Califur and Fanime annoyances

Just so folks don't get the idea that I'm a genuinely good person and patron saint of dogs and bluejays, I revert to cranky-mode for a moment...

I have been to two conventions in the last month: Califur (a local furry con) and Fanime (semi-local anime con).

Califur chose to move to a hotel with a really bad layout and flow. This apparently was the first of several bad decisions on their part. The hotel charged a fortune for parking and snacks. They also barricaded the con from the "real" guests/wedding and would not allow anyone to even use the hallways in their area (meaning we had to walk a huge detour through the front lobby.

Another bad decision was to allow several media organizations to freely move about the con and take pictures and video. Yet another bad decision was to post "notices*" warning about the media on a small piece of cardboard, and then post that notice by setting it on the floor, leaning against a wall under a counter where it was unlikely ever to be noticed. When I took this sign into reg and strongly suggested that placing it there was A Bad Idea, they said they hadn't had any complaints (I'll bet: most people never noticed it!). I also objected to their allowing the media companies to freely roam, and they quickly defended that decision by citing the positive articles that one of them had done on other events and that this would be "good for furry fandom!" What a bunch of idiots.

*FYI: the "notices" essentialy said (and I paraphrase): -"There will be filming/taking pictures by the media; by entering you agree to allow yourself to be photographed or filmed, etc."-

First, I don't believe that such "good" publicity can be guaranteed; I have yet to see one that is any better than, "Well, it wasn't as BAD as I thought it would be". Plus there are all the examples of the press promising to do "good" articles-- and how many of those turned out negatively (say, because a superior/higher-up decided that prurient articles sell more copies) or worse (complete lies, like the Sex2K piece).

I go to cons (any hobby con) to have fun relaxing with friends and like-minded folks. I hate being on-guard for media filming or shooting and constantly having to take a wide path around them. There were numerous reports of the photographer taking pictures in the costume changing room (WTF?!!). He belatedly asked for release signings, but many declined. Next time that happens, I think I'll ask for a refund-- especially if the convention does not announce in advance that the press will be there.

Fanime, on the other hand, was about a 100X's larger and had 1/100th the problems of Califur. Mostly this was to perform a (non-competition) skit before the masquerade, but I also wanted to see the folks of AGSMA (my cosplay posse). The skit went well (Okami) and I had a great time with Mich, Kim, Lyd, Wayne and Henry-- but I'll make another post about that.


What Are They Thinking? (Or, is "thinking" the operative word?)

My basic irritation was about nitwit/thoughtless attendees. I liked to believe that fans were generally a step or several up from "average"...but certain behaviors make me wonder. Fanime had a huge dealer's room, with a single entrance. No real problem that I could see...but several fans decided to plop themselves on the floor right in the flight path of the steady stream of people entering the room. WTF? I can't decide what combination of thoughtless-idiotic-clueless-vain-goddammit I want to use to describe this. I almost tripped over the guy sitting on the floor using his laptop-- he was right in front of the largest anime/toy shop in the room. The -last- place I was looking was on the floor where he was sitting. Both of them were right in front of the entrance to the dealer's room. These are just the two examples I snapped pics of-- there were PLENTY of others (singles and groups) who decided that the middle of a busy hallway was the perfect place to sit/lie/leave large backpacks&props.

Oh, and the other annoyance is the prevelance of anime baby-girl squeeling/giggling. In a cartoon, fine...but these are real people who are just over-the-top giggly, vacuous and speaking (shrieking) bad Japanese ("Sugoi!" a billion giggly times! *Agggh!*).

Califur and Fanime annoyances

Just so folks don't get the idea that I'm a genuinely good person and patron saint of dogs and bluejays, I revert to cranky-mode for a moment...

I have been to two conventions in the last month: Califur (a local furry con) and Fanime (semi-local anime con).

Califur chose to move to a hotel with a really bad layout and flow. This apparently was the first of several bad decisions on their part. The hotel charged a fortune for parking and snacks. They also barricaded the con from the "real" guests/wedding and would not allow anyone to even use the hallways in their area (meaning we had to walk a huge detour through the front lobby.

Another bad decision was to allow several media organizations to freely move about the con and take pictures and video. Yet another bad decision was to post "notices*" warning about the media on a small piece of cardboard, and then post that notice by setting it on the floor, leaning against a wall under a counter where it was unlikely ever to be noticed. When I took this sign into reg and strongly suggested that placing it there was A Bad Idea, they said they hadn't had any complaints (I'll bet: most people never noticed it!). I also objected to their allowing the media companies to freely roam, and they quickly defended that decision by citing the positive articles that one of them had done on other events and that this would be "good for furry fandom!" What a bunch of idiots.

*FYI: the "notices" essentialy said (and I paraphrase): -"There will be filming/taking pictures by the media; by entering you agree to allow yourself to be photographed or filmed, etc."-

First, I don't believe that such "good" publicity can be guaranteed; I have yet to see one that is any better than, "Well, it wasn't as BAD as I thought it would be". Plus there are all the examples of the press promising to do "good" articles-- and how many of those turned out negatively (say, because a superior/higher-up decided that prurient articles sell more copies) or worse (complete lies, like the Sex2K piece).

