2015
MECHACON
JU LY 17 th-19th
MECHACON 2
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July 17-19, 2015 New Orleans, Lousiana
Welcome to our eleventh annual MechaCon! One of the largest and longest-running anime conventions on the Gulf Coast, MechaCon returns to the Hilton New Orleans Riverside, bringing you three floors of jampacked anime convention excitement! We’ve got lots in store for you this year, including the return of MECHCORPS BATTLETECH PODS! So stock up on pocky and ramune, and get ready to have the time of your life! Be sure to check out all the great content MechaCon is bringing to you this year! At our Opening Ceremonies Dinner, the incredibly talented KIKI returns, along with her new friends, THE 8-BIT SWINGERS, for a concert showcasing jazzy renditions of your favorite video game and anime music. In the mood for a fancy-pants dance? Our ”Hunger Games” themed MechaCon Red Carpet Affair: “A Night in the Capitol” may be just what you are looking for! Looking for something a little less formal and more electrified? Then be sure to check out our concert on Saturday night, featuring NYLON PINK, followed by our annual MechaCon House Party! For the older crowd, MechaCon introduces MechaCon: After Dark, a series of events geared less to the “PG-13” crowd and more to the “R” crowd, including our very own Cosplay Burlesque and the ever-popular TMI with Queen D and Friends. MechaCon’s staff will also be hosting a “salty” late-night Cards Against Humanity game/panel, which will show you why it holds the title of “the game for horrible people.” You must be 18 or older to attend most MechaCon: After Dark panels and events. For these 18+ panels and events, IDs will be required and checked at the door. Looking for something a little more relaxed, light-hearted and innocent? MechaCon’s own MechaMaid Clubhouse is an interactive family-friendly attraction that will spoil you with pleasantness. Into Lolita and J-fashion? MechaCon has not one, but TWO Lolita and J-Fashion shows on Saturday, along with the Crown and Cutlass Lolita Tea Party on Sunday! Also on Saturday, our annual Cosplay Competition returns with another $1000 cash prize for best-in-show! On Sunday, Cosplay Chess returns, along with our Charity Auction benefitting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which raised over $16,000 last year! With all this and much, much more to see and do, we’re sure your weekend will be unforgettable. So come along with us and let’s make it a weekend to remember!
– Team MechaCon CONNECT WITH US
/MechaCon.Anime.Convention
/MechaCon
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Senior Staff
Peter Bares – Founder / Art Director Hunter Domingue – Floor Director James “Stoney” Potter – Gaming Director Jon Russo – Founder / Convention Organizer / C.E.O. Melanie Russo – Registration / Artists Alley Director Matt Traylor – Stage Director
Core Staff
Terolyn Barron – Scavenger Hunt Coordinator Curtis Crook – Dealers Room Coordinator Brittney Cutrer – Cosplay Coordinator Brad Daigle – Electronic Gaming Coordinator Brandon Delcambre – Panels Coordinator / Merch Booth David Doerr – Overnight Ops Manager Dom Ducote – Overnight Gaming Coordinator Richard Eckert – GoldPass Liaison Travis Farrar – Operations / Logistics Director Maria Graham – Volunteer Coordinator William Hebert – Table-top Gaming Coordinator
Support Staff
Bill Armond – Table-top Gaming Eric De Las Casas – Cultural Gaming Brandon DeJean – Security Paul Derouen – Security Taylor Domingue – Videographer / Runner Anne-Marie Eckert – GoldPass Support Evelynn Eckert – Guest Relations Support Caleb Fairburn – Electronic Gaming Leah Farner – Artists Alley Liaison Charlie Farrar – Registration Rachael Ferrand – Burlesque David Giles – Table-top Gaming Jason Graham – Industry Relations Assistant Brett Hart – Burlesque William Hawthorne – Table-top Gaming
Guest Liaisons Ash Alonzo-Wood Drew Bigelow Larry Furry Blake Gerald Jackie Goodman Jessie Heaton Suzette Hullette June Kim Jay Norris Claire Paradelas Joel Taylor Jackie Vinison Irene Waites
Event Crew
Abby Bigelow Jesska Brown Vinnie Kellie Jones Tonia LaJaunie Christon Saik Samantha Romero Lela Sparkman
2015 Cover & T-shirt Art Courtesy of Robby Musso
A special thanks to Amelie Belcher for her incredible “Capitol Couture” art of Jett & Zee for our Red Carpet Affair.
Casie Heim – Burlesque Coordinator Kayla Heintz – Lt. Floor Director Jonathan Hidalgo – Industry Relations / Webmaster Callina McMillan – MechaMaid Coordinator Jacob Miller – Main Events Coordinator Denice Naquin – Guest Relations Coordinator Jacqui Perry – Mascots Coordinator Rebecca Rathbun – Cosplay Chess Coordinator Ashley Robichaux – Guest Relations Coordinator Megan Alonzo-Wood – Lolita Coordinator Haniel Thibeaux – Lt. Security Chief
Brittany Hayden – Main Events Robert Jones – Security Stu Keller – Table-top Gaming Tenneal Latiolais – Registration Michael Lee – Ops Support JennaLee McCoy – Merchandise Margaret Moynan – MechaMaid Host Club Rhett O’Neill – Cosplay Support Belko Ramirez II – Panels Ann Robichaux – Merchandise Booth Kiera Rowland – Overnight Ops Support Skye Russo – Volunteers Joshua Varnell – Electronic Gaming Seth White – Audio/Visual Stefon Williams – MechaMaid Host Club
Mascots
Jacqui Perry - JETT Shannon Kenast - ZEE Chelsey Crochet Lux Strider
Specialists Danny Carter Justin David
Copyright © 2015 by Sennin Productions, L.L.C., Lafayette, Louisiana, U.S.A.
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Hilton New Orleans Riverside – 2nd Floor
Hilton New Orleans Riverside – 1st Floor
CONVENTION FLOORS
Hilton New Orleans Riverside – 3rd Floor
ATTENDEE CONDUCT MechaCon Rules of Conduct (An Overview) These Activities are NOT Allowed at MechaCon: • Loitering in the halls – DEFINITELY NO sleeping in the halls • Engaging in disruptive behavior that disturbs the public or staff • Making a threat of physical or verbal harassment to a member or members of the public or MechaCon staff • Any act that could result in substantial risk or harm to any persons or property • Sexual misconduct such as, but not limited to indecent exposure, offensive touching, or any form of sexual harassment • The selling of any merchandise out of the hotel rooms, hallways or outside the hotel under any circumstance. We value our dealers and artists, and merchandise is only to be sold, in any form, within the DEALERS room or the ARTISTS ALLEY • Engaging in any activity prohibited by Louisiana and/or City of New Orleans law • Brandishing any weapon that has not been PEACE BONDED. This includes removing a sword from its casing, or swinging a weapon around. All registered or unregistered weapons need to follow the laws of New Orleans ordinances • Distribution of any form of literature without the written permission by the MechaCon organizers MechaCon reserves the right to enforce these rules, and anyone violating them will be asked to leave and their convention badge will be revoked. There will be absolutely no refunds given in the case of any revocation of a paid convention badge due to breaking the convention rules, no matter the reason for the infraction. If the person or persons being asked to leave the convention resist being escorted off the premises by MechaCon personnel, local police will be called in to remove the person or persons from the hotel and/or adjoining areas.
Hate Symbols are NOT Allowed at MechaCon Recently, a disturbing trend has developed in the anime fandom that we felt the need to address. Due to the popularity of several anime, manga and J-pop artists using symbols and uniforms from Nazi Germany, there have been some cosplayers at other conventions who seem to think that openly wearing swastikas and other hate symbols is ‘cool’. There have even been instances of groups at other conventions performing Nazi salutes. The Staff of MechaCon shares the sorrow of literally millions of Jewish, Polish, Gay, Gypsy and other families who lost children, brothers, sisters, husbands and wives to the evil of the Nazi regime and has the utmost respect for the men and women of our armed forces, who have put their lives on the line to ensure the freedom and civil liberties upon which this country was founded. We WILL NOT, under any circumstances, allow the symbols of these atrocities, or hate symbols of any kind, to be worn or displayed at MechaCon. We reserve the right to ask you to remove any such symbol, or to remove you from the convention floor should you refuse to do so. We do not dispute your right under the First Amendment to express your views by wearing a swastika out in public; MechaCon, however, is a private event, to which we welcome members of every race, creed, religion and orientation. We want everyone to feel comfortable at our event, and these symbols are offensive to many and outright insulting to some, and as such are in direct opposition to the spirit of community and family that MechaCon has tried to engender in our attendees. Any symbol that can be characterized as a hate symbol should not be worn at MechaCon. This includes the swastika. We realize that the swastika originated as a Buddhist symbol and was adopted by Nazi Germany. This does not change the fact that, after years of use as a representation of the Nazi’s attempt at ethnic cleansing by the murder of millions, the swastika is known the world over as a symbol of hatred. It has, unfortunately, taken on a new meaning, and has fallen out of use by most Buddhists. Further, it is absurd to suggest that it is being used for its original Buddhist symbolism while attaching it to a Nazi uniform or other WWII period costume. Other unacceptable symbols are the “SS” thunderbolts, the noose, “HFFH” symbols, and any other symbol that is widely accepted as a symbol of oppression, hatred or violence towards a specific group of people. Again, we want everyone to feel comfortable at MechaCon and have an enjoyable experience. MechaCon is not the proper venue for political or moral debate, and we reserve the right to remove anyone participating in conduct that may be offensive to our staff, guests or other attendees. Please be aware of and courteous towards the feelings of your fellow con-goers. Just because something is not offensive to you, doesn’t mean it is not offensive and hurtful to others. We appreciate your help in keeping MechaCon a peaceful, fun environment.
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MECHACON POLICIES MechaCon’s Intent
The primary purpose of MechaCon is to provide a fun and safe experience for as wide a range of attendees as possible. Our intention is to bring a balance of Japanese traditional and pop culture to Louisiana through Anime and western animation appreciation.
Hotel Staff and MechaCon
Please remember that you are a guest of the hotel, and that there are other guests utilizing the same facilities. Please remember to be courteous and do not disturb other guests with excessive noise levels. If the hotel staff requests that you quiet down or stop a certain behavior, please do so. If you do not, your badge will be confiscated. We are all here to have a good time, so by acting responsibly, we can continue to bring events such as an Anime convention to New Orleans.
Hands-Off Policy
MechaCon has a strict hands-off policy regarding its mascots, staff, and attendees. This means that no attendee is to make physical contact with any member of MechaCon staff, Hilton staff, or other convention attendees without first getting permission from the person he / she wishes to make contact with. This includes, but is not limited to, unwarranted “glomping”, touching, embracing, or hanging-on. All attendees are expected to be familiar with this policy.
Security Policy
MechaCon security is based on a “three-strikes” rule. Strike One: Attendee is given a verbal warning and informed of the policy being violated. Strike Two: Attendee Badge is pulled for one hour and is escorted from convention function space. Attendee may pick up their badge at the Security Desk after one hour. A State issued photo ID, or student ID must be presented at the Security Desk to reclaim your badge. If underaged, a parent or guardian must accompany you to reclaim your badge. Strike Three: Badge is pulled for the remainder of the Convention. If a badge is pulled, the attendee can appeal the circumstances to the Security Chief and the Director of Operations during the Convention. The Security Manager or Director of Operations will decide that evening (the day the badge was pulled) whether or not to reinstate the MechaCon Convention Attendee’s badge privileges. Strikes can be issued for the following reasons but are not limited to: Harassment reports, disorderly conduct/disruption of the convention and/or the hotel, violation of any convention polices as stated in this document, avoiding a Security Staffer trying to speak with you about a policy violation, flight from a Security Staffer after a policy violation has been declared but before the issue is resolved or violations of Convention Rules of Conduct. There is NO time limit between strikes. Example: an attendee who harasses another attendee, runs when the Security Staffer arrives to deal with the matter and then disrupts the convention in the process of getting away can earn three strikes.
MechaCon Security reserves the right to revoke MechaCon Attendee Membership and eject anyone from the convention floor at any time without a refund.
Weapons Policy
Items that could be used as a weapon must be peacebonded at our Security Desk. Even if your weapon is a prop, please check in with our security desk to have it inspected and approved to be on the floor. All bladed items must be kept in their sheaths at all times in public/function areas. Ammunition for Gun replica or other replica projectile weapons will not be allowed anywhere on the floor at any time. If you are found brandishing and otherwise acting irresponsibly with a replica weapon in public/function areas, your registration may be immediately revoked. As for fantasy or costume weapons, if we cannot tell it’s fake from 10 feet away, you should not bring it.
Notice to Parents
If you’re not staying in our hotel, please don’t leave your children here overnight without someone legally responsible for them. We are NOT a babysitting service. We also require a way to reach you in case of an emergency. You will be held responsible (legally and financially) for any damages incurred by your child or charge to hotel and/or MechaCon property. Any criminal damages and/or activity will be met with criminal charges, as well as a permanent ban from ALL future Sennin Productions, LLC events. All attendees are subject to the laws and ordinances set forth by Federal, State, Parish, and City Governments. The ratings of programming available at the convention vary. Due to differences in international rating structures, some adult situations may occur in some titles. Whenever possible, we have indicated these shows on the programming schedule to aid in our patrons viewing choices, but parental guidance is ALWAYS recommended.
Notice to Students & Minors We expect you to behave yourselves so we don’t have to call your parents. Your behavior is what’s important, not your age. You and your parent(s)/legal guardian will be held responsible (legally and financially) for damages incurred by you to hotel and/or MechaCon property. Any criminal damages and/or activity will be met with criminal charges, as well as a permanent ban from ALL future Sennin Productions, LLC events. All attendees are subject to the laws and ordinances set forth by Federal, State, Parish and City Governments.
Notice to Adult Attendees
ALL attendees are expected to conduct themselves respectably. You will be held responsible (legally and financially) for damages incurred by you to hotel and/ or MechaCon property. Any criminal damages and/or activity will be met with criminal charges, as well as a permanent ban from ALL future Sennin Productions, LLC events. All attendees are subject to the laws and ordinances set forth by Federal, State, Parish and City Governments.
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MAIN SCHEDULE (Panel schedule located on page 34.) On Thursday, July 16, MechaCon’s convention pre-registration packet pick-up will open at 6pm and remain open until 9pm. At-door registrations will NOT be taken on Thursday. Aside from Registration, convention floor remains closed.
Friday, July 17th
The following is the schedule for Friday’s convention areas and events. At-door registrations will be taken at 11:30 a.m.
9:00am - Registration Pre-reg Packet
1:00pm - Convention Areas open (All Floors) Dealers Room opens (1st Floor) Signing Room opens
Jefferson Ballroom (3rd Floor)
1:30pm - Dealers Room opens (1st Floor) to all attendees
MechaMaid Clubhouse opens (3rd Floor)
2:00pm - GoldPass Guided Tour Main Events (1st Floor)
3:00pm - Nylon Pink Musical Introduction Presented by Nylon Pink
Secondary Events (3rd Floor)
5:00pm - Signing Room closes Jefferson Ballroom (3rd Floor)
5:30pm - Seating begins for
Opening Ceremonies & Formal/Semi-formal Dinner and Kiki & The 8-bit Swingers
Main Events (1st Floor) (reserved seating only)
6:00pm - Opening Ceremonies
Main Events (1st Floor) (reserved seating only)
Vocaloids Live Performance
Secondary Events (3rd Floor)
Presented by Brett Hart
7:00pm - Dealers Room closes (1st Floor)
Kiki & The 8-bit Swingers begins Main Events (1st Floor) (reserved seating only)
8:00pm - Registration desk closes (1st Floor) GoldPass Meet-n-Greet with Guests Main Events (1st Floor)
MechaMaid Clubhouse closes (3rd Floor)
9:00pm - MechaCon Red Carpet Affair:
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Cosplay Burlesque 18+
18+ (3rd Floor)
10:30pm - MechaMaid Clubhouse closes (3rd Floor)
Panel Rooms close (3rd Floor)
The following is the schedule for Saturday’s convention areas and events.
9:00am - Registration Desk opens (1st Floor) 10:00am - Dealers Room opens (1st Floor) to GoldPass registrants only
Signing Room opens
Hetalia: Interview the World
Jefferson Ballroom (3rd Floor) Secondary Events (3rd Floor)
10:30am - Dealers Room opens (1st Floor) to all attendees 11:00am - Ghosts, Gargoyles & Ghouls...
