Lights… Camera… KARAOKE!

This year the Retro Con Truly Truly Truly Outrageous Karaoke Contest is heading to the big screen! Be the guy or gal that sings the epic montage sequence, or the legend who belts out that end credits song… this is your chance to steal the spotlight!

We’re putting together a soundtrack packed with unforgettable songs from some of the biggest movies of the ’80s and ’90s. Expect tunes from classics like Back to the Future, Top Gun, Transformers: The Movie, and other cinematic favorites. No acting experience required… although dramatic pointing, imaginary wind machines, and over-the-top air guitar solos are highly encouraged.

The contest takes place Sunday afternoon with a tentative 3:00pm start time. Because contestant spots are limited and we’ll need time to prepare the playlist, sign-ups are required. Head to the Preregistrant Table in our lead-in hallway around 12:00pm on Sunday. If demand is high, we’ll draw names lottery-style to select our 12 performers.

First Place this year wins the HasLab Ghostbusters Ectomobile box set! This deluxe set valued at around $500 builds either the Ecto-1 or Ecto-1A car, measures nearly two feet long, and includes all four Ghostbusters in their Ghostbusters 2 gear, plus Louis Tully, Slimer, the Library Ghost, slime blowers, blast effects… even the dancing toaster, Ghostbusters hot beverage thermal mug, and free balloon for the kids! (no, seriously)

Second Place wins the GI Joe Classified Cold Slither figure set, while Third Place takes home the new Comic Con Transformers/Jem Blaster crossover set!

We’ll provide the retro soundtrack… you provide the movie magic. You don’t have to sing like Stan Bush or Kenny Loggins to have a blast. The Retro Con Karaoke Contest is all about having fun, cheering each other on, and creating some awesome moments. Whether you’re competing for the grand prize or just cheering from the audience, it’s always one of the most entertaining events of the weekend.

SEE FULL LIST OF RULES AND SONG LIST HERE!

One of Retro Con’s most popular traditions is back! Don’t miss the return of the Retro Con Trivia Contest on Sunday, September 13th!

Hosted as always by our good friend Mike from The Breaux Show, this fan-favorite event is FREE for everyone attending Retro Con. Just head over to our Event & Panel Room, grab a seat, and get ready to play retro trivia with some cool prizes up for grabs. It’s simple, fast-paced, and a whole lot of fun!

Every prize has its own trivia question. We’ll show off an item, ask a question related to it, and randomly choose someone with their hand in the air to answer. Get it right, and the prize is yours on the spot. Get it wrong, and someone else gets their chance! Expect items from Transformers, Star Wars, He-Man, Ghostbusters, TMNT, Hot Wheels, Funko Pops, ReAction figures, superheroes, plushies, and many more retro favorites!

As you can imagine, Googling and cellphone use is strictly prohibited!

Put all that wonderfully useless retro knowledge rattling around in your head to good use! You might walk away with some fantastic prizes. Bring your brain, your enthusiasm, a little energon, and a lot of luck!

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!

At Retro Con, we have a soft spot for weird stuff. Toys that made no sense, licensed merchandise nobody asked for, and bootlegs that somehow look cooler than the real thing. Whether it’s strange, bizarre, or unexpected, we want to see YOUR collectibles that will make people question reality at the Retro Con 2026 Weird Toy & Merch Contest!!

No pre-registration is required! Just bring your item to the Panel Room shortly before the contest begins (exact time coming soon). However you must be present with your item to compete, so please no drop-offs.

Almost anything qualifies! Vintage or modern, licensed or unlicensed, authentic or bootleg… we love it all! However, custom-made items are NOT eligible, and entries must be suitable for a family audience. (Sorry… your Shape-Shifter Punisher and E.T. Finger Light will have to sit this one out.)

If your item has a gimmick, by all means, show it off! We’re also welcoming “toy-adjacent” collectibles like lunchboxes, electronic toothbrushes, pharmacy rack toys, model kits, candy dispensers, alarm clocks, and of course… vintage Magnum PI clothes hangers! If it celebrates a toy line or pop culture property in a charmingly bizarre way, bring it along!

1st Place winner gets the LEGO Goonies Inferno pirate ship set (a $330+ value!), complete with nearly the entire Goonies cast in minifig form, along with the Walshes’ Attic bonus set!

Helping judge the madness will be Mike from The Breaux Show, alongside Mr. Lobo from Cinema Insomnia! Together they will preside over the uncanniest toys and ephemera ever to escape a factory. Along with audience reaction input, these two brave warriors will determine which of these items prevail!

So come enter to win, or simply come to watch! For one glorious afternoon, the strange shall be celebrated, the bizarre shall be admired, and the toys that should have never existed shall will finally receive the recognition they deserve!

Only Retro Con has the courage to ask the truly important question: “Who has the coolest T-shirt in the building?” Find out at the Retro T-Shirt Contest at Retro Con 2026!

Long before dressing up in costume became in vogue at conventions, the graphic T-shirt was the original geek uniform! Fans wear them proudly to represent their fandoms, manias, and personalities without saying a word. At Retro Con, we celebrate this sacred tradition the only way we know how… by turning it into a contest with awesome prizes!

