#pikabellechu

[kyl3dawolf]

itachi’s checkup by pikabellechu on DA, 2012

[madis-marvelous-blog]

SwampCon blog repot

I have never been to a convention like this, and all of it was pretty surprising.

As someone who has only really watched the anime fandom from afar, I always thought conventions like this would be small. Something low-key like maybe some costume contests and like famous directors, writers, or actors showing up for signings and stuff like that. But swampcon showed me this assumption could not have been farther from the truth. The sheer magnitude of the event was awe-inspiring, and not to mention the level of detail and effort poured into everyone's costume.

At swampcon there were so many events I couldn't possibly go to every one of them. Unfortunately I didn't make the opening ceremony, but I did go to the maid cafe, which was a cool little event with some dancing and sweet treats. To me it resembled how close-knit the anime community can be.

I also attended the Vendor Hall. The Vendor Hall is the definition of sharing of shadow capital. There were so many people buying and selling random little pieces of anime culture, like stuffed toys and candles, and plenty of art. It was a whirlwind of colors, creativity, and fandom energy. Just walking into the room reminded me of the anime convention from Genshiken—a chaotic but cozy shrine to niche passions. Artists and small businesses like PikaBelleChu, LunarJelly, and Rootis Tabootus offered everything from pastel fanart to gothic soaps, each booth telling its own story.

The Artist Alley had a different vibe. It was calmer, quieter, smaller, but equally as passionate. Seeing conversations happen between fans and artists and seeing the shared spark of the love of a series or movie was incredible. You could see so many people connecting over what characters they loved or hated or wished they saw more of. Seeing so much art was inspiring, because you know the artist made it from sheer adoration. They didn't paint this picture or draw that sketch because they thought it would sell. All of the things in this room were visualizations of someone's love of anime.

Now lets talk about those costumes. From a perspective of an artist, every last one was beautiful. The level of detail put into these costumes was fascinating. I find it so interesting because I know it's not done to try and impersonate some character so others can see you that way. People dress up and create these intricate costumes so they can really feel like they've become their favorite character. It's also a clear marker of who else loves that anime, and is a great starting point for getting to know people. The amount of socialization during this entire event was amazing. As someone who only really knows the anime community through it's generalized stereotypes of socially awkward individuals, it was nice to see that they were wrong. I saw plenty of people meeting someone new and striking up a conversation just because they thought their costume was cool or they liked that series too and wanted to share some fan speculations or theories. That's another thing I loved about this event. Having conventions like this means there are going to be a huge amalgamation of people who know the same lore. This leads to people sharing it amongst themselves, and furthers the development of these fan theories. People bring in various perspectives and arguments for tons of different theories. It reminded me of more academic versions of the same thing, like physicists arguing about string theory. This entire event is a prime example of how shadow culture is essentially a smaller, more niche version of society, with the same rules and functions. You see exchanges of knowledge amongst members in order to further the understanding of certain topics.

To me, this entire event was so much fun and so interesting to go to and experience, and I will absolutely be going for the rest of my college career.

[swampcon]

Whoa?? A guest?? And she's being announced?? Yes indeed! We're happy to announce that PikaBelleChu will be hosted at swampcon this year! She'll be showing up at our vendor's hall guest area so make sure you to stop by to meet this 20 year self made cosplaying star!!

[fuzzychildchopshop]

Pokemon Trainer Vanellope Von Schweetz by pikabellechu

[acouple-ofgeeks]

Alida adopted what she thought was a #Pikachu. But turned out to be a #Memekyu instead. She still wanted him though because he's got spirit... #pokemon #cosplay #PikaBelleChu #megatampa17

[orlandonerdfest]

PikaBelleChu and PikaBug at FANTOKU!

PikaBelleChu and PikaBug at FANTOKU!

Guest Announcement PikaBelleChu and PikaBug You can’t talk about Pikachu without bringing these two up! PikaBelleChu has been cosplaying for over 18 years and has created over 90 costumes to date ranging from original Pokemon inspired gowns to Disney, SciFi, and other anime characters. She is well known for her continuing passion for Pokemon for over 20 years and has appeared at many Pokemon…

[teensie]

god i know this woman and we have had too much beef. shes transphobic as fuuuuck and basically a pedophile. she owns an official pikachu car too..

the entire plot of “back to the future” but when it’s supposed to show him disappearing from the family photo it’s sasuke disappearing from this

[floridageekscene]

Being a geek has its payoffs. For example, I’ve had to become a pretty dedicated person to hang onto my geek cred—scoring 100% completion runs, exploring every installment in my favorite series, and making four-hour roundtrips to Florida’s biggest anime Con, Metrocon, each year.

Since its inception, this Floridian Con giant has certainly spread its wings into other wares—including superheroes and the indie gaming scene. Unlike Megacon, however, which has always been a jack-of-all-trades in geekery, Metrocon’s Dragon Ball-shaped heart is firmly fixed on all things otaku—meaning that you’re never quite out-of-sight of a Karasuno jersey or Tokyo-dwelling ghoul.

