NYCC 2013 - CAPTAIN SHE ZzzZZ

Another year heading to NYCC and already I have been bombarded with "firsts" and it has only begun with trying the infamous red eye plane ride. 

I expect NYCC will be nothing short of spectacular however, a note to self -under all future circumstances I must avoid the "red eye" flights. 

In the wee hours of the night the general public , of ALL nationalities, are awkwardly nosey, grumpy, smell bad, have ridiculously small bladders, and  steal blankets.  Which according to DELTA rules red coveted paper blankets are "delegated only one per seat and if you 'snooze' you loose"...midnight humor by the overly optimist and cosmetically painted pink flight attendee.  (This statement left me stunned and frigid as I hobbled back to my seat in pure amazement.)

In the beginning of time -my career of being a flying patron-my optimum seat choice was the aisle. Easy come and easy go! Bada Bing...you know the rest. 

Not on the red eye. Ohhhh nooooo!

Optimum seat choice my friend is smack dab in the middle of the aisle with a couple of Tylenol PM and a wine spritzer to wash those blue bad boys down apparently!

(I am strictly speaking from first hand observation experience ...real time)

Why the middle? Let me paint the picture. Get rid of the arm rests on both sides. Just lift them up. Bring your own oversized fleece blanket. Wrap yourself in it- then sit down. Put down the tray in front of you and squarely place your elbows in a wing span of 30ft on each side. This secures at LEAST 1/2 of each of your seating partners paid seating. You are a true success now, and a bonefide   sleeping machine - who ironically the flight attendants feel SORRY for because you must be so tired to sleep through all the traipsing up and down the aisles, the horrid midnight bodily order, and turbulence. This is how I came to know of the villain CAPTAIN SHE ZzzZZ!

Now, I am a small woman. A size 2. The cute 20 something girl in the window seat, opposite me, maybe a 0. The look of utter dismay justified we were in similar circumstances on both sides of the CAPTAIN. 

At one point, I noticed across the mass of SHE ZzzZZ that this girl  was so incredibly smashed up against the window she was practically riding wing side. However, I was jolted back into reality when I lost yet another bit of my shoulder and shin to the beverage cart. 

Oh, there was that one time when "wing side" (my pet name for my new comrade)  and I started talking for oh, 5 seconds, about how we had actually met at SLComic Con And what a small world it was. When suddenly our conversation was quickly ended by CAPTAIN SHE ZzzZZ  as she emerged from the fleece and we were both flashed with a face of a thousand terrors and horrors and then hushed in nothing less than that of a serpent spewing venom on its prey - immediate silence insured. 

"Wing side" seemed liked a nice girl. All cozy in that tiny window. That was fun to talk. 

As the flight progressed...for days, we finally started our approach for New York. 

SHE ZzzZZ emerged from her cocoon of hell and odorous smells and summoned the flight attendant for regular Tylenol and water. Hey aren't you supposed to wait for at least 4 hours? 

As soon as the seatbelt sign went on, and we started making our 15 minute decent - 25 people stood up to go to the restroom.  I was in utter awe! Pinky calmly but quickly was on the intercom - "we are approaching our final descent to New York please sit down." No one moved. 

Again.  The announcement.  I guess she just let them go because the traffic in and out went pretty fast. Until there was a Rabbi, a priest, and what I can only assume at this point HAD TO BE A MORMON BISHOP - all standing in line. I looked back and thought life just does not get any better than this at 4am mountain time/6am eastern.

Not a moment too soon did the holy trinity sit down before the plane was about to touch down - when lo and behold  two more people popped up to tinkle. Pinky got on the com quicker than the Tony Stark can create yet another IRON MAN suit, and in her nicest flight attendant don't make me pull this plane over voice , yelled, "SIT DOWN WE ARE LANDING PEOPLE!...thank you for flying delta, and welcome to New York. "

Note to self:

1. Middle seat is where gods sit on red eyes. 
2. Never cross a flight attendant in the middle of the night if your are freezing or you have to pee. 
3. If flying the red eye - grab the first blanket you see and hold onto it like your life depends on it. 
4. Wasn't there a horror movie at one time named red eye? Yeah...it has nothing on this. 

