the only con i do each year is Anime Weekend Atlanta. this year will be my 4th year in a row. love it this year, my girlfriend will be going with me so i'm looking forward to that.

what cons are y'all going to?

a-kon in a week and 5 days. 5th year ive gone to it, and still love every moment of it.

shweet post pics? *sparkles*

maybe in a few years when i'm debt-free i'll be able to do a few more cons a year. gotta make sure i have moolah for other vacation destinations too. like japan. and anywhere beer related

its kinda funny. Every year that we go, we take a camera and never really take a lot of pictures :-p

I've been contemplating going to a con for about a year now. I've been into anime for awhile, but I grew up around ppl that didn't even know what the word meant. Well, there was this one dude that was only interested in Inuyasha, but other than that he didn't like anything else. It would just feel sad going to some event all alone; thats what's been holding me back from going to a con.

lol! i'm a camera whore. i carry it with me everywhere, and at cons, it's an otakuden free-for-all. i literally take hundreds of pics, with at least 90% of that being cosplayers.

totally understandable, especially if it's your first con. after going to a few, going alone isn't as daunting as it initially sounded. but as a first con, that can be intimidating to anybody.

it depends on the con and con-goers, but it can sometimes be rather easy to meet/make new acquaintances and friends at a con. even when you know nobody, there is one thing you know, everyone who you see is there because they enjoy anime.

if you ever make Anime Weekend Atlanta a destination of yours, i'll be there

Thats the thing, I be tha strong silent type. LOL. I'd prolly get to the door to walk in and then dart out running in the opposite direction or try to find a place to hide so as not to be seen.

{hugs} daijobu.

amazingly enough, i'm usually the shy/quiet/keeps to herself kinda gal, but to balance that out, when it's something i'm super-excited about, watch out. it be a full on otaku geek explosion

well, if u ever feel like giving AWA a try, let me know

I am pretty much the type of person who would rather rip my nails off then actually go do something new. *thinks of Higurashi no naku koro ni* But I was practically dragged to my first con and I have gone every year after to Naka-Kan. I am still not going to cos-play, but I do enjoy looking at the others who do. Some of those are REALLY well done.

*shivers* wow, I need to get that out of my head. So painful to watch.

Yeah, you won't see me in any cos-play outfit, but Its nice to see ppl get into things like that.

And Otakuden, when is AWA. I live in northern MS, so going to Atlantas gonna be a trip; as in lots of gas. I did get $600 from that Eco Stimulus thingy.

How exactly is one dragged into doing something. Do you mean it LITERALLY?

Sorry, I was talking to long time lurker. This is actually the first forum I've ever posted on. I dunno how to do anything.

Yes actually, my friend got me into the car with the idea we were going to go see a movie. As soon as we passed the turn off I knew something was not right.

We at DOAMA go to Ohayocon every year and do panels. It's a lot of fun, but trying to find places for a couple dozen to sleep can be hair raising. I know one thing, I'm not being a key holder to one of the hotel rooms ever again. I spent a large portion of last years con in the room letting people in and out.

Hey, Mr. President, do you know of any cons near or around northern Mississippi?

Did you check AnimeCons? It looks like there are some in nearby states at least.

-rh

Oh, thanks. I'll check it out.

Wow, AWA is right next to my birthday. That would be a perfect con to go to!!

Ok, so say I did go. What all would I need to do? Register online, and reserve a room at a hotel would be the major things I believe. Then I would have to think of the things I'd need to bring with me. Well for one, cash is a given. No telling how much I'll be needing for various expenses. Lets see...well wasn't there gonna be some autograph thing, gonna have to bring some things to get autographed maybe. Well, I'm gonna need a new pair of shoes for one. My Converse shoes are about to be completely worn out. Hmm...I can't think of anything else ATM, any ideas??

no worries everyone has been new to the forum process at some point.

AWA is in september, the 19th-21st specifically. if u want to make it this year, great. if not, they'll be having AWA 15 next year
http://awa-con.com/

a few pieces of advice/help if your thinking of going to AWA based on my experience going there the last 4 years. also, i gave up on driving to AWA last year. i fly in and fly back roundtrip. ends up being cheaper and easier than driving, especially with gas being the way it is now. i have an airtran card, and i think my roundtrip ticket last year was around $150. it also pays to get a hotel membership card for whatever hotel you're staying at. they're free, and you never know when it may come in handy again.

they have ATMs, but expect them to run out of cash fast. most vendors take plastic nowadays, but you may run across one or two who don't. i would say maybe carry $100 at the most.

food is easy and can be quite cheap depending on what u want to spend/how you want to eat. the Waverly hotel where AWA is held at is directly linked to the mall so you have access to the food court which opens bright and early during the con. if you want a nice dinner one of the nights, the hotel has at least two nice restaurants inside along with a badass bar. if i'm not out taking pics or cruising the dealers room and events, i'm usually at the bar.

there are tons of hotels within walking distance of the waverly which is already booked for that weekend. use the accomodations link on the AWA page. it will give you a listing of the satellite hotels that you can book a room at. make sure to give them the AWA hotel code when calling; it'll get you a really decent rate for that weekend since u are attending as a con-goer.

if u decide to go, i def recommend getting your tix now. you will have an opportunity to get your pass early thursday. i always stay thurs night through sat night so it's much easier to get it then. but, that's me and you have have to work it a bit diff for you. that aside, it's easier to prebuy. just make sure to print out and bring your confirmation with you in case they can't find it.

