How to Attend Atlanta’s Anime Conventions

Photo illustration by Willamae Boling | VOX Staff

By Marcus Jones | VOX Staff

Father Time loves to make us wait. Whether we’re waiting for the end of the school year or a new season of football, we are all tested on our patience. But good things come to those who wait; my fellow anime fanatics know it’s not long from now that Momocon 2007 will arrive in Atlanta — in fact, it’s just in a couple weeks. This St. Patrick’s Day, Saturday, March 17, all of us Japanese cartoon lovers will be lining up at the Georgia Tech Student Center to splurge on all the cool “Naruto” and “Dragonball Z” merchandise (I’ve been saving up for months), dress up as our favorite characters and take in all the events.

If you’re a newcomer to Momocon, or even a newcomer to anime, let this “Naruto”-headband- wearing convention veteran give you some tips to make sure you don’t waste a second during the two blissful days of nerding out. In other words, I’m here to help you get your anime on.

Step 1: Put together a survival pack.
The convention runs from 10 a.m. to midnight both Saturday and Sunday, so you’ll need to prepare yourself for the long haul. Luckily, as a relatively small convention, Momocon doesn’t cost a dime to get in so you can spend the traditional ticket fee on supplies you’ll need to survive once you get lost in anime land.

You’ll be on your feet most of the time, so definitely bring a comfy pair of shoes — even if you plan on dressing up in a costume. Many attendees will be engaging in “Cos-play” (see Step 5), but if you don’t elect to make this ultimate commitment to geekdom, then I recommend wearing something like a T-shirt and jeans, with maybe a hoodie in case the A/C is cranked up.

Cameras should be an essential part of your survival pack because not only are some of the costumes too crazy to believe, but also you might run into a celebrity or just want to prove you were there. Momocon’s insanity usually goes beyond the “a picture is worth a thousand words” cliché to an outright “this must be Photoshopped because there is no way this really happened.” Don’t forget extra batteries.

A backpack full of snacks is also key because the concessions are outrageously priced and the pack will become useful for lugging around your purchased goodies later in the day. Energy bars and Red Bull are a good combination.

Step 2: Invite your friends along.
Like just about any activity, Momocon is always more fun with friends. With the big costume parade and everyone inspired to make fools of themselves, you’ll have a lot of memories to share and laugh about. Even if they’re not into anime, they’ll probably enjoy the freak show. Bring some games or cards you can play together if there’s a lull in the activities.

Step 3: Save your money.
While Momocon is free, the often hard-to-find mangas (Japanese comic books) and toys can be pretty expensive. If you’ve had your eye on some bit of merchandise for a while, this is a good time to save up for it. But also make sure you bring some extra cash in case you run into some sweet deal that you just can’t pass up.

Momocon is a once-a-year event, so make some everyday sacrifices leading up to it. It’s worth eating ramen noodles rather than Subway for a month when you save enough money to buy that rare manga you’d never see in any bookstore. Items range anywhere from a few bucks to $100+ so plan accordingly.

Step 4: Scour the schedule.
Momocon often brings in top manga artists, cartoon voice actors and other celebrities, but they will only be there for a short time. Check the official schedule to find out when and where your favorites are appearing. You might have to stand in line to get autographs or into an event, so make sure you budget enough time to take in what’s most important to you.

Step 5: Get your costume ready.
The best way to show off your fandom at Momocon is to engage in “Cos-play.” In many ways the convention is like a bizarre Halloween party — only with no old people handing out hard candy. Many Momocon-goers really work overtime to get the costume details of their favorite characters as accurate as possible. That doesn’t mean your costume has to be expensive. You can go the thrift store route and sill come up with something unique. How well you do will be judged by how often people stop you at Momocon to take your picture — or if they just laugh at you and walk on. Whatever you do, don’t dress like Captain Kirk or a “Star Wars” stormtrooper because everyone will make fun of you.

Marcus is a junior at Tri-Cities.