All-in-all, I am excited to be in the big apple to see friends, gather with others who love what I love, and to gorge myself in all things geek. 

NYCC here I come! 

Marvel NOW list in PDF

Of course you should visit Marvel.com...

After I wrote the "Marvel Now What?"
I had several requests for the timeline list in a printable form. 
As requested: PDF of HC and TPB dates.  With checkboxes and everything. So happy collecting.

Anime: It's a Family Affair and Growing

Day 2 of Anime Bonsai's three day event is done and anime is on the brain. I am mesmerized and catching the fever that 4000 - yes 4000- people today so brilliantly portrayed at the Layton, UT Davis convention center. The attendance is up, there are more cosplayers, and the atmosphere is fantastic! 

Anime Banzai is officially in it's eighth year and is enjoying its  most successful event to date. Anime Banzai started as most cons do, as a simple idea for lovers of a hobby to "get together" and bond. The idea blossomed and took off. The convention now reaches not only into the corners of Utah and surrounding states, but boasts of attendees traveling from as far as Florida and California. 

Adam Bates, Jose Cruz-Rojas,Aaron Gordon

Half way into the cons growth spurt it was decided to move from Salt Lake City, UT  (SLC Community College Campus) to Layton UT Davis Convention Center to accommodate the growth.  Aaron Gordon, Convention Director, stated "[a] major spike in attendance occurred when we moved to the Layton Davis Convention Center. Approximately a 25% increase. Larger than we expected and it has grown every year. We attribute this to an excellent staff here at the Convention Center and of course to the crew that helps us make the con possible. We have volunteers every year who are dedicated. Very dedicated. It is 6 weeks of intense preparation right before the con and then 4 days of no sleep but in the end you know it was all worth it. It just feels great." 

As I mentioned before, the swag one receives for pre-registering is pretty nifty.
Adam Bates, Graphic Designer for the Con, and one of the founding members of the original con stated: "We treat our guests very good, and we want them to have the best experience. We want to go out of our way for them and make them feel special."

It is the little things that you notice at this con that  do make a difference! For example, the  3-day event schedule is printed on an impressive fold out and color coded program. The program book is loaded with volunteer art that is beautiful.
I was also introduced to Grant and Jeana Bradbury - The Guest Liaisons. I am currently unaware of another con having such a thing.  Basically their job is to help the special guests and make them feel more comfortable in the new environment and around the con.  In my opinion, this is fantastic PR! Way to go Anime Banzai! You win the PR award! 
I was also impressed with the amount of volunteers.  The attitude to help is phenomenal. I have yet to encounter one single person with an attitude that is unwilling to help or explain yet another character to me. 

So exactly who is the other half that makes the con possible? 
The loyal following of course. They come for the panels. They come for the exhibits. The interactions with other loyal fans. The cosplay. They come for the game room - a room dedicated purely for gaming! The dances - yes I said dances! Friday and Saturday night there are dances till 12:30 and 1:30 am. This con is serious about entertainment! They come for the chance to buy swag and art. They come to meet special guests. But most of all they come for the chance to interact. Aaron Gordon stated all ages are present at the con every year, however about 60% of attendees are female with the approximate age demographic in whole (male and female) being between 14-21. While we were chatting I laughed and said considering all the comic cons I have been to the higher percentage is male, it sounds as if we need to merge. 

Adam Bates stated: "There is not another con around here so about 1/3 of the cosplay is non manga [anime]" I was sincerely shocked to see this myself. Especially when a herd of Deadpools came running by! Avengers seemed to also be a popular theme this year as well as Dr. Who and GI JOE. Basically anything goes...I even got a picture of Mary Poppins and she was practically perfect in every way!

Japanese anime is made for all ages. It is ultimately a family affair.  It is a large part of their culture.  Anime Banzai in Utah is treated the same way.  It is family friendly.  It is volunteer run by loyal fans.  For three days from dawn until dusk and into early hours of morning again it is a culture where everyone is accepted and encouraged to give anime and manga a try.                                                 

"While we spend energy and imagination on new ways of cleaning the floors of our houses, the Japanese solve the problem by not dirtying them in the first place."

