One of Anime's Biggest Conventions May Close Permanently Due to COVID
The coronavirus pandemic has definitely delivered some body blows to a number of franchises within [...]
The coronavirus pandemic has definitely delivered some body blows to a number of franchises within the medium of anime, as many series have had to announce a number of delays throughout 2020 as a result, and it seems as if one of the biggest anime conventions might be shutting its doors as a result of COVID-19 as well. Otakon is one of the biggest anime conventions in North America, typically held in Baltimore, Maryland, which originally opened its doors in 1994 to celebrate the anime culture as well as the culture of the East and it seems as if the event might be in danger of ending its operations.
Otakon had to cancel last year's big event as a result of COVID-19, with the next event scheduled to take place later this year, though this is certainly up in the air considering the precarious nature of the world's reaction to the coronavirus pandemic. Otakon didn't just offer panels with voice actors and the creative minds behind some of the biggest anime franchises, it also had attendees that would wear their love of all things anime on their sleeves with scores of recognizable Cosplay.
The President of Otakon, Brooke Zerrlaut, had this to say about the current status of the convention's future considering that the annual event set in 2020 had to be canceled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic:
"We use the proceeds from each year to plan the next Otakon and make sure we survive until then. So without the income from Otakon 2020, and the early pre-registrations we would normally see at this time of year, we are in a very precarious position. Put simply, in the next few months we will have to make a decision to continue planning for Otakon 2021, or potentially close our doors forever."
2020 saw several conventions taking their events online, with the likes of San Diego Comic-Con, DC FanDome, Anime Expo, and more finding success via this new method of gathering fans and stars together under one digital roof. Though we don't know if Otakon will be able to do something similar, we are crossing our fingers that the long-running anime convention will be able to land on its feet!
What was the biggest hit that the anime industry took as a result of the coronavirus? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime!