Pre-Anime Oasis 2013 Update

Just a quick heads up, I will be at Anime Oasis 2013 this weekend covering it for all four days once again. It's hard to believe it's already been a year since I started this project, that is independently covering as many conventions as I possibly can before graduating and going on to be a small cog in a bigger machine like the Statesman or maybe something better and better elsewhere. I want to thank everyone for the continued support I've received over the past year from the staff and attendees; I can't do this without your help! Thanks!

Anyways, I'll be uploading plenty of pictures to my new ILikeConventions Facebook page! You can find that by clicking here. I'm currently in the process of adding links to all of my old photos from me personal page to this new page. Make sure to like it for more updates!

-Jeff

FurIdaho 2013: Furries in Time & Space

FurIdaho 2013 was Idaho's second annual furry convention and once again took place in the Boise Hotel and Conference Center over the weekend of March 8th, 2013. This was my second time attending FurIdaho, as I was lucky enough to be at the inaugural event last year (which you can read all about on this very blog). A convention's second year is always going to be held to a higher level of scrutiny than its first year I think, mostly due to the fact that we as people always want to do better than we did last time. Be it in business, sports, or entertainment, people always strive to top themselves. Did FurIdaho top its first year? Let's dive in and find out.

Friendly furries showing off their suits.

The first thing I need to mention is that I almost didn't make it to FurIdaho at all. When I set out on March 8th I felt good. I had my trusty camera, press pass, and a belly full of coffee. This, I thought, would go flawlessly. I stopped by the local Jack in the Box to ingest some unhealthy but tasty food when suddenly disaster struck. When I attempted to leave the restaurant and start my car, all I heard was a whirring/spinning sound. My car's starter had died. "What perfect timing," I thought. I was determined not to let my minor setback keep me down on this big weekend.  So, after a few phone calls, a tow truck, and a ride to the convention from a friend, I finally arrived at FurIdaho.

Talkin' 'bout furries, dude.

The first thing I do at every convention (or try to do) is check in with the registration staff at the front desk. Being a member of the press, and in my case a blogger, I had to contact the staff beforehand to assure that I would have a press badge waiting. Because it was primarily Fandemonium staff working the convention, they pretty much had everything down to a science. The process went smoothly and within a few minutes I had my badge and was ready to get going and start taking photos and observing the culture of furries. Yes, this year I had an ulterior motive. Not only did I want to cover the convention, but I wanted to spend some time getting to know the people themselves. I wanted to know why some people joined the fandom, what sparked their interest, and why they continue to attend conventions and participate.

Sup.

Before delving into the culture I observed at the convention, it's important to talk about the convention itself; the events, the people, the good, and the bad. Every convention has events, dealers, and fans -- you pretty much have to have these three things to be successful in my estimation. FurIdaho had all of these things in its first year, but there were some changes in its second outing. Firstly, the video game room had been significantly expanded upon. Previously, there had been maybe 4-5 televisions with a few games set up in a small room. This year, it had a much bigger setup and featured several multiplayer games for attendees to have fun with. This room ended up being my "pit stop" area where I would go to hang out and unwind after a few hours of shooting photos and talking to attendees. I'm really glad to see they are taking the video game part of their convention seriously, as it really is nice to have a place to just go and relax while bopping people with fireballs and/or turtle shells.

Super serious fightan' games.

Next up, I'm going to bring up my old nemesis: the dealer's den (kidding of course). I didn't get to spend much time in ye olde den this year because I was pretty busy trying to get photos of all the colorful fursuits. There was a bevy of merchandise on display, including tails, ears, hats, knit caps, buttons, and more. As always, I ask permission to shoot people's work, particularly if it's risqué of highly detailed. I didn't have any troubles this year (to date, I've only had one person complain about me taking a picture of their stuff, and it wasn't at FurIdaho). The layout of the dealer's den seemed to be relatively the same as last year, but I could be mistaken. It was only open until 6pm each day of the convention, and a few attendees I spoke with weren't happy about the early shutdown time. I meant to inquire about the reason for shutting down so early each day but I decided to dedicate more time to interviews and events instead.

A den for dealings.

The guest list this year featured returning guest of honor and famed artist Mokusei Kaze, the always funny Fine Young Deviants comedy troupe, the Fur What It's Worth podcast team, and DJ's CaBot and Househead.

Fur What It's Worth pretend not to notice Wreck it Ralph, lest they anger the mighty gaming villain.

