I always love people watching at Otakuthon because I see people of all shapes, sizes, ages, colors, and abilities decked out in unusual clothes and showing themselves off. The creativity and confidence on display astounded me. Click on any photo to enlarge.
Continue reading Otakuthon 2024: People in costume!Posts tagged doll conventions
Otakuthon, 08/03/2024: BJD sales room
We began Saturday with a panel reviewing the last two decades of Japanese street fashion. Like the presenter on Harajuku, the street fashion expert had way more material and photos than she could reasonably cram into 45 minutes. However, with her more relaxed, informal delivery and asides, she engaged the audience and entertained us a lot more than the presenter on Harajuku did.
Because the Dollfest meetup was not until Sunday afternoon, at which point we would be gone, we looked at the 1:00 PM Saturday BJD marketplace/salesroom as an alternative to the meetup. It really wasn’t. Sellers [including Lyra] laid items out on tables and watched as curious crowds filed through. Some sellers talked a bit to each other, but not a lot.
I picked up a dress for Toon Ethan from a seller’s free pile, so I got some shots of Toon Silence admiring him below. Click on pics to enlarge. I also got shots of a ball-jointed raven doll, a doll made by French dollmaker Mouton en Sucre and owned by Quebecois BJD fan Dejected Raven. The raven had four swappable heads, only two of which are shown here. I also got a shot of Lyra’s Smartdoll Infinity [in lime green at left] and Volks Lorina [in dark green dress at right]. There was also a beautiful Smartdoll Reflection owned by Caroline.
Continue reading Otakuthon, 08/03/2024: BJD sales roomOtakuthon, 08/02/2024: Dolls being silly, Chinatown, hordes, and art purchases!!
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We had to pick up our Otakuthon badges in person on Friday morning because the US Postal Service changed regulations for items in bubble mailers containing badges with RFID chips, so the badges could not be mailed as planned. [Also Otakuthon did not get its shit together to mail the badges early enough.]
Continue reading Otakuthon, 08/02/2024: Dolls being silly, Chinatown, hordes, and art purchases!!Otakuthon, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 08/01/2024: “Warning: Canada ahead!”
On the morning of August 1, Lyra drove from her side of the state to mine, arriving at my parents’ house at about 10:30 AM. From there we departed in the FLE car for Montreal!
The Travelodge, our cheap hotel of choice, required a three-night reservation. We decided to travel down on Thursday, August 1, and pass Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, departing Sunday morning. We anticipated arriving on Montreal by lunchtime, early enough for us to go to a museum that afternoon. We also thought that we would do shabu shabu at Kagayaki on Thursday night before the anime hordes descended on Friday, the first day of the con.
I got smart this year and brought clothes hangers [to dry sweaty clothes before putting them in laundry], a garbage bag [to separate dirty clothes from clean], extras of everything [because I sweat a lot around this time of year], and my own towels. For dolls, I brought two 1:6 scale Hardshippers, Toon Silence and Toon Ethan. I was considering bringing just one, but I started to feel guilty. Because they are partners, I didn’t want to bring one without the other and make them unhappy to be separated!
I also got smart this year by checking beforehand how long the border crossing might take. The US customs and border patrol’s website conveniently lists each border crossing, how many of each lane [passenger, commercial, pedestrian] are open, how long the wait is, and if there are any warnings. When we left my parents’ house, I saw a ten-minute delay [i.e., a ten-minute wait at the border] for the Highgate Springs crossing, where we have always gone into Canada. We hoped that our luck would hold and that we would not have to wait long to cross.
As we got within yards of the border, we saw one of those portable highway signs that forms digital text with each letter made of different formations. It said WARNING: CANADA AHEAD! We thought that was hilarious, as to me it implies that Canada is a surprise or toxic or both.
