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Friday
Welcome to Opening Ceremonies, where we introduce you to the fabulous world of this weekend's convention! The wait is finally over, it's party time! Let's get the convention started! Join us as we introduce you to some of the convention's amazing guests, do a little housekeeping with rules and safety, and learn about all the fun events that will be taking place over the weekend!
Greggo's Game Shows: Blockbusters
This is a high-speed, high-strategy trivia game where a solo player competes against a family pair to prove whether two heads are really better than one! The winning side wins a nice prize and moves on to our Gold Run bonus game for a shot at additional prizes! There is a tryout for this game; be sure to check the schedule!
Animecon.org's Fabulous Date Auction (15+)
Are you looking for a date to the dance? A new friend to attend panels with? Or just looking to help raise money for good causes? A longstanding staple event for our conventions, the Fabulous Date Auction is a fun, interactive event where cosplayers are sold to the highest bidder - auctioned off by our Live Entertainment department! Meet new friends and help raise funds for charity in the process! We're auctioning dates to the formal ball dance that starts shortly after the date auction ends. Rules apply.
All Things Samurai: Samurai Dan takes the stage, willing to leave no stone unturned. The people managing our zen rock garden are really mad that he keeps turning their stones, please tell him to stop. Ask anything (SFW) and brace yourselves, the answers are coming fast and furious as a sword stroke!
Quinton Flynn is the most famous member of Organization XIII as AXEL. Come to this panel and chat about Kingdom Hearts and more.
Come join Greg Ayres as he answers question about all projects old and new. You can be sure he’ll be talking about New project like Haikyuu, Dragon Ball Super, Gangsta, Dramatical Murder, and Danganronpa as well as talking about DJ’ing and con life as himself. A fan boy till the end, whether voicing “pointy haired boys” during the day, or shooting zombies at night (at least on his PS4) you can be sure he’s having fun. There may even be a hint or two about some new projects yet to be announced, so don't miss it.
The Ultimate Guide to Cosplay Competitions
New to the world of cosplay competitions? Let our head of cosplay KB walk you through everything you need to know about taking your cosplay to a competitive level. With experience competing, judging, and organizing cosplay competitions, we are hear to answer any questions you have!
The dapper gentlemen, the graceful women, the flowing gowns and the majestic music. What could be more magnificent than an exquisite fantasy ball! Come to join the beautifully dressed up cosplayers showing off their most regal outfits and elegant moves in a delightful evening of music and fun. Formal dress is required, so dress to impress. The minimum level of dresscode is business casual. We would like if you avoid jeans, open-toe shoes or sandals, shorts, tank tops, etc. This is a classy event.
Greggo's Game Shows: Press Your Luck
Get ready, it’s time for the game show with lots of Whammies and lots of Big Bucks! Three players will answer questions to earn spins on our big board which is loaded with goodies, prizes and cash to spend in our prize coffers, but be careful! There are also some Whammies that would love to take everything away! Only the player with the most bucks at the end of the game gets to keep it all and maybe come back next year and do it again!
Let’s Talk Video Games!
Do you enjoy video games? RPGs? J-RPGs? Adventure, Visual Novels, or Simulations? Have theories about the lore of a series? Something completely different? Come talk to the Live Entertainment panelists about your favorite video games!
When good dubs go bad! (18+) w/ Jay Hickman
Recommended
When good dubs go bad!
"DID I MISS SOMETHING?": The Biggest Bait and Switches in Anime
We've all gone into an anime with a set of expectations but what happens when those expectations get thrown out the window? Join us and we'll discuss the biggest subversions in anime, how they made us feel, and then we can discuss the shows that did this to you. Come on by but don't worry, we'll do the panel we say we're going to do...maybe.
How do you say "bark" in Japanese? Well you might get an answer here. Samurai Dan and his Japanese Akita dogs will teach you all to know about this incredible breed. The Akita is muscular and heavy dogs of ancient Japanese lineage famous for dignity, courage, and loyalty. They are venerated as family protectors and symbols of good health, happiness, and long life.
Come join Gareth as he mesmerizes and hypnotizes for a good cause! This is a fundraiser for The Houston Methodist Transplant Center.
Monkey Knife Fights (All Ages)
Join us in the ultimate "who would win in a fight" gameshow! You will be given a hypothetical fight, make a case for who wins, and then the rest of the room will vote to see if they agree with you! Winner gets bragging rights!
