The Jeff Bulger Show

Tomodachi Fest 2012 Feature - Day 3: Wrapping Up & Looking Forward

2012-12-15T17:23:00.001-07:00

Wrapping Up & Moving Forward

Finally...

The sickness delayed, semester finals inhibited, and laziness obstructed final part of my Tomo Review is here! Sorry again for the wait, everyone, but I believe it will have been worth the wait. Just ask those Asian fellows up there. See how happy they look to be featured on my blog? You should be happy that they're happy that I'm happy! Anyways, let's get into Day 3.

The third day of Tomodachi Fest wasn't quite as event laden as the previous two, so I spent a good amount of time examining the various booths and shops set up in Artist's Alley and the Dealers' Room. There was still quite a large amount of guests at the conference center well into the third day, many of which were taking advantage of "end of convention" deals being offered by the vendors.

Hangin' out in the dealers' room.

There were still quite a lot of items on display, which is pretty common for a convention's last day. Most dealers tend to overstock (and this goes for every convention I've been to) and end up taking the majority of their wares home with them. I always feel kind of sad when I start to see the vendors leaving, because it means that con is almost over. And alas, it in fact was.

Fine Young Deviants: fielding questions in their inimitable style.
Featured (from left to right): Gabby, Odinn, Einar, and Leif.

"Tomodachi Fest 2012 -with the Fine Young Deviants!"
Courtesy AmuGabbyGirl

I poked my head in to catch some of the comedy stylings of the Fine Young Deviants, a local comedy troupe that frequents many of the local conventions in the area. The Deviants are comprised of the Celusta brothers, Odinn, Einar, and Leif as well as my friend AmuGabbyGirl. Their comedy style is full of wonderful deadpan snarkiness and surrealistic humor, and I do recommend visiting one of their panels if possible. Check out the video above to see what I mean.

Next up was Newton Ewell; artist extraordinaire and (unbeknownst to me at the time) quite the anime historian. He was presenting his "Ancient Anime" panel, a showcase of anime from days gone by.

Newton schools us on old school, old cool anime.

Ewell started with some of the classics including Astro Boy, Star Blazers and Macross. I can't remember every anime shown, but I can definitely say that it was a very nice trip down memory lane. I grew up as a huge Robotech fan, and eventually found and fell in love with the original Macross. Without going into too much detail, Robotech is an American interpretation/retelling of the original Macross story with additions from other series along the way. Another way to put it would be that Robotech is to Power Rangers as Macross is to Super Sentai; different translations, completely different stories, but the same footage.

The master addresses his audience.

Go, Go, Astro Boy!

Ewell had a certain air of respect about him. As soon as I met him and shook his hand I just felt like I was dealing with a professional with knowledge far beyond my years. Without gushing too much, I think I may have developed a bit of a man crush. Whether drawing or discussing "ancient anime", I could listen to the man talk about pretty much anything! I definitely hope Mr. Ewell returns to Tomodachi Fest next year, although rumor has it he may be at Anime Oasis earlier in 2013 as well.

Another treat for me on Day 3 was getting to see a tattoo being done, something I have only seen once before, but never at an anime convention.

Prepping her canvas.

Erykane Art did several tattoos for attendees at the convention and my friend Elizabeth was nice enough to let me sit in and watch the entire tattoo process.

Before tattooing, tracing of the original picture is done.

After tracing the artwork (in this case, the fire symbol from Bioshock: Infinite), the artist is ready to get started.

Inking the arm.

After a few minutes, which I'm sure felt much longer for my friend Elizabeth, the tattoo was done and looking good.

Putting on the finishing touches.

The final product!

I'm considering getting my first tattoo from Erykane at Anime Oasis, or maybe even before. Finding a good tattoo artist is really difficult, particularly one that is decently priced.

Another tattoo done by Erykane:
Surfin' Pikachu

As the day wound down, closing ceremonies approached. I would usually attend closing ceremonies, but I wanted to get home and start sleeping off my con plague as soon as possible. I'm told they went off well and that there was some great energy.

So finally, after all is said and done, what did I think about Tomodachi Fest? See below for details.

(And remember, this is just my personal experience, so don't throw adulation, love, and praise or hate, spite, and rage at anyone but me)

The Good:

Good panels.
Artist's Alley and the Dealers' Room were both easy to navigate.
Pretty good atmosphere.
Had no trouble getting my comped badge.
The staff didn't come off as overbearing.
Started strong, lots of good energy on the first day.
Staff interacted with my professional and were able to field my questions.
Lot's of good events on the first two days.
I didn't encounter anyone with con funk!

The Bad:

The video game room was basically a carbon copy of Anime Oasis's. To see my thoughts on that, you can check out that article here. For those who can't be bothered, it needs console games; gaming rooms are pit stops for media folks to relax in their down time.
Day 3 didn't feel like it had enough going on. I know the convention ended around 7:15 p.m. but I feel more could have happened.
I don't know if the hotel would have allowed this, but it would have been nice to have something set up in the main conference center lobby outside of the main events room. It just felt like it was missing something, and that hurt the atmosphere.

The Ugly:

The Batsu Games. Don't get me wrong, I loved them, but wow was some of that hard to watch.

Overall, I'd give Tomodachi Fest V an A-. Everything went smoothly, I experienced no drama, and (despite getting sick) I had a really good time.

I can definitely recommend Tomodachi Fest and will be returning for Tomodachi Fest 6 next year, October 4-6 2013.

What: Tomodachi Fest
When: November 23 - 25, 2012
Where: Boise Hotel & Conference Center
Official Website: TomodachiFest.com
Official Facebook: http://goo.gl/FteB1

Tomodachi Fest 2012 Feature - Day 2: Swimsuit Contests, Panels, and Con Plague

2012-12-10T03:55:00.001-07:00

Swimsuit Contests, Panels, and Con Plague

Arrrrrrr!

I apologize for the delays I had recently in writing the last two parts of this article. With school winding down that means one thing; finals and portfolio revisions. At any rate, forget all of that nonsense and stare at those way cool pirates up there. ARRRRRR!

I don't know what the hell is happening either.

The start of Day 2 was a rough one for your favorite convention covering journalist. As soon as I woke up I could tell that I was sick. Stuffy nose, sore throat, and sneezing. This was going to be a long day...

I rolled out of bed around noon made my way to main events where I found my dear old friend Adam MC'ing "Cosplay Chess", a game where cosplayers take on the roles of living chess pieces. It's kind of like that scene at the end of the first Harry Potter but with less ginger maiming.

Fancy lolita lady being fancy.

The game progressed at a riveting, lighting fast pace (read: I think my beard may have grown a tad during this time) until finally a winner was declared. I can't tell you who that winner was, however, as I honestly don't know if Adam nor his opponent knew themselves. In any case, it seemed like the chess pieces had fun participating, and that makes it a successful event in my book.

We all just pawn in game of Andrew Hussie.

