While there still hasn’t been much in the way of news from Yaoi Con 2008, many still await it with semi-patience. So, in the absence of any yet revealed internet press at the event (though some birdies have said a certain Brian from MangaCast was there?), here’s some little tidbits in the meantime!
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In the early hours of the convention, a press release for Yaoi Generation’s first series, breath, went out to eager awaiters. They’ve also posted a few pictures of visitors to their booth on the YG website.
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Go!Comi spent the weekend promoting the upcoming release of Wendy Pini’s hard copy of Masque of Red Death, along with Go!Comi’s first yaoi release (previously announced), Days of Cool Idols. They’ve also posted some images in their forums from the event.
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Boys’ love publisher BLU didn’t have a panel at the convention but during the weekend they did update their website with information on two previously announced titles.
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Deux Press had a panel, and though at this point it doesn’t seem like any new titles were announced, they did offer more information and reminders on some previously revealed-through-online-shops titles, including Hinako Takanaga’s Love Bound and the first volume of CJ Michalski’s Noodle Shop Affair. Over at Manic About Manga, Kris reports that Deux’s title, Bound by Time by CJ Michalski, has been put on hold for the time being.
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Lots of writers around the blogosphere are saying that the Nase Yamato panel and signing sessions were a great success, and was one of the highest attended panels during the con’s duration. Unfortunately for Digital Manga Publishing, the June and 801Media panel took place at the sametime. With a very limited press appearance, and most attendees opting for the manga-ka panel, the folks representing DMP’s yaoi imprints most likely faced a fairly small crowd. While several intrepid bloggers have sent the folks at DMP e-mail asking for any news that might’ve been missed (myself included), there has yet to be any word back.
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Yaoi Con is contracted to take place at the same location as this year, Marriott San Mateo / San Francisco Airport Hotel, through to 2010. With a slightly suffering attendance however, based on testimonies from several attendees (officially numbers remain unconfirmed) most assumingly due to the simultaneous event of New York Anime Festival if this is infact the case, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they planned to move the event back to October as it has been in the past.
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And to end on a positive Yaoi Con note of attendee-entertainment, most entries I’ve read on the event say that it’s pleasantly sized, offered lots of goodies in the dealer room and had many events running on the kind and reportedly “super unbelievably cute” bishonen who volunteered and hired to help out around the event, including at the Bishonen Auction and host club-styled cafes.
On a more negative note regarding DMP, while I posted a little while ago about the letting-go of the core staff of 801Media, word on the internet is that some of Digital Manga’s main imprint staff have been let go as well. While I can’t give names until I can confirm this news heard at the con, for now I can atleast say that this looks like a sudden belt-tightening by DMP that may indicate a few more troubles than initially thought. All speculation at this point but I’m sure we’ll hear something more conclusive in the coming weeks.
Also, unrelated to Yaoi Con but undoubtedly related to yaoi, Gia reported from NYAF that there’s a group trying to put together a yaoi convention on the East Coast. With the appearance of this new convention, Wai Con (aiming for a 2010 event), that brings the recent count of new yaoi conventions trying to start up to three. The other two are up here in Canada, YaoiThon and Yaoi Fest.
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We have not announced when and where Yaoi-Con will take place in 2009; this is still in the planning stages. And while I do not have the final attendance numbers yet from registration, I in no way believe attendance "suffered," for being opposite the NYAF.
I meant no disrespect in this post regarding Yaoi Con. My note of the con's contract of location was based on a statement given around Yaoi Con 2007 when it was said that the current location would be upheld by contract for the next couple of years. I was not aware that things have changed. I've edited the post to inform readers that final numbers regarding your current attendance have not yet been announced and remain attendee-speculation at this time. Hope that clears things up :)
Thanks, Lissa!
[…] Pattillo puts together a nice overview of Yaoi-Con at Kuriousity, and Yamila Abraham checks in with a brief report at the Yaoi Press […]
[…] the latest link from her blog to Lissa Pattillo’s blog, Kuriosity, that made me thoughtful: DMP’s layoffs. I got a good-bye message from Rachel at DMP sometime […]