Tsubasacon 2018

Tsubasacon 2018 is Friday October 5th to Sunday October 7th at the Big Sandy Superstore Area and Conference Center in Huntington.  This year’s theme is Fantasy/RPG.

Guests for this year are David Vincent (Jo Jo’s Bizarre Adventure, Hunter x Hunter), Paul St. Peter (Kingdom Hearts, Digimon), Megan Shipman (New Game, Show by Rock), Jeannie Tirado (Black Clover, Tokyo Ghoul); musical guests Mickey Mason, game show host Greggo, guests panelists Vitamin H and Mako Gems Productions.

Events at the con include.  anime viewing rooms, guests Q&A and autographs, game shows, concerts, masquerade ball on Friday night and Saturday night dance, fan panels and guest panels, workshops, AMV League Contest, yoga, cosplay contest on Saturday, the Carolina Manga Library, artist alley, vendors, foam combat from Blackfire Valley Amtgard and The Imperial Legion, panels from fans and guests, photoshoots, and more.

For video games area Rare Drops will have consoles for play, Japanese arcade machines from Tokyo Attack, pachinko machines from Pachinko Fever, Room-Scale VR from Key Virtual Events, and a Mobile Gaming area.  Table-top games for this year include D&D Adventure League from Time Warp Games, Warhammer and other wargames demos from Dragon Den, tabletop demos from Envoy, Pathfinder Society, Call of Cthulhu, board game library from Huntington Unplugged Gaming Society, Reaper Paint and Take on Saturday, card gaming demos and tournaments of Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon, Transformers, and Dragon Ball Super from The Goblin Traders, anime board games and RPG by Otaku@DEEP (which is me), and more.

Weekend passes at the door are $50.  Day passes are $30 for Friday, $40 for Saturday, and $20 for Sunday.  You can also get a Gaming only badge, which allows you into the arena with the table-top and video game areas, for $40.  Day passes for this is $20 for Friday, $30 for Saturday, and $10 for Sunday.  Children ten and under get in free.  Kids from 12 to 18 can get in for $20.

Fans of anime and cosplay will finds lots to love at this con.

2018 Classic Plastic Toy & Comic Expo

The fifth annual Classic Plastic Toy & Comic Expo is at the Parkersburg Arts Center in Parkersburg this Saturday March 3rd (10am-6pm) and Sunday March 4th (11am-5pm). The event is run by the Classic Plastic Toy

The guests of honor for this year are Jim Henson puppeteer and toy designer Timothy Clarke and body capture for Mortal Kombat I & II Daniel Pesina. Others guests Jordan Patton from Face Off and Dead Necks and comic creator James Patrick.

The main part of the expo of course is the vendors.  This year’s dealer will be selling vintage and new toys, comics, graphic novels, Funkos, cross stitch, tarot readings, books, board games, video games, consoles, artists, authors, comic creators, anime and manga, plush, geeky crafts, pez, and much more for all.  Several premiers items and prints will be available

Events for this year include a cosplay contest on Saturday, Rope Dart Demo by Daniel Pesina on both days, a Mortal Kombat 2 tournament on Saturday, food by DM’s Pizza Shop, and open gaming for both video and table-top from Rare Drops and The Industry. There will also be a special showing of the Dark Crystal at the nearby Smoot Theatre.  Doors open at 7pm, show starts at 7:30pm, and a Q&A with Timothy Clarke who worked on the film afterwards.  Parkersburg’s Savor Saturday will be going on at the same time to go and check out.

Admission is $5 and free for children ten and under.  All the proceeds go to the art center and Downtown Parkersburg.

A very nice event for collectors, gamers, cosplayers, and those who want to hang out with fellow nerds and geeks.

Two Cons For Good Causes

This Saturday November 4th two different cons will both be running in Charleston to raise money for charity.

At the Capital City Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police in Charleston will hold this year’s Extra Life Con, a board game convention to raise money for WVU Children Hospital.  The event goes from 11am to 11pm and is part of the Extra Life charity Game Day.

From 2pm to 8pm there will be raffles for over a dozen donated prizes; such as board games and two passes to the Lock & Coded Escape Rooms.  Entry to the event comes with five free tickets and you can buy more for $1 each.