Later on, once again in main events, Chris Rager & Chris Cason conducted a Q&A panel together. The two brought out a good showing and convention attendees posed a lot of the typical questions: "What made you get into voice acting? What was your favorite role? Can you say something in (character)'s voice?"

Chris Cason (left) and Chris Rager (right) answering questions.

I don't blame people for asking these questions, but I always feel a little bad for the voice actors that have to answer the same questions over and over. To their credit, neither one of them seemed annoyed by questions that I know for a fact they have been asked before, which is a show of professionalism on their part.

Oh you!

The panel went over really well, and these guys definitely seemed like veterans when it came to answering questions. The two also went in depth about some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of voice acting and the industry in general. Some of the highlights included:

Chris Cason pointed out that in the world of voice acting, for every role they get there are probably 4 or more that they don't get.
Rewrites mean more work, but also additional work and paydays, so they're not necessarily a bad thing.
They believe that society has changed and therefore anime is less censored/restricted today because of that.
The CW has very strict censorship rules.
Shin-Chan, despite rumors to the contrary, is written out beforehand and not ad-libbed.
TV networks (Cartoon Network, CW, Nicktoons, etc.) often dictate changes to a show rather than the studio itself.

Chris Rager's Holy Roman Empire impression will haunt my dreams forever.

Chris Rager has had a successful comedy career in Dallas.
Rager should NOT ever play Holy Roman Empire from Hetalia. My ears have heard the evidence to support this claim.
Rager's mother told him that he should "stop playing games and watching cartoons because it won't get him anywhere".
Cason was a big fan of Starblazers and Robotech growing up.
Cason enjoyed Team Four Star's series "DBZ Abridged" and most DBZ voice actors do, too.
Rager is a part of a comedy troupe called "Section 8 Comedy". The group edited together an episode of Scooby Doo that he described as funny but definitely "not for kids".
Directors are akin to "seeing eye dogs" who "help guide actors through the dark" and find their best takes.

After the panel wound down, the main events room would be transformed into the center stage for the cosplay contest. I decided to do something different than I usually do at conventions, and instead of covering the actual cosplay contest proper I wanted to get some behind the scenes shots of the contestants before they made their way on stage to be judged by the masses.

Last minute adjustments.

Facing judgment!

Aww right!

Talking shop. Cosplay shop.

Several convention goers showed up to take part in the contest. Winners were determined by both the staff of the convention and the attendees themselves, with separate prizes being given out to 3rd, 2nd, and 1st place winners.

Cease your adorableness immediately!

End of the line.

The cosplay contest was followed by yet another contest; this time of the swimsuit kind. Once again, resident MC and all around nice guy Adam was around to host the event in the pool side area. To wrap up my Day 2 coverage, I present to you a few shots I managed to snag from the competition:

For the full gallery of Day 2 photos, click here!

COMING SOON: Day 3 - Wrapping Up & Looking Forward

What: Tomodachi Fest
When: November 23 - 25, 2012
Where: Boise Hotel & Conference Center
Official Website: TomodachiFest.com
Official Facebook: http://goo.gl/FteB1

Tomodachi Fest 2012 Feature - Day 1: Hello Tomo!

2012-12-01T14:19:00.001-07:00

Welcome, friends!

Ah Tomodachi Fest... The Boise Hotel & Conference Center recently played host to the fifth iteration of Tomodachi Fest, a convention that its official website describes as "[an] annual anime convention that focuses on all aspects of anime, manga, cinema, gaming, and Japanese and Asian pop culture!"

I, being the arts & entertainment journalist that I am, just had to make my way to my first Tomodachi Fest. I had previously covered Anime Oasis, Fandemonium, and FurIdaho right here on this very blog, but had never had the chance to venture to Tomodachi Fest. This year I wanted to change that.

Attendees register for the convention.

I was lucky enough to attend Tomodachi Fest 5 and take in the sights and sounds of con. Every convention story has a beginning, and mine, like most people's, starts at convention registration. I arrived at the Conference Center around noon on the 23, Tomo's first official day open, and proceeded to the registration desk in the main lobby of the Conference Center. I picked up my complimentary badge, checked into my hotel room, and was on my way. It's always nice when I can just pick up my badge and get underway without a lot of hassle, and Tomo's staff was very expedient in taking care of that for me.

Official bio photo for Adam? I think so.

I was sharing my room with radio DJ, convention MC, and buddy of mine Adam Britson, who had more Tomo experience than I. So while he was busy being the master of ceremonies for the convention, I had plenty of time to wander around, take photos, interview and generally pester the convention goers.

Colorful Cosplay: John from Homestuck!

My first real stop at the convention (ie, an event of some type) was opening ceremonies, a staple of conventions where all of the heady muckety-mucks of the convention bid us enter the main event area of the convention, sit down, and be informed about what the convention is all about. This year, as mentioned above, my good friend Adam would be playing MC for the convention, which means doing things like introducing guests, holding a microphone, and impersonating Michael Cera.

Chris Cason (left) and Chris Rager (right) answer fan questions.

Tomo, like any respectable anime convention, had its share of guests. Voice actors Chris Rager and Chris Cason of Dragon Ball Z fame were in attendance this year. Rager had previously attended the convention last year, while Cason had never even been to the gem state until the convention. Other guests included artist Newton Ewell, famous for his artwork for roleplaying games such as Dungeons and Dragons and Realmspace.

Tanglwyst de Holloway gives advice on getting published.

The V.I.P. guest of the year was author Tanglwyst de Holloway (aka Tonya Adolfson). Tangl has authored two books, Thine Enemy's Eyes and An Unpolished Gem, and has over 20 years of costuming/cosplay experience.

Chris Rager admires his work as Tomo's proud mascot Miu observes in the background.

Tomo attendees wait for con to officially begin.

All of the aforementioned guests were introduced with quite the fanfare from the crowd. In addition to event information and panel times and locations, there was a flash mob of Gangnam Style dancers that invaded just before ceremonies concluded. The ceremony was pretty high energy overall and I didn't feel like it dragged on too long or went too short, which is definitely something to be praised; inform your audience, entertain them, then let them loose.

Tomo style!

After closing ceremonies ended and the attendees disbursed, I made my rounds; taking pictures, asking questions, and getting to know some of the other attendees at the convention. I had already been to the Boise Hotel for my inaugural blog entry about FurIdaho, so I knew the lay of the land fairly well, which made for a much smoother journey this time.

Attendees peruse the various works on display in Artist's Alley.

As with any anime, sci-fi, or fantasy convention there were cosplayers; lots and lots of cosplayers. Naturally, I used my journalistic prowess to coax them into posing for a few pictures. And by journalistic prowess I mean approaching the subject in question, pointing at my camera, and sheepishly asking "Picture?". It really is a fool proof system. Completely.

In brightest day, in blackest night...

Very, as the kids say these days, kawaii desu.

Cobra!

