Tikkabik

I'm writing about Anime Boston 2007 for Macworld and Playlist this week, but I just wanted to post something here about it as well. Once again, Bonnie and I went for all three days of the show (well, about two and a half, since we had to stay home for most of Friday with the kids, who were on their April break, until my mom could come by to watch them).

It was a great time. My only regret is that we really had to do it on the cheap this year, because once again, we were strapped for cash. We almost couldn't stay on Saturday night because I ran into a problem with the credit card I used; thankfully, I worked something out. One of these days I really have to get my shit together about finances.

Getting a press pass was a bigger pain in the ass for me at this show than at any other time in my career. The less I say about it the better. Angry words were exchanged, feeling were probably hurt. Ultimately, it worked out, but it was more effort than it should have been.

Cosplayers are a big part of any con, and this one was by far my favorite. Bonnie is insistent on finding a costume that she thinks will be right for me some day. Ultimately, she's pushing for Chiyo's father from Azumanga Daioh, one of her favorite anime series.

Perhaps the most exciting news for us is that beginning in the fall of 2008, they're planning on doing the Providence Anime Conference, a 21+ anime show. That'll be worth going to, for sure. When Bonnie and I heard that, we got really, really enthusiastic. The word "Conference" in the title suggests something very different than "Convention," and while the New England Anime Society isn't prepared to divulge exactly what's on the roster, I'm guessing it'll be a lot more than the focus of events like Yaoi-con or Tales of Anime.

If you know which panels and events to go to, you can count on getting lots of great free stuff -- we came home with a duffel bag filled with items, only about half of which we paid for (and no, you'll never drag the secret of where to go out of me). My biggest free scores were copies of recent issues of Protoculture Addicts magazines and the complete Limited Edition box set of Bandai's Argento Soma series. Bonnie said her biggest score was a box set (minus one disc) of Full Metal Panic.