AnimeIowa
Anime Iowa | |
---|---|
AnimeIowa's mascot, Buu-Chan | |
Status | Active |
Venue | Coralville Marriott Hotel & Conference Center |
Location(s) | Coralville, Iowa |
Country | United States |
Inaugurated | 1997 |
Attendance | 3201 in 2012[1] |
Organized by | The Mindbridge Foundation |
Website | |
http://www.animeiowa.com |
AnimeIowa is an anime convention run by the not-for-profit Mindbridge Foundation and is held annually.[2] The convention offers anime screening, videogames, an art auction, guest panels, cosplay, and many of the other events typically found at an anime convention.[3] It was held again at the Coralville Marriott, August 15–17, 2008, although at least 45 sleeping rooms had been transferred to the nearby Hampton/Holiday Inn across Interstate 80 due to extended stays from persons associated with the recent floods of 2008.[4][5]
Many AnimeIowa attendees cosplay throughout or during part of the convention, and various events are specifically for cosplay participants.[3][6][7][8] AnimeIowa is a three-day event, operating for 53 straight hours (from noon Friday to 5PM Sunday) during its three-day weekend.[3]
Programming
AnimeIowa lasts three days, which include several events for its visitors, and admission to any event requires the conspicuous display of an AnimeIowa badge.[3][9] A writer for a popular Anime news website (Anime News Network), described how shocked she was to find more than "cows, crop circles, and farmers named Jeb" at AnimeIowa.[10]
- Game Room - Includes video games, such as DDR, and a few other games
- Dealer's Room - Outside vendors sell their products, including mostly video game or anime-related goods and Japanese snack food.
- Artist's Alley - Artists have the opportunity to sell or display their artwork
- Guest Visitors - Famous visitors from the Anime world come for autographs and to talk with convention visitors
- Official Dance
- Video Rooms - Video rooms play anime throughout most of the convention, often including Anime that is hard to find in the USA
- Music Video Contest - Visitors can show off their music video creations
- Cosplay Contest - Visitors can compete to see who's costume is the best.[11]
- ConSuite - including a small selection of Japanese and American foods (Anime Iowa is lauded by many guests as having a wide array of non junk food items to sustain the con-goers )
History
AnimeIowa began in 1997 as a small convention gathering 150 attendees at the Highlander Inn in Iowa City, IA, featuring only two guests, Steve Bennett and Kuni Kimura.[12] Events were also fairly limited, featuring an Artists' Alley, Video Games, and a Dealers' Room.[12] Attendance doubled for its second year, which also included the addition of Robert DeJesus to the guest list.[13] AnimeIowa has since been held yearly for 13 years, while both the attendance and guest lists have grown each year.
Attendance at AnimeIowa, along with the guest list, has grown every year that has so far been documented, and there were reportedly more cosplayers at AnimeIowa 2003 than the total number of fans who attended the first AnimeIowa[citation needed]. As a result, the convention has occupied several different hotels and convention centers, in an effort to continue expanding to find room for all its attendees. Cassandra Hodges was scheduled to attend the 2011 convention, but died on June 27, 2011.[14]
Event history
Dates | Location | Atten. | Guests |
---|---|---|---|
September 19–21, 1997 | Highlander Inn Iowa City, Iowa |
150 | Steve Bennett and Kuni Kimura.[12] |
September 18–20, 1998 | Highlander Inn Iowa City, Iowa |
300 | Steve Bennett, Robert DeJesus, Amanda Wynn Lee and Kuni Kimura.[13] |
September 3–5, 1999 | Collins Plaza Hotel Cedar Rapids, Iowa |
420[15] | Steve Bennett, Robert DeJesus, Hiroshi Aro |
