Anime convention
Encyclopedia
An anime convention is an event or gathering with a primary focus on anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
, manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
and Japanese culture
Culture of Japan
The culture of Japan has evolved greatly over the millennia, from the country's prehistoric Jōmon period to its contemporary hybrid culture, which combines influences from Asia, Europe and North America...
. Commonly, anime conventions are multi-day events hosted at convention center
Convention center
A convention center is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typically offer sufficient floor area to accommodate several thousand attendees...
s, hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
s or college campuses. They feature a wide variety of activities and panels. Anime conventions are also used as a vehicle for industry, in which studios, distributors, and publishers represent their anime related releases.
History
Anime conventions have a long and varied worldwide history. The original ComiketComiket
, otherwise known as the , is the world's largest self-published comic book fair, held twice a year in Tokyo, Japan. The first Comiket was held on December 21, 1975, with only about 32 participating circles and an estimated 600 attendees. Attendance has since swelled to over a half million people....
, mostly based on fan published manga called dōjinshi
Dojinshi
is the Japanese term for self-published works, usually magazines, manga or novels. Dōjinshi are often the work of amateurs, though some professional artists participate as a way to publish material outside the regular industry. The term dōjinshi is derived from and . Dōjinshi are part of a wider...
, started in 1975 with around 700 people in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. The Comiket of today see several hundred thousand people, showing the lasting popularity of the medium in its home country. Other Japanese anime conventions are arms of or heavily sponsored by certain studios or publishing companies and are used as platforms for new releases, such as Jump Festa
Jump Festa
is an annual party or exposition in Japan, all about anime and manga, sponsored by Shueisha, creators of the various Jump anthologies. New movies, manga, games, and merchandise are introduced during this event...
.
Anime conventions of the west mostly spawned from similar science fiction
Science fiction convention
Science fiction conventions are gatherings of fans of various forms of speculative fiction including science fiction and fantasy. Historically, science fiction conventions had focused primarily on literature, but the purview of many extends to such other avenues of expression as movies and...
and multigenre conventions
Fan convention
A fan convention, or con , is an event in which fans of a particular film, television series, comic book, actor, or an entire genre of entertainment such as science fiction or anime and manga, gather to participate and hold programs and other events, and to meet experts, famous personalities, and...
of the 1980s which featured anime content by tandem. Though many popular shows from Japan had been broadcast by that time, the direct to video market had yet to reach any significant penetration in North America or Europe until the late 1980s. Anime conventions of the west take many cues from those conventions, such as use of a large hotel with a meeting space, spanning 2 days or more of a weekend, invited industry guests, costume dressup, dealers selling various goods, and many other similarities.
Most western anime conventions are fan operated, meaning a group of self appointed fans manage the affairs necessary to run the event, either as individuals, a non-profit group, or an LLC
Limited liability company
A limited liability company is a flexible form of enterprise that blends elements of partnership and corporate structures. It is a legal form of company that provides limited liability to its owners in the vast majority of United States jurisdictions...
. Many early conventions were run out-of-pocket
Out-of-pocket expenses
Out-of-pocket expenses are direct outlays of cash which may or may not be later reimbursed.In operating a vehicle, gasoline, parking fees and tolls are considered out-of-pocket expenses for the trip...
at the expense of these organizers, often referred to as directors. However as a result of many factors, most did not run more than 2 years annually.
The early 1990s saw what would later be the long standing annual conventions, such as Project A-Kon
Project A-Kon
A-Kon, formerly known as Project: A-Kon, is a three day anime convention held annually in Dallas, Texas usually on the last weekend of May. First held in 1990 with just 380 people in attendance, A-Kon is North America's longest running national anime convention.-Departments:A-Kon consists of...
, Anime Expo
Anime Expo
Anime Expo, abbreviated AX, is an American anime convention held in Los Angeles, California and organized by the non-profit Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation . With rare exceptions, the convention is traditionally held on the July 4th weekend and lasts for four days...
