Con*Monkey

Zombie Walk Mobile was pretty epic. I had never gotten into costuming, cos-play, undeading it up, etc. This wasn’t too far a stretch as I ended up a fairly … fresh looking zombie with a few open wounds but no base makeup to give that stylish embalmed look. Yet, it had the added bonus of me feeling more tan than I’ve ever felt in my life.

An event like this is really perfect for the starting or apprehensive cos-player. It’s not like you’re jumping into a massive con as Jar Jar with a “Free Hugs!” sign around your neck, (zombies are respected on some level). The activity is inclusive; it’s most likely the biggest group cos-play in which you will ever participate. Zombie costumes are also cheap and hard to mess up, making it a great beginner’s project.

The immersion you have lurching amongst 150 – 200 undead is pretty infectious. It’s not long before something clicks in your head beckoning you to forget reality, grasp the moment and eat its delicious oozing flesh.

It was a good day for a lurch. Zombies young and old came together. A significant collection of canned goods were gathered for the Bay Area Food Bank. It was managed well and the weather was about perfect. Zombie Walk Mobile was a lot of fun; we’re looking forward to the next event.

Pictures! Videos!

Zombie Walk Mobile’s Facebook Photos

Footage from WKRG.com:

Sukoshi Con: Mobile v.2.1 hit Mobile October 15, 2011. We came, we saw, we gave away manga.

This, as expected, was a small con. We estimate it peaked at around 200 participants. A small dealers room sat to the left of the registration desk when entering. Down the hall opened to the artist alley with a few local artists, along with FAN:dom and Mobicon promoting their goods. A gaming room, video room and panel room branching from the hall kept everything together and lively.

This con had a lot of good energy. It often felt like a large gathering of people not so much participating in a con but … preparing for one. The atmosphere was more relaxed. The panels were small and informal. Seth Jones and Yoko Mizuhara hosted well, panels on cos-play, prop building and makeup effects.

There were several participant oriented events:  From cardboard human mecha battles to anime Jeopardy and karaoke. The video room hosted several anime music videos by local video makers as well as full length anime selections rotating hourly throughout the day. The gaming room offered several analog tables as well as providing a Wii, Xbox and PS3 for play.

Overall, this one day con delivered well. Despite its small size there was enough going on to keep participants entertained and the party going.