September 1–3, 2000 | Crowne Plaza Hotel Cedar Rapids, Iowa |
700[16] | Steve Bennett, Robert DeJesus, Toshi Yoshida, Toshifumi Yoshida. |
August 24–26, 2001 | Collins Plaza Hotel Cedar Rapids, Iowa |
900[17] | Steve Bennett and Robert DeJesus |
August 23–25, 2002 | Collins Plaza Hotel Cedar Rapids, Iowa |
1270 | Steve Bennett, Robert DeJesus, Tiffany Grant, Lea Hernandez, and Stan Sakai.[18] |
August 22–24, 2003 | Collins Plaza Hotel & Convention Center Cedar Rapids, Iowa |
1,608 | Greg Ayres, Steve Bennett, Max Allen Collins, Robert DeJesus, Lea Hernandez, Jay Hickman, Kevin Lillard, Rob Mungle, and Jan Scott-Frazier.[19] |
September 17–19, 2004 | Hotel Fort Des Moines Des Moines, Iowa |
1500 | Kia Asamiya, Greg Ayres, Ron Kaulfersch, Dr. Susan Napier, Monica Rial, Harou Nita, John Opplinger and Mike Schwark.[20] |
September 9–11, 2005 | Hotel Fort Des Moines Des Moines, Iowa |
1500 | Greg Ayres, Johnny Yong Bosch, Keith Burgess, Emily DeJesus, Robert DeJesus, Tricia Dickson, Bamboo Dong, Taliesin Jaffe, Zarah Little, and Felipe Smith.[21] |
August 4–6, 2006 | Crowne Plaza Hotel Cedar Rapids, Iowa |
1800[22] | Greg Ayres, Steve Bennett, Emily DeJesus, Robert DeJesus, Kyle Hebert, Lea Hernandez, Richard Kekahuna, Shawn Kleckner, Rob Mungle, and Carrie Savage.[23] |
August 10–12, 2007 | Coralville Marriott Hotel & Conference Center Coralville, Iowa |
Chris Ayres, Greg Ayres, Taliesin Jaffe, Carrie Savage, Richard Torrance, Richard Townsend, and Shannon Townsend.[9] | |
August 15–17, 2008 | Coralville Marriott Hotel & Conference Center Coralville, Iowa |
2468 | Chris Ayres, Greg Ayres. Steve Bennett, Kyle Hebert, Carrie Savage, Clarine Harp, Richard Townsend, and Shannon Townsend.[24] |
August 14–16, 2009 | Coralville Marriott Hotel & Conference Center Coralville, Iowa |
2700+[25] | Greg Ayres, Emily DeJesus, Robert DeJesus, Michael McConnohie, Melodee M. Spevack, Richard Townsend, Shannon Townsend.[26] and Robert Axelrod.[27] |
July 30–August 1, 2010 | Coralville Marriott Hotel & Conference Center Coralville, Iowa |
Attendance cap of 3000 | Chris Ayres, Greg Ayres, Kyle Hebert, Cassandra Hodges, Helen McCarthy, Evan Miller, Richard Townsend, Shannon Townsend, and Maxey Whitehead.[28] |
July 29–31, 2011 | Coralville Marriott Hotel & Conference Center Coralville, Iowa |
Robert Axelrod, Christopher Ayres, Greg Ayres, Samurai Daniel and Jillian Coglan, Allie Dyal, Kyle Hebert, Lea Hernandez, Helen McCarthy, Carli Mosier, Steve Raffill, and Jan Scott-Frazier.[29] | |
July 27–29, 2012 | Coralville Marriott Hotel & Conference Center Coralville, Iowa |
Christopher Ayres, Greg Ayres, Johnny Yong Bosch, Svetlana Chmakova, Samurai Daniel and Jillian Coglan, Patrick Delahanty, Terri Doty, Eyeshine, Josh Grelle, Stephen Hoff, Brittney Karbowski, and Chris "Kilika" Malone.[30] | |
July 26-28, 2013 | Coralville Marriott Hotel & Conference Center Coralville, Iowa |
Robert Axelrod, Greg Ayres, Josh Grelle, Chuck Huber, Trevor A. Mueller, Peter Pixie, Raj Ramayya, Mimiru Riley, Tyson Rinehart, Jad B. Saxton, Sarah "Sully" Sullivan, David Wald, and Young Wang.[31] |
Organizational structure
AnimeIowa is run by The Mindbridge Foundation, a not for profit corporation also responsible for ICON (Iowa science fiction convention) and Gamicon.[32] The organization was a branching off of the Science Fiction League of Iowa Students, which was founded by award-winning author Joe Haldeman.[33][34] AnimeIowa was first a production of the "SFLIS Wing of Anime and Manga People" (SWAMP), which later merged the convention into Mindbridge.[35]
Mascot
In 2006 a cosplaying pig named Buu-chan won a forum competition becoming AnimeIowa's official mascot. An initial convention mascot was an original, unnamed, female anime character.