There will be pods of Magic Commander, with free booster packs given out, through out the day as they get enough people.  No extra fee to play.  A tournament table will be set up with different games you can join for $2.  Winners will receive an extra ten raffle tickets.  Games will be played as they fill up.

The board game library from CharCon will have around fifty games for anyone to try and play.  Donate old games and buy news ones, with the money going to the WVU Children’s Hospital.

Entry to the event is $25.

Mountain State Pop Expo will be at the South Charleston Holiday Inn and Suites both Saturday and Sunday.  It is a celebration of fandom and a benefit for the Children’s Home Society of WV.  The vendor room is open from 10am to 6pm with events in the panel rooms going even later.

Set up will be artists, writers, cosplayers, comic and toy dealers, the 501st, nerdy craft makers, video games, video production companies, Ghostbusters, table-top games, and more fun stuff to buy.

There will be a performance from Final Form Fusion belly-dancing, a cosplay contest, raffle prizes, and panels (including one on Nerd Music from myself).

Tickets are $10 for one day or $15 for both.

Either event looks like fun and helps out a good cause.  In fact you could do both if you really wanted.

 

Tsubasacon 2017

Tsubasacon is back this Friday October 13th through Sunday October 15th at the Big Sandy Superstore Area and Conference Center in Huntington.  This year’s theme is “Feudal Japan.”

Voice actor guests for this year are Leah Clark (Deadman Wonderland, Soul Eater), Kristen McGuire (Assassination Classroom, comic artist), Robert Axelrod (Power Rangers, Digimon), and Austin Tindle (Tokyo Ghoul, Attack on Titan).

Other guests are cosplay band Eien Strife, professional panelists Vitamin H Productions, The Carolina Manga Library, Japanese arcade machines from Tokyo Attack, foam weapon combat group Sleeping Samurai, game show host Greg Wicker, and pachinko machines from Pachinko Fever.

They will have all the standard anime con events: panels for learn and/or fun, cosplay contests, rave, artist alley, vendor room with a kinds of goods, cosplayers, autographs, game shows, masquerade ball, concerts, viewing rooms, guests Q&A, AMV League, maid café, and plenty of chances to meet fellow fans.  There will also be areas, tournaments, meet-ups, and more for video gaming, pachinko machines, mobile video and phone gaming, collectible card gaming, Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, Warhammer and other war miniature games, and a board game library from the Huntington Unplugged Gaming Society.

Convention Registration is $45 for a weekend badge, $30 for Friday only, $40 Saturday only, and $20 for Sunday only.  Children between 8-12 badges are $20 for the weekend.  Children under seven get in free.  They also have a gaming wristband that only that only allows you into the gaming area of the con for $35 for the weekend.  Single day gaming wristbands available too.

The con is great for fans of anime, cosplay, table-top and video gaming, and a bit of general nerdery.  It is I think the most varied and diverse cons in the state.  Though sometime loud, crowded, and full of young people having fun.  I am not a big fan of “fun.”

Power Up 2017

The Tri-State retro video game convention Power Up returns this Saturday September 2nd from 11am to 7pm at the Conference Center of the Big Sandy Arena in Huntington.

Plenty of vendors selling old and new video games, consoles, ROM Hacks, peripherals, homebrew games to buy or test, and more.  Extra Life Game Repair will be on hand to repair anything you need help with; part of the proceeds from repairs will go the Children’s Hospital at Cabell Huntington Hospital.

Plus vendors and exhibitors selling comics, figures, art, buttons, patches, card games, cosplay prints, plush, and other creations and items to buy.  Joe’s Magical Foundation will have a photo booth with special background images to create custom pictures.  They will be donating their money to charity as well.  And look out for tables doing give aways.

For guests they have Kiss A Frog and Santana Cosplay, 8 Bit Brody, Game Chasers Grimsie42,

Besides just a room full of video games to play, there will be a Super Smash Bro tournament for a $50 gift card at noon.  Various other mini tournaments in different genres will pop up through out the day to get in on.  They also have Pokémon Gym Leaders for 3v3 battles to win badges.

