'07 Cons

[Neon]

I am about to go to my first anime convention in the summer of 2007. I haven't decide which one to go to. But I do know one thing, I am completely in over my head. This thread is simply me, the author, asking you, the readers, what should, could, would I have to do to prepare for a con?


Also I would like to interject, What character should I cosplay as for a male, 5'6" feet tall and built somewhat stocked? This one is strictly asking for advise, if anyone has a suggestion, I would love to hear it. Also please post advise about the cons, I am in over my head on this one.

Thank you
Have a nice day
Neon

[Mana]

There are plenty of cons all over the US, the biggest ones being on the East and West Coasts, but you may want to stick local (or at least close by) to begin with. Of course, you'll have to pay for con admission, as well as a hotel if you travel, and don't forget spending money! So you'll have to be sure you have enough saved up. Frugal con going is possible, but takes a lot of planning and a lot of will power.

As far as cosplay goes, go as a character you like! Matching your body type isn't as important in a cosplay as having fun.

[NausicaaBoy]

pack clean underwear and a toothbrush - thoothpaste is bonus....

then pack many prized personal possessions....of your sibling's or roomates...youll need to sell them for food after you blow your money after the first 5 seconds after crossing the threshold...

[Javer]

Camera.

BRING A CAMERA.

Also lots of money.

[Zero]

Camera.

BRING A CAMERA.


And if you're working from a digital camera: for the sake of your sanity, do not do anything that'll corrupt the memory (i.e. disconnect the camera from the computer while still in use). It'll make you a sad, sad Panda. :(

And on the note of Cosplay: Check out www.cosplay.com especially its forums. I believe there's a thread called "What character do I look like?" and other related topics that may be of great help. Those people know their cosplay quite well.

[lucky]

Heh, I'm not all that big on conventioning. I just go to the state wide one yearly, which is like my summer manga fix. xD

Anyway, I tell you to do this now since it's a great idea. Ask random cosplayers to pose for you holding a sign with your name and something like "rocks my socks" or other cheesey sayings. Then, come back with the pictures and gloat that you have a picture of Voldo holding a sign saying "I'd so bend _____ over a counter" :3

Worked for me. ;3

[Neon]

Thanks guys and gals. sounds like some solid advice. Anyone got anything eslse to add?

[AlterGenesis-X]

Bring a friend. Don't go alone. Cons suck when you're alone. Seriously.

P.S. AG-X has never gone to a con alone. :P

[Mana]

I don't mind solo con-going. My first con I went with a bunch of friends, but I spent about 75% of the time on my own, mostly wandering the dealers' room or hallways. I met a bunch of people, took a bunch of pictures and had my picture taken a bunch of times. I sat on a guy that was pretending to be dead.

Although, at least when it comes to dealers' rooms, it's probably not a bad idea for me to be alone, since I tend to loose focus mentally and wander from booth to booth without telling anyone. I've lost Roark quite a few times that way ^.^;;;

[lilly1992]

there are lots of fun cons in the US, i'm going to a con this coming january in CA. i've been to many coventions all over th US but i prefure SacAnime and Fanime to all of them.

[SweetDreams]

pack clean underwear and a toothbrush - thoothpaste is bonus....

then pack many prized personal possessions....of your sibling's or roomates...youll need to sell them for food after you blow your money after the first 5 seconds after crossing the threshold...

It's like you know me......O.o LOL (well the whole blowing your money after the first 5 seconds thing)

Anywayz for your first time you should go to one closest to where you live to get a feel of the atmosphere but then again all cons are different.

[ash_chan]

Please, I beg of you, don't forget to shower. With soap.
Ugh. Fanfunk is one of the worst stenches you'll ever encounter. EVAR.

Also, if you're buying art, carry a portfolio or something to prevent creases and crumpling. It really grates on my nerves to buy some really nice art only to find it destroyed by the time I get back to my room/home.

To save money for more stuff, try to avoid con foods. They tend to be pricey. Bring ramen. You can heat the water in the complimentary coffee pot or in the microwave if you have one. It's yummy and it'll save you the money you would've eaten out with.

When you're buying things, try to keep a log of what you bought and how much it cost. I always end up mysteriously losing $50-80 if I don't keep track of what I did with my money.

I'll probably think of more stuff later.



Then, come back with the pictures and gloat that you have a picture of Voldo holding a sign saying "I'd so bend _____ over a counter" :3



Voldo cosplay = Spandex and other tight fit to your body material.
Let me remind everyone that spandex is a privilage, not a right. Anyone caught wearing spandex without the appropriate permission will be shot. No exceptions. Except for Man-Faye and Sailor Bubba. They're allowed.

