IF Con 2015 Announces New Web and Two New Guests

By James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)

IFCon2015Island Fantasy Con is a multifaceted fan convention with the intent to promote such areas as horror, fantasy, steampunk, and cosplay. It is expected to give Vancouver Island’s fandom a much-needed boost by adding to the area’s convention line-up of GottaCon and Tsukino-Con.

Yesterday IF Con announced a newly designed website for friends and fans to navigate: http://ifconvictoria.com/. But it is the recently acquired guests that may get people clicking.

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Tsukino-Con Day 3: Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

By James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)

TsukinoDay35When at a weekend convention, such as Tsukino-Con, if there is one thing I learned this year it is to take a freakin’ vacation in 2015. Working eight hours days across town and then hopping two long bus rides to make it in time for the last two hours of convention is a bit of a whirlwind. There is no time to relax and unwind from the trip, no time to chat to the con goers, no time to browse the tables of our dealers and talented artists and no time to truly appreciate the final day of a great con such as this.

On reflection, 2014 was a record-breaking one in terms of attendance for Tsukino. And I can understand why. It is a very active con and there is always something for the fans to enjoy. The University of Victoria (UVic) is the perfect setting for such a con, everything from food to transportation is within reach. With the growth in attendees over the last year, someone suggested the con should move off campus. To them I say “nay!”

From the facilities available in Victoria, UVic is the perfect place for such a con. No other place can house such an event that looks busy but still feels open and free. And besides, UVic benefits from the money spent on their campus and enrolled students get in for free. Why ruin such a good thing?

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Tsukino-Con Day 2: Panels, Panels and More Panels

By James Rovbert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)

TsukinoDay22I had a late start on the second day for Tsukino-Con. I had what is known among us older con-goers as the con hangover. That is when a man like me stays up too late, drinks little water eats even less and wakes up with one huge hangover. It’s not a pretty sight and it made me realize I can’t pull it off like I did way back in 1995, at Anime Expo.

The second day appeared to be the most active of the con fan-wise. Many people were out in droves wearing a wide variety of costumes. They came dressed as Dorothy Gale from The Wizard of Oz, Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones and also as members of the Attack on Titan recon team (the most popular cosplay at Tsukino-Con this year).

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Tsukino-Con Day One: Cosplayers & Smiling Artists

By James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)

Tsukino-Con
February 14 – 16, 2014
University of Victoria
Gordon Head
Saanich, British Columbia

Tsukino2I’ve always wanted to attend Tsukino-Con but the attitude among my friends were that of disdain. They believed Tsukino was a cosplay event directed at pre-teens and teens than adults who some consider the “real fans.”

I had listened to them for years but secretly I yearned to be among the people who had the same interests as I did. I couldn’t afford to travel to the big cons like Dragon Con or Anime Expo (again), and Tsukino is closer and cheaper. GottaCon is mostly for gamers but I’m an anime fan at heart.

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