Otafest 2015

Otafest 2015

May 15-17

I have a confession to make.  I’m NOT an anime guy, at least not in modern terms.  I remember fondly Astroboy, and Robotech on tv, and having to trade VHS tapes of varying quality.  I’m old.  Yet off I go to Otafest, Calgary’s biggest anime festival.

Otafest takes place on the beautiful grounds of the University of Calgary, which while beautiful makes finding your way around as a first timer a little challenging. They had ample signage, but it was sometimes placed awkwardly, almost to the point of inaccuracy.  That aside, I eventually found my way to pickup my badge and I was on my way.

First stop for me was the Vendor Hall.  There I found a collection of props, costumes, DVDs, and a personal favorite of mine The Attic & Attic Raiders.  Combined, they offer a broad range of steam punk gear, everything from antique telescopes and compasses to handmade costume pieces.  (Full disclosure, I’ve been a fan of Attic Raiders since the beginning, you can find her Facebook Page here: www.facebook.com/LadyWartenberg and vote for my photo of her to be on a Jones Soda label here: www.jonessoda.com/gallery/view.php?ID=1388265&search%5Btext%5D=David&offset=1 )

Soon I made my way to the Fallcon room, where the organizers of the Fallcon Gaming Convention ( www.fallcon.com ) hosted games of “Giant Sized” King of Tokyo with 1’ foam dice, and 3’ character pieces.  Tables across the full length of one wall full of board games available to play, and throughout the room people were happily rolling dice.

As Saturday rolled around I took in my first panel.  Cosplay Photography 101, a primer panel for photographers (even those with just a phone), and cosplayers alike.  Tips were given on everything from photo basics, to etiquette, to posing and being posed.

Then it was off to the other end of the festival where I heard tell of a guerrilla tea party taking over part of the food court.  Sure enough when I arrived steam punk enthusiasts from The Calgary Steampunk Assemblage ( www.facebook.com/CalgarySteampunkAssemblage ) had laid out linens and good china, and were brewing their little hearts outs for guests.  I declined a good cup of tea (shame on me), in order to make it back across to the room I had just left where an Iaido panel was starting.  Hosted by special guest Dave Rathnow from Shin Ken Kai Nobara ( www.skknobara.com ), we were treated to some history of Japanese warfare, weapons, and Iaido.  Following that were demonstrations of 2 separate forms of Iaido, and a short Q&A.

Later I found myself chatting with another photographer, and getting myself invited to a large group photo shoot.  I got some great shots from some great cosplayers, and then rushed away to grab food before the main event for the evening.

What was the main event you ask?  UCHUSENTAI:NOIZ ( www.uchusentainoiz.com ), a high energy and very flamboyant band from Japan Outer Space.  I spent the next hour experiencing a show that was unlike anything I had seen before, a show so intense that the stage could barely contain it.  In fact it didn’t, as at one point the band came right off the stage and into the audience!  It was a great closing to the day, as I skipped the dance that night, and went home to rest up for the next day.

Being May Long Weekend, in Calgary, the inevitable happened. It snowed.  But Sunday morning rolled around and the snow was gone, and the outdoor party that makes Otafest so special was on.  First stop for me was Cosplay Battle Chess, where 2 moderating players pick cosplayers out of a surprisingly large crowd and use them as human (“human”) chess pieces that improvise a battle each time a piece is captured.  I was shocked at how big the crowd was for this one, so big in fact that I couldn’t even get any good pictures.

Next on my wish list to see was the Pokemon Fashion Show, which either moved and no one put up a sign, or just failed to happen.  In it’s place continuing battles for the Otafest Pokemon League on the Nintendo DS.

So back outside I headed for a performance by Midnight Taiko ( www.midnight-taiko.com , a local Japanese drumming group.  I love Taiko drumming, so was enthralled by the beats, as was an ever-expanding crowd.  At the end of the performance they had an audience participation portion where anyone could try out the drums.  I passed on that part.

I closed out my Otafest experience with another high energy performance of UCHUSENTAI:NOIZ.  I even got to pick up a tee shirt, and get it autographed.

I’m not an anime guy, but as with most big conventions/festivals I missed more than I caught, and Editors willing, I’ll be back next year for more.

Check out my photos on Geek-o-Rama here: COMING SOON

Find and Tag your photo on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/david.j.h.chapman/media_set?set=a.10153216652985250.1073741882.643360249

Kickstarter/Indiegogo Spotlight: Detroit Fanfare Comic Con 2015

Ah, conventions.  The getaways through the year that many of us look forward to so much.  One among those is the focus of this week's feature fundraiser.  Detroit Fanfare is looking for help from the community to keep this celebration of comics going.  To lend a hand and also get the chance to attend with many reward options, check out the Kickstarter page.

Nottingham Comic Con Event Review

I arrived at 8am on Saturday the 4th of October. It was early. I was tired and still slightly drunk, even if the crisp Nottingham air had cured me of that, along with several enthusiastic bear hugs from NCC runner Kev Brett.