                                                             -Bernard Rudofsky 

I Think i'm Turning Japanese...Anime Banzai

What is Anime Banzai?

Anime Banzai is an educational convention focusing on Japanese anime (animation), manga (comics) and culture. Anime Banzai is sponsored by Utah Anime Promotions, a non-profit educational organization dedicated to bringing the culture, art and fun of Japan to Utah. In 2005, the first Anime Banzai was held and hosted 600 attendees, which was double what we had planned for. In 2011, we had around 3300+ fans join us, and we're looking to have another excellent year in 2012!

The goal of Anime Banzai is to bring an event to Utah where fans can come together to celebrate Japan and Japanese Culture in a fun, safe, family-friendly atmosphere. To that end, we hold our convention three days each year with panels, events, and contests that will let fans enjoy their favorite aspects of Anime and Japanese popular culture. www.animebanzai.org Day 1 - Friday  I arrived with my stepdaughter who was donned in an amazing Korra cosplay.  We were quickly directed to the registration line.   Registration - ahhh yes. That pesky thing you continually forget to do AHEAD of time - hence the name PRE-registration. Not only do you get to go in the shorter line, get to pay LESS cash, but you get EXTRA goodies and a NICE SWAG bag at this ANIME con to boot! After waiting in line for 2 hours and 20 minutes - I would advise all - pre register. It is so worth it.  I would like to give a big round of applause to  all Utah Anime Banzai staff and committee.   As with all Cons the wrath and powers that be - will and always do happen.  And the train wreck happens just when all believe that they can smile and breathe. The darkest forces and foes begin to dance and party and cause chaos ...in short ...the credit card machines ALWAYS go down and twice as many fans show up!  Personally, I was actually thankful for the 2 hour line wait so I could be slowly introduced into the new worlds, regions, universes, fandoms, dimensions, of these characters that were so foreign to me. Just the colors and amount of time that goes into these costumes, WOW, add the unpronounceable names and tragically heroic yet feisty back stories and let me tell you - I was ready to buy every book in the expo hall! After registering and getting our name badges, and coveting the pre-registration swag bags, (mental note PRE-REGISTER FOR EVERYTHING!!!!!!)  I  was told that last year, 2011 - on the Friday they had a total of 600 guests, this year 2012 - by noon they had 600 guests! It was 1 pm and their were still three lines out the door and around the building! I was impressed.  I am excited to go back tomorrow and hear the final numbers for day one. The rest of the day was a crazy blur of A LOT of hugging.  Probably, one of the biggest differences I noticed from my experiences at my Comic Cons verses my first Anime Con so far. Comic Cons there is more hand shaking. This hugging is called glomping. For a more intense description of what exactly a GLOMP is, be sure to read below. I enjoyed Artist Alley, just sitting back and viewing the amazing COSPLAY - even though I had no idea who half of the characters were. (One major factor and trend in manga and anime - is animals. If it is an animal: you can bet it is a hot item. Especially if it is a cat, or a creation that has a cats ears, or a tail resembling a cat.) I also enjoyed going to a couple of panels with special guests in the Anime journalist community, Voice talent, and film industry. I also got a peak at the expo area but then there is also two more days. All ages were represented, and well I might add. There were full families in cosplay, and all ages of OATKU- a Japanese term used to refer to people with obsessive interests, particularly (but not limited to) anime, manga or Japanese video games. Fans and cosplayers were full of smiles and enjoying GLOMPING - which I discovered was hugging another person out of shear excitement. For a further introduction to the GLOMP I did find this amazing tutorial: Glomping 101 ~By Shimegami-chan Glomp. Definition: A method of greeting or attack using hugging/tackling. Word origin: Unknown, but has Japanese manga roots. The Basic Glomp: 1) Approach your target from front, back, or side, usually at a running or jumping start. 2) Throw your arms around them, usually around the ribcage or surrounding area. 3) Squeeze. Different Forms of Glomping: 1) Flying Glomp: Usually used as a surprise attack, this airborne glomp can be attained with a running start or by standing on a conveniently-placed high object such as a table or chair. This type of glomp is often found in Sailormoon or other shoujo manga. 2) Glomp of Death: Similar to the Flying Glomp, the Death-Glomp can easily injure someone. It is usually executed from behind and without the target's knowledge. 3) Tackle Glomp: As the name indicates, this glomp is meant to knock the target to the floor. Should not be performed on concrete floors or near sharp objects. This type of glomp is often found in fanfics. 4) Twirl-Glomp: Less dangerous than other types, this glomp usually has the target's prior knowledge or, at the very least, excellent aim. The target may glomp back and/or spin around in a circle with the assailant. For optimal effect, the assailant should be a lighter weight than the target, preferably by at least half. Variations: 1) Arm Glomp: Attach yourself to your victim - I mean, target's - arm They cannot escape. Sometimes called the Jun glomp by the author of this guide, having Digimon origins. Also employed frequently by Shampoo in Ranma 1/2. 2) Neck Glomp: Can be utilized as a choke hold. Encircle your target's neck. Use with care unless aiming to cease their respiration. 3) Jogress Glomp: Another glomp with Digimon origins, with the Jogress the target is glomped from two sides at once. An Arm or Neck glomp may be used simultaneously. Other variations can easily be made using the placement of the arms, depending on the target's size/relationship to you/patience. The span of time before the glomp is released also depends on these factors. Popular Glomping War Cries: Random Japanese phases are often the choice of glompers, and the most common (as this author knows) are: 'Ohayo!' ('Good Morning') 'KonbanWA!' ('Good Evening') 'Konnichiwaaaa!' ('Good Afternoon') 'Mou!' (Indignant noise) The target's name may also be shouted, with the option of adding the suffix '-chan,' a term of endearment. This concludes 'Glomping 101.' I hope that this has been an informative guide to the little-known tactics of the Glomp. Thank you! To Glomp

