Armchair Commentary

Anime Conventions - Like a first cousin to Comic-Con

So a couple of weeks ago, I attended San Diego Comic-Con. 125,000 people flock for one weekend of geekdom every Year.

Well...did you know that there are anime conventions held somewhere in the the U.S. and Canada almost every weekend of the year?

The largest is Anime Expo held in the Los Angeles Convention Center during the July 4th weekend. Attendance this year was over 44,000.

The second largest is Otakon held in Baltimore, Maryland with over 26,000 attending this past July.

So what goes on during an anime con?

There are some similarities to San Diego Comic-Con:

• Large exhibit hall to buy all sort of anime merchandise
• Panels that cover all sort of topics
• Costume masquerade
• Cosplay (people dressed in the costume of their favorite characters)
• An artists' alley
• Celebrity guests of honor--primarily U.S. voice actors and international guests flown in from Japan (writers, directors, voice actors), and web comic creators.

There are several things unique to anime conventions:

1. Anime conventions start at noon on Friday and don't end till 3 to 5 p.m. on Sunday...and it's 24-hour nonstop programming, with lots of evening and late-night stuff. Most comic and pop culture cons end at 6 in the evening. Anime cons keep going and going and going.
2. Most anime cons have Japanese rock and pop bands perform concerts.
3. Every night there is a rave.
4. Huge area for video gaming--all the consoles and games are provided; all you have to do is play.

Here are a few video journals our convention staff and I put together to chronicle our visits to several anime cons.

Anime North - Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Otakon - Baltimore, Maryland

Anime Expo - Los Angeles, California

Animecons.com is the site that covers anime convention schedules for all anime cons in the U.S., in Canada, and worldwide. See if there is one in your area and check it out. --Lance

Post San Diego Comic-Con Coverage - How to Prepare for Next Year

San Diego Comic-Con, or "nerd prom", was a blast. I've got lots of videos and pictures from the Con and lots of posts to write and edit.

First up is a "Helpful Tips" vlog that I put together to make your trip from the hotel to the convention center a lot less hectic and with fewer lines. The first piece of advice I have for anyone new to comic-con is: wear comfortable shoes. Lots and lots of walking is part of the game.

Next up is my ode to a convention staple: Mrs Fields cookies. Bender makes a cameo in this one.

Much more San Diego Comic-Con nerd prom coverage to come. -- Lance

San Diego Comic-Con - Preview Night

I thought it would be good to show you what Comic-Con is like from an exhibit hall booth perspective. My company's booth, FUNimation Entertainment, is right next to FOX and Warner Bros. Here is what I caught before and during preview night. --Lance

Now here are some pics:

San Diego Comic-Con: A brief beginner's guide

What's fandom amongst 125,000 of your closest geek friends?

San Diego Comic-Con International starts its 40th year today. A  5-day event full of every fandom you could think of.

Movie stars? Check. TV stars? Check. Sci-Fi authors? Check.

Comic book artists? Comic book writers? Video game companies? Gig poster artists? Designer vinyl toys? Sketch books? Exclusive merch? Autographs? Anime screenings? Costumes? Action figures? Small press creators?

Check, check, check, check, check, check, check, check, check, check, check, and check.

I like to think of it as nerd prom. All of your geek tendencies are heightened, and all is good with the world. 

If you want to attend this year, you are too late. 4-day passes and single day passes sold out months ago. If you plan on attending next year, you must decide now.

If you are on the Comic-Con mailing list, you will receive a postcard typically in January to announce the official convention block reservation date. This is the most critical date.

Hotels book up like crazy fast. Demand is very high. It really does make a difference to be near the convention center.

This will be my 7th Comic-Con but I've been to over 50 conventions. One thing I can't stress enough is con health. If you stay up all night, party too much, run ragged across the convention halls, and forget to eat regularly, you will be bed-ridden and sick for several days after the con. I've seen this happen to friends all the time. Trust me.

Tips to con health

1. Wear comfortable shoes. You do not want to get a blister the first day of the con. That is painful--been there, done that. You will walk a lot. Mall walkers will be in awe of the amount of steps you will take during the 5-day spectacle.

2. Keep hydrated.

3. Wash your hands regularly or carry hand sanitizer. You don't have to be a germaphobe, but with 125K people in close proximity, it's a good idea.

4. Eat regularly. Don't skip breakfast or lunch to go directly to a panel. Don't wait till evening and eat a huge meal.

5. Get at least 5 hours of sleep at least for two nights of the convention. With so much stimulation overload, you will forget how much you've worked your body into fanboy/fangirl induced stress. Your body needs time to recover.

If you've done all 5 steps, reward yourself with some Mrs. Fields chocolate chip cookies.

After a long day of shopping or panels, there is nothing like finding the Mrs. Fields cookie stands scattered across the halls. Mmmmm....I can taste them already.

I'll be reporting from the convention center everyday with observations, photos and videos, as well as links to panel reports and other news. --Lance

Anime EDU: Learn About Anime

How's it going? I'm Lance Heiskell at FUNimation Entertainment, the leading company for anime in North America. What do I do? I sell cartoons to adults. I love my job.

To help people new to anime, I wrote a six-part Anime EDU in the Anime section of the Movies & TV department. Whether you are very new to anime or have watched a lot but have never collected, these guides are here to help. Anime has bit of a learning curve with understanding all the different types of shows, vocabulary and the overall anime fandom culture. You might be asking yourself, "Is anime for me?"

Yes.

Basically if you can pick out a genre and a plot type, there is an anime series for you. If you enjoy movies like Blade Runner, The Matrix, Iron Man, and Star Trek, we’ve got a lot of series for you to check out. Are you into emo vampires like Edward from Twilight? You will be delighted with all the bishonen (hot guys) to fall in love with.

Creating an anime collection determines on your own individual tastes. There are shows that can be recommended for everyone, but the majority of anime titles to select for your collection depend on how old you are, gender, the type of stories you like to watch, and your anime buying budget.

The following are eight anime titles that appeal to the majority of anime fans.

TV Series
Cowboy Bebop: Ultra-cool bounty hunters who battle their own personal demons.

Fruits Basket: A fairytale for the rejected. One part outrageous humor and the other part tender tearjerker.

Azumanga Daioh: Imagine if Seinfeld were made into an anime. Everyday life can become extraordinary.

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Mix a coming-of-age, teen-angst story full of sexual tension with the backdrop of a futuristic wartime threat that pushes these teens to the limit.

Fullmetal Alchemist: The perfect blend of tear-jerking drama mixed in with just the right amount of outrageous humor and action to build the most realistic characters that viewers can truly and deeply care about.

Movies
Akira: Landmark sci-fi anime movie from 1988, which still influences anime today (Blu-ray only).

Ghost in the Shell: The best cyberpunk movie period that’s not Blade Runner.

Vampire Hunter D Bloodlust: This movie is based on one in a series of novels. You have to check this movie out. I saw it at a movie theater and the ending got a round of applause. It’s a spectacular movie.

Next is Anime 201: Collecting by Genre.  Once you know what type of anime series you like, this guide provides you with suggestions to check them out. --Lance