Sogen Con
Encyclopedia
Sogen Con is an anime convention
which found its origins in Marshall, Minnesota
in the United States
in late May 2005. After two years hosted by the Mustang Anime Otaku, Sogen Con has come under the control of Otaku Incorporated, a non-profit group.
By moving to Sioux Falls, Sogen Con has become the first anime convention in South Dakota
.
, video games, tabletop gaming, fan panels, a dance, viewing rooms, competitions, and a dealer's room.
The staff of Sogen also seem to strive to find new and interesting events and ideas in addition to these, including Resident Evil-themed capture the flag
(in which some guests have chosen to participate in past years) and "zombie tag" LARPS, the "All Otaku Lunch Hour" - a one or two hour period in the afternoon, during which nothing is scheduled so that attendees may shower, eat, or sleep without fear of missing programming, and the "Wake Up With _" mornings - a viewing room event usually featuring a complimentary breakfast and an anime of an extremely graphic and mature nature (Gantz
, Elfin Lied).
Events which are relatively rare at most conventions, but which are not exclusive to SogenCon include a Gothic Lolita Tea Party, an improvisational comedy event featuring special guests, and a musical guest - either in concert separate from, or as a featured DJ at, the dance (Eyeshine, Greg Ayres - AKA DJ Bam2).
Frequent mention is made of "MON MON", but it is unclear as to what (person or event) this refers.
The Game (game) is also a frequently revisited theme amongst staff and attendees.
One member of the planning staff is supposedly responsible for having spread The Game to the convention staff, and to the convention at large, and has been recognized for their efforts.
, as a new event supported by the anime club he founded as a student group of the same institution (The Mustang Anime Otaku). Despite the student group basis, both the anime club and the planning committee for Sogen were open to the general public. This was the first year to begin the tradition of referencing The Game (game), with a complete rules list within the guide.
The first two years utilized the school campus as a venue, with the help of members from the Mustang anime Otaku, the school's theater arts program (and facilities), and the school's newly renovated Student and Convention Center. The floor plan for the convention used little of the total available space in the majority of the available buildings, but had the advantage of multiple lounges, auditoriums, courtyards, and even the dormitories (which were rented to attendees in the first year).
The third year (2007) saw Sogen moved to a new venue, in a different state, with an attached hotel. The convention booked (and filled) the majority share of the center and hotel with events and attendees, but the center was quintuple-booked that weekend, with the convention, two weddings, a hockey game, and an Elton John
concert, with mixed reviews from the attendees regarding the success of the convention at keeping the intermingling of events to a minimum. Sogen received help from attending staff from other conventions including Anime Detour
, NebrasKon and NoBrandCon, as well as members of The Neko Army, in order to adjust to and equip the new venue.
Officially, attendance was rated as being satisfactory, but a lead member of the planning staff has stated that "a heavier emphasis has been placed on local (South Dakota
) promotions for coming years." This year also featured a food shelf drive and a charity art auction for animal shelters.
Results from the September 2008 event are still pending.
Anime convention
An anime convention is an event or gathering with a primary focus on anime, manga and Japanese culture. Commonly, anime conventions are multi-day events hosted at convention centers, hotels or college campuses. They feature a wide variety of activities and panels...
which found its origins in Marshall, Minnesota
Marshall, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,735 people, 4,914 households, and 2,914 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,537.0 people per square mile . There were 5,182 housing units at an average density of 625.4 per square mile...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in late May 2005. After two years hosted by the Mustang Anime Otaku, Sogen Con has come under the control of Otaku Incorporated, a non-profit group.
By moving to Sioux Falls, Sogen Con has become the first anime convention in South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
.
Programming
Sogen Con has usual programming in the sense that the schedule and floor plan contain many of the staples considered "usual" to anime conventions in general: cosplayCosplay
, short for "costume play", is a type of performance art in which participants don costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea. Characters are often drawn from popular fiction in Japan, but recent trends have included American cartoons and science fiction...
