UlasanAnime.com – A quick review of Otakon’s preliminary panel list and Anime Expo 2006’s panel list reveals a curious absence: bloggers.
The author vaguely recalls a blogging panel at Otakon in the past. This year, Otakon has a webcast/podcast panel, but nothing explicitly related to blogging was found on the Anime Expo list.
Several reasons could explain this, some unrelated to the anime blogosphere itself. Otakon, for instance, is known for having relatively lenient standards for panel applications, suggesting that enthusiasm can go a long way. However, panel application windows are short, and attracting a decent audience can be challenging with so many other activities at a convention.
More often, panels exist because a dedicated individual, familiar with the application process, took the initiative to apply and promote it through smaller channels like mailing lists, websites, or forums. While these might have a public aspect, they tend not to draw large crowds. Even with existing interest, the absence of a key, catalytic individual can prevent a panel from materializing.
What is particularly bothersome for the author is the presence of large internet communities with significant Otakon panels, such as 4chan.org. While the average “/b/-tard” might not frequent anime blogs, many “/a/-tards” likely do. This prompts the question: why not a panel for sites like Animenano or Blogsuki?
The author acknowledges that these sites have readers, and some of those readers attend conventions. The question remains: if there’s an audience and potential interest, why isn’t there a dedicated panel?
Perhaps it’s time to put aside conspiracy theories for the day and consider the practicalities of convention programming.
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The author notes that Otakon’s panel list for the current year includes a webcast/podcast panel, but no specific blogging panel was found.
This absence is contrasted with the presence of panels for large internet communities like 4chan.org, suggesting a potential gap in representation for the anime blogging community.
The article questions the reasons behind this lack of blogger representation, considering factors like application processes, audience engagement, and the role of individual initiative.
It is suggested that communities with significant readership, such as Animenano and Blogsuki, could potentially host successful panels if the opportunity were pursued.
The piece concludes by posing the question of why such panels don’t materialize, even when there might be underlying interest from convention attendees.