We were also highly entertained by an infographic sign of a speed bump because Lyra had seen a Norwegian version online. Apparently the Norse word for speed bump is “fartshumper,” which is naturally funny to us Anglophones because it contains “farts,” a scatological term. We were just saying “fartshumper” and snickering.
Anyway, we cleared the border in 10 minutes, which was the quickest weekday border crossing I’ve ever experienced! Once in Canada, we experienced bumpier local routes and highways, but no problems entering Montreal, parking the car in the usual garage a block away [$30.00 Canadian a day], and checking into the hotel [room 201, right by the elevator].
We identified a new favorite food shop in Chinatown for lunch and all other snacks. Coco, a chain of patisseries [sometimes in conjunction with bubble tea shops], offers delicious Japanese and Chinese pastries and other sweets.
For lunch we got sesame buns with red bean paste in them, which are crunchy because of the sesame seeds, dense, chewy, and fatty because of the doughy bun parts, and sweet [but not too sweet] on the inside because of the red bean paste. We consider them the perfect blend of sugar, fat, and protein, the perfect addition to a meal. We also got onigiri, which is kind of a Japanese equivalent of a sandwich with a filling [I had spicy beef], rice for the equivalent of bread, and a seafood wrapper to keep the whole thing together.
Continue reading Otakuthon, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 08/01/2024: “Warning: Canada ahead!”Sturbridge Doll, Bear, and Miniature Show 06/03-06/05/2023
Drove across the state to Lyrajean’s new condo on Saturday, June 3rd, and spent the night. We left very early on the 4th for Sturbridge, MA, and the doll/teddy/miniature show at the Sturbridge Host Hotel. We took about two and a half hours to get there. We turned around and had a late lunch on the way back and arrive around dinner time back at Lyrajean’s house.
Continue reading Sturbridge Doll, Bear, and Miniature Show 06/03-06/05/2023Otakuthon, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 08/06/2022: Doll tea party and the rest
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Next we went to the doll tea party, where we met up with some BJD lovers that we had seen at previous Otakuthons. Dolls are identified according to the order in which their photos appear in this post. Continue reading Otakuthon, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 08/06/2022: Doll tea party and the rest
Otakuthon, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 08/06/2022: Chinatown and Otakuthon dealer room again
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On the morning of the 6th, we encountered low humidity and perfect temperatures [low 80s F] with sunshine again. We got up really honkin’ early at 6:00 AM and waited for the hotel breakfast to be served, where I ate hardboiled eggs, chocolate mini croissants, and melon. I organized the previous day’s photos until about 9:45 AM.
Thereupon I wandered into Chinatown. Continue reading Otakuthon, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 08/06/2022: Chinatown and Otakuthon dealer room again
Otakuthon, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 08/05/2022: Kagayaki and Nanami
Right at 5 PM, we made our traditional pilgrimage to Kagayaki Shabu Shabu. I had the kombu and dashi essence broth, ponzu sauce [a citrus-flavored sauce], and lamb for my shabu shabu. Continue reading Otakuthon, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 08/05/2022: Kagayaki and Nanami
Otakuthon, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 08/05/2022: Hotel and dealer room
Lyra and I left Essex, VT for Otakuthon early on Friday, August 5th. After a quick stop at West Meadow Farm for gluten-free bakery treats, I drove northward. With cloudy and occasional misty weather in Vermont, we encountered little traffic and made good time, crossing the border in a startling 35 minutes. From the border to Montreal, the clouds cleared, and the sun shone. Southern Quebec seems strangely flat in comparison to the rippling valleys of New England, and there are many more active farms with silos and grain elevators, neither of which are seen much in my state.
We arrived in Montreal around lunch time, checked in to our favorite hotel, the Travelodge on Boulevard Rene Levesque West, very early, and dropped our stuff in room 411. I think that, with the pandemic, people have temporarily curtailed their activities, so we saw few crowds, even in the city.
