Otakon 2026 review
I first would like to apologize for not posting this review sooner, as soon as I got home from DC, it was just "nose to the grind stone" and getting through folks' orders. I'm working as quickly as I can while also trying to take a little time for myself when I can.
Otakon is a convention held in the United States capitol of the District of Columbia (DC) over the last weekend of July. I had never been to DC before and cried tears of joy when I got my acceptance email. I also had a very strange dream where I flipped off the White House and shouted that I "couldn't be proud to be American, so long as you're shitting yourself in that White House." And my friends found that hilarious and told me to do so. Had there not been hundreds of gun-toting military folks on top of the intimidating and obnoxious fence around the White House, there would probably be video proof. But I did want to live to see the convention and end of my quest to turn every Pokemon into a kigurumi, so I did not. I did see the Smithsonian Natural History Museum and did cry over all the incredible things my partner and I saw before setting up for our table.
I appreciate that while the hours were long, they were staggered a little bit to allow vendors and artists to be able to peruse each others wares. I wish there was a break in the middle of the day because 10 hours is a very long time to be selling. I did not stay in any of the close hotels, but instead chose an Airbnb nearby who also happened to be an author. He was a kind host and had his daughter's dog with us during most of the stay, as well as his neighbors' cats who were both very sweet animals. It broke my heart to see that even in our capital, that a lot of trash was left around, and the amount of houseless folks hurt. Although they were unhoused, almost everyone I encountered was kind and helpful. A lot of folks got around on scooters or bikes, so there was no shortage of easy transportation to and from the bnb. I do want to point out that the street signs for when you can and can't park is absolutely bonkers and stupid and unless you live there, you're likely to get a parking ticket, which very quickly get expensive. Please read the sign completely and take caution to avoid $45+ tickets.
Set up, after we figured out where the heck we were going, was a lot easier. I do wish they would have clarified that artists could bring small carts to carry their things, because I had to do multiple trips, worrying about getting banned or yelled at over it. I definitely messed up my hands for a few hours afterwards. Turns out, it was mostly for the vendors on the Dealer's side who bring motorized carts and such. I understand it is to protect the convention, but I like to know what I actually can and can't do. Set up lasted most of Thursday into Friday, and was a breeze after that. I wish the convention had included a map to show where we would be going, as my GPS told me to go one way, and I ended up having to walk almost the entirety of the convention center looking for the Artist Alley check-in. It's so easy to have a map and include it, whether someone is a repeat seller or a new person, so that they don't end up in my situation.
I really appreciate how large the aisles were, as well as spacing. I had a 10x10 booth, so I was able to appropriately display everything and not feel like it got too crowded. I even got to meet several of my followers that have been so sweet to me and have purchased multiple items! It was such a wonderful feeling to know that I have such awesome people in my corner and being able to talk with them was great! I sold some of my bigger amigurumi, which surprised me, as I don't always have the kindest reception to my pricing. Not that I'm pricing anything outrageously, but some folks believe that crochet is not a skill that deserves more than a few dollars per item. I am so blessed to be reminded that I am worth more than I think I am sometimes, and that if people want my work, they will purchase it.
I also sold several of the premade kigus I scrambled to make before the convention, included my raccoon (so many people called it the Jimothy onesie XD) and my summer Geodude kigu! I do still have my Shroomish kigu, which I'm hoping will go home soon! I got a few commissions from the con and I'm so excited to get to those! I was even able to make a decent amount from tarot tips where I was able to spend some money on myself, since my birthday was the week after, and got my friends some stickers as well. I feel like the variety of artists was incredible as well as not seeing 3D print vendors in the Artist Alley. No shade to anyone who does 3D printing, but unless you're finishing each piece, designing, and modeling, you do not belong in the Artist space. You will do much better in the Dealer's area. I was pleasantly surprised to see all the amazing artists, and even that they had a tattoo corner. Had I made a lot more beforehand, I probably would have gotten myself something to commemorate the occasion. (I say, like I didn't get a ton of magnets to show I had been through Virginia, West Virginia, DC, and the Smithsonian.)
All in all, I had a fantastic time, I hope I get to come back and soon. I loved getting to see our nation's capital and my hope is that we'll be in much better hands soon. Thank you so much to the staff for constantly checking on us artists to see if we needed any breaks and making sure that folks that showed up late weren't taken advantage of. I would absolutely come back, even if I didn't make as much as I was expecting. Maybe next time, I'll be able to go to the aquarium!
I was also able to do 4 Artfight attacks, including making a Woobat amigurumi pattern, and most notably, sold 3 off the rack kigus! Lulu and Daisy Mae also went home, to which I'm very happy and thankful! (also, shout out to the super sweet person who commissioned me at con to make a little Soot Sprite for their car. They let me choose the candy color and said that I chose perfectly.)
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