References
- ↑ "Thousands Turn Out For Anime". Retrieved 2008-08-21.
- ↑ "Gamers Unite at IMU". The Daily Iowan.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "AnimeIowa Events". AnimeIowa.com. Archived from the original on 3 April 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-19.
- ↑ "AnimeIowa". AnimeIowa. Archived from the original on 18 August 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
- ↑ "Location". AnimeIowa. Archived from the original on 16 February 2007. Retrieved 2007-02-24.
- ↑ "AnimeIowa Author's Notes - 2003". Fan's View. Archived from the original on 2006-10-22. Retrieved 2007-03-03.
- ↑ "REVISED AnimeIowa 2006 Cosplay Rules". AnimeIowa. Retrieved 2007-03-19.
- ↑ "AnimeIowa 2006 Photos". AnimeIowa.com. Retrieved 2007-03-19.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "AnimeIowa 2007 Information". AnimeCons.com. Archived from the original on 3 June 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
- ↑ "Children of the Con". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 20 March 2007. Retrieved 2007-02-25.
- ↑ "Cosplay Information". AnimeIowa. Archived from the original on 12 February 2007. Retrieved 2007-02-24.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 "AnimeIowa 1997 Information". AnimeCons.com. Archived from the original on 16 June 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "AnimeIowa 1998 Information". AnimeCons.com. Archived from the original on 16 June 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
- ↑ "Memorial Fund, Service for Voice Actress Cassandra Hodges". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2012-08-12.
- ↑ "AnimeIowa 1999 Information". AnimeCons.com. Archived from the original on 16 June 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
- ↑ "AnimeIowa 2000 Information". AnimeCons.com. Archived from the original on 16 June 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
- ↑ "AnimeIowa 2001 Information". AnimeCons.com. Archived from the original on 16 June 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
- ↑ "AnimeIowa 2002 Information". AnimeCons.com. Archived from the original on 13 May 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
- ↑ "AnimeIowa 2003 Information". AnimeCons.com. Archived from the original on 13 May 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
- ↑ "AnimeIowa 2004 Information". AnimeCons.com. Archived from the original on 31 May 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
- ↑ "AnimeIowa 2005 Information". AnimeCons.com. Archived from the original on 21 May 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
- ↑ AnimeIowa Forum post by forum moderator
- ↑ "AnimeIowa 2006 Information". AnimeCons.com. Archived from the original on 16 June 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
- ↑ "AnimeIowa 2008 Information". AnimeCons.com. Archived from the original on 4 July 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-06.
- ↑ Rachel Gallegos (2009-08-16). "Fans pack Marriott for AnimeIowa". Press Citizen.
- ↑ "AnimeIowa 2009 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2012-08-12.
- ↑ "ANIME TODAY Anime Iowa Special". Rightstuf.com. Retrieved 2012-08-12.
- ↑ "AnimeIowa 2010 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2012-08-12.
- ↑ "AnimeIowa 2011 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2012-08-12.
- ↑ "AnimeIowa 2012 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2012-08-12.
- ↑ "AnimeIowa 2013 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
- ↑ "Projects". Mindbridge Foundation. Archived from the original on 18 September 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-11.
- ↑ Michael Swanwick Online: Profile of Gregory Frost
- ↑ DMSFS Links
- ↑ Pearl, Steve. "Anime/Manga Convention Guide". Retrieved 2007-03-04.
External links
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