I go to cons (any hobby con) to have fun relaxing with friends and like-minded folks. I hate being on-guard for media filming or shooting and constantly having to take a wide path around them. There were numerous reports of the photographer taking pictures in the costume changing room (WTF?!!). He belatedly asked for release signings, but many declined. Next time that happens, I think I'll ask for a refund-- especially if the convention does not announce in advance that the press will be there.

Fanime, on the other hand, was about a 100X's larger and had 1/100th the problems of Califur. Mostly this was to perform a (non-competition) skit before the masquerade, but I also wanted to see the folks of AGSMA (my cosplay posse). The skit went well (Okami) and I had a great time with Mich, Kim, Lyd, Wayne and Henry-- but I'll make another post about that.


What Are They Thinking? (Or, is "thinking" the operative word?)

My basic irritation was about nitwit/thoughtless attendees. I liked to believe that fans were generally a step or several up from "average"...but certain behaviors make me wonder. Fanime had a huge dealer's room, with a single entrance. No real problem that I could see...but several fans decided to plop themselves on the floor right in the flight path of the steady stream of people entering the room. WTF? I can't decide what combination of thoughtless-idiotic-clueless-vain-goddammit I want to use to describe this. I almost tripped over the guy sitting on the floor using his laptop-- he was right in front of the largest anime/toy shop in the room. The -last- place I was looking was on the floor where he was sitting. Both of them were right in front of the entrance to the dealer's room. These are just the two examples I snapped pics of-- there were PLENTY of others (singles and groups) who decided that the middle of a busy hallway was the perfect place to sit/lie/leave large backpacks&props.

Oh, and the other annoyance is the prevelance of anime baby-girl squeeling/giggling. In a cartoon, fine...but these are real people who are just over-the-top giggly, vacuous and speaking (shrieking) bad Japanese ("Sugoi!" a billion giggly times! *Agggh!*).

Califur and Fanime annoyances

Just so folks don't get the idea that I'm a genuinely good person and patron saint of dogs and bluejays, I revert to cranky-mode for a moment...

I have been to two conventions in the last month: Califur (a local furry con) and Fanime (semi-local anime con).

Califur chose to move to a hotel with a really bad layout and flow. This apparently was the first of several bad decisions on their part. The hotel charged a fortune for parking and snacks. They also barricaded the con from the "real" guests/wedding and would not allow anyone to even use the hallways in their area (meaning we had to walk a huge detour through the front lobby.

Another bad decision was to allow several media organizations to freely move about the con and take pictures and video. Yet another bad decision was to post "notices*" warning about the media on a small piece of cardboard, and then post that notice by setting it on the floor, leaning against a wall under a counter where it was unlikely ever to be noticed. When I took this sign into reg and strongly suggested that placing it there was A Bad Idea, they said they hadn't had any complaints (I'll bet: most people never noticed it!). I also objected to their allowing the media companies to freely roam, and they quickly defended that decision by citing the positive articles that one of them had done on other events and that this would be "good for furry fandom!" What a bunch of idiots.

*FYI: the "notices" essentialy said (and I paraphrase): -"There will be filming/taking pictures by the media; by entering you agree to allow yourself to be photographed or filmed, etc."-

First, I don't believe that such "good" publicity can be guaranteed; I have yet to see one that is any better than, "Well, it wasn't as BAD as I thought it would be". Plus there are all the examples of the press promising to do "good" articles-- and how many of those turned out negatively (say, because a superior/higher-up decided that prurient articles sell more copies) or worse (complete lies, like the Sex2K piece).

I go to cons (any hobby con) to have fun relaxing with friends and like-minded folks. I hate being on-guard for media filming or shooting and constantly having to take a wide path around them. There were numerous reports of the photographer taking pictures in the costume changing room (WTF?!!). He belatedly asked for release signings, but many declined. Next time that happens, I think I'll ask for a refund-- especially if the convention does not announce in advance that the press will be there.

Fanime, on the other hand, was about a 100X's larger and had 1/100th the problems of Califur. Mostly this was to perform a (non-competition) skit before the masquerade, but I also wanted to see the folks of AGSMA (my cosplay posse). The skit went well (Okami) and I had a great time with Mich, Kim, Lyd, Wayne and Henry-- but I'll make another post about that.


What Are They Thinking? (Or, is "thinking" the operative word?)

My basic irritation was about nitwit/thoughtless attendees. I liked to believe that fans were generally a step or several up from "average"...but certain behaviors make me wonder. Fanime had a huge dealer's room, with a single entrance. No real problem that I could see...but several fans decided to plop themselves on the floor right in the flight path of the steady stream of people entering the room. WTF? I can't decide what combination of thoughtless-idiotic-clueless-vain-goddammit I want to use to describe this. I almost tripped over the guy sitting on the floor using his laptop-- he was right in front of the largest anime/toy shop in the room. The -last- place I was looking was on the floor where he was sitting. Both of them were right in front of the entrance to the dealer's room. These are just the two examples I snapped pics of-- there were PLENTY of others (singles and groups) who decided that the middle of a busy hallway was the perfect place to sit/lie/leave large backpacks&props.

