By Amanda Moses
On July 8th, hundreds of anime and manga aficionados were invited to the Brooklyn Public Library’s very first comic convention entitled AniTomo, which was created by the minds of the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) community.
Demon Slayer fans donned their kimonos and plastic samurai swords while others dusted off their One Piece pirate attire for the first-ever AniTomo convention at the Brooklyn Heights Library located at 286 Cadman Plaza West.
Starting at 9 am, excited attendees lined up outside of the library in anticipation for the first free fun extravaganza—one that promised three floors of interesting panels, celebrity guests, free giveaways, an artist gallery, and more.
Approximately 1,000 individuals registered for the event and over 500 were in attendance, making the first venture for this outing a success. Upon entering the convention, guests were provided with a pamphlet that mapped out the experience and provided ample opportunities to earn prizes by attending all of the booths and panels and receiving a stamp at each destination.
Attendees beamed with joy as they met Demon Slayer’s voice actor Zeno Robinson, and oozed with enthusiasm while they attended informative panels like: GKids, which discussed anime distribution on a massive scale and how individuals could pitch their own narratives.
Three lucky guests even won an Xbox One X, while others earned free manga books, anime statues, and tickets to the Japan Society’s film festival and AnimeNYC. It was like being on an Oprah television show set, where almost everybody won some free swag.
Many of those in attendance shared that this convention provided them a safe space to be themselves and meet others with similar passions. Others even stated that they had never been to a convention before and were grateful for the free opportunity to learn about the craft and find a pathway to career opportunities and internships.
AniTomo was created by Eileen Level, Spring Creek Towers’ Director of the Young Adults Program, thanks to a $10,000 grant from the Brooklyn Library Incubator Program.
Level noticed that there was a need in the BIPOC community, and so she set out to survey manga and anime fans at various Brooklyn public libraries. It was there she learned that many of these individuals had never been to a convention before nor were they able to afford the skyrocketing prices of New York Comic Con.
Members of YAP also shared their input on a convention experience, adding that they not only enjoy anime and manga, but also want to find a career in the industry. Together with Level, they discussed the type of features they would like to see at a convention including hearing from fellow members of the BIPOC community who work at anime distribution companies like GKids and Manga publishing outlets.
Upon attending AniTomo, several YAP members entered the cosplay contest, video game tournament, and even joined a live debate tournament—many earning top debate prizes like Devonte Griffith and Voshon Thomas.
When the convention culminated, after a thrilling cosplay contest and karaoke session, fans were left wanting more and inquiring if there would be another AniTmo event next year.
Photos by Amanda Moses