Join us Saturday in the panel room and show off your retro finest! Whether your T-shirt celebrates cartoons, toys, video games, superheroes, wrestling, sci-fi, horror, mascots, or that forgotten tv show that only aired for eight episodes in 1984… we want to see it! Vintage shirts? Definitely. New but retro-inspired shirts? Absolutely. Custom-made shirts? Bring ‘em. That shirt your family begs you not to wear in public anymore? That’s probably finalist material.

Basic Rules (please study carefully):

1- Wear a retro T-shirt (90’s properties and earlier)

2- Show up before the contest starts (TDB soon)

3- Pose like you’re in a vintage Sears Wishbook!

Prizes this year include a GI Joe Classified Pythona figure for 3rd Place, a Monster High Xenomorph doll for 2nd Place (don’t laugh, this doll currently sells for $200 online!), and a Mondo Toys Real Ghostbusters Egon Spengler and Boogieman set for 1st Place! All prizes are new and unopened.

Returning once again to preside over the fashionable chaos is our good friend Mike Breaux from The Breaux Show! So dig through those closets, raid the attic, or uproot your dresser drawers. The greatest T-shirt you own has been training its entire life for this moment…

More Contest Info Below:

-You must wear your t-shirt at the contest.

-Only actual t-shirts can be entered. Sorry, no sweatshirts, jackets, snuggies, jerseys, hoodies, long-sleeve shirts, etc..

-The Retro Con t-shirt contest is a family-friendly event! Tees with overly sexual/graphic imagery or crude language will not be allowed.

-We’ll allow a small group to enter as one contestant if they have t-shirts associated with each other.

-The contest will be slated for about 30 minutes. Hosts will ask questions to the contestants on-hand, after which they will pick approximately 10 entrants to be finalists.

-After our Finalists are picked, they will be asked to go to the front of the Panel area. An additional round of questions, along with some audience participation, will determine our 3 winners!

It’s no trivial affair! Okay, well maybe it is… Anyway, win free toys and help us clear up space in our basement and attic in the process! Don’t miss the return of the SUPER-SIZED Trivia Contest at Retro Con 2025!!

One of our more popular contests, our good friend Mike from the Breaux Show is busy getting the prizes ready for September, and once again we’ll be going a FULL HOUR this year! The contest is set for 10:30am on Sunday, and is free for all attendees to participate in. Simply visit the panel room during the event to play along and win!

We’ve got items related to Transformers, Hot Wheels, Funko Pops, ReAction figures, He-Man, Star Wars, Ghostbusters, TMNT, superheroes, plushies, and much much more!

We’ll reveal each item one at a time at the contest, and ask a trivia question related to it. Then we’ll randomly call on a person in the audience with their hand raised to answer. If they get it right, they win the prize on the spot. If not, we’ll ask a different audience member until the prize is claimed. No Googling allowed!

Join the fun, show off your geeky knowledge, and win cool stuff to boot!! Don’t forget, Retro Con now has a dedicated event and panel room! It’s attached to our lead-in hallway, right next to the front ticket booths.

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro!

The Retro Con household has an unhealthy obsession with offbeat/quirky toys, and now we wanna see YOUR weird flex! Come witness the strange, the bizarre, the unexpected… at the Retro Con 2025 Weird Toy Contest!

The contest will be held in our Panel room on Saturday afternoon (exact to be determined soon). No sign-ups are required, you can simply arrive for line-up with your toy just before contest start time. However, you must be present for the contest, so please no item “drop-offs”.

Your toy can be officially licensed, unlicensed, vintage, new, or even bootleg. However, custom toys will *not* be allowed in this contest. We also request that your toy be suitable for a family-oriented crowd. We reserve the right to decline any toy we feel is inappropriate for the contest (nudity, bodily functions, suggestive features, etc). So leave your Shape-shifter Punisher and ET Finger Light at home, per favore!

If your toy involves a gimmick you’d like to demonstrate, you’re welcome to do so. We’re also allowing “toy adjacent” items to be entered, which are those tie-in items associated with a toy line or brand, such as lunchboxes, gumball machines, electronic toothbrushes, model kits, pharmacy rack toys, and of course… Smurf Big Wheels!

Top prize for the contest is the HasLab Ghostbusters “Two in the Box” prop set featuring a PKE Meter, Ghost Trap, and all bonus tiers, a $400+ value! 2nd Place gets you a 40th Anniversary Studio Series Optimus Prime figure ($90 retail price), and 3rd Place gets you the new Target-exclusive Star Wars ‘A New Hope’ figure set ($60 retail price)!

The contest will be co-hosted and judged this year by Mike from The Breaux Show, and our old friend Mr. Lobo from Cinema Insomnia! Come watch or participate in the fun! And remember… weirdness is often just a side-effect of being awesome!

Contests are always a big part of the show! First up…

Show off those cool geek threads like our group of cover models here! Our very own Retro T-shirt Contest makes its return for Retro Con 2025!

