2025 Panels, Workshops, and other Events!
Jon Turner
The Boy and the Heron - A Modern Masterpiece
How do you live? Haunting, complex, and gorgeous to behold, the latest (and maybe last?) feature from Hayao Miyazaki has become the legendary director's most successful film in America — and his second to win him an Academy Award. Come travel across the corridors of time as we learn about this modern masterpiece... and perhaps much more besides.
Age: 13+, but this is mostly for all ages.
Mary McLaughlin
Symbolic Shorthand
Exploring folklore opens a window to culture. Familiarity with classic storylines and character types allows appreciation of countless references to folktales and superstitions in anime. Given cultural context, the hidden meaning of these symbols is exposed to the viewer. We’ll examine the importance of symbolic shorthand through both subtle and overt examples from popular anime.
Nicholas P. Demkin
A Beginner’s Guide To One Piece
Are you interested in One Piece but intimidated by its length? This panel will discuss the series in a brief overview to let potential fans know about the themes, characters, and world building, as well as each of the adaptations. The Manage, both anime adaptations, and live action will be discussed, and suggestions on where to best approach the series depending on the type of anime fan you are.
2025 Schedule!
| 10-11 | 11:15-12:15 | 12:30-1:30 | 1:45-2:45 | 3-4 | 4:15-5 | |||||||||||||
| Lobby | Cosplay Catwalk Registration: 10:00 – 12:00All participants must register by 12:00. Please see the Cosplay Catwalk Page for rules and categories.
|
|||||||||||||||||
| Glitter Tattoos & Balloon Animals 10:30 – 12:00Come back to the lobby at lunchtime for temporary glitter tattoos and cute balloon animals!
|
Kandi Bracelet Creating & Swap 12:00 – 1:00 PLUR 💖💜💙💚💛🧡❤️ Visit to make and swap some Kandi bracelets! |
|||||||||||||||||
| Door Dice Game– Roll to win your door-prize!Come win a prize donated by our generous members, staff and attendees! (prize not guaranteed) |
||||||||||||||||||
| Silent Auction bidding 10:00 – 3:30Bid at least in $1 increments above the minimum on items in the large display case. Bidding ends at 3:30pm. Results are in the gym between 4:15-5pm. You must be present to win.
|
||||||||||||||||||
| Gym | Stage | Cosplay Catwalk Prep: 1:15 – 1:45Get in line at gym curtains & get ready! Don’t be late!
|
Cosplay Catwalk 1:45 – 2:45Strut your stuff & get into character in this contest!
| |||||||||||||||
| DJ Boogie Woogie 3:00 – 4:00 | Silent Auction 4:15 – 5:00Find out if your bid beat them all to own something kawaii!
|
|||||||||||||||||
| Artist Alley 10:00 – 5:00Buy some goodies from our amazing vendors!
|
Photo Booth 12:00 - 5:00 at back of Artist Alley | |||||||||||||||||
| Clover Café 10:00 – 5:00 Selling food, snacks & drinks to the hungry otaku!
|
||||||||||||||||||
| Conference Room | Pictionary with Prizes Come test your gamesmanship by presenting an anime or manga title pulled from a jar! Door prize tickets may be awarded :3
|
Fanparodies “The Manly Battleships®
look back through 40 years of fan creativity. Sure to be a fun time!”
|
Symbolic Shorthand "Mary McLaughlin has a fascinating presentation ready for the ways mythology, folklore, and other sources as well are pulled upon to create a repertoire of shared symbology in anime and manga."
|
The Boy & The Heron A deep dive into Hayao Miyazaki's latest film, presented by Jon Turner.
|
Guide to One Piece An approachable introduction by Nicholas P. Demkin to the epic length anime and manga.
|
Fairy Racing An AI generated video series of unreal and nonexistent video games.
|
||||||||||||
| Green Room | Cosplay Pre-Judging SessionWhen you register in the Lobby, beside a line-up number, you can be given a time when your cosplay will be viewed & critiqued by our judges.
|
Think YOU can be a voice actor?An engaging panel by Nicholas P. Demkin on voices. |
||||||||||||||||
| Yellow Room | Manga Library – Manga, comics, puzzles, and other quiet activities 10:00 – 5:00 No food or drink allowed Do not write in or on any of the books. Do not touch any of the drawers, cabinets, or closet Please keep quiet out of respect for others. There will also be specific coloring books and origami available - please ask (quietly and respectfully!) if you are interested in these! |
|||||||||||||||||
| Red Room | Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War (movie) Rated:TV-14 10:00 – 11:32 4 Episodes. The peace is suddenly broken when warning sirens blare through the Soul Society. Residents are disappearing without a trace and nobody knows who's behind it. Meanwhile, a darkness is approaching Ichigo and his friends in Karakura Town. |
Vampire Knight (4 Episodes) Rated:TV-14 11:45 – 1:21 4 Episodes Yuki Cross, a student at the Cross Academy, acts as guardian to the school's vampire population. |
||||||||||||||||
Inuyasha: Fire on Mystic Island (movie) Rated:PG-13 2:59 – 3:10 The past catches up with the world of Inuyasha and Kagome's present in a form they could never have anticipated. |
Bleach: Fade to Black (movie) Rated: TV-14 3:15 – 5:00An explosion happens in the middle of Seireitei, and Rukia has a memory loss. Then Urahara tries to seek the background of the events. | |||||||||||||||||
| Game Room (upstairs) | Video & Board Games – Play some old or new-to-you video & table top games. 10:00 – 5:00 Pick up a game room pass from the box at the bottom of the stairs. Return it to the box when finished.
Respect the staff and your fellow players.
BattleTech Demo: The 31st Century 12:00 - 2:00 (GM'd by Steven Hess) Dungeons and Dragons: Adventures in Zestra 1:00 – 3:00 (DM'd by Bobby Sommerville) |
|||||||||||||||||
| Outside | Labyrinth – Breathe & ground your chi & renew your focus by walking this painted pathway.There's no "correct" way to walk a labyrinth. You walk the same path going in & coming out. Be mindful of your "journey" to think about what you want to leave behind as you move forward. Welcome to the 4-H Clover Labyrinth created by the Village Hidden in the Clovers. |
|||||||||||||||||
Outdoor Games – Volleyball, badminton, etc!Please return all game equipment to the bin when you are finished playing. Thank you! |
||||||||||||||||||
Picnic Tables, Tents & various Photo Op AreasWeather permitting Please be respectful of the buildings and grounds No littering Be careful of traffic in the parking lots and driveway |
||||||||||||||||||
Manly Battleships
FANPARODIES: Abridged
A wise man once described it as: "friends yelling into a microphone together." The same year that would bring the first anime con in the USA saw the rise of a unique fandom pastime. Call it the fanfilm, fandub, abridged series, or "a barely finished trainwreck that ruined my life." We look back at forty years of fan creativity. [A Manly Battleships® Production]
Fairy Racing Live
Fairy Racing is a fictional game series inspired by 1990’s arcade racing games featuring original music created using Suni and CGI animations that aim to bring the characters and worlds from the game to life.
Chris Dattoli
Think YOU Can Be a Voice Actor?
Ever wonder what Kazuhiko Nukumizu would sound like as a constipated Kermit the Frog? Well, let's find out! Join Voice Actor & Coach Chris Dattoli & let's practice your voiceover skills as we read through several scripts, record them in an actual portable recording booth, & give them a funny voice! We’re also going to talk about some important Voice Acting info like how to market yourself, what you need to know to run a voiceover business, where to find work, how to get agents, how to find discounted recording equipment & what to charge for voice acting! All participants will be emailed their recordings after the workshop!"