Usually we have arrived at Otakuthon in mid-afternoon on Friday, starting our days much later. This time, we enjoyed a leisurely start with a partial circuit of the vendor/dealer room. As usual, I spent most of my time in artist’s alley, chatting with artists whose work I was especially interested in. Pictures follow, mostly from booths where I bought stuff. Vendors show up in booth pics unless otherwise noted.Continue reading Otakuthon, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 08/05/2022: Hotel and dealer room
Otakuthon DollFest, 08/05/2018: Back to the dealer room
After cruising around Chinatown, I headed back to the dealer room just to see what I could see. I saw more dolls, doll stuff, and original art. Continue reading Otakuthon DollFest, 08/05/2018: Back to the dealer room
Otakuthon DollFest, 08/05/2018: Chinatown
On Sunday morning, the last day of the con, I hung around Chinatown before Otakuthon opened at 10:00 AM. I took some pictures of this small, ethnically diverse neighborhood of comparatively poor people and cheap goods [including lots of delicious food] that is being relentlessly reduced by the rich forces of gentrification that have subsumed the rest of Centreville. Continue reading Otakuthon DollFest, 08/05/2018: Chinatown
Otakuthon DollFest, 08/04/2018: Dealer room, show and tell, Danny Choo, shabu shabu
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When I went out at around noon to appease the parking gods with another day’s offering, I saw a functional phone booth kitty-corner to our hotel. Continue reading Otakuthon DollFest, 08/04/2018: Dealer room, show and tell, Danny Choo, shabu shabu
Otakuthon DollFest, 08/04/2018: Saturday meetup
Saturday morning we started the day with the DollFest meetup, where I assiduously chased around people until I got their names, the names of the doll sculpts, and the names of their doll makers. I enjoyed an excuse to talk to strangers and share our enthusiasm.
Continue reading Otakuthon DollFest, 08/04/2018: Saturday meetup
Otakuthon DollFest, Montreal, Quebec, 08/03/2018-08/05/2018: Friday travel and hotel, Saturday morning
Otakuthon DollFest, Montreal, Quebec, 08/03/2018-08/05/2018: Friday travel and hotel, Saturday morning published on Read more posts by the author of Otakuthon DollFest, Montreal, Quebec, 08/03/2018-08/05/2018: Friday travel and hotel, Saturday morning, ModernWizardNo Comments on Otakuthon DollFest, Montreal, Quebec, 08/03/2018-08/05/2018: Friday travel and hotel, Saturday morning
Bittersweet Blue, Lyrajean, and I traveled up to Montreal, Quebec, Canada on Friday morning for the BJD-related programming at Otakuthon. Continue reading Otakuthon DollFest, Montreal, Quebec, 08/03/2018-08/05/2018: Friday travel and hotel, Saturday morning
Otakuthon Dollathon, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 08/04/2017-08/06/2017
Lyrajean, Bittersweet Blue, and I drove up to the Palais de Congres in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, for Otakuthon, 08/04/2017-08/06/2017. Well, we mostly attended for the small amount of BJD programming, otherwise known as Dollathon.
Continue reading Otakuthon Dollathon, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 08/04/2017-08/06/2017
NERDS Show, Lowell, MA, 03/05/2016: transactions and evaluation
I attended the NERDS Show to meet fellow doll fans and new dolls. I hoped that I would sell some stuff, preferably enough to break even, and maybe find some doll stuff to buy, but I didn’t really expect to. I was therefore happily surprised to a) offload some stuff I didn’t want and b) acquire some stuff that I did.
In terms of riddances, I sold a Sleeping Elf/Tinybear Bon Bon [$125.00] and a fur wig [$5.00]. I got rid of a pair of Dikadoll jointed hands in a sale [$30.00] + partial trade [wig]. That was more than enough to cover the expense of table and room rental [$35.00], and I even got a small chunk of change to put toward taxes.
In terms of acquisitions, I picked up two freebies: a leotard and a sparkly overskirt. The second will work for Isabel, but the first may not be adequately modifiable for her, though it will certainly fit a narrower 1:6 scale doll. No pictures.
