#fan conventions

[transformativeworks]

August 2023 Newsletter, Volume 181

The OTW has new Board directors, our volunteers appeared at conventions in the U.S. and China, various cleanup efforts begun in July continued in August, plus more in this month's newsletter! https://otw.news/rtu

বাংলা • Deutsch • Ελληνικά • English • español • français • português brasileiro • português europeu • Русский • svenska • Tiếng Việt • Українська • 中文

[vidukon]

One week left for Vidder's Choice submissions! Plus, schedule is live!

Submissions for Vidder's Choice - our show where attendees can submit a vid from their back catalogue - are closing in one week, on April 1! We'd love to see your vids - find out more about how to submit yours to the show HERE. After last year's successful trial run, we're sticking with the new pre-convention format for the group vidding workshop. Signups are open now, and will close on April 14! Find out more and take part HERE. Also, the schedule for this year's con is now available to view HERE. We're really excited about this year's programming!

[dropintomanga]

Anime NYC 2023 - I Still Have a Place

What a weekend.

Anime NYC 2023 just ended and while there were a few things I didn't like, I really enjoyed my time there this year. And more importantly, it was a personal epiphany for me.

I started the weekend by attending the Viz Media panel. There weren't really any significant announcements, but Yoshifumi Tozuka, the creator of Undead Unluck, stopped by and he was great. It was a teaser of his own panel the following day, but Tozuka-sensei did enlighten fans about Undead Unluck and how he wanted to present the series to fans worldwide.

After that, I went to the Autism in the Anime Fan Community panel. This was a live panel version of the "Autism in the Anime Fan Community - Solo Version" video by James Williams, an anime fan diagnosed with autism and a public speaker on autism awareness. James has been doing the panel at various conventions over the past couple of years. It was a very raw and vulnerable panel on the challenges those with autism face at conventions. James also had a special guest, Larissa Grabois, an artist who uses music and art to teach people about children living with autism. She has music videos and books pertaining to autism on her website and I will be paying very close attention. This provided much food for thought.

After that, I didn't stick around for the night panels. Though It was nice to hear Denpa license the ODDTAXI manga as I know people who adored the anime when it came out.

So onto Saturday, I went to the Yen Press panel and was impressed with what they did. They did a fun "Know the Editors" section alongside their announcements, where each editor would promote a title they work on and provide "Useful Nihongo" (which isn't actually useful in a regular context) to use. It was pretty funny to see. Yen Press also gave a shout out to The Summer Hikaru Died, which I yelled "YES!" to. Not many of the new titles they licensed caught my eye, but the one that did was She Likes Gays, But Not Me. I will say this - the manga isn't a romantic comedy and that's why I can't wait for its release in 2024.

Afterwards, I went to the Dark Horse Manga panel. There wasn't really anything new announced per say, but they did promote the latest Deluxe Edition of Berserk and the 1st omnibus of Innocent coming out very soon. Also, Carl Horn and Zack Davisson are truly the manzai duo of the manga industry scene. They have a very fun chemistry that really takes the best of both of their personalities and mixes them into something you really don't see in manga publisher panels. Both also know A LOT about comics in general. If you ever get a chance to see a Dark Horse Manga panel, do it. Carl and Zack really make worth it your while.

I didn't stick around for the later panels on Saturday night, but I know the Kodansha Manga panel that happened that night was great. There's a LOT of fun stuff coming out from them in the future. Blue Lock has become arguably THE big mainstream manga hit of 2023. I love a lot of their titles as their stories are often ones I value highly. What I'm looking forward from them? Home Office Romance (which was REALLY popular in the manga Reddit) and Sheltering Eaves (Another Rie Aruga story? Sign me up).

On Sunday, I only attended the Star Fruit Books panel. I got to learn a lot about the company being there and it was actually a small group of people who attended. So it made for a more intimate experience compared to other industry panels. Even though the publisher started during COVID, they have made huge strides in being an strong publisher of independent manga (alongside Denpa). I actually inquired about them possibly licensing manga stories from indie creators about mental health/illness because I have heard there's a lot of manga out there in Japan that covers those topics.

After that, I was done with everything. I did manage to get some nice items from booths and played mahjong with the Riichi Nomi club.

I think the convention was fine for the most part. It was crowded, but I didn't feel overwhelmed. I always had space to move around. The only things that stood out to me were that some of the panel rooms were a bit too warm to my liking and that the gaming area just felt too tight. In particular, mahjong. My club's presence last year had a good amount of space for mahjong. This year, we were relegated to the show floor and to a far end corner of the convention center. I hope this changes next year.

