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2003 Anime North Con Report by LS (w/ comments by LLL)

Friday, May 16, 2003

After making the 8 hour (should have taken 10 but Duo was driving) trip to Toronto and discovering the joys of Ontario at rush hour and the metric system, Duo, ISOE, and LLL finally arrive at the con hotel Thursday evening. That night, there was a mad rush to finish costumes. We figured out that the hotel restaurant was much lacking in both quality and service. But more on that later. Finally, we got to sleep around 11 p.m. with visions of GW voice actors dancing in our heads.

For me (LS), Anime North started with very little sleep and a mad rush early on a wet, dark, and stormy Friday morning to get to the airport. It wasn't exactly a bad journey on the metro and at the airport but with the hassle combined with the lack of sleep, the stress of work, and the worry over SARS, it wasn't great. The flight was a tiny hopper plane. That didn't help the overall situation. But when we landed and I saw the hotel in the distance while on the shuttle to the main terminal, the excitement started to seep in. I was here! (but that's LLL in the picture)

I stood in line for pre-registration before I even went up to the room. I saw Ryoga from Ranma, a really hot Wolfwood, a Furba group, and tons of others. When the rest of the PSCs joined me in line, the merriment began and never really ended. ISOE was dressed as Usagi Ojimbo (with Ayame's blond wig), Duo was, of course, Duo, and LLL was Hilde. Then we headed down for the Meet & Greet.

Once inside a room we would come to know very well, we staked out a table and just sat and chatted for a while. ISOE had a moment of rapture when Stan Sakai, the creator of Usagi Yojimbo saw that ISOE was dressed as his character and wanted to take a bunch of pictures with her and of her. Thus did ISOE's con experience reach its apex on the first day and I believe everything else was just a blur to her after that.

Meanwhile, all of the voice actors were there and were basically standing around talking to the staff. I noticed Kirby first and my goodness is he good-looking in person. Scott, who had come in through a different door than the others - and had bleached blond hair - was almost immediately surrounded by various people and I lost sight of him. I did, however, notice our Duo leaning against one of the columns and staring intensely at Scott, analyzing his every move. Duo stalking Scott. Priceless.

I noticed Brad was signing stuff. I excitedly told this to LLL and it was like a Clarion call. By the time we got back to the front where Brad was with our respective articles to be signed, he was surrounded. I had him sign my GW artbook. When I handed it to him he started to flip through it and was really engrossed with the pictures and then was like, oh yeah, I'm supposed to be signing this. What a cutie! I told him that I had seen him at Anime Central (the first con for both of us) and what a great job he had done and he thanked me. He mentioned that Anime North may be the last con he does unless he is invited somewhere else. I assured him that that would probably not be a problem as the GW VAs are so beloved. Brad also kindly signed LLL's Heero/Duo "Oh my, that's some picture!" t-shirt. (Quote by Kirby Morrow) She was being difficult and had, at my suggestion I may add, decided to have all of the VAs sign the shirt with puffy paint. Not an easy task, but the boys were up to the challenge!

Next there was Mark who was not surrounded (at least not at that point) and who was there with his girlfriend. He is really sweet and seems kinda shocked by the whole otaku fan thing. Mark's signature with the puffy paint on LLL's shirt was, of course, perfect! It was so neat and precise that it dried almost instantly and never smudged.

Next was Kirby who is just gorgeous. Talk about energy! He is definitely an entertainer and a clown. Kirby was literally surrounded on all sides by fangirls and at one point seemed a little overwhelmed and took the wise action of going to a table and putting his back against a wall (a tactic Brad, Mark and Scott were all employing). Kirby also liked the artbook and thought my name was cool (hee!). Probably the most anti-yaoi of the VAs, he was taken aback by LLL's t-shirt at first (see above quote). However, he shook off his dismay like a trooper and produced a beautiful signature. And did I mention he's hot?!

Scott was a lost cause. He was mobbed almost the instant he walked into the room and remained that way throughout. He has got to be one of the friendliest guys in the history of the world or at least the history of cons. As he patiently signed everything that was thrust at him, he would rapidly going through his repertoire of voices and then throw in some new ones for good measure. Of course, this also meant that he could not escape the fangirls (and boys). When he said he was taking a break to grab a smoke, the fangirls followed. When Scott returned, he was mobbed at the door until finally security/organizers took over and I gave up on actually getting his autograph at that point.

