Convention Nerds

Awesome Con is a comic & pop culture convention that embraces all aspects of geekdom. The event is a creation of LeftField Media, part of the Clarion Events, Inc. family behind, Anime NYC, Anime Frontier, and Rose City Comic Con. We discuss the impact of COVID-19 on corporately backed conventions and the future of the industry.

What’s it like running an anime convention in Cuba? The Convention Nerds talk to Anime Shuriken, an annual event in Havana and learn that fandom in other countries are more alike than they are difference.

Senshi Con is an annual convention that caters to enthusiasts of Asian culture, animation, graphic novels, and gaming held in Anchorage, Alaska. Join us as we discuss operating an event in the largest state in the U.S.A. and (of course) moose stories!

Join us as we talk to HawaiiCon, an event that operates with the co-located Pacific-Basin STEAM Teaching Conference and the Science Fiction, Popular Cultures Academic Conference. These conferences brings artists and scientists in media, gaming, comics, and culture together with top practitioners of STEAM education and prominent scholars in the field of science fiction and fantasy. We discuss running pop culture events on an island and more!

Up until early October, Los Angeles Comic Con was still planning to move forward with their convention in December and they had an elaborate plan for social distancing and crowd management. The Convention Nerds talk with the event’s CEO Chris DeMoulin about planning events in the midst of COVID-19.

Anime Matsuri in an anime convention that started in Houston, Texas in 2007 and and is now one of the largest Japanese pop culture events in North America. In 2015, the people behind the event were hit with a number of serious allegations that threatened to potentially shut down the event, but as of 2019 they continue to maintain their steady growth. Join us as we discuss this complicated convention and the elements surrounding it.

Anime Boston is the largest fan-run anime convention in the northeastern United States and spoke with Jenna Leary, Vice Chair of the event, about running the convention, the local impact of the event, and keeping up with the community in the midst of COVID-19.

Animethon is a Japanese Animation (“anime”) themed festival held annually in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They have expanded their focus beyond screening anime and now also include voice actor guests from North America, musical acts from North America and Japan, improvisation groups, as well as various related activities such as gaming, costume contests, and more. Animethon, as of 2004, is operated by the Alberta Society for Asian Popular Arts (ASAPA) and is the longest running anime con in Florida!

Matsuricon is an annual Japanese pop-culture event that focuses primarily on Japanese animation (known as “anime”), manga (Japanese graphic novels), and video games. The event takes place in Ohio, a state known for a large number of pop culture events. Join us as we discuss one of the two main events that takes place in Columbus and more!

Holiday Matsuri is a festively themed Anime, Gaming, and Cosplay convention in Orlando, Florida with a fervent following in the cosplay community. Join us as we talk about putting on a pop culture event infused with cheer, hot chocolate, and warm cookies.