California Conventions Blog: 2011

Friday, December 30, 2011

Robbie's Convention Year Review for 2011

I gotta say, 2011 has been a busy year for me. Not just because this has been my first year writing for California Conventions Blog (although it has been, so I hope it's been a year off to a good start), but because I made the effort to go to as many events, conventions, and gatherings as possible.

Matthew's Convention Year In Review 2011

As a preparation for writing this year-end review, I look back at what I wrote last year. I also wonder if I'll say that "this was a year of firsts,'" but at this point I need to find a new catchphrase to say during these year-end reviews. Regardless, 2011 was a year of milestones for myself and the California Conventions Blog, which I hope can lead into success in 2012.

California Conventions Blog: The Podcast Episode 01: SacAnime Winter 2012 Preview

Yesterday we recorded the first ever episode of the California Conventions Blog: The Podcast, the preview for SacAnime Winter 2012. It was up on Soundcloud yesterday night, and this morning the podcast was updated for our iTunes subscribers:

This is part of the end-of-the-year review and convention pre-coverage blitz for both Anime Los Angeles and SacAnime Winter. As I write this, everyone including myself is working on our year-end recaps and we're hoping to get a Year-End Podcast before the next set of conventions. But for now, enjoy the first episode of our podcast!

Soundcloud link
iTunes link (There's also a link to the podcast on the sidebar)

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Pacific Media Expo 2011

As promised, I'm back again this year with my review of PMX 2011. Before the con started, I already had much to look forward to. The con returned to the much preferred LAX Hilton location, there was a new impressive block of BJD (Ball-Jointed Doll) panels and workshops, long-beloved J-Rock band, D, was announced to perform not one, but two nights in a row, and my favorite, the lolita brand announcement. Gothic lolita brand, Atelier-Pierrot and it's designer, Yuko Ashizawa, would be bringing their wares for the Fashion Boutique this year. As expected, I was thrilled and selling whatever I could to have a decent amount of spending money.

SacCon December 2011: Con Report

A panoramic view from insiders the Dealers Hall at the Scottish Rite Center.

I remember a year ago coming to this very same SacCon, wondering why I haven't attended any Sacramento conventions in the past year. Since then, I went back to SacAnime this past September and I'll be returning to the winter edition in January. I also came to this year's "the-end-of-the-convention-season" convention in which all of us gather one last time, partly in preparation for next year's conventions but to also chill out in a small setting with finals and the Christmas rush looming. I had a final exam two days after the convention, so for me it allowed me to relax the day before cramming.

SacCon December 2011 Videos

I took some footage from SacCon December 2011 using the new HD camcorder that I got. I can consider this a trial run in a convention setting before ALA and/or SacAnime in January, and so far I'm pretty impressed with the quality so far. Of course, I hope to have more footage for future conventions, but for now this is a start.

Product Plug: Square

I've mentioned before on this blog how difficult it is to secure and maintain a hotel room at a convention; a lot of work for a huge payoff. And often times, people can't PayPal you the money or don't have the cash on hand. But what if they had a credit or debit card?

That's where Square comes in.

HD Video Testing

If 2010 was the year of new staff members like Zanney and Avi, then 2011 is the year of new equipment for the blog.

Planning For Conventions: A Guide Pt. 3

In the previous two parts of planning for anime convention, I went over general tips as well on tips on handling hotel rooms. But the biggest question you'll probably have is "How do I get there?"

This section of the guide deals with travel to - and from - conventions.

Planning For Conventions: A Guide Pt. 2

Last time, I went over some tips on how to plan for an anime or comic convention. But there's going to be the elephant of the room in booking and managing a hotel room. Everyone wants to stay in a hotel room, but there's more to it and just booking, checking in, enjoying the convention, and checking out. It gets complicated when multiple people stay in your room.

With that, here are some tips when it comes to booking and managing hotel rooms.

Planning For Conventions: A Guide Pt. 1

As we move closer to restarting the convention cycle starting from Anime Los Angeles a week after the new year, many have the simple question of "how to I/we prepare for an anime or comic convention?" Every year, time and time again I put in night after night detailing everything that goes into planning for a convention.