So Scott is a lost cause and things are winding down. LLL and I are talking to Duo when we notice a crowd surrounding another guy. We calmly ask Duo if he knows who the guy is. With complete and total nonchalance, Duo replies "Oh, I think that's Zechs' voice actor." My and LLL's reactions were automatic, requiring no thought or hesitation. I inhaled, gasped really, clutched my camera and artbook, and suddenly I was in front of Brian Drummond, aka Vegeta, Zechs, and Allan. Let me digress for a moment. He is an attractive man! Pictures on the internet did not do him justice. In person he is very handsome in a rugged, very male sort of way. OK, back to the point. Some brilliant girl had a micro-recorder and asked him to say a few lines. He did Vegeta, Zechs, and Allan Schezar. I basked in the glow. I love his voice. I edged my way forward - politely and respectfully I might add - and asked for his autograph and a photograph. He took a moment to admire and comment on the picture of "him" that I wanted signed - Zechs in the white Ambassador of Sanq outfit - and actually took time to think about what to write before signing. I then I got a hug and a picture. Yes, it was a good day. It was amazing and wonderful and I felt like a total fangirl at that moment but could not care in the slightest.

I was a happy and content woman when we all went up to the room to change. Well, ISOE changed into her RahXephon character, Haruka - quite the sexy getup I might add. Then down to the con to explore. It wasn't too packed that Friday and I got quite a few photo ops. The art room wasn't open yet so we decided to try the dealers' room. There was a line to get in - a really long one - but ISOE and I stuck it out while Duo and LLL decided to go elsewhere. But they decided elsewhere was boring and quickly rejoined us, harassing us from afar as they were unable to breach the maddening crowd. I must say that the line became representative of con organization in general - sort of organized chaos that didn't really make any sense or proceed in any logical manner but eventually got things accomplished nonetheless. It took almost half an hour but we made it into the dealers' room which was small without many dealers. Then it was time to line up for the Autograph session.

Since Duo and LLL sat on the floor for a solid hour to save our places, the PSCs were right at the front of the line as the guys started to walk down and into the room. Then Brad came back out with his camera and started taking pictures of us! It's great when you realize that the voice actors can be big fans too and really appreciate us. And it was such a Quatre thing to do. I had actually not planned on getting repeat signatures but since I was there and they were there. . . . . The VAs were sitting at two tables and we basically went past the tables in one long line and had them sign while Brian's wife (conscripted into service) punched our autograph cards. The order was David, Mark, Scott at the first table and then Brian, Brad & Kirby at the second. I asked Scott to sign the Duo page of my artbook and we chatted a bit about the book and the con in general. When one of the organizers basically asked Scott to hurry up, Scott responded "We're having a conversation here! Don't interrupt!" He does make a fan feel appreciated. On to Brian. He signed the Zechs shirt that I had just bought: "From the man behind the Mask, Brian, Zechs, Vegeta, etc." YEAH!!! I had the others sign different pages of my artbook. It really seems that the VAs are also real life friends as they all had a blast playing off, mocking, and generally goofing around with one another. I had gotten all of my autographs except for Saffron Henderson, had tons of pictures, and it was only the first day! LLL finally got Brian, David, and Scott to sign her t-shirt, thus completing her collection of signatures. When Scott saw the picture on the shirt, he said to Mark, "Hey, it's us!" Then he and Mark started singing love songs to each other ("Wind Beneath My Wings," etc.), making LLL and many other yaoi fans VERY happy.

After that we changed and the Floral Trio and Kyo went downstairs and to the Art Room and then Artists' Alley. It was in the Alley that we found the really good artwork, far superior to what was in the Art Room. Then it was time for food and while we were waiting to be served, the Yuki that I had seen on the first day came in with another Aya. Our Aya, LLL, of course called in dulcet tones (read: yelled) across the restaurant. (It is frightening how much like Aya's American voice she sounds). Yuki glared appropriately. We managed to stay in character for much of the meal. Kyo ordered milk. Aya flipped his hair over his shoulder every 2 seconds, saying that his luxurious blond locks kept getting in his food. Right. I sat bolt upright and made intermittent sarcastic comments. (Not difficult to remain severe and stiff when your ribs are bound so tight you can't slouch or take deep breaths). I think Shigure was humming about high school girls. At one point, Yuki came over and attacked Kyo. Photo op. Afterwards, Shigure pleaded weariness and Kyo was having wig problems so that left LLL and I. I had planned on staying for Yaoi movie night. But when they bought in the 19" (if that) tv and the room became packed with more and more fangirls who did not look old enough to be there, I fled. LLL returned not much later, fleeing from the oh-so-annoying squeals of the teenaged fangirls.