Revan

I just got home and tried, and it worked no problem. Maybe because they already had my info? Didn't get the cheaper membership, but $5 ain't gonna break the bank (though with the holidays coming up...). It's nice to get free shipping for badges. I paid / opted for mailing since the option became available. (Don't know how many of us were stuck in this debacle in... 2014(?) Funny grognard story, to lighten the mood. My original Otakon ID is under 2000. (It worked the last time I tried it.) One year in Baltimore when they still did on-site only, I handed my printout to the person behin

I'd say the merchandise selection being lower is because shopping online has become more prevalent over the years, especially with the lockdown in the past few years. Then again, I've seen anime T-shirts at department stores, the local Barnes & Noble has a section for manga that's the same size, if not larger, than their science fiction section, and there's stuff like Pokemon merchandise in grocery stores and places like Target. There is still stuff out there, but it's not as concentrated in big displays in stores as much as little things here and there. (I was just at a gem show over the

* Well, not really. I just have Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in mind. In honor of Otakon 30, here's the message on the opening page from the original Otakon 1994 program guide. * History lesson: The original Stormtroopers, led the vanguard of assaults in the latter years of World War I. Juuuuust a bit bombastic, don't you think? 😀 Though I'd say that we're definitely much more in the Happy Lands nowadays than back then. Congrats on 30, Otakon! See you in July for our 30th anniversary!

Good: - As previously mentioned lines weren't bad, and getting in through the Marriott entrance was a breeze. (I started going more 'bare bones' in the past few years - my phone, camera, a water bottle (w/ cold brew tea), a snack or two in the pockets, pen and paper.) - I got into most of the panels that I wanted to see, and with few criticisms enjoyed myself at them. - I love my new camera, and I'm almost positive I took a record number of pix this year. (Special note - Thanks to all the attendees who braved the DC heat to come in costume! You're braver than I'll ever be.)

When i write these, I try not to ding the presentations as they are contributing more than I am to the con. I wish I could find the paper where I had some notes, but it's somewhere in the vacation stuff I haven't sorted yet. That being said... Anime Reboots, Understanding the Brotherhood Effect - Looked at reasons why series are being rebooted years, even decades after the original run, for better and for worse. Some of them being the same reasons why Hollywood keeps constantly bringing back properties. Demon Slayer Traditions: Exploring the translation of traditional art and music i

I just noticed that you can view the schedule (sans the Video room schedules) from the main page. I did my usual thing of making a list of panels that could be of interest to me, with alternates in case the room is full. Now I just have to figure out the gaps to go to the dealers room and artists alley, as well as returning to my hotel room to restock my supplies. (Usually this is related to which session of the AMV contest I attend.) So many panels, so little time... Notes: I noticed there's not RWBY photoshoot this year - not enough people? Did they go the way of most fandoms and s

It's funny, because not an hour ago I was just telling someone how they should be going out soon. It's interesting how they don't have any mascots on this year's badge - just thematic and location appropriate imagery. Also interesting is that's a hole for the lanyard this year, not a slot. (Though this does allow me to put it on my Otakon Influencer lanyard I got when I ordered some stuff during the Otakon sale in...November? December? Edit: For some reason, the activation page doesn't want to recognize my badge numbers. I guess I'll try again in a couple of days and see what ha

You wouldn't happen to know if the... Moroccan(?), Mediterranean(?) place is still there? IIRC it was in the food court next to the Video Game area. They had something on the menu there last year looked interesting - rice, vegetables, hummus, etc. (I want to say chicken tagine, but I don't think that's quite it.), but I had already stocked up my meals for the con at the Safeway on Thursday. (I can't think of the last time I paid convention center prices for food. I still have money on a Visa gift card that I didn't spend when I went on vacation last year, so I might just drop the money to at l

My brother and I drove down to Baltimore every year. (I used to love taking Route 1 back to the Philadelphia area on Sunday afternoon - it was a great drive on a sunny summer day.) The day I heard Otakon was moving to DC, I immediately decided 'We're taking the train down.' Yes, we're dependent on SEPTA and Amtrak*, but it's so much nicer not having to sit in traffic. (I can't stand 'Stop and Stop traffic'.) Factor in the price of parking at the hotel (What is it for the Marriott? $70 a night?), and it's pretty much better to take the train, even when I get business class tickets. (My brother

Article here Quoting Ultraman Connection.com "On March 22nd, 2023, Jiro Dan passed away at the age of 74. Dan was known among Ultraman fans for his role as Hideki Go, the human host of Ultraman Jack, in Return of Ultraman. Dan reprised this role several times in the 52 years since Return, bringing a sincerity and inner strength to the character for decades. He will be remembered with warmth, and Ultraman Connection mourns his loss." Further news: To honor Mr. Dan, who has left for the Ultra Star, the final episode "Ultra 5 Oaths" will soon be launched for free on TSUBURA

This series is free this month on Amazon Prime video: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B08QN5859T/ref=atv_hm_hom_1_c_LzQwT3_brws_8_20 A series of lectures on places to visit in DC, if you have time before or after the con. I go in a day early, so this is good to see what's around. (I've hit several of the Smithsonians, the National Gallery, and the National Mall in the past few years.) It's from 2019, so the information on how to get in may have changed since then, but it could be a good source of inspiration for sightseeing.

I don't know if this technically belongs here, as the forum header says 'Serious discussion'. Close enough for government work, I suppose. What for years had only existed as a promo video with bad sound has been found, apparently in the Library of Congress of all places. It definitely was a thing. What that thing is, I'm not quite sure. Pilot episode (Watch at your own risk. Though it can't be as bad as Spaceballs the Animated Series. I had a friend yell at me when he watched that, despite my warnings.) Immediate takeaways (don't know if I want to watch a 2nd time: - I'm wo

I was curious about this myself, but wasn't sure about broaching the subject. I've read that Gencon, with ~50K attendees and a similar masking / vaccine policy, had reports of people getting Covid at the con. One speculation for this is because Indiana's vaccine rate was in the 50s while DC is up around 80%, and people actually caught it outside the con while attending. I can't say whether that's true, but it does sound plausible. I haven't had any symptoms, and I tested negative twice a week after the con. I stayed masked whenever I was outside my hotel room - Septa, 30th Street Station,

I was at the Marriott Marquis, and it was fairly painless. I went down the 2 escalators, showed them my vaccination card, my driver's license, and my badge (I get it mailed.) and got the band. Took only a few minutes including the escalators. The only downside was they didn't have the 18+ bands there, and when I asked the person about it they said they should have thought to bring some to this station. Edited to add: This was at about 4 on Thursday.

Long post, as I tend to go to panels almost exclusively at Otakon anymore. I think I've got all the ones I hit. (I lost the paper I was using for my schedule and notes, and I've been really busy at work lately.) Dubs vs Subs -The presenter was good, and the presentation about how Japanese and Western theater influenced their acting styles. (Like Japanese Noh encourages broad, exaggerated performance and Western acting tends toward a smaller, closer style because the camera focuses in on the actor.) However, it seems to me that a fundamental point was missed. Per the description: "How