Small cons are like small parties. You lose a good deal of grandeur but you potentially gain much more intimacy. But if you are at a big party if the people you are talking to are dull you have dozens of options. At a small party your options are limited. Castle Point Anime Convention is distinctly a small party. It is a one day convention on the campus of the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey. It is very definition of a local con. Castle Point is not a total relaxacon as it has American voice acting guests Michele Knotz, Bill Rogers, and Mike Pollock and a fair amount of panel, activities, and game rooms. It will probably not be Anime Next sized any time soon but it is a pleasant little getaway if you live in the Tri-State area.

Continue reading →

As I mentioned on the March episode of the Speakeasy podcast I was thinking of going to the Castle Point Anime Convention. With a clear schedule and the convention being a short ride on the PATH train I have decided to trek out to New Jersey this weekend. Narutaki will not be able to attend, but for happy reasons, so all is well on that front. It is a simple one day convention but it was fun when I went in 2009.  I will be wearing my Fate/Zero shirt and mostly attending panels so I should not be too hard to find if you look for me. I am always up for having lunch or dinner with some readers as good conversation makes good eating. I hope to see some of you there!

My Tentative Schedule :

Opening Ceremonies
Otaku On A Budget
Business of Webcomics
Otaku Culture 101
The List: The Panel, Part 2/1
Jawdropping Moments in Anime
Con Feedback

If you are willing to experience them, there are benefits to every size of convention. Castle Point Anime Convention is a small college con in New Jersey at the Stevens Institute of Technology. It was a Sunday only event from 10AM to 7PM with a MC Frontalot concert after.  I was invited to participate in a panel by Evan from Ani-Gamers. It’s not that hard to get to from New York City so I was only too delighted to help out while having a Sunday activity at the same time.

I started my short trip with the NYC subway to the PATH Train. After that it was only a few blocks to the campus which was very convenient. There was a on and off drizzle the whole day so not having to brave the elements too long was greatly appreciated. The path I took to the college due to me remembering the map oddly threw me off a bit so it took me more time to find registration. I got my ticket then ran into Evan on my way to the Otaku History panel. Otaku History was run by Walter Amos and Rob Fenelon. It reminded me of what they said during their guest spot on Anime World Order but there is always something new to say. They went over how anime fandom started in America and how is has grown and changed. Most of the focus was on the earliest days since those are what most people don’t know about. They had some cool old American anime fanzines and I learned the origin of incredibly long and descriptive anime titles.

Continue reading →