Colorado Anime Fest 2024 15th-17th

For this con we ended up missing Friday due to having to dig out after the storm. At least the roads were good on Saturday morning for everyone traveling to the con. They had registration set up in the same area as last year and they even opened a little early for everyone standing in line.

Right next to the registration desk the con was selling their own merch. They also had supper cute plushies of their mascot ram that you could get. If you want to see what it looked like check out our mystery bag opening on YouTube where we show the plushie (or look at the very bottom of this post).

This picture was from Sunday as I walked over to the Wendy's just down the street. This gives you an idea of the kind of storm that had hit just before the con. There were a lot of large branches down all over and if you look closely in the photo you will also see parts of cars from accidents that hadn't been cleaned up (the black thing close to the base of the tree in the top left and then the long black thing across the street near the base of that tree).

The storm did impact some of the events that the con was going to do, but from what I could tell most of the other major events and panels still ran.

The Dealer's Room/Artist Alley

This is always one of the first things I hit up at a con so my experience helps to set the tone for the con. So I do want to say that the con did what they could, but people in the dealer's room were some of the rudest con goers I have ever seen. We have had many cons since Covid so people can't blame their behavior on forgetting how to act around others. People were pushing and shoving with no regard for people with mobility devices. One person in a wheelchair even had someone crash into them to get to something they wanted and then keep going without even a sorry. The con started to make announcements over the speaker to get people to watch out for people with mobility devices, but it seemed to have little impact. People were also just standing in the walk ways talking to their friends blocking others from shopping while impacting the flow of traffic. On my dealer's room video one person commented that the con was trying to rush people through when they were telling people to get moving, but this was totally wrong. It was the people blocking the way that were the issue and not the con. It seems like over the winter everyone forgot basic con etiquette. I'll be doing a con etiquette video later on the Geeked Colorado YouTube channel in the hopes it will remind people to remember that they are not the only geek at these events and to have more consideration for others. Sunday was slightly better then Saturday, but only because there was less people in general on Sunday.

Panels

Gundams and Gun Girls: Scale Model Building (Saturday)

Description:

Learn to build model kits from the heads of Gunpla Colorado: Ushao and Zearkos. Watch a live demonstration as we teach you the basics of building plastic model kits, adding detailing and decorations, and even adventuring into how to add your own personal twist to a model kit, all without making your wallet  cry. Also includes a Q&A session for any burning Newtype questions about the hobby.

Overall:

This was a good panel and the tech they brought with them to show on the large screen them actually doing things was great even if you were sitting in the back.

Accessibility and Disability At Conventions (Saturday)

Description:

In the world of conventions, one crucial aspect often goes unnoticed or is outright forgotten: accessibility and disability. Regrettably, this oversight inflicts various forms of harm on many individuals, ranging from physical injury to discouragement and feelings of feeling left out. The only way we as a community can address these issues is to talk and show the people who run these conventions that we can and want to change. Join two disabled cosplayers in a safe and inclusive space where we discuss ADA issues at conventions, share our challenges as disabled individuals, and explore a myriad of related topics. Together, let's shed light on the importance of inclusivity and advocate for positive transformations within convention spaces.

Notes:

-went over the basics of ADA.

-able bodied people may still have mental disabilities.

-rolling your wheelchair on carpet is really hard. The carpet at the Gaylord hotel is super hard for wheelchairs to move.

-snacks help people that are neurodivergent keep up their sugar levels. These low sugar levels can have physical effects like stomach pain and migraines. 

-Have items like programs and schedules in large print upon request.

Overall:

In this panel the host said that they didn't know the exact degree that ramps had to be, but that they were pretty steep. I told them what people degree people were allowed to get away with and someone in the audience said I was wrong because they Googled it....Google only gives you some information and not all of it. Like you can look up the federal rules around ADA, but in most cases people don't follow them, make their own standards, all because they know that no one is enforcing ADA. For example, even when RTD was opening violating ADA here at 9 Mile Station the state couldn't step in because they did not have the power to enforce ADA regulations and even the federal government would not hold RTD accountable when they were told what RTD was doing. So seeing ramps with up to a 45 degree angle is not uncommon even though it should be closer to about 7-8 degrees (1 inch of rise to every 12 inches of length). People always think they know better because the internet tells them so. You can see the news story about RTD's discrimination where I was one of the major activists trying to get someone to hold RTD responsible at: https://youtu.be/doaDuZOt6gc?si=0IoaQIXArwPWYGxt . For more information on how things should be: https://www.access-board.gov/ada/guides/chapter-4-ramps-and-curb-ramps/ .

As to the actual panel I really liked what they had to offer and I think that this should be presented at more cons. I would also like to interview the panelists as well for more of the details about what happened to them at Fan Expo. This is an example of where bad things happen at cons and the general public doesn't hear about them since the con hides info to save their reputation. I would highly recommend this panel.

How Anime Can Uplift the Neurodiverse Community (Saturday)

Description:

An open and honest discussion on how anime and manga have been progressively represented the neurodiverse community, with a look at the span of these roots from where it started to where it is now and where it can go.

