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Rose City Comic Con Bans Marvel’s ‘Hydra’ And Other Nazi Characters

Ian Miles Cheong Contributor
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Rose City Comic Convention in Portland, Oregon, banned cosplay depicting the Marvel comic book character Red Skull and members of the supervillain organization “Hydra.”

And they’re not the only characters prohibited.

The annual comic book event, which draws over 36,000 members, announced its new guidelines for acceptable cosplay last Thursday—and it’s only just now making the rounds outside of comic book circles. The next event, which is set to take place on September 7-9 in 2018, will be banning anyone who wears what they call “Nazi paraphernalia.”

The website’s Costume Policy page was updated to include the following language:

Hateful symbols aren’t welcome at Rose City Comic Con. Historical costumes can be great, but reminders of unspeakable atrocities are not appropriate – this goes for Old School Hydra and Red Skull or any other Nazis from entertainment properties. Those figures, while comic-related, are still very much Nazis. As a result, they are 100% banned, always. This includes any sort of “ironic” or satirical costumes that re-appropriate Nazi paraphernalia or gear.

Anyone who violates the new rule will not simply be prevented from entering the event, but banned for life. The orgalization explained on Twitter:

The sweeping mandate would also include characters from Japanese anime, including shows like Girls Und Panzer, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, and the classic movie Jin-Roh, which featured mechanized soldiers in Nazi stormtrooper-like outfits. Video game characters from Killzone could also be confused for Nazis.

It’s unknown if Captain America, who signaled his allegiance to Hydra in the new Marvel “Secret Empire” comic book series, is included in the ban. Likewise, it is unclear if the ban also covers Star Wars, whose stormtroopers’ armor and Imperial uniforms were directly influenced by Nazi aesthetics.

Ian Miles Cheong is a journalist and outspoken media critic. You can reach him through social media at @stillgray on Twitter and on Facebook.