Events

AOD at Nite

Since it was such a blast at AOD 2011, AOD at Night is back for this year! In addition to our usual Saturday night staples of the Masquerade, video games, and karaoke, we've leveled up our evening and night event offerings! Stay after dinner, stay the night, and enjoy our new track of night events! Read more!

Charity Auction

AOD is proud to help raise funds for community causes. Our friends, our staff, and our guests all donate to the Charity Auction. Items up for sale include the unique, the out-of-print, the bizarre, the awesome, the hilarious, and the jaw-droppingly surprising. Posters, DVDs, artwork, video games, voice work, consoles, collectables, and even intangible things, it's all here. And sometimes, guests autograph auction their favorite items, transforming them into truly one-of-a-kind collectables. Place your bids at the Charity Auction and support a good cause! Read more!

Costuming Events

Always a staple of AOD, costumers gather together to compete and show off their talents. Your favorite character, your own creation, or references to insane internet memes, we've seen it all compete on stage in the Masquerade costume contest. But if that's too high-profile for you, there are also Hall Cosplay awards being handed out, and many other costuming events for our attendees. Read more!

Friendship is Magic: Intro to the Brony Phenomenon

With Bronies Of Northern California (BONC)

In October 2010, a plague began sweeping through the depths of the internet. Scores of men and women adopted a motto of “love and tolerance,” and began promoting the cartoon, “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.” Join us and discover why the show is such a hit among men, and observe the greatest accomplishments of the fandom.

Gaming

You think you're good at Games? Then prove it in the heat of video or tabletop combat! With exciting tournaments in cutting-age video, board, and card games, as well as relaxed casual play on game systems from brand-spanking-new to older than you are, and a host of tabletop games available for checkout and play, gaming at AOD is an excellent place to learn new games and revisit old classics. Everyone loves a good game! Read more!

Guests of Honor

Hear what our guests have to say, and meet them too! Starting with Opening Ceremonies and at events throughout the entire rest of the convention, our Guests will be showing off new material, leading discussions about their work, sharing their industry insider knowledge, and meeting with fans. There's even rumors there's going be an Autograph Session, or maybe even a Party with the Guests! Read more!

Hideo: Overture

In a world devastated by war, elite lawmen called enforcers are all that stand between those trying to rebuild and those who have turned to lawlessness to survive. Featuring a rich, evolving mythology and internationally acclaimed music from such Japanese animated series and video games as Final Fantasy, Noir, Mega Man, and more, Hideo presents a world at a crossroads, where music always tells a story and - despite everything - hope survives.

Hideo is a story expressed through both musical and dramatic performance. The premiere performance at UC Berkeley's Zellerbach Hall - and more recently an expanded performance at the Christopher Cohan Performing Arts Center in San Luis Obispo, CA - presented over a dozen pieces of music from venerable Japanese animated series and video games with unique costumes, lighting effects, and projected illustrations to tell the tale of the zealous young hero, Hideo, the weary traveler who tells Hideo's story, and the deep sadness that haunts them both. Returning for their second year at AOD, the team behind Hideo will present an all-new story featuring new characters and our own take on music from Super Mario Bros.! www.hideoconcert.com

After the performance, there will be a 30 minute meet and greet in the back of the main event room.

Masquerade

Always a staple of AOD, costumers gather together to compete and show off their talents. Your favorite character, your own creation, or references to insane internet memes, we've seen it all compete on stage in the Masquerade costume contest, competing for the coveted "Best of Show" prize. This year's Best of Show will receive $500, Runner-up Best of Show will receive $250, and Best Construction/Best Presentation $125 each! [Masquerade Rules and Signup info]

Music

One of our favorite AOD traditions are the unique and exciting concerts and musical performances for our fans. With a slew of talented musicians in the works, AOD 2012 is bringing a variety of cartoon, anime, and video game related musicians to you. Check back in the coming months as musical guests are announced. Read more!

Opening Ceremonies

Meet all the Guests of Honor at this year's AOD, and come see what we're all about! This event is open to the public- no badge is required.

