Kraken Con

This is my only second year at Kraken Con; my first time was 2 years ago. Unfortunately, this will be their last year hosting it due to circumstances so there was an air of sadness for sure. Attendance numbers were about the same as the previous year but still not in large numbers as one hope. Great choice of guests as I got several commissions just for the voice actors to sign. The biggest factor for me what makes this convention so enjoyable were the wonderful staff, especially Eileen for being the most passionate AA head I've ever met. She defined the love of anime and cons together and I'm grateful to participate in this show.

I didn't know what to expect from this con. I'm so used to doing AX, Fanime, and ALA that I didn't think I'd get far with this con. I really only came here 'cause I live in Oakland and setting up was so easy that all I really had to do was buy a $90 table and that was it. And that really was it! The staff here was incredibly friendly, which surprised me since I was never treated so kindly by AA staff before. They gave us free snacks, water, and even offered to take our trash. Check in was also a breeze, and the other artists there are very friendly! I even left making a new artist friend at the end. The attendance was also really great, I was making a sale every 5 minutes or less. And the guests are also the best! Both Charlet Chung (voice of D.Va from Overwatch) and Kimberly Brooks (Jasper from Steven Universe) visited my table and were so pleasant to talk to. If you're looking for a local con to dip your feet in, KrakenCon is worth looking into!

I have been in the AA of every KrakenCon since the first one (Except the cool one on the USS Hornet because I got sick and had to cancel) I love the attitude they have there and the way they take care of the artists, vendors and attendees. It's quickly becoming one of my favorite local shows. It's growing steadily and showing no signs of slowing down. It happens twice a year so the staff learns faster than most cons. For a con of its size, it has better programming than you'd imagine. The Oakland Convention center has a slightly convoluted layout which makes loading a bit of a haul for artists. On the upside, there's a Smart& Final and Endgame Cafe across the street.