By Amanda Moses
Over a thousand cosplayers made the trek over to Brooklyn’s Industry City for the Second Annual AniTOMO Con on July 20th.
It was a beautiful Saturday morning for anime fans as they gathered at Japan Village—943 3rd Avenue—for a day chock full of games, delicious food, panels, shopping, and more during the AniTOMO convention.
Creator and founder of AniTOMO, Eileen Level, told the Spring Creek Sun that the free convention was created to celebrate both traditional and pop Japanese culture, while also being designed and produced by people of color to be enjoyed by everyone.
“AniTOMO was designed to amplify and celebrate diverse perspectives and historically underrepresented communities. These are the very same communities we are serving with this convention. An overwhelming majority of these students are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), the very people who are least likely to find positive, authentic representation in mainstream media. We wanted to shine a spotlight on our communities, while also providing a resource to learn about Japanese culture, anime, manga, and even gaming,” Level said.
Comic Conventions tend to cost over a $100 just for admittance into the venue, and doesn’t include purchases made inside for memorabilia, autographs, and access to certain panels. However, AniTomo takes away that pressure and offered everyone the opportunity to participate free of charge, as well as attend educational workshops, panels and interact with other like-minded individuals.
Japan Village served as the perfect venue for AniTomo Con since it functions as an indoor market with Japanese food stalls—including Sunrise Market—as well as several open access floors and a courtyard that is designed to look like a rural village.
For attendee Aaliyah Givens, 21, the ability to attend the convention made by people who look like her, share the same interests and for free was a blessing. Dressed as Pink Pie from My Little Pony, Givens lives in Bedford-Stuyvesant and gushed that it was a wonderful change of pace that the event was held near her neighborhood.
“The con is really cool. I really don’t know much about anime events in the city, and most of them cost a lot of money so it is nice that I can find a community here in Brooklyn without going too far or without spending a lot money,” Givens said.
Givens was amazed by the multi-floor access where attendees could dance to Japanese tunes, access an outdoor gaming hut, draw their favorite anime characters on a wall in a section called Bronx Tokyo, and meet creative vendors and artists all the while watching cosplayers compete for the top prize in the courtyard that looked just like a village found in Kyoto.
Level credits Japan Village and Industry City for the providing a beautiful venue for her to utilize, creating an ambiance that truly encapsulates the many facets of Japanese culture. While PaleFO Cinema sponsored a large part of the convention, other sponsors The Notice Blog—which supports narratives from marginalized communities—Japan Foundation (supports projects that further understanding of Japanese arts and culture) and Canarsie Community Development Inc. helped cultivate an event that empowered independent artists and provided access to a cultural project developed by People of Color (POC) for everyone.
Level told the Spring Creek Sun that in addition to working with independent artists, prior to the event the convention hosted AniTOMO Plus Ultra Tour where the team travels to high schools in marginalized communities, inviting students to help design the AniTOMO Con program of events. By doing so, the team and students work together to include as many ideas as possible within their means and budget.
“I also want to give a big Arigato and show my sincere gratitude – to all my staff, volunteers, moderators, presenters, artists, contributors, and of course, all of you for helping to make this event what it is today. AniTOMO began as one person’s lofty dream, but with the support of everyone here, you’ve all helped turn this into a reality,” Level said.
Bryanna Young, 29, was one of 4,000 people registered for AniTOMO on Eventbrite—a ticketing application for events. Dressed as Starfire from Teen Titans, the Queens native was excited to attend alongside her cousins visiting from Illinois to a free convention that embraced all cultures.
“I am enjoying this beautiful space of creatives. I see so many people that look like me, and so many people embracing the multiple cultures, the food and the arts. It’s a joyous occasion. There are classes, and there is cosplay competition. I am looking forward to coming back when they hold it next year,” Young said.
This year Level launched AniTOMO Con 2024 Mascot Competition providing attendee an opportunity to design a new mascot for the following year. The design for 2024 was TOMO-Chan, which was inspired by the youngest cosplayer from last year. Level says what is inspirational by this design is that it was created by a two-year-old, Gillian Goris and edited by Julien Level Willson, showcasing that the love for anime starts at such a young age.
Photos by Amanda Moses
