MASSIVE WARNING~~!!!

By angellsnz. 06/04/09, 10:57 am

I am really sorry that stuff was taken/stolen from you. The main girl that worked int he information desk is a sweetheart, and she felt for all those that lost their property.

As a person that has some connection with the organisers, I will pass on these comments. The organisers are limited because of the venue. But the idea of the ticket tagging system, I think can be easily rectified. Hopefully we will have a different system next year. I can't promise anything, as ultimately it is up to the organisers.

By **jpwise**. 07/04/09, 12:37 pm

I haven't gone over the photos too closely yet, but one they're up if anyone spots the keyblade in the hands of someone we don't know point out the photo to me. and we can highlight it to see if anyone knows who they are.

By **JVCA**. 07/04/09, 12:46 pm

Hooray for JP's bajillion photos!

By Pura. 07/04/09, 12:50 pm

This is why we like him as our photo stalker >3<

Last year my sewing kit got lost >:
I bought it the day beforehand too and had been bugging mum to buy it for me for ages ;__;

By neimhaille. 07/04/09, 01:04 pm

Yeah, the girl who was the main person at the info desk is really lovely, she was run off her feet most of the weekend and there were a few people who filled in for her when she wasn't there.

Bill is looking at a cosplay only cloak-check thing for Auckland, but only on the day of the comp. No one used it last time on the other days so it got closed as being not needed.

I am appalled by some of the behaviour of attendees at WellyGeddon this year. I also remember seeing The Banana and a keyblade in the room at some stage- but I really can't help beyond that I'm afraid. I am very sorry that not only was property stolen but also all that time and effort that went into making the keyblade.

I think the ticketing system really does have merit.

By **JVCA**. 07/04/09, 01:14 pm

It worked brilliantly well at christchurch - and at the least for contest day would be great. I remember seeing Perry's costume pieces around the con and thinking "Gee, I hope no one pinches anything!" - for costumes like his at the very least, I think it's necessary. Admittedly the only reason I didn't use the cloak-check at auckgeddon last year is because we could just put stuff in Kev's car, rather than pay the $2 or whatever fee. I wonder if perhaps a free cloak-check - like the one at christchurch - would be more popular.

By Cassiel. 07/04/09, 01:15 pm

@ Nemhaille -nods- Thanks for your condolences. The woman was really lovely, it was just my bad luck someone fancied my keyblade. It could just have easily have been the Fai cosplayer, they also dumped their staff there at some point.

@ JP It may be a wild goose chase but I'd be willing to look through them this Easter :) Thanks for the idea.

-shighs- the chances of me getting it back are somewhat slim, though I am planning to make another one at some point, hopefully this time a shade more accurate. Morer pissed about the time and effort that went into it more than the money I dropped, if it was the stack of Manga I bought... would've sucked but not so much.

By CMKMStephens. 07/04/09, 01:16 pm

I've said it before, but I think it's the wrestling that brings in a very very different crowd of people who do not mix well with those there for the other more pop cultural side of things. Either that, or there are just simply a hell of a lot of appalling little jerks running around.

I was being followed around on the Saturday for a few minutes by this perhaps 15 year old until he grabbed my hat and started making Sieg Hail salutes. I grabbed it back and he went off, but my ability to tolerate this crap (and the crap I see people giving other cosplayers) is lessening.

By **JVCA**. 07/04/09, 01:25 pm

This comment perhaps belongs better in the creepy experiences topic, but seeing as we're talking about tolerance towards discourteous congoers - we (three, skimpily clad ladies) were nabbed for a photo with the shaved bald guy with the camo pants and avatar arrows on the sunday - he'd talked to us yesterday (and didn't realise we were the same people, LOL), so I already had alarm bells going off in my head when he asked for a photo with "the three ladies". I was honestly ready to stamp him with my "goddamn heels" in the crotch, because I so expected him to try something. The moral of the story is that my tolerance - or, perhaps, faith in other con-goers - is also lessening. :S

**Guest** Guest

I talked to that guy with the Avatar arrows - he seemed harmless to me. He was really enthusiastic and seemed to me like he was just really happy to be there. Very different experience from what you had obviously!

By Static. 07/04/09, 01:34 pm

JVCA: He did that to me as well, he recognised me out of costume (he talked to me earlier in the day before I ditched my wig and stuff) and just bowled up and threw his arm around me and got mel to take a photo. I bolted, hid in the ladies for a while. He didn't seem like a harmless pervert, just really...off. As in potential psychopath and/or rapist.

