#Swampcon

[swampcon]

GET IN LOSERS, WE'RE GOING TO THE CIRCUS

#swampcon #florida con #uf #anime #gainesville #gator gaming #gaming #lets go gamers #swampcon 2024 #florids convention #multimedia convention #free convention #circus #circuscore #digital circus

[wolfpai999]

Aaaaa forgot to post this earlier today, but here’s my setup for @swampcon

I think it’s the most put together and organized booth I’ve had at a con pffff

Really happy with how it looks, and today was a good one! ✨

#wolfpai #my art #artist alley #convention #con #anime convention #swampcon #2023 #fan art #fanart #table setup #florida #artists on tumblr #keychains #charms #stickers #sticker #fnaf security guard #helluva boss

[twinstrangersp]

Syntax at Swampcon in Gainesville, Florida!

HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT, EVERYONE!

As you may have seen on our Twitter, we have been invited as guest panelists to SwampCon, a large multi-media con taking place at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida! We are SO thrilled to be a part of a convention, and are the ONLY audio drama/podcasters being invited to participate!

Stella "Rowan" Odom, creator and producer of Syntax, will be presenting a panel with a few of our voice actors and technical crew from Syntax! Our panel will be titled "Horror In Audio: How to Scare Your Mind" and will focus on SFX and the world of horror audio dramas! We will be showing how we create some of your favorite monster noises from the ground up, as well as using examples from other audio dramas to really SELL the horror aspect with audio only!

Not only that, but our voice actors will be speaking on how it feels to voice in the horror sphere, and how to sell the emotion of being scared out of your mind! There will also (hopefully) be a Q&A portion at the end!

The panel will be in the Auditorium of the Reitz Union Center on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida, on March 25th at 6pm EST.

If you're unable to attend in real life, we will be streaming it to our YouTube here! The panel will be taking place on Saturday, 3/25 at 6pm EST! https://t.co/MlGXOxXAQd

We are so excited to be panelists at this event, and cannot wait to show you some of our production, as well as bringing more attention to audio dramas as a whole!

#swampcon #gainesville #syntax #twinstrangersproductions #twinstrangersp #audiodrama #audio drama #panels #informational panel #university of florida #uf

[animetedpolitick]

SwampCon Volunteering

My experience at SwampCon was greater than I had preconceived it would be. It was absolutely fantastic with amazing and wonderful people and those that shared the same interests (and obsessions and headcanons) as I do. Looking back at my experiences, many of the things that we discusses in our class was highly applicable to the community and the social phenomena that was present at the convention.

The concept of the otaku and the way that they home in on the objects of their desire through the medium of simply creation and recreation, namely dōjinshi and cosplay, was highly evident throughout the convention. The motifs of costumes, and the replicas of many of the same thing throughout the event, also supports the idea of us being post-modern database animals and the way that we cling onto certain images and certain concepts and recycle such ideas.

Everywhere throughout the convention, whether young or old, you can see Genshin character cosplays (whether it be Jean, Lisa, Albedo, Kazuha, or Venti), fur suits, and a plethora of Hatsune Mikus crawling about the scene. You can the Artist Alley flooded with visions of personal fantasies of certain anime—of which I fairly enjoyed those that shared the same gay (head)canons as me, which led me to be more relaxed with the fact that it is not just me that thinks (knows) this.

The heavy LGBTQ+ presence and the general disregard for gender roles and the blatant overall view of the disconnect between the sexed body and representation of it was so very freeing. The drag show at the event was wonderful and helped to depict the reality that is the non-mutual connection of gender and biological sex and the expected standard repetition of acts associated with the sexed body.

The various differing communities that composed the population of the convention was a diverse sight to behold. Even my friends who are not as into the previous things as aforementioned (although they can appreciate it, at least for me), enjoyed themselves in gaming and going through new experiences. They even bought some art and merch while we were there!

It was an incredibly fun time and I would love to go again and have fun.

#uf #universityofflorida #swampcon #swampcon2023 #jpt1311

[outarou-mikado]

SwampCon day 1 outfits!

#I had a blast!!! #had to change for the night because that dress was making me overheat #so did a little casual outfit for the drag show #but that my first Angelic Pretty dress!!! and it has pockets!!! #SwampCon #will post coord for today later.... #actually me

[bluelockholytrinity-jpt1311]

SwampCon Blog Post

SwampCon was an amazing experience. This was the first ever time attending a conference of any sort. It was great to see everyone embrace anime fan culture in their own ways and also have a platform where they can share their passion for anime and comic fan culture.