Party in the Backrooms: A Deep Dive into Liminal Spaces and Analog Horror
One of the biggest new series in internet horror is the Backrooms, the seemingly endless pocket dimension and the ramifications faced by those who find it. However, much like the Backrooms themselves, the lore behind them and the road that led up to the series itself is much deeper than anyone realizes. Come on by and we will discuss how the Backrooms came to be stories and concepts that influenced it and the general rise of internet indie horror. So if you got an hour to kill, no clip into our panel room and let's have some fun!
Cards Against Humanity With Samurai Dan and Jillian (18+)
Recommended
Join Samurai Dan and Lady Jillian in a game of adults-only Cards Against Humanity. Try to guess what card they will pick... Will it be funny? Ironic? Overly true? Good luck!
K.K. Slider Concert!: Q&A by Rebel And Cleric
Recommended
Your favorite guitar-playing dog K.K. Slider is bringing PUNK and EMO to your favorite Anime Con near you! And he's bringing his close friend and trusty drummer, the red bug-loving chameleon Flick! After voyaging from Animal Village and playing shows in the Chicagoland area, they're swinging by Davenport, IA to play for their fans at Anime Zing! Soon, K.K. will be reaching his paws out for the entire Midwest, and hopefully, he'll be able to see you guys right there with him! Ask them questions about the band, their tour, the music, and of course their personal lives back on Animal Village. If you ask spicy questions, you will get spicy answers! Maybe if you're lucky, you'll get a song or two out of them, just as a little taste of what's to come for the concert! (Panel will be hosted by the Midwest Emo Chicago band "Rebel And Cleric".)
AnimeCon.org's Fabulous Dating Advice (18+)
Do you find yourself faltering with the ladies? Do you just not know how to whoo that special person? Our trained experts will show you how it's done! Dante will answer all your dating questions (among other ones)!
Ultimate Yaoi Power Hour (18+)
Calling all BL enthusiasts! Come test your knowledge of bl series and share your love of boys love with quizzes and games!
Hell's Livejournal: A Bad Fanfic Panel (18+)
Who doesn’t love a good bad fanfiction panel at an anime convention? Come on by as we go through the trashiest bad fanfiction that the internet has to offer. Get ready to cringe, laugh, and be utterly confused.
Get your energy out and work up a sweat in this heart-healthy epic dance party! Join AnimeCon.org's resident DJ Greg Ayres and many incredible guest performers as they help you waste the night away with an electric mix of hard-hitting and fun dance music. Experience the bass from the subwoofers as your face melts off thanks to such sick beats. We promise an experience filled with epic music, incredible sounds, and a great light show to boot. No bags allowed in. Strobe lights may be used.
Bad Fanfic Bingo
Join us for selected readings from our curated list of poorly-written fanfic. Grab a bingo card and win prizes when we read key phrases like ‘cerulean orbs’
Saturday
PSYCHO-PASS: A Futuristic Discussion
Do you like cool weapons, literature, drama, and getting the bad guy! If so then this is the panel for you! This panel is devoted to explore themes and characters of the future society in PSYCHO-PASS. PSYCHO-PASS just celebrated it's 10th anniversary with a brand new film to fill in some gaps so there's lots to discuss! Even if you're only a couple episodes in, ask us anything and we'll put it in perspective!
Lost and Found: An Exploration of Lost Media
“Wait, was that real?” is a question often asked when we think back on the media we consumed as children. Turns out, that weird anime you remember or that cartoon that feels like a vague haze at this point, perhaps was actually real at some point. Come on down as we dissect various pieces of media, cartoons, anime, video games, etc, that were considered lost at some point but by some miracle are now found. Come on by and see if we can’t jog any memories.
A Discussion on Coping Skills and Conflict Resolution
A psychoeducational discussion on common coping skills for depression, anxiety, panic attacks, self-esteem/self-image, among others and conflict resolution. Questions and audience participation are encouraged.
Cosplay Contest: Pre Judging (CONTESTANTS ONLY)
This is only for entrants of the main stage cosplay contest. You MUST have been signed up for the masquerade and assigned a timeslot for judging. All participants have to sign up well in advance.
Unqualified Life Advice
Have burning questions that need debatably helpful answers? Want to know how to get girls who are 3D? Wanna just ask stupid questions? Come and get life advice from idiots who are not at all qualified to give you any sort of good answers!
