TsubasaCon
Encyclopedia
Tsubasacon is a three day anime convention
held on a weekend during the fall. Tsubasacon is also the first anime convention to be held in West Virginia
. The convention's name is a blend of the words tsubasa (Japanese
for wings) and convention.
Tsubasacon allows patrons to "preregister" for the convention online prior to the start dates. Although attendees are still able to purchase their badges (the equivalent of a daily admission ticket) at the door, a preregistration is less costly than the door prices and preregistration badges typically showplace alternate, "premium" art.
resident Jeffrey Mace who was originally interested in beginning a state-wide anime club. The decision to abandon a state anime club in favor of an actual anime convention was made after considering that the logistics and participation of periodic club meetings would be less successful as opposed to one large annual gathering. The Charleston Anime and Manga Society, Inc. was established soon afterward in order to take care of the business aspects of the convention. On February 16, 2004, The Charleston Anime and Manga Society, Inc. made the announcement that Tsubasacon, West Virginia's first ever anime convention, would be taking place later that year in Charleston.
During the 2005 convention the following year, the attendance dropped from 407 to 227. The drop was attributed to many factors by both staff and convention attendees alike. The most cited reason was that Tsubasacon was held on Thanksgiving
weekend, which conflicted with the schedules of many prospective attendees. Other reasons included the admitted lack of promotion by the convention's organizers and a breakdown in the convention's website, preventing the organizers from providing timely information to the public.
After the 2005 convention, control of Tsubasacon was transferred from the Charleston Anime and Manga Society, Inc. to Tsubasacon, Inc. Because of conflicts with the Charleston Civic Center that resulted from the 2005 convention, Tsubasacon was moved to the Riverfront Ballroom and Conference Center at the Big Sandy Superstore Arena
in Huntington, West Virginia
. The convention was also moved ahead to October 13–15.
2007 saw the first charity drive by the convention, as attendees were encouraged to bring nonperishable food for the Huntington Area Food Bank. Over 170 food items were donated and $51 was raised by the charity event. In the following year, Tsubasacon began offering cash prices for its cosplay contests.
-based organization Tsubasacon, Inc.
Several months after the 2005 convention, The Charleston Anime and Manga Society, Inc. disbanded and control of the "Tsubasacon" name and convention was relinquished to Michael Thompson of Cool Ridge, West Virginia. Tsubasacon, Inc. was created shortly thereafter by Thompson in order to handle the business-end of the convention planning.
Tsubasacon, Inc. currently staffs over thirty non-paid volunteers who help with the various responsibilities of the convention, both during its planning stages and at the actual convention. Additional volunteers are also utilized during the convention to assist the staff with general upkeep, security, and other minor tasks.
until 2006. For the 2005 convention, images of three angel-like characters, collectively known as the Angel-chans, by Raven's Dojo were used to illustrate the Tsubasacon Website. The angels — named Fun Angel, Sexy Angel and Cute Angel — were also used to illustrate the cover of the program guide during Tsubasacon 2005.
After the convention, a movement on the Tsubasacon Forums was created to officially adopt the Angel-chans as the convention's mascots. However, during the 2006 convention's planning stages, the Tsubasacon, Inc. Board of Directors (as well as popular vote on the Tsubasacon forums) decided to adopt a new mascot design. The unnamed 2006 mascot was designed by Tiffany White and was used on flyers, badges, programs, and t-shirts.
A new character design, created by Richelle Thompson, was utilized on badges and programs for the 2008 convention. During the closing ceremonies, the winners of Tsubasacon's mascot naming and background story contest were announced, dubbing the character Mitsuki
.
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...
held on a weekend during the fall. Tsubasacon is also the first anime convention to be held in West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. The convention's name is a blend of the words tsubasa (Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
for wings) and convention.
Programming
Like most anime conventions, Tsubasacon provides a wide variety of programming for its patrons:- Viewing rooms dedicated to non-stop animeAnimeis the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
and live action films. Three meeting rooms are traditionally dedicated to anime viewing from the time the convention begins until shortly before closing ceremonies (an estimated 110 hours of films during the entire weekend). - Workshops and "panels" including study abroadStudy abroadStudying abroad is the act of a student pursuing educational opportunities in a country other than one's own. This can include primary, secondary and post-secondary students...
adverts, 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...
creation, martial artsMartial artsMartial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
demonstrations, specific anime / genre panels, and industry Q&A sessions. The majority of panels are presented by fans, while some are the product of industry professionals. - Vending area where dealers sell anime-related apparel and merchandise during the convention.
- Artists' Alley, an area dedicated to artists interested in displaying or selling their fan artFan artFan art or fanart is artwork that is based on a character, costume, collage, item, or story that was created by someone other than the artist, such as a fan, from which the word is derived from. The term, while it can apply to art done by fans of characters from books, is usually used to refer to...
. - Game shows and "live programming" which run throughout the day allow attendees to test their knowledge of anime, as well as give the winners the opportunity to win prizes.
- Video gaming roomVideo arcadeAn amusement arcade or video arcade is a venue where people play arcade games such as video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, merchandisers , or coin-operated billiards or air hockey tables...
with a variety of consoles and games as an alternate form of entertainment. Along with "free play", tournaments are periodically held with popular multiplayer games such as Super Smash Bros., HaloHalo (video game series)Halo is a multi-million dollar science fiction video game franchise created by Bungie and now managed by 343 Industries and owned by Microsoft Studios. The series centers on an interstellar war between humanity and a theocratic alliance of aliens known as the Covenant...