Today, I'm going to give you some tips on how to prepare for anime and comic book conventions. This first set of tips is a fraction of everything I can tell you, and this is only coming from myself - the other staff members have their own tips and tricks.

"Step aside, everyone. Let the REAL star handle this!" (Tom's Opinion on CCB Theme Songs)

While I respect Zanney's opinion, you have yet to grasp the history behind the anime convention scene in the NorCal area. My entry goes back those early cons, when series like Dirty Pair, Bubblegum Crisis, and Ranma 1/2 were all the rage. Forget Bleach, Naruto and InuYasha...WHO ARE THEY?!

"Move over, Matt. I got this." (Zanney's Opinion on CCB Theme Songs)

The CCB Theme Song should be "Doobee Doowap Communication" by Babamania.

I know that right now you're all probably thinking that I'm just biased in favor of Rockman.exe, which is the anime this song was used in. I'm sure you will agree with me after you check out the music video and read the lyrics.

California Conventions Blog Theme Song? (Matthew's Opinion)

Ever since I started the California Conventions Blog, I've always wondered what kind of theme song this blog would have. Would be it of a Japanese origin because the connections to Japanese culture; or would it be a song that's based on California, the state where we cover the majority of conventions?

I say let's do two theme songs: one that shows our devotion to Japanese culture, and one that shows where we come from.

Anime Destiny 2011 - Ray's Report

Location: MLK Student Union @ UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Date: 2011.10.01 (Saturday)
Cost: $10
Website: http://www.calanimedestiny.com/
Prior years attended: 2010

AD is second-to-last in what I call "con season" (July through October, when a lot of conventions and cosplay-related festivals take place in NorCal). Like Kin-Yoobi Con and HyperCon, it is a small convention, catering more to local cosplayers and anime/manga/J-game fans rather than trying to attract an audience on a state or national scale.

Anime Destiny 2011 - Robbie's Report

Anime Destiny was a one-day convention, held at UC Berkeley's MLK Student Union. I've said before that there's nothing wrong with holding a convention at a college - in fact, the location usually means there's affordable food and parking nearby, although given the size of the campus, I wouldn't have minded at least a sign or something saying, "Hey! The con is here, you don't have to wander around campus looking like a lost street performer." Fortunately, I managed to find the building with a little help from fellow attendees, so I can bring you this report.

Newest Associate: Mission Start

I would like to announce our newest associate to the California Conventions Blog Associates & Friends Network: Mission Start!

Wrapping Up The Last Quarter Of The 2011 Convention Season

As we head to the last week of September and into October, it's been a very good three-quarters of a convention season so far. But we have one more quarter to go, and as the seasons quickly change so do the conventions.

What You Missed at SacAnime Summer 2011, Video Edition

I've been sharing various videos from SacAnime Summer 2011 on the Facebook fan page, and now I present this blog "What You Missed at SacAnime Summer 2011, Video Edition."

SacAnime Summer 2011 Report: Part 5 - Epilogue

Before I get to my overall thoughts about this convention, there is a bit more to this report.

SacAnime Summer 2011 Report: Part 4 - Sunday (Day Three)

Despite only getting two hours of sleep after recovering everything and preparing everything for Sunday, I get to the convention relatively early once again, this time rewarded with a parking spot with some shade. Once again, I went to Bel Air for more ice and some breakfast, but the decision to not dump the ice and leave it in the bag would sort of come back to bite me later.

SacAnime Summer 2011 Report: Part 3 - Saturday (Day Two)

With Saturday upon us, it was time to get ready for what is usually the biggest day for any convention. I made a quick stop over at Bel Air to pick up ice and some drinks that I stuck in the cooler in the trunk, then I went over to Jim Denny's to have a hearty breakfast. I didn't attempt to eat another Hubcap, so I got one of the smaller breakfast platters.

SacAnime Summer 2011 Report: Part 2 - Friday (Day One)

Unfortunately, I couldn't stay the whole entire day as I had to be home for a family dinner. Therefore, my approach to this day was to sample everything and prepare for the Saturday rush since Friday isn't as busy.

