Come learn new sewing skills, 3D printing, circuit building, and more! Learning Lab Specialists will also be available to reserve for one-on-one sessions to teach skills and how our machinery works. Put the skills to work by reserving time at the Learning Labs on your own. Show off progress at group meetups held weekly at the Duluth, Snellville, and Hamilton Mill branches. Each meetup will have a short topic presentation and then an hour or two for working on projects, learning machinery, and working through issues in a group setting with a Learning Lab Specialist to help.
Newly completed cosplays can be entered in the competition at the Duluth branch on August 9th. Experienced cosplayers will judge workmanship and provide constructive feedback as well as prizes.  Whether you’re brand new to cosplay, or just looking to brush up your skills in a collaborative environment, we invite you to come join us and find out what the cosplay buzz is all about!

Duluth Branch Lab

Learning Labs | Getting Started with Cosplay, Ages 12 – 18 & 19+ | June 6 at 2 pm

Learning Labs | Intro to Cricut – Vinyl Decal Making, Ages 12 – 18 & 19+ | June 11 at 6 pm

Learning Labs | Sewing Patterns, Ages 12 – 18 & 19+ | June 15 at 1 pm

Learning Labs | Intro to 3D Printing with Prusa, Ages 12 – 18 & 19+ | June 25 at 6 pm

Learning Labs | Prop Fabrication, Ages 12 – 18 & 19+ | June 30 at 6 pm

Learning Labs | Foam Crafting and Armor, Ages 12 – 18 & 19+ | July 7 at 5:30 pm

Learning Labs | Embroidery & Embellishments for Cosplay, Ages 12 – 18 & 19+ | July 16 at 2 pm

Learning Labs | Intro to Tinkercad, Ages 12 – 18 & 19+ | July 23 at 6 pm

Learning Labs | Post Processing 3D Prints for Cosplay, Ages 12 – 18 & 19+ | July 25 at 2 pm

Learning Labs | Documenting Your Cosplay Construction, Ages 12 – 18 & 19+ | July 27 at 1 pm

Hamilton Mill Branch Lab

Learning Labs | The Cosplay Process, Ages 12 – 18 & 19+ | June 1 at 1 pm

Learning Labs | Fabric Dyeing Basics, Ages 12 – 18 & 19+ | June 14 at 1 pm

Learning Labs | Intro to Soldering, Ages 12 – 18 & 19+ | June 21 at 1 pm

Learning Labs | Choosing Your Fabrics, Ages 12 – 18 & 19+ | June 25 at 1 pm

Learning Labs | Intro to Cricut – Vinyl Decal Making, Ages 12 – 18 & 19+ | July 2 at 1 pm

Learning Labs | Intro to 3D Printing with Lulzbot, Ages 12 – 18 & 19+ | July 9 at 1 pm

Learning Labs | Hand Sewing, Ages 12 – 18 & 19+ | July 13 at 1 pm

Snellville Branch Lab

Learning Labs | Intro to Cricut – Vinyl Decal Making, Ages 12 – 18 & 19+ | June 4 at 1 pm

Learning Labs | Fabric Dyeing Basics, Ages 12 – 18 & 19+ | June 9 at 5:30 pm

Learning Labs | 3D Modeling for Cosplay, Ages 12 – 18 & 19+ | June 18 at 2 pm

Learning Labs | Costume Layers, Ages 12 – 18 & 19+ | June 29 at 1 pm

Learning Labs | Wig Styling for Cosplay, Ages 12 – 18 & 19+ | July 12 at 2 pm

Learning Labs | Resin Printing Basics, Ages 12 – 18 & 19+ | July 13 at 2 pm

Learning Labs | 3D Printing with the Prusa, Ages 12 – 18 & 19+ | July 23 at 1 pm

Learning Labs | Drop-in and Finish Your Cosplay, Ages 12 – 18 & 19+ | August 3 at 1 pm – 3 pm

Suwanee Branch Lab

Learning Labs | Arduino for Cosplay (three-week workshop), Ages 12 – 18 & 19+ | June 26 and July 3 & 10 at 5:30 pm

Registration Required

General Rules Outline

PREJUDGING

  1. Contestants must have made at least 50% of their cosplay themselves. Contestants are strongly encouraged, but not required, to attend a CosMania workshop in a Learning Lab in June and/or July at any Learning Lab location.
  2. Contestants must inform the judges of any portion of their costume purchased or made by someone else. Significant modifications may count towards the craftsmanship score at the judge’s discretion.
  3. Costumes entered must not have won any award at any other costume contest or cosplay competition.
  4. Contestants are encouraged to present reference images of their chosen character or inspiration. 
  5. Points will not be deducted for deviations from the character’s original design for the sake of modesty and personal comfort. The final costume must be presentable to an all-ages audience (think PG guidelines).
  6. Contestants must provide photographic evidence of the creation process for their costume. General accepted photos include: work in progress photos, before and after comparisons, photos of mock-ups, preliminary drawings, and photos of obstructed details (garment interiors, closures, seam finishes, underclothes, hidden details).

DURING THE SHOW

  1. Contestants may not make vulgar, inappropriate, or political displays/gestures at any time during the show. This will result in immediate disqualification.
  2. Contestants are prohibited from throwing any part of their costumes into the audience.
  3. Bad behavior of any kind is not allowed. This includes but is not limited to: trash-talking, sabotage, poor sportsmanship, and bullying (in person or online). The library code of conduct is in effect and will be enforced for all contestants and attendees.
  4. No part of the contestant’s costume should leave behind any residue, leave damage on the floor, or compromise the venue for the other contestants. This includes but is not limited to: dragging props/weapons, loose glitter, confetti, or beads falling off, undried glues/resins/paint sticking or fumes, and smoke or fog effects. 
  5. All local, state, and federal laws must be adhered to, including those concerning weapons and carry.
  6. Photos taken during the show may be used in future advertising material.
CosMania Entry Form