If you’re interested in learning more, please visit. Kami-Con built a family of thousands of people who may not know each other, but can sit and talk for hours about the things that make them happiest. His convention, like the manga community did for him before, provides a niche place to feel included for people who otherwise might struggle to fit in. Raymond described individuals and families stopping him at the con or emailing him afterward, thanking him for the experience and how he and his convention help people out of dark places, giving them something to look forward to. The atmosphere at Kami-Con is magical and unmatched. Complete strangers stop and talk, compliment each other, dance and laugh together. People from every background are connected by Kami-Con. Raymond’s urge to give back to the community has created a huge family on and off UA’s campus. Every issue that popped up, he and his wife handled it in stride. Everyone was eager to return, and Raymond was eager to host the conventions safely. The community at large felt the huge hole left behind when the convention skipped a year. They had to cancel the 2021 show-though not 2020, as it was hosted in February just before the pandemic began - and worries of Omicron didn’t keep many people away in 2022. They spend the entire year preparing for the three crazy days of the convention, then turn around and start preparing for the next one the very next day.Įven COVID hasn’t slowed Kami-con down. Just like the manga and anime communities, SOS Brigade is a family. New members join every year, many of whom stick around even after they graduate. The SOS Brigade, like Kami-Con, has continued to grow. Many of the staff that were instrumental in the first few years are still working with Kami-Con, some traveling across the country just to help out. Lenzna made an on-campus club, SOS Brigade, to help plan and staff the convention. After working with so many conventions, he got a crazy idea: “I can make my own convention, right here!” And just like that, Kami-Con was born. It started out with posting episodes of anime for free on YouTube, (when it was still a wild and lawless place), and volunteering at conventions and music shows. Since then, he has searched to find a way to adequately thank and give back to the community that did so much for him. It encouraged him to get out and participate in clubs, go to conventions, and make friends. The tight-knit manga community eventually gave Raymond his life back and lifted him out of a dark cloud of depression that had slowly enveloped him. His only respite was going to the library for manga-Japanese comics or graphic novels. He had very negative feelings and began to shut himself in until he rarely left his dorm. Early in his college career, Lenzner faced the same problems that many people do. It all started with Kami-Con’s creator, Raymond Lenzner. At their 2022 show, their fourteenth season took over both the North and East Halls of the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex, hosted 37 guests including voice actors, comedians and musicians, and brought in a whopping 9,000 paying visitors. In 2008, Kami-Con took place in the Student Center with three guests and brought in roughly 460 visitors. These entrepreneurs shared an interest in providing the state with a convention similar to the ever-popular San Diego Comic-Con and over the years, have worked to fulfill that dream. It started small, with just a few students here at The University of Alabama and a man with a need to give back. There is such a star-studded lineup of folks who are famous for fan favorite roles in television, movies, and of course animation.Kami-Con, Alabama’s largest anime and gaming comic convention, was not always as popular as it is today. He’s the creator of Darkwing Duck, Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers, Aladdin Return of Jafar, The Aladdin Television Series, and Disney’s Hercules: The Animated Series. Legendary Disney animator Tad Stones, who started his career in 1974.He also played Lance, a main character on the Netflix original series Voltron: Legendary Defender. Jeremy Shada is the voice of Finn the Human-the main character in one of Cartoon Network’s most successful shows Adventure Time.Kami-con-goers, though, will know her for her role as Garnet in the show Steven Universe. Grammy Award Winning artist Estelle, whose voice a lot of people will recognize from “ American Boy” with Kanye West.They range from YouTube performers to rock stars to comedians to Alabama’s own James Spann and Alexander Shunnarah. Kami-con features an impressive lineup of no less than thirty special guests throughout the weekend. Okay I’m sold-who are some of special guests at Kami-con 2019? Concerts are part of the fun.
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