Random Thoughts of an Otaku
Jul. 4th, 2008
07:47 pm - Having a blast at Expo
I am just having a blast at Anime Expo over the last day plus. Over the last day plus, I have been to so alot of events and met so many new friends. This is what I was hoping for during SD Comic Con last year. I met Hazelchaz from Anime Los Angeles, hung out with the guests of honor of the con at Breakfast and other things. I have not spent a dime in the Exhibit Hall, but will tomorrow.
The Guests of Honor Breakfast has been the highlight of my fannish life. I know Science Fiction Cons have Meet the Guests reception where hundreds of people talk to the guests. The Meet the Guests Breakfast was different. It was only for 100 people in the VIP Lounge of the Nokia Theatre. People got a chance to spend 15 minutes with each guest of honor. I spent time with five of them including Masahiro Ando, Hiromi Kato and David Hayter. I got regailed with stories about life at Madhouse studios, living the life of a public blogger (Shoko Nakagawa's question) and how David Hayter got writing credits on the first X-Men movie. This only cost $20, so they weren't making money on it. They were making people's weekends with that sort of access.
Anime USA (part of our Sponsor membership) and Sakura Con ($50, I think) are notable exceptions to this rule of no Guest of Honor receptions. I applaud them for it. You don't get VIP access like this at many other media cons unless you are willing to spend $275 for these passes. If you ever go to Anime Expo, you should have breakfast with the Guests.
One other brief note, I will be on Anime USA staff for this year. I will explain more next week in a non-high staff capacity (no pre-con work), but am looking forward to trying something totally new. Have a great 4th of July and I hope your weekends are going well, also.
![[mood icon]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/classic/smile.gif){kind=small}
ecstaticJun. 21st, 2008
11:06 am - Aberdeen Ironbirds and vacation
Aberdeen Ironbirds season began on Tuesday and my first game is tonight. Ironbirds are 3-1 on the young season after another win last night for their home opener. It finally feels like Baseball season. The weather has been baseball weather for the last few weeks, except for all that rain in May. It is that feeling that my team is playing today. It is nice to see the Orioles do well, but I care about the Ironbirds much more than the Orioles.
As you know, I am going on Vacation to Anime Expo in 11 days. I am starting to get excited about the vacation. I haven't taken a full week off since 2003. I also will be getting to see Deal or No Deal (the new daytime version) when I am out there. I can't wait. I really enjoy the show and have never been to a TV taping where you may actually see me. I was at the American Anime Awards at NYCC in 2007, but you probably never saw those (unless you have Anime Network).
Just to give you a heads up, don't expect alot of posts out of me. I am probably going to do a lot of posting through backdating after con. I don't want to spend a $100 on a laptop and I will probably post on three times during the trip due to cost of a computer at the Westin's business center.
I should also be hanging out at the convention runners dinner, but ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
hazelchaz
had no idea which convention to put me under for the dinner. I told him to put me under Anime USA. Anime USA is on my radar to work this year and that mildly scares me. I think it is a good sign that work isn't going to kill me this year. I had feared that with my new position. I will be doing something different that I think I will enjoy than I had originally planned. That reminds me I need e-mail Greg in Main Events about it, today.
Apr. 1st, 2008
09:18 pm - Anybody for the Caps Game on Saturday
I am thinking about going to the Capitals Game on Saturday night after the Anime USA meeting. Game time is 7 PM at Verizon Center and they are giving away Alex Ovechkin Bobbleheads. If the Capitals win on Saturday, they could be in the playoffs. I am game to going to the game who else would be interested. Just post in the thread and I will see what I can get ticket wise.
chipperJan. 28th, 2008
09:18 pm - Anime Panic of the Week
I don't know whether Anime News Network is trying to get people to click through to Advertising or what. Now they are saying that ADV films has pulled all of their new releases from their website and all trailers for those releases, also. This report came out after 6 PM ET/5 PM CT (Houston Time), so it could be that their website is having issues. People are in a panic on AOD and ANN. I have decided that I will not go into panic mode. This is getting old. If the industry is going to collapse, let it collapse with Fireworks worthy of July 4th.
I do wonder though whether Anime cons should stop showing Fansubs and go to all licensed video rooms. Anime USA has a mix of Fansubs and legitimate DVD's. How are Anime cons going to adapt if there is only one or two players in the Anime Industry? Do we become fandom cons like some people say Science Fiction Conventions are? Do we give up on Voice Actors and Japanese guests and make the major guests fansubbers (I hope that doesn't happen)? Katsucon has most of their guests as Webcomics artists. Is that where we go from here into Multi-Genre or Manga focused conventions? I am starting to think Steven Lin's (member of Anime USA's board of directors) thoughts of a 20% drop in attendance is a possibility for Anime USA this year. Where do Anime Conventions go from here?