(Side note: NYC public transit on the weekend continues to suck ass. Why have a train stop right next to the convention center when weekend construction would prevent trains from stopping there? Sigh.)

And speaking of next year, Anime NYC 2024 will happen in the summer - August 23-25, 2024. It's going to be the bang that ends summer convention season in the U.S. after Anime Expo, San Diego Comic-Con and Otakon. There's definitely concerns about the timing, but they will have the FULL convention center at their disposal. I don't mind honestly as I dislike going to a convention when it's happening a month before winter starts.

Anyway, I'm going to finally make a reference to the headline of my post. For those of you who read my birthday post, anime and manga don't seem to inspire me a great deal lately. Getting into mahjong was one of the best things I did for my mental health over the past 2 years. Despite being a manga blogger, I was becoming more of a mahjong addict.

However, when I arrived to the con on Friday, I was greeted by a manga journalist/colleague that I hadn't seen in years. It was a surprise to see them and we caught up. We had a wonderful discussion about manga, comics and pop culture.

And then on Saturday, I got to meet people I followed on Twitter that I never met in person. I even reunited with a few blogger folks along the way. We talked about manga and convention trends that made me smile. I also met up with Anime for Humanity (who I volunteered in the past) and finally met its founder at the event. I even reunited with a local Japanese culture personality that I hadn't talked to in years. It felt really cool.

To cap it off, I finally reunited with Peter Tatara, who was working the Japan Society booth. For those who don't know, he is the founder of Anime NYC and now Director of Film at Japan Society New York. He also has a long and established history of promoting anime in New York. When I first started my foray into anime fandom in 2008, it was Peter who MCed events at the Kinokuniya NYC store that got me hyped. We worked together at those events a few times due to a mutual connection we both shared. Even though he's a huge and very busy personality now, Peter would take the time to talk to me in years past. We both shared laughs and talked about how long we known each other.

Ever since I got so deep into mahjong, I questioned my place in the manga fan community. I wasn't active as much on Twitter as other online manga personalities these last few years. While I do get hyped, I don't get heavily excited covering manga license announcements. I don't have a huge manga collection at home. I struggle to keep up with everything.

And then someone at the con told me that because of my interest in what's happening the world regarding mental health problems that plague communities, I still bring a certain view that's unique and refreshing to hear. After meeting and reuniting with a bunch of faces, I can't leave the manga blogging scene. I just can't. I love talking about manga so much still. Mahjong still has a place in my heart, but there's nothing that gets me going like talking about the stories and characters that shape people's lives.

What's more important is that being around the industry/pros/press folks I was with at Anime NYC tell me that I still have a place here. I may not be attending everything manga-related, but I want to be the person from the shadows who talks about things that definitely deserve to be heard. Besides, it's much cooler doing things in the shadows than being in the spotlight.

An old friend I saw at the convention on Sunday said that I looked the happiest I've been in years. Mahjong definitely played a huge part in that and I want to bring that energy back into my manga blogging.

I've been going to conventions for 15 years now. So many people in my life that I met via conventions have come and gone. People that I wish were still here. I have often felt lonely. Being 41 now also doesn't help either.

And yet, I keep meeting new people at conventions like Anime NYC who inspire me and value my take on things. I may not be living the best life, but I'm definitely happy-ish with what I have now. And that's all I ever wanted to ask for.

Also, thank you to everyone I talked to at Anime NYC. I'm now really ready for the 2nd half of my life.

[therogerclarkfanclub]

Roger is currently at DreamHack in San Diego. April 7-9 only. Drop by and say hi if you're in the area!

[laf-outloud]

@sammysgirlxsblog regarding your ask, I completely understand! I've seen so many people share their different experiences that you can tell Jared really cares about making sure the fans have a good experience. Jensen... not so much. Though I've also heard that when Jensen turns on the charm, it's intoxicating. It will be interesting to see how he acts at these other cons, but I'm with you, I certainly wouldn't spend that kind of money if I wasn't sure about what I was going to get.

[exlibrisfangirl]

Sorry did I read that right you are meeting JR Bourne tomorrow????????????

