Conventions 2008

[Fuji Nagase]

Being one of the few con goers here i thought i would put a place here just so if anyone wants to meet up or talk conventions we could.



con reports, pictures, convention schedules, costume schedules for those of us who dare, and questions are welcome!




ill start:

San Diego Comic Con 08

Anime Expo 08 (LA)

san fran fall conventions/festivals ill prob attend '08

new costumes:

Kabuki from David Mack's Kabuki (for SDCC so i can meet david mack)



thats it for now. i hope someone here goes to a convention though i know most berserkers are not con goers...remember questions are welcome!

[Aetherfukz]

It sucks that there are no anime conventions in europe...

[Buzkashi]

I go to comicon every year.

Hurray for me?

[halfnhalf]

i want to go to anime expo 08, however i grew out of my anime fanboy era, so i think i just might be bored. Comiccon however i want to go to.

[Fuji Nagase]

yeah!! go to comic con everyone!

i was actually worried last year about being grown out of conventions (and my friend i go with was too) but there are so many things to do there i think its actually worth your time/$ if you live in the area. i ended up having a blast and you can avoid the stupid fankids if you try. i was supprised how much fun i had. my friend even won a free DS just for waiting in some random line.

this is my first year at comic con and i hope i can make it. i am planning to meet david mack in my kabuki cosplay but after ax and all the stuff i ahve to do i dunno if ill have enough money..cons are so expensive...but i really want to go! any suggestions about how to best spend comic con? all i hear is "its soooo big".

[The Herald]

There are anime conventions in Europe, just put ' germany anime convention ' into Google, or whatever country you're in, and you'll find them. I went to a convention while I was in England. They're a little different, a lot more about merchandising, but still fun. The conventions I'm planning on going to this season are:

Vcon - Vancouver, October
Sakuracon - Seattle, March
Anime Evolution - Vancouver, August

I may go to Anime Expo in LA, but I live in Vancouver so that may be a bit difficult. I made a Link costume for the AE last August, so I'm wearing that to Vcon. (by the by I'm a costume student so cosplaying isn't dorky for me ) I'm making a full out Desert Punk costume for the Sakuracon, and for AE next August a Salazar from Resident Evil 4 for my 10 year old sister and maybe a Judeau from Berserk from the Great Eclipse. Though, I think my sister would rather I were also a Resident Evil character, so I'll probably just be some gross bug guy with a robe on.

[Shaka Zulu]

There is anime conventions in Europe indeed. There is an annual one here in Uppsala, Sweden. Not really big by any means (Uppsala is not a big city), but its an convention.

Have been for 3 years I think for what I have noticed, and only been close to going once, or noticed it happend only once (I usually forget it exists and heard some notice of it later on). Most of my siblings watch/read anime/manga, and we were playing with the idea of going. But realised the only real reason we wanted to go is for the open cinema marathons they have of anime series and movies. The overly commercial side the other activities/events didnt interest us (if I want to buy anime related stuff, I do it myself, not be forced upon with massive ammount of merchandize), you would think one should go for the overall experience, but checking their schedule of events, didnt really sound like much to experience (except videogames contests, that would have been fun, but you cant pay a pricey entrance fee to play video games for 3 days), but mostly was venues for you to buy stuff.

Didnt eventually go because for the same reason why we dont watch anime on tv even if its our favourite series. Their material was quite outdated in our standards. All being stuff we already seen or dont want to see (they even tried to trick people to going with the promise of the latest Naruto movie, which they didnt show, just created false buzz). Cant really compete with instant online downloads, especially since they were showing only licensed stuff, and they tend to be a bit older stuff and limited in quantity.

[halfnhalf]

if you havent, try to go Anime Expo. It is huge and crazy fun if you are currently still into that scene.