, video games, tabletop gaming, fan panels, a dance, viewing rooms, competitions, and a dealer's room.
The staff of Sogen also seem to strive to find new and interesting events and ideas in addition to these, including Resident Evil-themed capture the flag
Capture the flag
Capture the Flag is a traditional outdoor sport generally played by children, where two teams each have a flag and the objective is to capture the other team's flag, located at the team's "base," and bring it safely back to their own base...
(in which some guests have chosen to participate in past years) and "zombie tag" LARPS, the "All Otaku Lunch Hour" - a one or two hour period in the afternoon, during which nothing is scheduled so that attendees may shower, eat, or sleep without fear of missing programming, and the "Wake Up With _" mornings - a viewing room event usually featuring a complimentary breakfast and an anime of an extremely graphic and mature nature (Gantz
Gantz
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiroya Oku. Gantz tells the story of Kei Kurono and his friend Masaru Kato who die in a train accident and become part of a semi-posthumous "game" in which they and several other recently deceased people are forced to hunt down and kill aliens...
, Elfin Lied).
Events which are relatively rare at most conventions, but which are not exclusive to SogenCon include a Gothic Lolita Tea Party, an improvisational comedy event featuring special guests, and a musical guest - either in concert separate from, or as a featured DJ at, the dance (Eyeshine, Greg Ayres - AKA DJ Bam2).
Frequent mention is made of "MON MON", but it is unclear as to what (person or event) this refers.
The Game (game) is also a frequently revisited theme amongst staff and attendees.
One member of the planning staff is supposedly responsible for having spread The Game to the convention staff, and to the convention at large, and has been recognized for their efforts.
History
Sogen Con was originally created by Robert Doss, a (then) student of Southwest Minnesota State UniversitySouthwest Minnesota State University
Southwest Minnesota State University is a public, four-year university that is part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System. It is located in Marshall, Minnesota, United States, a city of 13,000 people. The school has a full-time enrollment of approximately 3,500 students and...
, as a new event supported by the anime club he founded as a student group of the same institution (The Mustang Anime Otaku). Despite the student group basis, both the anime club and the planning committee for Sogen were open to the general public. This was the first year to begin the tradition of referencing The Game (game), with a complete rules list within the guide.
The first two years utilized the school campus as a venue, with the help of members from the Mustang anime Otaku, the school's theater arts program (and facilities), and the school's newly renovated Student and Convention Center. The floor plan for the convention used little of the total available space in the majority of the available buildings, but had the advantage of multiple lounges, auditoriums, courtyards, and even the dormitories (which were rented to attendees in the first year).
The third year (2007) saw Sogen moved to a new venue, in a different state, with an attached hotel. The convention booked (and filled) the majority share of the center and hotel with events and attendees, but the center was quintuple-booked that weekend, with the convention, two weddings, a hockey game, and an Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
concert, with mixed reviews from the attendees regarding the success of the convention at keeping the intermingling of events to a minimum. Sogen received help from attending staff from other conventions including Anime Detour
Anime Detour
Anime Detour is an anime convention held at Bloomington, Minnesota in the United States. Anime Detour typically takes place near the end of March or the beginning of April.-Programming:Anime Detour's programming is common with those of other anime conventions...
, NebrasKon and NoBrandCon, as well as members of The Neko Army, in order to adjust to and equip the new venue.
Officially, attendance was rated as being satisfactory, but a lead member of the planning staff has stated that "a heavier emphasis has been placed on local (South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
) promotions for coming years." This year also featured a food shelf drive and a charity art auction for animal shelters.
Results from the September 2008 event are still pending.
Event history
| Dates | Location | Atten. | Guests |
|---|
Event merchandise
In the first three years, Sogen created and t-shirts which merchandised the slogans "Sleep is For Losers", "I've been wearing this shirt all weekend.", bumper stickers with "If Only Life Was As Simple As Evangelion", and several items with the phrase "Veni, Vidi, Amitti" ("I came, I saw, I lost", in reference to The Game (game).External links
- Sogen Con's official website