And, Oh yeah, I went to a Con!

I haven't been to a convention of any sort since... actually, before 2020. Despite having two local ones, a myriad of close-enough ones, DragonCon only a short several-hour-drive away, and Blerdcon being real, I just never got around to it.

But Tekko managed to get my undivided attention, thanks to one of my really cool friends. They not only put up with my nostalgic lore dumps of Archie Sonic, but does amazing cosplay shit all the time. They invited me up for a visit, because hey... there's a con going on a few cities over. Let's hit it!

Getting There

Yeah, no way was I driving, so on the plane I went! I finally got it through my head to not trust/use 3rd party companies like Expedia or Travelocity, and that was after almost getting stranded in Toronto.

But I digress. The flight there and back was fine; I got to the places early enough to play hours of Chrono Cross between naps. Nothing to write home about, other than I've had the best Bojangles biscuit in my life, apparently?

Hanging Out

My friend, who I'll call Nido, picked me up from the airport and after greetings and catching up, started to do stuff. We were in Cleveland first, and that's how I learned that Superman used to live there. :)

Sadly, due to unfortunate GPS timing, we missed Takashi Murakami's exhibit by... 5 seconds. But I did a quick lap around it really fast before they could catch me and snapped some photos of this cool work...

Which was better seen in person. Sorry, my pics really didn't really do it justice.

Because I have no issue of being a filthy tourist, we had dinner at the super gimmicky ultra cheesy Haunted House Restaurant. And that is not a negative; it was fun as heck. I did not get their signature dish, though, opting for what spoke to my heart: steak and eggs a la their "Stranger Things" Brinner.

Bonus: I asked Freddy how many FNAF jokes he dealt with. "Too damn many." Heard. I spared him the three I was thinking about.

The night was rounded out with the viewing of the first Troll movie (and yes, that is Elaine from Seinfeld running around giggling and naked).

This was a silly delight! Maybe it was the cocktail I drank from a blood bag during dinner, but I couldn't stop smiling at the premise of a troll needing to do a hostile takeover of an apartment building for his evil scheme. (My "Review" on Letterboxed)

And as if my friend could not get any cooler, I fell asleep next to these cool dudes:

The Drive There

We got up early, packed the car with our stuff and snacks, and hit the road. It was nuthin'. And I'm not saying that because I didn't drive. I've a long history of being in cars for long stretches of time.

We were vibin'.

When we weren't catching up or shooting the shit or bouncing ideas off each other, we listened to a USB stick full of fanmade stuff of various artists. And some new-to-me music, too. I'm introduced to The Aquabats! and had Chemical Bomb stuck in my head for weeks.

So, Tekko takes place in Pittsburgh and as north as I've ever been in the States (the other time where I was stuck overnight in a New York airport does not count). My first impression was 'very old' and 'kinda blocky' with 'so many bridges.' Looked really cool to this country bumpkin, tho. I took an embarrassing amount of bridge pics.

aaaaaaah

First off, yes I was absolutely overwhelmed. But having been to conventions before-- and warned ahead of time with how big Tekko will be-- I managed pretty well! If you don't have something like them by now, I high recommend something like the Loop earbuds for events such as these. They are a game changer.

It probably also helped that I masked the whole time I was at the convention. For some reason covering most of my face eases my anxiety. Probably the whole reduced chance of getting a pandemic virus thing.

Paneling

When it comes to conventions, I enjoy going to panels. I'd be there with my little bullet journal taking notes. There were also showings of AMVs (remember those?!) where I took many breathers at. Elton John and Ouran High School Host Club go really, really well together, did you know that?

Some panels were on my Absolutely Gotta Go List. There was one titled VTubing 101-- what it is, terms/vocab, how to get started along with some advice for those just getting into it. It was pretty good! There was also one for the Macross franchise that I actually skipped a giant ribbon game meetup for because it's fucking Macross.

Wait– Ribbon Game?

I stuck around long enough of the Ribbon Game 101 panel to get some history of it. I found a blog post that goes into a bit of depth: A Brief History of Convention Ribbons.

But in short, it's a game where you collect and/or earn ribbons that other congoers would pass out. Organizers get in on the fun, too; Tekko had some you can earn from doing stuff, listed on this page. Participating conventions would have a page explaining the game, too.

Mina introduced me to it as a perfect way to get back into the convention swing, and I even helped with a concept! (More on that later.) I have social anxiety, but I enjoyed this game for the fact that it was an icebreaker of sorts. I talked to all sorts of people that I probably never would have.

All told, I managed to get S-Rank at over 300 ribbons! Not bad for being a new player!

Where Was I? Oh yeah, Panels

So, yeah, I made a beeline for that Macross 101 panel as soon as I felt it was polite to do so. The speaker discussed its history and how far back you'd need to go to get started. I didn't take notes on this one; I just basked in the Old-taku of it all. (And of course Mina and I passed out that ribbon.)

