It's a small world - running into people who knew Otakon in NYC...

[Cousinsue 0]

Well, we were having supper at the Center Cut across from Lincoln Center (http://www.empirehotelnyc.com/eat-cc.php) and were speaking off handedly to an older couple at the table next to us. They were from central New Jersey, and told us about their grandchildren, and got on the subject of subtitles (she liked them, he didn't), and when we mentioned that we watched Japanese animation, they were very excited.

Seems that their grandchildren attend Otakon, and we had quite a talk about it (they were quite enthusiastic). What with having worked for Otakon since 1996 as staff, and 1995 as a gofer... we were pleased to hear that their grandchildren liked attending!

You meet Otakon fans everywhere, even among people who have never attended....

[Daniel Perales 95]

Well, we were having supper at the Center Cut across from Lincoln Center (http://www.empirehotelnyc.com/eat-cc.php) and were speaking off handedly to an older couple at the table next to us. They were from central New Jersey, and told us about their grandchildren, and got on the subject of subtitles (she liked them, he didn't), and when we mentioned that we watched Japanese animation, they were very excited.

Seems that their grandchildren attend Otakon, and we had quite a talk about it (they were quite enthusiastic). What with having worked for Otakon since 1996 as staff, and 1995 as a gofer... we were pleased to hear that their grandchildren liked attending!

You meet Otakon fans everywhere, even among people who have never attended....

[Cousinsue 0]

It's funny that you mention this.

Do you remember when I used to take my entire family to Otakon? This including my sister and her kids, and her kid's friends (yep, I had quite a posse back then).

Well, eventually, these kids grew up and some of them moved away.

There was one particular kid that was my nephew's best friend. I've taken him to both Katsucon from 1996-9, and Otakon from 1996-8 (he fell ill to come to Otakon'99).

He eventually moved away with his grandmother at the begining of Febuary of 2000 (just before Katsucon).

Time jump - 2006: I was at my hotel room when one of my friends calls me on my cell phone. He said that he met this person who works at a hotel's restauraunt who actually reconized them. He gave me his phone number and they also said that he gave him my number as well.

Well, I gave him a call, and would you believe, it was my nephew's best friend! The same kid that I used to take to the cons with me. Not only is he's living in Baltimore, but he's also working at the restauraunt at the Sheraton hotel that is right behind the BCC!

I still stay in contact with him, and there are times when he drops by for a visit to the old neighborhood of Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY (I don't live there, any more, but my mom, brother, sister and her kids still does). And I do make sure that I give him a call whenever I'm in town for Otakon, and probably take some of my friends to the restauraunt where we can have our dinner and drinks (and leave him a big tip, too).

That's pretty cool!

If I'm wearing my Otakon shirts I get people stopping me to ask about it. If they've not attended, they're certainly interested.

Except in video stores, where the counter people, sadly, seem to think that because I have a shirt with funny characters on it, I might like to learn from their "vast" store of knowledge about anime. I try to be patient with them. : )

Two years ago at Otakon I had someone come up to me and start talking to me and I had no clue who she was. I had known her since she was a little girl, but did not recognize the grown up person in a kimono who was coming to the con for the first time. Very different from seeing someone in shorts and tee shirt at a backyard barbecue when they were little.

[Duelistbluerose 0]

I was in a Border's Bookstore in Silver Spring, MD [a suburb of washington, dc] and while walking around I saw this guy wearing an Otakon T-shirt. I was on my cell phone when I saw him and I gasped...... mainly because otakon and other forms of otaku culture don't enter my normal everyday life like that. It was a slight shock. He turned around and looked and me. I told him that I've been to that con before, and he just smiled.

[Asrial Dune 0]

I have an Otakon polo and 2 button down shirts that I'll wear around, but I don't wear my staff shirts to non-Otakon things because there's always someone who tries to play 20 questions with me about everything from the weapons policy to the guests to when pre-reg is opening. I love talking about the con, but </3 interrogations.

[The INfamous MC 24]

I think one of my favorite, memorable encounters about Otakon was at BWI after the convention and getting into a discussion with a couple fans who were on the same flight with me..and finding out that one of them was a forum user who was shocked to find out who I was lol.

I also had an Otakon encounter while on the train to NYC last month. I was on the phone with a staffer discussing some con business when someone asked me if I worked for Otakon.

[SilverMiko 48]

A year ago before Otakon 08, I went to see MacBeth (Patrick Stewart is Epic Win Forever!) and walking to the train station heard the group ahead talking about cons (otakon as well) and such and anime and I was like "Hahaha Otakon is EVERYWHERE!"

[Nalfeshnee 0]

In January I moved from Upstate NY to Arizona. Naturally I had to scout around to find some store that sells anime, and awesomely enough when I did find the store it was stocked with two friendly con-goers who have flown from Arizona since 2005 to attend Otakon. (Slightly off-topic, sorry Ms. MC, but I think 'Otakon' should be added to the board's dictionary.)

Edited March 22, 2009 by Nalfeshnee

[Cousinsue 0]

In January I moved from Upstate NY to Arizona. Naturally I had to scout around to find some store that sells anime, and awesomely enough when I did find the store it was stocked with two friendly con-goers who have flown from Arizona since 2005 to attend Otakon. (Slightly off-topic, sorry Ms. MC, but I think 'Otakon' should be added to the board's dictionary.)

We have a dictionary?

: )

I believe it's discussed in the FAQ. What is it that you wish to know about the word?

[tstidm1 0]

One of the attendees at Anime Expo's Guest Meet and Greet went to Otakon last year. I saw him again at Otakon and he has as much fun at Otakon as he does at Anime Expo (his hometown con). He hopes to make the Transcontinental trip to Otakon this year, but it is harder because they are two weeks apart.

[alabaster 0]

Last year at Tokyo Anime Festival, we met an Otakon member who lived in North Dakota (or possibly some similarly midwestern locale).

Finding a con member in Tokyo to begin with is odd enough, but to have them be from 2500 miles away.....

[mailechan 0]

While at Disneyworld last October, walking through Animal Kingdom, I was wearing the 2001 Otakon T-shirt. All of a sudden, someone passing by threw up his hands and shouted "WOO! OTAKON!" at me. In the Hollywood Studios park, one of the girls at the counter got very perky at seeing the Otakon shirt and said she was planning to go up with a bunch of other girls in 2009. Then at the laser light show that night, a guy who was doing security noticed and said he's gone to Otakon since 2006 (he also let me watch in the uncrowded, blocked-off area at the back of the arena, which was cool).

Otakon is everywhere.