Oh, my!
w/ Steve Blum, Jonathan Klein, Mike McFarland, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, Austin Tindle, Greg Weisman & Tommy Yune
Panel Room 1 (3rd Floor)
MechaMaid Clubhouse opens (3rd Floor) Ingress: Fight for Humanity’s Future Presented by NOLA Enlightened and Resistance
Electronic Gaming Room (2ndFloor
12:00pm - Cosplay Participants Meeting Main Events (1st Floor)
9:30pm - MechaMaid Clubhouse re-opens
Main Events (1st Floor)
Saturday, July 18th
MECHACON DA R K
Presented by 8-bit Burlesque
1:00am - Cosplay Burlesque closes
Secondary Events (3rd Floor)
Panel Room 1 (3rd Floor)
12:00am - MechaCon Red Carpet Affair closes
A Night in the Capitol
A F T E R
Presented by MechaCon Staff
to GoldPass registrants only
Pick-up opens (1st Floor)
11:30am - At-door Registration opens (1st Floor)
11:00pm - Cards Against Humanity VIP Game 18+
1:00pm - Phantasmagoria J-Fashion Show Presented by NOLA Lolitas
Secondary Events (3rd Floor)
2:30pm - Seating begins for Cosplay Main Events (1st Floor)
3:00pm - Cosplay Competition Main Events (1st Floor)
Astronomy at the Movies: The Science of Interstellar
Presented by Dr. C.G. Seab, UNO Astrophysicist
Secondary Events (3rd Floor)
5:00pm - The Homestuck Dating Game Presented by V. Street
Secondary Events (3rd Floor)
6:00pm - Signing Room closes Jefferson Ballroom (3rd Floor)
7:00pm - Dealers Room closes (1st Floor) Lolita Brand Fashion Show
Featuring Baby, the Stars Shine Bright and Alice and the Pirates
Secondary Events (3rd Floor)
7:30pm - MechaMaid Clubhouse closes (3rd Floor)
8:00pm - Registration Desk closes (1st Floor) Video Game Cosplay Contest Sponsored by NoScope Glasses
Electronic Gaming Room (2ndFloor)
8:30pm - Nylon Pink Concert Main Events (1st Floor)
9:00pm - Cosplay Chess Participants Meeting Panel Room 1 (3rdFloor)
Whose Line is it Anime?! Secondary Events (3rd Floor)
MECHACON A F T E R
DA R K
9:30pm - MechaMaid Clubhouse re-opens 18+ (3rd Floor)
10:30pm - MechaMaid Clubhouse closes (3rd Floor) 11:00pm - MechaCon House Party Main Events (1st Floor) TMI with Queen D and Friends 18+
Presented by MechaCon Staff
Secondary Events (3rd Floor)
4:00am - MechaCon House Party closes
Sunday, July 19th
The following is the schedule for Sunday’s convention areas and events. At-door registrations will be taken at 9 am.
9:00am - Registration desk opens (1st Floor)
10:00am - Dealers Room opens (1st Floor) to GoldPass registrants only
Signing Room opens
Jefferson Ballroom (3rd Floor)
10:30am - Dealers room opens (1st Floor) to all attendees Seating begins for Cosplay Chess Secondary Events (3rd Floor) 11:00am - MechaMaid Clubhouse opens (3rd Floor) Cosplay Chess Secondary Events (3rd Floor)
1:00pm - MechaCon Charity Auction Benefitting St. Jude Children’s Hospital
Main Events (1st Floor)
2:00pm - Lolita Tea Party ~ Crown & Cutlass Featuring Baby, the Stars Shine Bright and Alice and the Pirates
River Room (River Side of hotel)
3:30pm - MechaMaid Clubhouse closes (3rd Floor) 5:00pm - All convention areas close
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GUESTS OF HONOR ATTENTION – Autograph/Photo Notification
Any fees a guest may charge for his/her autograph is solely at the guests’ discretion, with the guests ultimately deciding what those charges will be. In most cases, photographs/prints of the guests are available for purchase at the guests’ tables. You may bring your own items to get signed, but please be aware the guest may ask for a signing fee. Most guests have little to no objections to having their photos taken, but please ask for the guest’s permission before proceeding. If a guest charges for a photo to be taken of them, please respect that guest’s practice. There are opportunities available for professional photos with certain guests for established fees. These fees do not necessarily include an autograph, but this is also at the guests’ discretion. For professional photo-op rates, please check with the photography area located to the rear of the Signing Room.
Steve Blum
With literally hundreds of V/O credits to his name, STEVE BLUM is best known as the voice of Spike Spiegel from COWBOY BEBOP, Wolverine from several incarnations of X-MEN (animated movies, games, the WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN TV Series, THE SUPER HERO SQUAD SHOW, X-MEN ANIME and more), Orochimaru, Zabuza and others from NARUTO, and Green Goblin from the SPECTACULAR SPIDERMAN series. He has also performed as Heatblast, Vilgax and Ghostfreak from BEN 10, Grayson Hunt from BULLETSTORM, Grunt from MASS EFFECT 2 and 3, Zoltan Kulle from DIABLO 3, Abathur from STARCRAFT 2: HEART OF THE SWARM, Tank Dempsey from CALL OF DUTY, Killer Croc from ARKHAM ASYLUM, Oghren from DRAGONAGE, Vincent Valentine from Final Fantasy VII, Leeron from Guren Lagann, Jamie from MEGAS XLR, Storm Troopers and many others in most of the STAR WARS games, Boogoo, Sparky and others from Disney’s STITCH, the voice of 7-11, dozens of Digimon and a gigantic list of other characters from anime, video games, TV and film. Recently Steve’s voice could be heard on the super-charged CGI television series TRANSFORMERS: PRIME, playing the sometimes delusional but always deadly Decepticon Starscream and as Heatwave on the action-packed, kid-friendly, TRANSFORMERS: RESCUE BOTS! He also guest-starred as Devil Dinosaur and Sauron on HULK: AGENTS OF SMASH, and as several characters on ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN, BEN 10: OMNIVERSE, THE REGULAR SHOW, TENKAI KNIGHTS, and as the terrifying anti-bender Amon on the hit series AVATAR: THE LEGEND OF KORRA! After 4 years off the air, thanks to tremendous fan support, Steve has once again taken the helm of the great star cruiser Absolution, reprising his role as TOM the robotic host of Cartoon Network’s TOONAMI on ADULT SWIM. You can also catch him returning as Zeb Orrelios in the upcoming second season of the incredible hit series STAR WARS: REBELS on Disney XD! And don’t forget to check out THE BOXTROLLS!! Steve ‘dares to be square’ as Shoe and Sparky in Laika’s brilliant, award-winning feature film. In 2012, Steve was inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records as Most Prolific Voice Actor in Video Games – appearing in more than 300+ games!
Austin Tindle
AUSTIN TINDLE is a writer and actor living in Dallas, Texas. He was born in Orlando, Florida, raised in Austin, Texas and attended UTD on an academic scholarship, where he almost became an Electrical Engineer. At 19, Austin was cast as Romeo in William Shakespeare’s ROMEO & JULIET and changed majors the same day. You may have seen him around Dallas at Kitchendog Theatre, WaterTower Theatre, Theatre Three, Stage West, Shakespeare Dallas, Project X, Second Thought Theatre, Nouveau 47, Upstart Theatre, and many others; or maybe you saw the awesome film “Inventors and Vendors”.
Though, he’s probably most well-known for his work with Funimation Studios, where he has voiced many characters including Ayumu Aikawa in IS THIS A ZOMBIE?, Accelerator in A CERTAIN MAGICAL INDEX, Kunihito Kusanagi in SHANGRI-LA, Shu Ouma in GUILTY CROWN, Marco Bodt in ATTACK ON TITAN, Karma in ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM, and Kaneki in TOKYO GHOUL. Austin has been a proud member of the couchsurfing community since 2011. He really loves couches.
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Mike McFarland
Mike got his start in anime as one of the first voice actors in Texas to be hired by FUNimation Entertainment, and has since moved on to become a director, script writer, and line producer for numerous anime series. Notable roles include Master Roshi and Yajirobe in DRAGON BALL and DRAGON BALL Z, Baby and Baby-Vegeta in DRAGON BALL GT, Jean Kirstein in ATTACK ON TITAN, Goemon in LUPIN THE THIRD (Movie Specials), Ritsu Sohma in FRUITS BASKET, Lt. Jean Havoc in FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, Cain in TRINITY BLOOD, Buggy the Clown in ONE PIECE, Amon in TOKYO GHOUL, “Ranka” Fujioka in OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB, Tybalt in ROMEO X JULIET, Leo in BURST ANGEL, Estonia in HETALIA, as well as various roles in YU YU HAKUSHO, NERIMA DAIKON BROTHERS, KODOCHA, DESERT PUNK, BLACK CAT, KIDDY GRADE, SHIN CHAN, SPACE DANDY and many others. As an ADR/Voice Director, Mike has worked on such series and films as FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST: BROTHERHOOD, DRAGON BALL Z, ATTACK ON TITAN, VEXILLE, WOLF CHILDREN, SUMMER WARS, GUNSLINGER GIRL: IL TEATRINO, YU YU HAKUSHO, MUSHI-SHI, CASE CLOSED, DRAGON BALL, EDEN OF THE EAST, TRINITY BLOOD, EVANGELION: 1.11, 2.22, and 3.33, ONE PIECE, TOKYO GHOUL and many more. ADR Scriptwriting credits include FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, KODOCHA, TRINITY BLOOD, SOLTY REI, MUSHI-SHI, ONE PIECE and the uncut versions of DRAGON BALL Z. Video Game credits include work on BORDERLANDS 2, TALES OF XILLIA 2, SMITE, THE WALKING DEAD: SURVIVAL INSTINCT, HALO WARS, STUNTMAN: IGNITION, AEON FLUX, BLOODRAYNE 2, ROADKILL, COMIC JUMPER: THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN SMILEY, numerous DRAGON BALL Z titles, as well as the role of Paul Phoenix in STREET FIGHTER X TEKKEN. Mike is also an accomplished improv comedian, musician, and has appeared in numerous commercials and independent films, including THE RAGE WITHIN, HOUSE OF THE GENERALS, PLACEBO and the award-winning SHTICKMEN.
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn
MARY ELIZABETH MCGLYNN is a voice over actress, writer, singer and director. As an actress, she portrayed Major Motoko Kusanagi in GHOST IN THE SHELL INNOCENCE, SOLID STATE SOCIETY and GHOST IN THE SHELL: STAND ALONE COMPLEX, for which she won the American Anime Award for Best Actress. You can also hear her as the Female Crusader in DIABLO III: REAPER OF SOULS, Kurutsu in GHOST IN THE SHELL ARISE, Mrs. Maheswaran in STEVEN UNIVERSE, Sei in ALPHA PROTOCOL and Nora in FINAL FANTASY XIII. Some of her other popular roles are Cornelia in CODE GEAS, Kurenai from NARUTO, Julia from COWBOY BEBOP, Zabimaru (Baboon) from BLEACH, Helba and Bordeau from .HACK, Jagura from WOLF’S RAIN, Nuriko in FUSHIGI YUUGI and Caroline from VAMPIRE HUNTER D. Mary is directing PENN ZERO: PART TIME HERO for Disney XD, premiering in 2015. She is also directing NARUTO: SHIPPUDEN which just reached its 500th episode! She has directed the six NARUTO movies as well as NARUTO and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN the series for which she received the 2008 SPJA* Award for Best Director. Among her many other directing credits are COWBOY BEBOP the series, COWBOY BEBOP: KNOCKIN’ ON HEAVEN’S DOOR, TENKAI KNIGHTS, DIGIMON FUSION, WOLF’S RAIN, DIGIMON TAMERS, the movie APPLESEED and was a co-writer for the American adaptation of METROPOLIS. She also directed the original animated series BOING THE PLAY RANGER and GORMITI: LORDS OF NATURE. Mary Elizabeth has had the great honor of singing the music of Akira Yamaoka for the movies JULIA X and SILENT HILL; as well as the games: SILENT HILL 3, THE ROOM, ORIGINS, SHADOWS OF THE DAMNED, AND SILENT HILL: SHATTERED MEMORIES and BOOK OF MEMORIES – which she also voice directed! *Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation
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INDUSTRY GUESTS Greg Weisman
Writer/Director/Producer
GREG WEISMAN has been a storyteller all his life, working at Walt Disney Television Animation from 1989 through 1996 where he rose through the ranks to become Director of Series Development for the division, working on such diverse properties as DARKWING DUCK, GUMMI BEARS, TALESPIN, BONKERS, RAW TOONAGE, DUCK TALES THE MOVIE, ALADDIN THE SERIES and THE MIGHTY DUCKS, among others. In 1991, Greg and his team created and developed a new series for Disney: GARGOYLES. Greg left his position as an executive to become the Supervising Producer and Supervising Story Editor of the first 66 episodes of that series. In 1996, Greg left Disney for DreamWorks, after which he became a full-time Freelance Writer, Story Editor, Producer, Voice Director and Voice Actor. He has written scripts for MEN IN BLACK, DISNEY’S HERCULES, BIG GUY & RUSTY THE BOY ROBOT, BUZZ LIGHTYEAR OF STAR COMMAND, THE MUMMY, KIM POSSIBLE, THE BATMAN, ALIEN RACERS, BEN TEN, BIONICLE: MASK OF LIGHT, LEGION OF SUPER HEROES, BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD, RESCUEBOTS, KAIJUDO, BEWARE THE BATMAN, TRANSFORMERS PRIME and OCTONAUTS among others. He has written and story edited for ROUGHNECKS: THE STARSHIP TROOPERS CHRONICLES, and he produced, wrote and story edited on both MAX STEEL and W.I.T.C.H. He has also voice directed the original DVD Movie, ATLANTIS: MILO’S RETURN and the English dub of the Japanese anime video series 3×3 EYES. More recently, Greg wrote the new GARGOYLES and GARGOYLES: BAD GUYS comic books for SLG Publishing plus an issue of THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN for Marvel Comics, all while producing, writing, story editing and voice acting for Sony’s THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN. He then moved over to Warner Bros., where he wrote the GREEN ARROW direct-to-DVD short for DC SHOWCASE and produced, story edited, wrote and voice acted on the new Warner Bros./DC Comics/Cartoon Network series, YOUNG JUSTICE, as well as cowriting the companion YOUNG JUSTICE monthly comic book for DC. Greg is now an Executive Producer on STAR WARS REBELS for Lucasfilm and Disney.
Jonathan Klein
New Generation Pictures
JONATHAN KLEIN is the Vice-President and co-owner of New Generation Pictures, Inc. His company produces the English language versions of some of the most popular anime and video games in the U.S. and Japan, including such popular anime as: HELLSING & HELLSING ULTIMATE, GUN X SWORD, KAMICHU, R.O.D THE TV, IKKI TOUSEN, NIEA UNDER 7, 3X3 EYES and many other titles. In addition, he has been the director of the English language versions of such anime titles as ERGOPROXY, HAIBANE RENMEI, TEXHNOLYZE, MELODY OF OBLIVION and PARANOIA AGENT. Jonathan is also the co-founder of Anime Charity Auctions, an organization dedicated to help raise money for worthwhile charitable causes. Anime Charity Auctions donates rare and unusual autographed items from anime and video games to be auctioned off for non-profit charities sponsored by various anime & science fiction conventions.
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Tommy Yune Harmony Gold
TOMMY YUNE has worked for over a decade in the comic book and video game industries. His early game development experience includes character design of the pioneering 3D fighting game FX Fighter for the Nintendo SuperFX chip and conceptual design of the award-winning Journeyman Project series. He also wrote and illustrated hit comic book titles such as SPEED RACER, RACER X, ROBOTECH, and DANGER GIRL: KAMIKAZE which were published by DC Comics’ Wildstorm and Cliffhanger labels. His first work in feature animation was creating the computer-generated opening sequence of Kevin Altieri’s GEN13.
Tommy grew up on a steady diet of anime, watching as much PRINCE PLANET, GATCHAMAN and CASSHAN as he could in Asia and the United States. Then he shunned television and went back to being a responsible student to the delight of his parents. However, right before entering the UCLA School of Engineering, ROBOTECH brought anime back into his life and he eventually found himself at the ArtCenter College of Design instead. His parents wept. Tommy first worked in an official capacity for the ROBOTECH universe by helping design ROBOTECH.com for its launch in 2001. He has since come aboard as Harmony Gold’s creative director and oversees new development, including ROBOTECH: THE SHADOW CHRONICLES which completed production in 2006.
Robby Musso
ROBBY MUSSO is a native New Orleanian artist with a lifelong passion for comics, toys, animation, and giant robots. He is best known for his work on popular comic titles such as TRANSFORMERS and SPEED RACER for IDW Publishing and Fun Publications. In addition to drawing comics and sequential art, he has also worked officially with Hasbro Toys, providing pre-production art for several of their flagship toylines including TRANSFORMERS, G.I. JOE, and STAR WARS. Robby’s enthusiasm for the mech/robot genre has also been the inspiration for many of his personal, original fan creations, most notably his own TRANSFORMERS fan character “Rex,” as well as the SPEED RACER-inspired variable racing machines “Mech-5” and the “Cyber-Star.” MechaCon is fortunate to have Robby join us as our official convention artist for the past five years. In fact, MechaCon’s own G.E.A.R.E. mech was conceived, designed and brought to life by Robby! For more information, please visit Robby Musso on Facebook and also on deviantArt as username “REX-203.”