the basic necessities like deoderant and soap and shampoo. it may sound silly, but fanboy funk is never fun -.-

comfy shoes because u will be on your feet for long hours all day for three days.

other than that which i can think of now, bring a smile and be ready to have tons of fun. you may run across an occasional jerk, but overall the peeps i have run into and met at AWA over the years have been amiable maybe a bit weird on occasion, but good people.

and bring lots of snacks as thats mostly what youll be eating the whole time :-p And yes please please PLEASE take a shower while at the con >_<. You have no idea how annoying it is to be standing next to someone who hasnt showered at all in 2 days. Also its better to pay in cash as theres usually no tax on the product with most vendors. If you buy with a cc it usually has quite a bit of tax added onto it.

1. I was gonna check to see if it would be cheaper to fly in. I can go 500 miles on one tank of gas and its around $50 at $3.70 sumthin a gallon. I get Shell V-Power gas; the expensive stuff. Ok, so calculating expense Drive vs. Fly is TOP priority.

2. I'll be sure to carry maybe around $200 not $100, just in case, and I got a Visa Check Card from my bank.

Ok, the top two things are decided. Heres the problem that I have. Why are you telling me to shower? Are there alot of ppl that don't? I mean thats pretty disgusting. So booking a hotel is separate? Gotta find a room first, then gotta get the pass to get in the convention. I'll also be sure to print a copy of what ever I reserve. Like the hotel room and the pass or whatever its called.

And finally, when would be the best time to get to Atlanta? Should I take off work Thursday Friday and Sunday. So Wed afternoon I can board the plan/drive the car and get there Thursday so I can get my self inorder and freshen up for the big event Fri-Sat, and Sat afternoon I'll make my way home?

ok. i gotta ask. what kind of car do u drive to get 500 miles on one tank of gas O_o i have a honda civic 2 door and i get 300 freeway miles on a tank of gas.
that aside, compare overall costs (gas and mileage to your car). for myself, it was that and i'm old, i'm lazy, i dun wanna drive for 10 hours to get to the con.



$200 should be more than enough. last year i brought cash for the shuttle from the airport to the hotel, and really didn't even need that since they took card too. always better to err on the safe side though.
the only possibility of not being able to use your card is a vendor. everyone else is card capable. food places, restaurants, etc. a credit card or bank card with a visa logo like you mentioned will be just fine.

i wouldn't say that there are a lot of peeps who don't bathe. AWA is 99% anime so ur much safer there than at a combo con with anime, games, scifi, etc. it's not anyone here pointing fingers at you, just a general observation of a sometimes common trend of being too busy to not employ basic hygene. again though, not a real problem at AWA.

correct. book a room at one of the satellite hotels. using the AWA con code will get u a room for around $100-$120 at the most which is half of what you would normally be paying so it's a good deal. i'll be staying thurs thru sat night and leaving sun afternoon. there are still some events and such on sunday, and the dealer room is still open, artists alley, etc, overall though, it's the slowest day.

your AWA pass u can take care of online. i get the three day pass since it's cheaper to pay for all 3 days, and i stay for all three days. it depends on you though and what days u will need the pass for.

i'm taking off work thurs-sun. i ususally take wed-wed off and make it a mini-vacation of sorts, but i dun have any paid vacation right now so i'm just doing the needed days. thursday off cause that's when i fly in (early booking check-in is a beautiful thing).

hope this helps. keep the questions coming if you have any more. i dun mind

Well, that just about covers it on the con part. Right now at where I work I have paid vacations, but I dunno if i got select vacation days or not. I might not be working there long since I'm looking for another job. Hopefully I get the one that pays $15 an hour where I work 40-50 hours a week, and has a "You put $50 in I put $50 in." 401k. : )

well, I drive a Mercury Cougar 99 model, with a manual transmission. Says on the little MPG display I get 32.7 MPG. Its went up this past few month from 31.5 MPG, so I'm doing something right, aka alot of coasting. It's pretty hilly around my place so I coast downhill alot. Thats prolly why. Also, It might be that I buy the Premium gas instead of regular. I like to treat everything that I own with lots of respect. Due for an oil change in about 200 miles. LOL

sounds cool. good luck finding another job. it can be hard in todays market so i'll be rooting for you. i gotta hunt down another PT job cause the one i currently have isn't giving me enough hours to back up my FT job.

sounds like you seriously thinking about AWA. r0ck on!

my journal entries from AWA last year:
http://otakuden.livejournal.com/218185.html
http://otakuden.livejournal.com/218430.html
http://otakuden.livejournal.com/218844.html
http://otakuden.livejournal.com/219029.html

Well....let's see.

I already attended Katsucon, Anime Boston and NY Comic Con.

I had planned to attend A-Kon again.....but just had to cancel my plans due to 'family medical issues'.

I will almost certainly attend Otakon and NY Anime Fair again later this year.

Other possibilities include San Diego Comic Con (already have hotel res in case I actually go this year ), Anime Expo and possibly Providence Anime Conference.

FWIW.....I only started attending anime cons in 2004.....as Otakon was my first.....and I was sorta coerced into attending it.

If at that time, someone told me that I would attend 20+ cons over the next 4 years....I would have thought they were NUTS.