It was great to see how the University of Florida embraces this event. From what I've heard about the previous SwampCons, this year's SwampCon was at a larger scale than it usually is. SwampCon was very welcoming to everyone who attended it, and the guests were amazingly nice and happy to be there and experience swampcon to the fullest.

On the first day of SwampCon, I volunteered at the registration stand. Working at the register, I got to meet and see a lot of different cosplayers. After my shift ended, I went to explore multiple events that were held on the ground floor of the Reitz and at the Grand Ballroom. They were some gaming going on at the ground floor of the Reitz, including VR gaming and some music-making games. It was nice to see different people in their natural habitats enjoying what they like doing. I didn't get a chance to try some VR games because there was a waiting list, but people were having fun playing those dungeons' escape games. At the grand ballroom, there were some singing and dancing performances. It was so cool to see so many people enjoying anime music and vibing with it. They were singing along like true otakus at an idol stars concert.

On the second day of SwampCon, I visited some vendors and the grand ballroom costume contests. The costume contest was disappointing, to be honest; it was short, and some of the costumes were great, while others could have been better. The vendor panels are where you'll find all the derivative works that otakus created in order to feel closer to the anim(e)ted world. These derivative works are pretty tempting if you're into buying figurines and fan art. They were some cool things for sale, like plushies, figures, and jewelry; the prices were also fair, from what I remember.

They were people of all ages attending the convention. The otakus that we've seen in Genshiken are way different than the ones who were at the convention. The people at the convention are a little on the milder side of otakus than what was displayed in Genshiken. They were on the calmer side of things and were less otaku-like. They seemed to be able to distinguish between reality and fiction. Even though I like watching anime, I didn't feel the excitement of going to SwampCon and touring the different panels and vendors like an extreme otaku would in the same situation.

The vendors enhance the fandom culture by creating fan art and publishing them for other otakus to consume. In return, these derivative works increase the fandom culture and potentially have parents bringing their children to conventions such as SwampCon. This exposes the children to a whole new world of anime and therefore increases the fandom culture and youth culture.

Being able to cosplay however you want without being judged for it is one of the significances of SwampCon. SwampCon provided a platform for the guests to explore their cultural identities. Having that safe space allowed the guests to be who themselves. Seeing how the otakus act at SwampCon improves the image and cultural identity of otakus.

Overall, SwampCon was a great experience, even though I didn't enjoy it to the fullest like others did. I hope I can actively engage in next year's SwampCon.

#anime #jpt1311 #swampcon

[gurleend287]

SwampCon

SwampCon is the first convention I have ever been to. Safe to say that I enjoyed it very much. Everything from the hundreds of cosplay artists to the cute maid café was a new experience for me.

I only ever view cosplay artists on social media platforms such as Instagram and YouTube. However, seeing them in front of me in person was AWESOME. I recognized so many of the characters that walked by me, such as ones from Blue Lock, Spy X Family, AOT, etc.. As a closeted weeb, who doesn’t like physically displaying any of my interests in anime outside, it was cool to see how this is a safe space for individuals to express themselves. Even one of my own friends cosplayed as a character from Genshin: Scaramouche (pictured right in the middle of the above photo).

As for what we did throughout the day on Saturday: I met up with everyone outside the Reitz in the morning to take some photos for my friend’s cosplay. After registration, we then went on upstairs to the third floor where the Maid Café was. One of my mentors was serving as a maid too, so I was really excited to see her outfit. Everyone looked SO CUTE. It was actually really fun, and I was surprised to see that they had vegan brownies as an option since I don’t eat eggs due to personal dietary restrictions. Several of the servers also performed during our show, which was super cool. I started screaming internally when I recognized the kpop song they were dancing to: Go Go by BTS.

We then went on the other side of the floor to the two rooms known as Artist Alley. I loved loved loved all the beautiful works of art in there. From keychains, stickers, and buttons to quite expensive prints, everything was extremely colorful. I literally felt like a little child going into a candy store when I walked in. This one artist in particular caught my eye because his prints were absolutely breathtaking: Kawaii Satori (the name on his business card). He had AMAZING prints of all the anime I loved, but I had to hold myself back and not purchase the prints because I have too many up on my walls at home anyways (but that’s why you take the business card, so you can buy them online later haha). There was this other artist, Lalaine Garcia, I fell in love with too. Her keychains were so cute (my favorite was this Gojo one). But I took her card instead of purchasing the keychains because I wanted to look around the vendor hall too before buying anything. (I’m so proud of myself for not spending over $20 total though the entire day).