Robotech Panel With Carl Macek's Robotech Universe Screening

With Tommy Yune

The Robotech panel this year will feature a very special treat- a screening of the documentary Carl Macek's Robotech Universe, which includes footage from Carl's appearance at AOD 2010.

Directed and narrated by independent filmmaker Keith Maxwell, the documentary features interviews with the cast and crew involved with the groundbreaking Robotech franchise that debuted in 1985. A collection of private photos and stories portray the herculean effort by Carl Macek and his crew to create a dynamic anime series that influenced an entire industry that is still going strong today.

After the screening, Robotech Creative Director Tommy Yune will fill you in on the latest exciting happenings in the Robotech Universe and franchise, and be on hand to answer any questions.

Shopping

Between our Dealers Hall, which is always filled to the brim with unique and original vendors, the Artists Alley, where community artists gather to present their skills, and the Charity Auction, where exclusive items are sold to bidders eager to help a good cause, AOD is filled with one-of-a-kind shopping opportunities that you can't find anywhere else. Read more!

Speakers & Panels

And if all the other events above weren't enough, community members themselves are preparing their presentations and picture shows to teach and discuss all manner of outlandish and eccentric topics. From trendy Japanese dances to in-depth genre discussions, our panelists really know their stuff. Read more!

Vocaloid Animation Concert

With Vocalekt Visions

Tempo-P and NeutrinoP started Vocalekt Visions in 2011. Since then, Vocalekt Visions started spreading their network to join in team members from all around the world. Together with partners, Vocalekt Visions have gone to different conventions to show Hatsune Miku the software, giving public speeches and hosting live DJ performances using their original Vocaloid/Hatsune Miku music, AniMiku animations and cosplay team.

Vocalekt Visions’ panel presence is recognized nationally and their original music and animations are scheduled to perform internationally in the Philippines, Scotland and Romania one day. Quickly they are becoming the most active Vocaloid group outside Japan. Be sure to check out an amazing holographic Hatsune Miku performance of their most popular song: Lemon Ice Bar. You can subscribe and Like their Official Youtube channel too.

Vocalekt Visions’ music is available at major Internet retailer outlets such as iTunes and Amazon. Major Vocaloid websites such as Vocaloidism and Hatsune Miku Miku have written articles about their recent activities.

At AOD, Vocalekt Visions will open the show with an up and coming Vocaloid Cosplay dance group with a lot of potential – World Vocaloid Dance 01 (WVD01). Although they have just started they have managed to team up with cosplayers from Fanimaid, the winner of the J-Pop Summit 2011 Danceroid contest, and dancers who starred in the Hatsune Miku/Google Chrome commercials. Included in their routines are dance routines that were choreographed by Yukie Dong. James, who will be Kaito for WVD01, is the dance lead. His background in dancing and cosplay has landed him spots at Masquerades events all over California and has won him numerous Cosplay awards.

Another guest appearance will be made by Re:VB of AniMiku. Re:VB is the software developer of the AniMiku software, the first program available to the Vocaloid community capable of producing animations used in an environment for Vocaloid concerts. There are future plans to use his software for events around the world, and he is partnered with groups and individuals in the USA, Romania, the Philippians, Scotland, and Japan. Having presented his software at MIT during the Cool Japan events, his program is known amongst the western Vocaloid community. His and his software’s website is at www.animiku.net

Vocalekt Visions has also been collaborating with Shinji, known as 39diyMMDConcert on YouTube. He has been helping with video production and developing a new type of character projection system that does not use a traditional Dilad screen. Most well-known for his life-size Miku in his living room, you can check out his videos.

FREE Vocalekt Visions EP CDs "Tuned in the West" for participants who arrive early! Although we plan to have makeshift Negi (leek) glow sticks, if you have your own real one, please bring them for the Vocaloid Animation Concert! This event is FREE for all AOD attendees!

Please sign up with Mikubook! Mikubook is a new web portal where Hatsune Miku fans can share their favorite Vocaloid videos with each other!