In 2005....I attended only 3 cons.....Sakura Con (Seattle), Anime Boston and Anime Expo.

In both 2006 and 2007....I attended 7 cons each year.....at various locations around the USA (Anime Boston x2, Anime Expo x2, A-Kon x2, Sakura-con x2, Anime USA x2, Otakon x2, Anime Central 2006 and NY Anime Fair 2007).

And yes...I've racked up a lot of airline miles with Delta over the last few years......but not just for anime cons.

My reasons for attending cons have evolved over the 'years'........as I've attended in various 'capacities':

Initially, I was 'only' a general member.....sitting in on panels and attending some events like most people.

In 2006....I was coerced into working a few cons as a 'member of the press'......and came to like the added benefits that come with such badges....but ultimately, this sort of work wasn't 'me'.

Early last year.....things changed yet again (something that may surprise some people).....as I started receiving exhibitor/dealer/industry badges at some cons...due in large part to 'helping out' a certain R1 anime studio at various cons.

FWIW, I have come to enjoy this the most....especially the interaction with other fans at the 'booth'......and is largely the reason why after attending 20+ cons....I still haven't lost interest........yet.

The one thing that I haven't done yet....is volunteer as a staffer.

Above all else.....my primary reason for attending cons at all.......has always been to meet up with various friends and acquaintances.......as IMO that's the best part.

A.J.

sounds like you keep quite busy and enjoy yourself at the same time. very spiff
i've only ever attended as a regular memeber, though i think maybe next year i'm going to try for press. i'm taking my homepages more seriously, and there are certain events/screenings that i would like to get in early at as a press memeber. i can keep my page more update and informed that way.

there may be only 5 peeps reading my page, but it's still my page and i take pride in it :P

any plan to possibly attend AWA?
one of these years i'm gonna treat myself to Anime Expo as my bday present to myself. it always happens at the same time as my bday so why not, right

It doesn't surprise me at all, especially since I know your history on the AOD forums quite well.

Point taken....

However, the specific studio in question still might come as a bit of a surprise......even given my history at AoD......as nothing from my past posts at AoD would have ever indicated that I had any sort of "connection" whatsoever with this particular studio.

A.J.

I do try.



AX is quite interesting.......and this year's move to downtown LA should prove to be even moreso.

During each of my past 2 visits to AX, I ended up having to ship at least 1 large box home via FedEx ground.....as there are often many good deals to be had in the dealer's room.

Other relatively large cons that I've enjoyed attending are:

Sakura-con in Seattle, WA
Otakon in Baltimore, MD
Anime Boston in.....well.....MA
NY Anime Fair in......well.....

I was somewhat annoyed that I had to miss Sakuracon this year.....as it's been my favorite con over the last couple of years.....but this year, it was too close to Anime Boston.

On a similar note, I was even more pissed that I had to cancel my plans to return to Anime Central this year.......as I had really wanted to attend it given that Kenichi Sonoda (Gunsmith Cats)was a guest.

Oh well......hopefully, Sonoda will be invited back and/or to another con.

As an attendee......the only con last year that I was really disappointed in.....was A-Kon.

I mean.....something has gotta be wrong when a series of panels/workshops on NewTek's Lightwave 3D software turns out to be the most interesting programming for me at an anime con.

As a result.....I ended up 'working' during much of that con.......which for me turned out to be a blessing in disguise as that was much more interesting.......not to mention the fact that I would have been rather bored otherwise.

Add in the fact that Dallas, TX is a great place to get a really good steak dinner.....and all things considered, it turned out to be a worthwhile trip after all.

One other major side benefit from going to all of these various cons.....is that it's a great excuse to see portions of this country that you might not have otherwise visited.

A.J.

WOW, this dude gets around! You go to so many cons, how do you pay for all of that traveling. And not just the traveling the buying, and hotels, etc., etc. I mean 1 or 2 would kill me in the money department. Oh, and where does all that time come from?

I'd really like a friend to come with me to AWA, but I don't know anyone. Plus I dont now how much i'd enjoy going to one. I mean im not big on collectables and stuff. If its not an anime dvd or game i prolly wont buy it. Maybe a shirt or sumthin. What all do they sell at cons?

it's totally understandable wanting a friend to go with you to AWA, or any con for that matter. i would love for you to attend and have afantastic time, but that's also my selfish enthusiasm for the event speaking. you should go to AWA, or any con, when you're ready, though sometimes to be ready you just gotta jump into the deep end of the pool and swim

the dealers room has tons and tons and tons of swag. from tshirts to dvds, games, cds, figures, japanese clothes, sword and weapon replicas, studio rep booths (adv, funi, bandai, etc), posters, books (manga, art books), and prolly tons more i am forgetting. outside the dealers room there are 24 hour anime showing rooms, a game room, interviews with studio reps and special guests, forums on cosplay, the cosplay contest and show, anime music video contest and showing room,,, the list goes on

Heh.....some people who know me would consider that to be a major understatement.

Trips to attend anime cons have only made up a fraction of my yearly travel over the last few years.

During 2007 alone, I flew over 75,000 miles within the US48 on Delta Air Lines.....just as I previously did in 2006 and also 2005......in total, a bit more than 250,000 miles since I attended my first anime con in August '04.......which ironically enough I didn't even fly to.....as I took Amtrak's Acela service to/from Baltimore instead.




