AuckGeddon 09

So. Last weekend was when Auckland Armageddon. If you don't know that already, then who are you and how did you find my little corner of internet? 8D

The entire weekend was a blast. I was cosplaying as the Blue Spy from Team Fortress 2. First off, huge props to Sylvie for making the suit, it is perfect. And even more thanks to Jess for making the mask - it ended up being much better than I had dared to hope. Between your efforts, the costume was brilliant, and I have you both to thank for it.

The amount of recognition my costume received was truly staggering. I mean, I expected some, but I literally couldn't walk around for more than five minutes without hearing "Spy 'round here!" or "That spy's sappin' mah sentry". Constantly getting stopped for photos should have been irritating, but I instead found it quite gratifying, even if the compliments on the costume were ultimatley misplaced. And I'll tell you what, if I wasn't very good at the knife taunt at the start of the weekend, I was certainly an expert by the end.

And naturally, CNZ shined in the cosplay scene, though there were a number of good'uns that were apparently not among our number. I won't bother detailing all of it - that has been done to death, on the forums and elsewhere. However, I do feel that I need to mention Clan Biscuit. Their contest entries were staggering - I was literally at a loss for words, and those of you who know me well know just how rare this is. Best Group and Best Skit, and both very well-earned. Good job you three - I know you all put a helluva lot of work into your costumes, and it is good to see your hard work paying off. The beautiful rose, the blooming wildflower and the "God of Love" (I still snort with laughter every time the though of Alex as the God of Love crosses my mind). Just brilliant.

The convention itself was excellent - the move to a bigger venue was a very good choice - rough estimates put attendance over the 40,000 mark, and it was very full at peak times - there was no chance the Aotea center could have handled it. The selection of stalls was very good, even if the number of anime-related stalls seemed less than last year. I wholeheartedly approve of the inclusion of a proper Artists Alley this year - it has been the only thing consistently missing for a while now.

However, this year I think the highlight of the convention (cosplay aside) was the R18 gaming section. I pity you poor souls who could not get in - the chance to get a sneak-peek and play at Assassin's Creed II, Left4Dead2 and Borderlands was bloody brilliant, and has strengthened my resolve to buy all three games. And on top of that, the 3D gaming tech-demo (Avatar: The Game I think it was) was breathtaking. I hadn't yet seen that in action, so I had no idea the technology had come so far. It is a crime shame that such a setup would cost over 9000 dollars.

The event was slightly marred by unfortunate happenings of various causes and caliber, but that is only natural. None of it detracted from the sheer amount of FUN I had this weekend. It is all a bit of a blur really - I have genuine difficulty placing the various moments I remember on a timeline, and even remember which day they happened on. A bit of a stimulus overload, my brain is fried.

Once again, AuckGeddon was one hell of an event. I can only say this - thank god it is only once a year, else we might just all die of exhaustion.

DO Weekend

So, this was the weekend of Doujin Overload. For those of you not in the know, Doujin Overload is a yearly event held in Auckland where independant artists and other select merchants set up a table and sell their work.

This year, as every year, the quality was varied. Works ranged from terrible (or should I say abstract? I'm not much of an art critic) lineart to beatifully done full colour character portraits and scenes. In addition to the artist, Graphic Novel Cafe had a small stall and large figurine display, and there were a few other vendors whos names I forget selling a limited selection of DVDs, manga, graphic novels and figurines.

It was a good day. Wandering around the room looking at whats available is interesting. Some of the highlights for me were a K-ON poster (which I sadly forgot to pickup), a Rider poster and a Suigintou poster, the latter of the two drawn by members of the AUT Anime club. But most interesting was an artbook + OST bundle called Superscenic.

The art in the A5 artbook is stunning - some original characters, some existing, but all very good stuff. But for me it was the OST that truly stood out. It was filled with original music, the better part of which (accompanied by artist notes) told a story of a happy couple fraught by tragedy. Mostly violin and piano instumental peices (with only one peice with lyrics), all very beautiful stuff.

Then there was ACB, the Auckland Cosplay Ball, as organized by CNZ's own Duckeh. The event went off without a hitch. It started off a little stiff, but once everyone got comfortable it was riotus fun. Many thanks to Duckeh for all that.

Met and/or caught up with a whole ton of new people from other cities, most notably Pyro, Kotone, Pura and Zorlich. Not all what I was expecting (after all, who really shows the real them on the internet?), but all great, fun people. I thoughrly enjoyed spending time with you. Thank you all for coming up 8D

Sunday, I decided not to go to the zoo. Too tired, no desire. Went to Duckeh's instead and hung with her freeloaders, shit was so cash.

A good weekend!