Spend Halloween at WASABICON for our specially themed annual dance event featuring the musical mayhem of dij!ts & GoofyFm. Come in costume – Come out of costume – (Please, though, don’t come naked) – but swing by an spend your Halloween evening at Jacksonville’s favorite comic con experience!
Admission to the dance is included with your ticket to WasabiCon.
If you are coming to the dance only, a discount pass will be available at the door.
RSVP on Facebook for updates: https://www.facebook.com/events/1713665608848936/
Want to see Yo-Kai Watch before it comes out November 6th? Swing by the WasabiCon Game Room from 1:00 PM to 5:00 on Saturday for an official presentation from Nintendo with demos, giveaways, and more!
A Nintendo Wii-U will be set up with demos of the latests releases including Animal Crossing HHD, Chibi Robo Zip Lash, LBX, LOZ Tri Force Heroes, Super Mario Maker, Yoshi’s Woolly World, and more!
We got a couple of emails asking if we could hold off ending pre-sales so folks could buy their tickets tonight… because, you know, “last minute”.
Who are we to argue, though?
As a result – we are extending pre-sales for 24 hours. THUS, you can buy your ticket all the way up to tomorrow at noon (Eastern Time Zone for you nitpickers out there).
So here you go, folks: grab your ticket today and wait in the shorter line (Pre-Reg vs. On-Site) when you get to WasabiCon 2015! http://www.eventbrite.com/e/wasabicon-2015-tickets-18086974628
Last week we kicked off another great contest for folks who bought their ticket in advance to give away a brand new, still in the shrink wrap, premium copy of Fusé: Memoirs Of A Huntress.
That winner is John Miller! Check your mailbox, John, since we’ll be shipping it out this week.
Less than two weeks until WasabiCon… are YOU ready?
The last time Tom Nabbe paid to get into a Disney Park, it was July 18, 1955 — the first day Walt Disney opened his new Park to the public. Tom was a rusty-haired 12-year-old, enjoying his day at Disneyland. The very next day he landed a job as a “newsie”, hawking “The Disneyland News” to Main Street guests.
In 1956, Walt Disney recognized the “Tom Sawyer” in a young Nabbe, and he became the “Luckiest Boy in the World”. That’s what the cover of the April 7, 1957 issue of “Parade” magazine said, beneath a full-color photo of Tom dressed as Mark Twain’s paragon of American boyhood.
“I used to approach Walt every time I saw him around the Park,” Tom said of his yearlong pursuit of Disney and the starring role on Tom Sawyer Island.
Disney’s first response to Tom was “Why should I put you on the island when I can put a mannequin there? Especially considering the dummy won’t be running off for hot dogs every half-hour.”
Disney, quoted in the “Parade” article, had a somewhat more gracious recollection: “He was friendly and bright — and he sure looked the part.”
One job requirement was that Tom had to keep a C average in school. So every quarter, the boy brought his report card directly to Walt for inspection. It was perhaps the hardest part of playing the character.
After outgrowing the role of Tom Sawyer, Nabbe went on to manage other attractions. In 1964, he met his wife, Janice, while they were working together at Frontierland’s Oak Tavern at Disneyland. They were married on June 22, 1968.
In 1971, Tom was transferred to Walt Disney World in Orlando as part of its opening crew, where he started as the Transportation Supervisor for the Monorail System. He also helped in the opening of Disneyland Paris.
Forty-eight years later, in June 2003, 60-year-old Tom retired from his job as manager of distribution services at Walt Disney World. He was the last working member of Club 55, a group of original Disneyland Cast Members named for Disneyland’s inaugural year and for their chief qualification of membership — a paycheck from Walt Disney dated 1955.
Shortly after his retirement, Tom received the highly selective honor of having his name on one of the windows down Main Street at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom.
In September 2005, he was inducted as a Disney Legend during a ceremony that took place at Disneyland. His wife Janice and son Ken were in attendance as he received this honor. Since then, he has spoken at numerous Disney enthusiast events, telling of his experiences as the “Luckiest Boy in the World”.
What is the Jedi Academy of North Florida? In their own words: “Our mission is to educate and instruct open-minded, enthusiastic, dedicated and hardworking the way of the Jedi. Accepting students all students between the ages of 6-65.
Initially we will offer basic/intermediate classes in the following practices:
-Lightsaber dueling (offense/defense)
-acrobatics
-basic maneuvers
-focused meditation
-martial arts”
Be sure to check out their panel on Saturday at 6:00 PM in Panels B!