This year marked my third time at Metrocon, alongside the event’s 15th anniversary. And despite a few significant bumps along the way, I had a “plus ultra” time.

The Scoop:

What – A for fans, by fans anime convention featuring celebrity guests, exhibitors, and the most unique and exciting convention entertainment in the multiverse!

When:

Thursday, August 3rd (12:00PM – 12:00AM) Friday, August 4th (10:00AM –1:00AM) Saturday, August 5th (10:00AM – 12:00AM) Sunday, August 6th (9:00AM – 6:00PM)

Where – Tampa Convention Center

Who – Steve Blum, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, Scott McNeil, Christina Vee, Vic Mignogna, Max Mittleman, Ray Chase, Robbie Daymond, Paul St. Peter, Kyle Rowling, NoFlutter, Caleb Hyles, Jonathan Young, Pikabellechu, Oliroux, TeppyBAKA, Mew21, Erin Hurst, TJ Omega, Dei Cosart, Duy Truong, and Papanotzzi

Price – $30-$40 (single-day), $85 (weekend)

Perks – Costume Content, Picture This! Contest, AMV Contest, Anime Idol, Lip Sync Battle, Illustration Content, Metrocade Video Gaming, Tabletop Gaming, Panels and Workshops, 600,000 square feet of convention space

With Metrocon crammed into one of my busiest weeks in August, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to make the drive this year and knew I’d only be able to attend on Sunday. But I was absolutely determined to go to the ends of Eos to obtain an autograph from Ray Chase and Robbie Daymond, voices of two of the lead characters in Final Fantasy XV (the number of hours I’ve clocked into that game is almost as uncomfortable as the length of time I waited for its release). Sweetening the deal were appearances by Steve Blum (voice of my favorite, phoneless, vampire-gunner-monster hybrid), Paul St. Peter, and Mary Elizabeth McGlynn.

The ride couldn’t have been smoother (with the total lack of traffic near the heart of Tampa nearly leading me into the uncanny valley). The parking fee: fair and affordable at a mere $10.

I woke up extra early and arrived about an hour before the autograph session with Chase, Daymond, and St. Peter—which, from past Con experience, has always been more than enough time. Unfortunately, the press pass reserved under my name had been given to someone else on accident, meaning I got held up in the ticketing line a bit too long, missing the only scheduled slot to meet with the voices of the FFXV bros. The autograph line had apparently been cut off about an hour early. On a Sunday.

It was disheartening, given all that I’d done to prepare for the moment. I spent my first few hours at Metrocon standing in the next autograph line as early as possible in order to ensure a meeting with Blum and McGlynn. The line cut off after being open a mere 15 minutes, about two hours prior to the scheduled meet-and-greet period. Because I had not been given a “free autograph” card when I checked in, I nearly missed obtaining autographs altogether—if not for a kindly attendee standing in front of me who offered me hers.

That’s not to dismiss Metrocon as a whole. Events this size require almost inhuman amounts of synchronization, and people were likely growing tired and short on supplies by the final day. Special guests had flights to catch, and that unfortunately meant not everyone would be able to meet them within an allotted time. Even so, I’d like to see reconsideration given to the autograph lines, perhaps allowing simple walk-ups like Megacon or spreading the guests’ appearances throughout the day rather than concentrating them into a single timeslot (as was the case on Sunday).

To their credit, the staff were very sympathetic of my plight. I was given a free pass for the day, handed more “free autograph” cards than I could ever use, and graciously allowed the chance to meet Ray Chase before he left. Many of my friends had an unabashedly smashing time at the event this year, so I can only call my experience an outlier. Even so, it was mine.

Rather than be pessimistic about these mishaps, I chose to enjoy the rest of Metrocon’s offerings—and, boy, am I glad I did. Being in line for three hours meant that I missed the Anime Chess Match and most of the panels that evening, but the vendor’s hall—which, might I add, was monstrous this year—completely turned the rocky start upside down.

I can’t remember the last time I purchased so much in so little time at a Con. I could hardly pass an artist or vendor without holding out a fistful of dollars in my best Futurama meme impression.

Many of Metrocon’s merchandise vendors were manned by familiar faces, focusing on clothing, figurines, keychains, and wall scrolls, primarily. The scarcity of imported snacks and savories from Japan seemed a bit out-of-place with Metrocon’s focus, but whatever diversity or unpredictability the merchandise lacked was more than made up for with the total joyride that was Artist’s Alley.

Simply put: there were a lot of prints and other homemade wares that grabbed my interest—and when I say “grabbed,” I mean like a shinigami grabs a stray apple. Fan-made acrylic keychains and standees—novelties I’ve seen little of elsewhere—were such a common sight that they almost seemed collaborated (I snatched a chibi Kotomine Kirei before the day was done). There were hologramic prints that transitioned between archenemy’s faces, pixelized bead statues, and some incredible close-out deals. (Vash the Stampede print by SamDelaTorre for a single double-dollar? You bet your doughnuts!)

