With the cosplay rules changing at comic book convention and associated venues, NYCC has released their list of rules and policies on what is okay to bring for your cosplaying. NYCC has also made sure to include the rules for Madison Square Garden as well as the Javits Center. First I’ll list the general NYCC rules, then the rules for The Garden:
Javits Center
Please read this entire policy before attending New York Comic Con. Failure to follow this policy may result in your removal from the convention without refund. This policy applies to any and all venues hosting New York Comic Con events.
At the discretion of Security onsite, the following may be allowed:-Plastic and Metal Shields
-Lightweight Plastic/PVC Props/Light Sabers
-Toy guns as long as they do not look like real ones, cannot function or shoot projectiles and have an orange tip on the barrel. The barrel of all prop firearms must be covered with brightly-colored caps. Prop bows will be allowed providing all arrows have soft tips made of foam or cardboard.
-If any of the above items are deemed unsafe by NYCC Security, they will not be allowed inside the building. They will only be allowed as long as they are deemed safe and will not cause harm onsite.
If you’re bringing, buying or selling something that could maim, damage or cause bodily harm, we’re going to take issue. The following items are forbidden at NYCC:
-Functional firearms (including air soft guns, BB guns, cap guns, paintball guns and pellet guns)-Realistic replica firearms (including reproduction, fake or toy guns that can be confused for functional firearms)
-Functional projectile weapons (including blow guns, crossbows, long bows, silly string, slingshots, water balloons and water guns)
-Sharpened metal-bladed weapons (including axes, daggers, hatches, knives, kunai, shuriken, swords, sword canes and switch blades)
-Explosives (including firecrackers and fireworks)
-Chemical weapons (including mace and pepper spray)
-Blunt weapons (including brass knuckles, clubs and nunchaku)
-Hard prop weapons (including props made of metal, fiberglass, PVC, wood and glass)
-Instruments that cause excessive noise levels like vuvuzelas, grenade whistles and grenade horns
-Whips
-Aerosol mustard
-Drones
-Selfie sticks
Basically, don’t be an idiot.
The Garden
All final decisions on costumes entering the facility shall be at the sole discretion of Madison
Square Garden security.• Your costume must not be wider than 4 feet across, longer than 6 feet, or taller than 8 feet.
• You MUST be able to easily maneuver your costume over stairs or ramps unassisted. You must
be able to sit in your seat while wearing your costume, or plan to take it off once entering the
stadium (limited storage space available).• You must have unobstructed vision at all times (i.e., must not need to remove a piece of your
costume in order to see).• Armor cannot pose a threat to others by way of sharpened metal edges, spikes or bladed
surfaces.• Prop weapons and prop firearms will be allowed providing they are composed of foam or
cardboard only. The barrel of all prop firearms must be covered with brightly-colored caps. No
bladed weapons, no metal, no wood, no fiberglass, no PVC, no glass, no firearms of any kind
including air guns or cap guns.• Any bow-type weapons must be unstrung or strung with a low-tensile thread. All prop arrows
must have soft, non-metal, blunted tips made out of foam or cardboard only.• You may not include liquids, gels, or other substances which could cause a mess. This is at the
discretion of Madison Square Garden staff.• You may not use smoke effects, fire, explosives, or any other environmental hazard in any
capacity.• You may display your prop weapons only as costume pieces. Do not swing or brandish your prop
in any way that could be considered unsafe or threatening.• You may pose with a prop in a brandishing manner, so long as no reasonable person would
interpret for anything other than dramatic effect. NYCC and Madison Square Garden staff may
stop you at their sole discretion.