![[mood icon]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/classic/shock.gif){kind=small}
nervousDec. 3rd, 2007
08:52 pm - Of New Year's Eve
This is going to be an interesting end of year holidays for me. I get two long weekends at work starting the end of day the 21st. I will be off from the 21st until the 26th for Christmas, from the end of day on the 28th until January 2nd and then the 4th and 7th for Ohayocon. I don't know how I am going to get much done over that time frame. They are threatening to pile on me after I come back. One of those weeks, I work a two day week. I wish I could that every week. I wish I had known I could get this much time off because I would have done a New Year's party instead of Ohayocon, maybe.
I went to the first half of the Anime USA post con meeting yesterday. It took five hours and they didn't get to my department, so I will have to talk about that next month. I will give Robert Pizzi (the new coordinator) as much information as I can and hopefully he will start the conversation process about redoing the Dealers Room with Paul B this week. I also think I got ill from the meeting. Thanks to those who have post Anime USA sickness and gave it to me. I hope it doesn't turn into bronchitis. I should at least take some cough syrup before bed. Maybe, I will get my winter sickness finished early this year. Hopefully, morning will bring better things.
This weekend is family Christmas, which means I won't be going to New York Anime Festival. If you are going to NYAF, please vote for my Haiku in the Haiku contest. I really think it is a cool Haiku because it is about Mecha stomping instead of Central Park's beauty. My name should be next to the entry (Tom Stidman) along with my hometown.
amusedNov. 19th, 2007
09:27 am - First thoughts post Anime USA
Being an Dealers Room Coordinator was the most interesting job I have ever had as a convention runner and one I don't want to repeat again. A lot of dealers said they didn't make money on the event and a few that aren't coming back at least. I had one of my greatest victories in fandom (kicking out a bootlegger) and an overall fannish defeat. I have decided that I want to do something else next year. I am not sure what I would work well as since I am a quieter person than most in fandom. You have to be a hard person and just nag dealers, which I am not the best at. Maybe, it runs smoother in the Science Fiction and Comics world Dealers room for some reason. It may mean that I decided to take a year off from convention running to try to improve myself.
I did have some good moments, though. I had the honor of meeting of meeting Richard Epcar (Batou from Ghost in the Shell) and Brett Weaver (Nabenshin from several anime). They are both nice men and I had some great conversations with them. I finally had some time to relax by going to a Dead Dog Dinner, which helped with my stress level. The next con for me is looking like Ohayocon. I will be on a very different track and that is doing Live Events Staff (everything from Video Rooms to Main Events). I am not leading them. I am just going to be a minion. It will give me a taste of Midwest fandom, which I haven't had a chance to see. Now to finish my trip back to Aberdeen, do Laundry and get some rest for work tomorrow.
This is probably the most I will say about this year's Anime USA as most of the other interesting parts can get me in trouble in the convention world.
Nov. 14th, 2007
09:29 pm - The last few hours before Anime USA
This will be a busy and a late evening for me. I am going to be working on Laundry and packing until the 11 PM hour or so. My labels for the Dealers Room badges won't print. I couldn't print my spreadsheet for Dealers Room Load in times. I am still nervous about whether more Dealers will have to use the loading dock. I can't wait until about midnight tomorrow when I am in bed and the Dealers are loaded in. This is my last post until post-convention. I will see those who can be there at the con and those who can't after the con.
nervousOct. 30th, 2007
06:23 pm - Con Stress
Three weeks before Anime USA and con stress is in full effect. I have so much to do especially decide on a load in schedule, since people would like to know that ahead of time. It is overall alot less stress than being head of registration. I am also glad that Anime USA is earlier next year, so the stress will be towards late summer and not when my normal job's big season hits.
I sometimes ANime USA staff meetings followed Roberts rules of order to have dilatory things struck down. We spent a half hour talking about where to put the Photo Suite, Guest relax suite and Volunteer Ops. This is why I wish the meetings were better organized.
I am seriously thinking about going to Tandokucon (the same con I did a very lengthy rant on A couple of weeks ago). I want to see whether I am right or wrong about the convention. I am doing this as cheaply as possible and leaving early on Sunday. This will be an experience.
