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Thennary Nak ([info]seca) wrote in [info]fandom_wank,
@ 2013-05-13 22:19:00
Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:anime/manga, cons

The Great Con Conspiracy Desu
I would like to thank the mousey over at wank_report for bringing this little nugget up. So lets revel in some actual funny here.

In Colorado the main anime convention has been Nan Desu Kan. In recent years another anime convention has been building up some steam, Animeland Wasabi.

Right after this year's Animeland Wasabi ended in the beginning of March anime company Funimation announced a lawsuit against Miller Timmons, and ten John Does for selling counterfeit items at Wasabi. (Anime News Network article) Timmons also manages the convention under his Think Art Media and Animeland businesses. There is also a nice breakdown of the lawsuit in this screencap.

A few days ago an announcement is made on the front page of Animeland Wasabi that basically decries that Funimation and Nan Desu Kan are trying to get rid of Animeland Wasabi because NDK totally got their people to find some bootleg merchandise at Wasabi to show to Funimation to get them to sue Wasabi.(Be warned of glaring green background.)

And who would doubt these claims after such strong opening statements like these:

To our anime community, Animeland would like to give details about the lawsuit between Funimation vs. Miller Timmons. The framework of this lawsuit that is pending in the Denver court system is an attempt for Funimation, Nan Desu Kan and Wasabi Anime to drive Animeland, Miller Timmons, and their fans out of the anime community in Denver because we have grown over the past six years.


At the end of that tl;dr there is a screencap of a reply from ThatGuyInTheHat who manages to Godwin himself, in German no less, to a poster on the forums.

Also in the comments to the ANN article the CEO of the site says that they did try to contact Timmons before they posted the article, which goes against Animeland Wasabi's claim that they have not been contacted for a statement. There also seems to have been some wanky comments that have been since deleted in that thread without being screen capped unfortunately.

There is a discussion on the forum (which seems to now no longer be, but there are screen caps) about the announcement where we learn that the screed went through lawyers before being posted. ThatGuyInTheHat believes that anyone who is sticking up for NDK is NDK staff. That he can only give vague hints of NDK's wrongdoings because they could be spying on their forum and use what is said against Wasabi.

Nan Desu Kan has released their own press release on the matter, where they avoid saying much of anything outside that they are not making any anime company to anything for them and are too busy with their own con to care about anyone else's.

With all this popping up shortly after the hearing to figure out the scheduling for the case one can only assume that this may be the beginning.

And in case anything else appears to go poof here are the screen caps collected so far.


(Post a new comment)


[info]paladin
2013-05-14 10:03 am UTC (link)
I'm disappointed in Wasabi. If they wanted to go the conspiracy route, they should have gone whole-hog and claimed that NDK planted the bootleg merchandise themselves. Fortunately, the fact that he seems to think Varys is spying on him on NDK's behalf promises loads of future wank. I look forward to it.

Also, does anyone know if ThatGuyInTheHat is Timmons' forum handle, or is he (at least nominally) a separate entity? I wasn't sure from reading the links.

(Reply to this)


[info]dragonsong12
2013-05-14 02:51 pm UTC (link)
There's always that awkward moment when small cons start growing into big cons when it becomes painfully obvious that the people running the thing don't really have any idea how thing work. This reads so much more like a personal drama played out between two people's facebook accounts than it does a legal action between two business entities.

On one hand, it's a bit of a shame, because I'm always rooting for the little guy to succeed...
...on the other hand, it sure is funny to watch. *settles back*

(Reply to this)(Thread)


[info]cinnamonical
2013-05-14 03:01 pm UTC (link)
This reads so much more like a personal drama played out between two people's facebook accounts than it does a legal action between two business entities.

I was thinking it read like a slapfight between a chill, established BNF (NDK) and a wannabe BNF (Timmons). Except "between" is probably the wrong word to use here because that would imply both sides getting in on the action, which doesn't seem to be the case. It's more like Timmons desperately pawing at the air trying to get NDK to "put up their dukes!!!" and NDK is just side-eyeing them and slowly (quickly) backing away.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]dragonsong12
2013-05-15 02:41 pm UTC (link)
Haha, good point!
So, more like the little lap dog yapping at a bored great dane who's just trying to sleep?

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]cinnamonical
2013-05-14 03:17 pm UTC (link)
Oh, there is plenty of motive. You're just too blind to see, as it almost everyone else who is Pro-NDK.

SUCH BRILLIANT AND CONVINCING ARGUMENTS AT GIVE-NO-FUCKS O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING!

Dear lord and lady, somebody give Timmons some Aller-Tec or something, because there's enough snot dripping from that screencap to go through three boxes of Kleenez.

(Reply to this)(Thread)


[info]demonbean
2013-05-15 03:49 am UTC (link)
I'm just waiting for someone to start flailing about "sheeple."

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]scifantasy
2013-05-14 03:45 pm UTC (link)
I have a hard time imagining that FUNimation would act as Nan Desu Kan's catspaw.

