Comic-Con Today: Sunday

Comic-Con’s Robert A. Heinlein Blood Drive, the San Diego Blood Bank’s largest and longest-running blood drive, is still going on, with donation areas located in the Marina Ballroom at the downtown Marriott Marquis Hotel and at San Diego Blood Bank Donation Centers. The Blood Drive is being held in the Marina Ballroom today from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm. If you haven’t already made an appointment online, you can do so at the Blood Drive Desk in the Exhibit Hall, Booth 2034. You can also donate at any one of San Diego Blood Bank’s eight Donation Centers or mobile drives through Sunday, December 12. Donors will receive a free T-shirt and other goodies (while supplies last). Appointments are strongly requested and will be honored first, but walk-ins are also welcome.

Masquerade Results

Last night, the Comic-Con Special Edition Masquerade gathered an impressive crowd.  It featured over 20 entries, with a total of almost 40 costumes crossing the stage.  Our Mistress of Ceremonies was popular fantasy artist Sue Dawe. An impressive group dance performance was the main feature at Intermission, performed by the amazing Corps Dance Crew, followed by a Star Wars light-saber performance by the Saber Guild performance group.

The winners were:

Best in Show: Queen Elizabeth the First, Worn By: Rebecca Roberts Ryan; Designed and Made By: Rebecca Roberts Ryan
Judges’ Choice: Beauty & The Beast, The Dance, Worn By: Nat Lawson, Ken Hazelett and Bryn Lawson; Designed and Made By: Nat Lawson, [based on art by Greg Luzniak]
Best Re-Creation: Giga Megaman, Worn By: Chris Priddy; Designed and Made By: Chris Priddy
Best Original Design: General Major Thomas Thompson, Worn By: Monti Aminian; Designed and Made By: Monti Aminian
Best Workmanship: Arakkoa Outcast as Skeksi, Worn By: Leah Rutherford; Designed and Made By: Leah Rutherford
Most Humorous: The Incredible Hulk, Cosplaying Freddie Mercury, Worn By: Gregory Harris; Designed and Made By: Gregory Harris
Most Beautiful: Dancing With The Celestials, Worn By: Chad Evett, Veronica Swarbe, Theo Tiedemann, Jordan Munn, Garrett Gage, Chloe Torbla, Ray Bender, David Bowne, Matthew Gnojek and Connor Breen; Designed and Made By: Chad Evett, Jordan Munn, Connor Breen with Wigs by Lisa Fabio 

All the winners above also received free full memberships to next year’s San Diego Comic-Con (up to five memberships per winning group), our extra thank you for all the hard work and dedication.

In addition, the judges awarded: 

Honorable Mention to Golden Eagle Wonder Woman, Worn By: Liz McFarland; Designed and Made By: Liz McFarland
Honorable Mention to Sexy AF Red Trooper, Worn By: Catherine M. Fisher; Designed and Made By: Catherine M. Fisher
Honorable Mention to Kassandra the Eagle Bearer, Worn By: Maddie Caffarel; Designed and Made By: Maddie Caffarel

The following company- and organization-sponsored prizes were presented as follows:

The Art Directors Guild (ADG, IATSE Local 800) has presented panels at Comic-Con for a dozen years and has among its members art directors, graphic artists, illustrators, matte artists, model makers, production designers, scenic artists, set designers, and title artists of the motion picture, theater, and TV industries. The ADG presented two awards: Award For Original Concept Design presented to Arakkoa Outcast as Skeksi, Worn By: Leah Rutherford; Designed and Made By: Leah Rutherford, and Best Graphic Design, presented to the entry whose printed, painted, or sculpted graphics were superior, awarded to Golden Eagle Wonder Woman, Worn By: Liz McFarland; Designed and Made By: Liz McFarland. Each award came with a $500 prize.

The Costumer's Guild West presented a full scholarship and one night’s hotel stay (valued at $500) to their weekend conference, Costume College, which provides educational lectures and workshops in every aspect of costuming. Costume College is held at the Warner Center Marriott in Woodland Hills, CA. The prize is valid for either July 2022 or July 2023 and was presented to Dune Stillsuit, Worn By: Terence Johnson; Designed and Made By: Terence Johnson.  

Frank & Son Collectable Show, of the City of Industry, CA, bestowed a generous $1,000 cash prize, plus a fabulous trophy to what they deemed by applause to be the audience favorite entry to Dancing With The Celestials, Worn By: Chad Evett, Veronica Swarbe, Theo Tiedemann, Jordan Munn, Garrett Gage, Chloe Torbla, Ray Bender, David Bowne, Matthew Gnojek and Connor Breen; Designed and Made By: Chad Evett, Jordan Munn, Connor Breen with Wigs by Lisa Fabio.

In addition, Comic-Con Special Edition presented a special costuming award given in memory of a long-time Committee and Board of Directors member Alan Campbell, who passed away in 2019 and is sorely missed. Alan was a great fan of the Masquerade and at times generously donated his own prize. The Special Edition Alan Campbell Award of $500 cash was presented to the entry deemed Best Re-Creation of a Comics Character or Characters in the show to Golden Eagle Wonder Woman, Worn By: Liz McFarland; Designed and Made By: Liz McFarland.

In addition, all contestants are eligible during the convention for a complimentary 3D Scan and a 3D digital avatar of themselves in their costume, suitable for insertion into media, and also usable with a free Augmented Reality app, courtesy 3DHQ (booth 2362).