The vendor hall was next (also on the same floor). I actually wasn’t too interested in most of the stalls there except this one that sold jewelry, notably cute earrings, which was located right in front of the door that led inside. I did buy some Rengoku earrings from there :) because they were small enough to not be out there, but I was also showing off how much I LOVE demon slayer.

Overall, Saturday was super fun with my friends because we spent most of the day taking photos, admiring art, and joking around about what we saw.

On Sunday, I volunteered for three hours at the info desk outside the Grand Ballroom. It was a much more relaxed day since I just had to pass out shirts and point people into the direction of different panels and events that they were lost on. And then got some perks at the end of my shift, which included stickers, a cup, and a shirt.

P.S. the art on the badge was so pretty, I wanna know who made it

#jpt1311 #swampcon #post

[fubblers]

Koda Ellis photo stickers designed and printed by me as a part of I Adore Idol. Order on Kofi and pickup at SwampCon this Saturday. Link in reblogs.

#idol #indie idol #SwampCon #stickers #for sale #SwampCon 2023 #central florida

[electricfrank3n]

im obsessed with him hes my favorite little creature

#dmc5 #art #vergil #dmc #devil may cry #more old art. i want to draw him more because hes been on my brain so much #i had this as a print for swampcon and i sold out of them lmao

[swampcon]

beep beep. get in our circus car. yes it is very little. yes it is full of clowns. yes you will have to squish. have fun!

VISIT US AT SWAMPCON.ORG FOR MORE INFO

#swampcon #gainesville #florida con #anime #uf #gaming #gator gaming #free convention #multimedia convention #florids convention #florida idol group

[unrivaledmeteoranger]

con im going to happens during narus birthday YIPPEE

#SECOND YEAR IN A ROW!!! #last year it was freecon this time its swampcon #im making naru plush a little birthday girl sash to wear #f/oposting #arashi narukami

[dwarfplanet-eris]

Alligator pony?? Inspired by the SwampCon mascot the best con ever in the whole wide world

#my art #pixel art #mlp #I hope tumblr doesnt eat my pixels #it looks like shes playing nice

[vickys-death-note]

Swampcon !!

Swampcon was an interesting experience. I went on Saturday afternoon with my friend, and we stayed there a couple of hours. When we got there, I was extremely surprised by how many were there. This was my first time attending a convention, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect. There were a lot of people in really detailed and accurate cosplay of various characters. My favorite one was easily anyone cosplaying as the angel devil from Chainsaw Man (easily best character sorry). Also really loved all of the kurapika cosplayers. There were so many people cosplaying there that I almost felt out of place with my tshirt and shorts. As we talked about during our discussion of Genshiken: they take fiction that it our there and transform it into fiction that is theirs alone. Through this medium of fan culture, people were brought together to share their interests in various types of media.

I wasn’t able to go to the panels that I really wanted to go to since I woke up late. However, I was able to go to “How to get a rizztraining order” and it was something !!! First off, I really enjoyed this panel and how hilarious it was, but it really showcased how many creeps are out there. This panel showed different instances of men leaving gross and inappropriate comments on cosplayer’s pages and messages. Unfortunately, this side of the fandom is the one that gets the most attention from those outsides of this fandom. I know before getting into anime, I was (unfortunately) someone who was predisposed against it just because of weirdos like them, who end up tainting society’s perception of fandom.

This was sadly the only panel I was able to attend, but I still had an amazing time at the vendor corner. I’ll be honest and say I am the craziest shopaholic. I am always buying the most random and unnecessary things online or at target, so I knew it was going to be hard to resist buying stuff at Swampcon. Thankfully, I was there with my friend, and he was my voice of reason, so I ended up only spending $15 on a Cinnamoroll headband and got gifted Kirby earrings :D I loved seeing all of the different prints, charms, stickers, and figures that were on display. TBH I almost caved and bought a $250 Mikasa figurine because she solos. Seeing so many different types of products really made me realize how big consumer culture is. Fandom is an example of unofficial culture capital. We all buy these little fun or cute objects that don’t really translate into any economic benefits. We buy them because they make us happy and we can show these items to others that also enjoy them. These little (but very expensive) items bring us so much joy because it materializes fictional characters that we all enjoy and love. I like to think that I have some self control when it comes to fandom consumer culture, but then again I do have a full drawer full of anime shirts and a whole shelf with manga and small anime figures. :/

Overall, Swampcon was a really interesting and enjoyable event! It was really cool being in a safe and comfortable environment filled with zero judgment. It’s crazy how people come from all over the state, and even from other states to be able to attend this convention. I was able to meet others who share the same interests for even the most obscure and random animes that I have watched. I would love to attend next year and see what new things it will have to offer. Enjoy this picture of me and R2D2 <3 

