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Anything with (18+) next to it will be ID-checked (including panels, video rooms, etc).

Anything that says 16+ isn't ID-checked though, it's just a suggested age range.

[We're in the Civic Center this year.]

We're in the Civic Center this year.

whoa, neat!
that sounds really promising, i'm excited!

I know I've flip-flopped hella times but I MIGHT be attending as Reiner instead of Hanji.
Still TBD.

I'd assume some of it is due to Memorial Day Weekend being a popular time for conventions (there are 9 others going on not including Fanime), some of which may be quicker to grab up or have more resources (whether it be monetary or based on the quantity/quality of international relations bookers) to book high-ticket guests.

From what I can see, Fanime WAS late when it came to booking guests (i.e. still soliciting suggestions for guests even in January)
I generally don't hit up MusicFest but from what I can see on here, this is the point of most dissent.
No disrespect, but I really think the process should start WAY earlier - comb through previous suggestions lists and choose artists that are mentioned more than once, and if they're prolific that's a huge plus! Artists who have worked on many many series are sure to have a number of excited fans.

Start early, book a "headliner" (musical guest or otherwise), announce them early (like December/January, February at the latest) = happy and relieved Fanime attendees PLUS I'm sure it would bring in new attendees due to hype.

That's just what I would hope would happen and it's understandable if that's not entirely realistic, but I think a lot of people feel the same way!

I haven't really allocated any Fanime but like Kalledom I also live in the area and am commuting to the con - I have a couple paychecks coming in this month as well as potential swap meet earnings so I'm in good shape but I guess I'm planning on roughly spending $250? Maybe a bit more but idk.

I'll probably buy a couple figures, but I'm in need of another display case so I'm not planning on getting a bunch, just ones that I haven't been able to find/favorites. Also if there are any shirts that look really nice I may go for a couple of those!
I usually get at least one blind box figure because there's some fun in it and it's kind of become a tradition.
I'll probably get a couple things at artist alley as well!
Can't think of anything else unless anyone in the dealer's hall has this plate

Yes

...so where is Swap Meet being held this year?

My curiosity is growing...

The two major carpetless spaces I can think of is the hall that housed it last year OR south hall??

On that note, I have never applied for swap meet before and I'm a bit worried about not being able to get a space - I work retail and am scheduled for 5/10 and will possibly be for 5/17 as well. How quickly have the spaces sold out in past years / how quickly would you expect them to sell out this year?

I'm aware that auditions are closed but if you're still looking for a Reiner I currently have the entire cosplay together

I'm not sure if there's an official rule on the matter but I feel kind of iffy full on selling used art prints - I'll ask my artist alley friends what their opinion on the matter is but I'll probably end up sticking the prints and stuff I have in a "free with purchase" box (along with some manga samplers and similar items) when I'm selling.

in the past, I know clothing racks and other vertical displays have not been permitted, but I'm not an official voice so I'm not sure if the policy has changed

also re: carrying stuff in - if you're unable to use a dolly I HIGHLY RECOMMEND investing in one or two of those blue Ikea bags! They're 59¢ each and are meant to tote bulky items and have worked REALLY WELL for me when I've had to carry multiple full boxes

Both panels were accepted and the first post has been edited with the info!

I will be continuing to create more mad libs for both panels and will gladly accept suggestions for series, genres, and more!

While I'm still waiting to hear back on one more of mine, I really appreciate the update and also find it nice to know the backstory behind the lateness!
I'm glad you're doing better and, as an attendee and repeat panelist, I'm glad that the issues were a result of incidental happenings and not a symptom of a larger problem (like overcrowding/understaffing/etc)

Thank you so much for your hard work despite the difficulties - if there's any assistance I can provide in the future, let me know!

At this point I'm checking for interest - I'm still waiting on confirmation of a couple of my panels to fully secure my cosplay schedule, but I cosplay from Nichijou and considering the popularity of many series from Kyoto Animation I thought it could be an interesting gathering!

If this is going to happen it will likely take place midday on Friday or on Monday.

Series included: Full Metal Panic, Air, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Kanon, Lucky Star, Clannad, Sora o Miageru Shōjo no Hitomi ni Utsuru Sekai, K-On!, Nichijou, Hyōka, Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!, Tamako Market, Free!, and Kyoukai no Kanata (If I have missed any that anyone is cosplaying from, please let me know!)

