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No, I don't think you're the one that posted the other one I read.  They were really demanding.

I'll concede that my original post was very demanding and a bit rude.  I apologize to Fanime staff if they were offended.

So why do I seem a bit pissy? I'll use the Fanime 2008 weapons policy to help explain why I am so concerned.

Some veterans on the forums said that the 2007 rules were a good guideline but that I should send email requests in addition to my question on the forum.

I sent emails, I saw other people post the same questions, we waited and waited...

The Fanime 2008 weapons policy wasn't posted until the very end of April. I had followed the 2007 policy and didn't bother preparing a fake rifle to go with my FMA costume as a result. When I finally saw the 2008 policy, I didn't have enough time to get ready - April 29 to May 23 only seems like a lot of time if your schedule isn't already eaten up by work and not-anime-life.

I guess I could have gotten the rifle ready during the months before the con, even if it turned out the 2008 policy didn't allow my prop but I wanted to be SURE that I was within policy for my first time cosplaying at Fanime.

During the con, we clearly saw at least one mini-gun, an AT-4 anti-tank rocket launcher, hammers, a couple of handguns, daggers, and giant swords.

Ugh.



So here we are with Fanime 2009 months away. Like some other folks, I have started preparing for AA and cosplay now because I don't have a lot of free time outside of work and daily life to sacrifice in a mad scramble a few weeks prior to the convention.

Some of you do have that free time - maybe a lot, maybe only a few - but I don't and my professional and life obligations won't allow it. If I (and everyone else like me) can find out what we need to know about Artist Alley issues and con policies ASAP, that would be great.

Every rumor you have ever heard about anything anywhere is false.

Is this an official statement?

:)

Friends and I are interested in getting a table but now we've heard rumors that there are none left due to an overwhelming number of pre-reg for tables at the end of Fanime 2008.

If it's true, that fact needs to be posted and stickied immediately. Publishing that information to the front page would be appreciated as well. For us, it changes all our plans for the con.

If there are still tables available, debunking the rumor just as widely would very welcomed.

[Artist Alley]

First: If there is money involved, failing to keep potential or actual customers and clients notified of issues would be pretty irresponsible and cagey, IMO. If I worked for Artist Alley, I'd be falling over myself to make sure that this sort of information gets distributed with a quickness and as widely as possible.

Since it appears neither of us work for Artist Alley, we're actually just guessing how they view their responsibilities. Even if you have friends and coworkers working Artist Alley, I'd still say you were guessing.

If I am an artist registering a full weekend pass because I want a table, I would be pretty ticked off to find out there were no more tables left -after- the fact.

Second: Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

Third: I'm not sure I agree that a PM is the best method. I'll be sure to post the question openly, in the correct category.

If I worked for artist alley, I wouldn't respond to the tone of your post.
Attacking people by saying "If you don't give me the damn information, your irresponsible and cagey" is not a good way to solicit a response.

Secondly, you did not bother to put this in the right forum.
Under Live Programming and Events
"Karaoke, Dance, Art Show, Stage Zero, Console Gaming, Artist Alley, and everything else that happens at con"

Thirdly, I'm sure if you PM'd a moderator of the Live Programming and Events forum, they could either tell you, "Yes, it's full, we are planning an announcement", "No, here is how to register", or "I don't know" and direct you to someone who may know the information.

rena at fanime.com <---- She would be a good person to contact. She's works for Live Programming and can forward you if she doesn't have the information you need.

I heard a very disturbing rumor today that all the artist tables for Fanime 2009 are spoken for.

If this is true, Fanime Staff, please do the right thing and post an official notification ASAP.

Artists who are new to Fanime NEED to know if this is true or not and they need to know now. Please do not be cagey and irresponsible about this.

I could easily make a real cake but it wouldn't last long on account of my friends raiding it while I wander the con.

But a prop cake would be apropros.

"The cake is a lie!"

I wonder...

I know it would be VERY cheesy but what about Nerf guns?  I could very easily add weathering and paint effects to make a Nerf gun seem a bit less... well.. plasticky.  It would still be the same color and configuration though.

Would completely repainting the Nerf gun (leaving the orange tip of course) be allowable or does that make it too close to a replica?

My only other brainstorm is a prop gun of unrealistic proportions and made out of foam.

Oh, it can take a while. We're almost always revising the weapons/prop policy, anyway...

I can't say this with authority, but replicas are generally not allowed. There may be exceptions if you're participating on stage in the masquerade, but I kinda doubt it.

Official word should pop up on the website eventually...