[jjraderftw]

SWAMPCON

Swampcon was an absolute delight. This wasn’t my first time going to this convention for I actually had the pleasure of going with my friends last year. As an avid convention attendee, I knew exactly what was in store for me at Swampcon. As a Gator Anime officer, this has been something my friends and fellow officers have been working on and planning ever since last year. I had the opportunity to do almost everything the con had to offer including: visiting maid cafe, touring vendor hall and artist alley, participating in cosplay, playing in the rhythm arcade, attending a vocaloid concert and participating/hosting a panel.

The first thing I did the day of Swampcon was go with my friends in cosplay to the event. I adore cosplay as it's my opportunity to bring not only my headcanon OC designs to life, but also embrace some of my favorite characters in a new way where I can literally live out the fantasies of “he’s just like me for real.” Saturday I went as an original designer for a steampunk character. It's my personal favorite costume and is full of intricate gears and accessories. My friends went as miscellaneous characters ranging from Indiana Jones to Nagito from Danganronpa. Once we got to the venue, we went to see our sister club Maid Cafe perform. The songs they performed were bangers and I even got to see my friends break it down on stage to King which was so entertaining. We got served some treats so I had the S Tier drink known as lemonade and a brownie as the show was going on.

After the maid cafe, I toured vendor hall and artist alley. I bought the cutest and most astute looking goose plush I’ve ever seen. He is beautiful and he’s mine now. I named him Quacavel. The vendor hall was very small compared to an average convention so not too much besides the plushie caught my eye. On the other hand, artists alley was a lot more entertaining and engaging for me. I love buying good art and trinkets despite having no money nor wall space for them, but it's fine don't worry. I got a really neat framed painting of a fox that I put up in my room. The artist selections were awesome and vibrant and had items ranging from candles, to canvases, to preserved animal skeletons.

After some light shopping, I caught up with some old buddies of mine and relaxed in the VIP lounge for a bit until the late afternoon, just in time for the events to begin. We went to a panel where my boy Ahmed rated his favorite muscular women in anime (his first choice was Mikasa) which was not only hilarious in concept, but funny in the sense that it was surreal seeing it hosted in the UF Chamber with about 50+ attentive attendees. We migrated to the Vocaloid concert after the panel ended. Though it wasn’t holoprojected like it was last year, the song selection and dance sequences were absolutely gas and I enjoyed seeing hundreds of vocaloid enjoyers in one room all grooving to Solar System Disco.

The last bit of the day was my own panel: Bad Fanfic Reading (18+). We started prepping for the panel at around 7pm and my partner and I began setting up the powerpoint, music, and reading list. Though none of us had any prior experience with hosting panels at conventions, our time running Anime Club and our overall extroverted natures made it pretty easy. Honestly, I didn’t even feel nervous. Though I won’t go into detail about what we read, I will say we had an insane turnout and we had an amazing time. Our entire room was almost full and we retained a lot of the crowd for the almost 2 hour long session. It was an unforgettable experience that concluded in a trip to Chili’s.

Sunday I did basically everything from Saturday minus the panel stuff. It was a lot more tame since I was tired from the night before. I cosplayed as Red from Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow and even got a fire picture with Team Rocket!

Overall, I had an awesome time and I’m glad I was able to go.

[harleehix]

SWAMPCON 2023 <3

I want to start this blog post talking about my time at SwampCon 2023!! WOO! As a volunteer, I was scared that I was not going to be able to enjoy the convention like everyone else, but I was mistaken. I still got to enjoy the vendors, shows, and cosplays!

I loved walking around the Reitz and seeing so many people dressed up in their favorite characters. Everyone was so sweet and kind! I love the atmosphere that conventions bring. Just folk coming together to consume the things they love. Additionally, the vendors were awesome. You could buy fantastic works of art, jewelry, clothes, etc. from talented creators. There was one shop that sold the cutest earrings! XoX.

Anyway getting back on track, the drag show, cospoi show, and maid cafe were my favorite parts of the convention. Starting with the drag show, I just love how creative and fun the shows and outfits were! For example, one of the queens were dressed up as a game character and used a large mouse prop to imitate gameplay, which I thought was really cool. The cospoi show was so unlike anything that I have ever seen before; It was amazing! The music and the theatrics were beautiful and I would definitely attend again. I especially like the glowing balls that they swung with the music. Lastly (and most certainly not least), the maid cafe was so cute! You could order cakes and drinks while the maids performed a dance for the guests. The atmosphere was so chill. One more thing that I really enjoyed at the convention was the drum game they had in the U.R.G.E room. You would have to hit a drum to the beat of the music. My boyfriend and I had a blast in there.

