Yaoi-Con (sometimes YaoiCon) was an annual three-day anime convention, founded in 2001, aimed at fans of yaoi-related anime, manga, and other aspects of Asian culture. It typically took place during the Fall in California.
Yaoi-Con | |
---|---|
Status | Defunct |
Venue | Hyatt Regency Santa Clara |
Location(s) | Santa Clara, California |
Country | United States |
Inaugurated | 2001 |
Most recent | 2017 |
Attendance | 1,500 in 2007[1] |
Organized by | Since 2012: Digital Manga Publishing[2] |
Since the 2012 edition, its organizer and main sponsor was Digital Manga Publishing. It was known mostly for its unique events that use volunteers known as "bishounen". The bishounen were male volunteers who represented the attractive characters shown in Yaoi manga, and ran many of the events.
Programming
editAs with other anime conventions, Yaoi-Con had panels and workshops (with a yaoi twist), a 24-hour video room, a manga library, swap meet, a Dealers' Room filled with merchandise, a cosplay Masquerade and an anime music video contest. In addition, Yaoi-Con held a fan fiction contest, Bishounen Bingo, and its extraordinarily popular Saturday night fundraising Bishounen Auction. At bingo, and the auction, the bishounen volunteers put on shows and stripped to entertain the convention goers.
Each year Yaoi-Con sponsored at least one Japanese yaoi manga artist as guest of honor. And, as yaoi publishing expanded in the U.S., the companies who attended Yaoi-Con became interested in bringing guests with them. Guests of honor usually participated in question and answer/autograph sessions as well as sketch sessions where they demonstrated to attendees how they produced their work.
Because of the adult nature of its theme, Yaoi-Con required all attendees to be at least 18 and checked the legal ID of all attendees upon registration. As of 2003, 85% of Yaoi-Con membership were female, and mostly heterosexual.[3]
Inactivity
editIn December 2017, DMP announced that Yaoi-Con was taking "a one-year break", expecting to return "stronger than ever in Fall 2019."[4][5] A tweet in January 2019 indicated that a new, non-profit organization might take over the event, but this never materialized.[6] While the Yaoi-Con website went offline at the beginning of 2020, a public facebook group page is still semi-active.[7][8]
History
editEvent history
editDates | Location | Guests |
---|---|---|
September 1, 2001 | Radisson Miyako Hotel San Francisco, California | You Higuri, Azusa Kurokawa, Shinjuku Nishiguchi, Gilles Poitras, Yoshihiro Yonezawa and Flash Mama.[9] |
October 18–20, 2002 | Holiday Inn Golden Gateway San Francisco, California | Youka Nitta, Andrew Conway, Patrick Drazen, and Secret Secret.[10] |
October 17–19, 2003 | Renaissance Parc 55 San Francisco, California | Shushushu Sakurai, Jo Chen.[11] |
October 29–31, 2004 | Westin San Francisco Airport Millbrae, California | Ayano Yamane, Jo Chen, Lucina Project and John O'Donnell.[12] |
October 28–30, 2005 | Westin San Francisco Airport Millbrae, California | Kazuma Kodaka and You Higuri.[13] |
October 20–22, 2006 | Westin San Francisco Airport Millbrae, California | Asia Watanabe.,[14] Toko Kawai, Yishin Li, Lara Yokoshima, Studio Kawaii, Jo Chen |
October 26–28, 2007 | San Mateo Marriott San Francisco Airport San Mateo, California | Mamiya Oki and Kawahara Tsubasa.[15] Hinako Takanaga, Dany & Dany |
September 26–28, 2008 | San Mateo Marriott San Francisco Airport San Mateo, California | Nase Yamato, Tatsumi Kaiya, Lynn Flewelling, Wendy Pini, Yamila Abraham, Yayoi Neko, M.A Sambre.[16] |
October 30-November 1, 2009 | San Mateo Marriott San Francisco Airport San Mateo, California | Kazuka Minami, Kano Miyamoto[17] |
October 29–31, 2010 | Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Burlingame, California | Ayano Yamane, Ryōtarō Okiayu, Hidenobu Kiuchi, Hinako Takanaga,[18] Kano Miyamoto, Yasuhiro Nakamura, Lynn Flewelling, Jo Chen, Yayoi Neko[19] |
October 21–23, 2011 | San Francisco Airport Marriott Burlingame, California | Fusanosuke Inariya, Jo Chen[20] |
October 12–14, 2012 | Westin Long Beach Hotel Long Beach, California | Uki Ogasawara, Jo Chen[21] |
September 12–14, 2014 | Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Burlingame, California | Shoko Takaku, Reika[22] |
September 18–20, 2015 | Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Burlingame, California | Makoto Tateno, Martha Asahi[23] |
September 16–18, 2016 | Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Burlingame, California | Hinako Takanaga[24] |
October 6–8, 2017 | Hyatt Regency Santa Clara Santa Clara, California [25] | Sakira, Psyche Delico[26] |
References
edit- ^ Masaki, Lyle (2008-01-06). ""Yowie!": The Stateside appeal of boy-meets-boy YAOI comics". AfterElton.com. Retrieved 2008-06-16.
- ^ "Digital Manga Publishing's CEO Talks About Taking the Reins of YaoiCon in 2012". Archived from the original on 2013-05-14. Retrieved 2012-09-23.
- ^ Anime, mon amour: forget Pokémon—Japanese animation explodes with gay, lesbian, and trans themes - video
- ^ Ressler, Karen (2017-12-13). "YaoiCon takes 1-Year Break in 2018". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2020-10-16.
- ^ YaoiCon Twitter Account (2017-12-12). "YaoiCon will be taking a one year break". Retrieved 2020-10-16.
{{cite web}}
:|author=
has generic name (help) - ^ YaoiCon Twitter Account (2019-01-01). "Our resolution this year is to have and enjoy more Yaoi events and be utter unrepentant teases". Retrieved 2020-10-16.
{{cite web}}
:|author=
has generic name (help) - ^ "Yaoi-Con homepage". Archived from the original on 2020-05-16. Retrieved 2020-10-16.
- ^ "Yaoi-Con". Facebook. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
- ^ "Yaoi-Con 2001 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
- ^ "Yaoi-Con 2002 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
- ^ "Yaoi-Con 2003 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
- ^ "Yaoi-Con 2004 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
- ^ "Yaoi-Con 2005 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
- ^ "Yaoi-Con 2006 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
- ^ "Yaoi-Con 2007 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
- ^ "Yaoi-Con 2008 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2008-08-23.
- ^ "Yaoi-Con 2009 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2019-11-22.
- ^ "This Weekend: Manga Fans' Guide to Yaoi-Con 2010". Archived from the original on 2010-10-28.
- ^ "Yaoi-Con 2010 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2019-11-22.
- ^ "Yaoi-Con 2011 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2019-11-22.
- ^ "Yaoi-Con 2012 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2019-11-22.
- ^ "Yaoi-Con 2014 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2019-11-22.
- ^ "Yaoi-Con 2015 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2019-11-22.
- ^ "Yaoi-Con 2016 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2019-11-22.
- ^ https://www.facebook.com/officialyaoicon/photos/a.460471344037510.1073741825.423314747753170/1080517108699594/?type=3&theater [user-generated source]
- ^ "Yaoi-Con 2017 Information". AnimeCons.com. Retrieved 2019-11-22.
External links
edit- Official website (defunct, link via Internet Archive)