Before I start to answer this question, I think I should note that I turned 35 earlier this year....as that alone probably goes a long way to explaining a few things......

Still, attending anime cons doesn't have to be truly expensive....but I guess this is all 'relative' depending on an individual's age and/or situation.

For example, my average cost for airfare and hotel for a 3 night con 'away from home' has been only $600-750.....and sometimes, less.......and that is with no roommates (something that can reduce the cost of the hotel portion).

Given what some people spend on anime and/or other leisure activities during a year....that's not too much in the grand scheme of things.

Of course.....with airfares on the rise due to high cost of oil....that's probably gonna go up......but there are still ways to 'reduce costs' on a per trip basis.

In some cases.....if I can't secure a 'cheap' airfare.....I'll redeem "miles" for an award ticket instead.

The same can be done for the hotel portion of the trip.....as I occasionally redeem 'points' that I earn through a hotel's frequent stay program for free nights.

These 'miles' and 'points' can be earned by flying and/or staying in hotels (how I primarily earn them) or charging purchases to a credit card that offers them as a reward.

Using AX last year as an example.......both my hotel (5 nights at the Westin Long Beach) and air (domestic first class) were paid for using points and miles respectively......so, my only real (out of pocket) expense for that trip were meals, what I spent at the con itself and 2 nights at the Planet Hollywood in Vegas as I took advantage of a free stopover on my airline award ticket to 'relax in Vegas' before heading back to NYC.

Another good idea that someone I know uses to cover the costs associated with traveling.....is to setup a 'travel fund' account and make regular deposits to it (say, a fixed percentage of each paycheck)....sorta like the old Christmas Club accounts of yore.......and then 'dip' into that to cover the cost of a trip.

Of course the largest limiting factor for most people is 'available time'.....and this also doesn't have to be a major stumbling block.....unless someone is forced to work weekends as most cons are Fri-Sun.

FWIW, as a freelance consultant......I get the advantage of largely being able to set my own schedule.


On a similar note, I guess I should mention that more than a few people have suggested that I seriously consider running a panel at anime cons specifically dealing with 'traveling the con circuit'.



Anything and everything....

Manga, DVDs, CDs, import games, statues, trading figures, logo apparel, bags, costumes, swords, air guns, etc........the dealer's room of an anime con is like a huge flea market for mostly anime-themed merchandise.

I should note that the dealers' room at a con like NY Comic Con has a much different mix of merchandise........including sci-fi and comic-based toys (eg. Star Wars, Marvel, etc.) and of course....tons of comic books.

A.J.

Sweet. Naka-Kon was my first con too. It's a great anime con and its growth over the last few years has been incredible. I've been to all but the first. It sounds like you have a pretty good friend to drag you to these things. I didn't know any other anime people at the time so my version involved self-dragging.

just got back from a-kon 19. This year the events section seemed sorta dead. Only bandai had a panal. The other panels were really nothing that interested me. Seriously a How to speak to women panel??? and 18+ age at that >_>;;; Though Nabeshin was freaking awesome as hell. Got his autograph and a picture of me and him together. He even attended the hentai fest (even though i didnt) but thats still pretty damn cool. And apparently he had a blast there too.

I'm on staff at Animazement in Durham (next year to be in Raleigh), North Carolina. We finished up our eleventh year last week and have to say it was a great one. Hopefully, now that we are moving to a bigger location with more sales room and more attendees, we might be able to get the Dark Lord to come down and unload some of that great Right Stuf merchandise and titles.

hm... i haven't heard much about this one. does it have a website? what have been your fav events?

Web site for it is right here: Animazement.

-rh

shweet! thanx for the link

This year I have been to AnimeDetour, and I will be going to Kikoicon and Sogencon. Next year I might add Convergence and No Brandcon to my list.

I was at Acen08.

I will be at Anime Festival Wichita in August.

Well.....Anime Expo has moved from 'possibility' to just about a certainty.....as I just booked my hotel room and flights....using points and miles respectively.

LA....here I come.

Incidently......while looking at the programming section of AX's website, I saw what looks to be a preliminary schedule.....that lists a Nozomi/Right Stuf Industry panel starting at 3:00pm on Friday, July 4th........and a Nozomi Premieres panel at 4:30pm on Saturday, July 5th.


However, this also means that I will likely have to miss out on attending SDCC this year.

Oh well......maybe next year.

A.J.

I missed the MTAC (again) this year, but I plan to go in 2009.

However, our local 2600 group hosts a hacker convention called PhreakNIC each year, and we always have an anime room running during most of the con. I'm the volunteer director, so naturally, I always assign myself to help out in the anime room. Oh, the sacrifices I make for the good of the group...

This year I am only going to Youmacon in Dearborn, MI. I have been going there since its first year four years ago. I also go to JACON every other year which is in Orlando, FL. This was the first con I went to, and I had no idea what to expect that first time. I was expecting something like Motor City Comic Con, so I planned to be there for about four hours(this was the last day of our vacation before we had to drive home)and there to be a bunch of dealers and one viewing room and maybe a couple of speakers. Boy was I wrong. There was only 15 to 20 dealers (as compared to about 200), but they were all related to anime (there were 2 at MCCC). It also must have been the year of final fantasy X because there were so many Lulu's, Yuna's, Rikku's and Tidus' walking around it was almost ridiculous but a lot of the costumes were really well done. I didn't even find the four viewing rooms until a half hour before I had to go.