, and AnimeFest
AnimeFest
AnimeFest is an anime convention started in 1992. It is an annual four-day event held over Labor Day weekend in Dallas, Texas. AnimeFest is one of the oldest conventions in the country, although 1997 and 2000 were skipped...
, which continue to run today and number attendance in the several thousands. Anime conventions in other locales, such as Europe and Australia began to take off in the mid 1990s as well. These growth trends follow the popularity and availability of anime to other countries outside of Japan.
In recent years, new anime conventions continue to spring up in places where coverage from other conventions doesn't reach, such as Kawaii Kon
Kawaii Kon
Kawaii Kon is an anime convention geared towards Japanese animation and comics held in the Honolulu area.Kawaii Kon was founded by Gamers Evolution Expo, LLC., a company started by Stan Dahlin, Marlon Stodghill and Scott Richardson. Dahlin is a Hawaii native himself, who was at the time based out...
in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
and Aurora-Con
Aurora-Con
Aurora-Con was an anime convention held in Anchorage, Alaska at the William A. Egan Civic & Convention Center. It was the first of such conventions to be held at that venue.The convention had a total run of three years.-Event history:...
in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. Special industry announcements and premiers are now taking place at anime conventions outside of Japan, reflecting an acknowledgment of fandom from other locales.
Guests
Anime conventions typically feature a guest (or "guest of honor") list as part of their makeup, though the only criteria for someone to be a guest is for the convention to state they are one. As such, a guest can be an industry figure, a talent (like drawing artist, performer, etc.), or even a fandom community figure. An anime convention represents an opportunity to interact with such individuals that may not be possible outside the event.Guests may be featured or responsible for specialty events at the convention, such as concerts, casting calls, or special announcements/news releases.
Anime convention events
A typical western anime convention will feature several events, workshops, panels, and contests for the attendees. Longer-running conventions with higher attendance often have the biggest variety and highest number of events. This list features common events, but is in no way meant to be considered as exhaustive or complete.Panels
Anime conventions often have panels, which are open ended discussions involving some pre-determined topic, usually related in at least some way to animeAnime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
. Topics can include manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
, favorite voice-actors, details about a particular anime show, series, or movie. Panels may also be about more general topics such as cosplay
Cosplay
, short for "costume play", is a type of performance art in which participants don costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea. Characters are often drawn from popular fiction in Japan, but recent trends have included American cartoons and science fiction...
, fanfiction, video games, or even industry related topics such as production or licensing.
Workshops
Slightly different than a Panel, a workshop is more like guided instruction through a major or specific task, typically instructed by an individual (often a convention guest). The instructor could either demonstrate or instruct people on how to accomplish tasks such as how to draw mangaManga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
, make computer animation, or how to become a voice actor.
Video screenings
Most anime conventions hold screenings of actual anime shows or movies because the circulation of the material and theatrical releases continues to trail Japan in other locales. Because of this, screenings and video rooms are less common in Japanese conventions, unless promoting a specific studio. Some western conventions have several video screening rooms, running a varied schedule of shows, some of which are available in the US, and other are fan-subtitled with no domestic publisher.Contests
Most conventions include contests. Contests can also focus around costumes (or cosplayCosplay
, short for "costume play", is a type of performance art in which participants don costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea. Characters are often drawn from popular fiction in Japan, but recent trends have included American cartoons and science fiction...
), art works (drawn, sculpted, painted), anime-related music videos, video games, dice games, card games, and many other activities. In some cases, tangible prizes have been offered as winnings in these contests.
Dealers' room
An Exhibit Hall or Dealers' Room is also popular at most conventions. Publishing companies, distributors, and other proprietors often arrive to exhibit and/or sell their newest products to fans. Wares can include graphic novels mangaManga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
, anime media, action figures, apparel or pre-made costumes, music CDs, software, decorations, toys, art books, specialty foods, and many more. Pirated items are often addressed as well.