Anime St. Louis Con Report

Anime St.Louis 2007 Con Report

Hello Everybody, This is Aaron aka Halloween or Kola Klub member #0035. I’m nineteen years old, going to be twenty May 16th, Woot. I’m a member of the Army Reserve currently. I’ve been an anime fan for about eight or so years. My favorite anime is Trigun, because of the greatest shady character in anime Nicholas D. Wolfwood, who I cosplay frequently at cons. I’ve been cosplaying and going to anime conventions for three years. In three years I’ve been to six cons ranging from St.Louis to Ohio. So seeing that I’ve gotten the intro out of the way its time for what you all can here to see. These is how the con went so I’ll guess I’ll push my ego a side for a second and give you the information that you people came to see.

Con Price and Registration Line
The price for Anime St.Louis/Show Me Con was reasonable for a con of its size. The One Day badge cost $10, while the 3 day badge was $40. They used an ingenious way to persuade people to cosplay by taking $5 off of the badge prices to anyone that cosplayed when they registered. The registration lines were relatively long for a small con but were easy to get through.

Guest
The guests at Anime St.Louis were Piano Squall, Vic Mignogna, and Steve Bennett. The three guests were all very nice and approachable. Seeing that Anime St.Louis was a small con it was easy to bump into one of the guest and have a small conversation….Well unless it was Vic, because he had a army of raving fan girls chasing after him all weekend. It was like watching a live action Tom and Jerry cartoon. Steve Bennett could be found in the dealer’s room at his booth. He was constantly seen holding conversations with con goers, giving autographs, and joking with them. Piano Squall is a really nice guy. He is passionate about what he does, is dedicated to his fans, and was frequently seen talking to fans about and would games and anime. All Three Guest were great guest and can’t wait to see them at another con.

Atmosphere
Despite several problems with the hotel staff and dead space in between the few panels that were held at Anime St.Louis, entertainment and fun could be found throughout the hotel whether it was jumping on to an empty elevator and having a makeshift elevator party, taking pictures of the random cosplayers, hanging out in the dealers room, or hanging out in the lobby listening to Piano Squall do what he does best on the piano. Everyone at the con was friendly and fun to hang out with and execute crazy antics with. By far the best part of the con in my option something that you’re rarely able to do at large cons without security getting on you.

Hotel
…..Okay I know the con goers that went to this con as well as myself had more then a few things that they wanted to share with the hotel room, most of them were four letters long, but that’s for a different entry. Anyway I’ll give the hotel leeway on how it handled some situations as for ejecting people with fake air soft guns. (Even thought it clearly had a orange tip on it.), But what I can’t forgive is the fact that the con had the hotel booked long in advance and on Saturday the hotel double booked a room for a Bar Mitzvah and a wedding and ended up trying to relocate about 500+ congoers as to not to interfere with the wedding or Bar Mitzvah. I find it ridiculous and kind of offensive. I’m not sure if I’m over reacting but I just find that really crazy that they knew the con was there first and then booked a wedding and Bar Mitzvah knowing that the rooms that both of them were going to use. The con had already intended to use. In other words that was the Marriot West first anime convention and by the looks of it it is going to be the last.

Closing
Okay so that’s all I can think of to put in this con report for Anime St.Louis. This was my first anime con report. I hope it was informative and gave you what you were looking for. Sorry that this took so long to get out. I’ve been working and setting things up for my next con Anime Central 2007 in Chicago. I might do one for Acen as well. I enjoyed myself at Anime St.Louis 2007. I loved the people, the guest, and the panels I attended. Now I feel I should leave you with a list of things that I learned at this con.

Reno and Rude love the Yaoi
Kakashi should seriously file assault charges against all the fan girls that violently glomp him.
Reno is a cross stealer
Pocky Ninja is kind of creepy
Vic rocks at playing the piano….Piano Squall and Vic Mignogna collaboration anyone?
Non anime enthusiastic believe Piano Squall playing “Cruel Angel Thesis” as racket.
Steve Bennett almost signed my book as Andrew LMAO!
Guest will autograph virtually anything from an empty box of Pocky to a freight train….okay maybe not a freight train, but a model train maybe.

Well that’s all I’ve got for you in this installment of Halloween’s Con Report. This is #0035 aka Aaron aka Black Wolfwood aka Halloween over and out on this con report. Hope to see you all at acen or in a con I go to in the future to quote someone famous LOVE & PEACE!