December 5 – 7, 2008

Kajonk-A-Con – Knoxville, Tennessee (USA)

YuleCon – Fort Worth, Texas (USA)

December 13 – 14, 2008

UmiCon – Hillcrest, KZN South Africa

December 14, 2008

Toronto AnimeCon – Toronto, Ontario (Canada)

December 19 – 21, 2008

Oni-Con 2008 – Houston, Texas (USA)

December 29 – 30, 2008

Comic Market – Tokyo, Japan

(Primarily a Comics Convention)

December 31, 2008

First Night Boston – Boston, Massachusetts (USA)

December 31, 2008 – January 1, 2009

MEW Convention – Vancouver, Washington (USA)

January 2 – 4, 2009

Anime Los Angeles – Los Angeles, California (USA)

Anime South – Destin, Florida (USA)

January 9 – 11, 2009

Anime Addicts Convention – Memphis, Tennessee (USA)

(Re-Scheduled for 2/27/2009 – 3/1/2009)

Sac-Anime – Sacramento, California (USA)

January 10-11, 2009 – NEWLY ADDED!

Pokettokon – East Peoria, IL (USA)

January 16 – 18, 2009

UppCon – Uppsala, Sweden (Site language is Swedish)

January 16 – 19, 2009

Arisia – Cambridge, Massachusetts (USA)

(Science Fiction Convention)

January 17 – 18, 2009

Setsucon – State College, Pennsylvania (USA)

January 18, 2009

SoDak Con – Rapid City, South Dakota (USA)

January 23 – 25, 2009

Genericon – Troy, New York (USA)

Phoenix Comicon – Mesa, Arizona (USA)

(Primarily a Comics Convention)

January 30 – February 1, 2009

Ohayocon – Columbus, Ohio (USA)

January 31 – February 1, 2009

WAI-Con – Perth, Western Australia (Australia)

If any of you plan to attend the cons, let us know what you’d most excited about. When you get back, feel free to send us a con report!

• A-Kon – Dallas, Texas (USA)
• Epitanime – Paris, France (Site language is French)
• Wizard World Philadelphia – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (USA) — (Primarily a Comics Convention)

June 6 – 8, 2008

• KnoxCon – Gambier, Ohio (USA)
• OMG!!!con – Paducah, Kentucky (USA)
• OtakuOmaha – Omaha, Nebraska (USA)
• Sci-Fi Summer – Marietta, Georgia (USA) — (Primarily a Science Fiction Convention)

June 13 – 15, 2008

• Anime Mid-Atlantic – Virginia Beach, Virginia (USA)
• El Paso Anime Con – El Paso, Texas (USA)

June 14, 2008

• Assimilation – Kissimmee, Florida (USA) — (Primarily a Science Fiction Convention)

June 20 – 22, 2008

• AnimeNEXT – Secaucus, New Jersey (USA)
• Nicon – Hanover, Germany (Site language is German)
• Supanova Pop Culture Expo – Sydney, New South Wales (Australia)
• Yaoi Jamboree – Glendale, Arizona (USA)

June 21, 2008

• Summer Matsuri – Salem, New Hampshire (USA) — (This is a Mini-Con sponsored by Another Anime Convention)
• TFcon Toronto – Toronto, Ontario (Canada) — (This is a Toy Show/Convention)

June 21 – 22, 2008

• AnimeNeves – Ribeirão das Neves, MG (Brazil) (Site language is Portuguese) Note: I believe the site says that the Con has been postponed.
• JAFAX – Allendale, Michigan (USA)

June 25 – 29, 2008

• Origins Game Fair – Columbus, Ohio (USA) — (Primarily a Game Convention)

June 26 – 29, 2008

• Cleveland Colossal Convention – Beachwood, Ohio (USA)
• Wizard World Chicago – Rosemont, Illinois (USA) — (Primarily a Comics Convention) Note: Wizard World Chicago will present the world premiere of Batman Gotham Knight for an evening presentation on June 28, 2008.