SacAnime Summer 2011 Report: Part 1 - Prologue

I feel really bad that I haven't been supporting my hometown convention in the last two years. Then again, this is going to happen when expansion occurs, and the fact that I've been choosing Anime Los Angeles and Anime Vegas over SacAnime is nothing against SacAnime but without these decisions, some of the events may have never happened.

Sac Anime Summer 2011: Robbie's Report

Sac Anime happened to fall on one of the hottest days of summer, but no amount of heat can stop cosplayers when they've got something they want to wear. Throughout the weekend, I saw full-body costumes, long sleeves, even fursuits, all worn in the blazing sunlight in the name of cosplay. Of course, it's no secret that we cosplayers can be a crazy bunch, so let's begin with the recap and review.

SF J-Pop Summit Festival 2011

My trip to the J-Pop Summit Festival in San Francisco was unplanned, so this will be more of a snapshot than an actual review of the event. It was a two-day event, from Saturday to Sunday, although I was only there for the later half of Sunday. As such, you'll have to forgive my lack of coverage and photos.

SacAnime Summer 2011 Pre-Coverage: Places to Eat

My first "Places to Eat" pre-coverage that I did was for SacAnime for the forums, and I'm glad that I'm doing this again for this summer's SacAnime.

Now compared to Kintoki-Con, SacAnime's location is what I would call "isolated," where there's nothing much unless you want to drive out, but I'll mention that later. But there are some options that are within walking distance, perfect if you don't feel like risking losing your parking space at the Radisson.

Everything's Bigger in Texas!

I've been quiet for a while now, huh? Well, now that Jackie and I are almost-but-not-quite settled down with all of life's chaos, I finally have time to begin a new project that Matt and I are working on.

"What project is that?" you might ask me. The answer is very simple, and also very, very cool.

In Retrospect: SacAnime Summer 2008 & 2009

In about a week or so, SacAnime will hold its annual summer convention, completing its expected schedule plus the mini-event in May. It will also be three years to the day that I found my calling in reporting anime conventions and received my first ever press badge.

California Conventions Blog Completes

With the 15 minute restrictions lifted on the YouTube account combined with their easy-to-use video editor, I've been able to string parts of videos to create one big video. I call these the "California Conventions Blog Completes," with combined lengths as short as 20 minutes to an hour plus!

I created a playlist just for these completes, so if you don't feel like going being interrupted by parts then here's your video(s)!

Bay Area Conventions Partnership

I would like to announce our newest associate to the California Conventions Blog Associate & Friends Network: Bay Area Conventions! This group is a information hub for conventions and gatherings all across Northern California, and we are glad to have them as part of our network especially with one of our staff members, Robbie Pleasant, who also staffs for Bay Area Conventions.

Below are their links to their various websites, social media platforms, and forums, go check them out and join today!

FanimeCon 2011 - Full Review Blooper Reel

During the taping of the the Fanime Con 2011 Full Review, we ran into trouble in pronouncing people's names.

This is what we cut out.

Coldplay - Viva La Vida vs. Viva La Vida (@ MangaNEXT 2008 ft. Mario Bueno)

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I told myself that eventually I would release this track to the public. I recently got a new Soundcloud for these remixes that I create (such as this one and the Yukie Dong Nico Nico Douga Medly remix), so I finally got around to publishing it.

So here it is, the tracked that started it all - and got me introduced to Mario Bueno.

Kin-Yoobi Con Report

While Kin-Yoobi Con was on the first Friday and Saturday of August, I could only attend Saturday. Thus, I won't be able to say anything about how Friday was, but I've heard positive things about it. It's the same weekend as Hyper-Con, so while I'd have liked to have made it to both, I could only get to Kin-Yoobi, which was closer.

First Batch of AX 2011 Videos Up

Sorry for the long delay, but I've finally got up the video from Anime Expo 2011. There's more to come, so check back this week to see more videos!

And Now, A Nostalgia Moment

Animate USA storefront, once located on Melrose Ave., in Los Angeles

ALA Cosplay Picnic (Placentia, CA)

ALA Cosplay Picnic by Rukazu

This review is a bit late, but as I was not technically press, I really had no obligation to write about this but I still want to. The cosplay picnic was sponsored by Anime LA as a sort of preview and social gathering for people in the area. It was not a cosplay gathering mind, merely a social event. The day before I had to pick up my sister's BF and head back home with some stuff, and the event was on my way back to Irvine, so I thought why not. I decided to wear Banker from Star Driver as I was not going to wear a fancy costume for a casual get together.