Having been to the con last year when it was known as 'Nerd Fest' it was a different feel. Not only was the venue different, bigger and more modern than last years. Not only did it have elevators with northern accents (that my friend Steve and I rode up and down to endless amazement). But TheCultDen was there as not only visitors but participants on the day itself!

But that wasn't my task on the day- mine was to walk the event checking out all the things that I though were cool, chatting to artists and in general getting a feel for the place. In other worlds I was in heaven- and what better event?

Make no mistake- this was a big venue and there were so many people in attendance. From the cosplayers who were queuing up outside the door about an hour before the venue opened, to the amount of artists, many of them producing their first works. Not that you would know it- the standard was pretty much universally high all round and with so many different forms of expression. It wasn't just comics we saw- there were skate decks, stickers, hand crafted jewelry, face painting...all in all an absolutely great mix that meant there was something for everyone no matter the age.

That was something that was nice and unexpected too. There's been a lot of talk of late about how the comics industry needs to be more inclusive, or at least recognize the amount of talented people being ignored because their work doesn't appeal to the middle aged white guy. Nottingham Comic Con certainly put paid to the idea of there being 'no women in comics'. The mix was about 50/50 men to women of exhibitors and the people attending were the same too- from five year old kids to 80 year olds, a real mix of people turned out to see the people who are helping shape and define the UK comics industry.

I met so many people in the space of a few hours... I wish I wasn't so poor at remembering names. Everyone was unanimously friendly, funny and were able to put up with me stumbling over my words as I failed to express how great their work was. To apologize, let me link you to the floor plan of the day (here) - remember these artists and studios, because in 10 years time they will be some of the biggest things in comics.

My only slight critique of the day would be that the layout was a bit odd - though it was clearly designed to make it so the talks and bands didn't drown out the artists area, its positioning meant that some of the people I talked to weren't even aware there was a separate artists area! Still, these things happen and with the event runners moving to such a bigger venue than last year means there would be some problems. I'm sure they ill be fixed next year.

All in all it was a great day- I'll be back next year guaranteed. With the controversies that have gripped the comics industry in the past year, it's hard to forget that outside of the big studios and the internet fights exists a whole group of people that want to read comics that they, their kids and their partners can enjoy. Nottingham Comic Con is the kind of event that promotes those sort of comics, so I'll do everything I can to help.

Roll on next year.

The Saboten Con 2014 Experience

Saboten Con is one of the conventions in Arizona I look forward to all year.  Saboten took place August 29, 2014 and ran through Labor Day weekend (Sept. 1).  I've been going for around four years and I've enjoyed every year so far.  It has a great atmosphere, inviting guests and some great cosplay from the attendees.  Saboten is the largest anime and Japanese cultural art convention in Arizona.

This year’s Saboten took place, once more, at the Renaissance Hotel in Glendale, AZ. It’s been the home of Saboten for many years now, but next year it will shift its location to downtown Phoenix. Sad as it may be, Saboten is growing and with it comes growing pains. Let us hope the Saboten fans can adjust to a new location.

There was a lot to see and do at Saboten Con this year.  Plenty of panels and games lined the main hallway for the attendees to enjoy.  I found myself sitting down and playing some table top cards games like “Card Against Humanity.”  I also enjoyed panels like, “How to Train You Cosplayer,” to improv comedy panels that had a “Whose Line is it Anyway” vibe to it.

This year’s guest list included, voice actors Derek Stephen Prince, Robert Axelrod, Alexis Tipton Ian Sinclair and D.C Douglas.  They also invited cosplayers like Alodia Gosiengfiao, Living Ichigo, Giada Robin, Electric Lady and Chris Tang to help judge in the World Cosplay Summit Masquerade Contest.

Saboten Con has shown year after year, that its attendees excel in creating some fantastic anime cosplays.  There were a lot of favorite cosplays to see and many of them can be viewed on the Geekorama Facebook page.  My favorites had to have been the Transformers, Attack on Titan, and the Mass Effect groups.

The exhibitor room was expanded this year and it allowed room for some cosplay and charity to groups to be displayed.  A couple of the cosplay groups that received tables were the Justice League of Arizona and The Arizona Avengers.

There are some things they can approve on for next year’s Sabo.  Communication is a big part for any staff at conventions and I felt that some of the new staff wasn't adequately prepared to communicate with the proper channels when it came to pick up badges.  I’m hoping that next year, they decide to have the registration for guest, panel and media in a more open area, instead of a hallway.  The hallway became jammed with oncoming and exiting attendees and it became confusing to many, including myself, which table to go to when it came to proper registration.   As far as the badges are concerned, I really like the new design and I can fully get behind the new security hologram and faded image to prevent counterfeits.

Whether or not you agree about the move to downtown Phoenix next year, it looks like Saboten Con will once again dominate as one of the staple anime and Japanese cultural art conventions in the Valley of the Sun.  Saboten Con returns to the Valley September 4-7 at the Sheraton Phoenix downtown.  Book your hotel there and receive free parking (One vehicle per room) and buy your tickets early to receive a great price.

Coverage Submitted By: Jeremy "JPOOL" Colwill