Just last weekend, tens of thousands of fans converged on San Diego for its annual Comic-Con event, paying obscene amounts of money for travel, hotel and tickets just to get inside.
But this weekend, local residents can get their geek on. And they don’t even have to spend a dime.
(Courtesy of Paul Stonebridge)
The Library Anime and Manga Enthusiast Convention, more affectionately known as LAMECon, kicks off Aug. 2 at the Land O’ Lakes Library and at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Center on Collier Parkway. The free event attracted more than 700 people last year, and organizer Paul Stonebridge says his goal is to top 1,000 this year.
“Our central audience is teens and 20-somethings, so it’s like the 14 to 30 crowd,” Stonebridge said. “But it’s really open for everybody. We have stuff for kids, and even a ‘Game of Thrones’ panel for adults. We’ve really doubled our convention size this year.”
LAMECon got its start six years ago in Hudson before moving to Land O’ Lakes in later years. It provides a way for young people to celebrate their love of anime and manga — more or less Japanese comics and animation — without spending the kind of money expected at larger conventions like Metrocon, held earlier this month in downtown Tampa.
“We’re pretty far from the conventions in South Tampa and Orlando, and there are a lot of people in Pasco who simply can’t afford it,” Stonebridge said. “These are mainly high schoolers and college kids, and they desperately wanted to go. And now they have something they can go to.”
Although food and games are one way to attract people to conventions, Stonebridge says it’s the panels hitting popular topics among fans that draw the most attention. This year, LAMECon will have two tracts that will include discussions like the aforementioned Emmy-nominated HBO series “Game of Thrones,” as well as trivia, Asian horror and Japanese culture.
There will even be a panel featuring readings from bad fan-fiction — stories set in the universe of popular television shows, movies and even anime and games, written exclusively by fans.
One feature this year is an achievement system designed to encourage attendees to participate as much as possible. More than 50 achievement badges are available, which can be earned from attending panels, asking questions, visiting vendors, and simply just showing up.
Hosting a convention is not cheap, and LAMECon doesn’t earn any money from the typical ways conventions generate revenue like ticket sales or vendor rental fees. In fact, local businesses can set up and offer wares for free.
LAMECon is funded through grants and donations, as well as sponsors like Publix Super Markets and the DeBartolo Family Foundation, Stonebridge said. The convention also offers premium memberships for a small donation, which can include food, T-shirts and other offers.
Conventions like this have earned a lot of new respect over the years, growing from the early days of Star Trek conventions that were typically ridiculed in the mainstream. The success of shows like “Game of Thrones” and the “Lord of the Rings” film trilogy has helped that, Stonebridge said.
But it’s the comics entertainment company Marvel that deserves a lot of the credit, he said.
“Marvel has had a huge hand in all of this, more than anyone else,” Stonebridge said. “All the comic boom movies, those have been in the mainstream. And so it’s OK to like comics and video games now.”
WHAT: LAMECon 2014, Library Anime and Manga Enthusiast Convention
WHEN: Aug. 2 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Aug. 3 from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Land O’ Lakes Library, 2818 Collier Parkway on Saturday; Land O’ Lakes Recreation Center, 3032 Collier Parkway on Sunday
COST: Free
INFO: LAMECon.com
Published July 30, 2014
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