![[mood icon]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/classic/angry.gif){kind=small}
stressedOct. 2nd, 2007
08:03 am - Balticon podcast Anime Episode is now available
The anime episode of the Balticon podcast is now available. http://www.balticonpodcast.org/wordpress is where you can download it. I believe it went well. Please comment on the Balticon podcast about the podcast instead of mine. Paul Fischer appreciates the thoughts about the podcast.
chipperMay. 13th, 2007
05:52 pm - Balticon and other things
Balticon is on my mind as I have finally decided what to do about going. I already pre-registered, but wasn't sure of how many days. I have decided to do 2 days of Balticon (Saturday and Sunday)and make monday an anime day (where I watch copius amounts of anime from the word go).
I will be staying at the Hampton Inn due to not being able to get into the host hotel. I don't think cab fare is going to be outrageous since they are a mile away (almost walkable, but not quite). I will be going to parties, but I won't be helping with them. That makes me a little disappointed, but I can only do one night of Balticon hotel wise. That means I can talk with Eva Whitney about Worldcon Handicapped services and staffing Worldcon a little bit more. Panels and guests I want to see are very much unsure because they don't even have a Guest (panelist list) up.
It has been a quiet weekend since I did the lawn and some e-mail follow up on Dealers room for A-USA. I think I am going to have push and start telling people to get money in. I also need to push with Marketing on those spaces.
![[mood icon]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/classic/confused.gif){kind=small}
curiousJan. 6th, 2007
08:50 am - San DIego Comic Con and other things
I am planning on making the journey to the ultimate con that is insane (in attendance and crowding) the San Diego Comic Con. I have gotten my hotel room (about 5 miles from the con and 2 blocks from a trolley station) and hopefully soon will be making plane reservations and buying a badge. This really seems like a fun con to go to with the variety of panels and events at the show. They even have a full day of Star Wars programming. It means that Otakon will be a show I commute to this year and I won't be able to gofer or staff it. I am going to be on Kevin Standlee's side of the country, but about 5-7 hours away from where he is.
My office is having a baby boom this year. Our core stock manager is having her second child at the end of the month. One of my fellow CSR's is having a child later in the year. The CSR is my fellow recover expert. This is going to be interesting for me when she goes on maternity leave. It won't be until August, though.
Next weekend is the first Anime USA staff meeting of the year. I don't believe that the holidays are over with and convention running starts to happen again. It will be a different year with only helping out at one convention this year.
Nov. 21st, 2006
09:17 pm - Anime USA Survival
It has been a long few days for me and I have gotten the negative out of my system to talk about Anime USA 2006. I was head of Registration for this year's con, as I was last year. I thought I had people to make registration and that they weren't reliable.
That was my biggest mistake because I only had nine people show up for the convention besides the assistant, the registration tech and I. It made for a long weekend for a 3,471 person convention and nearly sent me over the fannish edge this weekend. In respect to the rest of the staff who made the convention happen, I will not mention anything else. I am going to have to make some decisions about what I do in my fannish future for conventions and staffing them.
Sep. 25th, 2006
08:54 am - A very busy weekend for me
I have been very busy with Fandom this weekend. I had a full day of meetings with Anime USA yesterday that went well. I also had the chance to see the new hotel. It is very nice and is going to be an upgrade from our current hotel. It is also four levels of meeting space, which will make things fun to explain at registration. I don't think as many of today's Metro DC fans remember this hotel. It is only two blocks from Crystal City shops and about five blocks from the metro station. I walked it in about 10-15 mintues, but I am a big man who needs to walk more.
I did not get the SFSFC Smofcon Scholarship. I may apply for the other scholarship that Seattle fandom is offering or see if Boston hosts it next year and go after Worldcon. I do want to learn how Science Fiction conventions do their events. I especially want to know how they do it without any security people. Balticon had three or four line wranglers while Anime USA has 20 security people.
Jun. 15th, 2006
08:15 pm - Going to a con this weekend
I am going up to Anime Next this weekend. This is my last con until I go to Otakon in August. I am back as a gofer for Otakon. This is my third year and I enjoy it. I am not working this weekend at Anime Next. I have never been to this con before, so I don't know what to expect. I am not leaving until Tomorrow evening as I have a full day of work tomorrow ahead of me. I am glad for 9:35 PM trains on Friday evenings.
After this week, I am glad to be going away. I have had to hold this for the last few days and I haven't posted the minutes until it was confirmed on the website. Crispin Freeman is going to be at Anime USA in November. We are excited to be bringing the voice of Togusa, Renton and many other characters to the DC area.
happy