Anime Punch!
| Anime Punch | |
|---|---|
| Status | Active |
| Venue | Sheraton Columbus Hotel at Capitol Square |
| Location(s) | Columbus, Ohio |
| Country | United States |
| Inaugurated | 2005 |
| Attendance | 1,600 in 2011 |
| Website | |
| http://www.animepunch.org | |
Anime Punch is a Columbus, Ohio-based organization that hosts a number of events for fans of Japanese animation in the Central Ohio area. Originally hosting an annual anime convention, Anime Punch has since branched out into hosting weekly social events, monthly lectures, and other regular events, in addition to three annual anime conventions.
History
Anime Punch! began as an offshoot of Animate!, The Ohio State University's anime club. The first event hosted was a small anime convention held in the Ohio Union on the OSU campus in early 2005 titled simply "Anime Punch". Following that event they held a larger, apocalypse-themed convention called Armageddicon, which was held at a Doubletree Hotel in the Spring of 2006. That year they also began hosting an entirely outdoor anime convention called "Fieldcon". In 2007 it was formally decided that Armageddicon would become an "anime only" convention, meaning that programming and guests would be entirely centered on Japanese animation with no time paid to anime fans tangential interests (such as gaming or Jpop).
Until 2009, Armageddicon was run as an event hosted by the Ohio State University anime club. In 2009 Anime Punch restructured itself from an informal organization into Anime Punch LLC, with the stated purpose of hosting events that were educational, entertaining, and enriching to the general fan-culture of Japanese Animation. In 2011 Anime Punch formed a partnership with The Ohio State University Urban Arts Space, and began hosting monthly lectures. That same year they partnered with the campus bar "Ruby Tuesday Live" (no relation to the restaurant chain) to host a weekly theme night for area fans titled "Nerd Night". In 2012 Anime Punch experimented with hosting its second major convention line, "Revoluticon", which in stark opposition to Armageddicon focuses entirely on anime fans non-anime interests. Anime Punch has since partnered with other local groups and venues to host a wide variety of events, including film showings, concerts, video game events, and dances.[1][2]
Armageddicon
The main event of Anime Punch!, Armageddicon claims to focus exclusively on anime, eschewing the recent trend of conventions to attempt to cover anything and everything remotely related to Japan. Notably, Armageddicon also features a high density of educational, cultural and scholarly panels and workshops. During the 2008 convention, Anime Punch! Armageddicon became the first anime convention to adopt radio-frequency identification (RFID) in order to collect data about dealers' room entrances and panel attendance.[3]
Event history
| Dates | Location | Atten. | Guests |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 30, 2005 | Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio | 200[1][4] | |
| March 31 – April 2, 2006 | Holiday Inn Worthington Columbus, Ohio | 1,030[1][5] | Steve Conte, Maureen Donavan, Lawrence Eng, Crispin Freeman, Kuwai-sensei, Lillian Olsen, CarrieLynn Reinhard, Joshua Seth, Lien Fan Shen, The Spoony Bards, and Richard Torrance.[5] |
| March 30 – April 1, 2007 | Columbus Airport Marriott Columbus, Ohio | 1,400[1][6] | Maureen Donavan, Lawrence Eng, Crispin Freeman, Mikhail Koulikov, Tristan MacAvery, Lillian Olsen, The Protomen, CarrieLynn Reinhard, Patrick Seitz, The Spoony Bards, Richard Torrance, Harlan Watkins, and Mariah Watkins.[6][7] |
| April 11–13, 2008 | Crowne Plaza Columbus North Columbus, Ohio | 1,337[1][8] | Maureen Donavan, Lawrence Eng, Hsu-Nami, Mikhail Koulikov, Dr. John A. Lent, Tristan MacAvery, Lillian Olsen, CarrieLynn Reinhard, Patrick Seitz, The Spoony Bards, Harlan Watkins, and Mariah Watkins.[8] |