Steve Kenson
Green Ronin Publishing
STEVE KENSON started working professionally in the tabletop RPG industry in 1995, freelancing for FASA Corporation and writing for games like SHADOWRUN and EARTHDAWN. He wrote seven novels set in the SHADOWRUN universe and one each in the MECHWARRIOR and CRIMSON SKIES settings. After eight years as a full-time freelancer, Steve became a developer with Green Ronin Publishing, directing the MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS superhero RPG that he designed. He eventually transitioned to the position of staff designer with Green Ronin and has worked on all of their games, including BLUE ROSE, TRUE20 ADVENTURE ROLEPLAYING, A SONG OF ICE & FIRE ROLEPLAYING, and DRAGON AGE. Steve started his own imprint, Ad Infinitum Adventures, to publish material for ICONS SUPERPOWERED ROLEPLAYING, a game he designed in 2010. He maintains a website and blog at www.stevekenson.com.
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COSPLAY GUESTS Queen D
The enigmatic and always fabulous Queen D makes his dramatic return to MechaCon! He has been extremely busy this year, traveling to and being welcomed as a guest at many conventions across the South. He’s also “allegedly” been working on his wildly unpopular web series “The D-List.” But, despite his travels and amazing adventures, he is excited to be back at his home state con to see all his friends! A renowned cosplay personality, Queen D has been emceeing cosplay competitions, dating games, and other events at various conventions for over five years now. With a total of eleven years of cosplay experience under his belt and a few awards he’s managed to snag along the way, Queen D has come a long way over the years, managing to touch hearts all over the southern convention circuit and attracting an ever-growing army of fans (the D-Vahs). Among the cosplay talents he likes to share through panels and workshops are makeup artistry, presentation, and even basic wig styling! He’s always willing to talk to other cosplayers and help them along in their cosplay careers! Queen D returns as the official emcee of MechaCon’s Annual Cosplay Competition, so be sure to attend this year to experience what promises to be an amazing show!
Courtoon
Courtoon is an American cosplayer who has been involved in the costuming community for nearly the past decade. Alongside her hobby of costuming she has also dedicated her career to her lifelong passion to the world of Art and Animation working on several productions at Nickelodeon Studios, currently working on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Courtney is also heavily involved in the YouTube community making skits, tutorials, and vlogs for aspiring costumers and animation enthusiasts! Still not over Zutara.
Malindachan & Ex-Shadow
When Malinda first got into cosplay 11 years ago, she never expected
it would have such an impact on her lifestyle. Always a crafty individual, she found cosplay to be the perfect outlet for her urge to make geeky things that looked cool. She especially loves styling wigs and giving back to the cosplay community through her tutorials. Kyle has also been cosplaying since 2004, and has attended dozens of conventions and events throughout the United States since he first started. To him, cosplay is an art; it is a way of breathing life into his favorite characters. His specialty is Mascots and props, but he’s no stranger to sewing either. He always strives to improve his costuming skills, and he loves to pass on anything he learns along the way. Over the years Malinda and Kyle have been featured in various publications, and received several awards for craftsmanship and performances. Originally from JC Missouri, they now work for Arda Wigs in Chicago, and are ecstatic to be in New Orleans for MechaCon. 14
MUSICAL GUESTS Kiki & the 8-bit Swingers
Making their debut appearance at MechaCon’s Friday Night Formal/ Semi-Formal Dinner & Opening Ceremonies, Kiki & the 8-bit Swingers are looking to have a swinging good time! Comprised of Veteran musicians Joshua Stearns (Suzaku 7) blowing his trumpet, Ben Caston (Confabulation of Gentry) tickling the keys, Dreux Blalock (Suzaku 7) on bass, and Kiki Russo lending her incomparable voice. Kiki & The 8-bit Swingers are just what you need on a Friday Night after a long work week.
PowerPuffs
Shake Their Stuff A Burlesque Play on Words and Nerds!
Nylon Pink
NYLON PINK is an edgy pop-rock band formed in Hollywood California. United by a mutual love for Guns N Roses, fashion, and all things pink, the electro rock embody the Hollywood lifestyle, blended with a dose of anime and rock and roll. They have been called one of Los Angeles’s sexiest, glitziest bands, picked as ARTIST ON THE VERGE by ReverbNation and The New Music Seminar and were just nominated for POP ARTIST OF THE YEAR by the LA Music Awards. The girls have just released their new EP, with songs already featured on MTV’s THE JERSEY SHORE, THE HILLS, THE CITY, THE REAL WORLD and THE BAD GIRL’S CLUB.
One Eyed Jacks 615 Toulouse NOLA
July 19th $15 Doors Open @ 8
tickets online @
http://tickets.gaslightg irls.co m
Contact us at gaslightgirls.com
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INDUSTRY SUPPORT MechaCon extends its heartfelt thanks to the following donors of prizes and general swag for our event. It is with the support of these companies that we are able to continue providing you, the attendees, with such a great annual event!
From beignets and café au lait, to Mardi Gras masks and spices, to pralines, postcards and a food court... MechaCon has its very own MechaMall attached to our hotel!
The Outlet Collection at Riverwalk – the nation’s first upscale outlet center in a downtown setting – is now open in the heart of New Orleans. Featuring over 75 retailers and restaurants on the bank of the majestic Mississippi River, The Outlet Collection at Riverwalk offers shoppers and diners an experience like no other. Major national brands include Neiman Marcus Last Call Studio, Tommy Bahama Outlet, Forever 21, Coach, The PUMA Store, Hartstrings Kids Apparel Center, and Kenneth Cole. Center favorites, and original tenants from the beginning, also include
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The Fudgery, Gap Factory Store, Café Du Monde, Aerosoles and Swim ‘n Sport Outlet. Guests can experience a guilt-free shopping trip through unbelievable discounts of 25% to 65% every day at the beloved designer brands. Savor the FASHION at The Outlet Collection at Riverwalk, and INDULGE in the savings at the nation’s newest and most exciting shopping destination! Operating Hours Monday–Saturday 10:00AM – 9:00PM Sunday 10:00AM – 7:00PM
The Outlet Collection at Riverwalk is conveniently connected to the Hilton New Orleans Riverside. Don’t forget to check it out!
GAMING & COMBAT
SLEEPING SAMURAI is all about bringing Interactive Entertainment to conventions by way of hand made foam weapons, created to simulate actual weapons with as much historical accuracy as possible and crafted entirely by the staff of Sleeping Samurai. Whether you are looking for a foam Katana or a foam Hammer, you should find what you need in their wide array of weapons. Custom orders are always welcome! Sleeping Samurai has brought their expertise in the field of Interactive Entertainment to dozens of shows across the U.S. since being established in 2007. Not only do they offer you the chance to participate in the foam battles themselves but they also hold instructional and historical panels, choreographed fight routine panels, training sessions and much more. Foam weapons, parasols, hand fans, necklaces, prayer stones and sensual oils are just a few of the items you’ll find at their booth in MechaCon’s Dealer’s Room. Panel #1 • Friday 2:00pm • Electronic Gaming Room Stage (2nd Floor)
Stance & Strike
Come join us for a fun time learning the basics of sword combat. In this panel, you will learn five different stances and the strikes that coincide with these stances. This class will help you build muscle memory and control. Please join us for this exciting panel. All ages welcome!.
Panel #2 • Friday 4:00pm • Panel Room 4 (3rd Floor)
Basic Bladed Boffer Build
Do you enjoy battling with Sleeping Samurai foam weaponry? Can’t afford a full price foam weapon from our inventory at the moment? No problem! You are officially invited to join the owner(s) of Sleeping Samurai for a two hour session on how to craft your very own FOAM WEAPON! With over a decade of foam crafting experience, the owners/operators of Sleeping Samurai will not only provide all materials needed to create a basic bladed boffer, we will also walk you through the step-by-step process on how to craft your very own Foam Katana. Once you have finished building the Foam Katana, you will have the option to purchase it at the cost of the materials only, or you can simply turn in your completed or partially completed project to the instructor(s) of the panel. There is no monetary investment to join us for this panel - only if you wish to keep the project you created. We have limited quantities of the materials... so the first ten people to attend will be given priority and the option to be one of the individuals who builds a foam Katana. All others will be given the option to sit next to one of the ten who are creating a weapon (limit of one extra person, per ‘student’) and/ or view from other areas of the panel room. All ages are welcome!.
Panel #3 • Saturday 4:00pm • Electronic Gaming Room Stage (2nd Floor)
Advanced Training
So, you think you have outgrown the “beginners” class, huh? Join us in our Advanced Training class to prove it! This class will be for the more serious fighters and will involve a heavier form of combat. All ages are welcome but you must be at least 12 years old, to participate.
Panel #4 • Friday 4:00pm • Panel Room 4 (3rd Floor)
Foam-Fantasy-Fun
SJoin the operator(s) of Sleeping Samurai for a late night experience, many of you may not expect from us! Enjoy an exciting time with friends and meet new friends, while cutting up (figuratively and literally) and learning a new way of crafting. In an environment free of “staunchness” and “judgment”, you will be given the opportunity to work with fellow attendees to craft multiple different types of Fantasy Foam Weaponry. With our new style of foam and other materials, Sleeping Samurai is now able to provide a fun and goofy teaching environment - one where nothing that is crafted is “wrong”. You will be free to craft your own creation or chose from a number of preselected images. Either way, you will be crafting alongside other attendees, who will be there ready to join in to help where and when needed. This is a rotational class, to ensure that we can have as many ‘students’ enjoy the class as desire and that are possible; that is, unless you purchase an exclusive pass which will not only give you (or one other who could help split the cost of the pass with you) full rights to an entire block of our crafting foam and personal tools for the time of our panels but we will also provide you with a meal, when allowed by the event location. We will be holding this panel for 3 hours, two nights of the convention, which may or may not provide enough time for all blocks to become “completed works of art/function foam weaponry”. We will be giving any completed and safe projects to the convention for their Charity Auction! So this ultimately is for charity folks....! For many reasons (safety being at the top of the list), this is an 18 and up event - sorry to everyone else but we look forward to seeing you and hanging out with you soon. ...that’s right, an 18 an up panel, full of jokes, music and carving tools! What more could you ask for!? XD We hope to see many of you there!.
Panel #5 • Sunday 11:00am • Electronic Gaming Room Stage (2nd Floor)
Prove your worth
It’s time to put all of that hard work and training to the test. Throughout the weekend you have been training and now you get to find out if it was all worth it. Join us for a twist on our typical style of tournaments. How will things be different?? You will have to join us to find out!
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What would an anime convention be without the hottest in electronic gaming, both the latest and greatest as well as old school? Operating all day and all night, our electronic gaming room doesn’t fail to deliver! We’re showcasing multiple game set-ups, giveaways, tournaments and cool prizes for both casual and hardcore gamers. We’re also extremely happy to announce NOSCOPE as a valued sponsor of our Electronic Gaming Room! Also, as an extension of our gaming room on the first floor, we’re excited to welcome MechCorps back to MechaCon!
Friday, July 17th
1:00pm - Electronic Gaming Room Opens
2:00pm - Stance and Strike
Presented by Sleeping Samurai
5:00pm - Blaz Blue Chrono Phantasma Extend PS4
7:00pm - Mortal Kombat X Xbox One
6:00pm - Guilty Gear XRD PS4
Saturday, July 18th
11:00am - Ingress: Fight for Humanity’s Future
Join the New Orleans Enlightened and Resistance and find out what Ingress is all about and why you should be playing!
12:00pm - Ingress: Battle of New Orleans
Compete for control over downtown New Orleans as the Enlightened and Resistance battle for dominance in this fast-paced real world battle over the fate of Humanity!
PS4
4:00pm - Advanced Training
Presented by Sleeping Samurai
5:00pm - Super Smash Bros Melee Gamecube
Halo: Reach
Super Smash Bros U Amiibo
MechCorps BattleTech delivers adrenaline-pumping action by placing you behind the controls of a giant robot. Every moment counts as you control a three-story tall, 75-ton, walking tank, blasting your way to victory. From the moment you spot an opponent on your radar screen to the explosive battles, you are exhilarated. Enjoy the hunt for prey in a futuristic wasteland from inside our BattleMech Cockpit Simulator Pods. Compete in the MechCorps Leaderboard over the entire weekend to prove you are the top gun at MechaCon. Categories of the leaderboard include Top Score or Most Kills. Do you have the skills to rise above the rest?
1:00pm - J-Stars Victory VS+
Keep . moving, Stay focused
Xbox 360 Wii U
8:00pm - Video Game Cosplay Contest
Calling all cosplayers! Join us for a fun, casual cosplay show involving nothing but your favorite video game characters! Compete for the title of crowd favorite and a pair of eye wear provided by NoScope Glasses! Judging will be done by the people in attendance, so encourage your friends to stop by and cheer you on!
Sunday, July 19th
11:00am - Prove Your Worth Presented by Sleeping Samurai 12:00pm - Super Smash Bros U Wii U
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Xbox One
2:00pm - Ultra Street Fighter IV Xbox 360
5:00pm - Room Closes
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GUEST AUTOGRAPHS
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DANCING
When: Friday, July 17 from 9:00pm – 12:00pm Where: MechaCon’s Secondary Events Room (3rd Floor) Who can attend: Any registered MechaCon attendee Theme: Capitol Couture / The Hunger Games Attire: Formal/Semi-Formal Cosplay-Optional (Dress Code is Enforced) The MechaCon Red Carpet Affair is modeled after the kind of event Hollywood celebrities might find themselves attending after the Oscars. So, pull out your best evening gown or suit and get ready to experience MechaCon’s own fancy-pants dance like only MechaCon can bring you! And yes, cosplay formal is still welcome! The MechaCon Red Carpet Affair will close at midnight.
Mon Negros Productions
Ladies and gentlemen, the boys of MNP (MON NEGROS PRODUCTIONS) are proud to return to MechaCon for another amazing weekend of music, dance and all around merry making. The infamous Antonius Black and Evanuel Day bring their unique fusion of Asian Pop Music and Club Beats to the biggest and best anime convention in Louisiana! If this is your first time attending a MechaCon Red Carpet Affair or you’re a multiyear veteran of the scene, they will make sure you have a grand time! Come enjoy them at the Formal as well as all weekend on the con floor getting into all sorts of shenanigans! MNP IS LOVE!
MechaCon House Party
The MechaCon House Party When: Saturday, July 18 at 11:00 pm will close at the DJ’s discretion. Where: MechaCon’s Main Events Room (1st Floor) Who can attend: Any registered MechaCon attendee Attire: Something comfortable and breathable (bags are subject to search) DJ Wildfire returns to once again take the MechaCon House Party stage, spinning your favorite dance mixes. So head on down to Main Events and get ready to dance ‘til you drop as he, along with Kthulu Prime and DJ Frylockzero, keeps the beats rolling through the night and on into the morning.
DJ Wildfire
Having been a part of MechaCon since the very beginning, and having survived a U.S. Army tour-of-duty in Iraq, MechaCon has seen DJ Wildfire transform from a wet-behind-the-ears DJ to a seasoned performer. Over the past few years, he has upped his performance across the Gulf Coast, from Florida, all the way to his home state of Louisiana. In addition to DJing, DJ Wildfire is also an aspiring producer, and hopes to release an album in the future.
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LOLITA NOLA Lolitas Community Fashion Show When: Saturday, July 18 at 1:00 pm Where: MechaCon’s Secondary Events Room (3rd Floor) Who can attend: Any registered MechaCon attendee Presented by: MechaCon with Baby, t he Stars S hine B right and Alice and the Pirates Welcome, welcome one and all to the wonderful world of Japanese Street fashion. This theatrical circus-themed fashion show displays actual fashion worn in the streets of Harajuku! Join Nola Lolitas’ in their second community fashion show!
Baby, the Stars Shine Bright / Alice and the Pirates Fashion Show When: Saturday, July 18 at 7:00 pm Where: MechaCon’s Secondary Events Room (3rd Floor) Who can attend: Any registered MechaCon attendee Presented by: MechaCon w/ Baby, the Stars S hine B right and Alice and the Pirates Straight from this season’s runway, popular lolita brand BABY, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT makes their debut at MechaCon this year! This fashion show is bound to be a sight to behold. Established in 1988, BABY, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT is a Lolita fashion clothing brand founded by Akinori and Fumiyo Isobe in Tokyo, Japan. Its sister brand, ALICE AND THE PIRATES, was created in 2004. Currently, BABY, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT boasts 26 shops across Japan, with stores overseas in Paris, New York, and San Francisco. Joshia Chang, manager of BABY, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT San Francisco flagship store, has helped foster the Japanese street fashion company’s expansion in the US market. She introduces newcomers to Lolita fashion and assists avid fashionistas in finding their dream pieces among BABY, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT’s and ALICE AND THE PIRATES’s unique designs.
