Ohio Thread

I'm not going to Ohayocon but I am going to Zipcon

>>8791290
Yo. Reporting in from pilot territory. Ohayocon does not seem worth going to.
Where is there even a Lolita comm in Ohio?

>>8791360
They seem to be located mainly in the Akron/Cleveland area and Columbus.

Colossalcon's the con worth going to in this state.

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>>8791396
>Colossalcon's the con worth going to in this state.
Thanks for the laugh. I needed it!

>>8791396
Not worth it. It was nice to be able to drink in the con halls without hiding it but the programming is not good at all.

>>8791411

>going to cons for programming

Lima loser here. I should be at Ohyacon on Saturday. Hopefully I can attend most of the cons here this year before I have to move out of state.

>>8791290
That large of a chunk of the state comes off as WV? How is that different from the hillbillies?

>>8791456
Eh, I have been spoiled by Texas cons. They actually get good concerts and guests.
Most of the time I am just partying, but it even fails at that. Plus, the water park is weak.

>>8791360
>>8791388

There is only one big comm group but most of the members are concentrated in Akron/Cleveland, Dayton and Columbus

Is anyone else going to Zipcon in February? It's just a one day thing. It will be my third year.

>>8791396
The Kalahari is fun time. Colossal is a garbage con. I want you pause for a minute and tell me what fun did you have at colossal that wasn't standard with Kalahari? Was it the meme lord panels with destroyed disorganized panelists? There substandard dealers and artists? or Maybe the limited photo shoot locations beyond one rock in the water park?

The only con I go to in my state anymore is Colossalcon, but even then it's overhyped. I just go because it's not even an hour drive.

>>8794199
Colossalcon isn't the best con, but I just have fun there. I don't know what brings me back. Besides the cheesy "spending time with friends doing stuff we love yay". The panels and photo shoots aren't great. The dealers room is pretty bland. The artist alley is somewhat decent.

>>8791388
>>8791360
Cincinnati

>>8794199

I'm not about to disagree, but you're not going to get all those people TO the Kalahari without the con. So Colossalcon's still the best con in the state.

>>8795462
So what you're saying Colossalcon's only virtue is that it is a con?

>>8795462
Eh, yeah. I can understand that. Ohio's problem is that it's filled with cons that never want to amount to be anything but party cons ( anime punch, shumatsucon, A&G), or cons that dont get a hint they should probably quit (matsuricon, midoricon).

Then there are the free one day conventions like Zipcon and nyancon. Zipcon has been getting better. I think this is their third year. My friend is on the planning committee for it so I'm hoping for good things. Nyancon was pretty bad. It was so cramped and the panels weren't very good. The masquerade sucked. The dealer's room and artist alley were mixed together and just not good. I probably wouldn't go again but it's so close to me and free

Wooo Hooo Defiance.

>>8795942
Animarathon falls into that camp. Ok now it's $3, but that's so low you can probably find change in your car to get a badge. It's pretty good for a one day con.

>>8791360
There's quite a few lolitas in Montgomerey county or nearby. There's also a general Ohio EGL page,but they mostly do meets in Columbus.

I'll go ahead and drop my email if you want to chat! I live pretty close to you.

Eyy I'll let you sleep on my apartment floor in Reynoldsburg if you get my Ash plushie signed by Veronica Taylor so I don't have to pay sixty bucks to wade through weebs.

>>8795942
Zipcon felt like what's "tumblr's flavor of the month" con. I was thinking of submitting a few panels this year just so that there's some more varied content. I usually go because it's nearby.

For those that bitch about panelists and quality of panels at other conventions, you know that more often than not, it's mostly due to who submits content. If you want to see better content, try doing panels. If you know good artists that you'd like to see, suggest the convention to them. Bitching really doesn't do much in the long run, but I know it's cgl's pastime. All bitch and no action.

Seriously, I've heard these same complaints about every con in a multitude of states and locations for well over a decade. Ain't nothing new.

>>8796155
This is honestly why started running panels.

>>8795807
Wait I thought matsuricon was lauded here all the time? And how can you say that about Shumatsucon when it's only going on its second year...

>>8796241
Matsuri couldnt even afford the normal conference rooms that ever other con in the GCCC gets this last year. Every year it feels more and more disorganized.

Did you go to Shumatsu last year? Yeah i get it's a first year con but you can tell where the effort is going. Raves, EDM dances and game room. That and drinking is all there was to do. AP and A&G did the same route and we all know the cosplay power houses them became. Kek

>>8796304
I was at Shumatsucon for a day but admittedly didn't go to any panels since I rarely do at cons anyways. The crowd seemed more tumblr and "innocent" than ravefags to me. I honestly thought the dealers room was impressive. I'm signed up to table at the AA this year so I'll see how it goes, second year should judge

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Reporting in from CORN.