Especially when you consider that FUNimation is alleging that when they told Timmons to please, you know, stop infringing copyright, his response was "you can't be everywhere."

(Reply to this)(Thread)


[info]annepackrat
2013-05-15 08:49 am UTC (link)
Your icon is one of my favorite pictures ever!

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]bigbigtruck
2013-05-15 05:01 pm UTC (link)
:D i drew it

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]puipui
2013-05-15 08:10 pm UTC (link)
You are awesome. <3

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]cmdr_zoom
2013-05-16 01:30 am UTC (link)
Seconded.

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]scifantasy
2013-05-16 07:30 pm UTC (link)
And you're credited, at least in my userpic comment.

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]ekaterinv
2013-05-14 09:13 pm UTC (link)
Is there a translation of the German self-Godwining?

(Reply to this)(Thread)


[info]seca
2013-05-14 09:27 pm UTC (link)
Over at the ANN thread:

"Are you a teacher now? Can you really say that you have never used bad grammar or punctuation? No, then you aren't perfect as perfection is impossible to achieve. But have fun assembling your SS uniform for the start of next week. Be sure to post pictures!"

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]ridicully
2013-05-14 10:39 pm UTC (link)
This, only in babelfish german. Which makes it somehow more hilarious to me.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]schroduck
2013-05-17 07:50 am UTC (link)
It always seems weird to me how online translation tools can never decide whether to use the polite or familiar pronouns. Like here, "Sind Sie ein Lehrer jetzt? Kannst du ehrlich sagen..."

It makes me imagine ThatGuyInTheHat yelling his insult, and then thinking "Wait, wait, was I too insulting? DIAL IT BACK, DIAL IT BACK!"

If you're going to insult someone in German, at least learn to duzen them properly!

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]ekaterinv
2013-05-15 04:05 am UTC (link)
Thanks!

And wow.

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]uldihaa
2013-05-14 11:26 pm UTC (link)
Not a good fit for this particular wank, but this is how I will always picture every wank forever more.

There's even a representation of Fandom Wank in it!



Side-note: The "Whee" starts me laughing. Every. Single. Time.

(Reply to this)(Thread)


[info]mrbimble
2013-05-15 04:59 am UTC (link)
which one is the FandomWank reference??

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]uldihaa
2013-05-15 05:40 am UTC (link)
The two catering waiters making comments.

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]puipui
2013-05-15 08:14 pm UTC (link)
My favorite part is the tiny tiny "do not attempt" warning at the bottom of the screen during the fighting parts. I love that.

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]adverb
2013-05-15 04:02 am UTC (link)
Oh man. I now feel justified for not going to Wasabi, despite every one of my friends who still likes anime asking me to go.

I should point out that NDK isn't completely on the up-and-up either - I don't know all the details since I fell out of the anime scene a good eight or nine years ago, but they've always been stingy and a little weird about things. A friend and her boyfriend did some heavy-duty volunteering for them in exchange for comped tickets and a hotel room, and maybe some money. That was the deal all the way up until they finished their work, at which point it became, "Oops, we can't comp you anything, bye!"

Wasabi, on the other hand, seemed really unprofessional (which could be due to them just starting out) and some of the admin people I met gave off creeper vibes (although large parts of the Denver anime community does, last NDK I had to talk myself out of actually printing out copies of the Geek Social Fallacies and handing them out).

(Reply to this)(Thread)


[info]cinnamonical
2013-05-15 04:09 am UTC (link)
I was wondering about NDK's history as well. ThatGuyInTheHat claims they've been doing "unethical stuff for the last year and a half," and the Animeland Wasabi page says that NDK banned cross-promotion with Wasabi, but I'm sure people can understand if I maintain a bit of healthy skepticism of both claims.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]adverb
2013-05-15 05:09 am UTC (link)
Yeah, I don't have any real details, although I can say for sure that NDK outgrew its convention space years ago (we're talking being in line for five hours in order to get into the major events, with the lines blocking up 75% of the hallway space), but they don't want to shell out for the convention center (I don't think there's a problem with affording it). Other than that one story, most of what I know is just rumors and the one time I talked with one of the head NDK people over a decade ago, so it could just be a typical con thing.

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]seca
2013-05-15 09:12 am UTC (link)
From what I picked up reading into this it does seem both cons have issues. And NDK's response to the allegations dinged some of my BS sensors with how they used so many words on something they could have easily summed up in a couple of short paragraphs. But as they do not have the guy throwing out conspiracy theories about how others are trying to get them around every corner they are coming off as at least sane.

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]morbid_angel
2013-05-24 08:45 am UTC (link)
Wasabi, on the other hand, seemed really unprofessional (which could be due to them just starting out) and some of the admin people I met gave off creeper vibes

Funny you should say that. When I was cosplaying Lady from Devil May Cry three years ago, I had a replicated Kalina Ann. Someone from the admin/staff or what have you asked me for a date. Then five minutes in the conversation he told me he had a felony.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]morbid_angel
2013-05-24 08:50 am UTC (link)
Also yes, Denver's anime scene has way too many creepers and it's really turning me off from conventions -_-.

