NoBrandCon 4

Five hours of sleep this time. That's some kind of record. Based on Matt and Julie's work schedules, I knew I wouldn't be returning to the apartment, so after more Pop Tarts, I packed up everything, put on my newly-won No Brand Con t-shirt, and went to take care of business one last time.

But before we go too far, it's time for the random cosplay pictures that somehow ended up on my photo CD days later.

Liz, aka Origami, aka Yomiko Readman, aka The Paper. One of the pillars of the immortal Room 202.

A gardening ninja. Given the chants at later events, this is somehow connected to the Hanzo the Razor screenings late Friday and Saturday nights. I didn't attend these, but based on the stories and the chanting on Sunday, I wish I had. If you know anything about Hanzo the Razor you'll know that it's inherently evil to make someone want to see that movie. Another by-product of No Brand Con.

The always second-banana Ni-Na from Dance Dance Revolution. That Emi bitch always steals the spotlight.

And let's give a big hand to Tyler and Val, my main compadres during the convention, in absence of my Whitewater cohorts. Between the glomping and the EALA crooning, Tyler held up pretty well through Sunday.

Anyway, Sunday started off with a couple episodes of SuperGals, which I really wanted to see. It was actually the only time I ventured near the screening rooms at all during the cons. There was also Mike McFarland's improv panel, when a few attendees joined he and Greg Ayres for some basic improv comedy games. Then the convention's finishing move: the variety show.

Upper left: saving the world by dancing to Tunak Tunak.
Upper right: Momo and Vinnk doing a Mini Moni routine.
Lower left: As a local band performs, the skirts do the chasing.
Lower right: The bands come together for a rendition of local karaoke favorite "500 Miles."

Not pictured is a 1337band performance of the Wolf's Rain theme song. Or rather... their unrehearsed performance of a song inspired by a Wolf's Rain DVD cover. I didn't get a picture, but the guys at www.trhonline.com did one better: http://www.trhonline.com/video/1337band_WolfsRain.avi

After all that, I was ready to go. There was just one more thing: the Q&A, which Tyler, Val and I attended just for kicks. Using their innovative concepts of not rehearsing or practicing, 1337Band created a CD one night (in about an hour) and were selling copies for a dollar in the dealer's room. At the Q&A, it was discovered there was one copy left. So it went to the auction block. Somebody bid ten dollars for it. You know what that means...

Ironically enough, the CD was titled "Sorry Neil" since Neil was supposed to be studying for a test when it was recorded.

Anyway, that was it for NoBrandCon 4, my best convention experience in a long time and certainly not one to be forgotten. And here's the recap for the incredibly lazy:

No Brand Con Statistics

Miles driven:
Miles met:
Money on Gas:
CDs played in car during trip:
Combined hours of sleep:
Combined hours playing Zombies! in middle of night:
Career DDR contest record:
Career AMV contest record:
Career anime keychain purchases:
Who is it this time:
Longest keychain lifespan:
Shortest keychain lifespan:
Over/Under on Utamaru's lifespan:
Best swag purchased:
Best swag won:
Best anime couple represented by guests:
Incidental encounters with Greg Ayres:
Incidental encounters with Monica Rial:
Incidental encounters with Tiffany Grant:
Number of cheap EALA plugs made:
Number of EALA songs performed:
Number of EALA songs performed by me:
Gardening:
No means:
Yes means:
Best name for female-to-female A/V connectors:
Permeating phrase nobody outside the con will understand:

500
1
$47
8
9
4
3/6
1/1
4
Utamaru (Da Capo)
Washu (10 Months)
Yomi (2 Days)
3 Months
Slayers TRY Box ($40)
“IMRD” Stick (AMV)
Tsuyoshi & Aya
2
2
0
2
4
3
Ninjas!
Yes!
CENSORED
Yuri Plugs
"More Than Neil!"