| April 10–12, 2009 | Doubletree Hotel Columbus/Worthington Columbus, Ohio | 1,109 [1][9] | Haruko Nogawa, The Protomen, Patrick Seitz, Mikhail Koulikov, Lawrence Eng, and The Spoony Bards [9] |
| April 2–4, 2010 | Hyatt Regency Columbus, Ohio | 1,400[1][10] | Richard Torrance, Lawrence Eng, Stacey Schlanger, Kinko Ito, Lee Makela, Brad Swaile, Patrick Seitz, The Spoony Bards, Kosuke Saito[10] |
| April 22–24, 2011 | Hyatt Regency Columbus, Ohio | 1603[1][11] | The Protomen, Lawrence Eng, Brad Swaile, Toren Smith, Jared Hedges, Joel Burgen, Alex Muniz[11] |
| December 21–23, 2012 | Sheraton Columbus Hotel at Capitol Square Columbus, Ohio | 831[1] | The Protomen,[1] Lawrence Eng, Brad Swaile, J. Michael Tatum, Taliesin Jaffe, Lance Heiskell[12] |
| March 28–30, 2014 | Holiday Inn Worthington Columbus, Ohio | NA[1] | 2d6, Leah Clark, COO-Interactive Entertainment, Patrick Drazen, Chuck Huber, The Pillowcases |
| April 3–5, 2015 | Crowne Plaza Columbus North Columbus, Ohio | NA[1] | 2d6, The Skashank Redemption, COO-Interactive Entertainment, Joel McDonald, Tony Oliver |
| March 25-26, 2016 | Crowne Plaza Columbus North Columbus, Ohio | NA[1] |
Signature events
Anime Punch! has several signature events that have become a sort of tradition.
- Your Favorite Anime Sucks - This event involves the audience supplying titles of their favorite shows for the hosts to "burn." This event travels and is frequently featured at Anime Central.
- Evangelion Post-Modern Puppet Show - Initially a humorous recreation of various scenes from Neon Genesis Evangelion in the form of a puppet show, it has since moved on to take the puppet Evangelion characters into different stories. Such features have included Hamlet, and The World Is Not Enough
- Collective Gaming Room - A room where single games such as Oregon Trail are intended to be played as a group, with one person controlling and the rest shouting directions and suggestions.
- Model Building/ Figure Trading Jam Session - A gathering intended for people that like building models and those who collect trading figures and gashapon.
- Swimsuit Cosplay - Much as the name implies, swimsuit cosplay concerns either a swimsuit seen in anime or a swimwear interpretation of a character's normal costume.
- Anime Trial - an event where a "trial" and subsequent "execution" are held for the anime character most hated by fans.
- Roll a Katamari - Similar to the concept of the popular video game, Katamari Damacy, this event starts as a ball of duct tape, and accumulates many objects that people tape to it, including garbage, tacos, magazines, and even other people.
- Hentai Olympics - Described on the website with only the words "What happens at the Hentai Olympics, stays at the Hentai Olympics."
- Pop-art Gallery - Beginning in 2011, the convention will feature an anime-inspired pop-art gallery presenting works from local artists.
Revoluticon
Revoluticon was introduced for a debut in 2012 as a new line of events hosted by Anime Punch!. Whereas Armageddicon is entirely focused on anime with limited to no non-anime content, Revoluticon was billed as the anti-armageddicon. It is still aimed at anime fans, but only their tangential interests, with zero anime content. Covered subject matter includes video games, fantasy, science fiction, western animation, comic books, traditional Japanese culture, Japanese modern/pop culture, and cosplay.
Event History
| Dates | Location | Atten. | Guests |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 16–18, 2012 | Ramada Plaza Columbus Columbus, Ohio | 451 [1] | Lawrence Eng, Patrick Drazen, +2 Comedy, 2d6, Custodians of Otakudom, OSU Quiddich, Analytical Couch Potato, The Fishnet Mafia |
Signature Events
- The Variety Hour - A variety show featuring skits from the staff, guests, and even general attendees.