The moral of this story is to plan to be there more than four hours. So I recomend getting the 3 day pass for all those con newbies out there and check out everything.

I also go to cons by myself and mostly at night, since I work nights. I only get to see the evening panels, but I am always there for the concerts. Then on one of the days they usually play a whole series of something or a bunch of shows that will never be licensed for North America. I think this is why I go to at least one Con each year.

We did SakuraCon in April, then next is Portland OR for KumoriCon end of September. The daughter is dreadfully afraid to fly so it better be close enough to comfortably drive to.

2otaku

the 3 day pass is always worth it. there is always something going on from the opening of day one to the very last event of day three.

i'm going to have to start looking into plane tickets for september

Brand new this year is AkiCon:
http://www.akicon.org/

We'll be going, of course.

This coming weekend I will be at Connecticon! Hope there's some other people here going too.

I've already been to Acen and JAFAX (if it even counts), and will be attending Youmacon in October/November =3

Sorry, I'll be doing work for Anime Festival Wichita in a couple of weeks. Have a safe and fun time.

Thanks. It was a fun con although a bit unorganized at times especially due to their screenings never matching their times stated. I wanted to see Seven Samurai but apparently it never ended up getting shown.

I need to call my local art house theater and art museums and see if they have any interest in showing this fine piece of cinema.

Shawne & Co. should be happy to note that quite a few people were in the Emma screening wth at least one person saying she had to go find it in the dealer's room.

Any word if TRSI will be there? It seems like a given but I pinged the con site a few days ago but found nothing concrete.

I believe we will be screening several titles by Nozomi / Right Stuf, as well as giving several DVDs out as prizes, but I do not know that anyone from Right Stuf or Nozomi will be in attendance during the weekend.

I'll see what I can learn.

is TRSI/Nozomi going to be at AWA this year? ~piku~

I suppose it shouldn't be a surprised that TRSI would be attending a con in their own proverbial back yard but I heard that they'll be at Anime Iowa in their Anime Today podcast (#72). I made some last-minute plans to go so I hope to see some of you there.

Yep, Rich, Alison and I will be there Saturday morning and we have a panel at 10:30am in Programming 1 (Coral D). Hope to see you there!

i have attend AWA(Anime Weekend Atlanta) its an awesome con. by the way anybody from this forum attending this year AWA?

i am
i go every year, and this year is no exception. i'm just hoping TRSI will be there ~crosses fingers~

I'm glad I managed to catch your panel despite the schedule mixup(s); it was great seeing you all in person and the Aria preview was outstanding. I was at the con with several club members and, despite the fact that none of them have expressed much interest in slice-of-life series in the past, they all got quite a kick out of the preview episode. Clearly this attests to the greatness of Aria.

On a tangential note, it was also a pleasant surprise to find out that Rich is a fellow aficionado of the venerable 20D.

that is because ARIA is simply magical that way
and i currently feel like i want to go to work in a gondola.
http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o280/otakuden/avn-lFay.jpg



what's 20D?

Funny that, I've been tracking Fay ever since a good friend of mine who just moved out there and into her path mentioned it when we last spoke. I made the proposal to him that the tropical storm/hurricane naming strategy be moved to anime character names. Case in point, Fay would be renamed Faye [Valentine]. How cool would it be to read in the papers that Faye Valentine will make landfall within the next 12 hours?



I should have clarified...The 20D is a digital SLR made by Canon. While it's not a new model by any means, it is semi-legendary for arguably being the first no-compromises digital SLR (predecessors of all brands up to that point all had fairly significant design weaknesses or flaws). Because of the respect it commands among those familiar with it, it's always kinda cool to see someone else with one.

Have I nerded up this thread enough yet?

great minds think alike. as soon as mom mentioned to me what the name was, i snickered, and had visions of a POed Faye ripping through FL, then landing in a bar somewhere all tuckered out.

it should be a rule that all hurricanes be names after anime characters. here! here!

there can be no thread/reply geeked enough. bring it on!! while i don't have an SLR (though they tempt me each time i go camera shopping) i do thoroughly enjoy my current camera. she's all ready for AWA and Cosplay and Event picture taking goodness!

Its been a really good camera. I had a Canon 10D for about 3 months, since I needed something better than what I had for an event that was coming up, and jumped to the 20D as soon as it was announced. I really wish it had the full RGB histogram in the software, but I can live for now. Unfortunately, from traveling with me on the motorcycles, its gotten beat up a bit and is developing "quirks." I have a variety of photos and galleries linked from my blog.

Meanwhile, Hurricane "Dark Lord" is hitting wallets everywhere.

They're definitely worth looking into, particularly if you're beginning to feel like you're limited by the functionality of your all-in-one but they do require an extra bit of dedication. There is, of course, a learning curve but that's not a major issue if you're genuinely interested in learning such stuff. Instead I'd say the most prominent tradeoff over a compact camera is something far more mundane; size and weight. Walking around an anime con with a bulky 2-5lb camera takes a fair amount of dedication.

That said, they are immensely rewarding. The creative flexibility and control combined with the quality of the output, particularly if you learn to work with RAW files, is priceless. If you're going to take the time to shoot a cosplay contest then why not do it in style, right?

Same here. I had been window shopping for SLRs for years and when digital SLRs came to pass I decided to wait for the first "sweet spot" DSLR to come along. When I first saw the specs on the 20D I immediately knew it was a winner and promptly ordered one.



