For the past 10 years I've been guesting at anime conventions across the United States. Each one is unique. On the coasts they tend to be larger and older than cons in middle America, with massive crowds and decades of history, but common to all is that they've each become more diverse. Most today report a near 50-50 gender mix, with attendees spanning racial and ethnic spectra.
What's frustrating, though, is that I hardly ever get to talk with anyone. (I talk to them, of course. That's my job. But sustained conversations are rare.)
Once the crowds show up, cons are dizzying affairs. Your liaison escorts you to the venue, navigating through clumps of cosplayers. The fans pour in, get their book signed, mutter their thanks and maybe share an anecdote about their favorite show, a trip to Tokyo, or a story you wrote that they read. It's nice, but brief.
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