- The Legend of Zelda: Triforce Challenge - A physically demanding game show that challenges contestants to perform many of the feats the hero Link of the popular Legend of Zelda franchise must perform. Such feats include swordsmanship, puzzle solving, and fishing.
- Assassins Creed LARP - A complex live action role playing game wherein any participating attendees and staff are subject to "attack" from hidden assassins at any time or place throughout the duration of the convention.
- Wario Ware - A series of short mini-games that attendees must decipher and perform in very short amounts of time.
Fieldcon
Fieldcon is another line of conventions that since 2006 has been hosted by Anime Punch! It takes place entirely outdoors without access to electricity, running water, or the internet. Its remote location in the AEP ReCreation Lands near The Wilds takes it far from most people, and even cellphone reception. Attendance is small, and events are informal.
Event history
| Dates | Location | Atten. | Guests |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 28–30, 2006 | AEP ReCreation Lands Morgan County, Ohio | 18[1][13] | |
| June 29 – July 1, 2007 | AEP ReCreation Lands Morgan County, Ohio | 31[1][14] | |
| July 25–27, 2008 | AEP ReCreation Lands Morgan County, Ohio | 38[1][15] | |
| June 26–28, 2009 | AEP ReCreation Lands Morgan County, Ohio | 58[1][16] | |
| July 25–27, 2010 | AEP ReCreation Lands Morgan County, Ohio | 51[1][17] | |
| July 1–3, 2011 | AEP ReCreation Lands Morgan County, Ohio | 64[1] | |
| July 6–8, 2012 | AEP ReCreation Lands Morgan County, Ohio | 74[1] | |
| June 21–23, 2013 | AEP ReCreation Lands Morgan County, Ohio | 65 | |
| June 20–22, 2014 | AEP ReCreation Lands Morgan County, Ohio | 60 |
Signature Events
- Building the Tent - The common shelter tent is constructed every year by the first time attendees amidst ridicule by the previous years attendees.
- Roasting the Boar - Beginning in 2011 a pig is roasted on a spit as an homage to Lord of the Flies.
- Brewing the Stew - All the attendees bring a contribution for the stew, which is cooked for 24 hours before serving.
- Sword Football - A variant of football that utilizes swords.
- Battle Royale - Based on the novel/manga/movie, in this event attendees are led deep into the woods and randomly assigned a mock-weapon. The game narrows the playing field over the course of an hour, during which time the attendees must use their weapons to "kill" each other. At the end of the hour, any remaining competitors have a final showdown in a constrained area.
- Assault on the Mech - The attendees take up weapons and ceremonially lead a charge at the last remaining part of Big Muskie, the world's largest "walking" machine.
Fishcon
Fishcon is the second "Adventure Con" hosted by Anime Punch! Like Fieldcon, it takes place entirely outdoors, and the day is built around fishing. Unlike Fieldcon where the outdoor events are anime themed, Fishcon's anime content is derived through conversation. It is a requirement of the event that the only conversations permitted while on the lake are discussions of anime, and the convention provides a list of recommended shows and conversation topics ahead of time. To date, the attendance and interest in this has been almost (and predictably) non-existent.
Event history
| Dates | Location | Featured Anime | Attendance | Fish Caught |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 14, 2013 | Alum Creek State Park | Gargantia, Attack on Titan, Evangelion | 4 | 1 |
| Oct 20, 2014 | Alum Creek State Park | Sword Art Online, Attack on Titan, Captain Harlock | 0 (canceled) | 0 |
Urban Arts Outreach
Along with hosting larger, annual events aimed at anime fans, Anime Punch in 2011 began hosting a series of lectures on Japanese Animation at The Ohio State University Urban Arts Space.[18] The program is designed to expose anime art and works and fandom to the Columbus art community, create a place for positive creative outlet for youths in the downtown Columbus area, and to prompt discussion and debate within the central Ohio anime community outside the noisy and cluttered atmosphere of anime conventions.