Thank you, Tony.

Oh well.    ;D

Better to know and stay within the guidelines than be ignorant and do something that will get me in trouble.

I know that Portal is not anime but...

In addition to FMA and Tenchi Muyo, I'm also considering getting an orange jumpsuit and building a life-size companion cube to replace my own head.

I could even make a portal gun.

I need to make a few prototypes of the cube tho before I commit to this.

Any other suggestions?

Hmm...

It's been a few days since I posted the question to [email protected].  Does anyone know how long it takes con staff to respond to emails or the forums?

I'm a local boy.  Fanime is about a 12min drive from Sunnyvale when there's no traffic.

Why is it creepy in public... but not a con?

Because a con is filled with social misfits and normally outcasted people? Here's a hint though...

Maybe they wouldn't be outcasted if they didn't do retarded things like... whore for attention by holding signs, and try attempting to fit into society.

Who cares if they're attention whore? It's their perogative to be attention whores, but when it starts affecting me, then I care. When they harass me to hug them... then I care. If they do not leave me alone, or interrupt me when I'm conversing with my friends, when they harass my girlfriend and won't leave her alone...

... then I care.

It's not "all just fun and games" because it affects other people. It's not in the spirit of the convention, it's a minority group, that most people do not like, but "put up with" because they don't want to deal with it. Only it's grown to the point where conventions HAVE to deal with it, because it's causing so many problems. The sign idea evolved from accomplishing something, to people whoring themselves out, and just using it to seek attention, of any kind. A way for desperate lonely losers to get attention from other desperate lonely losers with what they see as no repremand because conventions don't care enough to stop them. And instead of handling themselves with any sorta decent respect, they allowed it to escalate into bad attention, because the people that hold the signs don't care either way what kind of attention they receive, as long as it's attention.

And they drag others into it, and think "well they have the right to say no, so I'm not doing anything bad".

The issue I hear the most, about hugs and glomping is that "well you should just ask" and the people can refuse. Frankly, I think it's rude even to ask someone. It's pretty rude to just randomly go up to someone and ask "Can I hug you" or "Can I glomp you". If a guy just walked up to you on the street and said "I like your outfit, can I hug you" you'd be freaked out and think it was creepy, run and probably call the cops on the guy...

So what makes it okay to do that at a convention? It's even worse when they open up their arms and walk towards you with this "I want to wrap my arms around you and squeeze!" look with this raspy tone "Can I hug you?". It's even worse when I'm not even in a costume.

It's nice to show appreciation for someone elses work for their costume, one that you may like, but it's still rude to do certain things. Most people won't mind, they'll humor you, or they like the attention, but really... it shouldn't be done, it's disrespectful to do that to someone you don't know.

It's social outcasts thinking that they have an outlet to act however they want... and honestly it's conventions that made the mistake of letting them, because "eh they're not hurting anyone and they're keeping to themselves". It just escalated more and more and the outcasts now use "con-spirit" as a defense because cons didn't stop them before.

I believe that you've hit on the spirit of my reply earlier.

What I was thinking of (or perhaps worried about) in particular was what happens to the poor folks who have sign-age as part of their costume.  A sign that is NOT requesting that passersby hug/touch/grope/tackle/whatever the person holding it.  And yet, regardless of what is actually printed, they are touched by people they do not know.

I recall seeing this happen at least once last year - with the victim clearly unhappy - and asked my friend about it and why the perpetrators thought it was OK.  What I got out of the reply was that con attendees (in costume or not) hold or wear signs at their own risk.

Gah?

???

So, basically, if you're an attention-wh... um... I mean... if you love getting lots of attention, then a sign might be a good way to get noticed and glomped/tackled/molested/stared-at/stalked?
 
<note to self>  "Do not carry a sign or a poster that points at or is about self."

After digging through the forum, it seems that carrying replica rifles and machineguns as part of a costume (Full Metal Alchemist or Full Metal Panic spring to mind) are banned or very severely frowned upon.

I may have been looking in the wrong place, but I can't seem to find the rules for Fanime 2008.

I would love get official confirmation of said ban or an official word on what -would- be acceptable so that I'll know in advance not to run out and buy a parade rifle or an airsoft rifle to go with my FMA uniform.  I can live without the toy rifle.

If it turns out that a replica rifle is OK in certain areas, then "Hooray!" for getting to have a complete outfit for my first Fanime cosplay!   :D



While I am at it: what about a pistol that can be peace-bonded into a holster?   Historically, it seems like this would be OK but again, official word would be great.

Thanks!