YES, @angel-in-a-big-blue-box AND I ARE AT THE HOWLER REUNION, AND WE GET TO TAKE PHOTOS WITH HIM AND HOECH TODAY AND TOMORROW. I AM GOING TO BE SO NORMAL ABOUT THIS. <- My phone tried to autocorrect "normal" to "Normandy" for some reason, and that is now our new favorite inside joke. 😆

[terebifunhouse]

every so often I cover another piece of Atlanta fandom history at my Atlanta Fantasy Fair blog, detailing a long-departed Atlanta convention. This time it’s the 1976 Atlanta Comics & Fantasy Fair! https://atlantafantasyfair.blogspot.com/2023/01/feels-so-good-to-see-you-here-its.html

[krsonmar]

Claudia Gray is going to be at DragonCon and now I might have to go

[jackgraysonfox]

Convention Roomshare Scams Update

A few months ago I wrote a post about roomshare scams at (primarily) furry conventions. As the year goes on, there are some updates and additional remarks I want to make. If you're not familiar with these scams, I recommend reading that previous post, since most of the advice still applies.

These scams are unfortunately still ongoing. I previously said that I hadn't come across them as much lately, but I assumed incorrectly that it meant they were dying down. That is definitely not the case. Plus, they're now crossing over from Telegram for furry conventions to Discord for brony conventions, since I've come across a few of the same names from Telegram on Discord.

Paying on arrival is still one of the best ways to avoid this scam. I emphasize this because it's as close to a guarantee as you can get, in contrast with the other advice which is constantly changing as scammers evolve their tactics. I'll go further and say that anyone who insists on payment in advance should be treated with skepticism, if not suspicion. I said previously that paying in advance was the norm in the past, so I won't necessarily blame legitimate hosts for sticking to it. Even so, it's a good idea to express your concern, and to be prepared to turn down an genuine offer to protect yourself.

For furry conventions in particular, consider joining the Furry Con Roomies group on Telegram (public link). The admins are pretty good at keeping scammers out, and it's become a trusted place to offer and find roomshares (as well as the main place I learn about new scam techniques in this area). After you send a join request, be sure to follow the instructions in the rules topic in order to be approved. Keep in mind that things can still slip through the cracks, so you should still watch out for signs of a scam even if the offer comes from within the group.

Related to the previous item, you should be very suspicious if someone messages you and they don't share any groups with you. Furry Con Roomies is a public group, so anyone can view the messages without joining. In a few cases, scammers have contacted members of the group despite not being members themselves, and they make excuses for why they're not in the group. In general I think it's a little creepy to message people after going through the messages of a group you're not a member of, and in this case it's a red flag for a scam.

Scammers have ramped up their impersonations of people in the furry fandom. At a minimum, scammers take the names and pictures (including commissioned artwork) of people in the fandom, so they don't immediately appear as outsiders. If there are other signs of a scam, it may be worth doing some investigation. Search for the account name (either display name or handle) on other social-media sites, and do a reverse image search (through Google Images, for example) on the profile picture(s). You should also consider alerting the person being impersonated if you're confident that the account belongs to a scammer.

A few remarks on hotel confirmation screenshots. Some people have started asking for these as a way to verify that a room host actually has a reservation. I would advise caution here for a few different reasons:

Screenshots can be faked. This might be obvious but it's worth pointing out anyway. And there are ways for a scammer to fake a reservation without editing a screenshot.

Screenshots with personal information raise privacy concerns. Some people have suggested calling the hotel to verify the reservation, but this means the host has to provide personal information. Just speaking for myself as a room host, I'm wary of providing personal information to people I don't already trust, and it's worth keeping in mind that a name and confirmation number is generally enough to change or cancel a reservation. (Although, to be fair, I doubt a scammer would do this.)

If you're a room host, providing a screenshot could help someone perpetrate a scam against others. Supposedly, some scammers have posed as prospective roommates, asked hosts for screenshots as verification, and then passed them off as their own to make their scams more convincing. I don't have direct evidence of this happening, but I suspect this is what happened to me recently when I was hosting. Someone has proposed a potential way of preventing this, namely adding a conspicuous and difficult-to-remove watermark to the screenshot with your username. That's something to consider.

Finally, if you're confident that someone is a scammer, report them. Report them to the social-media platform as well as any groups you may share (especially those related to conventions). You can also consider making a public callout post, but keep in mind that it's very easy for scammers to change their names or create new accounts.

[gitzette]

Remembering a legend gone too soon 🌟 Dive into the extraordinary journey of Virgil WWE Legend Michael Jones. From his unforgettable role as Ted DiBiase’s bodyguard to his magnetic presence beyond the ropes, discover the legacy and the laughter he left behind in professional wrestling. Let's celebrate the life and impact of Virgil, the man behind the character. #WrestlingLegend #VirgilWWELegend

[ryankopf]

Fan conventions are held worldwide and they come in all shapes and sizes —from intimate gatherings of folks who like anime, comics, or sci-fi to massive expos filled with hundreds of exhibitors, tens of thousands of dollars in merchandise, and epic events.

