There’s always going to be drama when it comes to conventions, but some have a little more than others. Here are the top 5 CONtroversies of 2012.
5. New York City Comic Con- Too Crowded
NYCC had about 116,000 fans attending that weekend and I guess it sure felt like it. After attendees got home they hopped online to complain that the layout of NYCC was horrible and they couldn’t get anywhere because of said layout/over crowding. It was hard meeting up with friends or attempting not to lose them in the thick of the crowd.
4. Katsucon- No Butts or Man Nips
Towards the end of November, my Facebook page exploded with people showing off their booty costumes and cursing at Katsucon. What the hooha was going on? A rumor had spread that Katsucon was now banning any type of booty showing at their con. This had booty shorts cosplayers up in arms. Finally, a rep from Katsucon hopped on Facebook at made a statement that the booty rule was all just a rumor, BUT the Gaylord Convention Center (where Katsu is held) DOES have a policy about no man nipples. Got a topless cosplay, guys? Too bad, gotta cover them nips up.
3. Anime Los Angeles- Cosplay Deviants
On their Facebook, Anime Los Angeles announced that one of their exciting guests was Cosplay Deviants. (If you don’t know what Cosplay Deviants is, it is cosplay porn) Some people were upset by this announcement, mainly because ALA is a family con, with a long of young people attending. They didn’t think that ALA should be out and about announcing and promoting Cosplay Deviants.
2. Anime Expo- X-Games
When word got out that the X-Games were going to be on the exact same dates as Anime Expo, all hell broke loose. A huge thread on cosplay.com (you can read that thread here if you are bored)
had con goers threatening not to come if the X-Games or Anime Expo would not move one of it’s dates. I don’t know if it really effected AX’s attendance numbers, but having the X-Games next door wasn’t as bad as people were making it out to be. Sure, they took over the Nokia theater, and some good photo areas, but otherwise they mostly kept to themselves. For 2013, the X-Games will be back to their normal dates (End of July).
1. Aki Con- Exhibition Hall Mess
Aki Con’s attendance has been growing at a large rate for the past couple years. This year they were getting a little too big for the Hilton in Bellevue, so they thought they would put the Exhibition/Artist Alley hall in the parking garage. As I’m sure most of you know, putting Exhibition halls in parking garages has never worked for any con. Ever. So it’s no surprise that it didn’t work for Aki Con either. Now, this wouldn’t be such a controversy if Aki Con would have handled it better. Sellers and artists weren’t told they were going to be in the parking garage until the day they arrived at the con. There was mold and huge leaks in the ceilings. It was damp, cold, and their heating solution was a joke. When con goers got home from Aki, they demanded an explanation and an apology. Why did Aki Con respond with? A whole bunch of rude comments and no apology. We don’t even know if Aki Con will return for 2013.