Reporting on Subcultures Gone Wrong

There's always been interest in the subculture of Japanese and American animation and everything associated with it which includes dressing up in cosplay and attending conventions.

Tom's History of Anime Cons: Before There Was Anime Expo...

Hey everyone, Tom Gifford here.

After a long absence, I have returned! And today, I have uncovered an interesting tidbit on a con that started anime conventions in California as we know them today.

Anime Expo 2011's Last Comic Standing

I had the great honor of attending last year's Last Comic Standing and I had a great time. But since I didn't go to this year's Anime Expo, that meant that I didn't go to this year's Last Comic Standing.

Luckily the people over at Otaku Wanted filmed this year's event and put all the parts on YouTube. Check out their videos and have a good laugh while you're at it!

Nico Nico Douga Medley (Fanime 2008 Remix) (ft. Yukie Dong)

As mentioned in Lucas' interview with the AX Idol winners, I did a remix with Mario Bueno's MangaNEXT 2008 performance with the original "Viva La Vida" by Coldplay.

I also did a remix with the original Nico Nico Douga Medley with Yukie Dong's rendition at the FanimeCon 2008 Masquerade. You might recall this moment from my interview with her at Kintoki-Con.

Well, here's that remix I've been wanting to release all this time until now.

Once In A Lifetime: Thoughts on Last Exile S2 and Hatsune Miku's World Debut

Yes, the title is very long. And I'm sure all of you were expecting art from me, considering I'm the lead artist. But in a sad bit of luck that I won't dwell on, all my things--including my computer, scanner, and tablet--are all in a storage locker in Vancouver for the moment, and I can't get to them. My deepest apologies, guys, but for the next little while, I'll have to be just like everyone else.

AX 2011 FULL Review from Rukazu

Anime Expo 2011 FULL Review

WOOT! This year was absolutely amazing!

Anime Expo 2011: Avi's Point of View

After much flip-flopping and struggling with the funds for it, I was able to make it to AX this year. Here is what I covered that weekend.

acksonl, AX 2011 Edition

For Anime Expo 2011, Ackson Lee has ~~three~~ ~~four~~ five fan videos plus the sequel to Pokemon Men from FanimeCon and other videos that he has planned (such as the Macross Frontier Showcase video). Again they'll be posted here but I highly encourage you subscribe to his channel.

Matthew's Thoughts on Hatsune Miku's First US Performance

I wasn't able to make to this Hatsune Miku's first performance in the United States in Los Angeles at Anime Expo 2011, but there were premium streams via Niconico for 1500 yen (18 USD). So, I plot down my credit card and prepare to have my mind blown by a virtual idol.

And sure enough, my mind was blown by a virtual idol.

Anime Expo 2011 - Tsunami Scoreboard, Pre-Coverage Edition

The forecast calls for a slight lull in the usual summer swell we expect from Independence Day weekend in the Golden State where the summer sun, sand and surf are world famous for tourists and locals alike, but here at CaliConBlog we allow neither glassy nor shark-infested waters to dampen our spirits. As the saying goes, the calm comes before the storm and in just a few short hours, thousands of shoebies, locals and gurus from all over the west coast, and even internationally, will take the Los Angeles Convention Center by storm and spend their hot and steamy summer nights doing what nerds do best--the infamous Anime Expo con-crawl!

Don't get us wrong--the attendees of Anime Expo are anything but sluggish. With the second-largest anime convention in the country sitting right here in the backyard of the Greater Los Angeles area natives, there's always a mad dash for badge pick-up and last-minute concert ticket purchases. Cosplayers lurk in the pre-reg lines as though the sidewalk is a fashion runway, gamers bring their portable systems and geek out on the front steps and fangirls and fanboys trade opinions and series recommendations as a gaggle of housewives might swap recipes for pot-stickers at a PTA meeting.

The hallways buzz with excitement and even though it's a whopping 100 degrees in the shade, the atmosphere is cheery and as bright as the sun. Not a cloud in the sky today as our five-member team suits up and ships out for the 2011 Press Junket at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Downtown LA, and the the million dollar question remains.

