otakon 2005 pictures / gallery unlocked.  http://www.rdfn.org/gallery/otakon/2005/

otakon 2004 pictures / gallery unlocked.  http://www.rdfn.org/gallery/otakon/2004/

otakon 2003 pictures / gallery unlocked.  http://www.rdfn.org/gallery/otakon/2003/

otakon 2002 pictures / gallery unlocked.  http://www.rdfn.org/gallery/otakon/2002/

will update with a small report shortly.  speed dating.  couldn't get into certain panels.  the delicious smell of funnel cake replaced with the stinky smell of buttery popcorn.

new york comic con anime festival 2011 pictures are posted at http://www.rdfn.org/gallery/new_york_comic_con/2011/

my schedule for ny comic con. obviously i won't be able to make it to all, but these are the panels/events that i'm interested in. and oh, i signed up for speed dating. that should be interesting. hope i don't chicken out. heh.

edit: [convention over, schedule deleted]

ten years ago, otakon 2001, wow.  this was the first year i shot my con photos using a digital camera, a sony cybershot (dsc-s70).  this was also the first year otakon had the entire baltimore convention center.  imagine, the whole convention center and only ten-thousand attendees vs the 2011 stats of thirty-thousand.

so the most vivid memory of otakon 2001 that has stuck was the exploding manhole covers (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/howard_street_tunnel_fire).  cause, residual chemicals from the train derailment three-weeks prior.  thought it was thunder at first and then heard all the firetrucks.  also remember the city was flushing out all the hydrants and the water in the hotel tasted like gasoline.

this was the second year we had a room at the harbor court hotel.  this year we had a view of the inner harbor and what a view it was.  it was a corner room, which was part of a larger suite.  we didn't have the larger suite though, that would be next year.

looking back at all the pictures, i can't help but think, has it really been ten years.  we were all so much younger back then.  heh.

otakon 2001 pictures / gallery unlocked.  http://www.rdfn.org/gallery/otakon/2001/

otakon 2000 was much more planned out.  i planned a friday-sunday stay.  i had a courtyard view room at the harbor court hotel.  it was a nice independent posh hotel.  back then, the dole (as in pineapple) family owned it. (it is currently an intercontinental.  companies properties include holiday inn, if you didn't know.)

like otakon 1999, otakon 2000 did not have the entire baltimore convention center to itself.  we shared the space with some religious group (something like that).  it was kind of interesting to hear stories about them being demanding at burger king that weekend.

my memory might be fuzzy, but i'm pretty sure this was the year i discovered the stinky fanboy.  we were sitting by one of the entrances and was chatting with this guy ... every time the door opened, there was this funny smell, and then i realized it was the guy we were chatting with.  obviously i made a quick exit after realizing this.

one last thought.  i'm fairly certain that prior to me being a guest at the harbor court, they didn't know what anime was.  we brought a friend with cat ears and a dress into the hotel and there was some kind of after wedding reception going on.  that was fun.  i think one of the guest took a picture with him.  brilliant!  anyways, the hotel certainly knows us now.  and would remember me for years to come.

anyways, i probably shouldn't be writing blog postings at 1am, when i should be sleeping.

otakon 2000 pictures / gallery unlocked.  http://www.rdfn.org/gallery/otakon/2000/

this picture of the september 11th tribute in light was taken in 2009 from my friend matt's apartment on the 22nd floor of silver towers.

disclaimer:  everything is a bit fuzzy.  remember, this happened twelve years ago ...

otakon 1999, the year that started it all.  a long time ago on an irc network far, far away ... a group of us use hang out on this irc channel on efnet called #robotech.  prior to its 1998 airing on cartoon network, i have never seen an episode of robotech before.  in fact, prior to 1998, i never seen any anime previously, unless you want to count voltron, but i didn't know that was anime back then.  back to the story ... less than a month before otakon, a couple of my friends on #robotech spoke of attending this anime convention and said i should go.  they kinda nagged me about it for a little bit and at the last moment i decided to go.

got myself camera (film advantix), booked the hotel (hyatt), got myself a train ticket (amtrak, metroliner).  since i didn't know what i was getting myself into, i only did saturday-sunday.  i had a lot of fun.  didn't take that many photos, but this started the whole photography thing.

otakon 1999 pictures / gallery unlocked.  http://www.rdfn.org/gallery/otakon/1999/