Eyyyy I made a graphic thing because I'm fancy like that!!



As far as completion goes...

• Luna I have like... 30% done??? the basic patterns are cut and I bought all the accessories and makeup and the wig is like half styled at this point
• The Bear Girl I'm nearly done with except for the skirt - also I need to find all the components to it because they're hiding in my room SOMEWHERE since they've been finished for a while and since been lost
• Hanji and Mai are really easy and COMPLETED since I've cosplayed characters from both of their respective series so I was able to reuse the uniforms and just buy different accessories and style different wigs!!

So I'm feeling pretty decent at this point! Just gotta put the push on for the pieces I need to finish and I think I'll be good!

You should probably post this in this section: http://forums.fanime.com/index.php/board,30.0.html

[don't use square if you want to use the money during the con!]

VERY IMPORTANT REGARDING SQUARE:

https://squareup.com/help/en-us/article/3807-square-s-deposit-schedule

Note the deposit schedule. Because of their schedules, any transactions done after 5 PM Thursday would typically post monday morning. Monday is memorial day, so you won't get the money that day. In other words, don't use square if you want to use the money during the con!

Yoooooo really important!
Thank you for sharing this info, dang.

I've been working on mine since info started coming out but there's still a lot of unknown!
(either way it's on google docs)

First off, as much as I would love to contribute to the friends thing, I'm generally booked as far as hanging outs go because a lot of people I know attend Fanime (and I probably wouldn't be very fun as a result)
However, I definitely have advice for having fun at Fanime:

• Make a point to attend at least a couple events that sound interesting! Panels, MusicFest, dances, cosplay gatherings, etc etc
• Don't ignore your basic needs - stay hydrated, fed, and rested
• Everyone has their own way of enjoying the convention so don't feel bad for doing or not doing anything (as long as it's not harmful to others!! You seem like a reasonable person but it bears repeating just in case)
• Stick to a budget - what really helps me is taking out cash from an ATM prior to the con and relying on mostly that so I have a tangible way of seeing how much I'm spending on food, merchandise, etc
• Also if there's any series that you're particularly a fan of, attending the gatherings is a great way to meet fans - I've made friends by being nice and outgoing and having a shared interest!

Not sure what else but in general there is a LOT to do so it's easy to have fun and also easy to potentially get burnt out so take it at a good pace and enjoy yourself!

Perhaps these extensions might work?.. I could just attach them to the wig and roll them in to buns. If it's too long, I can always just trim them, right?

http://shop.cosplay.com/straight-clip.html

Those look workable! I thought the ones I linked had both black and white but then again I was fairly tired, haha.
If that's your plan, make sure to get a BUNCH of bobby pins in both black and white so u don't have slippy buns.

Either way, if you plan on spraying them with the color spray it won't be 100% effective in covering it up, especially going from dark to light (I'm doing a gradient on my wig so it's a bit more variable, but yeah)

Via the panels twitter !!

We are scheduling as quickly as we can & hope to have all responses out by next Thu.

[source]

I'm glad to have an ETA right now!! Even if it's a bit later than next week it's nice to know I'll be hearing about it before May.

[REMINDER TO ALL COSPLAYERS!!IF YOU'VE BEEN HOLDING OUT ON BUYING A WIG FROM EBAY NOW IS THE TIME TO DO SO, OTHERWISE BE READY FOR ANXIETY OVER SHIPPING TIMES!!!]

I've had a lot of luck using Kryolan Color Spray on wigs. Otherwise there are split color wigs available!!
Here are a few that I think would work - it looks like you want to keep it short so this one might be the best (it also has a less scary shipping time, haha) - these also look good 1 2 3 4 - they're all similar items but from different sellers!

As far as the buns go, I'd recommend buying them separately - they're pretty inexpensive!
These look decent but I'm sure there's something better out there (I'm rly tired right now, sorry)

I hope this is helpful, and since a number of cosplay wig sellers are based in Hong Kong and China I would recommend ordering sooner than later because sometimes the shipping time can take a while.


And on the subject:

REMINDER TO ALL COSPLAYERS!!
IF YOU'VE BEEN HOLDING OUT ON BUYING A WIG FROM EBAY NOW IS THE TIME TO DO SO, OTHERWISE BE READY FOR ANXIETY OVER SHIPPING TIMES!!!