There will be a Power Down room to get away from all the action.  The Huntington Unplugged Gaming Society will have board games to try, Hometown Hobbies will be running a Magic: The Gathering modern format tournament for a $100 gift card, Pokémon TCG  tournaments, video game trivia with Electric Tapes, and Final Form Fusion will be doing some belly dancing at noon,

Admission is $5 and free for kids twelve and under.  This year’s t-shirts will be available for $20.  Leftovers from previous year’s will be $15.

Fans for video gaming will want to go to this.  Great shopping and people to meet.

First Willcon

The first Williamson Pop Culture and Entertainment Convention, Willcon, takes place this Saturday August 26th at the Williamson Field House in Williamson from 10am to 6pm.  The event is put on by the Williamson Convention Visitor Bureau and meant to give the Tug Valley area an event to attract fans of all kind.

Their line-up of guests are Bram Stoker Award winning editor Michael Knost, writers Steven Paul Watson, Chris Estep; Old World Comics & Killers Serials; film makers Sal Lizard, Funtime Productions, the Green Goblin head from the movie Maximum Overdrive; cosplayers Noble Armory, Xehnis Cosplay; Jeremy Ambler, effects studio Hainted FX, band Black Coal Brass Quintet, Transformers Bumblebee replica, light saber combat Odd Todd’s Tournament of Champions, and comic creator Travis Tomblin.

They will have a special exhibit from the art departments from local high schools and others.  Plus several artists in attendance.  Their line up of vendors will be selling video games and consoles, gaming supplies, comic books, graphic novels, board and card games, RPGs, toys, action figures, POPS, art, plush, jewelry, crochet items and other nerdy crafts, steampunk apparel, totes, and more.

The will have laser tag from Autannaco Family Fun Center, two escape rooms from Adventure Games, face painting, panels on anime and Game of Thrones, Pokémon Scavenger Hunt, cosplay contest, light saber battle demo, photo studio, music performances, writer’s workshop, and more.  Table top gaming will be hosted by Play and Paint and include table game demos, gaming library, tournaments for Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Pokémon TCG.  Mario Kart 8 and Smash Bros tournaments by Rare Drops.

Admission is just $5 and free for kids under 10.

Another small event with a little bit of all kinds of fandoms for everyone to enjoy.

 

Tri-con 2017

Tricon returns once again at the Big Sandy Superstore Arena in Huntington on Saturday June 3rd from 10am to 6pm.

Featured guests for this year are Paul Allor (TMNT, Secret Empire), Darryl Banks (Green Lanter, Legion of Superheroes), Eryk Donovan (Memetic, Constantine), Rob Dumo (Robyn Hood, The Gutters), Samantha Glow (Welcome to Showside), Jason Lewis (Star Trek, Mars Attack), Drew Moss (Outlaw Territory, Creepy), Ian McGinty (Rick & Morty, Bravest Warriors), Rico Renzi (Spider-Gwen, Squirrel Girl), Rusty Shackles (Hardcore Gaming 101, Insert-Quarter Bin), Tim Shinn (Batman Rebirth, Grumpy Cat), Matt Slay (TMNT, CBLDF), Beau Smith (Wynonna Earp, Guy Gardner Warrior), Chris Yambar (Simpsons, Suicide Blonde), and there will be even more at the con.  Non comic guests this year are former WWE wrestler the Boogeyman (in full makeup) and voice actor Neil Kaplan (Netflix Voltron, League of Legends, Digimon, Power Rangers).

Exhibitors include Planet Plush, Mike Belcher, Edward Brenwalt, Bubble and Geek, Bob Corby, Disposable Fiction Comics, Mason Easley, Andrew Eschenbach, ElectroMagnetic Press, Jeremy Frech, Rodney Fyke, Andrew Horton, Ken Kirk, Brett Pinson, Lauren Sparks, and so many more creators of various products.

There will be local and distant vendors selling comics (modern and key issues), graphic novels, manga, toys, sport cards, figures, collectibles, video games, buttons, perler beads, decals, custom boxes and plaques, board and card games, t-shirts, Gunpla, and so many other things for all nerds to look over.  DZNuts and Cards will have a Professional Comic Grader on hand.