Lolita Brand Tea Party When: Sunday, July 19 from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Where: River Room (Hilton Riverside Complex) Admission: $50 (Tickets are extremely limited and will sell out) Presented by: MechaCon with Baby, t he Stars S hine B right and Alice and the Pirates Attire: Genuine lolita and ouji fashion only. No replicas of any type will be permitted. [It is
asked that you wear at least one piece from the Baby, The Stars Shine Bright or Alice and the Pirates in your coordinates. This could be JSK, socks, an accessory etc. As long as at least something from your coordinate is from this brand, you’re set. The Brands will h ave a b ooth in the D ealer’s Hall this year a t MechaCon.] (Dress Code is Enforced.)
Attention all Lords and Ladies of the New Orleans Assembly~ Jean Lafitte, Pirate Lord of the Gulf, would like to formally invite you all to a royal gathering for a day of armistice between pirates and royalty. It is his wish that on this day pirates, princesses, and princes shall come together for a peaceful party and to perhaps encourage friendly relationships between all parties. Each participant is encouraged to wear their finest attire and to join one another in an amicable party in Lafitte’s p rivate River Ball Room. You won’t want to m iss it! MechaCon, in coordination with Baby, the Stars Shine Bright and Alice and the Pirates, is happy to announce their 1st e ver brand tea party: Crown and Cutlass! We have an exciting afternoon planned as pirates and princesses come together for light refreshments, games, and plenty of exciting giveaways!
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CHARITY AUCTION A Worthy Cause MechaCon is proud to announce our 2015 Charity Auction will once again benefit
We are fortunate to have returning as our celebrity auctioneer, none other than JONATHAN KLEIN. Mr. Klein is the Vice-President and co-owner of New Generation Pictures, Inc., based in Beverly Hills. His company produces the English language versions of some of the most popular anime and video games in the United States and Japan. For more information on Mr. Klein, please see his bio in the Guests section at the front of this book. In addition to Jonathan’s work in Anime & Video games he is the co-founder of Anime Charity Auctions, an organization dedicated to helping raise money for worthwhile charitable causes. Anime Charity Auctions donates rare and unusual autographed items from anime and video games to be auctioned off at various anime & science fiction conventions. All the proceeds raised from the auction are donated to the not-for-profit charity that the convention sponsors. MechaCon is extremely proud to be graced this year with such donations. Our Charity Auction items are on display at the Convention Information desk outside of the Artists Alley on the 2nd floor. Stop by and check out all the great items up for auction.
In 2014, we were humbled by your generosity as our Charity Auction raised $16,000 for St. Jude!
About St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital opened in 1962 in Memphis, TN and was founded by the late entertainer Danny Thomas. Its mission is to find cures for children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. St. Jude has treated children from all 50 states and from around the world. How does this relate to you in Louisiana? On average, St. Jude treats over 750 patients from Louisiana each year. Louisiana is the state with the third highest number of patients treated at St. Jude. Did you know that the daily operating cost for St. Jude is $1.8 million? Since the hospital opened in 1962, they have never experienced a short fall in operating costs which are primarily funded by public contributions. The greatest part about our work at St. Jude is:
No family ever pays St. Jude for anything. Most importantly, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital freely shares research and treatment information and has often been described as “a hospital without walls.” The St. Jude Domestic Affiliate Program’s mission is to extend care and benefits to more children; increase the number of children on St. Jude protocols; and to provide clinical, academic and financial support to our affiliates. The Domestic Affiliate Program is a network of pediatric hematology-oncology clinics, hospitals and universities united to extend the mission of St. Jude. The physicians and staff at these sites work in collaboration with the staff of St. Jude to deliver protocol-related care to pediatric hematology and oncology patients. There are six affiliates nationwide, two of which are located in Louisiana. Our Baton Rouge & Shreveport affiliates offer treatment to children locally and are a vital part of our mission. When you support St. Jude, you are supporting children in this great State.
Art by
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SARRE
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MAID CAFE
The Clubhouse is an interactive family-friendly MechaCon Attraction. Tucked away in a hidden corner of the 3rd floor lies a room to come to and relax from all of your daily convention adventures. The Clubhouse is your weekend home away from home with your very own dedicated team of maid and hosts eagerly awaiting for your arrival! Packed with fun games, food, and of course special performances by your very own maids and hosts, the Clubhouse provides a new experience for each and every guest. So come visit us! **You must be a badge-holding MechaCon Attendee to participate! This is a Pay-at-the-door Attraction. All tickets will be bought at the Clubhouse door (please refer to the Official MechaCon Map for its location). ***
Ticket Sales: General Admission (Good for 1 show; excludes specialty shows) : $10 **Each General show runs approx. 1 hr. Tickets guarantee you entry into the Clubhouse, unlimited game play during the showtime, performances, at table service and interaction with Maids and Hosts. Food is sold separately.** ~ GoldPASS Attendees: You receive one complimentary general admission to any show of your choosing (excluding Specialty Shows). Please arrive 10 minutes prior to showtime seating with your MechaCon 2015 GoldPASS Badge. ~
Showtimes and Specialty Shows Trying to jam-pack your weekend with tons of convention fun? Plan your visit with us in advance! Here’s a look at our times and themed events you’ll want to have marked on your schedule!
Hours:
Friday 1:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. • Satuday 9:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. • Sunday: 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
MechaCon After Dark:
Friday 9:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. • Satuday 9:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Fresh from out the lab, our lovely maids and hosts are the latest models in artificial intelligence technology. Often confused with “real humans” , these top of the line models are here to serve and entertain while all at the same time “learning what it truly means to be human” . It’s up to you to teach and show them through! Each sparked with their own peculiar behavior, they are sure to create an experience you won’t soon forget!
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DEALERS ROOM 1st Floor – Salon B-D
B
D
C
AA BB
CC DD EE GG
FF
E
F
MM
HH
NN
JJ II
KK
G
OO
PP
UU
K
EXIT
H
SS
I J
RR
LL
TT VV M
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ENTRANCE
A
O
P
Q
R
S
Vendors listed with a next to their listings are members of the U.F.S. MechaCon Preferred Vendor Partner Program. Participating vendors will give a 10% discount upon presentation of a 2015 GoldPass badge and a 5% discount upon presentation of a 2015 SilverPass badge.
A – Intense Yellow Studios
O – Baby the Stars Shine Bright
JJ – Purple Plum
B – Pawstar
P – Underground Games
KK – Octane Toys
C – Bowen Dragon 1
Q – Sleeping Samurai
LL – IT Cosplay
D – Discotek Media
R – Eagle Anime
MM – Digital Discs
E – Corset Punk
S – Realms Anime
NN – Corsair’s Boutique
F – 168 Dragon Trading
AA – Collector’s Universe
OO – Tasty Peach
G – Anime Palace
BB – Anime Pavilion
PP – House of Anime
H – Colorworld Books
CC – Tee Turtle
QQ – Anime Fix
I – White Lightning
DD – Bling Up
RR – Loyal K.N.G.
J – Build-A-Belt
EE – Gaijin USA
SS – Pix Posters
K – Dragon Alley Jewelry
FF – Anime Remix
TT – FUNimation
L – TBD
GG – Steam Naherin
UU – Game Play Wear
M – Realms Anime
HH – Cordy’s Corner
VV – Best Anime Shop
N – Alice & The Pirates
I I – Animax
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VIDEO ROOMS Friday, July 17th Video Room 1
1:00pm - Robotech
3:45pm - Level E
Episodes #1-6 • Harmony Gold • TV-PG Episodes #1-7 • FUNimation • TV-14
6:45pm - Golden Time Episodes #1-9 • Sentai Filmworks • TV-14 10:45pm - Unlimited Psychic Squad
Episodes #1-9 • Sentai Filmworks • TV-14
Video Room 2
1:00pm - Cardcaptor Sakura
Episodes #1-8 • NIS America • T
4:30pm - Toradora!
Episodes #1-8 • NIS America • T
8:00pm - One Piece: Film Z FUNimation • TV-14 10:00pm - Star Wars: The Lost Shadow Opening Crawl 10:15pm - Bubblegum Crisis Episodes #4-6 • Animeigo • 13+
Video Room 3
1:00pm - Comic Party
Episodes #1-3 • Discotek Media • 13+
2:30pm - Aria - Scarlet Ammo
Episodes #1-7 • FUNimation • TV-14
5:30pm - SoniAni: Super Sonico The Animation Episodes #1-4 • Sentai Filmworks • TV-14
7:15pm - A Certain Magical Index II
Episodes #1-6 • FUNimation • TV-14 10:00pm - Blast of Tempest Episodes #1-4 • Aniplex • 13+ 11:45pm - Mardock Scramble: The First Compression Sentai Filmworks • TV-MA
Saturday, July 18th Video Room 1
2:45am - Please Teacher
Episodes #1-5 • Right Stuf • 16+
5:00am - Knights of Sidonia
Episodes #1-4 • Sentai Filmwoprks • TV-MA
6:45am - Martian Successor Nadesico Episodes #1-5 • Right Stuf • 13+
9:00am - Comic Party Episodes #7-9 • Discotek Media • 13+ 10:30am - Nobunaga the Fool
Episodes #1-4 • Sentai Filmwoprks • TV-14
12:15am - The World God Only Knows - Goddesses
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Episodes #1-4 • Sentai Filmworks • TV-14
4:45pm - Hanasaku Iroha
Episodes #1-7 • NIS America • T
Viz • TV-14
9:45pm - Golden Time
Episodes #10-12 • Sentai Filmworks • TV-14
11:15pm - Noir
Episodes #1-4 • FUNimation • TV-14
Video Room 2
12:45am - Akira FUNimation • R 3:00am - Strike Witches Season 2 Episodes #1-7 • FUNimation • TV-MA
6:00am - Servant X Service
Episodes #5-8 • Aniplex • 13+
7:45am - Soul Eater NOT!
Episodes #1-7 • FUNimation • TV-14 10:45am - anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day Episodes #1-8 • NIS America • T
2:15pm - BlazBlue - Alter Memory Episodes #1-4 • FUNimation • TV-14
4:00pm - Sailor Moon
Episodes #1-4 • Viz • TV-PG
5:45pm - Cardcaptor Sakura: The Movie Discotek Media • 13+
7:15pm - Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles Harmony Gold • PG
9:00pm - Devil is a Part-Timer
Episodes #1-3 • FUNimation • TV-14
10:30pm - Mardock Scramble: The Second Combustion Sentai Filmworks • TV-MA
11:45pm - Blood Lad
Blood Lad Episodes #1-4 • Viz • TV-14
Video Room 3
1:00am - Zombie Loan
Episodes #1-6 • Discotek Media • 16+
3:45am - Comic Party
Episodes #4-6 • Discotek Media • 13+
5:15am - Karneval
Episodes #1-7 • FUNimation • TV-14
8:15am - DD Fist of the Northstar
Episodes #1-8 • Sentai Filmworks • TV-14
10:00am - Daily Lives of High School Boys Episodes #1-9 • NIS America • T
2:00pm - The Pet Girl of Sakurasou
Episodes #1-5 • Sentai Filmworks • TV-14
4:15pm - Student Council’s Discretion Level 2 Episodes #0-4 • Sentai Filmworks • TV-14
6:30pm - Lupin the 3rd: The Castle of Cagliostro Discotek Media • PG
8:15pm - Evangelion 1.11: You Are (Not) Alone
2:00pm - Chi’s Sweet Home
Episodes #1-52 • Discotek Media • E
7:45pm - Naruto: The Last
FUNimation • TV-14
10:00pm - Is This a Zombie of the Dead?
Episodes #0-6 • FUNimation • TV-MA
Sunday, July 19th Video Room 1
2:15am - Matchless Raijin-Oh
Episodes #26-30 • Anime Midstream • 13+
4:30am - Coppelion
1:00am - Evangelion 2.22: You Can (Not) Advance
3:00am - Robotech
5:45am - Negima!?
8:45am - The Pet Girl of Sakurasou
12:45pm - Love Live! School Idol Project
FUNimation • TV-14
Episodes #1-7 • FUNimation • TV-14 Episodes #1-7 • FUNimation • TV-MA
Episodes #6-10 • Sentai Filmworks • TV-14
11:00am - The World God Only Knows - Goddesses
Episodes #5-8 • Sentai Filmworks • TV-14
12:45pm - Haikyu!! Episodes #1-9 • Sentai Filmworks • TV-14
Episodes #1-4 • Viz • TV-14
6:15am - Comic Party Revolution
Episodes #1-7 • FUNimation • TV-14
9:15am - Fairy Tail
Episodes #73-80 • FUNimation • TV-14
Episodes #1-9 • NIS America • E
Ratings
Video Room 2
1:30am - Free!
Episodes #1-6 • Discotek Media • 13+
4:15am - Comic Party
Episodes #10-13 • Discotek Media • 13+
6:00am - Robotics; Notes
Episodes #1-7 • FUNimation • TV-14
9:00am - The Rose of Versailles Episodes #1-5 • Right Stuf • 13+
11:15am - Cowboy Bebop
Episodes #1-4 • FUNimation • TV-14
1:00pm - Dragonball Z Kai
Episodes #1-9 • FUNimation • TV-14
Video Room 3
1:00am - Mardock Scramble: The Third Exhaust Sentai Filmworks • TV-MA
Anime covers all sides of the entertainment audience, so the anime rating system was created. In a lot of ways, this is the most successful of all rating systems, as it not only gives a recommended age, but also lists the content in the film and parental guidance warning. TV-G, TV-Y, E: Generally acceptable for children. No Nudity. Possible mild violence. TV-PG, PG, T, 13+,TV-14: May contain violence, brief nudity, and/or mild language. May suggest sexual situations, but no situations are shown. Parental discretion advised. 16+, TV-MA, R: Strong violence and strong language. Prevalent Nudity may be contained within the picture. Mild sexual situations may be shown.
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FANDOM CENTRAL Artists Alley
101 – Reeves Illustration & Design 102 – Sarah Ding & Morgan Perry 103 – Morgan Perry 104 – San Kim 105 – Gigi Lau 106 – Christa Deason 107 – Christa Deason 108 – Yu Min Zhang 201 – Cabbits Co. 202 – Balance of Seven 203 – Air Ship 67, LLC 204 – Inu Creations 205 – keithparkerart 206 – Cherry Blossom Cute 207 – Cherry Blossom Cute 208 – Abby Clark & Wesley Crocker 301 – Kittiye’s Kreations 302 – So Many Pigeons 303 – ForensicFoxCrafts & Art by Ara 304 – Chelsey & Niki Johnson 305 – A. Hussain & W. Perkins 306 – Fairy Surreal 307 – Cosplay Geekery 308 – Rusty Bee Productions 401 – Silly Sweet Shop 402 – Mintymix
Convention Alley C01 – CoastCon C02 – TBD C03 – Otakon
Lagniappe L01 – NOLA Library Anime
FanTables
403 – RegineSkrydon 404 – AniPirates 405 – Darien Chen 406 – Mitchell Studios 407 – Icarus Wing Productions 408 – Marauder’s Masquerade 501 – Sorbet Jungle 502 – Three Geeks Studio 503 – Supernae’s Dots 504 – Erinne Lester 505 – Pleasantly Strange 506 – Nattosoup 507 – Blazer Designs 508 – Honeysuckle Rose Creations 509 – Jiar of Arts 510 – Tacular Threads & Art 511 – Alison & Courtney Delaney 512 – J. Norwood & M. Pickney 601 – zzyzzyy 602 – Sew-it-All creations 603 – Little Shop of Wonders 604 – ShinigamiArt 605 – N. Sullivan 606 – Lucidsky 607 – James Ghio 608 – Rachel’s Dreamland
701 – Erin & Ron Bennett 702 – Nick Minor 703 – Musetap 704 – MadgeinationCrafts 705 – Y3SSI 706 – The Black Rabbit 707 – A. Gremillion & M. Guillot 708 – Hime Kiss 801 – J. Thibodeaux & K. Barker 802 – OhPoppyFox 803 – Grace Sarre 804 – Whooosh SPLAT PoP 805 – Zyeph Art 806 – Erika Cox 807 – Duct Tape Awesomeness 808 – Gremware 809 – Eric Martin 810 – Bambi’s Sprite-n-Things 811 – HBButtons 812 – Haley Willis 813 – A. Larmeu & W. Luscy 814 – Yamagata Bread & K3LL-3 815 – CorsPlasticSmores 816 – CHIOU! 817 – Inkycatz Art Studio 818 – Chipmunk’s Picnic
C04 – Louisianime C05 – Geekonomicon
C06 – CyphaCon C07 – CONtraflow
L02 – NOLA Pride
L03 – Louisiana Ghostbusters
F01 – Bast Alpha Garrison of the 501st Legion F02 – Louisiana D20 Girls F03 – USS New Orleans F04 – Steampunk New Orleans F05 – Louisiana Fur De Lis F06 – Gaslight Girls F07 – BRASS (Baton Rouge Area Steampunk Society)
Guests
G01 – Robby Musso G02 – Queen D G03 – Nylon Pink
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F08 – Dystopia Rising F09 – Mandalorian Mercs Costume Club F10 – Adventurers League of G.E.A.R.S. F11 – NOLA Lolitas F12 – The Royal Manticoran Navy F13 – G.E.E.K. Charity
Cosplay & Staff Tables S1 – Official MechaCon Cosplay Registration S2 – Official Artist Alley Info / Scavenger Hunt S3 – LA Cosplayers Hall Cosplay Registration
2nd Floor – HEC A-B
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PANEL SCHEDULE Friday, July 17th 2:00pm -
3:00pm -
Mechacon Anti-Bullying Panel
Presented by Queen D, Steve Kenson, Pink Pariah, and more! • Panel Room 1
Cosplay Presentation and Performance
4:00pm -
5:00pm -
Presented by The CosBroads • Panel Room 4
Cosplay Magic with the CosBroads
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Presented by Sephichan • Panel Room 3
Mind’s Eye Society Gaming
Presented by J. Krieger and A. Jones • Panel Room 4
8:00pm - So You’re Embarrassed by Your Fandom? Presented by J. Martin • Panel Room 4
BABY, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT Q&A Panel
Keep Calm and Cosplay On (18+)
Over the Wall After-Dark (18+)
Presented by Nylon Pink • Secondary Events
Presented by BABY, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT • Panel Room 1
The Future of Robotech
Makeup Magic! Special Effects for Everybody
Presented by K. Nicely • Panel Room 4
9:00pm - FUNimation Peep Show (18+) Presented by FUNimation
• Panel Room 1
Presented by R. Symons and J. Broughton • Panel Room 3
Presented by R. Kennedy and L. Eubanks • Panel Room 4
• Panel Room 1
11:00pm - Cards Against Humanity VIP Game (18+) Presented by MechaStaff
We Only Ask Free!