I hear you there. In fact it's amazing to see how many nice-to-have features have become standard since the 20D was king. I still love my 20D but I'm seriously pondering going full-frame and getting the highly anticipated successor to the 5D widely rumored to be announced next month.



Ahh, I remember these. Your pics were posted on another thread here about the flooding no? Great pics from the con. I was with a group of friends who were distractingly cool so I took relatively few.

It's a bummer to hear your 20D is having some "qirks" but clearly you're able to work around them very well. I've been relatively kind to my camera save a single 6 foot fall when my tripod flopped over. I was photographing anime figures and turned away for a second only to hear a crash immediately after. The macro lens threads, a Neon Genesis Evangelion platinum collectors box and a DVD shelf thankfully(?) broke much of the fall. Thus far, though, my camera has remained free of "quirks".



Hehe, so would it be fair to say that Hurricane "Dark Lord" has his eye on my wallet? The shores of my landlocked little hamlet have been ravaged so often by Cyclone DLK (it only seems right to give it that Eastern nod) that my bank account has collapsed into a Bermuda TRSIngle of sorts.

Speaking of penchants for renaming things, would it be out of order to suggest an alternate name for DLK...perhaps as a back-up when his other name is in the shop? Fans of niche domestic animation of years past would no doubt find the name Kleck-Nar (in reference to Heavy Metal), particularly fitting especially when they notice their wallets melt in his proximity.

I suppose that's enough stream-of-consciousness crackpottery for one evening. Cheers!

P.S. Should you be interested, I have some photos here: My Flicker Photos. They're mostly just figure photos and odds and ends but perhaps entertaining to some.

yay! Blog! you are now bookmarked and soon to be added to the Oasis lj.



meanwhile tropical storm fay is still hitting florida everywhere :P

it's not that i don't want one...so much as i just haven't broken down and gotten one yet. the camera i have now is a step above my last one, but i've only had it about a year or so. i'll do the ole upgrade thing in another year or so and take the DSLR plunge then

Dang those are good photos of those figures! I wish the ones in our store looked that good, but it isn't my group that takes care of that.

I think the flood photos were posted elsewhere, made for an interesting day wandering around town. Between the camera, GPS and other stuff I was carrying on the bike, people for some reason kept asking me what was blocked were, best places to view things, and such. I must've looked like a professional gawker or something.

It's cool that you had a chance to check them out and it's always neat to hear that they're well received. My "studio", if you want to call it that, is extremely basic. It started out as a microwave top as a table, a can light stolen from my anime room plus an aluminum foil covered kendo book for a reflector. I've since "upgraded" to three borrowed lights and a homemade soft box made from a TRSI box with the bottom cut out and a white shirt.

Of course I'd like to get some real gear some day but it's fun to see how far I can stretch my budget setup. Besides, that's all money I could be spending on the next TRSI sale..speaking of....



Better a gawker than a stalker. You have to admit, being decked out like you described is far more tech heavy than the average Joe. No doubt you looked like a well-equipped photojournalist of which there were probably a several covering the flood.

very nice job on the photos
i'm jealous of your Tutu figure *sparkles*

Thank you. It's been a great way to hone my skills when I don't have the opportunity to take pictures out in the real world. Tutu is my latest addition. In fact she actually arrived while I was at AnimeIowa.

That's actually a garage kit that's been professionally finished. Someday [soon] I plan to to complete a garage kit myself but, between the charity auction and the Funi sale, I need to give my credit card some cooldown time.

i have way too little time and patience to attempt my own garage kits, thus HLJ and completed figures (pvc and porcelain) are my friends

Princess Tutu as an anime needs far more loving then she gets.
{huggles her Princess Tutu}

Years ago I went to a lot of Sci Fi Cons and comic shows in North and South Carolina and Georgia, mostly as a dealer. I used to own a hobby shop which made this easy. Then I took a few years off after my father passed away. Then I got into anime in a big way and started going to anime cons. This past year was my fifth time in a row attending Animazement.
I've even cosplayed the past four years. This year I went as a member of the A.T.T from 'Pumpkin Scissors'. I've even seen some cosplay pics of my daughter and myself on various sites from cons past.
I've found that I have more fun at cons when I cospalay and I don't feel as uncomfortable asking to take someone elses pic when I'm in costume as well.
I spend my time running back and forth from the video rooms and panels. I also drop a good bit of cash in the dealers room. So much so that a few of them recognize me now.
My daughter is now talking about wanting to attend Nekocon. Is there anything anyone can tell me about this con other that what is on their website?

i can't tell you about that particular con, but any interest in AWA this year?

bought my plane tix last week. got press passes.
i'm all good to go ^_^v

Think its possible for me to get all the stuff needed to go to AWA Otakuden?

Well, ive looked into it more, and i can just get a Walk-in Registration form (3days-$45) and the hotel I'm looking at is like 15 minutes away and is around $100. (O_O) I live in norther Mississippi so its about a 4 hour drive to the hotel. Just need a map or sumhin to get there; but maybe I'll borrow a GPS
Now, I NEED to know what else I'll need to bring. I'm such a late planner.

i popped you off a PM so look for the flashing mail icon by the My Stuff link at the top of the page

is anyone from TRSI/Nozomi going to be there? will you have a table/booth in the dealers room? an event?

an inquiring otakuden would like to know

I was only able to attend SakuraCon this year but I'm already planning for 2009 starting with AnimeDetour and SakuraCon.

