And all I got was this Badge!

[davemerrill]

I'm at home now and I checked my Acen program books and my pal was NOT the con chair at the first Acen, so the Angry Otaku may very well be accurate in his "d-bag" assessment of that guy, whoever he is.

Here's a big pile of my con badges! Wheee!

badges.jpg (271.16 KiB) Viewed 4285 times

[DKop]

I feel so... dwarfed. Then again, your someone who has been going to cons since the 80's, so you got 20 years plus on me

[Akage]

I know I can't compete with the OGs, but here is most of my measly collection -



I haven't really put much effort into keeping them as most are flimsy and just not worth it. I also have a habit of throwing badges away from conventions that ticked me off, which probably explains the lack of Anime Expo badges. It's interesting how cons have gone from a nth copy badge to some solid keepsakes. I've always been impressed with YaoiCon's badges. The company that runs the con, DMP, thought...not so much, but I guess that's a story for a different time.

[DKop]

Hey, we got the same Animazement badges. Next time you go, hit me up and we can meet up somewhere, I know some pals and some places.

[labsenpai]

Dave, you should make one of those 70's "mod podge" table tops

How about some other con trappings like favorite T-shirts? I will normally buy any with GoH artwork; always nice if it is a design just for the event like the Sonoda one below...

[DKop]

Oh, Im abouts to throw down on some Animazement shirts:

[Akage]

Hey, we got the same Animazement badges. Next time you go, hit me up and we can meet up somewhere, I know some pals and some places.

I think I mentioned it this year when I went, but I think you were busy in the dealer hall and I know I spend about 90% of my time in lines. If you're down for it in 2017, that's cool. I usually spend my time with the other sketch collectors, all of whom are big boys with huge appetites. Ended up having most of my two meat plate eaten by one of them at The Pit because the three meat plate wasn't enough for him.

I also will need to make another gravy run to the local Publix for some more Cracker Barrel gravy because, even though every CB has a small store, none of them carry their insta gravy packets. When I went this year (and ended up buying about $25 worth of gravy), the Publix staff thought I was seriously drunk (I had 0 liquor in me at the time) because, really, who goes to a grocery store and buys boxes of gravy? Once I explained to them that I come from California and we have 0 CBs, they felt sorry for me.

[DKop]

I find it so odd how things I take granted in the south mean so much for you. Then again, that goes for Cheerwine soda. Don't feel bad, I hit up the Grand Asian Market in Cary NC when I go up to get Oolong Tea in a bottle, because I can't find it anywhere in South Carolina.

Yea I was only released from my cage of the dealers room at nights, which was spent at Anime Hell, eating with peeps, and playing in the Arcade room. I am hoping the guest list this year is pretty good to get stuff signed. I only got out to go to the AnimEigo panel and film it since I helped out on the Otaku no Video BD project, and Robert was cool videoing his panel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SftYs08k1z8

[Akage]

I can hook you up with liter bottles of Oolong Tea. Or Genmaicha (my personal fave of the bottled ItoEn teas). Or Dark Green Tea. We could totes do an exchange program. Tea for gravy.

Heading out to eat at my favorite southern institutions is part of the draw for AZ, or for that matter, any con. It's like a glorious consolation prize. If the con blows, I can drown my sorrows in a WaHo pecan waffle. Or a greasy box of the finest fried chicken Pollo Campero has to offer. Really not too picky here...well, as long as the restaurant doesn't throw jalapeños in with their macaroni and cheese. There's a restaurant near AnimeFest that does that. Ultimate betrayal does not even begin to cover how I felt.

I'm pretty sure I'd miss a lot of food that I take for granted here as well. I'd be a sad panda without my milk tea.

[DKop]

I live not a mile from a CB, you'll have the hook up, no doubt. We'll talk business PM.