Saturday, July 18th
Cosplay Sociology: Beyond the Costume
10:00am - Hetalia World Conference: Ask A Nation Presented by April Cherie
Presented by R. Kennedy and L. Eubanks • Panel Room 2 Presented by Pink Pariah • Panel Room 3
Basic Bladed Boffer Build - Foam Katana Building Presented by Sleeping Samurai • Panel Room 4
Improv and Anime
Presented by S. Carroll and D. McOmber • Panel Room 1
Anime Pictionary
Presented by R. Shienle and J. Poindexter • Panel Room 2
Eric The Cleric’s Art Sermon: In The Beginning... Presented by Eric The Cleric • Panel Room 3
• Secondary Events
Lolita Swap Meet
Freelance Business 101 for Artists and Cosplayers
Presented by L. Ingle and I. Bass • Panel Room 2
Presented by R. Stevens and J. Theriot • Panel Room 2
Nylon Pink: Musical Introduction
Presented by A. Alonzo and M. Wood • Panel Room 1
Photoshoot 101: for Cosplayers
• Panel Room 3
6:00pm - Vocaloid Performance Show Presented by Brett Hart
• Panel Room 1
Presented by Malindachan & Ex-Shadow • Panel Room 2 Young Justice Presented by Greg Weisman
Presented by Tommy Yune • Panel Room 3
7:00pm - Lolita 101 Presented by NOLA Lolitas
What is Shironuri?
Star Trek: Animated!
Presented by R. Allen and R. Cerio • Panel Room 3
Awesome Geeks
Presented by J. Torres and B. Ramirez • Panel Room 4
• Secondary Events
Social Media and Cosplay Presented by Courtoon • Panel Room 2
Cosplay Wig Styling
Presented by Malindachan and Ex-Shadow • Panel Room 3
Cosplay Foam Smithing Presented by K. Lykes • Panel Room 4
11:00am - Ghosts, Gargoyles & Ghouls... Oh, my! Presented by Steve Blum, Jonathan Klein, Mike
McFarland, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, Austin Tindle, Greg Weisman & Tommy Yune • Panel Room 1
Mythic Themes in Game Design (Seminar)
Presented by Steve Kenson and Jonathan Thompson • Panel Room 2
Presented by Louisiana Resin • Panel Room 4
Pose Off!
For the Love of Ball Jointed Dolls
12:00pm - Warriors of T.O.M.E. Presented by M. Lyons and A. Fletes
• Panel Room 3
Presented by D. Knight • Panel Room 4
• Panel Room 1
1:00pm - Titans, Ghouls, and Other FUNimation Goodness Presented by Mike McFarland and Austin Tindle
1:00pm - Spectacular Spider-man Presented by Greg Weisman • Panel Room 2
Comic and Manga Production Workshop
Steven Universe
Presented by Tommy Yune • Panel Room 3
Presented by J. Rhodes and R. Vanderbrook • Panel Room 4
2:00pm - FUNimation Favorites Presented by FUNimation
• Panel Room 1
Attack On Titan
Presented by V. Bergmann • Panel Room 2
The Best Homestuck Panel Ever
Steampunk in Media
Attack on MechaCon
Presented by K. Braden and E. Crowley • Panel Room 2
Presented by J. Rhodes and K. Arnold • Panel Room 3
Presented by The CosBroads • Panel Room 4
Fireside Chat with Cosbroads and Friends (PG16)
Presented by Evanuel Day and T. Diaz • Panel Room 4
A Panel of Thrones
• Scondary Events
This Will Be The Day Presented by J. Martin • Panel Room 2
Alternative History and Time Travel in Gaming Presented by Jonathan Thompson • Panel Room 3
How’d They Do That?: Live Game Art by AIE Presented by M. Hourcade and B. Dozier • Panel Room 4
Presented by Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, Steve Blum, Jonathan Klein, Mike McFarland, and Greg Weisman • Panel Room 1
Steampunk 101: What is Steampunk? Presented by K. Braden and E. Crowley • Panel Room 2
Robotech Industry Panel Presented by Tommy Yune • Panel Room 3
5:00pm - The Homestuck Dating Game Presented by V. Street and J. Mattes
7:00pm - Legend of Zelda: Oblivion Rising Presented by I. Gracie and J. Norris
4:00pm - VA vs Directing in Animation and Video Games
McGlynn, Tommy Yune, Jonathan Klein & Greg Weisman • Panel Room 1
Presented by N. Smith and C. Loera • Panel Room 3
3:00pm - Astronomy at the Movies: The Science of Interstellar Presented by Dr. C. G. Seab
6:00pm - Sci-fi in Animation Presented by Steve Blum, Mary Elizabeth
• Secondary Events
FUNimation Industry Panel Presented by FUNimation • Panel Room 1
The Science of Hurricanes Presented by K. Winstead • Panel Room 2
Voice Acting VS Camera Acting VS Theatrical Acting Presented by Austin Tindle • Panel Room 3
Welcome to Night Vale/Ask the Characters Presented by L. Reed and C. Wilson • Panel Room 4
• Panel Room 2
I, Steampunk
Presented by League of G.E.A.R.S. • Panel Room 3
Ask SAD Anything and Possible Sing Off Presented by S. Carroll and D. McOmber • Panel Room 4
8:00pm - Wheately Explains It All: A Portal 2 Experiment Presented by S. Carroll and D. McOmber • Panel Room 1
Ultimate Hellsing Ultimate Panel
Star Wars Kanan Q&A
Presented by Jonathan Klein • Panel Room 2
Presented by Greg Weisman • Panel Room 3
Shanty Sing-A-Long
Presented by League of G.E.A.R.S. • Panel Room 4
9:00pm - Whose Line is it Anime?! Presented by Queen D
• Secondary Events
Cosplay Chess Pre-Meet
COSPLAY CHESS PARTICIPANTS ONLY • Panel Room 1
What The Fandom: The Geeky Gameshow
Presented by E. Hornsby and H. Hornsby • Panel Room 3
Presented by L. Ingle and I. Bass • Panel Room 4
Sailor Moon Late Night Slumber Party Fun Time
10:00pm - Late Night K-Pop Performance Show (18+) Presented by B. Hart • Panel Room 1
Foam - Fantasy - Fun! (18 & UP)
Anime Pictionary (18+)
Presented by Sleeping Samurai • Panel Room 2
Presented by R. Shienle and J. Poindexter • Panel Room 3
11:00pm - TMI with Queen D and Friends (18+) Presented by Queen D
• Secondary Events
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PANEL SCHEDULE Sunday, July 19th 10:00am - Cosplay 101 Presented by Malindachan and Ex-Shadow • Panel Room 2 The D-list Q&A Presented by Queen D and Cast
• Panel Room 3
Classic Anime Name that Tune! Presented by Cosbroads • Panel Room 4
11:00am - Advance Cosplay Presented by Malindachan and Ex-Shadow
• Panel Room 2
Tabletop Game Design
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Nylon Pink Q&A
Indie Game and Film Development
Presented by Courtoon • Panel Room 4
The Art of ‘Frankensteining’
Presented by Nylon Pink • Panel Room 2
Presented by Tommy Yune • Panel Room 3
Steampunk vs. Dieselpunk vs.Cyberpunk
Presented by K. Braden and E. Crowley • Panel Room 4
2:00pm - Want to work in Animation? Presented by Courtoon
Presented by Steve Kenson • Panel Room 3
• Panel Room 2
Gargoyles Q&A
Presented by Greg Weisman • Panel Room 3
Know Your Opening, Live Your Ending
Presented by C. Wilson and D. Knight • Panel Room 4
• Panel Room 2
3:00pm - Steampowered: Gadgets, Inventions and Whatchamacallits Presented by League of G.E.A.R.S.
Presented by K. Lykes • Panel Room 4
12:00pm - Rain of the Ghosts Presented by Greg Weisman and Steve Blum
1:00pm -
Cosplay Foam Fabrication
• Panel Room 2
Science with Hanji
Presented by M. Carroll and A. Maser • Panel Room 3ff
PANELS & PRESENTATIONS Informative panels have always been and continue to be in high demand at anime events around the world. MechaCon has gathered a variety of panels on many different subjects for attendees to experience and enjoy!
Advance Cosplay
This panel covers things cosplayers can do to polish their craftsmanship, but the main focus is using social networking to develop an online presence in the cosplay world. Presented by Malindachan and Ex-Shadow
Alternative History and Time Travel in Gaming
How do you game in a historical game? What makes a game historical vs. alt. historical? Come find out in this panel detailing gaming in both real and alternate histories and the games they represent. Presented by Jonathan Thompson
Anime Pictionary
Not the greatest at sewing, Need to cosplay on a budget, but want to say you made the cosplay yourself? You would be surprised at the amount of costumes that can be made from old clothing. Come to this panel and learn all about what amazing things you can do with stuff, that well, has already been made. You might be surprised! Presented by R. Shienle and J. Poindexter
The Art of ‘Frankensteining’
Interested in having a table in artist alley? Already a veteran of the AA and want to share your experiences? Heidi Black and Becca Hillburn, with 25 years of artist alley between them, invite artists and crafters of all levels to join them as they cover everything from the basics and starting out, to types of shows, to online marketing, and everything in between. They will then open the floor to questions and sharing. Come learn from their mistakes and successes and kickstart your own artist alley adventure. Presented by Courtoon
Ask SAD Anything and Possible Sing Off Scott and Derek have been asked many questions and asked to do many untoward things during their time on the road. With an open floor and practically any question allowed, Scott and Derek will entertain with stories and jokes, and possibly end the night in a sing off... Presented by S. Carroll and D. McOmber
Astronomy at the Movies: The Science of Interstellar
A presentation of the science behind black holes, wormholes, and interstellar travel focused on the recent movies Interstellar, Gravity, Contact, and the Cosmos series by a UNO astrophysicist and science fiction enthusiast. Presented by Dr. C. G. Seab
Attack on MechaCon
The 104th trainee division and the Survey Corps gather to answer fan’s questions. More Titans info than even the Wall could hold back! Presented by J. Rhodes and Keith Arnold
Attack On Titan
The 104th trainee division and the Survey Corps gather to answer fan’s questions. Presented by V. Bergmann
Awesome Geeks
Awesome Geeks would like to discuss anime and anything Japan related with you, the fans. Come bask in the conversation of everything that is awesome with some really awesome geeks! There’s going to also be a game with prizes! Presented by J. Torres and B. Ramirez
BABY, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT Q&A Panel
Joshia Chang, San Francisco flagship store manager of BABY, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT, hosts a Q&A panel about the company’s role in popular Japanese street fashion. Joshia will also answer questions from attendees about Lolita fashion and offer advice for those new to Lolita! Presented by BABY, THE STARS SHINE BRIGHT
Basic Bladed Boffer Build - Foam Katana Building
Join the owner(s) of Sleeping Samurai for a two hour session on how to craft your very own FOAM WEAPON! With over a decade of foam crafting experience, they will not only provide all materials needed to create a basic bladed boffer, we will also walk you through the step-by-step process on how to craft your very own Foam Katana. Once you have finished building the Foam Katana, you will have the option to purchase it at the cost of the materials only, or you can simply turn in your projects to the instructor(s) of the panel. There is no monetary investment to join us for this panel - only if you wish to keep the project you created! Presented by Sleeping Samurai
The Best Homestuck Panel Ever
This will be a fun open panel for Q&A and other activities with many different homestuck characters. Come and share your love of Homestuck with others who share the same love! Presented by N. Smith and C. Loera
Classic Anime Name that Tune!
Do you think you know your anime? Do you think you have an ear for music? Classic Anime Name that Tune hosted by the CosBroads will be the ultimate challenge to find the seasoned among the guests. To begin, we will start with an audience wide scan for the top four with multiple choice questions, and then the real fun begins in an exciting battle of knowledge and skill to see who knows their music. The winner will be dubbed King of Anime Music and given a swanky prize. Show us your what you’ve got! Presented by CosBroads
Comic and Manga Production Workshop Tommy Yune, a veteran of hit comic properties such as Speed Racer, Racer X, Robotech, Voltron, and Danger Girl: Kamikaze, covers modern production techniques of the industry and new options available to hopeful comic creators. Presented by Tommy Yune
Cosplay 101
This intro to cosplay is aimed to help new cosplayers get started with altering and making their costumes from scratch. Will discuss places to find materials, how to manage your budget, and how to read a pattern. Presented by Malindachan and Ex-Shadow
Cosplay Foam Fabrication
Cosplay Foam Fabrication: ...A panel discussing several types of foam and their properties that can be used to fabricate cosplay costumes. Presented by K. Lykes
Cosplay Foam Smithing
So you wanna build some armor: Foam to Metal? WHAAAT?! ... a panel revealing the secrets of getting your foam to have a realistic metal appearance and constructing awesome realistic armor pieces! Presented by K. Lykes
Cosplay Magic with the CosBroads
Come meet the CosBroads, Ivy Naoe and Sephichan, in a fun and welcoming panel for the whole family. Would you like to learn how to not just go on stage, but shine on it? Are you the parent or family member of a cosplayer and want to know what it’s all about? Are you beginning but feel intimidated… or too broke? Are you a pro and want to pick up some new tricks? Presented by The CosBroads
Cosplay Presentation and Performance The “Play” half of Cosplay! How to get into character, pose for photos, and organize skits, as taught by cosplay pros! Presented by Malindachan and Ex-Shadow
Cosplay Sociology: Beyond the Costume
This is an in-depth sociology panel that works like a Q&A panel. The audience will have a chance to discuss issues within the cosplay community. We will discuss the “why” behind the “wow” of cosplay, what drives cosplayers and the community in its’ current state of popularity. Guests Panelists include Teh Princess, Sweet Cheeks, Malicious, Morning Star and Waltz. Presented by Pink Pariah
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PANELS & PRESENTATIONS (Continued from previous page)
Cosplay Wig Styling
This panel covers a variety of tips and tricks to style wigs for costumes. Come and see Malindachan and Ex-Shadow, as they show you all of the tricks that they have learned over the years! Presented by Malindachan and Ex-Shadow
The D-list Q&A
Here it is again! The behind-the-scenes panel of the wildly unpopular web series “The D~List”. Join the season 2 cast as they discuss everything from unseen drama, to being abused by the most fabulous boss ever (Queen D). Be prepared to laugh as you get to know the cast of the show and bewildered as you see how unorganized this really is. You can also look forward to them begging you to subscribe and watch. . .please? Presented by Queen D and Cast
Eric The Cleric’s Art Sermon: In The Beginning...