[Fuji Nagase]

i think i grew out of buying anime goods at cons when they didnt sell berserk related ones...i dont want a naruto poster or a FMA action figure...also, many things are basically stupid americans trying to get close to japan by buying pocky and shit like that to feel like they understand japanese culture. i also used to watch the anime at cons but once i got into cosplay, that was the main reason i went. its cool to see the interviews with guests and see the new and latest stuff. sometimes is ncie just to be in a place where there are (almost) no judgements on liking anime and manga. depending how big the con is you run into cool people sometimes too. industry people or voice actors or something.

i say if there is one in your area, go take a look if you got like 50 bucks and a sat.

[Buzkashi]

i say if there is one in your area, go take a look if you got like 50 bucks and a sat.

I suggest bringing 50 dollars and a sac. Cause after the second hour cons get booooring. You need a lil something to make it more enjoyable.

[Fuji Nagase]

hmmm..yes, for those of you with a less than active attention span, bring a sac and show those anime nerds what they have been missing.


news! david mack has officially confirmed his presence at comic con. by the way, if anyone hasnt read his comics, please do! kabuki is an amazing series.

[Buzkashi]

Whoa didn't mean too offend you.

Just saying that unless your some mindless anime freak comicon just gets boring. If you come in there with an agenda you can easily see all of what you want with only spending a couple of hours in the convention center. Or you can just sit there and google at all the pretty anime and cosplayers.

[Fuji Nagase]

im not offended. however i disagree that only a mindless anime freak would not get bored at comic con. i have checked on several occations that i do indeed have a mind, and though my being a freak has yet to be decided i think at any convention there is plenty to enjoy. if i am not mistaken, comic con is huge and full of all types of culture, not just anime. movies, american comics, industry people, contests, like any con there are a million things going on all the time. i can understand that it isnt for everyone, and some people get bored, but if its so boring, then why pay the money and go?

[psi29a]

Never really went to a comic con, but I've had experience with Otakon, Katsucon, and Nekocon from 97 to 2004 and I admit that near the end of my run the conventions did get boring. A lot of the anime being shown where 'sponsored' instead of fansubs and only funny shit was the late night gore fests like: Ichi The Killer and Ebola. Needless to say that in the 90s, we had copious amounts of booze and <censored> to keep us entertained for days on end.

In the end the only things that kept me coming back was going with large groups of friends, art gallery (drunk), late night funny/gore films, mat3k, AMVs, and eating out on the town and the fact that there was copious amount of sex.

[dialdfordesi]

I don't think they have any conventions in Kansas, but then again I haven't looked too hard. The conventions seem like they'd be fun to go to with friends and most of my friends aren't into anime or manga.

[Buzkashi]

im not offended. however i disagree that only a mindless anime freak would not get bored at comic con. i have checked on several occations that i do indeed have a mind, and though my being a freak has yet to be decided i think at any convention there is plenty to enjoy. if i am not mistaken, comic con is huge and full of all types of culture, not just anime. movies, american comics, industry people, contests, like any con there are a million things going on all the time. i can understand that it isnt for everyone, and some people get bored, but if its so boring, then why pay the money and go?

It is boring. People go there with an agenda on what they want to see, they get in and get out. Theres no arguing it.

[Tonbo]

It is boring. People go there with an agenda on what they want to see, they get in and get out. Theres no arguing it.

There's plenty to argue. 22,000 people don't hit up Otakon just to catch a few Zzzz's. Like everything in life, your enjoyment is a function of your attitude and the friends you share it with. Just like a scary movie can be really lame if you watch it with your parents or really awesome late at night with your buds and some beer. I envy Fuji and her cosplay posse. It looks like mad fun.

When I was in college anime was still an underground movement and conventions were pretty small and rare, so I missed out. I was randomly in Baltimore for a fellowship over the summer and got a chance to check out Otakon (I had never even heard of it... I just followed the tide of anime characters walking through Harborplace). The energy was enormous and I had fun hopping around all the mini sessions just checking things out, even though I was by myself in a suit and tie.

I would say that the more people, the more fun... just like alcohol, anonymity offers an escape from mundane inhibitions and critical self awareness.