I had been meaning to attend an FYD sketch and I finally did this year (unfortunately, I was not allowed to record or photograph the event, more on that later) and I have to say it was worth my time. The group has comedic timing, good improv skills, and encourages audience participation in some of their bits. It was a lot of fun and if you have a chance to experience the Deviants, I would definitely make time for it.

Yo dawg.

There were a large number of events taking place over the course of FurIdaho weekend, including "Fursuit Etiquette", a cookie social hosted by Fur What It's Worth, "Let's Make a Character!", a live rock performance by Angus and ScarredEyes, dances, art panels, FWIW Live, and more. I was able to make it to a number of panels this year, which is really rare for me as I'm usually too busy snapping photos or talking someone's ear off to make the time. Going to panels and events is definitely worthwhile, I think, as you never quite know what may happen when people have live microphones and an audience. Also, I could be mistaken, but it felt like there were more events this year than last year, which is definitely a good thing when it comes to growing a convention.

Moku doing her thing.

I usually don't have the time to go to a lot of panels, but this year I wanted to make sure and check out the Fur What It's Worth live podcast. The panel mostly consisted of stories from the furries in attendance as well as from the FWIW guys, as well as some Q&A and twitter interaction. They had a pretty cool setup going, with a live stream of their twitter feed being shown via projector next to the stage. There were laughs and tears, heartwarming stories as well as some that made me want to give the storyteller a hug and say "There there, it'll all be ok." In any event, it was definitely something I'm glad I went to this year, as I had meant to go last year but wasn't able to make it. Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to record any of this or even take pictures, as there were strict rules in place about that this year during some panels and events.

One of the cutest tats you'll ever see.

Not being allowed access to certain events was something that I had concerns about going into the convention early on. Last year I had pretty much free reign to go wherever I wanted, minus the "headless lounge" where fursuiters and their handlers went to relax and take a breather. I respected that rule last year, and did so this year as well. In any event, I brought my concerns to convention management and asked what the deal was with being unable to record certain events. I was told that due to my coverage last year not breaking any rules, and the fact that I'm not there to try and be "controversial" or show furries as monsters, I wasn't being lumped in with certain other journalists and that I was able to proceed basically as normal.

Girl, look at that body

I inquired about the other journalists and what they had done and was told that some photographers from a local paper had snuck in and gone to places they shouldn't, including taking pictures in the headless lounge. After having this explained to me, I understood the reason for the increased security measures this year. Furries are often misunderstood and demonized by outsiders, particularly in the media. Part of the reason for my coverage of conventions (furry or otherwise) is to explore the sub-culture(s) that make up a particular fandom, and I think FurIdaho is an excellent place for people to get a glimpse into the world of furries.

Smashing!

When delving into a particular sub-culture, it's often best to do so by immersing yourself completely; learn the language, observe the people, embrace the rituals, etc. When it comes to the furry fandom, it's a bit more complicated than simply observing fursuiters or speaking to one or two people. At FurIdaho 2012 I discovered what it was like to cover a convention, and at FurIdaho 2013 I discovered what it was like to learn more about the people in a fandom/sub-culture. One thing that we all bring with us when discovering new things is our prejudices and misunderstandings. Many people believe (and I did too) that all furries dress up in fursuits, but I've discovered that it isn't always the case.

Just a badass bunny.

True, many furries at the convention were in fact dressed in elaborate costumes/fursuits that probably took quite a bit of time and money to make, but not the majority. When I asked different people about why this was, the majority of the time I got similar answers: cost, time, comfort, etc. Some people would love to dress in a fursuit and gallivant about the convention, but unfortunately most suits cost quite a bit of money, even into the thousands of dollars for materials and equipment. Others still mentioned that they simply aren't comfortable putting on a suit because it makes them claustrophobic, or they can't use certain materials because they are allergic. I had never really considered these reasons before, but it makes a lot of sense; not everyone is going to have the same tolerance for fursuiting as another.

Strutting their stuff.

Of course, when it comes to furries, the inevitable sexual questions begin to pop up. This was something I definitely wanted to tackle, and I was able to get some pretty interesting responses from people I talked with. From what I was able to gather at the convention, the majority of furries do not see their interests as sexual, although some do. Due to misrepresentation in the media (lookin' at you, CSI), it has become more difficult for people to be honest about their furry interests. True, there are those who enjoy sexual intimacy from behind the comfort of a first, and that is certainly fine if that's what they're into, but I didn't get the sense that the majority or even a large number of furries were into the fandom for sexual reasons. Most I talked to simply felt an affinity for animals, or enjoyed the artwork (be it risqué or not), or simply thought it was fun to dress up as an animal because "why not?” Not all fursuiters wore full suits, and some opted to wear the cheaper and more accessible partial suits, or "partials", to conventions.

