A ‘Con’ for Everyone

Photo from The Atlantic

Since its launch in 1995, Katsucon has experienced a dramatic shift in its attendees. For a while, the event skewed older and male. But by 2000, according to Chad Diederichs, who is in charge of press, the fan base was primarily under the age of 30, and women and girls represented 50 percent of attendees. In the past decade, crowds have continued to get younger and more female. Not surprising, brands like Marvel have committed to diversifying their characters and creators, most recently hiring the young Chicago artist Ashley Woods and introducing Amadeus Cho, a Korean-American Hulk.

Anime is definitely not my niche, but I have been to many cons in New York and Philadelphia and happily they do seem to be (slowly) becoming more diverse. Ladies of color should be able to display their geeky side in a safe and welcoming environment among a community of their peers. Check out the link for the rest of the insightful article and more pictures from the con.

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/02/sailor-moon-drake-and-pikachu-walk-into-a-room/463110/

Photo and text from The Atlantic