(Click here for the full gallery of Day 1 pictures)

And of course, no convention worth its weight in pocky would be complete without my old nemesis: the Dealers' Room.

The Dealer's Room: Calm before the storm.

Now let me explain something, I have absolutely no hard feelings towards the dealers, the room, the merchandise -- NOTHING -- at any convention, ever. My only problem is, and I say this with a bit of shame, that I almost never buy anything. It's not that I'm broke all the time or that I don't see anything I like. For me, itt all comes down to the fact that I'm trying to get as many pictures and interviews as humanly possible, making business transactions a difficult prospect. Having said all that, I saw some pretty awesome stuff in "the room of making deals", and as a way to atone for my non-purchasing ways, I will display some of my favorites.

Aaaaadventure Time!

I tried to cram as many dolls into this shot as humanly possible.

Cats, bears, and pillow ladies!

Next year I vow to take the time to spend a little bit of cash in the Dealers' Room and Artist's Alley as well (will get to that in the next part). In any event, the biggest highlight of day one for me wasn't anything for sale or on display.

The highlight of my first evening at Tomodachi Fest came when I heard there was an event taking place where participants had to endure torturous, embarrassing, and possibly hilarious consequences in front of a live audience; the Batsu Games.

Chris Rager prepares his unfortunate victim.

The Batsu Games, which I believe translates to "Torture Games" from Japanese, is a game where two teams (one headed by Chris Cason, the other by Chris Rager) "compete" by drawing cards and seeing who has to suffer the unfortunate consequences that the card entails. Sometimes, the card will give the player a free pass and they will be spared, but most of the time at least one person has to suffer some unfortunate "torture", which is usually more comcical than painful. Such punishments included seeing contestants brushing with wasabi, having clothespins attached to their face, a battery to their tongue, a free lipstick makeover session (pictured above and below), and many more.

Adam watches as the makeover begins.

A satisfied customer.

Clothespins to the face.

Onion goggles.

Brushing with wasabi.

Despite the "torturous" nature of the event, which I believe the competitors had to sign a waiver for, it was all in good fun and it was entertaining for the audience which is the most important thing. I'm not sure if I would ever participate in the event, but its definitely something I plan on attending every year that I cover Tomo.

"Yes! Cry mortals!"

After the Batsu Games my day winded down and I returned to the hotel room for some rest. I hate having to go to sleep at conventions because I always feels like I'm going to miss something, but let me give some free advice for any future convention goers: SLEEP. Set an alarm if you have to so you don't miss anything, but for the love of whatever deity you may or may not believe in, SLEEP. Remember the old 6-2-1 rule: 6 hours of sleep, 2 real meals (i.e. not a candy bar and a soda), and at least 1 shower a day. Trust me; you'll have a much better convention experience.

COMING SOON: Day 2 - Swimsuit Contests, Panels, and Con Plague

What: Tomodachi Fest
When: November 23 - 25, 2012
Where: Boise Hotel & Conference Center
Official Website: TomodachiFest.com
Official Facebook: http://goo.gl/FteB1

The Jeff Bulger YouTube Show Fandemonium Special: Ninjas vs Samurai Boffer Capture the Flag

2012-08-18T18:52:00.001-06:00

Ninjas vs Samurai: an age old battle is given a new look at Fandemonium 2012. Two teams of bloodthirsty ninjas and fearsome samurai face off in a capture the flag style competition. Who will come out on top? Will the ninjas slay their most honorable foes? Can the samurai outwit their sly counterparts? Watch the full 18 minute HD video to find out!

-Jeff

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeffreyblger
Twitter: http://twitter.com/pizzaguylol
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/pizzaguylolxd

The Jeff Bulger YouTube Show Fandemonium Special: "Most Annoying Fanbase?" Part 5

2012-08-16T22:01:00.004-06:00

Alright guys here's the final part of my YouTube special on Fandemonium 2012. Sorry for the delay but I had to dispute some things with YouTube and edit a lot of stuff. Anyways, here it is! Enjoy!

"In the finale to my "Worst Fanbase/Fandom" poll I hit up several people in my quest to crown the worst fandom in the eyes of Fandemonium 2012 attendees! People really hate Twilight fans."

-Jeff

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeffreyblger
Twitter: http://twitter.com/pizzaguylol

Podcast Delay & YouTube Dispute

2012-08-16T20:23:00.004-06:00

Hey everybody, just a minor blog update here. I did indeed record an hour or so of audio at Fandemonium way back on August 4th with the intent of editing it with an intro, intermissions, and an outro. I still plan on doing this, but right now I'm focusing more on my YouTube projects... Which is another thing I need to address. Right now YouTube is being a pain with two of my videos as it pertains to their monetization.

In layman's terms, I make a wee bit of money off of every view a video gets as well as those pesky ads that appear on them. It's not a ton of money by any means (I'm talking like pennies here) but the idea is that if I ever become popular enough it could help me buy new equipment, tickets, and fuel to go to even more conventions, concerts, and festivals.

Essentially, everything I do comes out of pocket; my Press Pass re-certification, my camera and batters, gas, lodging, etc. is all paid for by me. So I thought hey, it might be kind of nice to make a little cash on the side to fund my projects. It's obviously not going to be a lot right now given that I only have a few hundred viewers, but eventually who knows?

In any case, the two videos that are under review by YouTube for possible copyright infringement (I shot all footage and got permission from everyone interviewed, and the music is royalty free). Let me know what you guys think:

Helping my friend Gabby promote her YouTube Channel.

Interviewing fans about what they think is the worst fandom/fanbase:

-Jeff

The Jeff Bulger YouTube Show Fandemonium Special: "Most Annoying Fanbase?" Part 4

2012-08-12T23:57:00.001-06:00

Okay guys, one last video before I log off for the night. I smashed a few clips together to make this video and I do apologize for some of the audio problems as I'm still learning the range of my camera. Anyways, here's Part 4 in my "Most Annoying Fanbase?" series!

"In this extra long 15 minute clip I interview even more people about what they think the worst fanbase/fandom out there is. Sorry if the camera is shaky at points, as I had to write these down as I was given them so I didn't forget who said what at the time. Luckily, I later got an assistant to carry around a pen and paper for me. In any case, enjoy!"

-Jeff

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeffreyblger
Twitter: http://twitter.com/pizzaguylol
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/pizzaguylolxd

Fandemonium 2012: Interviewing AmuGabbyGirl about FrenchChickenProductions

2012-08-12T21:20:00.002-06:00

Here's another video from Fandemonium 2012 featuring my good friend and local cosplayer Gabby! Check it out!

I took some time out from polling people about the worst fandom around to interview my friend, Gabby! Gabby has her own YouTube channel where she makes videos to entertain the masses under the moniker French Chicken Productions ! So check her out over here at her channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/AmuGabbyGirl

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeffreyblger
Twitter: http://twitter.com/pizzaguylol
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/pizzaguylolxd

The Jeff Bulger YouTube Show Fandemonium Special: Day 1 Wrap-up

2012-08-08T14:43:00.001-06:00

My extremely tired wrap-up of first day of Fandemonium 2012! Pretty good first day over all, had a lot of fun. More videos to come!