They will have panels on marketing comics and creating comics, a Q&A with Neil Kaplan, and Chris Yambar.  There will also be a charity auction at 4:30pm to raise money for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and a cosplay contest at 5pm.  They also have a coloring station for kids.

There will be a Drink & Draw Friday June 2nd at Sharkeys from 8pm to midnight with some of the con’s guests.

Tickets are only $10 and children ten and under get in free.

Looks like another good year for fans of comics, collectables, and those who just want to hang out.

Causeacon

Causeacon will be at the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center in Beckley from Friday April 28th to Sunday April 30th.

Causeacon is Beckley’s first ever Pop Culture convention, which includes all fandoms from anime, gaming, cosplay and whatever else they can get. All proceeds of the convention will benefit the Women’s Resource Center in Beckley WV.

Guests are Chad Lindberg, actor in Supernatural, Fast and the Furious, October Sky, and many more, plus he is a paranormal  investigator.  Singer and actor Jennifer Cihi who was the singing voice of Sailor Moon and on Nickelodeon’s Roundhouse.  Playwright and novelist Stafanie DeLeo.  Jeremy Ambler from the Walking Dead and other horror projects.  Bob Denver’s widow, and actor in her own right, Dreama Denver.  Liberty High School’s Rock Music Ensemble Groovus Phaticus and nerdy belly dance troupe Final Form Fusion,

Events include a Friday night Formal Cosplay Ball, Saturday night Galactic Rave, cosplay masquerade on Saturday, game shows Otaku Bingo and Finish the Lyrics: Disney Edition, anime screening room, an artist alley, Ghostbusters, panels, an Instagram contest, foam combat with Sleeping Samurai.  Fright Nights at Glade Springs will have a mini haunted house set up at the con to enjoy.  The Women’s resource Center is holding a book drive raffle for children and preteen’s book, the more books you give the room tickets you will get.

A video game room will be run by Rare Drops and have tournaments for Super Smash Bros, Mario Kart 8, Mortal Kombat X, Injustice, and Goldeneye.  Lost Legion Games & Comics will be hosting a board game room with demos scheduled all weekend and a board game library.  They will also be holding tournaments for Magic and Pokémon; Dragon’s Den will be holding a Yu-Gi-Oh tournament as well.  Dragon’s Den is also doing a Warhammer 40k demo.

The Vendor Room will have dealers with video games, comics, costumes, figurines, toys, posters, wall scrolls, manga, anime, hats, t-shirts, collectibles, trading cards, energy drinks, and more.

Tickets are $30 for the weekend, $15 for Friday or Saturday, and $25 for Saturday.  You can preregister or buy at the door.

Another mixed con of various fandoms all for a good cause.  Bunch of stuff for everyone to check out.

2017’s Classic Plastics Toy & Comic Expo

This year’s Classic Plastics Toy & Comic Expo is this Saturday March 4th from 10am to 5pm and Sunday March 5th from 11am to 4pm at the Parkersburg Art Center.  The show is put on by Classic Plastic Toy Store, Downtown PKB, and Parkersburg Art Center.  Proceeds from the event go to the Parkersburg Art Center and Downtown PKB.

The expo will have guests Steve Cardenas the 2nd red ranger in Might Morphin Power Rangers and Tim Clarke who worked in Jim Henson’s Creature Shop and created the toy lines of Boglins and Sectaurs both days.  Others of note are Remix Pro Wrestling will have their Remix Pro Riot Champion Jack Pollock at their table on Sunday, cosplay groups 501st, Mandalorian Mercs, and the WV Ghostbusters with their 30ft Stay Puft, local film production companies casts and crew of Dirty Candy Productions and Dizzyboy Productions, comic creators James Patrick and Jason Pell.

There will be vendors with toys, comics, cosplay items, collectables, movies, anime and manga, video games and systems, Pez, games, nerdy crafts, action figures, geeky accessories, and plenty more to look through.  There will be artists at the expo selling prints and comics plus doing commissions, and caricatures.  There will be two exclusive art prints at the show, one from Glen Brogan and one from Ren Mckinzie.  DM’s Pizza Shop and Bombshell Cupcakes & Cookies will be selling food during the event as well.