June 27 – 29, 2008

• PersaCon – Huntsville, Alabama (USA)
• Supanova Pop Culture Expo – Perth, Western Australia (Australia)

June 27 – 30, 2008

• Gathering of the Gargoyles – Evanston, Illinois (USA) — (A special Con dedicated to the memory of the Gargoyles animated series)

June 28 – 29, 2008

• Made in Japan – Wiener Neustadt, Austria (Site language is German)

• Northern Anime Festival – Oshawa, Ontario (Canada)

July 3 – 6, 2008

• Anime Expo – Los Angeles, California (USA)
• CONvergence – Bloomington, Minnesota (USA) — (Primarily a Science Fiction Convention)
• Gen Con Australia – Brisbane, Queensland (Australia) — (Primarily a Game Convention)
• PortConMaine – Portland, Maine (USA)

July 5 – 6, 2008

• AniMex – Monterrey, NL (Mexico) (Site language is Spanish)
• Mecra Summer – Taipei, Taiwan (Site language is Chinese)

July 10 – 13, 2008

• Portus 2008 – Dallas, Texas (USA) — (Primarily a Harry Potter Convention)

July 12 – 13, 2008

• Anime TuCon – Tucson, Arizona (USA)

July 17 – 20, 2008

• Anime Friends – São Paulo, Brazil (Site language is Portuguese)

July 18 – 20, 2008

• AniMix – Killeen, Texas (USA) Note: This is their inaugural Con.
• Daigacon – Bowling Green, Kentucky (USA) Note: This Con has been postponed.
• Ikasucon – Fort Wayne, Indiana (USA)
• Metrocon – Tampa, Florida (USA)

July 19, 2008

• DC Anime Cosplay Party 2008 – Silver Spring, Maryland (USA) — (This is a cosplay event)

July 19 – 20, 2008

• WonderFest – Louisville, Kentucky (USA) — (Primarily a Model and Toy Convention)

July 24 -27, 2008

• Comic-Con International: San Diego – San Diego, California (USA) — (Primarily a Comics Convention)

July 25 – 27, 2008

• Ai-Kon – Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada)
• Animecon – São Paulo, Brazil (Site language is Portuguese)
• MACOnvention – Leonding, Austria (Site language is German)

July 25 – 28, 2008

• Tokonatsu – Milton Bryan, England (UK) Note: This is an outdoor (camping) festival.

July 26 – 27, 2008

• Animecon – Tampereen, Finland (Site language is Finnish)
• AVCon – Adelaide, South Australia (Australia)
• Otakuthon – Montreal, Quebec (Canada) (Site languages are French and English)

I know many fans are die-hard con goers and forgo even the basics, such as food and a bed, to attend cons. On the second day of the con I always see people eying my food the way they would a scantily clad cosplayer. That and the kinked necks suggest sleeping arrangements akin to a shoddily stacked set of Lincoln Logs. That’s dedication to the con spirit, but at my ripe old age of 31, dedication is running from panel to panel, staying up late to update the site and interviewing whoever I can whenever I can.

I can’t see myself sharing a room with any but my closest pals and I’ve gotten attached to eating at least once a day. I also suffer from an acute case of Princess and the Pea Syndrome. It’s a horrible malady which makes it impossible for me to sleep on anything that doesn’t have at least six inches of padding, i.e. a mattress.

When con season rolls around, are you ready for it? Were you scrimping all year and living off ramen to save for a convention? Have you saved up big time for the big cons, or are you going to buy a ticket and wing it from there? Do you have a con ticket and a hotel but can’t pay the rent? Are you set to converge at a convention or are you the guy with the sign, “WiLl GloMp fOr FoOD?” Do you go without meals? A bath? A room? Merchandise? What do you sacrifice to attend a con?

Share what you’ve forgone, or will forgo, to attend an anime convention in the comments below!

• Anime Milwaukee – Milwaukee, Wisconsin (USA)
• ConDor Con 2008 – San Diego, California (USA) — (Primarily a Science Fiction Convention)
• MarsCon 2008 – Bloomington, Minnesota (USA): Primarily a Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention

• Minami Con – Southampton, England (UK)

March 7 – 8, 2008

• Neo Noh Con – Amherst, New York (USA)

March 7 – 9, 2008

• All-Con – Addison, Texas (USA)
• Animaritime – Moncton, New Brunswick (Canada)
• MegaCon – Orlando, Florida (USA) — (Primarily a Science Fiction Convention)

March 8, 2008

• Hana*con – Jenks, Oklahoma (USA)
• Nishikaze – Lethbridge, Alberta (Canada)

March 8 – 9, 2008

• 32 Convención de Juegos de Mesa y Comic’s – Monterrey, Mexico (Site language is Spanish)
• Anime Island Convention – Sandy Bay, Tasmania (Australia)
• Paris Manga – Paris, France (Site language is French)
• S.A.V.E. Konvention – Stephenville, Texas (USA) — (Primarily a Gaming Convention)

March 13 – 16, 2008

• Anime Oasis – Boise, Idaho (USA)
• Comics in Leipzig – Leipzig, Germany — (Primarily a Comics Convention)

