Goldilocks wins! Check out the 2023 Las Cruces Comic Con costume contest

Goldilocks, Princess Peach and Chainsaw Man walked into the Las Cruces Convention Center Saturday … and walked out as costume contest winners.

The 2023 Las Cruces Comic Con was held Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 19 and 20 at the convention center, where hundreds of fans swarmed the convention center.

Fandoms of classic sci-fi movies, anime and other media mingled over the weekend. Attendees had the chance to meet various special guests, shop for merch and compete in the annual costume contest.

Children, adults and group cosplayers packed a conference room at the convention center, waiting for a chance to cross the stage and explain how they created their costumes.

Participants were judged on their character, craftsmanship, creativity and accuracy. Children up to 13 demonstrated their work first.

Top three winners in each category received cash prizes, including a $500 cash prize for the Overall Best in Show.

Elijah Guerra, 11, dressed as Jevil from Deltarune. He explained that he has been cosplaying for several years and gave his grandmother, Peggy Flores, much of the credit for his costumes.

Guerra said Jevil was a secret boss he didn’t know how to beat when he first played Deltarune. Figuring out how to “go off the beaten path” was the key to his progress in the game and in life, he said.

Winners in the children’s group were:

Emma Zavala, 21, entered the adult group once again this year. Zavala was the winner in the adult group in 2022 for her costume as Blitzo from “Helluva Boss.” She said she enjoys finding a project that challenges her.

“I always look for different characters that I can cosplay as,” she said.

This year, Zavala took on Goldilocks from “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.” Her costume included a corset she created in a specialized theater class at New Mexico State University, several wigs to create the oversized buns on the top of her head and a handmade staff.

Zavala took home the biggest prize of the night, Overall Best in Show.

Winners in the adult group were:

The final group of the night featured two or more cosplayers taking the stage as a group. Couples, families and friends all used their imagination to create cohesive ensembles.

Amber Faith, 17, and her friend, Will Turner, 20, collaborated on characters from Endless SMP, a production Faith created. She compared it to a live streamed show where viewers dictate how the protagonist acts.

Faith dressed as her character, Faith, a dragon princess, and Turner cosplayed as Captain Blu, a recently dead pirate.

“The viewers kind of predict the storyline through me because I do what the viewers want,” Faith said. “My character is very diverse.”

Group winners were:

Presto Next

Leah Romero is the trending reporter at the Las Cruces Sun-News and can be reached at 575-418-3442, [email protected] or @rromero_leah on Twitter.