SMOF News, volume 3, issue 16
Reviewing the rest of Con & On, and news in brief.
Fictional Con Review: Vista Al Mar Con (Con & On issues #2-5)
Vista Al Mar Con, or VAMCon, is a slightly fictionalized version of the con now known as Comic-Con International. In the first issue of Con & On, aspiring young comics creators Eddie and Deja visited VAMCon in 1992, one finding industry connections and the other running into invisible barriers.
Con & On #2 picks up the story in 2001, with the rest of the series bringing it up to 2022. Eddie, Deja, and others from around the comics world return to the con again and again as they jostle for prestige, opportunities, and invitations to the right parties.
VAMCon itself, having gotten so much attention in issue #1, now becomes just a bunch of crowds in the background. A few fan characters return from issue to issue, but they only exist through their relationships with media franchises or actors. A person unfamiliar with CCI, shown this version of it, could reasonably conclude that it is an industry event which allows the general public to attend part of it, rather than being first and foremost a fan convention for people to get together and share their fandom.
As for the actual story, it’s a bittersweet one. Deja emerges as the true hero, fighting through all the obstacles in her way to achieve her dream, though even her ultimate moment of triumph ends up being mostly about the horrible people she had to endure along the way. The intended audience of hardcore comics fans will probably enjoy it.
In Brief
MonkeyCon is renaming itself to RisuCon and moving from Gaithersburg, Virginia to Rockville, Maryland next year.
The Washington Business Journal, in a story on conventions in Washington, DC, reports that the largest event this year at its main convention center was the anime con Otakon.
Ohayocon (Columbus, Ohio, January 19-21) has added Joshua Seth, Dorothy Fahn, Tom Fahn, and Andy Serpenti as guests.
ATL Comic Convention (Atlanta, Georgia, February 9-11) has added Robert Englund, Jeremy Shada, Charisma Carpenter, Debbie Dunning, and Richard Karn as guests.
Kawacon (San Antonio, Texas, March 2-3) has added Karen Strassman as a guest.
Indiana Comic Convention (Indianapolis, Indiana, March 22-24) has added Debbie Dunning and Richard Karn as guests.
Origins Game Fair (Columbus, Ohio, June 19-23) has added Elizabeth Hargrave as a special guest.
Event Calendar
Weekend of December 22-24
Winter Furry Fusion, Shanghai, China
Otakukon (anime), Harare, Zimbabwe
Holiday Matsuri (anime), Orlando, Florida, USA
Comic Fiesta 2023, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Weekend of December 29-31
Furvester 5: Mad Science (anthropomorphic), Reutlingen, Germany
Yunyou Island (anthropomorphic), Chengdu, China
New Year’s Furry Ball, Newark, Delaware, USA
Bewhiskered 2023: Furries on the High Seas, Durham, North Carolina, USA
OKiCon (anime), Norman, Oklahoma, USA
Doki’s Winter Fest (anime), Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA
Comic Market 103 (fan comics), Tokyo, Japan
Weekend of January 5-7
ShadowCon (relaxacon), Memphis, Tennessee, USA
GAFilk 2024 (music), Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Anthro Northwest 6 (anthropomorphic), Seattle, Washington, USA
Japan Meeting of Furries, Toyohashi, Japan
Painted Desert Fur Con: The Carnival in Rio de Janeiro!! (anthropomorphic), Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Spartacon XXXIII (gaming), DeWitt, Michigan, USA
Philadelphia Area Gaming Expo, Oaks, Pennsylvania, USA
OrcaCon 2024 (gaming), Bellevue, Washington, USA
Animé Los Angeles 19, Long Beach, California, USA
Ichibancon 14 (anime), Concord, North Carolina, USA
SacAnime, Sacramento, California, USA
Taiyou Con (anime), Mesa, Arizona, USA
Anime-ZAP!, East Peoria, Illinois, USA
Fan Expo New Orleans (media), New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
St. Pete Comic Con 2024, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
Weekend of January 12-14
Chattacon XLIX, Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
Arisia 2024, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Marscon 2024, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
Further Confusion: Pixelated (anthropomorphic), San Jose, California, USA
MidWinterFrolic 2024 (anthropomorphic), Altura, Minnesota, USA
Snowcon 14 (gaming), Bangor, Maine, USA
Cascade Games Convention, Bellingham, Washington, USA
Dice + Diversions (gaming), Peachtree Corners, Georgia, USA
RiverCityCon (gaming), Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Midwinter Gaming Convention, Pewaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Geekway Mini: Geekway to the Future (gaming), St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Congress of Gamers Winter Session, Rockville, Maryland, USA
HexaCon 2024 (gaming), Broomfield, Colorado, USA
SCARAB 2024 (gaming), Columbia, South Carolina, USA
SaltCON Bryce (boardgames), Bryce Canyon, Utah, USA
28th Annual Chattanooga Railgaming Challenge, Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
Spartacon XXXIII (wargaming), DeWitt, Michigan, USA
BattleTex IV (wargaming), Houston, Texas, USA
Siege of Augusta XXXIII (miniatures gaming), Augusta, Georgia, USA
Ichibancon 14 (anime), Concord, North Carolina, USA
Anime Impulse, Pomona, California, USA
MondoCon 2024 (media), Budapest, Hungary
CONsole Room: Year 11 (Doctor Who), Bloomington, Minnesota, USA
Weekend of January 19-21
Labyrinth of ConFusion, Novi, Michigan, USA
COSine 2024, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
CanthroFur (anthropomorphic), Auvergne, France
Anthro New England 2024: It's a Nor'eastah!, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
KapCon 31 (gaming), Wellington, New Zealand
Ducosim (gaming), Amersfoort, Netherlands
ATG Expo (gaming), Waco, Texas, USA
Niagara Boardgaming Weekend, Grimsby, Ontario, Canada
Super MAGFest (gaming/videogame music), National Harbor, Maryland, USA
Ohayocon 24 (anime), Columbus, Ohio, USA
Ikkicon (anime), Round Rock, Texas, USA
Animazing-Con (anime), Savannah, Georgia, USA
Orlando Anime Day, Orlando, Florida, USA
Central Florida Comic Con, Lakeland, Florida, USA
Albuquerque Comic Con, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
Coda
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