Whose Line is it Anime? (13+)
Don't you love that wacky show "Whose line?" well come meet our expert improv actors! They'll make you roll on the floor, holding your sides in this silly interactive panel that is 100% true improv, no written scripts here!
Greggo's Game Shows: Chain Reaction
It’s the fun and challenging game show where one word leads to another! Teams of three try to solve a chain of words! If your team pulls through, you get to play for some nice bonus prizes in the “Instant Reaction” round!
Join one of the newest voices in the anime world while he plays Nonorelia, an exciting new visual novel and puzzle game!
Actual Samurai battlefield techniques, taught by professional swordsman. Weapons (bokken) provided.
Staff Plays Jackbox
Join the AnimeCon.Org staff in playing Jackbox party packs. Attendees can join the audience and watch as everything goes wrong and help us pick what games to play
Knightmares and Dreams: A Code Geass Panel
We all know about Gundam and Evangelion but one of the most famous mech shows of the past twenty years was Code Geass. On the surface, it may seem like your average mech show, but come to our panel and you will see, there is much more going on with this show than it seems. From characters to worldbuilding to even the robots themselves, we will analyze. Come on by and bring your pizza hut coupons.
Anime Networking Event hosted by the President
Meet other anime fans, meet convention staff members, make some new friends. Learn what goes into running anime conventions. Everyone will get a chance to introduce themselves if you want to.
Keeping up with the Q Man! What's Quinton Flynn been working on lately? What makes the man tick? Come to a great panel with the fun and friendly Quinton Flynn.
Akame ga Parasyte Wars Academia - Voiceover Q&A with Jay Hickman
Recommended
Jay began his career in anime in the 1990s, when he landed his first role at ADV Films in Master of Mosquiton. Since then, he has appeared in more than 100 titles with studios including ADV Films, Funimation, Sentai Filmworks, Switchblade Pictures, Okratron 5000, and others. As a character actor, Jay has been able to voice a broad variety of colorful roles, with the occasional romantic lead thrown in for good measure. His notable credits over the past two decades are Mechazawa in Cromartie High School, Spitfire in Air Gear, Sho Zama in Aura Battler Dunbine, Shiryu in Saint Seiya, Chuu and Hammond in One Piece, Kagetane Hiruko in Black Bullet, Chief Kurama in Elfen Lied, Koji in Generator Gawl, Toru Watanabe in Excel Saga, The Fool in Kaleido Star, Crusty in Log Horizon, SSS in Madlax, Dera Mochimazzi in Tamako Market, Sanetoshi Watase in Penguindrum, Prince Mytho in Princess Tutu, and Giraffe in Revue Starlight, among many others. Jay’s voice has also been featured in the live action features Dark Water, Synesthesia, Conduct Zero, The Fuccons, Touching Wild Horses, Gamera – Attack of Legion, as well as in the video game Unlimited Saga. Jay had his Toonami debut playing Dr. Stylish in Akame ga KILL!, followed by Shiro Kuramori in Parasyte – the maxim, Joichiro Yukihira in Food Wars!, and most recently, Taneo Tokuda in My Hero Academia.
It Gets Better - Anime Con Edition with Greg Ayres
Recommended
The "It Gets Better" project was created in response to a string of teen suicides by kids who were bullied because they were perceived to be gay. Sadly bullying is something that happens to one in four teens. In the past few years we've even seen an increase in bullying within our fandom. Join us as we share our stories, and talk about ways we can all help and Support each other and find the light at the end of the tunnel. It really does get better.
The Sonic Degenerates: It’s Not Just Chris Chan
Out of all fandoms, the Sonic fandom seems to be the one that attracts the most..interesting people. Many people think of Chris Chan first, but the fandom rabbit hole goes deeper than that. Join us as we take a look at the worst of the worst of the blue blur’s fans
Equip Your Art with Heart
Did you just start drawing, or have you been drawing for years, and are full of questions? Well in this crash course on artist life we will cover everything from setting your goals as an artist, digital tablets, setting up commissions, and even art block! We’ll answer your questions and cover the basics for artists at all levels!