There were too many that I had to pass up due to having to like, eat and sleep and user error (I mistimed a panel for Sonic the Hedgehog topic of some sort, siiiiigh). But a few I managed to squeak in, like the one where we took turns reading out terrible fanfic erotica. I actually got up there but I was nowhere near as entertaining as That Spongebob Character who had a speaker *in their crotch* because otherwise, you couldn't hear them. Ingenuity!

Join August and Jae in a panel discussion on the nuanced experience of being a Black anime fan. This panel will present a safe space for otaku, particularly (though not exclusively) Black otaku, to delve into our unique perspectives on existing in the anime community. (Being a Black Otaku, a Discussion)

For my last panel of the convention, it was about the experience of being a Black Otaku. We talked about the past, present, and future and the intersection of culture and fandom.

My hopes for the future: a variety of representation, a deluge of collabs creative, and a range of Black hairstyles that aren't just the Killmonger Look. (We're still making that joke, right?)

You know how we do.

I'll talk more of my notes from this panel in a separate post.

My First Cosplay

On Saturday I did my first cosplay! Sort of. My idea didn't quite take as well as I thought it would (...or arrive in time) so I ended up in just a wig, ears, and tail (and Mina made the last two for me– again, thank you!). And that is good enough! But sadly, no pictures as I was super self conscious about it. But I really wish I wasn't. Because I still had a good time and even compliments on it.

I also talked to someone in a Sonic cosplay. I didn't know at first, though; I asked who she was cosplaying as. And that's how I got introduced to the concept of Closet Cosplay, where you just dress up with items you'd find in your closet. That was what I was doing, anyway! If only the bodysuit didn't fall through or all the blues were the same shade and I was confident enough to pull off Vaguely 80s Princess Sally.

But it's about the spirit of the thing.

Even as an ear was about to fall to the floor, I kept truckin' and kept the wig on. I took mental notes of all the things I loved on other cosplayers and made sure to give out the compliments and ribbons for those that you knew had tired feet.

I walked around with Mina as they dressed up as Mina Mongoose to go along with my theme of One of Sonic's Girlfriends (and yes that includes Shadow). And here's where the ribbons come in: to earn our particular ribbon you only had to answer one question...

Who is Sonic's Girlfriend? (The answers will shock no one!)

And I just about exploded in glee when the Sonic photoshoot was happening. I didn't partake, unfortunately, because I wasn't in costume yet on Friday.

Speaking of Cosplay...

Our first night there, I saw someone I didn't think I'd see: a Chibi Usa cosplayer. I had to halt what I was doing and clamored for a picture. There's nothing like bonding over a character that isn't very popular, and they really appreciated me asking for a pose with them– usually it's the other way around.

After just being in he car ride with Mina, this was easiest the highlight of my time at Tekko and away from home.

The Game Room and Other Stuff

The vendor hall was immense. We took all three days to look around because that was a requirement. This was easily where I had the most stress, but not (just) because I had to adhere to a strict budget. It was just a lot of people and a lot of things. I braved it enough to snag a few things for Earthbound, Final Fantasy Tactics, a clicky paw, and... there's an ahegao Garfield. Please don't worry, it's only a sticker.

I love retro computer and game stuff, so I looped back to the booth for The Bloop Museum. (They're also looking for a new home!)

In addition to ribbons, there were trinkets too. And after giving a fiver for support I was able to add to my cone army and learned about Hazard Con. I wouldn't be there, but you gotta support the lil guy. Er, cone.

And next door (on a technicality)... was the game room. I took a few rest stops in the staging area for viewing some speedrunning (such as Steel City Speeders), and once my feet stopped aching as much I hit up the rhythm games, set up by Snow Phoenix Arcade. Psychic Drive Traveling Arcade also made a pit stop here. I also saw notes for joining Rhythm Pitt's Discord channel.

Wrapping Up

On the last day we dragged our feet for one last panel and one last photoshoot, dedicated to Very Dead and/or Obscure Fandoms. We packed, checked out, and did the things with a second wind and (for me) the reluctance to return to civilization where I'm expected to know normie shit and make small talk with polite society.

After a class of Sailor Moon-themed yoga, I took it easy for awhile. You can't have a last day without very tired feet and a slump on the convention floor. I charged phone and Nintendo Switch alike, striking up conversations about how different water tastes and random cosplay advice (me, receiving). I may have utilized my superpower of Nap Anywhere around this time– no way I wanted to do that on the drive back! We had shit to talk about! We gotta scheme for when they visit! We have so many ribbon ideas!

Mina also indulged me with a stop at a Checker's before dropping me off to fly home. The fries were glorious. The burgers were also good. We were nowhere near an existential milkshake, though. I'll be chasing that UDF Milkshake high for the rest of my life (or until I can get another one).

Y'all I had a blast. To be around all that creative energy and passion for things that we love and what we do. Like, the the camaraderie and stuff. You know what I'm trying to say.

And next year, I can't wait to do it again.

See you at Ichibancon!

P.S. Here is a local-to-them article about Tekko.

P.P.S. Due to a mild panic attack I missed out on petting the kitties, hosted by the Feline Freedom Fighters (but I still loved on the kitties from afar).

P.P.P.S.