Marketing, Geeks, and Comic Books: OH MY!

"The people drawn to New York Comic Con "are people who are setting trends," said Dan Buckley, president and publisher of print, digital and TV at Marvel, in an interview. "They are the early adopters of technology. These are the people who start things and make them hot." Marketers Seeks Out Geeks Corporate Enthusiasm for Comic Con Matches Attendees' WSJ October 15, 2012, 7:27 p.m. ET

We are setting trends. 

Let this sentence soak in for a moment. The entire fabric of this sentence signifies great and miraculous changes in the geekdom we love. What is even more fascinating is that the world is noticing and realizing that as a whole our tastes do make a difference. 

Comic books, print and digital - are in one of the many categories that just can not be ignored any longer by retailers and manufactures.  What we buy, when we buy it, why we buy it, what influences us to buy it- is intriguing even the most renowned corporations. Everyone is wanting a piece of the pie that is obviously making money - The GEEK Craze. 

But what does this mean for Indie artists? The little guy? The artist or writer who just coming into his own or who has been trying to break into the business for a while now? Essentially, this is NOT the time to give up. More than anything it is the time to squash your fears and pull up your big boy, or girl, pants - fasten on that cape and get ready to face your fears, and dive in.

Basically, GAME ON! 

With marketing, magnetic is instant attraction. And the best magnetism is consistent. Comic Cons are essentially one of the best ways to socialize and beat the proverbial pavement with others in comic industry - this is possible because of consistency.  Every year Comic Cons have increased in attendance, in popularity, in recognition, in popularity, and in world wide acceptance of legitamite market value.  

Are you looking to market yourself in the comic book industry? Should you go to a comic con? YES!!! 

Marketing is not just about numbers and statistics about what is selling in stores. Although this is important.  It is also about trends, demographics, people, what people are buying, what is the hottest fiction, what is the gaming industry doing right now, what other cultures are buying, digital and print, technology, basically it is about finding your perfect little corner and making it golden. 

Choose to stand out. Accept orderly disorder at first. But choose to make your identity yours and know that in doing so you are setting a trend.  It is easy to market yourself as a trendsetter. 

Searching out your specific trends is a way to start. I like to use:

statisticbrain  

search for a particular subject or demographic. For fun look up comic books.

I will be writing more on marketing in the future, however, isn't nice knowing that the greater population is finally listening.