I took pictures of my more exciting acquisitions.
Continue reading NERDS Show, Lowell, MA, 03/05/2016: transactions and evaluation
NERDS Show, Lowell, MA, 03/05/2016: Sacred Stones Studio, LuckyXIII’s dolls
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The owners from Sacred Stones Studio in Connecticut were kind enough to give information about owner, maker, and sculpt for all their dolls, as well as credits for wigs, faceups, and outfits, not to mention character sketches for a significant number. Very entertaining! All information about Sacred Stones dolls comes directly from said signs.
Continue reading NERDS Show, Lowell, MA, 03/05/2016: Sacred Stones Studio, LuckyXIII’s dolls
NERDS Show, Lowell, MA, 03/05/2016: swap meet table, CatalystFlours, and Holy Calamity
NERDS Show, Lowell, MA, 03/05/2016: swap meet table, CatalystFlours, and Holy Calamity published on Read more posts by the author of NERDS Show, Lowell, MA, 03/05/2016: swap meet table, CatalystFlours, and Holy Calamity, ModernWizardNo Comments on NERDS Show, Lowell, MA, 03/05/2016: swap meet table, CatalystFlours, and Holy Calamity
Lyrajean and I conveniently sat next to the most popular area of the show: the swap table. Besides things available for sale or trade, the swap table also held a bunch of dolls belonging to Missi. Continue reading NERDS Show, Lowell, MA, 03/05/2016: swap meet table, CatalystFlours, and Holy Calamity
NERDS Show, Lowell, MA, 03/05/2016: our table + Maverick and Madison’s
Lyrajean and I started bright and early for Lowell, MA, yesterday, leaving my house at 7:00 AM for the long-awaited NERDS Show. I brought Yamarrah, not for sale, but to attract attention to the various clothes and small resin items I was selling. Lyrajean hauled along a few display peoples, but mostly a yard sale’s worth of furniture in various scales, as well as clothes she had made.
We traveled without incident until we approached Lowell. The city, which started off as a mill town, features densely packed, narrow streets, the lay-out complicated by canals and the Merrimack River. This lay-out probably worked fine before cars, but it’s a clusterfuck for automotive traffic. Because it’s so hemmed in by water, Lowell cannot easily expand its streets for the usual complement of cars + bikes + pedestrians, so it accommodates all modern-day travel by creating a labyrinth of one-way streets. Somehow this gets people where they’re supposed to go, but in a manner that is neither logical, nor expected, nor easily discernible by the casual visitor. Let’s just say we had some difficulty getting around in Lowell. Fortunately we had budgeted time for getting lost, so we arrived at the Western Ave. Studios before the show began.
But we made it! Western Ave. Studios, a previously light industrial space converted into a warren of artists’ studios, reminds me favorably of artists’ studios in the South End. The NERDS Show set up in the Onyx Room. Painted black, windowless except for a skylight, and strung with disco balls and paper lanterns, the Onyx Room looked like a great place for a dance party or theater in the round. Round display tables, where people could show off their dolls, were distributed in the entry way, while about ten rectangular vendor tables, including ours, lined the inside perimeter. Some clusters of upholstered chairs in the center provided a space for mini meetups. Right by the off-street parking, the bathrooms, and all the studios participating in the Western Ave. Studios’ open studios event that day, the Onyx Room was optimally situated to attract not just doll enthusiasts, but also people who came for the open studios. In short, the Onyx Room proved the best possible place to have the show, with the sole reservation being that the lack of natural light made photos a challenge.