Only one person comes to mind when I think of the best possible phrasing of the question, so I'll let a certain One-Eyed Dragon take it from here:

Will Anime Expo finally come out on top or will this summer's swell be a total flop? The Tsunami Scoreboard predicts one of the hottest summers yet, so you definitely don't wanna miss this!

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Kintoki-Con 2011 Report: Part 4 - Epilogue

I talked to a lot of attendees, staff members, and guest of honors over that weekend, and all of them agreed with me: for a first-year convention with this amount of expectations, this convention really came through. Some people were comparing it to a Northern California version of Anime Los Angeles and the start that ALA had. The only problem with that analogy is that ALA is opposite of AX (January-July) while Kintoki-Con is right after FanimeCon and right before AX, but I can see the future success if the parallels hold true given how popular ALA is now.

Like the other start-up convention this year in Sacramento, the key to future growth is correct any and all mistakes and hammer out what you did best. Bringing back guests like Mary Elizabeth McGlynn and Richard Epcar, who also shared a positive opinion on Kintoki-Con, is a great way to build for 2012. There have been discussions on what rates are being raised and what is staying put on Facebook through their account this early and this quick after the convention, which is another positive move.

I had a running dialogue with Co-chair Eric over the weekend, letting him know what was working and what needed to be fixed and improved. As press, I like this dialogue and he really seemed to take notice. We need more convention chairs like that, someone is genuinely listening and wants constant feedback to improve the product they have put out over the weekend. With the amount of feedback that they have been receiving over the weeks, this convention is bound to improve by leaps and bounds, and for us Northern California cosplayers, conventioneers, and members of the press such as myself, this is a convention that we would love to see flourish.

I would like to thank both convention chairs, Eric San Gregorio and Nicole Stockel, for inviting me to cover this convention. I was very honored to cover this convention and I look forward to covering it again next year. Special shout-outs to go the Maid Cafe and Gaming Room staff for giving me an insider's look for unique angles and views of their work in progress. And a special thanks to all my readers who have been reading this report and past reports - you are the lifeblood of this blog. Without you, we'd be telling our stories and experiences to a bunch of tubes.

That concludes my report of Kintoki-Con 2011. Unfortunately, I won't be able to make it to Anime Expo due to financial reasons but you can find the rest of my staff there for their coverage. If you see any of them out and about this weekend, say hi to them for me.

私のレポートを読むためにありがとう。
Thank you for reading my report.

-Kintoki-Con 2011 Report End-

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Kintoki-Con 2011 Report: Part 3 - Sunday (Day Two)

The lounge on the 15th floor was open all night, and I had fun playing Portal 2 and Child of Eden at two in the morning while partying up the night.

At some point, I had to call it a night so that I could get home, try to get some rest, and be back at the convention before 9am because Richard and Mary had another panel.

Since this was their autograph session, it got people to get up early for this panel. However, the room layout didn't change since last night's Moon Stream concert, so there wasn't a set-up for their panel. But the two didn't need microphones; instead, they got two chairs, we all sat in a semi-circle, and had storytime.

During the 2nd Q&A session, Mary brought up last year's Anime Vegas and the Code Geass Panel in which she responded to an attendee's question with a question of her own. I actually remember that moment since I was a part of that panel.

The reps for Anime Destiny (UC Berkley campus) watching The Simpsons.

After their autograph session, it was time for my favorite moment of the convention: getting an interview with the two.

I would like to thank Mary Elizabeth McGlynn and Richard Epcar for allowing me to accompany them over the weekend and for the interview. It was recently announced that they will be returning to Kintoki-Con next year, so I look forward to seeing you two again, hopefully this time with more members of the blog!

I was hungry after this, so I hook up with Ramon and Craig to go grab some lunch over at Downtown Plaza. I ended up picking up Panda Express with that delicious Orange Chicken.

Back at the convention, I get my last glimpses of the Dealer's Hall and Artist's Alley. But this time I got sidetracked by getting photos of the Moon Stream autograph session.