But hey, could just be me lol. I need to shout for help louder next time though - everyone thought he was a mate or something. Apparently my 'HELP ME' face isn't too good.

**Guest** Guest

I'm sorry!!! You're "help me" face is completely terrible!

By Cassiel. 07/04/09, 01:41 pm

Wait, who was this?

By Static. 07/04/09, 01:42 pm

It's supposed to be!! It's a cry for help!!!

By **JVCA**. 07/04/09, 01:42 pm

Yeah - he slung his arms around Jen and Val from memory, and I think both me and Kev just went into "get this over with fast and kick his ass if he tries anything" mode. (I love Kev, he's such a good manager/Jen's Dad. <3) As awful as it sounds, static, "potential psychopath and/or rapist rather than pervert" is the EXACT impression I got from him. :C

@mel: It could have just been the context that gave the impression, but this was my perspective:

• Two teenage girls, sitting alone in the seating, each wearing higher-than-knee-length skirts, waiting for their two older chaperones (lol, sorry Val, I called you old. Razz

) to get back, and he comes and sits down right next to Jen and starts chatting to us in a very over-friendly way, with no explanation of who he was, asking us where we were from, etc. He then left, asking us to save his seat coz he was going to find his friend, and Jen and I both felt rather unnerved and really wished that Kev and Val would get back from Lazer tag. They got back around 2 minutes before he did, and almost as though they knew he was coming (it was before we told them about him), they each sat one on either side of us, with Kev sitting on the side the guy came back to.
• Three somewhat skimpily clad ladies, who he threw his arms around (without asking - he did ask for the photo, but not to put his arms around Jen and Val), plus the memories of the previous day's experience...

Well, hopefully that explains why we were somewhat disconcerted. :C

@Rei: There was a guy with a shaved bald head, camo pants, and had avatar arrows drawn on him. That is who we speak of.

By Cassiel. 07/04/09, 01:46 pm

I can't recall him, picture?

I didn't have any negative experiences at the con apart from the stealing of my keyblade. Maybe my big, baggy, sexless pants and shapeless top repelled the perverts?

By Static. 07/04/09, 01:48 pm

Well, I was wearing a suit the first time he talked to me, and a big baggy long-sleeved shirt and jeans the second...so unless cuffs are his thing, pass?

By Pura. 07/04/09, 01:48 pm

I remember that guy. He looked really scary >___> The psychopath impression was what I got too. Luckily I only ever saw him from a distance and didn't talk to him.

There was a random guy who ran up to me and shouted "COSPLAYERS!" and hugged me, but he was cool and friendly >3 (And about our age, anyway).

**Guest** Guest

Static wrote:: It's supposed to be!! It's a cry for help!!!

I mean its not doing it's job as a "cry for help" face. I completely failed to register that you were uncomfortable sad

I feel really bad about it now.

I ran into him while I was rampaging through the previously-unknown-about Neil Gaiman by the stairs - I was half wearing my jumper but he asked for a photo so I took it off. I think he got a photo with both of us, but my brain has kinda frazzled. I didn't feel the least intimidated. It sucks that you guys had a bad experience with him though sad

By kurtis38th. 03/06/09, 03:07 am

This is what I dont get. Why does aukland and christchurch seem more organised?
It's like thay put in more effort in, then we in wellington just get the short end of the stick >< We need to make a stand against the people who run these events and make them put more pulp expo rather than bloody eating contests and other crap things that have nothing to do with Anime or any cult/nostalgic following....ahem sorry didnt mean to rant ^-^

By Static. 03/06/09, 03:19 am

I think Chch is the smallest con, it's just that the venue is better. The events centre in wely is a HORRIBLE venue! The fowlhouse was better, but just too small. And they are events geared predominantly towards popular culture - anime and cosplay are part of that and growing, but not (yet) the main focus; at least no more thn anything else.

By **Rowan**. 04/06/09, 02:57 am

I used the coat check at Christchurch to store my bustle, cane, and hat when we went for lunch. It was really great, and the ticket thing was great security (I had to hand it over to get my stuff, even though it blatantly matched my outfit - this is a good thing!)

Sucks to hear it didn't work at Wellington, how crushing to have your hard work stolen.

nemhaille: I didn't know about the coat check at Auckland! In fact my mum grabbed one of the managers or something at the Aotea Centre and he let us use a storage room on the first floor to store my wings. And I only knew about the coat check at Christchurch from asking Static on the day. Maybe a notice to cosplayers somewhere would be a good idea to let us know about the storage opportunities at the events?

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