, and Guitar Hero. A StepManiaStepManiaStepMania is an open source and cross-platform rhythm video game and engine. It was originally developed as a simulator of Konami's arcade game series Dance Dance Revolution, and has since evolved into an extensible rhythm game engine capable of supporting a wide variety of rhythm-based game types...
is also maintained. - A Dinner Mystery event, in which participants are served a meal at a local restaurant and given tasks to accomplish in order to solve or prevent a convention-related crisis.
- Musical performances throughout the weekend.
- Midnight raveRaveRave, rave dance, and rave party are parties that originated mostly from acid house parties, which featured fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties people dance and socialize to dance music played by disc jockeys and occasionally live performers...
on Saturday night. - 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...
contest, allowing cosplay creators from every skill level to compete for awards ranging from best construction to best skit. The cosplay "masquerade" and skits are typically the most popular event during the convention. - Special guests, typically industry-related, who participate in panels, main events, and autograph signings.
Tsubasacon allows patrons to "preregister" for the convention online prior to the start dates. Although attendees are still able to purchase their badges (the equivalent of a daily admission ticket) at the door, a preregistration is less costly than the door prices and preregistration badges typically showplace alternate, "premium" art.
History
Tsubasacon started as the brainchild of Charleston, West VirginiaCharleston, West Virginia
Charleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2010 census, it has a population of 51,400, and its metropolitan area 304,214. It is the county seat of Kanawha County.Early...
resident Jeffrey Mace who was originally interested in beginning a state-wide anime club. The decision to abandon a state anime club in favor of an actual anime convention was made after considering that the logistics and participation of periodic club meetings would be less successful as opposed to one large annual gathering. The Charleston Anime and Manga Society, Inc. was established soon afterward in order to take care of the business aspects of the convention. On February 16, 2004, The Charleston Anime and Manga Society, Inc. made the announcement that Tsubasacon, West Virginia's first ever anime convention, would be taking place later that year in Charleston.
During the 2005 convention the following year, the attendance dropped from 407 to 227. The drop was attributed to many factors by both staff and convention attendees alike. The most cited reason was that Tsubasacon was held on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving (United States)
Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. It has officially been an annual tradition since 1863, when, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday,...
weekend, which conflicted with the schedules of many prospective attendees. Other reasons included the admitted lack of promotion by the convention's organizers and a breakdown in the convention's website, preventing the organizers from providing timely information to the public.
After the 2005 convention, control of Tsubasacon was transferred from the Charleston Anime and Manga Society, Inc. to Tsubasacon, Inc. Because of conflicts with the Charleston Civic Center that resulted from the 2005 convention, Tsubasacon was moved to the Riverfront Ballroom and Conference Center at the Big Sandy Superstore Arena
Big Sandy Superstore Arena
The Big Sandy Superstore Arena, originally known as the Huntington Civic Center and later as the Huntington Civic Arena, is a municipal complex located in the downtown area of Huntington, West Virginia one block west of Pullman Square. The Big Sandy Superstore Arena consists of a 9,000-seat...
in Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat. A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was 49,138 at...
. The convention was also moved ahead to October 13–15.
2007 saw the first charity drive by the convention, as attendees were encouraged to bring nonperishable food for the Huntington Area Food Bank. Over 170 food items were donated and $51 was raised by the charity event. In the following year, Tsubasacon began offering cash prices for its cosplay contests.
Event history
| Dates | Location | Atten. | Guests |
|---|
Kyuuka
With the continued growth of Tsubasacon, discussions of expansion eventually yielded a mid-year celebration known as "Kyuuka". The inaugural Kyuuka, held on June 19, 2010, was organized by Tsubasacon staff member Krista McCallister and took place at Ritter Park in Huntington, West Virginia. Festivities included a picnic, games, cosplay photography, and a charity raffle.Tsubasacon, Inc.
Tsubasacon is currently run by the West VirginiaWest Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
-based organization Tsubasacon, Inc.
Several months after the 2005 convention, The Charleston Anime and Manga Society, Inc. disbanded and control of the "Tsubasacon" name and convention was relinquished to Michael Thompson of Cool Ridge, West Virginia. Tsubasacon, Inc. was created shortly thereafter by Thompson in order to handle the business-end of the convention planning.
Tsubasacon, Inc. currently staffs over thirty non-paid volunteers who help with the various responsibilities of the convention, both during its planning stages and at the actual convention. Additional volunteers are also utilized during the convention to assist the staff with general upkeep, security, and other minor tasks.
Mascot
Although a contest was held in 2004, Tsubasacon never adopted an official mascotMascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
until 2006. For the 2005 convention, images of three angel-like characters, collectively known as the Angel-chans, by Raven's Dojo were used to illustrate the Tsubasacon Website. The angels — named Fun Angel, Sexy Angel and Cute Angel — were also used to illustrate the cover of the program guide during Tsubasacon 2005.
After the convention, a movement on the Tsubasacon Forums was created to officially adopt the Angel-chans as the convention's mascots. However, during the 2006 convention's planning stages, the Tsubasacon, Inc. Board of Directors (as well as popular vote on the Tsubasacon forums) decided to adopt a new mascot design. The unnamed 2006 mascot was designed by Tiffany White and was used on flyers, badges, programs, and t-shirts.
A new character design, created by Richelle Thompson, was utilized on badges and programs for the 2008 convention. During the closing ceremonies, the winners of Tsubasacon's mascot naming and background story contest were announced, dubbing the character Mitsuki
Mitsuki
is the Japanese word for . It is also a Japanese given name natively written in a variety of forms. While a unisex name, it is more commonly used by women.-Possible writings:Mitsuki can be written using different kanji characters and can mean:*三月, "three months"...
.