There will be cosplay contest on Saturday with categories in Juniors, Original Design, Novice, Journeyman, and Master.  The Industry Game Center will be running table top gaming this year.  They will have an open game library both days, Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG events, Dicemasters Draft and Pokémon Draft tournaments on Saturday and a Hero Realms Tournament on Sunday.  Rare Drops will be set up with retro gaming and tournaments.  The Vienna Public Library will be hosting kid friendly events on Sunday like Superhero Story time, LEGO building, and Comic Book Crafting.  Plus raffles.

On Saturday there will be a special event downtown called Savor Saturday.  Several local restaurants will have samples of their food for only a $1.  If you try every one that is offer you can enter to win tickets to the Taste of Parkersburg in June.  Pokémon Go lures will be dropped at every stop along with way.

Admission is $8 for both days and $5 for one.  Children 10 and under get in free with an adult.

This is shaping up to be the best year yet for the expo.

 

Tsubasacon 2016

Tsubasacon is back for another year this Friday September 30th to Sunday October 2nd at the Big Sandy Superstore Arena and Convention Center in Huntington.

Voice actor guests for this are Steve Blum well know for his work in Cowboy Beebop, Big O, Naruto, Digimon, and many other animes, he also has the Guinness Book of World Record for most voice roles in video games, plus he voiced many incarnations of Wolverine, Amon in Legend of Korra, TOM the host of Toonami, hundreds of other roles and Caitlynn French known for such roles as Shiro from No Game No Life, Miyu Edelfelt Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Lllya, Matsurika from Maria-Holic, and several others from Sentai Filmworks.

This year they have two music acts nerdcore artist and cosplayer Shadow Clone and nerd pop band the Night Sabers.  Other guests are Pachinko Fever who will be bringing a selection of pachinko machines to play, boffer combat troupe Sleeping Samurai, Tokyo Attack who bring a collection of Japanese arcade machines, panelist group Vitamin H, the Carolina Manga Library, and convention game show host Greggo.

Events include game shows by Greggo, two video rooms, formal masquerade ball on Friday night, AMV contest Saturday morning, guest Q&A and autographs, a dance party on Saturday night, two Cosplay Lip Sync contests (one all ages and one 18+), In-Character Contest, an Iron Cosplay Contest on Sunday, and the big cosplay contest on Saturday.  Fan panels on such topics as Fire Emblem, crossplay, Japanese language, several on cosplaying and cosplay culture, Final Fantasy, chainmaile workshop, traveling to Japan, Japanese Culture, Kpop and Jpop, RWBY, and plenty more to check out.

The video gaming section on the con will have a room-scale virtual reality set-up, free play consoles from Rare Drops, tournaments of Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, J Stars Victory, Halo, Pokken, and more through out the weekend and a mobile gaming area.   Hobby gaming will have tournaments provided by Dungeon Dwellers with several tournaments for Magic, Force of Will, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Dice Masters, and Heroclix; plus on a Guild Ball tournament on Saturday and on Sunday a Warmachine and Hordes tournament; the Pathfinder Society will be running scenarios throughout all three days, and a game library from Huntington Unplugged Gaming Society.

In the vendor/artist alley you will be able to find t-shirts, DVDs, manga, cosplay items, figurines, keychains, plushies, wigs, plenty of other accessories and collectibles, jewelry, weapons, Japanese snacks, games, CDs, art prints, comics, steampunk wear, nerdy crafts, and so much more.

It is $45 for the weekend, $30 for just Friday, $20 for just Sunday, and $40 for a Saturday/Sunday badge.  Wristbands that will only get you into the video and table-top gaming sections will be $35 for the weekend, $20 for Friday, $25 for Saturday, and $15 for Sunday.  Children, between ages 7-12, badges are $20 for the weekend and $10 for Sunday both with the purchase of an adult’s.  Children under seven are free.

Fans of cosplay, anime, gaming, internet culture, and the like should all be able to find something to interest them at this con.