Also check ’em out Facebook: www.facebook.com/Jedi-Academy-of-North-Florida-1387016494908328/
The WasabiCon 2015 Costume Contest is a chance for cosplayers to show off their hard work and passion for dressing up like pop culture characters. The contest will take place Saturday, October 31, 2015 at 7:00 PM in Events A (Ortega). You must sign up IN ADVANCE during the Costume Contest Pre-Judging/Sign-Up in Panels A (San Marco) from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM. No entries will be taken right before the contest itself.
This year – we’re proud to announce that the contest is sponsored by Jacksonville’s newest toy and comic book store: Mythical Mountain! The best of show winner will win a $250 Gift Certificate to the store – with other prize categories getting gift certificates, too! THE RULES
You must have purchased an entry into WasabiCon 2015 in order to enter/present on stage for the Costume Contest.
The Costume Contest is a family-oriented event. Please keep all costumes to a “PG-13″ rating (i.e. no nudity or overly revealing attire).
No bought costumes. Costumes must be 50% crafted or more. You may purchase parts of a costume, but said parts must be disclosed during the judging process. If you are not the maker of your costume (and simply modeling), said creator of the costume must be present with you upon entry. If the costume wins an award, the award will go to the creator of the costume.
All weapons and props must conform to WasabiCon rules, hotel and convention center policies, and local laws concerning carrying a weapon. If there is a question of doubt, don’t bring it.
Please provide reference images of the character you are dressed as. We cannot guarantee the judges will know what your character looks like, so having something to compare to will help you as much as them! Please provide this image on a piece of paper to attach to your costume contest registration form. No digital images (i.e. cell phones, iPads, portable computers, tablets, etc.) or books can be submitted for your reference image. Please print the picture out for the judges.
There is no restriction on costume source. This means all genres & “original characters” are permitted in the contest.
Each costume must be entered separately. The costumes may be presented on stage (and prejudged) together, but each costume is judged as a separate entry. Simply put: the “Best of Show” award can only go to one individual and not a group. The “Best Group” award, however, is an example of multiple entries being presented together to win this award.
The contest will be limited to 50 entries total. (NOTE: Costume Contest entry forms are available at the convention ONLY. You may pick them up at Registration when you pick up your badge/wristband for the convention or in Panels Room A at 4:00 on the Saturday of the con.)
WasabiCon reserves the right to modify, update, or amend the rules at any time… just in case.
Have fun!
THE INFO
REGISTRATION takes place Saturday during the Costume Contest Pre-Judging/Sign-Up in Panels A (San Marco) from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM.
SET UP: All contestants MUST report to Events A (Ortega) at 6:30 PM to be coordinated for contest. If you are late, you will not be in the contest.
THE CONTEST takes place that same Saturday from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM in Events A (Ortega). There is a 30-minute break to allow for the judges to discuss winners – during which the audience will watch a presentation from Noise Complaint. The winners will be announced after the performance.
THE AWARDS
Best of Show (aka “THE winner”) This winner will take home a $250 Gift Card to Mythical Mountain in Jacksonville, Florida!
Runner Up (aka “the winner that’s not THE winner”) This winner will take home a $100 Gift Card to Mythical Mountain in Jacksonville, Florida!
Best Junior Costume (aka “the winner that is under the age of 14”) This winner will take home a $100 Gift Card to Mythical Mountain in Jacksonville, Florida!
Honorable Mention (aka “you were good enough for us to notice”)
Best Costume Group (aka “the folks who looked cool together in costume”)
Three (3) Judges Awards (aka “the judges have favorites that didn’t win something else”)
October 19th Update: Congrats to our WINNER: John Miller!
Advance ticket sales for WasabiCon 2015 end next Sunday (October 18, 2015) – and we want you to have one more chance to win FREE STUFF by buying your ticket in advance?
We have a brand new, still in the shrink wrap, premium copy of Fusé: Memoirs Of A Huntress to give away. Here’s the details:
“Hamaji, a young huntress from the mountains, stumbles into the middle of a shogun’s vendetta against a group of human and dog hybrids, the Fusé. Rumors of Fusé murdering innocent people in the bustling city of Edo have sparked a bounty for their heads. Along with her brother, Hamaji joins the hunt for this dangerous quarry, but after accidentally befriending one of them, Hamaji is torn between two worlds: her life as a self-reliant huntress, and the young woman her new friend has helped her to uncover.”
The Premium Bonus Set Includes:
• Premium hardcover slipcase
• 1 Blu-ray disc
– Runtime: 110 mins
– Original Japanese voice acting (DTS 5.1)
with English subtitles
• Bonus content: Original Japanese commericials
• A full-color, 32-page hardcover art book
(approx. 11″ x 7″) provides a deeper viewing
experience through additional character info,
concept art, and an interview with the director
– Fusé Tear-resistant Poster (11″x17″)
So how do you win?