Like, comment, subscribe, glomp, poke, and prod!

-Jeff

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeffreyblger
Twitter: http://twitter.com/pizzaguylol
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/PizzaguylolXD

Jeff Bulger YouTube Show Fandemonium Special: 2 Minute Flythrough!

2012-08-06T17:53:00.001-06:00

I take the role of a fly and buzz through the main hallways and rooms of the Nampa Civic Center as it plays host to Fandemonium 2012, Idaho's premiere sci-fi, fantasy, anime, horror, and gaming convention!

-Jeff

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeffreyblger
Twitter: http://twitter.com/pizzaguylol
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/PizzaguylolXD

The Jeff Bulger YouTube Show Episode 3: Pre-Fandemonium Preparation and Tips

2012-08-02T15:18:00.001-06:00

Ah Fandemonium! It's almost time again for the premiere sci-fi, fantasy, gaming, and horror convention of Idaho! Join me as I embark on a three day quest of frivolity and exploration! In this video I give a few tips on things to do before and during a convention, as well as some things NOT to do. Oh yeah and I pack shit into a backpack.

Head here for more information on Fandemonium!
-Jeff

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeffreyblger

Twitter: http://twitter.com/pizzaguylol

Blog: http://jeffbulgershow.blogspot.com

The Jeff Bulger YouTube Show Episode 2: T-Mobile Sucks

2012-08-01T16:57:00.001-06:00

Just a quick video I shot of my horrible experience with T-Mobile's customer service today. 40 minutes on hold, never got the supervisor, and endured some of the worst "Please Hold" muzak ever. GG, T-Mobile, GG.

On the bright side, Fandemonium is only a few short days away! Get your tickets!

PS Anyone that wants to purchase me some sort of adult beverage during the convention (OFF CONVENTION PROPERTY MIND YOU) is more than welcome to do so. Jeff Bulger Show After Party? Perhaps.

As always, remember to add me on Facebook and subscribe to me on YouTube!

-Jeff

The Dark Knight Rises Premiere & JBS Podcast Information

2012-07-28T21:55:00.001-06:00

So I've been sitting on my hands about what to do concerning The Dark Knight Rises premiere footage I took last week. In comparison to the premiere in Aurora which left 12 dead and 58 wounded, my premiere was jovial and fun.

And its precisely because of that fact I didn't want to post anything about it just yet; not until the dust had settled. Nothing that I or anyone else can say can help the situation, really. It is what it is: a tragic waste of human life.

On a lighter note, the premiere I attended was quite a lot of fun and you can watch some of the shenanigans that took place right here:

Also remember, The Jeff Bulger Show podcast is kicking off at Fandemonium 2012: Get your tickets now!

Boise Pride 2012

2012-06-20T19:42:00.000-06:00

They're here, they're queer, and I've never had a problem with it.

Ah yes Pride, the festival celebrating LBGT rights and acceptance. I never knew about Boise Pride about a month ago. I'd heard a few friends talking about working security and possibly having a booth set up (see more of those nice folks here) and I thought I'd head down to Ann Morrison park on June 16th and check it out. Upon arriving and stepping out of my vehicle around 12:30PM, I was immediately hit by the hot sun and a thumping bass. "Oh joy!" I thought, "It's hot, I'm two shirts, and I'll probably have a few beers. This is going to end well." In spite of my doubts I headed in through the main gates and into the sea of people that made up Pride.

Fun and diversity for all ages.

Pride's attendees were an interesting bunch, made up of any combination of sexes, genders (which I've learned is not quite the same thing as a person's "sex"), ethnic groups, age, height, weight, and hair color. Having reported on anime and furry conventions before I'm quite used to diverse crowds and enjoy seeing the melting pop of sub-cultures coming together to celebrate at different events. You see this is why I'm not a political reporter; I prefer the interesting people.

A church with open arms wins a lot more fans than one with closed ones, eh?

On the note of interesting people, there were a number of religious groups at the festival, too. The Nampa United Church of Christ, an "Open and Affirming Congregation" according to its website, turned up to show its support of the LGBT community. I heard reports of members of the LDS community also making the trip to show their support but I wasn't able to get in touch with them for confirmation. It's good to see different religious groups and factions accepting and loving those of different lifestyles, even if they do not happen to match their own.

Pride on display.

There was music throughout the day, including karaoke and lip-synced performances. I wasn't able to catch a great deal of them up close due to the huge sea of people surrounding the main stage. I was able to capture a few shots from a distance before retreating to a nearby tent for water and shade. One unfortunate part of the event was the heat, which I believe peaked somewhere in the high 80's/lower 90's. Despite the temperature, hundreds of people showed up, which was good to see.

Food trucks; the greatest gift to any large gathering of sweating people.

Worth mentioning are the vendors and businesses that show up to these kinds of outdoor events that make such hot conditions a bit more livable. There was the standard beer line which required tickets (which for the life of me I cannot figure out how that is more expedient than just taking my cash), peanut stands, hot dog vendors, and cotton candy booths. The event was also close enough to a local Subway restaurant, which I took advantage of and quenched my thirst before heading back out into the baking sunlight. I think it was about the time I left Subway and began the return trip to Ann Morrison that I realized I had contracted a cold. Lovely. Nevertheless, I pressed onward.

Tall, stilt-walkin' drag lady.

At some point after returning I managed to snag the picture above. If there's one thing to be said about drag queens, its that they definitely put some dedication and effort into their outfits. Oh yeah, and this one had stilts. Black clothing, big hair, and stilts in 90 degree weather... For possibly up to 9 and a half hours. You have my respect, madame.

A.L.P.H.A. offers free HIV testing at their local center.

One thing I was glad to see was A.L.P.H.A., who typically give out free HIV testing at the Goddess Festival as well. While the point of the event is to have a good time and enjoy yourself, its good to see the promotion of safe sex almost anywhere, really.

The giant Kiss FM ball looms ominously.

The atmosphere of Pride was light and fun, which is good considering its an event promoting acceptance and tolerance of alternative lifestyles. I saw quite a few youngsters running around and there was definitely a feeling that everyone was welcome. I didn't get a chance to speak with any of the organizers unfortunately, but I did hear that the budget for Pride is limited and donations are always appreciated to keep events such as Boise Pride running. A Paypal donation link can be found on their main website linked above.

Trinkets, bracelets, doilies, redheads!

As this was my first time at an LGBT pride event I really didn't know quite what to expect in terms of the heterosexual turnout, but I was pleased to see a great many of my fellow gay supporting heterosexuals made it out to support our non-hetero counterparts. Having the support of your own community is one thing, but having the support of outsiders is a huge benefit as well.

Being sexually responsible? Now there's a concept.