>>8795949
We've probably passed each other in the Jo Ann fabrics there. Last time I was in there the clerk at the cutting counter said "....that's it? Usually you have a lot more." when I only had two swaths of fabric to be cut.

>>8792650
Yep!

>>8791290
I actually have money for once and am trying to get to an ok con not crazy far from NE ohio, I'm more into Lolita than cosplay but I'm still idol trash.

Reporting in from Rust Belt Wasteland. I'm part of the lolita comm, but barely get to go to events since everything is an hour or so away from me.

Is Ohayocon still fun or has it gone to shit like the rest?

>>8796986
I stopped going for awhile and I've been going again the last few years and have had good times. But little of those good times had anything to do with the convention itself, programming wise.

>>8795960
Animarathon can bring in a lot of young weebs since the badge price is so low but I actually really like it. It's just a nice one day con to chill out at. Normie friends can go and still have a good time too.

>>8796986
Ohayocon is solid. It doesn't have a lot make it stand out but i've never had any problems with it.

>>8796304
I know Matsuri had conflict issues with the hotel overbooking, so they had to place us wherever they could. It was out of their control as to where we could be placed.

>>8797294
>out of their control
you mean they suck at negotiating contracts because they maintain a shit relationship with their venue

Has anyone been seeing the shit "cosplays" being posted on the ohayocon page? Jesus...i wear I hate this con and it's fattie worshipping more every year

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Hillbillies here, why is everything always in columbus/akron?
I want a qt country lolita meetup with actual country lolitas.

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>>8799001
It's a bunch of unattractive girls that no one would notice playing up the "lolz, I played Undertale and saw Sword Art Online, I'm such an Otaku XD" and all the desperate nerds lavish them with attention. I both cringe and laugh at the same time.

>>8799048
I'm sorry the state capital is a natural meeting point.

While we are on the topic, why is Cincinnati incapable of running a decent con?

>>8799450
There's a con in Covington, I just went to work at it so I don't know how good it was

>>8795971
>[email protected]
I sent you an email!

>>8799450
I don't mind that the capital is the meetup area most of the time, but having to drive so far every single time I want to go to a meet sucks. Even better, when it's not a meetup in columbus, it's way off in akron. The WV comm has meets closer than most of ohios meets most of the time ffs.

>>8799048
Please host one then?

The meets are where they are because people are willing to plan and host them. I'm not going to plan a 2 hour meetup in Marietta when I live in Akron.

>>8797294
>>8798953
Anon living in Buckeye hell, I've been wondering why all three (4?) cons on Columbus now take place at the Hyatt/GCCC. To me it really doesn't make any sense for AP and Matsuri when both are so small. Was it worse in their previous venues?
I was at Matsuri last year and while I had some pretty enjoyable moments, they definitely seemed to not have as much organization. Even though I was a panelist I only had to check in once and didn't get a panelist badge. The artist alley was split into two different rooms, too.

>>8799481
Oh no, it looks like this might not happen this year :( https://www.twitter.com/official_aandg

>>8799436
That and the just plain Halloween tier. Fat + shorts and tie up shirt + no wig but instead real hair that isn't even in the right color or style = 160 likes what the fuuuuuuuug

>>8796610
Off topic but my best friend lives overseas and I texted him that I drove past Grandpa's Cheese barn and spent like half an hour convincing him there was actually a farm in the middle of Ohio made of cheese.

>>8792650
I'll probably try to go. My SO may be back on mid tour so that would be something fun to do.

>>8799610
AA was definitely a disaster. Matsuri is honestly just a disorganized clusterfuck because it's ran by an estranged divorced couple and one half of said couple is a power hungry landwhale who fucks everything up, scares staff away, and replaces them with hoards of underage homestucks. She's like that steve buscemi image macro that says "how do you do, fellow kids?" except she's 300lbs + and cosplays homestuck

Ultimately what it boils down to is the Hyatt is flexible. They can accommodate cons of all sizes for a reasonable price. Also AP doesn't exist anymore lol so it's really just Ohayo, Matsuri, and whatever other fandom events happen there now. There's no comparable/good event space in columbus that's in the price range of anime conventions who lie about their attendance and embezzle all of their profits

>>8799614
Good. A&G is complete trash it's for college students who like anime conventions but not anime

>>8799647
Dont forget about Yoi-con comimg to,the GCCC run by good ol scumbag Kopf

>>8799715
Oh no trust me I'm going to do everything I can to forget about it lol

I went to Matsuri last year for the first time and I thought it was pretty good. It was also my first time going to a convention by myself so I did a lot of panel hopping, that might have swayed me a bit.It was nice having a convention that I had room to move around though.

