So there was an anime con in Miami last weekend called "Otakufest" - not to be confused with any of the other Otakufests around the world, way to come up with an original name there. Yup, an anime con in the middle of a pandemic. Word got out that one of the artist alley vendors had tested positive for COVID-19. They had, but not during Otakufest.
https://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1sril05I don't know if what they're saying is accurate or not. What I DO know is that NOBODY SHOULD BE HAVING ANIME CONVENTIONS DURING A PANDEMIC, PERIOD, END OF STORY. Nobody should be organizing them, nobody should be attending them, nobody should be presenting at them, nobody should be artist-alleying at them. Nobody.
I get that a lot of discourse around the anime conventions that continue to happen in spite of COVID-19 is driven by people for whom running fandom events is their business, or for whom tabling at conventions is their business. This was ALWAYS a bad idea. If COVID wasn't going to kick you to the curb, something else was. Conventions fail ALL THE TIME without the benefit of a worldwide pandemic.
Gang, this shit is a hobby. Find something else to do that will pay your bills. Nerd conventions aren't going to do it. Nerd conventions don't have a healthcare plan or retirement benefits or paid vacations or even a guarantee they're going to happen on time.
Obviously nobody's going to listen to me; I've been saying this for years, & for years people say they're gonna be the exception that proves the rule, they'll be superstar millionaires selling copyright-infringing prints in artist alleys across the nation, their X-DoofusWorld-Con will be the biggest pop culture event ever for ever and ever, they'll start a chain of comic-cons in third-tier markets across America where magical first-tier crowds will shell out $500 each for the VIP packages. Animation studios will fight each other for the rights to their wonderful original ideas for an animated series. Fans with plans, we call 'em.
None of this ever happens. This shit NEVER WORKS OUT. However? Bills still gotta get paid. Rent comes due every month. Your teeth don't care about your fan art, they need to see the dentist twice a year. Your car needs gas and tires and the mechanic won't take old anime DVDs. Maybe he will?
Learn a trade, kids. The nerd shit will still be there when you clock out on Fridays. The nerd shit will still be there when COVID-19 is over. That's the great part about volunteer run and volunteer staffed nerd events. WE can walk away from EVERYTHING because THIS AIN'T OUR CAREER, this is a hobby, we can pick it right back up where we left off. Corporate Expo Overhead Salaries To Pay cannot.