The Grand Cosplay Contest is our mainstage costume and cosplay competition, featuring some of the most spectacular costumes around. Have an amazing cosplay? Think it's worthy of a prize or medal? Come and show it off in our mainstage costume and cosplay competition! Contestants are judged on workmanship and performance (complete rules can be found online or at the cosplay table) as they battle for the chance to qualify for the Cosplay World Crown and a free trip to Japan! Come watch some of the coolest cosplays and performances of the weekend grace the mainstage! Advanced registration is required if you want to compete.
Greggo's Game Shows: Strikeout!
Four teams of three play a game similar to Family Feud. Surveys taken before the con result in a game board with twelve possible answers. The object of the game is to find the top seven answers among the possible ones…finding one earns the team money. Finding one of the five “strikeout” answers costs the team a member! The surviving team advances to the next round and has a shot to win big!
Censored and filtered (somewhat) standup comedy from the armed giant, revealing a past full of naivete and poor life choices. Maybe even get into some painful learning experiences and funny stories from the convention world.
Anime Guitar Show
Come rock out with Zach Allen of LicKwid Red as he covers your favorite songs from animation and gaming.
Red Rising: A Power Rangers Fan Film Screening and Q&A
Recommended
Red Rising: A Power Rangers Fan Film Screening and Q&A
Bewitched or Bamboozled: Bioware Edition
If you explore Thedas or the Milky Way, Bioware has stories for you!
Breathing life into your storytelling with Samurai Dan
Recommended
Samurai Dan goes through the process of storytelling, beginning to end, hitting all points in between, from character creation to editing.
Miles Apart but a Text Away: An Insight into Online Friendships
With fandoms comes internet presence, and internet presence can bring us a special kind of bond you can make with people from miles away in the comfort of your own home. Crossrabbit shares the importance of these connections and their own personal experiences with how connections made online saved their life. Anyone from just being curious about how these friendships can be maintained to people who have online friendships or relationships of their own are more than welcome!
Unqualified Life Advice (18+)
Have burning questions that need debatably helpful answers? Want to know how to get girls who are 3D? Wanna just ask stupid questions? Come and get life advice from idiots who are not at all qualified to give you any sort of good answers! This is the 18+ only version of this panel!
All Elite 101: A Completely Serious AEW Panel
You probably know what WWE is, but do you know about AEW? Wether you're a newbie to the world of pro wrestling or a hardcore fan your whole life, come on down to this absolutely completely 100% serious lecture on all things AEW. We'll talk about it's history, the epic wrestlers on their roster, Burberry scarfed men gone wild, and very nice and evil wrestling demons
Whose Line Is It, Anime? Adult Version. (18+)
Join the Whose Line is it, Anime? Cast that you know and love, with all the shenanigans, silliness, and general nonsense - but without the usual rules! Of course, all that really means is that the host’s buzzer means less than it does during regular Whose Line...
Waifu Wars: After Dark (18+)
One of the most volatile questions in any anime fan group is, “Who is best girl?” Hopefully, we can help you answer that question. At our panel, you will be allowed to argue for who you think is the best girl (or worst girl) as we organize your picks into a tier list. Come on by and if you wanna defend your waifu’s honor, get ready to rumble!
Monkey Knife Fights (18+)
Join us in the ultimate "who would win in a fight" gameshow! You will be given a hypothetical fight, make a case for who wins, and then the rest of the room will vote to see if they agree with you! Winner gets bragging rights!
18+ only!
The Unhinged World of Wrestling Cartoons and Anime
With as big as a sport as wrestling is, it’s no surprise companies tried to get into the art of animation, but was it all good or just meaningless cash grabs? Join us as we take a deep dive into the world of animated wrestling media, featuring copious amount of Scooby Doo WWE crossovers, bootleg Robot Chicken toy tie in’s, and South Park rip offs!
Join us for an incredible and fun Saturday night dance party as our DJs pump up the dance floor with epic electronic beats! AnimeCon.org's regular DJ Greg Ayres and a host of other talented entertainers will pack the house and bring down the roof with some great music to dance to. No bags allowed in. Strobe lights may be used.
Doujin Mad-Libs (18+)
Help us create some truly terrible doujin translations. We’ve blocked out some choice words from several doujins to be filled in by the audience and presented.
Staff Plays Jackbox (18+)
Join the AnimeCon.Org staff in playing Jackbox party packs. Attendees can join the audience and watch as everything goes wrong and help us pick what games to play (18+ version)
Sunday
Artist Alley Tips and Tricks for Beginners
Do you want to be in artist alley, but don’t know how? Here you can learn the basics of buying and running your own Artist Alley table!