Are you interested in arts and crafts? Are you interested in photography? Do you want to embark on your own artistic endeavors, but are not sure where to start? Join Eric The Cleric’s first ever sermon on the arts. Topics will include, but are not limited to: beginner hints for art and photography, concepts on art theory and application, discussion of artistic works, and a glimpse into Eric The Cleric’s first year attending conventions. Presented by Eric The Cleric
Fireside Chat with CosBroads and Friends (PG16)
Ivy Naoe and Sephichan invite you to wind down after the cosplay competition with veteran cosplayers, hear fun stories with juicy details and feel free to dig in for the more human aspects of cosplay and the community. Learn more about the human side behind the glitz and glam, and laugh until your sides hurt! Presented by The CosBroads
For the Love of Ball Jointed Dolls
Call them cute or call them creepy, these dolls always get attention. New and seasoned collectors are invited to join Louisiana Resin as we discuss these unique figures. Attendees can bring their own dolls to the panel. Presented by Louisiana Resin
Freelance Business 101 for Artists and Cosplayers
Sephichan has the scoop on what a freelancer needs to know in doing business in a wild crazy world. Topics of marketing, psychology of advertising design, how to make a good artist’s contract and especially how to protect yourself from scammers and art scalpers. The topic of basic IP protection and importance will be covered. With these tips, artists needn’t sell themselves short again. Presented by Sephichan
FUNimation Favorites
Join FUNimation staff as we take a look at some of our personal favorites from current anime and past classics. What’s your FUNimation favorite? Share it with us using the hashtag #FUNimationFave and you could win a prize! Presented by FUNimation
FUNimation Industry Panel
GargoyleS
Even 21 years after its’ release, Gargoyles stands as one of the best domestic animated series of all time. Come and join Gargoyles creator Greg Weisman as he talks about his creation. The good, the bad, ask him about it all! Presented by Greg Weisman
Ghosts, Gargoyles & Ghouls... Oh, my! This is it! This is your chance to see and hear from all of this year’s guests, all at once! Ask them questions, and hear them all give answers and accounts of their experiences in their professions! Presented by MechaCon 2015 Guests
Hetalia: Interview the World
Have you ever wanted to attend one of those world meetings? Well luckily for you there is now an exclusive meeting soon to be held in which the public may attend, and not only that but ask questions! Consider it a public interview. There are little to no limits. Presented by A. Cherie
The Homestuck Dating Game
It’s the Homestuck Dating Game! Come and try your hand at getting a date with the most eligible Homestuck characters! The panel will be PG-14, so the whole family is welcome! Presented by V. Street and J. Mattes
How’d They Do That?: Live Game Art by AIE
Do you like 3D art? How about 2D? Come hang around with AIE and enjoy a live demonstration of both! Watch the professionals show you what it takes to make it in the industry. Presented by M. Hourcade and B. Dozier
I, Steampunk
The who, what, when, where, why, and how of Steampunk. We’ll talk about who started the movement, what the movement means, when the movement started to gain traction, where the best places are to look for more information, why we all got involved and how you can get involved yourself. This year this panel will include a viewing Of Aether: A Proof of Concept Short Film by Frame 29 Films. Presented by League of G.E.A.R.S.
Improv and Anime
In an Improv show whose format is lovingly stolen from the wildly popular “Whose Line Is It Anyway” Scott and Derek host a series of classic improv games (scenes from a hat, questions only, etc.) with participants and suggestions from the audience. Prizes will be given out to those who participate and make the best suggestions. Presented by S. Carroll and D. McOmber
Indie Game and Film Development
Tommy Yune of Harmony Gold USA hosts a panel on the exciting world of independent filmmaking and game development and tools available to budding studios. Presented by Tommy Yune
Know Your Opening, Live Your Ending
How good is your memory? Can you recall all those long forgotten anime openings of your youth. Come join us and test your memory. You might learn something, YOU WILL LEARN SOMETHING Presented by C. Wilson and D. Knight
Legend of Zelda: Oblivion Rising sented by Brett Harttofeaturing ~D~ From Akira Dragon Ball Z, hear the latest news, info, and willif be trailers and scenes from their his panel. Keep in mind that this not a America’s strip show,largest so don’tanime comedistribuexpecting one,The andpanelists only come youpresenting are over 18! announcements fromisNorth upcoming film. andboth meetmodern the writer, lesque is ator—FUNimation. Victorian review traditionally doneusinusing risquéthe attire to entertain ThisFan panel willCome combine and producer, vintage asand some of your all-t Live tweet with hashtag #FUNi-an audience. actors and we will answer your questions about Fan film makelcomemationPanel to Cosplay Burlesque for a chance to win prizes! ing, makeup and costumes, and the world of Hyrule! Presented by FUNimation Presented by I. Gracie and J. Norris sented by ~D~ ry he will tell. Definitely not something you’d want to take your kids to. Lolita 101 The Future of er had a badFind conout experience? heard a story of a Robotech cosplay gone wrong? EverWhat leaveisa lolita? con wondering has,around and hisinstories Why are ‘wtf’? theseWELL girls ~D~ running poofymay be the cra the latestEver developments in the franchise, sD: Con Horror Stories dresses? What is a sub-style? How do I become apart of the including home video, comics, and live action film development community? Come join us to have all your questions answered. with Harmony Gold’s Tommy Yune. sented by Brandon Delcambre Presented by NOLA Lolitas Presented Tommy YuneHAHAHA! nt of heart. YOU HAVEby BEEN WARNED! rds Against Humanity is only one of the latest independent games to find popularity on the internet. Now we will unleash it upon our attendees! With the help
ards Against Humanity VIP Game 38 nly attendees age 18 and over are allowed in the following panels. I.D.s will be checked. If you do not have a legal I.D., you will not
8+ Panels
Lolita Swap Meet
Lolita things sitting in your closet that you no longer want? Want to expand your wardrobe? Trade for dream items? Come join us at the NOLA lolita swap meet! Presented by A. Alonzo and M. Wood
Make Up Magic! Special Effects for Everybody
Join Krystyna Nicely in a panel covering the magic of makeup and special effects. From basic make-up methods for photo, video, and stage to breaking gender and age barriers, examples, tips, and tricks will be shared in a fun panel. A lucky member of the audience will become zombified! Presented by K. Nicely
MechaCon Anti-Bullying Panel
MechaCon has always strived to be a family friendly event where everyone can come to enjoy themselves, free of persecution and ridicule. This does not always happen, however, and in light of this, this panel is to show support and encourage to those who need it, explain Cosplay is Not Consent, and to give a warning to those that do not abide by the policies set to counter bullying of any kind. Presented by Queen D and Steve Kenson, Pink Pariah, and more!
Mind’s Eye Society Gaming
Players of great tabletop games like Vampire, Mage, Werewolf, and other White Wolf/Onyx Path games now have the opportunity to enhance their play experience by joining Minds Eye Society. Players can participate in games that have can have effects beyond their play group, even nationally, and can find games across the country. This panel will introduce you to the Minds Eye Society and everything they do1by NOLAstcall Presented by J. Krieger and A. Jones
Mythic Themes in Game Design (Seminar)
Mythology, theology, and religious history are rich sources of inspiration for timeless themes to inspire your games, settings, and stories. In this seminar, veteran tabletop game designer Steve Kenson will lead a discussion about incorporating these themes into your own game, adventure, and series concepts. Presented by Steve Kenson and Jonathan Thompson
Nylon Pink: Musical Introduction
Join Musical Guests Nylon Pink as they put on a more intimate performance. Introducing themselves to our attendees, Nylon Pink will be telling you a bit about themselves and playing a few songs in between. This performance will be just a taste of what’s to come at the Saturday night concert! Presented by Nylon Pink
Nylon Pink Q&A
This year’s musical guests, Nylon Pink, will be here to answer many of your questions. From life on the road, to what it is like on stage, and more! Presented by Nylon Pink
A Panel of Thrones
A Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire fan panel. We will be discussing the tv show and book series. Topics covered will be fan theories, show/book conflicts, trivia, House wars, etc. Presented by Evanuel Day and T. Diaz
Photoshoot 101: for Cosplayers
Ever wanted to get great shots of your cosplay to show people but not sure how? Then join us for a workshop on the basics of cosplay at a photoshoot and how to look your best in front of the camera! Presented by R. Stevens and J. Theriot
Industry Panel
Tommy Yune of Harmony Gold USA presents the latest developments in the Robotech universe, from awesome new products to the live action film in development with the producers of 300. Presented by Tommy Yune
Sailor Moon Late Night Slumber Party Fun Time
Let’s get together and watch Sailor Moon! We’ll also have games and discuss all things Sailor Moon, both New and Original, anime and manga! Presented by L. Ingle and I. Bass
Sci-fi in Animation
Sci-Fi and animation have had a long and storied partnership. From Anime like Robotech and Cowboy Bebop, to domestic fare like Star Wars and Wing Commander, the ties are very prominent. Come and listen to our guests as they discuss how the two mediums have affected each other. Presented by Steve Blum, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, Tommy Yune, Jonathan Klein & Greg Weisman
The Science of Hurricanes
Hurricanes (and weather in general) are enormously complex. In this panel I will be breaking down the complexities of hurricanes (including their formation, subsequent movement, and also how they respond to large-scale and small-scale changes in the atmosphere) into something that make it easier to understand. My goal with this panel is to raise awareness to hurricanes, which pose a very tangible threat to coastal communities in any given year. Presented by K. Winstead
Science with Hanji
Titan science 101 with Prof. Hanji Zoe. Come learn all about titans and the commanding officers of the Survey Corps in this fun class/Q&A. Will there be games and secret storytelling, probably. Will Levi want to leave by the time it starts? Probably! Come on in and enjoy the party! Presented by M. Carroll and A. Maser
Shanty Sing-A-Long
Several crew members (some of whom are also members of the local No Quarter Shanty Krewe) will lead a rousing Sing a long of Sea Shanties including several adapted for steampunk as well as discussing the purpose of Sea Shanties and the reasons they were created. Presented by League of G.E.A.R.S.
So You’re Embarrassed by Your Fandom?
A panel to learn about many fandoms and how problematic they are. It will help you enjoy your fandom, enjoy shipping in your fandom, as well as OC’s, and how to make them. Overall, A fun time talking and asking questions towards a fandom and shipping veteran. Presented by J. Martin
Social Media and Cosplay
Social Media has been both a blessing and a curse to the cosplay world, what used to be a small group has now become next to mainstream! Come and discuss different methods of using social media to get your content seen, while also discussing the changing cosplay world, both the good and that bad. Presented by Courtoon
Spectacular Spider-man
Greg Weisman talks about the 2008 series involving everyone’s favorite Wall-Crawler, The Spectacular Spider-Man. Spidey is still one of America’s favorite super-heroes, and this series is considered one of the best adaptations of the character. So Pose Off! come and hear about it from Supervising Producer, Story Editor, Join us again for another year of Posing. Dues Ex Whichama is Writer and Voice Actor Greg Weisman. time favorite anime characters bring the art of burlesque back to life. If you are looking for some beautiful dancing that will leave you on the edge of your seat, co back to challenge you to bust a move and make a pose. This time Presented by Greg Weisman we have more Jojo, Guilty Gear ,and Air Gear Presented by D. Knight Star Trek: Animated! In 1973 Gene Roddenberry brought back Star Trek to small Rain of Ghost Panel aziest things you’ve ever hear in your entire life. Join D~ in a panel that will leave you bentinover out ofoflaughter. with a Q&A you decide wh screen the form SaturdayComplete Morning Cartoon whichthat ranlets for two Industry Guest Greg Weisman will read from and discuss his seasons. Using the voices of the Original cast it quickly became a recent horror-fantasy-myth-based novels Rain of the Ghosts cult classic and part of the “Fourth Year” of their Five Year Mission. and Spirits of Ash and Foam. Come and hear the creator of Presented by R. Allen and The Rob Cerio Gargoyles talk about his latest projects! Presented Greg Weisman and Steve Blumfun for horrible people! Only 18+ will be allowed, and definitely not (Continued) p of some of our willing (orbygullible) guests, we will present horrible for the easily offended be permitted to enter.)
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PANELS & PRESENTATIONS (Continued from previous page)
Star Wars Kanan Q&A
Industry Guest Greg Weisman will read from and discuss his recent horror-fantasy-myth-based novels Rain of the Ghosts and Spirits of Ash and Foam, and the upcoming Masque of Bones. Come and hear the creator of Gargoyles talk about one of his latest projects! Presented by Greg Weisman
Steampowered: Gadgets, Inventions and Whatchamacallits
Props, basic Costuming and more will be covered in this discussion, this like all G.E.A.R.S. Panels will be a rousing mixture of performance, information and Q&A. Presented by League of G.E.A.R.S.
Steampunk 101: What is Steampunk?
Steampunk 101: What is Steampunk. This panel covers all aspects of what Steampunk is. From its literary beginnings to the world wide fan movement that it is today. We also discuss myths and misconceptions of what Steampunk is There is also a short Q&A at the end Presented by K. Braden and E. Crowley
Steampunk in Media
Steampunk has exploded into many different areas of media. From movies, Podcasts, short films, books to music. This panel covers all the forms of media it inspires and give guests resources where to find out more Presented by K. Braden and E. Crowley
Steampunk vs. Dieselpunk vs.Cyberpunk This panel covers the differences and likenesses between the different “punk” fan genres, and gives a little explanation of the different cultures and their appeal. Presented by K. Braden and E. Crowley
Steven Universe
A Steven Universe Panel with assorted characters from the show here to interact with the fanbase with games, Q&A and skits. Presented by J. Rhodes and R. Vanderbrook
Tabletop Game Design
Come and join our gaming guest and special panelist Jonathan Thompson as they discuss the ins and outs of designing and balancing your own tabletop game. A must see panel for everyone who wants to get into the game designing business! Presented by Steve Kenson
After a short absence, your favorite Vocaloid performance returns! Come and see your favorite songs and dances recreated by Brett and his friends! Presented by Brett Hart
Voice Acting VS Camera Acting VS Theatrical Acting
Come have a conversation with Austin Tindle about his many different types of roles.. You can also ask about his life, career, past characters or, ya know, other stuff too. If you don’t have any questions he’ll probably just talk about himself. Or read Harry Potter out loud. Not Goblet of Fire, though. Presented by Austin Tindle
Want to work in Animation?
Have you ever dreamed about working for a major animation studio? Such as Disney, DreamWorks, or Nickelodeon? Learn all about my path working as an industry professional! You don’t need to be an artist to work in cartoons, learn about all your options and how to best going about starting a career in the field! Come ask questions and to hear about stories of working in a major studio! Presented by Courtoon
Warriors of T.O.M.E.
From the Terrain of Magical Expertise, Warriors: Alpha, Flamegirl, GameCrazed, Kirbpher, Nylocke, Saturndiva, Whyti, and even the foul hacker Rockoon have come to answer all of your questions, with some performances and even some surprises in store. Presented by M. Lyons and A. Fletes
We Only Ask Free!
This is a Q&A panel for the series Free! Iwatobi Swim Club. There will be various games as well as contests and prizes to help keep the audience involved. Presented by R. Kennedy and L. Eubanks
Welcome to Night Vale/Ask the Characters
This is a panel about the Podcasts Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink. The Panelists will roleplay and cosplay their respective characters from the podcasts and will be prepared to answer in character questions from the audience, as well as perform and read prepared monologues from the show and interact with the audience. Presented by L. Reed and C. Wilson
This Will Be The Day
What is Shironuri?
Titans, Ghouls, and Other FUNimation Goodness
What The Fandom: The Geeky Gameshow
Ultimate Hellsing Ultimate Panel
Wheately Explains It All: A Portal 2 Experiment
A Q&A panel for the popular animated series from Rooster Teeth! Come join a group of young girls as they fight against evil demons name grimms and getting an A in class! Ruby and her friends are here to answer your questions about their life at Vale! Presented by J. Martin
Come and watch Mike and Austin talk about all things FUNimation! From Titans to Ghouls, and new FUNimation titles to old favorites, no topic is out if it has anything to do with FUNimation! Presented by Mike McFarland and Austin Tindle Jonathan has 12 years worth of stories and anecdotes from working on the Hellsing franchise, all the way back to the original Hellsing TV series in 2001. See clips from the series and OVA’s. Answer Trivia questions about Hellsing to win great prizes. Presented by Jonathan Klein
VA vs Directing in Animation and Video Games
Join a group of our guests as they discuss the similarities and differences that come with working in the Animation Industry versus the Video Game industry. Presented by Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, Steve Blum, Jonathan Klein, Mike McFarland, and Greg Weisman
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Vocaloid Performance Show
This is an introduction to Shironuri (or “painted in white”), a theatrical and elaborate type of J-fashion. We’ll be giving a background on the subculture, artists to follow, and tips to get into practicing it yourself! Presented by L. Ingle and I. Bass Do you think you know everything about your favorite fandom? Test your skills in this geeky game show extravaganza through difficult trivia and hands-on challenges. Win more than just bragging rights with exciting prizes or risk losing the title of Ultimate Nerd! Presented by E. Hornsby and H. Hornsby
Wheately was programmed to be a moron, some people do it by choice. Join Scott and Derek as they embody everybody’s favorite A.I. moron, to answer all the burning questions you have. From anime to video games, and anything else, there is nothing Scott and Derek (and Wheately) will not make up an answer to. Prize for the best question asked! Presented by S. Carroll and D. McOmber
Whose Line is it Anime?!
Join Queen D and friends as she brings the hilarity of Whose Line is it anyway!, throws in a bunch of anime, and adds a litttle something that only the Queen can provide! Presented by Queen D
FUNimation Peep Show (18+) There are a lot of fans of the Emmy Award winning series, so come and listen to its creator, Greg Weisman, as he talks about his series. Questions will be taken, so come and ask away! Presented by Greg Weisman
MECHACON:After Dark
(Only attendees age 18 and over are allowed in the following panels. I.D.s will be checked. If you do not have a legal I.D., you will not be permitted to enter.)