Again, while the event did promote understanding and acceptance of different lifestyles, it also promoted responsibility. I know, I know... Nobody wants to talk about being responsible when the atmosphere is so festive. However, I'm going to go out on a limb and say not having STD's and unwanted pregnancies is better than the alternative. Just some food for thought.

Even cats support LGBT rights!

Overall I found pride to be a fun event, although the weather was giving my already sick self a run for my money. In any case, I enjoyed myself and hope to cover the festival again next year while in (hopefully) better health. I'll also try to catch the parade, something that I unfortunately missed this year (getting up before noon on a Saturday can be a challenge). Until next year, stay here, stay queer (whatever you fancy), and be good.

If that doesn't qualify as what the kids these days call "fabulous" I don't know what does.

As always, the full photo album is available on my Facebook over here.

Anime Oasis 2012 - Part III: The High Society Formal, Burlesque Show, and Wrap Up.

2012-06-15T03:52:00.000-06:00

The High Society Formal

Oh, Jareth!

I'm not generally one for fancy galas and formal dances. Sure I went to a few homecomings and a prom, but I mean real high society events where the snobbiest of the snobs show up and entertain each other with tales of frivolity, money making, and business deals. Well thankfully I still haven't been to one of those snobbish events, as AO's High Society Formal is a place for anime fans to dress fancy and have a good time, while still respecting the idea of a formal ball. It's about as close to a real formal ball as I'll probably ever get, barring some kind of journalist award ceremony where people throw money at me, but I don't know how likely that is (yet).

Evening, ladies.

The High Society Formal is a classy affair that allows attendees and guests alike to dress up and be fancy schmancy for the evening and dance the night away. Male attendees, or girls who dress as men for the dance, must wear a tie, formal jacket, slacks, etc. Ladies (or those dressed as ladies) had to wear a formal gown of some sort that covered the knees and heeled shoes.

Princess Bubblegum!

Despite what might seem like a stuffy event, it was really all about anime fans just having fun and dressing up for the night with their friends. Having said that, I had a great time, and it was nice seeing people being respectful while also enjoying themselves.

Quite the gala, if I do say so.

Burlesque Show

A little something for everyone to enjoy.

I'd never been to a burlesque show before and I didn't really know what to expect. I knew it was all about ladies dancing around while scantily clad, which is awesome, but I had never seen one in person before. The Glitterarti Gals were the burlesque troupe on tap for the evening, and they didn't disappoint. They performed quite a few numbers, taking breaks intermittently to give out free tickets to shows and explain a bit more about who they are and what they do.

I'm not even going to attempt a "big guns" joke.

There were some beautiful girls in the group, and I can't recall their names at the moment but they were all really good at what they did, and that's dancing while scantily clad to music. I can't really say anything negative about that, because if you have a talent you should exploit it, and I'll be damned if they don't do a good job.

Helloooooo, nurse!

There was also a pretty amazing Michael Jackson impersonator in the group, performing some pretty slick dance moves. I was going to try and shoot some video of the event but I was running low on space as it was and didn't want to sacrifice image quality. In any case, here's some pictures of the guy in action:

Talkin' 'bout Billie Jean, son!

Ow!

Overall the burlesque show was a lot of fun and I hope the Gals will come back next year, as I had a great time watching them do their thing.

Do come back ladies, do come back!

Wrapping Up: The Remaining Bits

Dun da da dun, da da dun, da da dun!

Tea parties, costume contests, bikini contests, vendors, video games, panels, events -- how does one cover it all? Simple: you don't. The main thing I've learned from going to cons over the years (and it hasn't been a lot of years, but I learned quickly) is that you go to what interests you as an individual. I'm a huge Dragon Ball fan so naturally I attend every Sonny Strait and Chris Rager panel I possibly can.

Sonny Strait, one of my personal highlights of the convention.

I love meeting new people and drinking tea, so hell, why not go to a tea party? In the end there simply isn't enough time or energy to go to every single thing at a convention, let alone every single thing that interests me personally. One of the events I made sure to go and cover, however, was the big costume contest near the end of the convention.

My personal favorite skit of the evening

There were some great costumes and skits, and some not so great costumes and skits. One particularly interesting gaff occurred when two different cosplaying groups had the same idea to sing "Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better"... I was sitting next to voice actress Caitlin Glass at the time and I told her (after laughing a bit) "I think they played the same song again by accident." But then they kept going...

The first "Anything You Can Do" Skit.

If you ever see me checking my phone constantly and not really doing anything on it its more than likely because I can't look at whats making me uncomfortable. Opie and Anthony describe this phenomena as douche chilling; when something is so douchey you just can't bare to see it. Evidently the second group to perform the skit with the same song in question, whose pictures I did not upload here or on my Facebook, created quite a scene backstage due to the mix up. Not the best way to endear yourself to your fellow attendees if you ask me.

Dude, at some point you just have to say she's not worth rescuing anymore.

Despite any technical difficulties or drama, I enjoyed the show, and its clear that some people put a lot of care and thought into their props and costumes. There were over 40 cosplayers and skits this year, and that's definitely something to be celebrated.

Hard workin' tattoo lady.

Oh yeah, and people could get tattoos at the convention, too. Anime tattoos. Cool anime tattoos.

Final Thoughts

Pack it up, we're outta here.

I enjoyed my time at Anime Oasis 2012. Yes there were certain things that weren't perfect but that goes for every convention. Having said that, I had a great time and its definitely a convention I could see myself attending next year. I enjoyed the guests, the events, and the panels that I attended and really that's all I can ask for at the end of the day.

Where it all starts, where it all ends.

As long as a convention has something that a majority of the people attending can enjoy then it is a success in my eyes. All things can improve, obviously, but I feel like the staff running Anime Oasis have things pretty well in hand from what I can see. Sure, there's always going to be drama and politics in any scene or fandem, but none of that took away from my enjoyment of the overall experience.

See ya' next year!

I'll give Anime Oasis 2012 a solid 4 out of 5. I had fun, nothing terrible happened, and I met great people. In the end that's all that matters to me. See ya' next year!

Anime Oasis 2012 - Part II: Events & Panels, Tea Parties, and What Happened To The Video Game Room?

2012-06-10T19:16:00.001-06:00

Continued from Part I...

Events & Panels

Cosplay of the year, all years.

As with any anime convention, there were a lot of events and panels taking place over the course of the convention. Events included cosplay chess inside the main event arena, several Q&A panels with the celebrity guests, battle karaoke, a dating game, an AMV contest, the high society formal, and more. I'm notoriously horrible at going to panels, and it isn't because I think I'll find them boring or anything, it's just that I feel if I'm sitting down in one panel for any length of time I'll be missing things going on throughout the convention that I could be taking pictures of. I'll generally always make an effort to sit in on celebrity Q&A panels, although I've somehow always missed Michael Coleman's due to scheduling conflicts, which is sad because I've heard the guy is legitimately nice and does great interviews. Should he return next year (and odds are he will) I will go out of my way to attend one of his panels and get an interview. And I'll endeavor to make it to a non-celebrity panel if only for a few moments.