[vidukon]

Important Updates

A couple of important things to be aware of: - As Twitter continues its long, slow collapse, please be aware that if you currently use your Twitter account to log into Conline, that option will be disappearing sometime within the next month. Please connect a different account to ensure you can keep access to your con registration. We'll keep you updated on any new developments. - If you signed up for this year's Frankenvid, you should now have received an email containing your assignment. Some emails appear to have ended up in Spam, so if you don't yet have your assignment please check there, and if you still can't find it please reach out to us. - As the con approaches, don't forget to check out the links roundup for quick access to info on deadlines, how to submit vids, and more.

[lilyminer]

I’m gonna give my siblings a taste of their own calling all my fandoms toxic medicine by never shutting up about how the stranger things fandom has all those people on tiktok who despise cosplay and normal convention behaviour.

I mean with my luck my brothers probably one of em, all that’ll do is send him on a rant about how cosplayers are the lowest life form and should be hunted for sport or some shit.

[dropintomanga]

Get That Bit of Chunibyo Inside You

"We must have a bit of 'chūnibyō' inside us. The fact is we like manga because of the moral within that could touch us emotionally, and we have to behave as we are taught from these media." -Chloe Lisa Kung, Organizer of Rainbow Gala 30, Source: Rainbow Gala 30 and the End of an Era: Hong Kong's Biggest Doujinshi Convention Set to Shutter

I stumbled across an Anime News Network article about a Hong Kong doujinshi event, Rainbow Gala, possibly not existing anymore after a long run in a convention center set to be demolished in the near future.

The organizer, Chloe Lisa Kung, was asked about the future and what led to the impending doom of her event. She spoke about how Hong Kong youth aren't allowed to thrive or chase creative pursuits. Kung lamented on how there's no breeding grounds for young artists to shine or inspiration for art in Hong Kong compared to almost 30 years ago when she started to draw at the age of 12 after seeing doujinshi art.

It does make me think about Hong Kong's anime culture today. I remember visiting Mong Kok Shopping Center back in 2009 and it felt like going to Akihabara in some ways. Every floor was filled with anime, manga, video games, artbooks, toys, etc. When I hear about Hong Kong now, I hear that it's "dead." And reading what Kung said now makes me hesitant to go back there in some way. I do feel that Hong Kong is a bit too commercialized at times. I never liked Canto-pop much and listened to counter-cultural Cantonese music. While anime has always been popular in Asia, it does feel like there's a very genuine communal vibe in that part of the world when it comes to anime/manga fandom and outside forces are slowly stripping that away as everyone wants to jump in on the fan convention train.

There's something that Kung says about the future of Rainbow Gala that makes me think about fans in general and the growing appeal of anime to doujin artists.

"Indeed, there are more consumers now than ever, but the most important lead still lies in the people inside drawing."

I think about the kids who draw manga after watching an episode of anime. I think about the various drawings I've seen over the years of their favorite characters. Sure, some adults will find it "cute" and suggest that it's just a "phase." But to me, the magic starts to happen there.

There's so many consumers, but not enough people to create stuff that can touch lives. It's hard to be creative. Creativity is often devalued due to a general obsession over measurable outcomes.

Kung's words about learning from manga also make me think about how much manga has meant to me. While I did write that I needed mahjong to save me, manga is still what I care about the most. A lot of my mannerisms and attitudes still come from manga. I try to incorporate my manga reading experiences into how I behave. Sometimes, I make blunders, but I still try.

I think about how most fans aren't like me and countless others who use their love to talk about manga on the internet (shout-outs to the bloggers, YouTubers, and podcasters that promote manga in their way). What drove us to start talking about our love to manga to people who don't know us in person? What drove us to become more than just consumers? How do we cultivate that mindset? Those are questions that I'm still trying to get the answers for.

I can only speak for myself in that my own personal mental health experiences combined with the environment I grew up in made me want to blog in the first place. I continue to do so because of how much manga has grown in the past few years. I know it's not just a phase for some youth.

Until then, I'm proud to say that I still got a bit of 8th grade syndrome in me. I'm proud to say that stuff that's mostly read by teens still gets me pumped to seize the day. I'm proud to be a fan that wishes for future creators and their youthful enthusiasm to be treasured as much as the mainstream works that inspired them.

[therogerclarkfanclub]

This is a very short notice, but if you are in or around the Portland, Oregon area Roger will be attending FANEXPO Portland in a few days!

Friday, Saturday and Sunday February 17-19, 2023 At the Oregon Convention Center

Get your tickets!

[strawlessandbraless]

The lone survivor of the Supernatural Cruise after the boat finally returns to dock