Dec 09 2008
Convention Profile: Oni-Con 2008
All right Texas anime fans, this convention is for you! Oni-con is an anime convention in Houston, Texas and it is happening this December 18-21. The convention is being held at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
Oni-con has a hearty list of anime voice actors on the guest list, including Blake Shepard (Full Metal Panic!, Gilgamesh, Air Gear, and more), Chris Patton (also from Full Metal Panic!, Fullmetal Alchemist, Black Cat, and more), Greg Ayres (Nerima Daikon Brothers and Koyuki just to name two), and quite a few others. You can view the full guest list here.
One of the highlights of the convention will be a performance by DiO - Distraught Overlord, who is making their American debut at Oni-con! They are being presented at the convention by CURE Magazine. In addition to DiO, Sugar will also be performing at the convention (also presented by CURE).
Aside from the two aforementioned concerts, Oni-con has some cool content scheduled for the weekend. This includes an anime music video contest (a definite must see and lots of fun!), an art show, a charity auction, panel discussions, a scavenger hunt, a Magic the Gathering tournament, and more.
One of the more curious events on the schedule is a “Catch the Barrel” game, which involves finding a barrel hidden at the convention, challenging a ninja to a game of Rock-Paper-Scissors for it, and then delivering it to a special room. Sounds like a lot of fun is in store for those attending!
If you want to attend, ticket prices are as follows:
Pre-registration: Single three day pass $35; Group of 10 or more $30
At the door: Single 3 day pass $45; Single Child age 7-12 $20; Single Child age 6 & under (free); Friday only pass $30; Saturday only pass $30; and Sunday only pass $25
It is important to note that if you intend to cosplay, there is a weapons policy in place for this convention. Given the level of the policy’s detail, it is best to read it directly from Oni-con’s website (click here and scroll down to get to the weapons policy).
If you need accommodations, there is a hotel with a convention room rate available. The Hilton Americas convention rate is $102.99 plus tax per night (tax is currently 17%).
As with many conventions, be sure to arrive early if you did not pre-register to avoid the lines, and don’t forget to take some snacks with you! Convention centers have notoriously expensive food.
And in case you’re curious about this band DiO, here’s a video of one of their live performances at Japan Expo 2007:
If you’re attending this convention, feel free to post a comment with a link to your Photobucket/Flickr albums once you get back!