[Fuji Nagase]

my first convention i was around 10 or so..i think. and my mother who i will proudly reveal took me with her own interest in the convention herself though she tends more towards sci-fi books and american comics more than anything else. i was quite young when the sailormoon/dbz things came around, i'll admit, but i got really taken away with it. ever since..forever, i have been into anime and manga because my mother was kind enough to accidentally introduce the first 20 minutes of ninja scroll to a young fuji, forever addicting her to anime and manga. so i can say now, i was more or less there when anime was only sold in the form of a VHS bootleg store on the internet, and ther were only small conventions in the big cities and no local anime store. i wasnt there for before it started mind you, but i got room to talk i think.

now back on subject, im glad i got backed up by Tombo. its the truth that conventions are like any party: the more good friends, the more fun. i travel with my cosplay buddy who is loads of fun and often meet friends from other states there too. its true that i love cosplay and its the main reason i go, but i went to years of conventions before i did. i always wanted to but i was like 12..i didnt know how to make a battle angel costume. there are so many things to do at conventions...i think there is something (its its a good convention) for everyone other than the dealers room.

[Vicissitude]

I'm hitting up Otakon and, if the weather is clear, Katsucon in the Baltimore and DC areas, respectively. At Otakon, I'll be hanging with the Dead of Summer guys if they're still going (3 years running, so most likely). Stop by and watch me and Nick compare our beards.

[The Herald]

My first convention was when I was 15 and it was the Anime Evolution in Vancouver. Though, before that when I was 12 I went to a summer camp on Mt. Fuji Japan through an international good will thing. I can remember when Sailor Moon came out when I was 7, I was so into it. Mostly because of the featured arcade type place. But, even before that I was into Dragonball and My Neighboor Totoro. Luckily I got the good Fox translation of it, not the joke with Dakota Fanning that Disney put out. When Dragonball Z came out I was so into it, and I still am. I seriously considered dressing as Gohan for my first convention. I ended up being Benitora the Red Tiger from Samurai Deeper Kyo. Next two years I was Auron from FFX (the third con year was because I didn't have any time to make a new costume because I was graduating) and my last was Link. Now I'll be Desert Punk, who, if you haven't seen him, is the most awesome character all on his own of any anime, except for maybe Berserk, and you don't want other characters he's so cool. And did I mention disgusting?

[Fuji Nagase]

kansas anime con its called naka con: http://naka-kon.com/



List of Anime Conventions is found in the link below! so no more complaining about "there is no convention in..." from anyone unless there really isnt. This is cosplay.com's list so i think it has everything. this is a link for the 2007 cons, so if your convention is new, google it. hope this helps!

http://www.cosplay.com/conventions.php

[Malvado]

kind enough to accidentally introduce the first 20 minutes of ninja scroll to a young

Pretty much the same except my dad made me watch the whole thing.

[The Herald]

When I was 7 my dad got me to watch all of heavy metal with him. When I was 9 ninja scroll was on TV, and I didn't get any of the sex stuff at all. But the fighting was all cool.

[Fuji Nagase]

yeah, my mom is into comics and all that. its funny though because shes the japanese one and she likes american comics better! she always made it a point for me to remind myself it was HER that introduced anime and manga and comics into my life. its kind of nice to look back at an assortment of obscure animes like Galaxy Yuna and Plastic Little and then the well known samurai X OAVs and think, that was quite the childhood. man anime is amazing as a child. right when you are getting into it, its so fun. though i wish i had known about berserk when i was younger. i was so obsessed with the middle ages and all that, i think i really would have enjoyed it. but better late than never.

[halfnhalf]

i was like 6 or 7, and there was akira at blockbuster. I didnt know, my dad didnt know, so i grabbed it, becuase the box art look cool. My dad asked what was it, i think it was along the lines of cartoon power rangers from japan, which then sparked my ability to lie to my parents.


You might say that it may have messed me up, but naw... i saw Aliens at the age of 3, so that was what messed me up.