Otakon: Otakon..

Flitting online through the various anime/manga sites, I acquired an avid curiosity about Otakon: that convention started up just because some guys thought "they could". And they did!

There were accounts of how much people enjoyed themselves. The friendliness and warmth one was met with. I heard that the Otakon people really knew how to throw a party. Now this, this really made me all agog because the only Otakon staffer I had any notion of was Mitch Hagmaier. I don't have to explain why if you read rec.arts.anime.misc back when Mitch used to post. *heeheehee!*

People raved about the games.There was something called LARP and later, Mystery Anime Theater which was exclusive to Otakon. "They have the BEST con suite of all the conventions!" Of cos the year I went it had to be the one where they didn't have a con suite. ;_;

Then there was the Hong Kong film programming. Any con with such coolness is certainly worth attending. ;) And every year I didn't get to go, I heard how the dance was the best of all the cons. I wanna go! I wanna go already!!!

But it happened that I was to attend A-Cen '98 and AX '99 before I finally got to the East coast in 2000, of which co-incidently the con chair was a certain Mitchell Hagmaier...

[ Otakon's Dealer Room about five hours before opening. ]

Yup. You've got it. This photo is soooo soft-focused purely for artistic reasons and had nothing to do with me being nervous that the Otakon Security SS might show up and demand I give them my camera. (And a very cute camera it is too!) ..17th Dec '00

Disoriented from running around and prolly light-headed from not having eaten breakfast nor lunch, I stood there like a stricken rabbit before I remembered I was looking for Jonathon Harmon. I approached the sad-faced man at the table set up with badges and where people were also laying out neat piles of Otakon T-shirts.

"I'm looking for Jonathon Harmon. He wrote a guestpick article for Anipike and he mentioned I could look him up in the Dealers' Room."
"Oh, The Red-Headed Step Child.. are you with Anipike?" (he then spoke into his two-way radio).
"Not really, I co-ordinate the guestpicks and Jei puts them up."
"Oh, is Jei Harvey here? I'd really, really like to meet him."
"No, Jei's not here. Not that *I* know of!" gee.. he doesn't want to meet me? ;)
"I'd really like to meet Jei Harvey.. oh, Jonathon's not here, he's gone off to get something."
"I'll come by later. I'm sorry you can't get to meet Jei, I'll let him know you wanted to meet him," I looked at his badge, "Noel Tominack? Nice meeting you. I'll be sure to tell Jei!" ..31st Mar '01

[ Otakon's Dealer Room just before the opening ceremonies. ]

People were queuing up for the opening ceremonies, which was to be followed by a performance by BOA. I don't like having to stay in one place for long, not to mention chancing the risk of being stuck with the fan who wants to expound on the finer points of his favourite anime series. So I ran down to the dealers' room and was surprised to find it so full of people that the tables and shelves laden with merchandise were hidden. Well.. I guess six thousand people had to go somewhere.. :) ..17th Dec '00

[ The people at the front third of the hall. ]

[ The middle third of the hall. ]

Those people were filing in along with me. As we were moving in, the ushers found that there were some empty seats in the front third left after the people there were all seated. I and a couple other people who were just coming in, like good little sheep as part of the line formed, were led to the seats. There's some reward for following the crowd after all, eh? ..17th Dec '00

[ BOA on stage. ]

[ Waiting to be let into the Dealers' Room. ]

Moo, moo...

[ See how the rest of the world measures up to Gilles. ]

Not too good; Gilles is head and shoulders above them all, heheh. :)

Those people are queuing to be let into the stalls downstairs to queue some more before being let into the Dealers' Room. ..17th Dec '00

[ Sunday after the close of the convention. ]

[ Sharing session.. or something.. ]

My programme book is tucked away neatly somewhere... I spent most of this session lolling about on a chair watching a very calm Maria "Akane" Rider listen attentively to the proceedings. From my forays into raamisc, I think Mark Neidengard knows that lady with the interesting hair ribbon extensions. :) ..17th Dec '00

[ Staff clearing up. I think.. ]

If you know the Lady in Red who was nice enough to stop work and let me take her picture, please do write me and let me have her name so I can add it in here...17th Dec '00

On the 15th May, Eric Furrow wrote me:
Since you asked - the "Staff cleaning up. I think.." is indeed staff cleaning up. :-) And the Lady In Red's name is Gail. (The guy to the left in the photo is Kzin.)
Thanks very much, Eric! :)..31th May '01

Otakon 2000
Otakon: Otakon
Otakon: People
Otakon: More People
Otakon: Outside

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