By James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)
For me as a con-goer, it’s a pain to have to wander the convention floor with a floor plan in one hand and a guidebook in the other. Add to this my pens and pad for jotting down notes, my camera for photo, my spare batteries for my camera, soon its complete anarchy! Is it any wonder I need a side bag hold it all? I understand the need for a con guidebook for memory’s sake. Most people would want to get their copy autographed by as many guests as possible.
But for old-timers like me who’ve been there and done that, I would prefer a guidebook in application (app) form, one where I can know all in a single finger stroke. Since 2012, Sakura-Con has done this and I am grateful they have. It’s easy to learn where to go, to know what panels to see and to find who is appearing on what days at what times. All this and more is contained in a nice app on your mobile (cell phone).
The app is available for your smartphone and tablet for operating systems iOS, Android, and the web. You can download the Guidebook app by following this link to Sakura-Con’s official website. Or if you prefer, you can obtain it on PDF here. [Editor’s note: It’s good to see the massively huge conventions are offering this option. It’s been in place for a few years now.]
Sakura-Con is Washington State’s largest Japanese animation and cosplay convention. It will run March 25-27, 2016 at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle.
Anglicon has announced Doctor Who‘s Annette Badland to their guest list. With three out of the four guests being Who alumni this leaves Red Dwarf‘s Robert Llewelyn with a serious handicap (don’t worry Robert, you’ll just have to work harder to bring the people in). Badland played Margaret Blaine, mayor of Cardiff and secret Slitheen, Blon Fel-Fotch Passameer-Day in the Who episode “Boom Town”. But Badland’s credits far exceed the world of Who. With her past history one can almost safely call her the Queen of children’s television. Since learning her craft from Loughton’s East 15 Acting School, Badland has entertained children (and their parents) for over 30 years starting with the supernatural short story series Dramarama (1985). More children’s television followed in the form of mini-series A Little Princess (1987), James Herriot’s All Creatures Great and Small, and Happy Families.
There is a call-out by JHouse-Rock Entertainment for models who want to be a part of a fashion show at this year’s anime and cosplay convention, Sakura-Con. The purpose of the show is to present the latest fashions from 
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You don’t have to be a mind reader to know many of Emerald City Comicon’s (ECCC) guests are strategic — many con guests have something to push or promote. A good guest is a busy guest. But the question one has is why is Gigi Edgley here? Edgley played the role of the Nebari Chiana in what is considered one of the greatest science fiction television series of all time, Farscape. The series’ father of creation Rockne S. O’Bannon (Defiance, CW’s Cult) announced in 2014 that a film version of the former SyFy produced series was in development. Where it is now is still in very early stages. One can only hope that Edgley will be here to promote the Farscape film but like any actress in-demand, she has other projects on the go.
Written by James Shaw (The Wind up Geek)