Anime Pictionary (18+)
All the fun of Anime Pictionary, now in the 18+ version. Prizes will be awarded for the most hilariously inappropriate drawings and guesses. Presented by R. Shienle and J. Poindexter
Cards Against Humanity (18+)
Once again, the staff of MechaCon get together to provide the style of entertainment that only Cards Against Humanity can provide. Come and get to know the staff a bit better, all while laughing till your sides, (and maybe your soul), hurt. Hosted by MechaCon CoOwner and Co-Founder, Peter Bares Presented by MechaStaff
Foam - Fantasy - Fun! (18+)
Join the operator(s) of Sleeping Samurai for a late night experience, many of you may not expect from us! Enjoy an exciting time with friends and meet new friends, while cutting up (figuratively and literally) and learning a new way of crafting. In an environment free of “staunchness” and “judgment”, you will be given the opportunity to work with fellow attendees to craft multiple different types of Fantasy Foam Weaponry. With our new style of foam and other materials, Sleeping Samurai is now able to provide a fun and goofy teaching environment - one where nothing that is crafted is “wrong”. Presented by Sleeping Samurai
Guaranteed to be a good time that’s oh so NSFW. Watch jiggly clips and trailers from some of the hottest FUNimation titles. Don’t forget to bring tissues, you know, for the nosebleeds. Audience participation encouraged by tweeting using the hashtag #FUNimationPeepShow. You could even win some naughty prizes. (18+, Bring your IDs!) Presented by FUNimation
Keep Calm and Cosplay On (18+)
Armor and props are some of the most intimidating cosplay challenges. So many different techniques to choose from! Foam, bondo, resin, thermoplastics! The list goes on! But what do you do when something goes wrong?! This panel will cover what to do (and what NOT to do) when you find yourself in a cosplay disaster. CollapsedDominos and UberGeek Cosplay have written the repair manual on cosplay how-to and are here to show how not to freak out and panic, but to keep calm and cosplay on! Presented by R. Symons and J. Broughton
Late Night K-Pop Performance Show (18+) A late night 18+ panel where we perform various kpop dances. Come and enjoy performances of all the best dance crazes straight from Korea! Presented by B. Hart
Over the Wall After-Dark (18+)
This is a Q&A panel for the series Attack on Titan. Audience members will be encourage to participate in a questioning session as well as other games for the panelists to take part in. Presented by R. Kennedy and L. Eubanks
TMI with Queen D and Friends (18+)
The return of everyone’s favorite late night insult fest, with your favorite crossplayer Queen D. Want to hear some stories that will make you double over and cry from laughter all while making you feel better about your life? This panel is for you. With all new stories that are sure to leave you speechless. Not for the feint of heart. Bring an open mind and a tongue depressor. Presented by Queen D
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TABLE-TOP GAMING SCHEDULE As always, MechaCon has a 24 hour tabletop gaming schedule offering a diverse mix of games, ranging from miniatures games such as Hordes, to board games such as Ticket to Ride to card games such as Bang! Plus we have a pair of exciting special RPG events this year! And don’t forget to check out our Asian Board Game room, now bigger and better than before!
Friday, July 17th Gaming Room 1 1:00pm - Super Dungeon Explore
MINIATURES GAME
3:00pm - Munchkin
CARD GAME
6:00pm - Zombie 15
MINIATURES GAME
7:00pm - World of Warcraft
RPG
8:00pm - Shadows Over Camelot
CARD GAME
10:00pm - Are You a Werewolf? CARD GAME
12:00am - Room Closes until 10am
Gaming Room 2
1:00pm - Fate Core RPG
AVATAR: REPUBLIC CITY STORIES
5:00pm - Warmachine/Hordes MINIATURES DEMO
6:00pm - Pulp Fantastic RPG (The Vortex System) THE NEMO DIARIES 9:00pm - Fantasy AGE RPG CHOOSING NIGHT
Gaming Room 3
1:00pm - Iron Kingdoms RPG
THE BLACKHEART CHRONICLES PART 3: FIRES OF WAR-SESSION #1
2:00pm - Gaslight Victorian Fantasy RPG (Savage Worlds Deluxe System) FROM FARGO TO THE FAIR
5:00pm - Star Wars: Armada DEMO
Spirit of 77
RPG - CRUISE SHIP OF THE DAMNED
7:00pm - Legend of the Five Rings RPG
OPENING NIGHT
10:00pm - Star Wars: The Lost Shadow
RPG – SESSION #1 (18 OR OLDER ONLY)
Gaming Room 4
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1:00pm - Monikers
CARD GAME
2:00pm - Shogi DEMO
3:00pm - Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition STRANGE FRUIT
5:00pm - Go
DEMO
6:00pm - Through The Breach
RPG
8:00pm - Love Letter CARD GAME
9:00pm - Changeling: The Lost
LARP
Saturday, July 18th Gaming Room 1 10:00am - Dragon Ball Z Card Game CONSTRUCTED DECK TOURNAMENTS 2:00pm - Yu-Gi-Oh! CONSTRUCTED DECK TOURNAMENTS 5:00pm - Magic: The Gathering CONSTRUCTED DECK TOURNAMENTS 1:00am - Room Closes until 10am
Gaming Room 2
1:00am - Mind’s Eye Society: The Accord LARP
4:00am - Free Play 10:00am - Star Wars: The Lost Shadow MINIATURES - SESSION #1 11:00am - Aberrant RPG 1:00pm - Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition RPG 2:00pm - Deadlands RPG SNAKEBIT – SESSION #1 5:00pm - Blue Rose Romantic Fantasy RPG (Fantasy AGE System) EXCLUSIVE PLAYTEST EVENT 9:00pm - Doctor Who Adventures in Time and Space RPG (VORTEX STSEM) MEDICINE MAN
Gaming Room 3
1:00am - Mind’s Eye Society: The Accord LARP
4:00am - Free Play
(Gaming Room 3 continued) 10:00am - Iron Kingdoms RPG THE BLACKHEART CHRONICLES PART 3:
FIRES OF WAR-SESSION #2
1:00pm - Pokemon
Gaming Room 2
6:00pm - Spirit of 77
12:00am - Bang! CARD GAME 2:00am - Free Play 10:00am - Star Wars: The Lost Shadow
RPG
CARD GAME
10:00pm - Star Wars: The Lost Shadow
RPG – SESSION #2 (18 OR OLDER ONLY)
Gaming Room 4
RPG
5:00pm - Gaming Room 1 closes
CCG TOURNAMENT
9:00pm - Eminent Domain
5:00pm - World of Warcraft RPG
12:00pm - Settlers of Cataan BOARD GAME TOURNAMENT 2:00pm - Spirit of 77
12:00am - Zombies!!! BOARD GAME
MINIATURES – SESSION #2
11:00am - Spirit of 77 RPG RPG - THE WRATH OF CONS 1:00pm - World of Warcraft
RPG
2:00pm - Deadlands RPG
2:00am - Free Play 10:00am - Ticket To Ride
11:00am - Once Upon A Time
Gaming Room 3
BOARD GAME CARD GAME
12:00pm - Trains
BOARD GAME
1:00pm - Apples to Apples CARD GAME
2:00pm - Go
DEMO
3:00pm - My Little Pony Trading Card Game DEMO
BOARD GAME
7:00pm - Betrayal At The House On The Hill BOARD GAME
Pandemic
BOARD GAME
8:00pm - Mai-Star
CARD GAME
9:00pm - Mahjong DEMO
CARD GAME
Sunday, July 19th Gaming Room 1 10:00am - Samurai Swords
BOARD GAME
BOARD GAME
FIRES OF WAR-SESSION #3
1:00pm - Icons Superpowered Roleplaying THE MULTIVERE MENACE
5:00pm - Gaming Room 3 closes
DEMO
Zelda Monopoly
12:00am - Humans!!
2:00am - Free Play 10:00am - Iron Kingdoms RPG THE BLACKHEART CHRONICLES PART 3:
5:00pm - Shogi
10:00pm - Are You a Werewolf?
SNAKEBIT – SESSION #2
5:00pm - Gaming Room 2 closes
Gaming Room 4 2:00am - Free Play 10:00am - Tsuro
BOARD GAME
11:00am - King of Tokyo
BOARD GAME
King of New York BOARD GAME
12:00pm - Sheriff of Nottingham BOARD GAME 2:00pm - Go and Shogi DEMOS 3:00pm - Star Wars: Armada DEMO 4:00pm - The Resistance CARD GAME 5:00pm - Gaming Room 4 closes
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TABLE-TOP GAMING With a lineup that’s practically bursting at the seems, MechaCon’s Tabletop Gaming is ready to help you get your game on MechaCon! Come join this year’s tabletop gaming guest, Steve Kenson of Green Ronin Publishing, as he gives you the chance to participate in an exclusive playtest of the upcoming latest edition of the Blue Rose RPG! Or come learn to play a new game, such as the exciting Pandemic! And, just because the prophecies are over, doesn’t mean that there aren’t more stories to tell in the Star Wars universe as we present to you the meta-scenario Star Wars: The Lost Shadow. This year’s tabletop gaming lineup includes, (but is not limited to)
Customizable/Trading Card Games
No MechaCon would be complete without TCG/CCG Tournaments. This year, we will give you the opportunity to destroy your opponents in the following games:
Dragon Ball Z Card Game
From Panini Group (Tournaments judged by Joey Dicarlo) Based on the iconic series created by Akira Toriyama, the Dragon Ball Z Trading Card Game captures the essence of the actionpacked animated show and transforms it into a fun-filled, cardbattling arena. Create your own deck with your favorite characters such as Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Frieza and more!
Magic - The Gathering
From Wizards of the Coast The Magic: The Gathering game, created by Richard Garfield, established the Trading Card Game category in 1993. Today, it continues to offer a fan base of more than 6 million players the opportunity to play both socially and competitively through leagues, tournaments and in-store events. MTG is the world’s best trading card game, and we support it with our best efforts.
My Little Pony CCG
From Enterplay (Demos by Troy Smith) The game revolves around Problem cards, which give points to the players who successfully overcome them. Players assign their Friend cards and Mane Character cards to these Problems to help confront them. When a player meets a Problem’s requirements, that player is said to confront that Problem and scores a point. The first player to score 15 points wins.
Pokémon TCG
From Nintendo (Tournament judged by Joe Moran) In the Pokémon Trading Card Game, players build decks then play against each other, sending their Pokémon into battle to prove who the best Pokémon Trainer is.
Yu-Gi-Oh!
From Konami In this game, two players duel each other using a variety of Monster, Spell, and Trap Cards to defeat their opponent’s monsters and be the first to drop the other’s Life Points to 0.
Non-Trading Card Games
Our lineup of card games isn’t just limited to TCGs, we also have a great selection of non-trading card games to play in, including the always popular Are You A Werewolf?. What other games do we have? Well, we’ve got...
Apples to Apples
From Mattel (Presented by Crystal Lasill) Apples to Apples® doesn’t believe in right or wrong answers. Players use the cards to create crazy combinations so that every game is as unique as the individuals who are playing it!
Are You A Werewolf?
From Looney Labs (Presented by Jeremy and Josh Gremillion) A mind game for 8-15 players, in which a vengeful group of villagers must figure out who among them is secretly a werewolf (before it’s too late...) Each “night” the werewolves eat a villager, and each “day” the surviving villagers attempt to rid the town of werewolves by lynching one of their own.
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Bang!
From dv Giochi (Presented by Dominique Ducote) In the wild west, the Outlaws hunt the Sheriff, the Sheriff hunts the Outlaws, and the Renegade plots in secret, ready to join one side or the other. Before long, bullets start to fly! Which gunmen are Deputies, ready to sacrifice themselves for the Sheriff? And which are the merciless Outlaws, looking to gun him down? The world’s best-selling Wild West card game is back in a new, richer format. Easier to learn and play than ever before!
Eminent Domain
From TMG (Presented by Tucker Took) 2 to 4 players build their fleet and their decks while colonizing space. Survey the galaxy to expand your civilization – will you colonize nearby planets, or take them over by force? Harvest resources for trade, and do research to improve your technology. Build the best civilization and win the game!
Monikers
From Palm Court (Presented by Tucker Took) Monikers is pretty simple: get your friends to guess the name on your card. Each team has 60 seconds to get through as many weird, inappropriate names as they can, from Drunk Jeff Goldblum to Shirtless Vladimir Putin
Munchkin
From Steve Jackson Games (Presented by Issaih White) Go down in the dungeon. Kill everything you meet. Back stab your friends and steal their stuff. Grab the treasure and run. Admit it. You love it. This award-winning card game, designed by Steve Jackson, captures the essence of the dungeon experience... with none of that stupid roleplaying stuff. You and your friends compete to kill monsters and grab magic items. And what magic items! Don the Horny Helmet and the Boots of Butt-Kicking. Start by slaughtering the Potted Plant and the Drooling Slime, and work your way up to the Plutonium Dragon... And it’s illustrated by John Kovalic! Fast-playing and silly, Munchkin can reduce any roleplaying group to hysteria. And, while they’re laughing, you can steal their stuff.
Once Upon A Time
From Atlas Games (Presented by Issaiah White) Once Upon a Time is the award-winning storytelling card game that encourages creativity and collaborative play. One player is the Storyteller, and begins telling a story using the fairytale elements on her Story cards, guiding the plot toward her Ending Card. The other players use their own cards to interrupt her and become the new Storyteller. The winner is the first player to use all her Story Cards and play her Ending Card. The object of the game, though, isn’t just to win, but to have fun telling a story together.
The Resistance
From Indie Boards and Cards (Presented by Tucker Took) The Resistance is a very intense social deduction game for 5-10 players. While it shares similarities with games like Werewolf, Mafia and even Battlestar Galactica it has many very unique features such as a quick 30-minute play time, no moderator required and no player elimination.
Shadows Over Camelot
From Days of Wonder (Presented by Issaiah White) As the incarnation of the Knights of the Round Table, you join forces against the game itself in an attempt to protect Camelot. Your victory hinges on the successful completion of legendary Quests, such as the search for Excalibur, the Holy Grail, or Lancelot’s Armor; the tournament against the Black Knight; and numerous wars against the Saxons and Picts.
Miniatures Games
Looking for the chance to see what it feels like to command a mighty military force as it sweeps aside all before it? Then we’ve got you covered! This year sees the return of Warmachine and Hordes! In addition, we’ll have the MechaCon debut of Star Wars: Armada! Our minis line up looks like this:
Star Wars: Armada
From Fantasy Flight Games (Presented by Steven Rosenthal) IIn Star Wars: Armada, you assume the role of fleet admiral, serving with either the Imperial Navy or Rebel Alliance. It’s your job to issue the tactical commands that will decide the course of battle and, perhaps, the fate of the galaxy.
King of Tokyo
From Iello Games (Presented by Jeremy and Joshua Gremillion) Slap around your enemies and become the King of Tokyo! Play mutant monsters, gigantic robots and other monstrous creatures, joyfully whack your opponents, rampage the city and become the one and only King of Tokyo! Combine your dice to gather energy, heal your monster or just slap others. Spend your energy to trigger permanent or one-shot special powers: second head, body armor, nova death ray...Stop at nothing to become the Kings of Tokyo...but that’s when the real trouble begins for you!
King of New York
Super Dungeon Explore
From Iello Games (Presented by Jeremy and Joshua Gremillion) There’s always something happening in the city that never sleeps. Maybe it’s the lights, maybe it’s the energy, or maybe it’s the giant monsters trying to demolish the place! King of New York introduces lots of new ways to play, while still keeping the core ideas of King of Tokyo. There are Buildings to Stomp! Vengeful Military Units to Destroy! Six brand new Monsters!
Warmachine
Pandemic
From Soda Pop Miniatures (Presented by Ian Usie) Your adventure begins! Super Dungeon Explore™ is a fast paced, table-top strategy game for 2 or more players. Take the role of an intrepid band of heroes setting out for treasure and to rid the dungeon of its evil master. Or, set your defenses and throw your witless hordes into battle against the heroes and decorate your dark home with their well gnawed, albeit cute, bones. From Privateer Press (Presented by David Giles, Will Hawthorne and Ian Usie) In Warmachine, the very earth shakes during these fierce confrontations where six-ton constructs of tempered iron and steel slam into one another with the destructive force of a locomotive.
Hordes
From Privateer Press (Presented by David Giles, Will Hawthorne and Ian Usie) Hordes players take on the role of warlocks as they lead their wild forces into battle. Warlocks are formidable combatants in their own right, and their armies make use of both hardened and brutal warriors and packs of savage warbeasts, allowing them to contend on equal footing with the greatest armies of the Iron Kingdoms. Players collect, assemble, and paint fantastically detailed models representing the varied warriors, minions, and beasts in their hordes.
