Yaoi-Con
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Yaoi-Con (sometimes YaoiCon) was an annual three-day anime convention, founded in 2001, aimed at fans of yaoi-related anime, manga, and other aspects of Asian culture. It typically took place during the fall in California.
Since the 2012 edition, its organizer and main sponsor has been Digital Manga Publishing. It was known mostly for its unique events that use volunteers known as "bishounen". The bishounen were male volunteers who represented the attractive characters shown in yaoi manga and ran many of the events.
Programming
As with other anime conventions, Yaoi-Con had panels and workshops (with a yaoi twist), a 24-hour video room, a manga library, swap meet, a Dealers' Room filled with merchandise, a cosplay masquerade, and an anime music video contest. In addition, Yaoi-Con held a fan fiction contest, Bishounen Bingo, and its extraordinarily popular Saturday night fundraising Bishounen Auction. At bingo, and the auction, the bishounen volunteers put on shows and stripped to entertain the convention goers.
Each year Yaoi-Con sponsored at least one Japanese yaoi manga artist as guest of honor. And, as yaoi publishing expanded in the U.S., the companies who attended Yaoi-Con became interested in bringing guests with them. Guests of honor usually participated in question and answer/autograph sessions as well as sketch sessions where they demonstrated to attendees how they produced their work.
Because of the adult nature of its theme, Yaoi-Con required all attendees to be at least 18 and checked the legal ID of all attendees upon registration. As of 2003, 85% of Yaoi-Con membership was female, and mostly heterosexual.
Inactivity
In December 2017, DMP announced that Yaoi-Con was taking "a one-year break", expecting to return "stronger than ever in Fall 2019." A tweet in January 2019 indicated that a new, non-profit organization might take over the event, but this never materialized. While the Yaoi-Con website went offline at the beginning of 2020, a public Facebook group page is still semi-active.
History
Event history
| Dates | Location | Guests |
|---|---|---|
| September 1, 2001 | Radisson Miyako Hotel San Francisco, California | You Higuri, Azusa Kurokawa, Shinjuku Nishiguchi, Gilles Poitras, Yoshihiro Yonezawa and Flash Mama. |
| October 18–20, 2002 | Holiday Inn Golden Gateway San Francisco, California | Youka Nitta, Andrew Conway, Patrick Drazen, and Secret Secret. |
| October 17–19, 2003 | Renaissance Parc 55 San Francisco, California | Shushushu Sakurai, Jo Chen. |
| October 29–31, 2004 | Westin San Francisco Airport Millbrae, California | Ayano Yamane, Jo Chen, Lucina Project and John O'Donnell. |
| October 28–30, 2005 | Westin San Francisco Airport Millbrae, California | Kazuma Kodaka and You Higuri. |
| October 20–22, 2006 | Westin San Francisco Airport Millbrae, California | Asia Watanabe., Toko Kawai, Yishin Li, Lara Yokoshima, Studio Kawaii, Jo Chen |
| October 26–28, 2007 | San Mateo Marriott San Francisco Airport San Mateo, California | Mamiya Oki and Kawahara Tsubasa. Hinako Takanaga, Dany & Dany |
| September 26–28, 2008 | San Mateo Marriott San Francisco Airport San Mateo, California | Nase Yamato, Tatsumi Kaiya, Lynn Flewelling, Wendy Pini, Yamila Abraham, Yayoi Neko, M.A Sambre. |
| October 30-November 1, 2009 | San Mateo Marriott San Francisco Airport San Mateo, California | Kazuka Minami, Kano Miyamoto |
| October 29–31, 2010 | Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Burlingame, California | Ayano Yamane, Ryōtarō Okiayu, Hidenobu Kiuchi, Hinako Takanaga, Kano Miyamoto, Yasuhiro Nakamura, Lynn Flewelling, Jo Chen, Yayoi Neko |
| October 21–23, 2011 | San Francisco Airport Marriott Burlingame, California | Fusanosuke Inariya, Jo Chen |
| October 12–14, 2012 | Westin Long Beach Hotel Long Beach, California | Uki Ogasawara, Jo Chen |
| September 12–14, 2014 | Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Burlingame, California | Shoko Takaku, Reika |
| September 18–20, 2015 | Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Burlingame, California | Makoto Tateno, Martha Asahi |
| September 16–18, 2016 | Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport Burlingame, California | Hinako Takanaga |
| October 6–8, 2017 | Hyatt Regency Santa Clara Santa Clara, California | Sakira, Psyche Delico |
External links
- (defunct, link via Internet Archive)