Ohayocon last year was crowded as fuck and this year with the construction I can only assume everything is going to be a complete mess and there won't be room for anyone to do anything in outside of the convention center.

Never been to Colossal, but I was told at one point it was the best the state had to offer. My friends are pretty much out of anime at this point though and I don't want to hit the water slides by myself.

The South/Shitcinnati reporting in. Went to A&G with my college last year and it was probably the worst con I've ever been to, but I'm considering checking out Ohayocon for Saturday next week. Is it really not worth it?
Really hoping Kopf's con down here doesn't take hold. I've been to his other ones and they're always a shitshow.
dropp

Has anyone been to Colossalcon's Lolita tea party? I wanted to know if it was worth going to if they hosted it this year.

>>8799436
The staff of Matsuricon, which is pretty much exactly what you describe, is intercedent with the staff of Ohayo
No one wants to hurt eachother's feelers, so they just jack eachother off
Back in the days of disgusting grey paint and candycorn horns, I was friends with cosplayers who were hot shit in the scene, and you begin to see how fucked up and toxic the dynamic of the whole community is.

>>8796241
matsuri is hell, except for the gameroom. game room isn't bad.

What cons are gonna have lolita brand guests or fashion shows this year?

>>8800028
I went last year and for about 25 dollars I am not sure it was completely worth it. I had fun though and I imagine it will get better. However my overall opinion is that it felt slightly disorganized.

>>8799632
I even know that exact picture you're mentioning, have people no shame anymore ? This girl I know who's a fat little hobbit posted a picture of her wearing a bed sheet with a few symbols on it, and got like a gorillion likes. I miss when people were brutally honest, and not a hive-mind of love and peace. I think year will be my last Ohayocon, I can't deal with these kids anymore.

>>8800056
I went to Matsuricon a few years back and it was basically a bunch of high school weaboos hanging out in the hallways.I can't fathom spending a few hundred bucks to experience that ever again. I can get it at Nyancon for free!

>>8800074
It was the first year we did it, so we weren't sure what to expect. We're definitely planning on having it again. Unfortunately, the ticket costs didn't cover everything, so there were a lot of things that ended up coming out of pocket in the end. I was considering looking at places off-site and getting transportation there for everyone (which would not be a problem), but I'm not sure if that's a feasible option or if people would rather just pay the extra money to have it at-con with less options.

I want to try to get the con to invite out a lolita guest, but I'm not sure who would be a good choice. 1.) First time inviting a lolita guest to the con so it might be wise to go with something smaller or just have a brand come out? 2.) If it's a Japanese guest or designer we'd need a translator and we don't readily have one on hand that I know of. Any suggestions on who you'd like to see?

>>8800150
Don't get me wrong I still loved it for what it was:D It was a nice change of pace from the fast pace of the con.

>>8799859
This years Ohayo is going to be weird will all the construction. If you're new to con Ohayo is pretty good one to get your toes in the water. If you are experienced then Ohayo doesn't offer a lot that stands out.

>>8799715
I think his move takes a lot of balls. Like I hear people trying to ride it off because it's around the same time as colossalcon. That said colossalcon is too big for it's own good now, and a lot of people can't get rooms and think a con is con. So it might do better then people think. Which is really sad.

>>8800224
I went to Matsuri for the first time last year, I liked it, so I'm going to Ohayocon now, since ota as nice as my photos was fucking garbage. too crowded and if not for my friends would have been 0/10.

>>8791290
The facebook group for Ohayocon is just so messed up I love it, I just saw a guy wanting to do a photoshoot about favorite sport teams. I really hope he is a huge troll.

>>8800128
I wish I had the balls to post them in bad cosplay threads but I just don't, maybe it's the idea of being local is what stops me
>>8800710
The cheesehead lol I saw that too

>>8795453
Lol, where are the Cincy lolitas? I've never met another one.

>>8800224

Cincinnati anon here
I've been doing cons for a long time, so I appreciate the heads up. I'll probably skip it, then.

>>8800230

but anyone who knows anything about him in the midwest comm in general knows that he's a total shitstain and his cons are disorganized at best and full of rude, underage staff at worst

>>8803221
But most people in the community dont know who he is. If we are being 100 most con goers dont know or really care who the con chair is for any con they attend is. To them a con is a con. You have to be real piece of shit for a long time to see results. Like how long did Anime Punch drag its lifeless body along until they finally gave up? Kek

>>8799715
Who is this and why do people hate him?