[Tyrdium]

Please, I beg of you, don't forget to shower. With soap.
Ugh. Fanfunk is one of the worst stenches you'll ever encounter. EVAR.So true.

That said, do not eat lots of ramen to sustain you at a convention. Ramen is very bad for you; high sodium, a good amount of fat, few nutrients. Not a good form of sustenance if you need to be active and on your feet most of the day, like at a con.

[Mana]

I have no problem spending active days with only eating ramen D: Ramen = carbs, and carbs = win as far as insta-energy goes. I suppose it depends on your body type, but I would find ramen an excellent con going food: cheap, easy, and full of carbs. You don't need a healthy diet while conning, you just need to get enough available energy to keep you going.

[Roark]

Hence my "Red Bull, Dunkin' Donuts, and Pizza Hutt" food strategy back when Gen-Con was in Milwaukee.

60+ hours without sleep: brought to you by Carbs.

[Niner]

Pfah, ramen. Clearly everyone knows the best con-going foods are Hot Pockets purchased from and heated up at a seedy late-night gas station supermarket.

Clearly.

[AlterGenesis-X]

Pfah, ramen. Clearly everyone knows the best con-going foods are Hot Pockets purchased from and heated up at a seedy late-night gas station supermarket.

Clearly.

That's sounds good. I'd be down for that if I was starving too.

[Tyrdium]

Pfah, ramen. Clearly everyone knows the best con-going foods are Hot Pockets purchased from and heated up at a seedy late-night gas station supermarket.

Clearly."Heated up" being purely relative, of course.

[Le Bread]

If you plan to drive to a con and it's even a couple hours from your house, for the love of all that's great and good, make sure AHEAD of time that your car is in full working order. Sure, it might be inconvenient to take it to the dealership for a full checkup, might even set you back a couple hundred bucks, but take it from a pro...it's better to piddle away a couple hundred than be forced to spend a couple g's when you end up stuck in a ditch somewhere.

[SweetDreams]

If you plan to drive to a con and it's even a couple hours from your house, for the love of all that's great and good, make sure AHEAD of time that your car is in full working order. Sure, it might be inconvenient to take it to the dealership for a full checkup, might even set you back a couple hundred bucks, but take it from a pro...it's better to piddle away a couple hundred than be forced to spend a couple g's when you end up stuck in a ditch somewhere.

Heh, are you speaking from experience??

[Phate]

No, Bread drives a Bentley. We're all very envious.

[AqueousMessage]

If you decide to rent out a hotel room, leave your door open if your in your room . Bring whole new meaning to "If you watch it, they will come". Everyone on your floor amped up on God knows what (Ramen, Pocky, Red Bull, PCP, etc.) walks in "Hey is that your watching mind if I sit down and watch thanks this is a really good anime I love when [insert episode happening] that made me [insert emotion] I can really relate to that." You meet alot of crazys but some of greatest people are, so don't worry about.

And for God's sake, please [I]shower. No one wants to stand next to a smelly person in line for the dealer's room. They're already being tortured enough listening to the Narutard in front of them fueding with the 'tard in front of them that their yaoi fan fiction is superior.

[7Raven7]

Also I would like to interject, What character should I cosplay as for a male, 5'6" feet tall and built somewhat stocked?

For male, something creepy always works best. For an easy cosplay, try a "father" hat from Azumanga... gets them everytime...

[Sae]

I'm goin to Gen Con '07!!! If anyone else is goin from AA, tell me!! ^-^

[ash_chan]

If you decide to rent out a hotel room, leave your door open if your in your room . Bring whole new meaning to "If you watch it, they will come". Everyone on your floor amped up on God knows what (Ramen, Pocky, Red Bull, PCP, etc.) walks in "Hey is that [insert anime] your watching mind if I sit down and watch thanks this is a really good anime I love when [insert episode happening] that made me [insert emotion] I can really relate to that." You meet alot of crazys but some of greatest people are, so don't worry about.


So true.
At Fanime '05 we ended up having people we didn't know coming in and out, watching whatever new DVD we had picked up in the dearler's room and partaking in the food stuffs that we had dragged along with us, or that they had brought to share.

[Jaadowgg]

If you decide to rent out a hotel room, leave your door open if your in your room . Bring whole new meaning to "If you watch it, they will come". Everyone on your floor amped up on God knows what (Ramen, Pocky, Red Bull, PCP, etc.) walks in "Hey is that your watching mind if I sit down and watch thanks this is a really good anime I love when [insert episode happening] that made me [insert emotion] I can really relate to that." You meet alot of crazys but some of greatest people are, so don't worry about.