H-hello...

Sexuality within the furry community is probably about as varied as it is in any other sub-culture or fandom. When asked, one source told me that he believes it's about an even split between heterosexuals and LGBT individuals in the furry fandom. When I brought up the large amount of openly gay members of the fandom, he and others believed that due to the furry fandom's accepting nature it was probably easier for LGBT people to feel accepted for who they are in the furry community, even if others may ostracize them outside of it. I found it pretty remarkable that people of all different backgrounds could come together and cast aside differences in the name of this unique sub-culture.

Tails, pups, ears, and more.

I think the most touching moment for me at FurIdaho wasn't any one "event", but rather the combined stories and testimonials of people who poured their hearts out to friends and strangers alike. One story in particular touched me. A young man said that he had come out as gay to his very religious parents, and that they did not want to accept him, but his furry friends did. It was at that moment that I realized that one of the biggest and most powerful ways this community impacted people was in its acceptance of differences within its members. Whether they be fursuiters, artists, crafters, or simply fans of the furry fandom, all seemed welcome under one accepting umbrella.

"What're you lookin' at, bub?"

The last day of the con I felt pretty miserable due to a lack of sleep (seems to be a theme with me at the Boise Hotel) so I decided to take off early. I feel that I accomplished everything I wanted to accomplish at FurIdaho this year. I had fun and learned more about the unique individuals that make up the fandom. The majority of the attendees I spoke with seemed to be enjoying themselves as well. I did, however, speak to a few attendees who were somewhat intimidated by the pseudo-military garb of the security staff. One told me they didn't understand the need for "guys dressed up like soldiers" to be running security. One answer I received was that the vests they wore allowed security members to carry radios in addition to other gear. I can understand the attendees' concerns. Security team members patrolling the convention like armed guards don't exactly exude an air of "friendliness" just by looks alone. I suppose the reasoning behind the fashion choice would be that if people see lots of security that look like they mean business, they'll be less likely to do something stupid. This is all guesswork on my part, however.

So long!

FurIdaho 2013 was a good experience, and I feel that I came away with a better understanding of the furry fandom than what I walked in with. I do wish that the convention could have been held on Spring Break as (I believe) it was last year, but apparently there was miscommunication between the hotel staff and the convention runners. Be that as it may, I feel that the attendance numbers were strong and, although I didn't get an exact number, I feel it was comparable to last year's event if not slightly less. I give FurIdaho 2013 a favorable review, and I do hope that the convention will be returning next year, although preferably during Spring Break if at all possible.

That's it for FurIdaho, I'll be seeing you guys again in a few months at Anime Oasis 2013!
For more FurIdaho 2013 pictures, click here!

-Jeff

BBC Fest

'Ello, govna!

Review by Jeffrey Bulger
Originally posted February 17, 2013
Updated February 18, 2013

There are very few things I get really, really excited about these days; Breaking Bad, Dr. Who, and conventions. Unfortunately for me Breaking Bad is on a hiatus and Dr. Who is hibernating as well. What is fortunate for me, however, is that a new convention has made its way to the Boise area (or Garden City to be more specific). BBC Fest is the newest convention in town and I had the privilege to attend the convention's inaugural event. BBC Fest's organizer, Laura Fuller, had invited me to experience Garden City's first UK pop culture themed mini-convention, and I just couldn't miss that opportunity. After all, with Dr. Who still in hibernation, I needed to get my fix of British goodness.

Wizards makin' wands

BBC Fest was held on February 9th at the Garden City Community Center, a venue that has been the home of Fandemonium dances recently. If you've kept up with the blog for a bit now you'll know that I've covered Fandemonium in the past and some of their staff was on hand to assist with registration and events at this convention as well. I have to hand it to the Fandem staff, they had to organize a dance the night prior to BBC Fest in the same venue, tear everything down, and help set up for BBC Fest the very next day. Kudos to them, they did a great job.

BBC themed Whose Line dating game
"Exterminate! Destroy! Exterminate!"

While conventions are a great place to hang out with friends, all conventions have to have events to engage attendees and press alike. Naturally, BBC Fest had quite a few to sample. I, through a horrid scheduling error, had to leave for a few hours in the middle of the convention to go to my "day job" or whatever they call it these days, but I was fortunate enough to witness a few events take place, such as wand making, BBC themed Whose Line (pictured above), costume contest, TARDIS building and of course the closing ceremonies.