Zombie 15
From Iello Games (Presented by Tucker Took) Everyone over 18 has turned into zombies hungering for fresh meat. The zombies fed upon the youngest first... but you survived! You have only one problem now: a horde of thousands of zombies is relentlessly chasing you. Run through town in search of weapons, safe haven, and some food, make a stand, encounter other survivors and discover the origin of the epidemic! Zombie 15 provides easy rules but real choices, to be made as quickly as possible if you don’t want to get overwhelmed (and eaten) by zombies!
Board Games
Love board games? Good! This year, we have a nice selection of board games to play in, including the always challenging, yet fun Tsuro! The board games that we have for your enjoyment are:
Betrayal at House on the Hill
From Avalon Hill (Presented by Jeremy and Joshua Gremillion) The creak of footsteps on the stairs, the smell of something foul and dead, the feel of something crawling down your back – this and more can be found in the exciting refresh of the Avalon Hill favorite Betrayal at House on the Hill. This fun and suspenseful game is a new experience almost every time you play – you and your friends explore “that creepy old place on the hill” until enough mystic misadventures happen that one of the players turns on all of the others! Hours of fun for all your friends and family. Designed for 3–6 players aged 12 and up, this board game features multiple scenarios, a different lay-out with every game, and enough chills to freeze the heart of any horror fan.
From Z-Man Games (Presented by Jeremy and Joshua Gremillion) Four diseases have broken out in the world and it is up to a team of specialists in various fields to find cures for these diseases before mankind is wiped out. Players must work together, playing to their characters’ strengths and planning their strategy of eradication before the diseases overwhelm the world with ever-increasing outbreaks. But the diseases are outbreaking fast and time is running out: the team must try to stem the tide of infection in diseased areas while also towards cures. A truly cooperative game where you all win or you all lose.
Samurai Swords
From Amazon.com (Presented by Issaiah White) Samurai Swords is a Milton Bradley Gamemaster game. It focuses on the chaotic feudal society of Japan during the 1600s. Players play one of five factions and battle for the right to be called Shogun, the supreme ruler. Originally released as Shogun.
Settlers of Catan
From Mayfair Games (Presented by Anthony Thurber) Players are recent immigrants to the newly populated island of Catan. Expand your colony through the building of settlements, roads, and villages by harvesting commodities from the land around you. Trade with other players, or at local seaports to get resources you might lack. The first player to achieve 10 points from a combination of roads, settlements, and special cards wins!
Sheriff of Nottingham
From Arcane Wonders (Presented by Eric De Las Casas) The Sheriff of Nottingham is a fun and engaging game for all where each player will have the chance to step into the shoes of the Sheriff himself! Other players, acting as Merchants will attempt to bring their goods into the city for profit. Beware though, while many may act as honest merchants, there is always the possibility of contraband being smuggled into the city!
Ticket to Ride
From Days of Wonder (Presented by Ashley Nichols) Ticket to Ride is a cross-country train adventure in which players collect and play matching train cards to claim railway routes connecting cities throughout North America. The longer the routes, the more points they earn. Additional points come to those who can fulfill their Destination Tickets by connecting two distant cities, and to the player who builds the longest continuous railway. (Continued)
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TABLE-TOP GAMING (Continued from previous page)
From Alderac Entertainment Group (Presented by Eric De Las Casas) Seiji Kanai returns with Mai-Star set in the floating world of the geisha. 3-6 players take on the roles of different geishas and compete to earn the most prestigious title. They play cards to raise the reputation of their geisha, and take guests to earn money, which is the measure of victory. The player who has earned the most money after three festivals (rounds), is considered as the most skillful geisha, and will inherit the title of Mai-Star.
Zelda Monopoly
Shogi
And as part of our Midnight Madness block, the ever popular Zombies!!! and Humans!!! return!
Trains
From USAopoly (Presented by Issaiah White) The Legend of Zelda MONOPOLY takes players on a trip through time as they travel through the land of Hyrule and beyond. Memorable locations including Link’s House, Temple of Time and the Lon Lon Ranch are all up for grabs in this special collector’s edition of one of the most revered video games of all time.
Zombies!!!
From Twilight Creations (Presented by Anthony Thurber) Zombies!!! puts you in the middle of the action as you try to escape the ever advancing zombie horde. Players must use a combination of wits and brawn to be the first to the heliport and certain escape. The only problem is, the zombies are everywhere, they appear to be very hungry and your opponents would really prefer if you didn’t escape.
Humans!!!
From Twilight Creations (Presented by Anthony Thurber) This time you are playing the zombies and trying to infect as many people in town as possible. This game will be able to be played with Zombies!!! - Some players playing humans and some players playing zombies.
Asian Board Games
MechaCon’s Asian board game room returns, bigger and better than before! This year, besides having traditional favorites such as Go and Shogi, the room adds a few games from Alderac Entertainment Group’s Big In Japan series of games, which are English translations of games that currently popular in Japan. The games you’ll find in the room are:
Go
(Presented by Eric De Las Casas) Go, for many centuries, has intrigued and entertained players with its simple rules and complex game play. In the game, two players face off, placing pieces called stones on a board, with the goal of trying to capture as much territory as possible. However, due to the game’s great depth of strategy, that goal is not as easy to achieve as it might seem.
Love Letter
From Alderac Entertainment Group (Presented by Eric De Las Casas) Love Letter is a game of risk, deduction, and luck, for 2–4 players. Get your love letter into Princess Annette’s hands while keeping other players’ letters away. Powerful cards lead to early gains, but make you a target. Rely on weaker cards for too long and your letter may be tossed in the fire!
Mah Jong
(Presented by Eric De Las Casas) Mah Jong is a tile based game which originated in Ancient China. In it, players draw and discard tiles, trying to create a legal hand. It is a game of great skill and strategy, but one that requires a bit of luck as well.
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Mai-Star
From Calliope Games (Presented by Ashley Nichols) Create your own journey with Tsuro: The Game of the Path. Place a tile and slide your stone along the path created, but take care! Other players’ paths can lead you in the wrong direction—or off the board entirely! Find your way wisely to succeed. The rules are simple: place a tile to build the next step for your stone to follow. Paths will cross and connect, and the choices you make affect all the journeys across the board.
Tsuro: The Game of the Path
(Presented by Eric De Las Casas) Shogi, this chess like game has been enjoyed for centuries. Just like in chess, two players square off, trying to capture their opponent’s king. But, with more pieces, a bigger board, and reuse of captured pieces, this game can prove to be far more complex and harder to master. From Alderac Entertainment Group (Presented by Eric De Las Casas) Trains, by Hisashi Hayashi, puts you in the seat of managing a Japanese modern rail line. Use your deckbuilding skills to construct a deck that will allow you to play onto the map of either Tokyo or Osaka, placing tokens to represent your line connecting major hubs. Build the most effective rail line and you’ll win!
Role-playing Games
And of course, we give you a tremendous selection of RPGs to play in, including a couple of sessions of the latest edition of Dungeons & Dragons and a couple of MechaCon exclusive events. Read on to see what games we’ll have.
Steve Kenson’s Games
MechaCon’s Tabletop Gaming Guest, Steve Kenson, shall be running the following games:
Fantasy Age
BLUE ROSE An EXCLUSIVE playtest preview of the upcoming new edition of Blue Rose Romantic Fantasy from Green Ronin Publishing, using the Adventure Gaming Engine (AGE) System. You are among the Sovereign’s Finest, defenders of the land of Aldis. Can you protect it from threats both within and without? Up to six players, rules will be taught and characters provided.
Fantasy Age
CHOOSING NIGHT Spending a night camped out on the island in Highfalls Lake has been a tradition in your village for generations. That the island is the home of the ruins of Dunmara’s Tower, belonging to a long-ago sorceress, is a part of that story. What will your chapter of the tale be like, come Choosing Night? AGE (Adventure Game Engine) Fantasy from Green Ronin Publishing, up to six players, rules will be taught and characters provided.
Icons Superpowered Roleplaying THE MULTIVERSE MENACE A threat so great, the heroes of six worlds are needed to overcome it! Welcome to the Tower at the End of Time, where you are assembled to prevent the destruction of all that is: not just an entire universe, but ALL universes! Icons Superpowered Roleplaying, up to six players, rules will be taught and characters created at the table.
Jonathan Thompson’s RPGs
Friend of MechaCon and head of Battlefield Press, Jonathan Thompson, will be stopping by to run the following games
Doctor Who (Vortex System)
ADVENTURES IN TIME AND SPACE: MEDICINE MAN The Doctor and his companions are pitted against an old enemy trying to resurrect their race from beneath the plains of the Wild West. The characters arrive at a small mining town in the American Old West and discover strange happenings centered around a strange snake oil salesman. The clues lead to an abandoned gold mine, and from there to a deadly threat from Earth’s prehistory! 4-6 Players, characters will be provided. Players must have their own dice
Gaslight Victorian Fantasy
(SAVAGE WORLD DELUXE): FROM FARGO TO THE FAIR It is 1893, and the Pinkerton Detective Agency hires a brave group to stop a anarchist plot to assassinate Nikola Tesla! Can you save him? 4-6 players, characters will be provided. Players must have their own dice.
Pulp Fantastic (Vortex System) THE NEMO DIARIES Captain Nemo’s diaries are up for auction at a local auction house. Why are these so valuable and why is someone trying to steal them? 4-6 players, characters will be provided. Players must have their own dice.
Other RPGs Aberrant
(Presented by Karrie White) It is tough living in a world where all the celebrities have superpowers. It is even tougher if you have superpowers and don’t want to be a celebrity. Too bad, someone else thinks you’d be a ‘killer’ star. Can you survive this Marvel themed Aberrant game?
Deadlands RPG
Snakebit (Presented by David Giles) Wichita, 1879...but not the 1879 we know. A band of outlaws and ne’er-do-wells, looking for something resembling gainful employment, instead come across an odd fella from Back East looking for guides and guards to see him south along the Chisholm Trail into the Coyote Confederation. There he seeks the Great Serpent Mound and a priceless treasure he claims is hidden beneath it. The promised payout may be enough to hook our desperate desperados, but they may find a dark cost to be paid... Characters will be provided, so players will need only dice and grit to face this twisted tale of terror!
Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition
Players Choice (Presented by Winston Smith) Players will have a choice between the module Horde of the Dragon Queen or an adventure written by the GM where the players will have to protect a caravan from a gang of ruthless bandits! Characters will be provided.
Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition Strange Fruit (Presented by Paul Mevis) Strange Fruit is an exciting module for Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition from Critical Hit Publishing and is intended for a party of low level characters.
Fate Core
Avatar: Republic City Stories (Presented by Bill Armond) With the passing of Avatar Aang, the triads of Republic City are getting bolder. When rumors that a once lost, priceless relic has reappeared, it’s a race to see who can get to it first. 3 - 5 players, characters and dice will be provided.
Iron Kingdoms THE BLACKHEART CHRONICLES PART 3: Fires of War (Presented by David Giles) Join us as our heroic band of rebels and outlaws return to their home in the divided nation of Llael, only to find the grand city of Merywyn burning! The forces of the Empire of Khador, the theocrats of the Menite Northern Crusade, and their own fellows among the Highborn Covenant have been forced into a desperate alliance against the invasion of the Nightmare Empire, Cryx. As they join in the fight against the Dragonfather’s armies, the warjack Blackheart and the stolen soul that powers it are drawn toward a seemingly inevitable conflict with another force present on the field of battle, one that mirrors its own dark origins -- the horrifying Deathjack! The Black Heart Chronicles is an ongoing campaign set in the world of Privateer Press’ Iron Kingdoms. Players will need only dice -- characters and other supplies will be provided.
Legend of the Five Rings
OPENING NIGHT (PRESENTED BY DAVID GILES) Shosuro Hotaka is the preeminent playwright of the Second City, famed for both his biting satire and his connection to the Colonial Governess, Otomo Suikihime. As such, managing to secure an invitation to the premiere of one of his plays is no small feat for a group of young samurai. However, when a murder on stage turns out to be all too real, they find themselves drawn into the investigation, hoping to find the culprit before he strikes again! Characters will be provided, so players will need only dice!
Spirit of 77
From Monkeyfun Studios (Presented by Stuart Keller) Get ready to get funky with Spirit of 77, a brand new role-playing roller-coaster set in the 1970’s, about kung-fu tough guys, fast fuel-burning street dragsters, death-defying explosions and fighting The Man. MechaCon is proud to present to you an adventure entitled Wrath of Cons (working title), that combines Star Trek, gaming conventions and the film Point Break! This will be the first in a series of con only adventures written by Monkeyfun and we are getting it first! Come join us for this exciting premier!
Through the Breach
From Wyrd Games (Presented by Anthony Thurber) Through the Breach is a tabletop roleplaying game set in the world of Malifaux. Players take on the roles of various citizens, such as Gunfighters, Drudges, Dabblers, and Entertainers. Each of these characters is as unique as the players themselves.
World of Warcraft
(Presented by Will Hawthorne) Join your fellow heroes in Azeroth as the war rages on in Draenor. Gear up on a quest to save a Azeroth from a threat that was once thought destroyed in your world, and help avenge all the heroes who fell before you.
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TABLE-TOP GAMING Star wars Meta-Scenario
This year, we bring you a thrilling new Star Wars Meta Scenario: For millennia a question has vexed many: whatever became of The Wrathful Shadow? It was a Sith ship that went missing during the height of the Starforge War and some of the Sith Empire’s best and brightest vanished with that dark vessel. The fate of the ship and its crew has become the source of many legends, but it still remains a total mystery. Until Now. This year, Team MechaCon is proud to bring to you a new story set in the Star Wars Universe... Star Wars: The Lost Shadow. Come join us and discover what really did happen to the lost ship The Wrathful Shadow and its crew, on its final, fateful mission.
Star wars Miniatures
From Wizards of the Coast (Presented by Bill Armond & William Hebert)
The Star Wars Miniatures line features hundreds of ready-to-play miniatures from the Star Wars universe. You’ll find heroes, villains, droids, creatures, and aliens of all descriptions. Now you can play out your favorite movie scenes, add the miniatures to your roleplaying sessions, or trade and collect the miniatures set by set.
Star wars RPG
From Wizards of the Coast (Presented by Stuart Keller)
Take on the role of the heroes of the Star Wars universe and fight against the forces of evil! You might play a Duros smuggler, a Wookiee copilot, a human Jedi, or any of countless possibilities. The only limit to the stories you can tell is your imagination! Note: In the RPG, we will be exploring some graphic and violent themes, themes that may not be suitable for all ages, so therefore, only attendees 18 and older will be allowed to participate.
Live Action Roleplaying Games
This year, MechaCon will bring to you a pair of exciting Live Action Roleplaying Games based off of tabletop games from White Wolf.
Changeling: The Lost
MES: The Accord
A game of fairy tales turned awry and the beautiful madness of a child’s nightmares. The True Fae sought to take you away forever but the gaze of uncaring masters is fickle and you escaped. Banding together in freeholds of others who suffered the same fate, balance life in the real world and the strangeness of the Hedge. One of your protectors, the summer Monarch, is due to be married and you are invited! Join the intrigue and revels but don’t turn your back, the True Fey are always lurking to take back what they claim is theirs, namely you.
Remember the stories where the ghosts or the monster were real only if you believed in them? This is not those stories. This is a tale about a monster that is real if you don’t believe, and even more real if you do. Yet to destroy it, you must know it’s there. Welcome to the New World of Darkness: The Accord, a game where you are one of these creatures, fighting the strange and twisted offspring of The Truth, the monsters that slip into reality from that other, unknown realm.
(Presented by Nola’s Call)
(Presented by MES Lafayette and Lake Charles)
A Few Reminders from the Tabletop Gaming Department: We here at the tabletop gaming department would like to remind you of the following:
1. We’ve Moved! This year, we will be on the third floor of the hotel and not our usual spot on the second floor, so don’t look for us there, as you’ll get nothing but a bunch of strange looks. 2. Cheating is not allowed. The following is MechaCon’s Tabletop Gaming Cheating Policy: Any person caught cheating will be banned from ALL table-top gaming events and will earn a strike, per the MechaCon security policy. 48
3. Be respectful. This year, you may notice that there will be several times when there are two events going on in one room. Please be respectful of other events that are taking place in the room you are in. Also, while unofficial events are allowed in a room while official tabletop gaming events are going on, these events can not disrupt the official event going in the room and if they are disruptive, the person running the official event is well within their rights to ask the people involved with that event to leave the room. We’re all here to have fun, and one of the things that can ruin that is someone being disrespectful of others.
The human whose name is written in this note shall die.
Unravel the mysteries of the Death Note saga with the DVD Box Set
PLUS
Tons of great extras!
o
Read where the story began in the DEATH N TE manga!
www.viz.com/death-note
Based on the comic “DEATH NOTE” by Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata originally serialized in “WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP” published by SHUEISHA Inc. ©Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata/Shueisha; ©DNDP, VAP, Shueisha, Madhouse All rights reserved. SHONEN JUMP™ and DEATH NOTE™ are trademarks of Shueisha, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries.
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