Lyrajean and I set up our wares all over our table. Good thing I had much less stuff than she, as her stuff was literally stacked in layers. As I have never staffed a vendor table, I did not know what to bring beyond my goods, my tablet computer [in case people wanted to use Paypal], cash, and my camera + memory card, of course. Thus I tossed in paper, pens, plastic bags, tent cards, an extension cord, water bottle, snacks, painkillers [as I fell on the ice last week and banged an unpadded part of my ass], even my cell phone [which usually never leaves my house]. That seemed to be a comprehensive array of supplies, although, in future, I will also bring hand cream and a snot rag. I will also eat a substantial lunch [not a bag of Deep River rosemary and olive oil chips, however delicious they may be] before the event starts.
I set up Yamarrah on Jareth’s “crotch stand” [i.e., a stand of adjustable height with a U-shaped clip that a doll can situate their crotch in] with one her favorite creemees to attract attention. As Lyrajean observed, she did a very good job of it. Her bright and unusual styling caught the eye of passersby, as did the fact that she was standing up in a naturalistic position. Anyway, I have decided to acquire more “crotch stands” for my 1:3 scale BJDs. They’ve been sitting around [literally] for years and years, as I’ve always been worried that standing them without support would lead to shelf dives, but they just look so much cooler when upright occasionally!
Continue reading NERDS Show, Lowell, MA, 03/05/2016: our table + Maverick and Madison’s
Dollism Plus: ephemera
I finally got around to scanning some of the Dollism Plus 2014 ephemera that’s been sitting on my floor for about six months…. In no particular order, here are the results from my crappy scanner.
Dollism Plus: booty
Janna’s and my registrations got us bags with the Dollism logo, in which we found some of the stuff below, including badges, advertising postcards, socks from Ruby Red Galleria, etc.
Continue reading Dollism Plus: booty
Dollism Plus, 09/20/2014, after lunch: a little bit more of everything
After lunch on the 20th, I began at the1:3 scale ramen restaurant set, apparently a smaller version of an actual Toronto, Ontario eatery. Supplied by Doll North, a Canadian doll convention, the ramen shop had legible menus, bowls of ramen and minibar liquor bottles for booze. Sadly, none of my pictures with Timonium in this set came out, but some other doll lovers let me photo their dolls in the restaurant.
Continue reading Dollism Plus, 09/20/2014, after lunch: a little bit more of everything
Dollism Plus, 09/20/2014, before lunch II: raffle dolls, dealers and robots
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For my next photography session in the dealer room, I took pictures of some items donated for the charity raffle, proceeds of which benefitted the Humane Society of the United States. The raffle doll I most wanted to see, a fullset Loongsoul Gong Gong God of Water with an impressively long sea serpent tail, hid out safely in his box, so I consoled myself with shots of other interesting options.
Continue reading Dollism Plus, 09/20/2014, before lunch II: raffle dolls, dealers and robots
Dollism Plus, 09/20/2014, before lunch I: dealers and dioramas
Saturday, our only full day at the convention, I hit the registration booth shortly after 9:30 AM [and the opening of the dealer room for the day]. Who should I meet there but fellow Vermont Doll Lovers member Lyrajean [not pictured], who handed me my badge and swag bag?
Continue reading Dollism Plus, 09/20/2014, before lunch I: dealers and dioramas
Dollism Plus, Buffalo, NY, 09/19/2014: photos from room sales
Janna and I, with Araminthe and Timonium in tow, drove to Buffalo, NY, this past weekend for the BJD convention I’ve been anticipating for months: Dollism. With no expensive BJD projects in the offing, I attended the convention with very little spending money and the goal of taking as many photos as possible.
We arrived at the Hyatt Regency on Friday evening, exhausted, after a desperately tedious drive across the entire Empire State. We missed all the workshops and dealer booths for that day. However, room sales — individual attendees and dealers selling things out of their hotel rooms — were going on, so I grabbed my camera, my business cards and Timonium, then ventured forth to acquire photos. I always asked before snapping away, and everyone graciously consented to have photos of their dolls taken.
Continue reading Dollism Plus, Buffalo, NY, 09/19/2014: photos from room sales