Upon returning from ConnectiCon, I was bombarded with, "What do you think of the Dash Con drama?" I honestly had no clue what people were talking about on Sunday. I was too immersed in the fun and celebration that ConnectiCon had to offer. I was having such a great time that some drama at some no name con really did not effect my enjoyment or detracted my attention away from ConnectiCon. I always look forward to this con because this is one of the few cons where I can really explore and celebrate fandoms outside of anime and Asian culture. While anime cons tolerate these fandoms, ConnectiCon embraces them. This is one of the few cons where you can sit in on an 80s toons panel as part of the official programming.

What I like about ConnectiCon is that it lives in this happy medium between anime con and comic con. It was the stylings and programmings of an anime con, but immerses you in the different types of fandom that could be found at a comic con without the influence of industry. In other words, you are more likely to find a Homestuck panel here than at an anime con that is strictly about anime. There's nothing wrong with anime cons sticking to what they are. ConnectiCon is just a nice outlet to talk about other fandoms. In fact, we were approached by head of programming to do some panels for next year.

The downpoint of ConnectiCon was that I felt that certain guests needed to be on the schedule. While Lindsay of Chez Apocalypse was featured on two panels, the online media group did not have a panel to themselves. Otherwise, I have very little to complain about. I do wish I had a chance to check out more events. I was bummed that the JoJo panel was filled to capacity and I didn't get to check out the table top game room. However, this con did make me curious on trying out a maid deck building game.

ConnectiCon loves to take risks when it comes to creating new cosplay events. The Rost of Tony Stark was a nice surprise. It gave cosplayers a chance to improvise and play along in character to openly insult the character Tony Stark. This was a fun late night event. I certainly hope they bring this back. They also had Death Match - I'm always amazed that this fills the main events to capacity. I really enjoy seeing cosplay mock battle. What I've always liked about North East conventions is that there's a lot of venues to show off your costume other than masquerade. As long as these events keep going, I'll keep attending them. Also, thanks again for the cosplay repair station!

ConnectiCon usually gets criticism from people who say that it's going "downhill" or it does not have too much to offer. Because of the lineup of guests and knowing that things run late into the evening, I really think this con was meant for mid to late 20somethings and older. This con really celebrates 80s and 90s kids through and through. I feel that these people will get the most out of ConnectiCon. People who grew up with Animaniacs and waking up early on Saturdays to watch some beloved cartoons will really enjoy this con. There's a lot of panels to catch, so plan accordingly.

Overall, ConnectiCon is worth it to try it once. If you're local to New England or the TriState area, this is a con worth making the trip for. Expect it to be more than just anime. There's something in the programming for My Little Pony, Marvel, DC, Adventure Time, and more! If it's one summer con you gotta do, ConnectiCon can be done on a budget. It's easy to get to if you're bussing it and we were surprised to even get a last minute hotel room. It's one that we'll try submitting panels for next year.

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