Oz Comic-Con: Where Cosplay Champions Are Born

I need a weekend to recover from my Oz Comic-Con weekend. Between the panels, the fashion shows, the artwork… and that was just Saturday. I then brought Evil Genius Inc with me to do it all again on Sunday! It is too much for one review. So let’s start with the most popular feature of any Convention: the cosplay.

Oz Comic-Con is home to the Australian Championships of Cosplay, and before y’all Kanye West me with “I’ma let you finish,” last year’s Australian Champion of Cosplay went on to win the global Crown Championships of Cosplay at C2E2 this year—Major Sam with this beauty, Julieta Necromancer.

So when you’re wandering around an Oz Comic-Con, you really start to notice the level of skill in each and every character. You never know if one of these could be the next Crown Champion.

My absolute favorite of the whole convention was lovely Laelani, dressed as Ursula from The Little Mermaid. I so, so, SO wish I had scored a picture of her with Major Sam in Ariel cosplay at the Bernina Cospital stall. It would have been magic. This was Laelani’s first time cosplaying at a convention, and she has NAILED IT! She doesn’t have a Facebook or Instagram profile for the cosplaying just yet but stay tuned for updates.

Unfortunately, Ursula was not in the Competition, but there were plenty of other stunning projects on display. This year’s NSW winner was HenchWench, dressed as a female Orc Death Knight wearing Legion Armour (from World of Warcraft). Her handcrafted creation included mini-smoke machines and LED lighting designs. Yeah, I’m not even in the ballpark with these guys.

HenchWench is traveling with Oz Comic-Con to Brisbane this weekend for the National Finals, and potentially an onward trip to next year’s C2E2 to defend the Australian Crown.

Oz Comic-Con also gives kids the opportunity to strut their stuff and practice their cosplay skits. It’s always a blast watching the spawnlings up on the stage, especially when I know so many of them have put a lot of effort and time into making their outfits.

In the meantime, here is a gallery of all the other treasures I found throughout the Sydney Con.

EDIT: And the Australian National Cosplay Champion is … HENCHWENCH!!

There was some seriously awesome competition in the Grand Final at Oz Comic-Con on Sunday, September 18. Especially from a fantastic newcomer, Lumin Cosplay, who won the Queensland division with her self-created Demon General.

HenchWench held on to her winning streak, impressing the judges with her weathered detailing, hand stitching, highly detailed makeup, and ALL THE STUFF. You saw it all in the photo above!

HenchWench will be heading off to C2E2 in 2017 to defend Australia’s claim for Global Cosplay Champion! Congratulations HenchWench!!