Otakon 08 - only 12 Otakons and then you're done?
Will be off on Thursday to Baltimore for the annual Otakon event.
This is likely to be my final Otakon. Going to cons has changed significantly over the years, as back in 1997 or 1998 it was easy to go to a con to watch all the anime you couldn't find in stores. Online torrent sites and fansubbers have negated this, as stuff now comes out the day it airs in Japan. Then it was to get new licensing announcements from companies, but what with the current depression (sorry, downturn), there's not as much I'd get excited about. Tokyopop, I see, is totally avoiding the con, as is Del Rey. And ADV's in the Sunday Afternoon graveyard slot. Also, there used to be the fanfic panel, but that's long since been given over to others, and I'm not sure there even is one this year.
That leaves guests and bands, who have never excited me, and hanging out with friends. And while I do enjoy hanging out with friends every year, there are far cheaper places to do so than the Baltimore Inner Harbor, The Most Expensive Place On Earth. This will also be the 2nd Otakon without Lara and Clint, who are both greatly missed.
Don't get me wrong, Otakon is still an excellent con, but I'm just not as involved in fandom as I used to be (yes, I'll still be on the yuri panel, Friday at 1pm FYI), and it's likely to be more exciting to just arrange with friends a nice inexpensive hotel room in the Midwest somewhere and just hang out all weekend. Though we'd miss mocking cosplayers. :)
This is likely to be my final Otakon. Going to cons has changed significantly over the years, as back in 1997 or 1998 it was easy to go to a con to watch all the anime you couldn't find in stores. Online torrent sites and fansubbers have negated this, as stuff now comes out the day it airs in Japan. Then it was to get new licensing announcements from companies, but what with the current depression (sorry, downturn), there's not as much I'd get excited about. Tokyopop, I see, is totally avoiding the con, as is Del Rey. And ADV's in the Sunday Afternoon graveyard slot. Also, there used to be the fanfic panel, but that's long since been given over to others, and I'm not sure there even is one this year.
That leaves guests and bands, who have never excited me, and hanging out with friends. And while I do enjoy hanging out with friends every year, there are far cheaper places to do so than the Baltimore Inner Harbor, The Most Expensive Place On Earth. This will also be the 2nd Otakon without Lara and Clint, who are both greatly missed.
Don't get me wrong, Otakon is still an excellent con, but I'm just not as involved in fandom as I used to be (yes, I'll still be on the yuri panel, Friday at 1pm FYI), and it's likely to be more exciting to just arrange with friends a nice inexpensive hotel room in the Midwest somewhere and just hang out all weekend. Though we'd miss mocking cosplayers. :)