If I could add something to the convention to make it better, it would be to add more decorations around the Reitz. If there weren’t so many people in cosplay, you would not be able to tell that there was a convention going on in the Reitz. It was plain. I wish there were more SwampCon decorations around the building.

I briefly talked about consumption above, and want to expand on that discussion. In class we talked about the unofficial/shadow culture capital, otaku, fandoms, etc. and I want to apply these concepts to my time at SwampCon. The convention allows fans ( in this case mostly fans of anime) to come together and personalize a piece of fictional anime. An example of this in its most simple form would have to be cosplay. Cosplay is an outward expression of a fan’s love for a certain piece of fiction, and allows them to ‘give love’ back to that show. Additionally, the vendors were also contributing to the otaku culture that accumulates at conventions such as at SwampCon. These artists create pieces of work that allow them to portray their view of a show however they see fit. For example, one amazing artist had artwork of two characters from Danganronpa kissing (which is awesome). In this manner, it is similar to doujinshi.

I want to also discuss the spread and use of unofficial culture capital at the convention. I went to the convention with my boyfriend and my friend Riley, who has not watched any anime. I was able to talk with other convention attendees about a show and spread shadow culture capital with them, but my friend Riley had a hard time since she hasn’t accumulated any unofficial culture capital about anime. After the convention, she was finally convinced to watch anime (WIN).

I enjoyed my weekend very much at the convention and will certainly be attending next year!

[academic-weapon]

SwampCon

word count: 639 words 04.01.23

I have been to five (5) cons, ever, and it never gets less exciting. This was my first time as an active staff member, though. If I can, I'll continue to volunteer in the future. There is just something really nice about getting to speak with cosplayers without having to gather the courage to approach them first, since they're the ones that need something from staff.

Although I didn't ask to take pictures with anyone, regrettably, my aunt did lmao. Cosplay is a form of self-expression and art, alright— a lot of time, effort, and creativity goes into these costumes, and it's great to see them confidently put all of this on display. I know that to many, being asked to take pictures is an acknowledgment of their hard work. I hope my aunt made those Sailor Moon and Genshin cosplayers happy with her requests.

I grew up thinking enjoying manga and anime... was taboo, almost. I get it, there may be social stigmas associated with people who enjoy anime because anime and manga have historically been associated with certain genres that are seen as inappropriate or immature. Genshiken covered this— your average otaku isn't always socially awkward or obsessive. They just are. But now, as the medium becomes more mainstream, it is also more broadly accepted. It's great to see.

That being said, conventions provide a space where people who love aspects of otaku culture can come together and bond over their shared interests. It isn't always easy to find like-minded folks, and the con does just that. It also offers a wide variety of vendors selling neat merchandise that won't really be available at your typical store at the mall. I'm frugal at best and terribly cheap at worst, but even then...

... it had to be done.

I try to justify the purchase by saying that I may never again find the artists I got the prints from, and I really did fall in love with the art you guys. I had had the chance to check out the con prior to my shift starting, spoke with the artist some, and... walked away. My shift supervisor was kind to let me escape briefly to run up to the Artist Alley and grab a couple prints before they closed. Gladly advertising them here because they're so very talented.

And I guess that's kind of the thing. I wouldn't have had the chance to meet that artist or get introduced to the art if not for events like this con. It's about building a sense of community and fitting in seamlessly.

Merch tax right here. Freebie con shirt that staff members and some lucky con-goers were allowed to get, my three prints (terrible picture, but it's Naruto, Chainsaw Man, and Hunter X Hunter, in that order), My Hero keychain, and a handful of freebie stickers. Better than the experience itself... is the stuff you can get out of it.

While I know that I definitely engaged in sharing art and media by ogling art and cosplay and whatnot, I didn't really have time to explore the panels. I was out of town for most of the event, and really only showed up for my scheduled shift. I think that attending panels is a good method to learn more about what makes up Otaku culture; you're exposed to new ideas and perspectives that way, and also new fandoms.

I did get the chance to witness this drag show that was going on, but only briefly. Not to get too political here, guys, but I don't think activities like these "appeal to prurient, shameful, or morbid interests," or whatever. It certainly looked perfectly healthy in there! Amusing to watch, too.

I'm glad I got to attend, and I look forward to being part of more events like these in the future!

#awpost