A rather dapper TARDIS

There were plenty of costumes at BBC Fest, and costumes are part of what initially sparked interest in creating the mini-convention in the first place. As Fuller explained to me, the idea was to initially get people together for a BBC-themed photo shoot. The idea began to snowball and eventually became what was BBC Fest. I don't know what the attendance numbers were but I saw a healthy number of people at the convention, which seemed to be encouraging to attendees and staff alike. It's always good to see fans banding together and making something positive happen, be it big or small.

The brightest witch of her age peruses a mystical book
(Thanks again for letting me use the backdrop, Tim)

Outside of the main events area there was a photo booth set up, where local photographer extraordinaire Tim Boothby of Redzone Fandom was taking pictures of the attendees in their cosplays. Tim is a regular at most of the local conventions and is always very approachable and professional. If you're ever at a local con here in the Boise area, take the time to visit his booth/room and have some pictures taken.

Cookies, Mountain Dew, and Monster:
The cornerstone of any nutritious breakfast.

Elsewhere at the Community Center, the library had been converted into the "Discussion Room" (pictured above), where attendees could sit, drink tea, and eat cookies and snacks. I spent the majority of my downtime in this room because A) I have a horrid back and B) I like free stuff. I think one of the most important things about any convention is having a place for downtime and relaxation, and I really appreciated that. There was also a video room playing various BBC shows and the like, but I didn't think that would really show up well on the blog. You know -- a dark room, a digital camera and a projector... Not a good combo for pictures. I will say, however, that I did gain a new found love for Top Gear UK, or as they call it across the pond, proper Top Gear.

From weaving wands to designing Daleks

Being a one day convention at a smaller venue, there wasn't a huge array of things to snap photos of, but the mini-con did offer a very fun experience for those that attended. On the heels of the the success of the convention's first year, the BBC Fest staff fully intends to hold the convention again next year. Some of the things we might look forward to include the possibility of a new venue, a rebranding to reflect the convention being about all UK pop culture and even expanding the convention to two days instead of one. Selfishly, I hope the convention does expand to two days because I do love covering these types of events and two days is always better than just one.

Closing Q&A Session

Overall, I'd give BBC Fest's first outing a favorable review and I definitely hope to be there for their second year. Thanks to everyone on staff; you were all very lovely and cordial people. I hope to see you all again next year if you'll have me.

Speaking of second year conventions, FurIdaho is just around the corner on March 8 - 10th. I'll be there taking pictures, conducting interviews, and hopefully shooting some video to post on the YouTube channel (God knows that thing needs some love).

Until then, until then.

Rebranding

UPDATE: New logo provided by Heather Jones. Thanks!

As you can probably tell by my glorious new logo up there featuring me and Sonny Strait, I'm rebranding things. Nothing much is going to change, but I felt like I needed a name that really captured what it is that I, well, DO. The Jeff Bulger Show was always a temporary name until I could come up with something I liked, and frankly, I DO like conventions, so I feel like it's a fitting name. I'm going to be covering more conventions after the holiday break, with BBC Fest, Anime Salt Lake, OTK Gaming Fest, and FurIdaho.

Until then, Happy Holidays and have a great end of the world tomorrow!

-Jeff

Tomodachi Fest 2012 Feature - Day 3: Wrapping Up & Looking Forward

Wrapping Up & Moving Forward

Finally...

The sickness delayed, semester finals inhibited, and laziness obstructed final part of my Tomo Review is here! Sorry again for the wait, everyone, but I believe it will have been worth the wait. Just ask those Asian fellows up there. See how happy they look to be featured on my blog? You should be happy that they're happy that I'm happy! Anyways, let's get into Day 3.

:3

The third day of Tomodachi Fest wasn't quite as event laden as the previous two, so I spent a good amount of time examining the various booths and shops set up in Artist's Alley and the Dealers' Room. There was still quite a large amount of guests at the conference center well into the third day, many of which were taking advantage of "end of convention" deals being offered by the vendors.

Hangin' out in the dealers' room.

There were still quite a lot of items on display, which is pretty common for a convention's last day. Most dealers tend to overstock (and this goes for every convention I've been to) and end up taking the majority of their wares home with them. I always feel kind of sad when I start to see the vendors leaving, because it means that con is almost over. And alas, it in fact was.

