The latest con to hit Texas has been a rather special one for me as it showed what Otaku can do when they are threatened… threatened with having their party come to an end, threatened with the possibility of having to go home after having had so much fun already. This con was an example of teamwork and love of the genre. An example of how people can come together to make something happen.
It was Saturday and the con was well underway when an unexpected hitch threatened to shut the entire thing down at 7:30 p.m. The expenses of running a con have never been a secret… it costs a lot and unfortunately this convention overspent and didn’t have enough monetary power to continue going. The damage was to the sum of $12,000. At 6 p.m. the entire con was brought together for the terrible announcement… the con is closing unless $12,000 can be made in the next hour and half to pay off the hotel.
What can Otaku do? Say NO! No to bringing the party to an end! A call was made for donations. With a little under a thousand attendees that meant each person on the average needed to donate $12 bucks or the con was dead, the cosplay contest was dead, everything was dead. I felt this was doable and so donated to the cause and I was not alone. The donation line went out the door. Within 30 minutes an announcement was made. “We have $3000!” A good start but not nearly good enough. Time was running out fast! But then the call came not 10 minutes later. “We have $9000!” “We have $10000!” Cosplayers ran through the con asking for donations! A march for Fandom! Hugs for Dollars! Save a Plushie fund raiser! Even Jesus came down from Heaven and tossed in a wad of cash. A massive cheer went throughout the hotel con area as $12000 was hit.
How does one feel after such an incredible effort? Should I feel cheated that this con forced me to donate to keep it going? Some would say yes but I do not feel cheated. I felt proud and took pride in knowing that ‘I’ and others had taken ownership in a sense and had saved OUR con. It was a con made by fans for fans and the fans had spoken! Our party! You can’t stop the con!
This will go down as a fond memory for me! A fiasco turned into a powerful display of love and friendship among strangers. I LOVE OTAKU! I LOVE ANIME! *Tear*