Twinsies!

I had the pleasure of sitting in on the majority of Sonny Strait's Q&A panels, which are always a lot of fun. As I mentioned in Part I, Sonny brought his wife Gayla this year, who was able to provide further insight into some questions and pose a few of her own. I actually bumped into Chris Rager sitting near the back during one of Sonny's panels. Chris was a really easy interview, making conversations feel casual and friendly. That's huge with me, as you never want to meet somebody you admire and find out they're a tool bag. Luckily, every celebrity guest I talked to this year was friendly and courteous, and I returned the favor. There are a few rules I have for talking to celebrities that I want pictures with or that I just want to talk to, and I feel that others might benefit from this advice.

1. Never interrupt them while they're eating and ask for a picture.
2. Don't pester them for an interview or pictures while they're talking with their family.
3. If they look like they're in a hurry, they probably are; let them get where they need to go.
4. Don't creep around outside the bathroom to wait for an interview/picture. It's just weird.

Now that that's out of the way, let me shamelessly show off pictures I made famous people take with me:

You rule, Mr. Satan!

Like OMG!

She kept doing her Cammy voice. I may have fanboyed.

Tea Parties

I didn't think I'd end up here either.

I don't remember exactly how I ended up at the gothic lolita themed tea party, but I think it had something to do with me randomly walking around the third floor looking for things to do since the video game room was so lackluster (more on that later). I happened upon the tea party room and thought, "Why not? I'm thirsty and it might be fun". So I popped in and decided to take in some green tea and brownies. We played a few games, too, such as "The Minister's Cat", where the goal is to use one word starting with each letter of the alphabet at least once. My table, proudly titled "Team Mmm Bananas" came up with some interesting descriptions for the poor feline in question.

Fancy gothic lolita ladies.

I chose green tea, and I have to say it was pretty good. You never really know what you're going to get at an anime convention in terms of refreshments, but I have to say the tea was really enjoyable. My choice for the evening was green tea with a bit of lemon and sugar added in. I enjoyed my healthy drink, and proceeded to dash any benefits I might have received from it by immediately shoving a delicious brownie down my craw.

Hard workin' tea ladies.

I had no expectations going into the tea party but I have to say it was a lot of fun. I'll be sure to cover another one of these events next year. Thanks to Steven Barber for making me feel comfortable and welcome in the highly unfamiliar atmosphere of a fancy schmancy tea party.

I guess he couldn't handle the sight of them.

What Happened to the Video Game Room?

At least Samurai Showdown showed up.

Shocking as it might sound, not everyone attends anime conventions for the anime, the cosplay, or the events and panels. Some people attend anime conventions because of the video game rooms, where fighting game tournaments are often held. These tournaments can be attendee run or staff run, and generally have some sort of cash prize or convention bucks to throw out at the winners. Generally these tournaments are played on consoles via a projector or TV donated by an attendee or staff member. In any case, these events are generally a lot of fun and are where I spend the majority of my time downtime during conventions. This year there were no console games to be found, and instead there were arcade cabinets shoved into every corner of the two game rooms. There were some traditional favorites like DDR and some other rhythm/dance games, which I've never really been too keen on.

Don't be fooled by its colorful appearance, this machine is pure evil.

While there were some fighting games present, the majority of them were older games that I didn't hold much interest in. I asked a few staff members why there weren't any more console games, but I never really got a satisfactory answer. I suppose I could have asked Jeremy, the con chairman, but I felt he had enough things to worry about. In any case, the video game room fell short for me this year. I'm not saying there should be a huge variety of every obscure fighting game known to man, but there should always be a few basic hits that everyone enjoys playing: Smash Bros., Marvel vs Capcom 2 or 3, Street Fighter, Tekken, etc. To be fair there was a Tekken Tag Tournament arcade cabinet set up but it's extremely hard to run a tournament off of one arcade cabinet. Along with some good games, the following should be present in every video game room:

Sorry old friend, maybe next year.

- As mentioned before, fighting games: Smash Bros. Melee or Brawl, Marvel 2 or 3, the latest version of Street Fighter IV, the latest Tekken, Soul Calibur, etc.

- Memory cards/HDD's with every character unlocked. Nothing more annoying than having to unlock your favorite character just so you can have some fun.

- Controllers that work properly. I've been to some cons with some egregious controllers that look like they've served a couple tours overseas.

- Fans. Nothing worse than having a gigantic stank cloud hovering around the players.

- Chairs. For those of us with horrific backs, its nice to sit down on occasion.

That's all I ask from a game room. I don't think these are ridiculous requirements/demands, particularly with enough time to prepare.

Hopefully next year the video game room(s) will get some more attention, but we'll just have to wait and see. On the plus side, I did manage to win a game of NBA Jam against my buddy Mario, smashing the backboard in the process. 'Twas a good feeling, 'twas a good feeling indeed.

Next: Part III - The High Society Formal, Burlesque Show, and Wrap Up.

Anime Oasis 2012 - Part I: Opening Ceremonies, Guests, and the Dealer's Room

2012-06-07T20:45:00.004-06:00

Well I've certainly been slacking as of late, haven't I? Anime Oasis happened almost two weeks ago and here I am just now writing my review of the convention. I apologize for the delay, but there have been a few reasons for it:

1. Diablo III
2. The quest for new and exciting employment
3. Laziness

So with those three reasons (excuses) out of the way, I present you with my review of Anime Oasis Double One!

No, I don't know what Double One means either, but I'm sure I'll get emails about it.
Update: Huzzah! I did get info on this. It's called Double One because it's the 11th year of the con. The more you know...

So it's Spring (or early Summer depending on what the weather feels like doing) here in the Treasure Valley, and that means a few things: graduations, the peak of when people break up/get into new relationships, and of course Anime Oasis! This was the 12th edition of the convention, and it's 3rd time at The Grove Hotel in downtown Boise, ID. It's come a long way since then, changing venues from the original Best Western Vista Inn, to the Airport Holiday Inn, and finally to the aforementioned grove. Despite being a smaller convention as far as anime cons go, AO has managed to snag marquee guests such as Sonny Strait, Mari Iijima, and Vic Mignogna over the years. However, as I mentioned in my FurIdaho article, what makes a good convention isn't necessarily the guests or the events, but the rabid attendees that show up and support it. With that in mind, let's get underway.

Saiyan armor, goomba, sailor moon outfits... You know, the usual.

I arrived the Grove Hotel at around 2PM on May 24th, the first day of the four day convention. I checked into my hotel room with my three buddies, got something to eat, and proceeded downstairs to start taking pictures of everything going on. Around 4PM or so opening ceremonies began and I was lucky enough to be granted backstage access to it. I'd like to say the opening ceremonies went off without a hitch but unfortunately I can't. Technical glitches hampered con chairman Jeremy Loppett's opening speech, making it difficult to hear for the audience in attendance. Eventually things were figured out and the ceremony proceeded.