Greggo's Game Shows: Definition
It’s the game of fun with a pun! Two teams attempt to solve punny word puzzles. In a team’s turn, they give the other team a letter they hope isn’t in the puzzle, and if successful take a letter that they hope is in the puzzle. Finding a letter gives that team a guess at the puzzle, and solving the puzzle wins the game. Win three games and your team wins a prize!
The Cross in the Land of the Rising Sun: Christian Representations in Anime
The Good Book tells us to go forth and preach the gospel, but does that include anime? Despite being a minority faith in Japan, anime has an interesting relationship with the religion of the Levantine Carpenter, and it is far deeper than most realize. How deep? Come by and find out!
Let's Talk DC Comics!
Do you enjoy DC Comics? Would you like to talk about those comic books with other people who like comic books? This Live Entertainment Panel is the place - we’ll talk about the DCU forever! Whether it’s the OG universe, the New 52s, Rebirth, the cinematic universe, or the DCAU, this is a great panel to meet other enthusiastic fans - or other begrudging ones, we don’t judge, here.
Get Your Hands Off Me! Self Defense w/ Samurai Dan
Recommended
Join Samurai Dan and Jillian as they teach you all about the art of self defense!
Quinton Flynn has done numerous anime and video game voices. Some of his most prominent voice roles include Reno, Axel, Raiden, and Doctor Riddles. Quinton’s voice has been burning up film and television since he first arrived in Los Angeles from his native Cleveland. He is an A-list voice actor, having played such famous animated characters as Jonny Quest, Spiderman, Speed Racer, The Human Torch, Timon, Snowbell in Stuart Little, just to name a few. His television and film appearances include Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, King of Queens, Animaniacs, Woody Woodpecker, Robot Chicken, and many more. His best known roles in video game franchises have been his work providing the english voices of Raiden in the Metal Gear Solid series, Axel in Kingdom Hearts II, and Reno in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children the motion picture. If you’re hip to the anime scene you’ll know him as Iruka-sensei and Deidara in Naruto and Naruto Shippuden, Marcus Damon in Digimon Data Squad, and Carl in Blood+, to name a few.
Mysteries, Cryptids, and the Weird Side of Reality
The World is full of things that are either strange or just straight up don't make sense. Where is Amelia Earhart? Is Bigfoot real? Are there UFOs at Area 51? Come on by as we discuss our favorite mysteries and then we will open it to you to share your favorites. Hope to see you there and get ready to have your minds blown.
Anime Idol
Come out and cheer on your favorite performer, or perhaps take the stage yourself! All genres are welcome, but anime, jpop and kpop are strongly encouraged! While there will be limited in-person signups the day of idol, preregistering at Animeidol.net is strongly encouraged!
An Interactive Voice Acting Challenge with Gareth West
Recommended
Join one of the newest voices in the anime world, for an interactive panel giving you a peek into some of the challenges your favorite voice actors face in the booth. Volunteers will be chosen to up and randomly draw an action and a line of dialogue. They will then use the action in the delivery of the dialog. Then they’ll have a chance to work with the delivery of that line, and how it affects their performance and their movement.
"Evenings with Isabelle" Combating Anxiety and Depression with Animal Crossing and Fandom. A large number of anime and gaming fans deal with depression on a daily basis. In that daily struggle many of us have turned to gaming and online communities for comfort and cool down. From gamers kept company by “lets play” videos and online content creators, to acting mayors of towns filled with talking animals - come discuss how gaming and fandom have helped you through the rough patches of your day to day adventures.
Con Swap Meet
Got old stuff? Want to trade it for other old stuff? Come to the swap meet and do just that.
Costumed Life Drawing
Welcome to artists of all skill levels! Join us for a life drawing session with a twist: Your models will be in costume! Don't draw but want to participate? We would love to add you to our model lineup! This is an all-ages event, with each pose ranging from 15-30 second gestures to longer 5-10 minute drawings. Grab your sketchbook and see you there!
You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here. It's that time when we say goodbye to the guests, artists, and new friends we've made over a fun filled convention weekend. Don't worry, there's always next year, but if you can't wait that long check out some of our other great conventions at www.animecon.org!