Monthly Anime Adventure
The Monthly Anime Adventure is a series of talks, discussions and multimedia events all centered on Japanese animation. The meetings are intended to be as entertaining as they are informative. They are designed with the aim of providing enriching content to both seasoned otaku and to casual fans of animation. The Monthly Anime Adventure is part of Anime Punch's ongoing commitment to bring college-level discussion of anime to anime fans and the central Ohio area.[19]
G.A.P.S. Colosseum
G.A.P.S. (Gaming Anime Punch Style) Colosseum an interactive event wherein gamers can their skills to the test in a head-to-head, tournament-style video game competition. Ranging from fighting games to shooters, these competition are arranged to be more casual than more professional tournaments and have the intention of bringing together gamers both socially, and to converse about the different themes, genres and art behind the games. This event is also aimed as an outreach to inner city youths by fostering a fun, safe, and friendly environment for teenagers to participate in group activities.[20]
Nerd Night
Nerd Night is a weekly social event for central Ohio fans of anime, science fiction, comic books, and other special interests who are 18 and older. It is hosted at the campus bar Ruby Tuesday Live, and features film screenings, interactive gaming events, and live performances from nerdcore musicians. The first Nerd Night was held on November 14, 2011, and it has continued weekly every Monday since. [21]
Operation VG
Operation is a series of video game tournaments and free play sessions hosted at a campus area bar. It is held in partnership with Daredevil Dogs and hosted at the Village Idiot bar in the South Campus area.
Maiden Japan
Maiden Japan is an EDM dance night held at Cafe Bourbon St. in Columbus, Ohio. It features a rotating selection of DJ's with sets themed around Japanese pop music, anime music, and traditional Japanese music.
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 "Anime Punch! Past Events Records". animepunch.org. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
- ↑ "Anime Punch! History". animepunch.org. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
- ↑ "Ohio Anime Con Uses RFID Technology to Track Attendees". Anime News Network. 2008-04-15. Archived from the original on 20 May 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
- ↑ "Anime Punch! 2005 Information". AnimeCons.com. Archived from the original on 13 May 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-14.
- 1 2 "Anime Punch! 2006 Information". AnimeCons.com. Archived from the original on 24 April 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-14.
- 1 2 "Anime Punch! 2007 Information". AnimeCons.com. Archived from the original on 13 May 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-14.
- ↑ Lillard, Kevin (June 2007). "Con Report: Anime Punch". Newtype USA. 6 (6): 96.
- 1 2 "Anime Punch! 2008 Information". AnimeCons.com. Archived from the original on 11 May 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-14.
- 1 2 "Anime Punch! 2009 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2012-02-26.
- 1 2 "Anime Punch! 2010 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2012-02-26.
- 1 2 "Anime Punch! 2011 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2012-02-26.
- ↑ "Armageddicon 2012 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2012-11-30.
- ↑ "Fieldcon 2006 Information". AnimeCons.com. Archived from the original on 13 May 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-14.
- ↑ "Fieldcon 2007 Information". AnimeCons.com. Archived from the original on 13 May 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-14.
- ↑ "Fieldcon 2008 Information". AnimeCons.com. Archived from the original on 8 June 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-17.
- ↑ "Fieldcon 2009 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2012-02-27.
- ↑ "Fieldcon 2010 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2012-02-27.
- ↑ "Group Great for Anime-niacs". The Lantern. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
- ↑ "OSU UAS : Monthly Anime Adventure". The Ohio State University Urban Arts Space. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
- ↑ "OSU UAS : GAPS Coliseum". The Ohio State University Urban Arts Space. Retrieved 2011-03-15.
- ↑ "Events Calendar". Ruby Tuesday Live. Retrieved 2012-02-25.