katsucon 17 impressions

Katsucon 17: February 18-20, 2011 at the Gaylord International in National Harbor, MD.

I’d like to summarize some of the impressions I had regarding Katsucon 2011. As this was my third year in attendance at the now 17 year old convention, I have seen it move from the crammed hallways of 2009 to the often bewildering size of 2010, to the obviously more settled and “fluid” 2011. While Katsucon is far from perfect, in just three years my own experience has improved immensely from previous years, enough so that what I thought might be my last year in attendance might not actually be that. Only time will tell in that regard.

an ideological shinigami

Does a shinigami actually need to be a god? Does it actually need to be a supernatural creature in general? This might sound like a rhetorical, or even obvious, question. The word “god” is in their name, after all. But what if there exists a shinigami who embodies everything the concept does, does the duty and holds the obligations, while at the same time having not one lick of supernatural ability. Is that person still a shinigami?

katsucon 17 schedule

It's that time of year again, time to head back down the Corridor into the convention fray. First up for me: the venerable Katsucon, for its 17th year, and second at the Gaylord Resort in National Harbor. I'm eager to see how the area has changed in the past 12 months, and how the con, which has been the subject of a great deal of rumor and controversy (stemming from a very ambiguous policy regarding fanart this year) proceeds. This will be my third consecutive Katsucon, and most likely my last, so I'm hoping for a good experience yet again.

better dead and red: reflections on a red shinigami

The Grim Reaper. Shinigami. Death. Few words carry with them such powerful connotations. Or such powerful imagery. Simply saying the word “reaper” can send a chill down your spine. Go ahead, try it right now for yourself. “Reaper.” I know my stomach felt a little cooler. And my mind? Well, it immediately went to the image of a man in dark, wielding a giant scythe in his hands, his skeletal face grinning wickedly as he stared me down, just waiting for that last breath. Terrifying, isn’t it?

Now take the word shinigami, death god, lord of dying, and then attach it to this image: