The History Behind Alabama's Largest Anime and Gaming Comic Convention

THE HISTORY BEHIND

ALABAMA’S LARGEST ANIME AND GAMING COMIC CONVENTION How Kami-Con came to be

Written by: Haylee Smith Pictures by: Grace Langston Designed by: Lauryn Smith

Kami-Con, Alabama’s largest anime and gamis today. It started small, with just a few a man with a need to give back. These the state with a convention similar and over the years, have worked to In 2008, Kami-Con took place in brought in roughly 460 visitors. season took over both the ham-Jefferson Convention voice actors, comedians and ping 9,000 paying visitors.

It all started with KaLenzner. Early in his college problems that many people and began to shut himself only respite was going to comics or graphic novels. eventually gave Raymond a dark cloud of depression encouraged him to get out tions, and make friends. Since adequately thank and give back him. It started out with posting (when it was still a wild and lawless music shows. After working with so make my own convention, right here!”

ing comic convention, was not always as popular as it students here at The University of Alabama and entrepreneurs shared an interest in providing to the ever-popular San Diego Comic-Con fulfillfulfil that dream. the Student Center with three guests and At their 2022 show, their fourteenth North and East Halls of the BirmingComplex, hosted 37 guests including musicians, and brought in a whopmi-Con’s creator, Raymond career, Lenzner faced the same do. He had very negative feelings in until he rarely left his dorm. His the library for manga—Japanese The tight-knit manga community his life back and lifted him out of that had slowly enveloped him. It and participate in clubs, go to conventhen, he has searched to find a way to to the community that did so much for episodes of anime for free on YouTube, place), and volunteering at conventions and many conventions, he got a crazy idea: “I can And just like that, Kami-Con was born.

Japanese arcade game room

Even COVID hasn’t slowed Kami-con down.

They had to cancel the 2021 show—though not 2020, as it was hosted in February just before the pandemic began — and worries of Omicron didn’t keep many people away in 2022.

The community at large felt the huge hole left behind when the convention skipped a year.

Everyone was eager to return, and Raymond was eager to host the conventions safely. Every issue that popped up, he and his wife handled it in stride.

“I can make my own convention, right here!” And just like that, Kami-Con was born.

Lenzna made an on-campus club, SOS Brigade, to help plan and staff the convention. Many of the staff that were instrumental in the first few years are still working with Kami-Con, some traveling across the country just to help out. The SOS Brigade, like Kami-Con , has continued to grow. New members join every year, many of whom stick around even after they graduate. Just like the manga and anime communities, SOS Brigade is a family. They spend the entire year preparing for the three crazy days of the convention, then turn around and start preparing for the next one the very next day.

Cosplayers in the vendor room

Kami-Con built a family of thousands of people who may not know each other, but can sit and talk for hours about the things that make them happiest.

Raymond’s urge to give back to the community has created a huge family on and off UA’s campus. People from every background are connected by Kami-Con. Complete strangers stop and talk, compliment each other, dance and laugh together. The atmosphere at Kami-Ccon is magical and unmatched. Raymond described individuals and families stopping him at the con or emailing him afterward, thanking him for the experience and how he and his convention help people out of dark places, giving them something to look forward to. His convention, like the manga community did for him before, provides a niche place to feel included for people who otherwise might struggle to fit in. Kami-Con built a family of thousands of people who may not know each other, but can sit and talk for hours about the things that make them happiest.

If you’re interested in learning more, please visit kamicon.net.

SOS Brigade is also an active on-campus organization that is always looking for new members with meetings on Tuesdays at 6 pm located inat Tten-Hoor 125.

Vendor room full of fandom merch, collectibles, and fashion