Simple: purchase your admission to WasabiCon in advance online at www.Wasabicon.com/Tickets. Everyone who buys their ticket is entered and we’ll pick a winner after October 19th.
Questions? Email [email protected] – and good luck!
Last week we kicked off a contest for everyone who had bought their WasabiCon 2015 ticket in advance. Here’s the original post: https://wasabicon.com/archives/2697
Today, we picked the winner from all the advance ticket purchases… congrats Christopher Montgomery!
We’ve shipped your poster out today – so you should get it later this week.
STAY TUNED for our next contest. We plan on doing one more this week.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WASABICON, JACKSONVILLE’S FAVORITE “COMIC CON” EXPERIENCE, RETURNS FOR YEAR FOUR! The annual celebration of pop culture in North Florida will take place October 31-November 1, 2015. (JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, October 9, 2015) Beginning in 2012, WasabiCon (www.WasabiCon.com) is a weekend celebration of anime, comic books, cosplay, gaming, science fiction, video games, and “geek culture”. The event draws over 2,000 attendees annually to the Jacksonville Marriott, located at 4670 Salisbury Road, Jacksonville, Florida 32256. This year, events begin Saturday (October 31st) at 11:00 AM and run until 5:00 PM on Sunday (November 1st). You can find the event schedule online at www.WasabiCon.com/schedule Ticket prices are $20 for Saturday, $15 for Sunday, or $35 for the weekend. Children under 3 years old get in for free. Advance ticket sales (online) end October 18th – but you can still purchase tickets during the event at the Jacksonville Marriott. Parking is free. Note: The rideshare app, Uber (uber.com/app), is offering a free ride to the convention for new users (up to $20) by using promo code WASABI when signing up. This year’s convention will host a variety of celebrity and local talent including David Sobolov (the voice of Gorilla Grodd on the popular CW television series The Flash and the voice of Drax the Destroyer in the animated Guardians of the Galaxy television series and video games) and Amanda Miller (the voice of the iconic Sailor Jupiter in the Sailor Moon and Sailor Moon Crystal anime series). In addition, AMC’s The Walking Dead fans will have a chance to meet featured zombie Triston Johnson all weekend. Other appearing talent include the 1701st Fleet Star Trek Club, local cosplay celebrity Candy Keane, Essential Paranormal, Extra Life Team Jax, GAAM, Jig to a Milestone, Miss Fushi, Noise Complaint, author Seth Kubersky, and the Umbrella Corp. 219th Cosplay Group. Additional talent is being added all the way up to the show. For the latest list, please check out www.WasabiCon.com/#guests Entertainment at the convention is designed for a variety of interests and includes tabletop and video game events, industry panels, fan presentations, vendors, artists, and more. Since Saturday of the convention falls on Halloween, WasabiCon will be hosting a costume contest with over $500 in prizes (sponsored by Mythical Mountain). WasabiCon is made possible through the generous support of a number of local and national sponsors: Borderlands Comics & Games, Calliope Games, Fireside Games, Formal Ferret Games, FUNIMATION, Guidebook, Japan Candy Box, Jimmy John’s Subs, Kawaii Box, Mythical Mountain, Steve Jackson Games, Uber, and Video Game Rescue. For press credentials and interview requests, please contact the convention production team via email at [email protected]. ABOUT GREEN MUSTARD ENTERTAINMENT: Started in 2001 as Wasabi Anime®, Green Mustard Entertainment, Inc. is an event production company that specializes in fan-focused entertainment and pop culture conventions. Based in Orlando, Florida, the company has made appearances and designed entertainment for some of the largest conventions in North America including Anime Expo®, Dragon Con, Florida Supercon, and Gen Con. Green Mustard Entertainment currently owns and operates five fan convention in North America: Florida Anime Experience, Florida Comics Experience, InvaderCON, PinUpalooza, and WasabiCon.
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Spend Halloween at WASABICON for our specially themed annual dance event featuring the musical mayhem of dij!ts & GoofyFm. Come in costume – Come out of costume – (Please, though, don’t come naked) – but swing by an spend your Halloween evening at Jacksonville’s favorite comic con experience!
Want to see 
The last time 
What is the Jedi Academy of North Florida? In their own words: “Our mission is to educate and instruct open-minded, enthusiastic, dedicated and hardworking the way of the Jedi. Accepting students all students between the ages of 6-65.
The WasabiCon 2015 Costume Contest is a chance for cosplayers to show off their hard work and passion for dressing up like pop culture characters. The contest will take place Saturday, October 31, 2015 at 7:00 PM in Events A (Ortega). You must sign up IN ADVANCE during the Costume Contest Pre-Judging/Sign-Up in Panels A (San Marco) from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM. No entries will be taken right before the contest itself.