No one that I know of will be there. I don't know about screenings of shows.

If we're at a con, we'll generally have a panel, but we do not sell products in the dealer room. We have a good relationships with a number of other retailers that sell Nozomi merchandise, and we like supporting them.

thanx for the info

bummer no one will be there. one of these days i'll get to meet y'all. i've seen your goods at various vendors so tis cool. come AWA time, there will be tons of photos and lots of live feedback on the ole LJ. good times

I'll be bringing my camera to AWA for sure! I'll probably take a picture of everyone and everything

If you post them somewhere, be sure and let us know the link to them. Alison's talked about AWA a lot, and I'd like to at least see some pictures of it.

all my con coverage which will be tons of pics. i take hundreds, literally, every year and the number keeps growing every year, so i try to pick the best ones for posting. i'll also have commentary, thoughts, and as much as i can in terms of news and what not. it'll all be on my main lj:

http://otakuden.livejournal.com/

aka Otakuden's Oasis in my sig
it's a public journal so anyone can comment or ask questions whatever. though anything deemed inappopriate by me i will delete :P

once you start you can't stop. it's like a disease that gets worse with each con

i've been known to disappear from people's sides, go flying out of my bar-stool to snap a pic then come back, chase after people, etc.

ROFL It's like one second your not there, then I look to find you, look back, and POP your right back in your seat

pretty much so. i got some sweet pics of some damn good cosplayers that way last year. i also got this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wEJdo39kfo

i just uploaded it so it needs a few to process, but then it should play fine.

ok. video is watchable now. yes, the loud whooooooooo!!! at the end is yours truly

and when it was over, my drink was still waiting for me at the bar

At the next con you go to will we see you dressed up dancing your heart out?

N.O.

i dun cosplay. i just take pics
john's been trying to get me in a skirt for over 10 years. aint happening :P

AWA cosplay:

i think this year i am going to see the two traditional favs of the last couple years: Bleach and Naruto. i am also looking forward to seeing some Soul Eater, Black Lagoon, Eureka Seven (which i don't see much cosplay for), Code Geass of course, and i'd love to see some Emma, ARIA, and Daughter of Twenty Faces cosplay.

shall see...

>_> I'd love to see tha Black Lagoon cosplay O_O but more on the softer side some Eureka Seven, Code Geass, and Bleach would be nice too. I dunno whats hot with cosplayers tho.

I would like to go to Colosial Con for 09 but I have to go on Field Camp for Geology this summer. I may also attend Ohycon if I have enough money and friends to go.

In just over a week I'll be going to NY Anime Festival, which sounds like it's going to be pretty cool. It will be the first "con" I've ever attended as well.

Anyone have any tips for getting the most out of them they could share?

usually you can tell what cosplay trends are by what the really hot shows are, both mainstream and unknown, and it's usually a mix between licensed and unlicensed shows. i'm def looking forward to some Soul Eater cosplay (why it isn't licensed yet i dun know -.-)

dun forget a pic so i know who to look for

The AnimeToday podcast had an interview with some dude from the NY Anime Festival staff. I don't think I would want to go to that big of a Con w/o experience! Thats why Im going to AWA, and even still, AWA is gonna be a mindblower for me. I wanna get some nice big anime artwork from the Auction or something and put over my bed. I so cant wait to check out all AWA has to offer!

?_? I can't seem to find my dang camera. Worst case scenario....cheap disposable....

between Artists Alley and the Dealers Room, you'll have plenty of swag to choose from
a disposable is better than no camera they make disposable cameras pretty well now, too.

Oh man I need to find a large piece of anime art to put over my bed soooooooooooo bad. Its gotta match my dark themed room tho.

I'll just borrow my sisters or my mothers digital camera....gotta call them for that.

hehe... wallscrolls and posters are good for ceiling art.
seriously, there will be anything and everything there that you'll want.

The next convention I plan to attend is Kawaii-Kon 2009. Oh yeah I love conventions.

So next year I am (as of right now) planning on trips to Anime Boston and Connecticon. That is, of course, unless some things go sour with the world.

I just pre-registered for MTAC in April 2009. That gives me plenty of time to assemble an entourage.

That's great Stefanie, I just volunteered on the staff as security for Kawaii-Kon 2009. I figure I'll try something new, Yes I can't wait.

Forgot to ask what is MTAC, Where is it held.

As stated on their website, Nashville.

I'd love to go and I have a friend who knows the area but alas, she's not an anime fan. She's pretty awesome and cute otherwise.

MTAC: Home Page, Wikipedia Article

I'm sure you'll have fun being on the Kawaii Kon staff. I'm a staff member each year for two hacker conventions (PhreakNIC and Outerz0ne), but I'm new to anime cons, so I'm just going to be a plain ol' attendee and enjoy myself.

For the last couple of years, I've assisted Jeff with the anime room at PhreakNIC, but he still does 99% of the work by himself (as a director, I have other duties that keep me busy). I'm seriously considering running an anime schedule of my own at Outerz0ne 5 in Atlanta next year.

I just registered for Anime Boston 2009. Honestly, I can't wait. I'll be going with a friend and this year will be my first time cosplaying. Hope you all can come!

Uesugi Tatsuya from Touch.

