The Chaotic Trickster verbalized:

On Wed, 20 Mar 1996, AlberCrombie wrote:

All in all, I don't think that we (people in the States) are bragging that
we have cons, and you (everybody else, this case - Australia) don't.  It's
more of like you said, 'cool - I'm going to a con!'

Yes, but we tend to get flooded with them - its enough to get anyone PO'd.

point taken

Like I said, I don't know anything about Australia, but I do feel that if
the folks in Australia want to go to a con - they need to think about
holding one themselves.  This is how anime cons started in America, and
eventually started on the East coast - somebody, somewhere said - "this
sucks, I'm going to do it better."

Well, if we did decide to hold an Australian *Anime* specific con - how 
many ppl from the US would come to it?   ( I know all the aussies on this 
list will ;) )

If they can they will.

>From the responses that I've read lately, it seems that there are
SF/anime/gaming fans to be found in Australia.  Why not hold a general con
and do a little of everything?  Some Movies, some gaming, some of this and
a little of that.  Hold it in a big city (Sydney) or someplace easily
accessable and see who comes.  

One of the problems is advertising.  As far as I know in America, the
organisers of cons tend to have more money, and can do mass-media
advertising.  Until DarkWind dragged me into this, I had seen bugger all
with Australian Anime.  Curiously enough, I had seen ads for American
cons. 

Not neccesarily so. Granted the bigger cons are treated as a company to help
in the event if they go under (I guess they becoming incorporated, I dunno). 
Start with the Internet.  

		On 35 of March in Brisbane - SF-con I - show up.

Also hit local hang outs near you - flyers.  Find contact people in near by
cities do the same.  Reach out this way and try to cover a good sized area.

Look for small clubs, sci-fi, gamers, anime(?) at hobby stores and
universities.  Word of mouth is a *POWERFUL* method.

Advertise in the newspaper a month in advance, give warning. 

Are there any local fan mags?  Try those. 

I'm not sure what the cost of this is versus American cost, but I wouldn't
think it would be that much more.  This is how I would start up a con here. 
You do need people to donate some cash, but not much.  Your biggest cost so
far is printing real advertisments for newspapers and fanmags - and you
probably wont do too many of those.

Send requests to Anime/Manga companies to send you stuff.  Obviously
Austrialia is out of the way to show up, but they might happily send you
stuff to hand out.  Prove to them that there is a possibility of making
money and they might really show up next time.

In America, it is easier for local (i.e. on continent) companies to show up
at a first time con, but they still wont sink a lot of money into it.  They
have no guarentee that the con will even make their travel costs back.

Pre-registration is how a lot of cons get a part of their capital.  This
is also a great way to estimate how many people will really show up.  I
don't know how to estimate this correctly, but somebody around here should.
(comments from the peanut gallery?)

Do be prepared to lose money the first time through.  Maybe even up to the
third time.  But if you see that you did come close to what you expected the
1st or 2nd con and that you didn't lose as much as you thought, or you had
as many peopl (or more) than you expected - you're doing something right.  

Also, look for a backer.  Local hobby store or other company.  Nice way to
get some working capital.  Put's their name in the spotlight.

	"Koala's Komics Presents Aussi-Con I, March 35-38th"

As much as I hate to admit it, Melbourne is more likely.  Brisbane? (my 
current city) hahahahahaha.

Hothing gets done until somebody tries.

As Neo said - money and advertising.  To get a con, we need more people
interested in Anime.  To do that - how do you broadcast it?  Only the
government TV channel (ABC) even shows Anime, and thats usually on during
kids hours.  Flame me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the US have more shown? 

Oh, get real.  You mention 'Anime' to joe-schmuck, he goes 'what?'  If you
mention 'Battle of the Planets', 'G-Force', 'Shogun Warriors', 'Speed
Racer', or maybe even 'Akira' they might go "oh, that Japanese stuff."
('Sailor Moon' might work, too, but I'm not sure about that one.)

We get shit on the TV.  You can occationally find Akira and Venus Wars on
the Sci-Fi channel.  Snibbits of Neo-Tokyo on MTV's liquid television. 
That's it.  Nobody brodcasts real anime - just watered-down, kiddiefied
cartoons.

This stuff is *NOT* a good representation of anime.

Believe me folks, I would have loved to have been able to send plane tickets
to everybody, but I'm not that rich (I'm lucky I can get lunch!).  It would
have been fun to have met you all.

Better save up for next time then ;)

I'll try.  ;)

I am also willing to bet that if you did want to try this, the folx on the
ML and on rec.arts.anime would be willing to offer support any way they
could.  Ideas are always free.

Send money and an attraction please ;)

                                  ~~~~
                The Chaotic Trickster - kergma@sv.net.au

Well I've ranted and raved enough on this.  I'll drop it now.

good luck, folx

AlberCrombie

 
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             AlberCrombie ---- The One And Only Space Gopher 
 
	The Laws of Anime Phyiscs.....
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