I hate Ohayocon. It seemed like 30% of all attendees were just in it for the rave which is stinky and stupid as fuck. If you're really 'hardcore ravers' why dont you get invited to an actual rave? The amount of drunks involved is disgusting. I've been harassed, thrown up on. The panels are terrible and I've been screaming for a pokemon tournament (TCG or DS) without anyone listening... also, did anyone see the pathetic ass awards they handed out to the cosplay people in 2014? i will never do their comp again. there was like one nice guy on staff and a woman who was a total cunt 'herding' the cosplayers like children.

and I still fucking keep coming back why do i never learn?

>>8800230

That's because Colossal isn't worth going to if you don't have a Kalahari room and the Kalahari is too small.

>>8803373
are there at least a lot of cute girls and drugs at the rave or is it just fat sweaty weebs?

>>8803384
sweaty weebs and girls who are under 18

>>8803432
>girls who are under 18
good thing the age of consent is 16 ;^)

>>8803504
They are not good looking girls...

>>8803352

Oh I mean even beyond him being a total dick, his cons are bad. They're just...poorly run. And every single con he puts on seems to be immediately followed by countless stories of how rude his staff is, how disorganized the con was, and that kind of stuff.
As much as I hate him, I wish he would actually fill needs that the midwest/ohio comm needs, like throwing cons that don't compete with other huge cons re: Yoi competing directly with ACen, Kopf interrupting the ACen line a few years ago to set up a table and hand out pamphlets about midwest. Sorry for blogging, I would just really hate to see him get as strong a hold in this area as he has in the upper midwest. His cons just aren't worth it.

>>8800760
There's a comm page on FB, just look it up

>>8803360
Go to encyclopedia dramatica and search ryan kopf

>>8803376
Youre not wrong anon. That's why i think Yoi is probably going to do pretty well even as a Kopf con.

>>8803632
Nah i agree. Youre 100% right. Im just worried that Ohio will have to learn this hard way, because I think the knee jerk reaction from a lot of newer con kids will be "hey! New con! XD XD"

I made the mistake of going to A&G when I was in 8th grade. It was my first con.

>>8804269

So am I, that's why I'm not pulling any punches with letting people know how bad the cons are. They're bad, and they do not get better as the years go on, and it isn't the kind of "bad" that you could excuse.

>>8804685
is it even happening this year? Their FB page is making it seem like it isn't. I know someone mentioned it upthread but I wasn't sure if anyone had details

I'll be honest, I'm upset about the whole Ohayocon Lolita Crush business. First they didn't even tell us about it, and now the Ohio EGL meetup isn't being rescheduled to accommodate it.

>>8800150
It might be easier to try and get someone like Lovely Lor or Hello Batty for the event? Or someone who is well known in the fashion, but not too hard to get if that makes sense.

>>8805382
Why is it not being rescheduled?

>>8791290
Anyone have tips on how to run/start a good con? I've been thinking of starting a new one, but I don't really know where to start, or how to make it good. Any and all advise helps.

>>8805510

I've been thinking the same thing, particularly in Cincinnati. From what I've heard you just need a really solid initial investment, so as in all things it comes down to being kinda rich beforehand.

>>8805506
Bug A about it. I don't know if she'll cave, but if enough people mention that they want to do crush, have the meet and sweet meet after that, I think it'll work out. J is helping with crush now and was organizing the swap so she seems totally down with bumping the swap meet up.

>>8805496
I was thinking about that, but idk if people would be more interested in a guest like RinRin or an internet/community personality. I'd be down with inviting Lor or Cadney. They seem like fun people. I made a survey but I've not posted it anywhere yet.

>>8806015
*sweet meet*
SWAP MEET.

>>8805510
I've not run cons, but I've staffed and worked close enough with higher ups for long enough to have a general idea of what you can expect.

- Pre-reg, dealers and AA is going to help pay for your space, guest fees and the like. You'll probably want a sizeable chunk of capital beforehand to help pay for equipment like AV, projectors, sound systems, mics, video game room equipment etc. Some hotels have things, but it'll save you in the long run by just having them. Anything you have is going to help cut some costs. Some things you can acquire as years progress. Some people may have these things already.

- Start small and work your way up. Most of the established cons that are still kicking started out as tiny events when the fandom was young. If you're not starting from a college, you might find you'll have a hard time making it into the green starting out. This is why starting small is important! Get your name out and go from there.