Plus I won't get shot for wearing my normal baseball cap (Yankees) in Boston.

True story: last time I was at AB my friend and I were going around Boston while he had his Yankee cap on. Some bum on the street made a comment to us. Unfortunately Boston isn't a very friendly place to be in (Yankee caps or no Yankee caps.)

The two cons that are nearest me lol wish I could branch out more but I do not drive than there's school and work.

Anime Boston( pure ausomeness)
Connecticon

p.s I cant spell well

Hope to see you at both!

Nice.I cant wait this will be my 4th year attending Anime Boston!

Cons that I am going to try to attend this year:

Sakura Con (Seattle)
AX (LA)
NYAF (New York)
KumoriCon (Portland)

And if it happens for a second year,

MewCon (Vancouver)

Maybe if time and money allows it, I'll try to take my friend across the border for YaoiCon in BC lol

I'm planning on NYAF again this year, but that's it. Unless, by some chance I manage to find a way to get out to California this summer for Anime Expo, but some sort of miracle would have to happen for that to come true.

Looks like I won't be able to make Animazement this year. They moved to a larger venue (which they needed to do) and the con hotel is already full five months from the con. Every other hotel in the downtown Raleigh area charges twice as much and don't offer as nice a facility as the place I used to stay. It is no longer cost effective for me.

Anime Expo. It will be my second time. I'm so excited!

Is anyone else going to Naka-Kon (March 13-15) this year? I'm hoping it's finally gotten big enough (over 2k attendees last year) to attract the TRSI/Nozomi crew.

Wish I could go to Anime Expo. Unfortunely, I live in Hawaii and I'm quite busy rightnow with college. Anyways, I'll be attending Kawaii-Kon as a volunteer. Everyone, I hope you guys have a good time at the cons you guys attend.

Just got my press pass for SakuraCon approved last week so I'm there. ^_^

Time to start working on AX...

On the bright side it's 11 here and we're expecting a blizzard tonight (with at least 8 inches of snow.) So I'd say the pros of being in Hawaii outweigh the cons.

We never get blizzards here.

Somehow I don't see that as worthy of a frown.

Well, it seems like I may be going down for NY Comic Con on Saturday in a couple of weeks. A few friends wanted to go down so I am being brought along as well. I didn't plan on going, but it should be pretty fun.

They actually have quite a lot of Anime/Manga stuff going on Saturday which I am going to try and catch.

Have fun at NY Comic Con, GreenGel-kun.

I'm going to Tsubasacon

Anyone considered AWA (Anime Weekend Atlanta)? Its a long 7 months away.

There's a lot of anime conventions and conventions with anime here in Boston. The next ones I'm going to are:
April 11 - Spring Anime Kaiju Experience - aka S.A.K.E.
May 22-24 - Anime Boston (the biggest one here)
November 13-15 - Anime Kaiju Experience
I also go to Arisia in January, which has a good anime track. When I travel I go to Toronto Fan Expo for their great anime track. I've also been to Katsukon and Connecticon. I like the smaller conventions (less than 2000) because you get to meet more people and share more time with each one. But large conventions are good for shopping, and sometimes to see voice actors, or a live band.

SHUT UP SINCE WHEN ARE THERE CONS IN BOSTON?! Why was I not aware of this. -__- Hahaha and I would def love to go with you on the 22nd of may, but that's my graduation from high school and I can't really miss THAT.....

Um...why?

I wish I didn't go to my graduation ceremony. My graduating class was about 80 people and the ceremony took over 3 hours. That was awful.

Haha sounds horrendous. Unfortunately, I attend a catholic high school and my graduating class is well over 200. BUT I plan on piercing my other ear and wearing the BIGGEST diamond studs to graduation that I can FIND. My school isn't so big on guys and earrings, and I only have my left ear pierced. >.< But I wonder if I could go easter weekend....

Whoa, that's amazing. I never knew there was that much Cons in Boston. Here in Hawaii, We only have one that takes place anually. I wish Hawaii had more Cons, I mean anime in Hawaii is so big too.

I skipped my graduation to attend my first Con.
I had a great time.

you gotta say it really fast and sly....

naka-kon

http://naka-kon.com/

Well, I had planned to go to three, but it seems two will be all I'll manage this year. My group to naka-kon fell through, but that works out since Acen has turned out to be more than originally expected. Then I would be re-miss if I missed Anime Festival Wichita.

Yeah, like Chaka Khan but cooler! ;-) Sorry to hear you can't make it WhtHawk. Hopefully I'll see at least a few of my fellow forum-goers there.

So, I'm on vacation in Orlando this week on vacation (got down on Saturday) and happened to find out that MegaCon was going on this past weekend. So, I stopped by for a few hours on Saturday to check it out. Lots of cosplay (note: warm weather cosplay has advantages over cosplayers going out in the winter in NYC) and some cool stuff. I wasn't there long enough (or early enough) to catch much of what I wanted, but it definitely seemed like it would have been a great Con.

I'd trade all our cons to be in Hawaii right now. It's too flipping cold out here.

[quote=Battra92
I'd trade all our cons to be in Hawaii right now. It's too flipping cold out here. [/quote]

I can only imagine how cold it is there. It's about 70-75 here and that's considered cold here in Hawaii. I met a couple from the mainland on the bus and they were saying things like why is everybody wearing jackets and sweaters.