Shoujocon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Shoujocon | |
|---|---|
| Location | Various |
| Years in existence | 2000 to 2004 |
| Official Website | |
Shoujocon was a fan convention for anime and manga which focused on the shoujo (girls') subgenre. Although the convention did not exclusively target female fans, it did naturally appeal to girls and women more than general anime/manga cons might, and thus females made up the bulk of its attendees. Founded in 2000 by (co-chairs) "Nora" and "Katchan", and initially financed through eBay sales of fan-donated merchandise, Shoujocon quickly grew from 450 attendees to a peak of 1300 over the next three years. In addition to its unique audience, Shoujocon attempted many other organizational and programmatic innovations during its time, such as an international staff which held meetings entirely online, support for doujinshi artists and writers, and workshops on sake tasting. The convention quickly developed a reputation for being more family-friendly and diverse than the average anime con.
In 2002 Nora and Katchan stepped down, turning con leadership over to the newly-formed Shoujo Arts Society (SAS), a non-profit organization incorporated to manage the con and promote the shoujo subgenre via other events. For the 2003 convention, Shoujocon moved to Rye, New York, where difficulties with the hotel and the change of location triggered a severe drop in attendance and poor reviews of the con. The 2004 convention was first postponed, then cancelled altogether, although SAS later announced a joint event with the organizers of Yuricon called Onna!, held in October 2005. It remains to be seen whether Shoujocon can ever be resurrected in its original form.
Along with Big Apple Anime Fest and AnimeNEXT, Shoujocon was one of the larger events in the New York City metropolitan area.