A longstanding tradition at fan gatherings is attendees wearing t-shirts expressing their favorite characters and brands. We’ve turned this into a unique contest to win free stuff! Retro Con’s T-shirt contest will be held in the panel room on Saturday at the show, and we want to see YOUR Saturday best! Your T-shirt can be vintage, new, or custom made. As long as it’s retro-related (90’s properties and back), you’re welcome to enter!

No sign-ups required, just show up prior to contest start time (to be announced very soon).

Prizes this year include a NECA Ultimate 80’s ALF action figure, a large NECA Spider Gremlin, and for First Place a Transformers Generation Selects Trypticon!

A big thanks as always to our very good friend Mike Breaux from the Breaux Show for hosting the fun! And a reminder that Retro Con now in *Hall A* and we now have a dedicated panel room! It’s attached to our main lead-in hallway (right next to the front ticket booths).

**Contest Rules**

1: No water will be involved. ;P

2: You must wear your t-shirt at the contest.

3. The contest is open to anyone at Retro Con wearing a t-shirt with a retro-oriented logo or print on it (90’s properties or older). Examples include: movies, cartoons, comics, tv shows, toy lines, company logos, mascots, music bands, sports, and more!

4. There are no sign-ups needed. Interested contestant can line up outside the panel room prior to the contest start time. (Start time to be determined soon!)

5. T-Shirts can be vintage, new, or custom-made.

6. Only actual t-shirts can be entered. Sorry, no sweatshirts, jackets, snuggies, jerseys, hoodies, long-sleeve shirts, etc..

7. The Retro Con t-shirt contest is a family-friendly event! Tees with overly sexual/graphic imagery or crude language will not be allowed.

8. We’ll allow a small group to enter as one contestant if they have t-shirts associated with each other.

9. The contest will be slated for about 30 minutes. Hosts will ask questions to the contestants on-hand, after which they will pick approximately 10 entrants to be finalists.

10. After our Finalists are picked, they will be asked to go to the front of the Panel area. An additional round of questions, along with some audience participation, will determine our 3 winners!

We will be hosting  *TWO* costume contests at Retro Con 2024!

SATURDAY at 1:15pm-    Junior & Adult Costumers 14 and over!

SUNDAY at 12:45pm-    Kid Costumers 13 and under!

Hosted once again by our good friend Eric “The Smoke” Moran, both contests will be held in the panel area at the show. Individuals and small groups are eligible to participate.

Preregistering for the contest is not necessary and there are no sign-up fees, though we suggest entrants please arrive outside the panel room 15 minutes before contest time for line-up.

Retro Con has a dedicated panel and contest room now, which is connected to our lead-in hallway!

We do a combination of staff judging and crowd reaction to determine our three winners. While craftsmanship will be definitely be taken into account, we will mostly judge costumes on their theme and overall effect. While some costumers are well-versed in advanced sewing and molding techniques, others show their ingenuity through creative glueing, hand sewing, and working with found items. We recognize costuming/cosplay as a hobby for people of all skill sets and budgets!

Please no skits or anything else that might delay the contest. Doing a pose and/or saying something briefly in character is okay. Also please no heckling from the audience or from contestants. Anyone found disorderly will be asked to leave. We believe in a fun and ego-free atmosphere!

_ _ _

Costumers will have a chance at winning three cash prizes:

Junior & Adult Costumers 14 and over

FIRST place: $150.00

SECOND place: $100.00

THIRD place: $75.00

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Kid Costumers 13 and under

FIRST place: $100

SECOND place: $75

THIRD place: $50

The Retro Con household has an unhealthy obsession with offbeat/quirky toys, and now we want to see YOUR weirdness! Come witness the strange, the bizarre, the unexpected… at the Retro Con 2024 Weird Toy Contest!

The contest will be held in the Panel room on Saturday at 12:15pm. No sign-ups are required, you can simply arrive for line-up with your toy just before contest start time. However, you must be present for the contest, so no “drop-offs”.

Your toy can be officially licensed, unlicensed, vintage, new, or even bootleg. Custom toys however will *not* be allowed in this contest. We also request that your toy be suitable for a family-oriented crowd. We reserve the right to decline any toy we feel is inappropriate for the contest (nudity, bodily functions, suggestive features, etc). So leave your Shape-shifter Punisher at home!

If your toy involves a gimmick you’d like to demonstrate, you’re welcome to do so. We’re also allowing “toy adjacent” items to be entered, which are those tie-in items associated with a toy line or brand, such as lunchboxes, gumball machines, electronic toothbrushes, model kits, pharmacy rack toys, and of course… a Gizmo Power Cycle as shown in our picture!

Top prize for the contest is a 12″ Mondo MOTU Skeletor figure! This is the retired “Timed” edition set that comes with a multitude of extra-added accessories like Battle and Dragon Blaster Armors, and currently sells for over $300 on the aftermarket! 2nd Place gets the new “Missing Link” Optimus Prime figure. Looks just like the Optimus you had as a kid, but with modern style poseability! And 3rd Place gets the new TFs/TMNT crossover transforming Turtle Van!

The contest will be co-hosted and judged this year by Mike from The Breaux Show AND our old friend Mr. Lobo from Cinema Insomnia! Come watch or participate in the fun!!