Let's get on with it!

Voice acting guests in attendance this year were the returning Sonny Strait (Krillin/DBZ), who brought his lovely wife Gayla), Caitlin Glass (Winry/FMA:B) making her first appearance at AO, Chris Rager (Mr. Satan/DBZ), and AO veteran Michael Coleman.

Left to Right: Chris Rager, Gayla Jackson, Sonny Strait, Caitlin Glass, an apple.

Other guests included:
- The founders of Idaho's first anime club, COO-IE. The group was on hand to help run events such as Battle Karaoke.
- Manga Kissaten, who taught drawing classes at the convention to aspiring artists.
- Tanglwyst de Holloway (aka Tanya Adolfson), an expert costumer who does makeup, wigs, and props. As well as being a proficient with the creation of elaborate costumes and props, Tangl is also a published author, and the first to be published by Fantastic Journeys Publishing. Her first novel, Thine Enemy's Eyes, is the first part of Souls of the Saintlands Series. The sequel, An Unpolished Gem, will be available Summer 2012.
- The lovely Glitterarti Gals, a burlesque troupe with some beautiful and classy gals featuring classic burlesque tunes as well as some modern flavors, not to mention a Michael Jackson number that I enjoyed immensely (more on the Burlesque show later).
- And finally the Fine Young Deviants, a fast rising local comedy/improv acting troupe. The group focuses on subculture interests and pop culture in their skits, and run the gamut when it comes to poking fun at anything and everything that can be made fun of. Unrestricted and uncensored, the way it should be.

When Mr. Satan talks, you listen.

After opening ceremonies concluded, I made my way throughout the first three floors, snapping pictures all the while. I met some interesting folks, and toured the first two floors which was home to the Artist Alley, Dealers' Room, and the main ballroom which hosted Q&A panels, battle karaoke, and the Formal Ball among other events.

Knickknacks being invaded by orange stickers, apparently.

The Dealers' Room and I have always had an interesting relationship. I patrol it about three times per day of the convention, never buy anything more than $5, and take about 25% of my secondary (read: filler) pictures there. While my loitering nature has never caused anyone to openly say anything, I always feel kind of iffy about taking so many pictures in there and never buying anything more expensive than a wallet or pin. In any case, it's always a lot of fun to capture the atmosphere of the dealer's room and show off all the neat knickknacks available. As a way to atone for my loitering, never buying anything ways, here is free advertising for the Dealers' Room:

Buy things!

Action figures and stuff.

Stuff. Lots of stuff.

Are we good now, Dealer's Room? I promise to buy something from you eventually, really I do. It's nothing personal!

That concludes part I of my review of Anime Oasis Double One! Part II will be up tomorrow evening. Until then, I'm off to catch Prometheus!

Next: "Part II - Events, Panels, Tea Parties, and What Happened To The Video Game Room?"

April Animatics

2012-04-20T15:15:00.000-06:00

Hello again everyone. Here's a short musing of when I recently ventured downtown to The Rediscovered Book Shop and attended an Animatics meeting. Generally they meet every second Sunday of the month, but due to Easter (I had previously reported this was due to Sakura-Con. Thanks to reader Caroline for pointing this out to me), the club decided to postpone until the following Sunday. This was my first time attending the group and on the evening in question they were putting together a cosplay workshop where people could come and help each other out with their costumes and get tips on how to fabricate some of the elaborate cosplays seen at the various conventions and meet ups. This was also my first time taking my iPad out for a spin so I figured I'd use that to take some pictures, which I think came out pretty decent.

Books!

Freakin' books!

A ginger is in our midst.

I knew quite a few people at the meeting, mostly from conventions, anime club meetings, or from friends of friends on Facebook. The atmosphere was fun and friendly, with chips and drinks available free of charge. While I'm not necessarily huge into cosplay, I do want to give it a shot sooner or later as the Engineer from Team Fortress 2. I plan on doing a Hank Hill impression and constantly telling people about propane and sentry guns. If I ever need any props or tips on costumes, I'm sure the folks at Animatics would be willing to lend me a hand.

You will listen to him. He has cat ears.

Chelsea chillin'.

Melissa giving me the evil eye.

Being the nerd that I am, I made sure to check out the different cosplay ideas without being intrusive. I'm amazed at the level some people take their costumes to, not unlike some of the craftsmanship I saw at FurIdaho last month. I look forward to seeing some of the completed costumes at Anime Oasis next month, where cosplay plays a huge part in the event.

I like how the ghost looks like he's blushing from the hug happening to his left.

Talkin' bout cosplay.

I don't know what was going on here but that ginger looks up to no good.

That's all for now! I'll try to get some more blogs posted on the Road to Anime Oasis 2012.

These two were working on showing off their heat gun thingy that bends a certain kind of prop material.

What are you doing here, Kevin Smith?

Again, you WILL listen to the man in the cat ears.

Animatics's DeviantArt page can be found here.
The club meets every second Sunday of the month from 6 to 9PM at The Rediscovered Bookshop, located at 180 N. 8th St in downtown Boise.

FurIdaho 2012

2012-03-28T17:04:00.000-06:00

Art by Kadath

"It was a triumph." These are the words being used to describe the first ever FurIdaho convention, which took place this past weekend at the Boise Hotel & Conference Center. And after taking into account that this was the second largest opening of a first year convention in Idaho's history, I think the word "triumph" is well deserved in this case.

What it's all about.

Chairman Robert Wright of Arson Labs, an event planning and event services group according to their official Facebook page, put on a great convention. The idea of hosting a furry convention in Boise, let alone hosting the first ever furry convention in Boise, no doubt must have seemed a daunting task. Despite any adversity that might have been encountered, the convention happened, and went off without the proverbial hitch.

The first day of the convention had to be a bit shorter for me than I would have liked, as I had to work at my "real job" until 6pm. After clocking out of there and filling up my 1998 hunk of junk, I was on my way.

As the first picture I took at the convention, this really set the tone.

Upon my arrival I was greeted with a large gathering of people in the main lobby of the conference center. I was pleased to see so many people turned out for the premier furry convention, and began to take pictures immediately. Before I could get too carried away I needed to get a badge, and after throwing down $35, I was officially a FurIdaho attendee.

This one's a keeper.

There you go David, there you go!

Upon becoming official, I immediately sprung into action and began taking pictures of just about everything and everyone I could. By day's end I believe I totaled around 100 pictures even, which is more than I even got at my first day of Fandemonium the previous year (which was 88 I believe). As I do with every convention, I found the video game room, which was a fun place to kick back and play some Mario Kart, Mario Party, Smash Bros. Brawl, Tatsunoko vs Capcom, and Beautiful Katamari. I honestly didn't know if there would even be a video game room at the convention, but I'm glad that there was, as it provided a nice "pit stop" for me during my down time in between taking pictures and pestering people for their opinions on the convention.