Earlier in the day, I asked Rodney if I could bump up my photo shoot from 4pm to 3pm. He agreed, so about a half hour before the shoot I went back to my car to rest and rehydrate. He's not done posting all the photos on his gallery, so once he's done I'll make a separate post.

After I was done, I was looking for things to do to round out Kintoki-Con. It was before 4pm, so I actually got into the Moon Stream Q&A Panel, which I both took photos and filmed.

Somewhere during the panel, I fell asleep with all the exhaustion from this convention. Moon Stream woke me up, and it was caught while I was filming - such an embarrassing moment!

Now it was time for really check out Dealer's Hall and Artist's Alley for the last time.

With the convention winding down, I make my final rounds enjoying the last few moments.

Soon enough, it was time for head on home. I said my last goodbyes before heading on out.

-Sunday (Day Two) & Kintoki-Con 2011 End-

Kintoki-Con 2011 Report: Part 2 - Saturday (Day One)

I was up early on Saturday since the convention opened up early at 8am. By 7am I was off to Jim Denny's for a decent breakfast which consisted of one giant pancake - the Hubcap. Unfortunately, I didn't finish it all and I gave the rest to someone who I had met yesterday and became good acquaintances quickly.

At the hotel, people were waiting in line waiting to get their badges.

At Artist's Alley, people were setting up their booths for the weekend.

I also went to go check out the gaming room. This was when I found out that the Masters of Games Tournament, something that I wanted to cover, got canceled due to the low amount of pre-registered attendees and the lack of televisions from a supplier. I found out later that they were going to try to get this tournament going regardless, but that left me a huge time gap between now and 12pm.

It was already getting hot - Dotachin in a Sacramento summer weather is much different than Doatchin in San Jose spring weather - so I eventually found myself poolside relaxing until things started to open up.

I had a bit of time to explore the convention before 12pm, so I went first to Dealers Hall then I went upstairs to the 15th floor to check out the lounge.

The best thing about this floor is that the four balconies give you a virtual 360 degree view of Sacramento and surrounding areas. It's something that you have to see for yourself.

I went back downstairs to the gaming room to check out again, which by then they were at full strength. I found myself playing a couple sets of songs from Rock Band 3, something that I did constantly throughout the convention.

During this time I went to go talk to my photographer, Rodney, about my photo shoot tomorrow. I shared my vision so that he wouldn't be left in the dark about what I wanted to do. We were both glad to get that out of the way so quickly.

My first panel of the day was the Richard and Mary Q&A, and we had more insights into their careers and their favorite moments.

I actually left a bit early to cover other parts of the convention, but as I found out later when I came back they were still having their panel.

Downstairs in the Main Events room, Capital Roots were having a dance competition. I was just in time to photograph the top 16 battling it out for that $1,000 grand prize.

After they were done with the top 16 I went back to the Dealers Hall to browse again.

I came back just in time for some photo ops before heading off to lunch.

And with that, I was off to lunch at Subway on J Street.

The guy in the Ouran blazer is Luis, and we were having a chat about this convention so far when he brings up Anime Expo last year and that huge event they were having - which was the event that I helped organize for the SoCal Host Club. He told me he was in line for the main event, so I must of been the one who cut him off with my calculations due to time constraints the huge line that we had. He was hoping to see us again this year, but I told him that the club got declined.

Back at the convention, I came in just in time again to see the winners in the adult division.

With the Maid Cafe opening in a couple of minutes, I head over there to get some photos and a video.

I would be back later for some more shots. For the time being, I chilled out in the gaming room and the lounge on the 15th floor.

Eventually I went back to the Maid Cafe to get some more pictures.

I found myself helping a maid out conduct a game of Pokemon Master Trainer, a board game that came out during the height of the Pokemon craze in the late 90s. For some odd reason, the maid left and instead of calling over another maid (which they told I should of done, but didn't mind this result), I continued the game having prior knowledge of this game. It made me feel that I was a part of the SoCal Host Club again before I left, and maybe if I didn't have my duties has press that I would be part of a Maid/Butler Cafe.

I spent a lot of time here, so by the time I left Masquerade was just about to start. So I take my seat and enjoy the shortest Masquerade that I've ever been to. At least it was better than FanimeCon's and had some variety.