Arts & Entertainment

Free Anime & Manga Convention On Its Way

By John Majeski

It’s back.

The Library Anime & Manga Enthusiasts Convention, or LAMEcon as its cheekily and affectionately known, is returning for its fifth year in a year. It will be held Saturday and Sunday (June 29-30) at the Land O’ Lakes library, 2818 Collier Parkway.

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Paul Stonebridge, teen services manager for Pasco Libraries, said attendance climbed from 50 people the first year to “last year, we had 468, to be exact.”

“People are finding out about us,” he said. “Then people realize, oh my God, we’re free, too.”

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Organizers are expecting about 500 people to show and if they do in fact get that turnout, next year’s convention will likely move to a larger venue.

Lovers of Asian comic art will find lots to do at LAMEcon 2013. Saturday kicks things off with a three-hour Cosplay Dance that includes a live DJ, costume contest and anime dance-off. There will more than $700 worth of prizes to give away, Stonebridge said. Saturday hours are 7-10 p.m.

Sunday is the main convention day and runs from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. There are panel discussions, a trivia contest, an artist’s alley, a video game room, an “achievement system” where attendees can earn more than 20 badges, a vendor’s area, a cosplay contest plus a maid café where $5 gets you food, drink and entertainment. Fittingly, this year’s theme is “It’s Not Just About Anime.”

“There’s more than we have ever had going on,” Stonebridge said of the 2013 convention.

Here is Sunday's schedule, courtesy of the convention's Facebook page:

Main Events Schedule

8:30-9:00am - Doors Open
9:15-9:30am - Opening Ceremony
9:30am - Vendor Area, Artist Alley, Game Room, and Video Room Open
12:20-1:30pm - Maid Cafe ($5 admission, 60 tickets available)
12:20-2:10pm - Silent Auction (3 baskets to bid on)


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