Fine Young Deviants: fielding questions in their inimitable style.
Featured (from left to right): Gabby, Odinn, Einar, and Leif.

"Tomodachi Fest 2012 -with the Fine Young Deviants!"
Courtesy AmuGabbyGirl

I poked my head in to catch some of the comedy stylings of the Fine Young Deviants, a local comedy troupe that frequents many of the local conventions in the area. The Deviants are comprised of the Celusta brothers, Odinn, Einar, and Leif as well as my friend AmuGabbyGirl. Their comedy style is full of wonderful deadpan snarkiness and surrealistic humor, and I do recommend visiting one of their panels if possible. Check out the video above to see what I mean.

Next up was Newton Ewell; artist extraordinaire and (unbeknownst to me at the time) quite the anime historian. He was presenting his "Ancient Anime" panel, a showcase of anime from days gone by.

Newton schools us on old school, old cool anime.

Ewell started with some of the classics including Astro Boy, Star Blazers and Macross. I can't remember every anime shown, but I can definitely say that it was a very nice trip down memory lane. I grew up as a huge Robotech fan, and eventually found and fell in love with the original Macross. Without going into too much detail, Robotech is an American interpretation/retelling of the original Macross story with additions from other series along the way. Another way to put it would be that Robotech is to Power Rangers as Macross is to Super Sentai; different translations, completely different stories, but the same footage.

The master addresses his audience.

Go, Go, Astro Boy!

Ewell had a certain air of respect about him. As soon as I met him and shook his hand I just felt like I was dealing with a professional with knowledge far beyond my years. Without gushing too much, I think I may have developed a bit of a man crush.  Whether drawing or discussing "ancient anime", I could listen to the man talk about pretty much anything! I definitely hope Mr. Ewell returns to Tomodachi Fest next year, although rumor has it he may be at Anime Oasis earlier in 2013 as well.

Another treat for me on Day 3 was getting to see a tattoo being done, something I have only seen once before, but never at an anime convention.

Prepping her canvas.

Erykane Art did several tattoos for attendees at the convention and my friend Elizabeth was nice enough to let me sit in and watch the entire tattoo process.

Before tattooing, tracing of the original picture is done.

After tracing the artwork (in this case, the fire symbol from Bioshock: Infinite), the artist is ready to get started.

Inking the arm.

After a few minutes, which I'm sure felt much longer for my friend Elizabeth, the tattoo was done and looking good.

Putting on the finishing touches.

The final product!

I'm considering getting my first tattoo from Erykane at Anime Oasis, or maybe even before. Finding a good tattoo artist is really difficult, particularly one that is decently priced.

Another tattoo done by Erykane:
Surfin' Pikachu

As the day wound down, closing ceremonies approached. I would usually attend closing ceremonies, but I wanted to get home and start sleeping off my con plague as soon as possible. I'm told they went off well and that there was some great energy.

So finally, after all is said and done, what did I think about Tomodachi Fest? See below for details.

(And remember, this is just my personal experience, so don't throw adulation, love, and praise or hate, spite, and rage at anyone but me)

The Good: 

• Good panels.
• Artist's Alley and the Dealers' Room were both easy to navigate.
• Pretty good atmosphere.
• Had no trouble getting my comped badge.
• The staff didn't come off as overbearing.
• Started strong, lots of good energy on the first day.
• Staff interacted with my professional and were able to field my questions.
• Lot's of good events on the first two days.
• I didn't encounter anyone with con funk!

The Bad:

• The video game room was basically a carbon copy of Anime Oasis's. To see my thoughts on that, you can check out that article here. For those who can't be bothered, it needs console games; gaming rooms are pit stops for media folks to relax in their down time.
• Day 3 didn't feel like it had enough going on. I know the convention ended around 7:15 p.m. but I feel more could have happened.
• I don't know if the hotel would have allowed this, but it would have been nice to have something set up in the main conference center lobby outside of the main events room. It just felt like it was missing something, and that hurt the atmosphere.

The Ugly:

• The Batsu Games. Don't get me wrong, I loved them, but wow was some of that hard to watch.

Overall, I'd give Tomodachi Fest V an A-. Everything went smoothly, I experienced no drama, and (despite getting sick) I had a really good time. 

I can definitely recommend Tomodachi Fest and will be returning for Tomodachi Fest 6 next year, October 4-6 2013.

