I just submitted a panel (A Brief History of Anime: From Mickey Mouse to Haruhi (the one that I will also be running at Connecticon)). Hopefully I'll evolve into the next level of con-goer at Otakon.
Well I know I'll be submitting The Yaoi-ing game 2 and maybe The All and Anything Ai Yazawa. I'm thinking of doing a Eureka Seven panel or an SDF Macross panel. For panels about a particular person I'm thinking Mamoru Hosoda or Mohiro Kitoh. I'm tossing around an idea for a plus size lolita panel, but I'm not sure.
Well I know I'll be submitting The Yaoi-ing game 2 and maybe The All and Anything Ai Yazawa. I'm thinking of doing a Eureka Seven panel or an SDF Macross panel. For panels about a particular person I'm thinking Mamoru Hosoda or Mohiro Kitoh. I'm tossing around an idea for a plus size lolita panel, but I'm not sure.
I'm talking to Will about maybe doing the last run of Season 1 of Craziest Mecha Moments at Otakon.
SO! Apparently the people I was going to room with in Baltimore this summer are not going to be able to come with me anymore due to some governmental red tape bullcrap that I don't want to get into right now. That leaves me with a three-person dorm reserved at the hostel, and I can't change my reservation to just a single since there aren't any single beds in female dorms left for Otakon weekend anymore. Long story short, I really, really need to fill the two empty spots in my room. Otherwise, I probably can't go to Otakon.
It's a private co-ed room, so I don't care whether you're male or female. The hostel is about a ten-minute walk from the convention center, and I can tell you from experience that it is a pretty nice walk (all downhill on the way there; take a cab or walk in a group back at night). I can also tell you from experience that this is the most rockin' hostel EVER. Holy shit. For the amount you pay, it's a pretty awesome experience. The people who run the place are super nice, the building is really cool (converted from an old Baltimore mansion), you meet some really interesting travelers there (probably will be lots of fellow Otakon folks this year), there's Make Your Own Pancake Breakfast every morning, and the dorm rooms themselves, while obviously not as comfy as full-blown hotel rooms, are pretty decent. Seriously, check out some of the pictures I took last year. I highly recommend this place.
The reservation I have is 4 nights - July 29th to August 1st, checking out on the 2nd. The rate is $28/night plus $3/night for the daily HI membership fee. With tax, the total bill per person works out to $169.36 US. Considering that's for four days on Otakon weekend in a pretty nice building, that's a pretty good deal.
If it's okay with you I can give the shout out to some of my friends. If things don't work we have some room in our room. Although depending on thing it might be a part of the floor.
My idea of what a fan-run convention should be is that they most definitely should be run by fans for fans, but it is an absolute requirement for them to have even the slightest modicum of professionalism. Just a smidgen. Why is that such a monumental difficulty for them?
Because people go to otakon if the panel staff aredouchebagsor not. It only effects (affects?) less than 10% of their attendees.
Is the 10% you're describing congoers or the panelists?
Panelists.
I'll concede with you on that point, but I'd like to put forth the evidence that it does indeed affect the congoers as the staffers are douchebags to the congoers most of the time and don't treat them with respect. I know, I was one of those people (my own personal sensitivities aside) and I didn't like it, it was both unfair and unjustified, and it made me feel bad.
So my panel, the Ever Changing Faces of Mecha, did not get accepted. That's... helpful to know. How about the other panels guys? I submitted 3 of them!
My panel, Virgins and Villains: The Madonna Whore Complex wasn't accepted. It was about how in tons of anime women are portryed in two simple forms: The madonna (sweet innocent goddess like girl) and the whore (bitchtastic). But nothing on the others I submitted. At least we know something though.
I submitted four panels: 1) Memes, Microcultures & 2D Chicks, 2) Hentai Explosion: How the OVA Sparked the Early Years of H Anime, 3) Experiments in the Anime Industry: noitaminA, and 4) What's the Point of Anime Intro & Ending Themes?
The latter 2 were accepted; still waiting to hear about rejections/wait list for the first two.
If we really don't end up going, I'm going to send a letter to the city explaining that we (GeekNights) cannot in good faith continue to do business with or enter the state of Maryland until this bullshit is overturned. From the financials of Otakon and some other things I've read, Baltimore is desperate to keep Otakon happy, as it's one of the biggest revenue generators the city has.
Comments
It's a private co-ed room, so I don't care whether you're male or female. The hostel is about a ten-minute walk from the convention center, and I can tell you from experience that it is a pretty nice walk (all downhill on the way there; take a cab or walk in a group back at night). I can also tell you from experience that this is the most rockin' hostel EVER. Holy shit. For the amount you pay, it's a pretty awesome experience. The people who run the place are super nice, the building is really cool (converted from an old Baltimore mansion), you meet some really interesting travelers there (probably will be lots of fellow Otakon folks this year), there's Make Your Own Pancake Breakfast every morning, and the dorm rooms themselves, while obviously not as comfy as full-blown hotel rooms, are pretty decent. Seriously, check out some of the pictures I took last year. I highly recommend this place.
The reservation I have is 4 nights - July 29th to August 1st, checking out on the 2nd. The rate is $28/night plus $3/night for the daily HI membership fee. With tax, the total bill per person works out to $169.36 US. Considering that's for four days on Otakon weekend in a pretty nice building, that's a pretty good deal.
The latter 2 were accepted; still waiting to hear about rejections/wait list for the first two.