Stop it you guys! You have no business being that cute!

Other than taking pictures and conversing with other guests, I made it a point to do some people watching. No, not the creepy, through binoculars kind, but rather some good old fashioned "wallflowering". It was nice to see people having a good time, taking pictures, and meeting up with old friends. Frankly every convention should have this kind of atmosphere. Keeping a happy, upbeat atmosphere is key, and without the feeling of something going on at a convention at all times, the atmosphere can be dull and boring. Thankfully, that wasn't the case here. Everybody seemed to be excited for what was going on or what was going happen later, and so was I. Fandemonium and Anime Oasis have that feeling too, which is probably why they're successful conventions, and why I believe this one is and will be too.

This is con.

At the end of the first day, I crashed with some friendly furries at the hotel, although I didn't get much sleep; I was too excited to get back out there and start taking more pictures. In any case, day two saw me taking even more pictures and spending more time getting to know various furries in the community. I learned about the different fur meet ups that happen in the Treasure Valley, which I think is fantastic and I hope continues to grow. I met a lot of great people, with ages ranging from 13 to 60+. The furry community has a great deal of diversity, and it was fully on display later on that night during the dance party. If I remember correctly, I danced with a donkey and a wolf at one point. Not everybody can say that they've done that, damn it!

Well, hello there.

Over the course of all three days of the convention, I made several trips to and around The Artist's Den, where vendors were selling there wares. Products range from pins, to bumper stickers, to comic books, to plushies, hats, and dozens of others. I didn't have the extra cash to throw down for anything this year, but next year I plan on getting some of those sweet Cthulhu plushies (as pictured above); they're just too freakin' cute! Here's some highlights from the "marketplace" of the convention:

Whaddya buyin', stranger?

I want one!

Sup.

A poor furry being accosted by several pieces of fabric.

Hard workin' vendor dudes.

I took a ton of pictures of all the fantastic fursuits I saw at the convention. Here's a small sampling of the craftsmanship that was on display. I'm curious as to how expensive the cost must be for some of the more extravagant suits. Check 'em out:

Buddies.

Just prancing about.

Well, hello there.

Mine! MINE!

Yep, just being the coolest dudes in the room.

Fight! Fight! Fight!

SHARK! SHARK! SHARK! SHARK!

As mentioned before, a good convention needs atmosphere, and FurIdaho had it. In fact, it had radioactive sharks flying in its atmosphere. Don't believe me? Take a look:

I only intended to take one picture of the sharks but they wouldn't go away.

One of the sharks consented to taking a picture with me. I think I was blushing.

I also want to mention the great security team at FurIdaho, led by Bryan Currid. Bryan and his team did a good job of securing the event and making sure everybody had a fun and safe time. They've also provided security for other events in the Treasure Valley as well such as Fandemonium. They do a good job of making the convention feel secure, while at the same time not taking away from any of the fun being had. I appreciate the time and hours these guys dedicate to making sure everyone's convention experience is the best possible.

Ben, a member of Bryan's team, holds down the fort.

Onlookers, looking on.

The beating heart of any convention, in my opinion, isn't something you'll find on purpose most of the time. No, the life force of a convention to me has always been the random conversations and happenings that are going on at all times around the venue. I struck up conversations with as many people as possible, and met people from Alaska to Montana to Ohio. While seeing familiar faces is always nice, diversity at a convention is always a welcome sight, as it keeps conventions alive and running.

There was no shortage of things to do and see at FurIdaho.

There were several panels and events happening all throughout the convention. Although I wasn't able to make it to most of them due to my pestering of various other attendees and staff for interviews and pictures, when prodded for information I was told that the panels were well done and a lot of fun. Next year I'm going to make it a point to sit in on at least one or two panels.

Possibly my favorite picture of the entire convention.

The final day of the convention's highlight was closing ceremonies, which saw singing, prizes being thrown out, and even an epic shark battle (flying sharks, mind you). When all was said and done, the staff of FurIdaho took their bows and/or curtsies, and the convention drew to a close late Sunday evening. As with all conventions, they sadly have to come to an end, but it wasn't an end that left a sour taste in my mouth or a feeling that I hadn't done or seen enough, because I had a fantastic time and enjoyed every moment of it. Thankfully, FurIdaho 2013 officially has the green light, and I'm definitely looking forward to it.

Our proud chairman, gracefully accepting his award.

The best part of the convention to me wasn't necessarily anything I could find in my program, although there were some awesome events going on like the "Guest of Honor Headliner Dance" which I enjoyed immensely. Rather, I think the people and the community involved in this convention were the highlight for me. The staff of a convention can do their best to put on a great show and make everybody happy, but in the end it takes a community to show up and get things going. A great movie is only as good as its final box office draw in the minds of some people, and a great convention is only as good as the people who attend. With that in mind, I'm happy to say I felt extremely welcome at FurIdaho.

Awww

A little make-shift advertising never hurt anyone.

Whenever I had a question about something to do with the furry fandom, somebody was always willing to explain it to me in a friendly, non-intimidating way. I will admit, I've had misconceptions about furries in the past, what with
the media's portrayals not always being the kindest or most accurate (damn you CSI), but after having been fully immersed in that world over the past weekend, I can honestly say that they're no different or stranger than any other group there is. Every group or organization will have its weirdos, popular folks, jerks, etc. but from what I saw at the convention, the only thing that mattered was that everybody wanted to have fun and enjoy a sense of community, and that is something to be celebrated.

In closing, FurIdaho gets my "thumbs up", and I greatly look forward to attending again next year. I give my thanks to everybody who made it all possible!

It was a triumph!

Until then my friends, until then.

http://www.facebook.com/jeffreyblger

(Yes the, "u" is omitted on purpose.)

FurIdaho 2012 Coverage Coming This Week!

2012-03-25T15:07:00.000-06:00

Today is the last day of the inaugural FurIdaho furry convention here in Boise. I've had a great time over the last few days and have met some fantastic people. I'll have my full article with my review and tons of pictures posted later this week, with the tentative date being this Wednesday. Stay tuned and happy Spring Break everyone!

Setting out...

2012-03-23T11:11:00.001-06:00

Welcome one and all to The Jeff Bulger Show, my blog about various happenings in and around Boise including conventions, concerts, and various other get-togethers. I'm a student at Boise State majoring in Communication/English with a Journalism emphasis. The goal is to work for a major news organization in the future. To that end, I'm going to travel to and document as many events and happenings as fiscally and physically possible. Most of it will have a nerdy edge to it including gaming and anime, so if that's your cup of tea please stay with me for a while; it'll be worth it.

Here's a list of events I'll be attending for certain:

- FurIdaho
- Anime Oasis
- Fandemonium
- Tomodachi Fest
- Every Boise State Anime Club Meeting possible.
- Local concerts and events that allow photography.

This is pretty barebones to start out, but it will grow over the next coming months. Stay tuned!

-Jeff