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]annepackrat
2013-05-15 08:48 am UTC (link)
Is Ohio just unique in that all our cons pretty much get along and generally don't trash each other? There may be some grumbling and murmurs from time to time, but generally we are civil to each other and happily go and cross promote stuff at each other's events.

Ohio is much smaller than Colorado but we still happily hold five or more cons a year peacefully.

(Reply to this)(Thread)


[info]seca
2013-05-15 09:15 am UTC (link)
I'm thinking it may be a Colorado thing, as the Washington State cons seem to do just fine with working with each other from what I know, as I have seen other cons have booths in the dealers room of Sakuracon and vise-versa. And Sakuracon is one of the bigger anime cons in the U.S.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]puipui
2013-05-15 08:24 pm UTC (link)
Maybe it's just taking longer for the legalized pot to kick in for cons in Colorado?

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]dejana
2013-05-15 10:40 am UTC (link)
Maybe I'm in the wrong circles, but I thought Ohio was pretty legendary for drama between cons. I may be misinformed.

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[info]annepackrat
2013-05-15 04:09 pm UTC (link)
Maybe I'm just not in the right circles then? Or maybe it's just been better lately?

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[info]kalloway
2013-05-16 03:24 am UTC (link)
I know the competing Detroit conventions got pretty nasty for a couple of years... Not sure if they're still feuding or not.

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]schroduck
2013-05-17 07:43 am UTC (link)
My favourite part of the wank is the rivalry between "Anime Wasabi" and "Wasabi Anime". Seriously, not just one but two people thought that that wasn't the most cringily weeaboo name imaginable? And now one is apparently suing the other for the right to use the name?

(Reply to this)(Thread)


[info]duraniedrama
2013-05-18 03:37 pm UTC (link)
What's the deal with wasabi as a geek thing anyway? Is the fascination with hot food as geek signifier? Or something else?

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]uldihaa
2013-05-18 08:06 pm UTC (link)
What's wrong with wasabi? What makes it inherently "weeaboo" (a derogatory term that I despise, by the way)?

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[info]the_sun_is_up
2013-05-19 12:10 am UTC (link)
It's a widely known aspect of Japanese culture that even the most ignorant head-in-the-sand Westerner would recognize. It's like naming your con "Sushi Con" or "Geisha Con" or "Samurai Con" or "Unimaginative Anime Nerds With Teaspoon-Shallow Understanding Of The Culture They Profess To Admire Con." It's like if somebody in Japan set up a convention celebrating US superhero comics and named it "Burger Con."

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[info]uldihaa
2013-05-19 01:14 am UTC (link)
So like Comic-Con or Dragon-con?

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[info]uldihaa
2013-05-19 01:47 am UTC (link)
On second thought, you have a point.

I just hate the word 'weeaboo', since it's sole purpose is to provoke and denigrate.

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]phosfate
2013-05-19 04:33 am UTC (link)
I bet Burger-Con would be fucking terrific.

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[info]sepiamagpie
2013-05-19 04:57 am UTC (link)
DID U KNO when I was coming up with con names I didn't realize sun is up had already said that?

America: Burgers. Burgers for miles.

Canada gets Poutine Con, Beaver Con (with lots of confused attendees), and Maple Syrup Con.

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[info]phosfate
2013-05-19 04:59 am UTC (link)
LoonieCon.

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[info]sepiamagpie
2013-05-19 05:03 am UTC (link)
And for its second year: ToonieCon

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[info]the_sun_is_up
2013-05-19 12:14 am UTC (link)
Lol seriously, that's one of those "embarrassed to be a white anime fan" moments. If someone's suing you for the rights to use a name that godawful, you should take that as a wide open invitation to get a better name.

Also lol @ how it's called Animeland Wasabi. That's not even a coherent name, that's just weeaboo word salad.

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]hosta
2013-05-21 11:46 am UTC (link)
We didn't do anything wrong! And the only reason you caught us doing it is that you got help from our enemies.

Persecution!

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[info]itcamefromjapan
2013-05-21 01:29 pm UTC (link)
I haven't even read the wank yet. I'm still groaning thanks to the magnificent pun that is "Nan Desu Kan".

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[info]morbid_angel
2013-05-24 08:49 am UTC (link)
Holy crap, never did I think after floating around here for seven years, I would see local drama, haha.

But I am really disappointed by this. NDK's staff is really starting to grate my nerves for a lot of reasons and I've been going to their con for ten years. While Wasabi had a lot to work on, I was really hoping they would get their feet off the ground because small conventions are actually pretty nice! So, yes, so much ":|" all around. Didn't a similar convention die out like this five years ago?

(Reply to this)

  
   
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