- You're going to have people that are happy to staff and work towards a common goal, people who are freeloaders, and people who think staff is an excuse to abuse authority. You might end up with child molestors, creeps, and all sorts of assholes. You're going to have people that do their job really well, people who will do a great job for you, but haven't learned all the ropes yet, and people who are woefully inexperienced and clueless.

- How you present yourself is important! Be willing to work with other cons. Be supportive. You've got a network here to work with so long as you remain positive. Another con helping you out might mean assisting with equipment, or loaning out good staff, and other essentials. Be a d-bag, tear down your attendees, talk down other cons publicly and nobody will want to work with you.

- Pick your dates and location wisely. You may also be limited by what is available.

>>8806015
That's how it was the last two years with R. R made sure to have the meet after Crush. However, R graduated from grad school and no longer lives in the area. I like J and she has evolved rapidly as a lolita, but who is A?

>>8806061
A is the person hosting the brunch. It's on the comm event page. She hasn't been around cons much lately, but she's been in the comm longer than I have and I've seen her in photos from before my time.

I know there was a discussion going on about events, if there was going to be a crush and when we heard nothing, the brunch and swap were planned. But then hey there's a crush, hey there's a girl running it and she needs help.

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>>8799715

>>8805382

I'm so upset about the former organizer of the lolita crush. in my younger I decided to be a lolita and she encouraged me. my ita ass showed up in a trainwreck of a handmade dress and she was just so welcoming and non-judgmental. I realized loli wasn't for me and stayed with cosplay but used to donate a few bucks every year to the Crush.

>>8806090
For the sake of the Comm, A should reschedule the event and this where an Admin needs to intervene. Many members want to go to the event and are trying to help. I know the Con organization has had shortcomings and were not helpful, but doing something is better than nothing. I understand there was talk after last year's Ohayocon to improve the event, but have fallen on deaf ears afterward.

The key word is "communication". There is a huge lack of it.

>>8806374
Would it be rude or going over A's head to message the admins? Nothing against A and I get why she's upset, but attempting to spite Ohayocon does nothing for us. And I was hoping to go to both events.

>>8799588
there's a still WV comm? I thought it was dead.

>>8806601
FWIW, moving A's event to another time such as Sunday morning or Saturday afternoon would be beneficial for all parties. The key is to manage time wisely and for everyone to enjoy the experience. If R or J hosted the brunch, they would have complied immediately to meet the needs of the Comm going to the Con. Yes it's an inconvenience, but you gotta with the flow. The admins need to have a backbone. It's time for them to put on their "leadership bloomers".

It's obvious that Lolita Crush happens every year around the same time frame (Saturday morning). A should have know better.

>>8806374
Admin here. I'll message her and ask. I've been meaning to but I've been working some hectic schedules due to inventory, since more info's been posted on the comm page. Not lacking a backbone, just lacking energy lol.

>>8806613
I mean the girl who hosted the crush died so that combined with the lack of response from Ohayocon's shit staff probably made A assume that there wouldn't be a crush so she's been planning this publicly for a long time. For Ohayocon to spring it on her last second is shit of them and the comm should be supporting A, who has been a member for quite some time, instead of what is bound to be a train wreck as some random girl is just kinda winging the crush now that the old girl is dead.

>>8807944
I got in touch with her out of interest from you guys and a few others but no response. I know that people wanted to step up and help the event now that there is one, and now everyone is torn on what exactly to do. It's a damned if you do damned if you don't.

At this point, I suppose the best course of action is to choose which one you want to do. Everyone who wants to do Crush can get together at another time or on another day for food or drinks or whatever if that's something they want.

I wish their staff would've gotten back to us and there would be better communication but what's done is kinda done at this point. The situation just kinda leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but I don't really blame the girl running crush. It doesn't seem like she is winging it, but it just seems to me that for the con, this is sort of an afterthought and disorganization as usual.

>>8808019
Also added thought, but I don't blame A and I don't think anyone really should at all. She has every right to plan her event as she sees fit. It was kind of the con that sort of shat on her event by not responding when we tried to make arrangements or plan it as we usually do, after Crush. OH BY THE WAY HERE IT IS A WEEK OUT. I'd feel really shitty in that position and I think it can be a bit unfair to demand a change, especially on short notice. People do have their own con plans too, and I don't think people should have to bend on whim because half the people changed plans.

If she decides to keep it at that time slot, it's ultimately her choice and I think we should all be adults and respect that decision, choose to go the event you'd rather go to.

Crush will probably have the usual con-kids with other people in the comm and other comms present, maybe. The meet will be a bit more close-knit with more dedicated people and a nice break away from the con scene with actual (but not free) food.