Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

My first experience with a fan convention was in 2008. I was really into anime (Japanese animation) at the time, and my friend and I had heard about a convention that was being held in Durham.

That convention was called Animazement, and it boasted a host of activities and guests for attendees. My friend and I really wanted to experience that kind of event for ourselves and to meet other people who were interested in the same things as us. So my friend’s mom drove us all the way to Durham, dropped us off at the door, and then picked us up again later that day.

I don’t remember all the details of that day now, though I did take a ton of photos of people dressed in “cosplay” as their favorite characters. So many people – of all ages – took the time to bring those characters to life, and there’s just something that’s so exciting to see those characters jump from screen or page to the real world. Turning every corner was a surprise because you just never knew who you were going to run into next. I remember being especially impressed with people who covered themselves in body paint or had to lug around large handmade props all day long.

After having so much fun during that first visit to Animazement, we decided to go back again the next year. The event moved to Raleigh, thankfully, saving us a little bit of travel time. And I’ve been attending almost every year since!

I have a lot of good memories of the event. It’s a whirlwind each time. You’ll always stumble across some really exciting and unexpected costumes. My personal favorite was meeting someone who decided to dress up as Bob Ross the painter, complete with an actual painting and easel he carried around.

And I try to attend as many guest panels (actors, directors, producers, etc) as I can because you can learn so much about what goes into creating shows. “Behind the scenes” stuff has always intrigued me.

I even cosplayed twice! Once as a character from the manga (Japanese comic) series “Fruits Basket” and once as Sailor Moon. Both costumes were kind of thrown together on a small budget, and didn’t look the best, but they were fun to wear anyway. It helped that I picked characters with long, blond hair so I didn’t have to worry with a wig.

But as fun as Animazement is, there are a few downsides. Having to travel all the way to Raleigh can be a hassle sometimes – this year’s trip included a backroad detour off the interstate which added an extra hour to my drive there. And, if I want to attend more than one day, I have to book a hotel room, which costs extra money. (I miss the days when my brother lived in Raleigh for college, so I’d just crash at his apartment.)

There are other fan conventions (not just anime-focused) that happen around the country. But they’re all farther away than Raleigh, and sometimes so expensive that the trip probably isn’t worth it.

So I was thrilled to attend a new fan convention much closer to home this month!

Fan Con, the first of its kind in our area, was held on Aug. 17 in the Ahoskie Recreation Gym. Considering that I drive to Ahoskie every weekday for work, it was no trouble making the trek there on a Saturday.

I commend Caroline Stephenson and the whole Fan Con team and volunteers who put together the event. Technically, I was attending for work (my article is in the News Herald’s Aug. 21 edition, and a photo gallery is on the News Herald’s Facebook page), but I would have come out to the convention regardless because it’s exactly the kind of thing I’m interested in.

Fan Con featured several guests who are working in the acting business (and also in production too, such as scriptwriting and stunts, etc). It was cool to be able to chat with them and learn more about what they do, even if I hadn’t seen some of their work. I enjoyed each conversation I had (and wish I could have included more quotes in my article.)

And I also learned some interesting things by sitting in on the guest panels. It was particularly fun to hear Aqeel T. Ash-Shakoor talk about what it was like working on set with Ice-T and Mariska Hargitay from Law & Order: SVU.

My personal highlight for the day, however, was the costume contest. There were two separate contests: one for kids and teens 17 and under; and another for adults. Each cosplayer stepped onto the stage, introduced themselves, and then struck a pose (or, in a few cases, did a little dance). It takes a lot of confidence and courage to get on any stage, so I was impressed by everyone.

Some costumes were really elaborate, while others were simple. But all did an amazing job! I was really excited to see so many characters I recognized from anime and movies and TV shows. And some of the cosplayers even traveled from out of the area to attend, which was cool. It’s nice when people are able to visit the Roanoke-Chowan area and see what’s going on around here.

In between events, there were vendors to check out, good food, games for all ages, and fellow fans to meet. All in all, I thought the event ran smoothly and was very well put-together, especially for a first-time convention. I think everyone who stopped by had a great time.

I’m already looking forward to Fan Con 2025, and I hope even more people come check it out. Find me next year and ask me about my favorite anime!

 Holly Taylor is a Staff Writer for Roanoke-Chowan Publications. Contact her at holly.taylor@r-cnews.com or 252-332-7206.