There’s a special pageant for a Klingon looking to stand out from the crowd.
Cosplay is a huge part of fandoms, especially Star Trek. Go to any convention, and you’ll see Starfleet officers, a Klingon here and there, Vulcans, a lone Borg drone, Andorians, and maybe even a member of the Q Continuum. And these fans mean business. Nothing but the best will work for their costumes and make-up, and when they put that much effort into it, it’s understandable they’d want to show it off. Once upon a time, Dragoncon gave Klingons that opportunity in its annual Miss Klingon Empire Beauty Pageant, but that ended in 2009.
Treklanta, which used to be TrekTrax, picked up the gauntlet and has been hosting the pageant since then at its annual Star Trek convention. And because fewer contestants are allowed, the chances of winning are higher. In the 2020 pageant ,which had to be postponed because of the pandemic, Treklanta had limited the contestants to just ten, and it had Suzie Plakson, John Paladin, and Tim Storms signed up as three of the guest judges.
But not just any Klingon will win the crown
There’s more to the Klingons than just a pretty face, and Treklanta takes that and more into consideration when deciding on who will win. Contestants are judged on beauty, which includes make-up, costume, and modeling, talent, and personality. So even if you have the best costume, if you don’t bring a talent or the personality, you’re not going to win.
And speaking of winning, what is up for grabs anyway? A total prize package worth more than $600 as indicated on Treklanta’s website.
"The winner of the Miss Klingon Empire Beauty Pageant will receive a number of prizes with a total value of more than $600, including:16″ tall acrylic trophy on a solid wood base. A plaque on the front of the trophy will be autographed by the pageant’s celebrity judges (retail value $400)Fabulous 10″ tall rhinestone tiara, plated in sterling silver and styled with hundreds of all-hand-prong set Swarovski rhinestones (retail value $90)Exquisite satin pageant banner, embroidered in red on white satin, trimmed in blue and green… the official colors of the Klingon Empire (retail value: $80)A fabulous bouquet of freshly cut, colorful, gorgeous pageant flowers (retail value $60)"
Treklanta was virtual this year, but when it returns to full convention status, undoubtedly, so will the show. This gives you Klingons plenty of time to plan for next year! Qapla’!