What: Tomodachi Fest
When: November 23 - 25, 2012
Where: Boise Hotel & Conference Center
Official Website: TomodachiFest.com
Official Facebook: http://goo.gl/FteB1

Tomodachi Fest 2012 Feature - Day 2: Swimsuit Contests, Panels, and Con Plague

Swimsuit Contests, Panels, and Con Plague

Arrrrrrr!

I apologize for the delays I had recently in writing the last two parts of this article. With school winding down that means one thing; finals and portfolio revisions. At any rate, forget all of that nonsense and stare at those way cool pirates up there. ARRRRRR!

I don't know what the hell is happening either.

The start of Day 2 was a rough one for your favorite convention covering journalist. As soon as I woke up I could tell that I was sick. Stuffy nose, sore throat, and sneezing. This was going to be a long day...

I rolled out of bed around noon made my way to main events where I found my dear old friend Adam MC'ing "Cosplay Chess", a game where cosplayers take on the roles of living chess pieces. It's kind of like that scene at the end of the first Harry Potter but with less ginger maiming.

Fancy lolita lady being fancy.

The game progressed at a riveting, lighting fast pace (read: I think my beard may have grown a tad during this time) until finally a winner was declared. I can't tell you who that winner was, however, as I honestly don't know if Adam nor his opponent knew themselves. In any case, it seemed like the chess pieces had fun participating, and that makes it a successful event in my book.

We all just pawn in game of Andrew Hussie.

Later on, once again in main events, Chris Rager & Chris Cason conducted a Q&A panel together. The two brought out a good showing and convention attendees posed a lot of the typical questions: "What made you get into voice acting? What was your favorite role? Can you say something in (character)'s voice?" 

Chris Cason (left) and Chris Rager (right) answering questions.

I don't blame people for asking these questions, but I always feel a little bad for the voice actors that have to answer the same questions over and over. To their credit, neither one of them seemed annoyed by questions that I know for a fact they have been asked before, which is a show of professionalism on their part.

Oh you!

The panel went over really well, and these guys definitely seemed like veterans when it came to answering questions. The two also went in depth about some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of voice acting and the industry in general. Some of the highlights included:

• Chris Cason pointed out that in the world of voice acting, for every role they get there are probably 4 or more that they don't get.
• Rewrites mean more work, but also additional work and paydays, so they're not necessarily a bad thing.
• They believe that society has changed and therefore anime is less censored/restricted today because of that.
• The CW has very strict censorship rules.
• Shin-Chan, despite rumors to the contrary, is written out beforehand and not ad-libbed.
• TV networks (Cartoon Network, CW, Nicktoons, etc.) often dictate changes to a show rather than the studio itself.

Chris Rager's Holy Roman Empire impression will haunt my dreams forever.

• Chris Rager has had a successful comedy career in Dallas.
• Rager should NOT ever play Holy Roman Empire from Hetalia. My ears have heard the evidence to support this claim.
• Rager's mother told him that he should "stop playing games and watching cartoons because it won't get him anywhere".
• Cason was a big fan of Starblazers and Robotech growing up.
• Cason enjoyed Team Four Star's series "DBZ Abridged" and most DBZ voice actors do, too.
• Rager is a part of a comedy troupe called "Section 8 Comedy". The group edited together an episode of Scooby Doo that he described as funny but definitely "not for kids".
• Directors are akin to "seeing eye dogs" who "help guide actors through the dark" and find their best takes.

After the panel wound down, the main events room would be transformed into the center stage for the cosplay contest. I decided to do something different than I usually do at conventions, and instead of covering the actual cosplay contest proper I wanted to get some behind the scenes shots of the contestants before they made their way on stage to be judged by the masses.

Last minute adjustments.

Facing judgment!

Aww right!

Talking shop. Cosplay shop.

Several convention goers showed up to take part in the contest. Winners were determined by both the staff of the convention and the attendees themselves, with separate prizes being given out to 3rd, 2nd, and 1st place winners.

Cease your adorableness immediately!

End of the line.

The cosplay contest was followed by yet another contest; this time of the swimsuit kind. Once again, resident MC and all around nice guy Adam was around to host the event in the pool side area. To wrap up my Day 2 coverage, I present to you a few shots I managed to snag from the competition:

For the full gallery of Day 2 photos, click here!

COMING SOON: Day 3 - Wrapping Up & Looking Forward

What: Tomodachi Fest
When: November 23 - 25, 2012
Where: Boise Hotel & Conference Center
Official Website: TomodachiFest.com
Official Facebook: http://goo.gl/FteB1