And for God's sake, please [I]shower. No one wants to stand next to a smelly person in line for the dealer's room. They're already being tortured enough listening to the Narutard in front of them fueding with the 'tard in front of them that their yaoi fan fiction is superior.

Must've been pretty good with all those insterts. But on a serious note. I have never gone to a con. Maybe if I can, I'll go to Animethon in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I live in Okotoks, which is south of Calgary, which is south of Edmonton. So I am hyper about something that I don't even really know right now. Maybe it's all the talk of cons. But if I go to a con, I will definately keep all of these things in mind.

[ultbaka]

Go to more than one in your life, otherewise, you'll feel like you haven't captured enough of the coolness of cons.

[Two-twenty]

There is a very, very good chance that I'm going to hit in America in November this year (Canada then through the US and finishing in Mexico), is there anything in the ways of cons during that time of the year?

[Mana]

There is a very, very good chance that I'm going to hit in America in November this year (Canada then through the US and finishing in Mexico), is there anything in the ways of cons during that time of the year?

Most conventions are held during the summertime (more time off for people and better weather), so November is kind of "eh" as far as cons go.

That being said, here's what cosplay.com has listed for conventions in November, 2007:

Nov 9-11, 2007 Bakuretsu Con Hampton Inn - Colchester, Vermont (http://www.bakuretsucon.org/)
Nov 16-18, 2007 Wizard World Texas Arlington Convention Center - Dallas, Texas (http://wizarduniverse.com/conventions/texas.cfm)
Nov 23-25, 2007 Janicon Omni Jacksonville - Jacksonville, Florida (http://www.janicon.org/)

I haven't heard of any of them, so I can't tell you anything about them. Sorry ^^;

You could always come visit me for my birthday instead :D

[Two-twenty]

Most conventions are held during the summertime (more time off for people and better weather), so November is kind of "eh" as far as cons go.

That being said, here's what cosplay.com has listed for conventions in November, 2007:

Nov 9-11, 2007 Bakuretsu Con Hampton Inn - Colchester, Vermont (http://www.bakuretsucon.org/)
Nov 16-18, 2007 Wizard World Texas Arlington Convention Center - Dallas, Texas (http://wizarduniverse.com/conventions/texas.cfm)
Nov 23-25, 2007 Janicon Omni Jacksonville - Jacksonville, Florida (http://www.janicon.org/)

I haven't heard of any of them, so I can't tell you anything about them. Sorry ^^;
I figured it would be the off-season for conventions, but I'm glad there are at least a few. I'll bear these in mind, thanks!

You could always come visit me for my birthday instead :D
If this trip does come into fruition, I'd love to! Given that I would be travelling through the three countries where the glut of the AA population is, some meet-ups would definetly be on the to-do list.

[Jaadowgg]

If you're ever in Alberta, you could look me up some time around June 13. Cuz that's my b-day. ^^

[Tyrdium]

If this trip does come into fruition, I'd love to! Given that I would be travelling through the three countries where the glut of the AA population is, some meet-ups would definetly be on the to-do list.YES. Universities are in session during November, though.

[KiraraKim]

What parts of the US are you traveling to Two-twenty?

[ZZalapski]

Anyone else going to Anime Detour? Considering it's in my backyard and all, it seems as good a choice for my first con as any. Heck, maybe by then all the snow will have melted.

(A foot of snow predicted for the next two days = plenty of shoveling = plenty of Advil. Gaaah!)

[Two-twenty]

What parts of the US are you traveling to Two-twenty?
No idea yet. It's still in the planning stages.

[Tyrdium]

No idea yet. It's still in the planning stages.Cleveland. Well, no. Don't come to Cleveland. Go to Boston and New York City, because they're both insanely awesome.

[Two-twenty]

Well, that went arse over head. I talked to the friend who I was going to travel with and he was all, "Ah yes! Man, we are going to have such an awesome time, just make sure you get me the $500 for the airfares by the end of the week. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v486/Twotwenty/downs.gif "


...


I'm so sick of being poor. :(

[Jaadowgg]

I'm so sick of being poor. :(

You and me both, Two-Twenty. I only have like $1 somethin' in my chequing account and I'm not sure how much I have in my wallet but I know it's at least $1 or 2. (CDN)

[Javer]

Fanime's gonna be so much fun this year. I can only hope they bring back Studio Sokodei's work, because for three years I've missed seeing Evangelion: ReDeath. : ( But PLAY will be performed there. JAWSOME.