Oh, and the other annoyance is the prevelance of anime baby-girl squeeling/giggling. In a cartoon, fine...but these are real people who are just over-the-top giggly, vacuous and speaking (shrieking) bad Japanese ("Sugoi!" a billion giggly times! *Agggh!*).

Califur and Fanime: The Good!

CALIFUR: ...



Just kidding-- I did enjoy seeing dustmeat again (and no-- I wasn't actively mac'ing on anyone at this con!), as well as a number of other people from out of the area (Dark Natasha, Crocuta, Brokken and Jonathan), as well as the wonderful Terrie and Glen! Plus, I was finally able to deliver some gifts that I'd been forgetting to get out for some time. Otherwise Califur was a waste of good judgement.



FANIME:
Lots of goodness! The main reason for attending was to re-create the Okami skit from the disastrous AX masquerade of last year (don't get me started). We wanted to perform a successful version of it, so arrangements were made to perform as a non-competitive group at Fanime.

Here's the video of the skit!

And we got a Lionel photoshoot! I can't believe what a fantastic job he did with the limits placed on him! One of the costumes (demon 9-tail fox) was HUGE and difficult to move; the shoot was in an alley only several feet wide, with fading light. And yet-- wow!





He was a true-grit photographer! Twisting and laying on the ground (nasty, filthy alley ground!) in order to get that perfect shot! Thanks again, Lionel!!!

The convention was huge this year! I heard a number close to 30,000 this year. In part this may be because of AX's move to the LA convention center-- not a great venue for cosplay and other anime fan-related activities. There was a plethora of cosplayers and the "SUGOI"'s were reduced to a white-noise roar. Fun! I'm also reversing my opinion of the San Jose convention center: it's not a bad venue if the con is large enough! Here's my favorite costume of the weekend (not worn by a friend): bunny girl-warrior! Great ears!

Califur and Fanime: The Good!

CALIFUR: ...



Just kidding-- I did enjoy seeing dustmeat again (and no-- I wasn't actively mac'ing on anyone at this con!), as well as a number of other people from out of the area (Dark Natasha, Crocuta, Brokken and Jonathan), as well as the wonderful Terrie and Glen! Plus, I was finally able to deliver some gifts that I'd been forgetting to get out for some time. Otherwise Califur was a waste of good judgement.



FANIME:
Lots of goodness! The main reason for attending was to re-create the Okami skit from the disastrous AX masquerade of last year (don't get me started). We wanted to perform a successful version of it, so arrangements were made to perform as a non-competitive group at Fanime.

Here's the video of the skit!

And we got a Lionel photoshoot! I can't believe what a fantastic job he did with the limits placed on him! One of the costumes (demon 9-tail fox) was HUGE and difficult to move; the shoot was in an alley only several feet wide, with fading light. And yet-- wow!





He was a true-grit photographer! Twisting and laying on the ground (nasty, filthy alley ground!) in order to get that perfect shot! Thanks again, Lionel!!!

The convention was huge this year! I heard a number close to 30,000 this year. In part this may be because of AX's move to the LA convention center-- not a great venue for cosplay and other anime fan-related activities. There was a plethora of cosplayers and the "SUGOI"'s were reduced to a white-noise roar. Fun! I'm also reversing my opinion of the San Jose convention center: it's not a bad venue if the con is large enough! Here's my favorite costume of the weekend (not worn by a friend): bunny girl-warrior! Great ears!

Califur and Fanime: The Good!

CALIFUR: ...



Just kidding-- I did enjoy seeing dustmeat again (and no-- I wasn't actively mac'ing on anyone at this con!), as well as a number of other people from out of the area (Dark Natasha, Crocuta, Brokken and Jonathan), as well as the wonderful Terrie and Glen! Plus, I was finally able to deliver some gifts that I'd been forgetting to get out for some time. Otherwise Califur was a waste of good judgement.



FANIME:
Lots of goodness! The main reason for attending was to re-create the Okami skit from the disastrous AX masquerade of last year (don't get me started). We wanted to perform a successful version of it, so arrangements were made to perform as a non-competitive group at Fanime.

Here's the video of the skit!

And we got a Lionel photoshoot! I can't believe what a fantastic job he did with the limits placed on him! One of the costumes (demon 9-tail fox) was HUGE and difficult to move; the shoot was in an alley only several feet wide, with fading light. And yet-- wow!





He was a true-grit photographer! Twisting and laying on the ground (nasty, filthy alley ground!) in order to get that perfect shot! Thanks again, Lionel!!!

The convention was huge this year! I heard a number close to 30,000 this year. In part this may be because of AX's move to the LA convention center-- not a great venue for cosplay and other anime fan-related activities. There was a plethora of cosplayers and the "SUGOI"'s were reduced to a white-noise roar. Fun! I'm also reversing my opinion of the San Jose convention center: it's not a bad venue if the con is large enough! Here's my favorite costume of the weekend (not worn by a friend): bunny girl-warrior! Great ears!