My Hero Academia was a “super” common sight, both among the cosplayers that day and the art prints for sale. I purchased one print of All Might in particular (drawn by the gifted MuddyMelly) that I hope to bestow with Christopher Sebat’s signature someday. Overwatch and Final Fantasy XV unsurprisingly held significant representation in-between all the quirky superheroes.

And that’s saying nothing of the live-action medieval duels, the wristband-checking Master Roshi, and the literal hordes of cosplayers—who, despite it being Sunday, came out in such force and with such fantastic style that I couldn’t help but feel pride as an otaku.

My spirits lifted with each new booth I explored and costume I photographed, until, by day’s end, I left with a trunk full of loot and a Sora-like smile plastered to my face—not least of which can be credited to a Gladio cosplayer wielding a sword made of cup noodles. (You, sir, are the hero Eos deserves.)

Metrocon is a for fans, by fans, four-day anime convention featuring celebrity guests, exhibitors, and the most unique and exciting convention entertainment in the multiverse, located annually at the Tampa Convention Center.

Visit the Metrocon Official Website

Follow Metrocon on Facebook

Photography by Amy Covel

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Metrocon 2017 – Sunday Being a geek has its payoffs. For example, I’ve had to become a pretty dedicated person to hang onto my geek cred—scoring 100% completion runs, exploring every installment in my favorite series, and making four-hour roundtrips to Florida’s biggest anime Con, Metrocon, each year.

[everi-moved]

Some of the events had prizes too! The eggs up there were from the Pokemon GO Sleepover event, where I played who's that Pokemon and Pictionary for Team Mystic. My teammate was very nice. :)

The other stuff came from Pokemon Trainers Unite with Pikabellechu. I got the poster and comic from playing charades (I guessed Skitty and Sudowoodo(I think) correctly and did Espurr and Caterpie) and the cards were from doing trivia (I got the questions 'Which Pokemon was copyrighted first?' and 'What was the name of the new protein which causes electrical impulses?' right). I also watched Cardcaptor Sakura, My Hero Academia, Boruto (barely), and Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid in the viewing room. All very good, young children could probably watch Cardcaptor Sakura no problem. I also learned about Extra Life, where you can play games (not just video games either, someone did cosplay for it and it worked) to earn money for your local children's hospital. The website is www.extra-life.org. The dash may not be there, but I think it is. They also had a Smash Bros. tournament going on, so I watched that for a little bit. Saw Barry Yandell and got some cool World building advice as well.

I went to Swampcon yesterday. It was lots of fun! I actually have a picture of someone who cosplayed Lance from Voltron too, but I’m in the picture so I’m not sure I want to share it here.

[swampcon]

Pikabellechu will be getting back in the SwampCon saddle as one of our guests this year🐴!

She has been cosplaying for over 16 years and has created over 80 costumes to date ranging from original Pokemon inspired gowns to Disney, SciFi and other anime characters. She is most famous for her continuing passion for Pokemon though the years and has appeared at many Pokemon events and tours along with her Pikachu inspired VW Beetle.

SwampCon: Frontier | January 14th-15th, 2017 | Gainesville, FL Pre-register tickets on Universe | RSVP on Facebook

Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Website

[fuzzychildchopshop]

PokeDoll Caterpie by pikabellechu

[acouple-ofgeeks]

#PikaBelleChu and Alida dressed in SO MUCH #PIKACHU! #PikachuCar #VWBug #pokemon #cosplay #megatampa17

[swampcon]

SwampCon Guest: PikaBelleChu

PikaBelleChu is most well known in the anime world for her continuing passion for Pokemon.She has appeared on several tv shows and has been in many magazines and newspapers such as Nintendo Power, Animerica, Anime Insider, Pokemon Fan, Beckett Pokemon Collector, VW Trends, EGM, Star Banner, Riverland News, St. Augustine Record and the highest achievement of being featured in the Gamers Edition of Guinness Book of World Records in 2009 and the Main Guinness Book of World Records in 2010 for having the Worlds Largest Pokemon Collection in the World, with over 20,000 items from American to Japanese collectibles which includes the official Pikachu Volkswagen you can see displayed at many conventions she attends. She does numerous Pokemon events, childrens events, car shows, parades and appears at conventions world wide for her dedication to Pokemon. Also a cosplayer she has created more then 80 costumes from Anime, Sci-Fy to Disney but is most known for her Princess takes on Pokemon where she takes a Pokemon and creates a royal version of that Pokemon, some costumes taking more then 3 months to create. When not promoting Pokemon and cosplaying for events for children she also teaches kids cartooning at local craft stores and paints murals in businesses and private homes where she lives.

[fuzzychildchopshop]

PokeDoll Happiny by pikabellechu