Notes:

-A lot of times those that are neurodiverse are told that they are the problem.

-"media and stories have tremendous power"

-Many times when someone tries to help someone else they are actually forcing their way on them.

-The mentality of focusing on strengths is missing in our world and there is too much focus on weakness.

-A way to build community is to focus on what they want and enjoy, not on what you think they want or need.

-"utilizing creativity and stories with modern art can develop methods that empower the neurodiverse community by activating the passion of the individuals we work with."

-Anime can allow anyone to be their best self.

-Anime is good at calling out America for its negative aspects.

-There has been talk about the One Piece anime having connections to mental health and this could be a good thing to look into.

-One of the panel watchers said that they had been silenced not only by normal people, but also by other neurodivergent people.

Overall: 

I think the presenter did a really good job presenting the information, but it was a much higher level (more complex) the what your average con goer is ready for. Mommy Geek sat in on this one with me and said she was lost about 5 minutes in. Also in this panel the was a really annoying guy in the back that kept interrupting the panelist and say "when I do a panel similar to this..."... this was not their panel and everyone does things differently. If you are not running the panel don't be mean and criticize them while they are trying to do their thing. If you want to do a panel then do one and do not steal someone else's show. 

Japanese Myth and Media (Sunday)

Description:
In this panel I'll share some Japanese folktales to information about yokai and ghosts.

Notes:

-There are a lot of bathroom ghosts.

-Kamikiri: sneak up on people and cut their hair. This was super scary for Japanese people because social status was also seen in hair/hair styles.

-Nekomata: necromancers, split tail, walk on hind legs, in Japanese history they are evil but in anime they are kind.

-Buko: sacred animals who eat nightmares.

Overall: This was a good quick intro to some creatures and monsters from Japanese legends including some modern ones.

Things To Do Around The Con

Charity Auction

Highlighting some of the cool pieces that they had up for grabs this year. 

Hazbin Hotel is super popular right now and they made a smart move to get some stuff from that series for people to bid on.

All of this years proceeds from the charity auction went to Cap For Kids which is a charity group you will see at a lot of cons in Colorado.

Game Room

This year they had even more games for people to play. The best time to hit the game room is either early in the day or later at night since it gets super busy during the day.

Cosplay Hospital

Most cons have some form of a cosplay hospital where you can go to get help if you have a cosplay mishap at the con.

They had a sewing machine that you could enter to win.

They also had some cosplay related items that you could by. The books were very interesting, but not really for the beginner. 

Reading Room

If you wanted somewhere a little quieter they had a manga room where you could just sit and read for awhile. Also across the hall they had an actual quiet room. Quiet rooms at cons are great for people that get overloaded by sights and sounds. I actually went in there during the con to get a break from the noise and to work on my interview questions. The only thing that was missing in the quiet area was some coloring books. Coloring books can be gotten for cheap and helps people reground themselves.

Additional Artist Alley

I think that they had so many artists wanting to sell that they had to also turn part of the atrium into an additional artist alley.

Additional Things To Do That We Didn't Check Out

COSPLAY!!!

This year there were some shifts in trends of the cosplay. The major one was all of the people doing Hazbin Hotel. This series has become super popular, but there were also popular characters from other shows.

It was so great to see someone with Kon. I haven't seen as much Bleach stuff, but having Kon do a cross over with Demon Slayer would be so funny.

I felt so sorry for Bat Man. Mommy Geek had overheard some people making fun of him and saying that Bat Man shouldn't be at an anime con. This was super mean. Not everyone can own a cosplay for every different type of con and people should be able to dress up as any character that makes them happy. Also if you want to get picky then any American digital character shouldn't be allowed, and I think that these people forgot that there has also been cartoons of Bat Man. I thought the days of people being mean about cosplay were slowing down, but they seem to still be in full force.

I will fully admit when I saw this costume I squealed. It was so cute and I just love those little creatures. 

Dr. Stone is a series that I have just started getting into. This was the only cosplay I saw from the series. The dealer's room also did have a couple of items from this anime. I think it is still on the rise in popularity and reminds me of the slow climb the Hunter x Hunter has had.

Also as an additional thing I want to talk about is the parking. This year they had overflow parking across the street. If you read my post about getting ready for this con you would know that I was worried about this with the weather. At the same time though the con actually shocked me a little in relation to the parking. On Saturday night they actually had people out there helping walkers get across the street and even had the light up traffic signalers to let cars know people were trying to cross. This was amazing and something I have not seen any other con do at this location. Way to go Colorado Anime Fest!

Overall, of this con I would say it was a mixed bag. I did enjoy talking to people I knew. We did have one minor-ish issue that we did have to take to con staff. I will not go into detail about what it was beyond an issue with a staff member, but the reason why I am not going into detail is because I felt that the con staff we told about the situation were going to take care of it. To me the important thing about this con is that I have developed a sense of trust with them. Trust is not easy to get from me, but Colorado Anime Fest has shown that they are always trying to fix things and do what they can to help.

Top Picture From: https://coanimefest.com/

Panel descriptions from: https://www.eventeny.com/events/embed/?ev=5501&type=schedule&view=list