March 14 – 16, 2008

• Anime Wasabi – Denver, Colorado (USA)
• FITcon – Melbourne, Florida (USA)
• Wizard World Los Angeles – Los Angeles, California (USA) — (Primarily a Comics Convention)

March 15, 2008

• Cosplay Day Out 2008 – Humble, Texas (USA) — (Includes a cosplay photo shoot and contest)
• Taiwan Comic – Tapei, Taiwan (Site language is Chinese with some English)

March 15 – 16, 2008

• MomoCon – Atlanta, Georgia (USA)
• Toronto AnimeCon – Toronto, Ontario (Canada)

March 21 – 23, 2008

• Anime Boston – Boston, Massachusetts (USA)
• Anime Express – Daytona Beach, Florida (USA)
• Anime Matsuri – The Woodlands, Texas (USA)
• AniZona – Litchfield Park, Arizona (USA) — Con has been canceled

March 22, 2008

• Seito ChibiCon – San Jose, California (USA)

March 27 – 30, 2008

• Tokyo International Anime Fair – Tokyo, Japan (Site languages are Japanese and English)

March 28 – 30, 2008

• Anime St. Louis – St. Louis, Missouri (USA)
• ConBust – Northampton, Massachusetts (USA) — (Con has a focus on women in science fiction/fantasy/anime/gaming)
• JAMPcon – Chattanooga, Tennessee (USA)

• Naruto Trek Convention – Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (USA) — (As the name implies, the Con has a focus on Naruto and Star Trek)
• Sakura-Con – Seattle, Washington (USA)
• Supanova Pop Culture Expo – Melbourne, Victoria (Australia)

March 29, 2008

• Animarathon – Bowling Green, Ohio (USA)
• Tosho-Con – Largo, Florida (USA)

March 29 – 30, 2008

• ConTopia – Wuppertal, Germany (Site language is German)

• MAGNIFIcon – Kraków, Poland (Site language is Polish)

April 4 – 6, 2008

• Anime Detour – Bloomington, Minnesota (USA)
• EyeCon – Orlando, Florida (USA) — (a multi-genre Celebrity Autograph Convention)
• I-Con – Stony Brook, NY — (Primarily a Science Fiction Convention)
• Supanova Pop Culture Expo – Brisbane, Queensland (Australia)

April 5, 2008

• ChibiFest – Las Vegas, Nevada (USA)

April 5 – 6, 2008

• FreeCon – Tallahassee, Florida (USA)
• The Asian Karaoke Idol Invitational – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (USA)

April 11 – 13, 2008

• Anime Punch! – Columbus, Ohio (USA)
• J-Junk – Groß-Gerau, Germany (Site language is German)
• Tekkoshocon – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (USA)
• UBCon – Buffalo, New York (USA) — (Primarily a Gaming Convention)

April 12, 2008

• O-Conn – Helotes, Texas (USA)

April 12 – 13, 2008

• Game Anime Manga Experience – Paris, France (Site language is French)

April 13, 2008

• Castle Point Anime Convention – Hoboken, New Jersey (USA)

April 17 – 20, 2008

• Saló Internacional del Còmic – Barcelona, Spain (Site language is Spanish) — (Primarily a Comics Convention)

April 18 – 20, 2008

• Kawaii Kon – Honolulu, Hawaii (USA)

• New York Comic Con – New York, New York (USA) — (Primarily a Comics Convention)
• No Brand Con – Eau Claire, Wisconsin (USA)

April 19, 2008

• Anime Fannatiku – St. George, Utah (USA)

April 19 – 20, 2008

• Armageddon Expo Wellington – Wellington, New Zealand

April 20, 2008

• Shinboku Con – Elyria, Ohio (USA)

April 24 – 27, 2008

• BotCon – Cincinnati, Ohio (USA) — (Primarily a Transformers Convention)

April 25 – 27, 2008

• Gen Con Paris – Montreuil, France (Site language is French with summaries in English, German, and Spanish) — (Primarily a Gaming Convention)

• Middle Tennessee Anime Convention – Nashville, Tennessee (USA)

April 25 – 28, 2008

• 

  Costume-Con – San Jose, California (USA) — (a Con for professional and hobbyist costumers)

April 26, 2008

• Minifest – Melbourne, Victoria (Australia) — (a miniature version of Manifest)
• Shukuya-Con – Clearwater, Florida (USA)
• Tora-Con – Rochester, NY

April 26 – 27, 2008

• Armageddon Expo Christchurch – Christchurch, New Zealand
• Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo – Calgary, Alberta (Canada)