Over the past several years, I've had the good fortune to attend UChi-Con, a free one-day convention run by the University of Chicago's Japanese Animation Society. I won't be able to attend and perform this year, but I would encourage any local fans to check them out.
It's a small event, but its academic focus on Japanese animation and culture makes it more than worthwhile for anyone interested in anime and manga as cultural texts, along with their relationship to Japanese society and history. They bring in speakers from out of state to give talks on various subjects - this year, they have these two listed on their site, with one more pending:
Society, Culture, and Women in Japanese Ladies' Comics Dr. Kinko Ito, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Japanese Animation and Character MerchandisingDr. Marc Steinberg
They also have the usual presence of viewing rooms, game rooms, cosplay, and other panels!
Location: Harper, 1116 E. 59th St. Chicago, IL 60637
Website:
http://jas.uchicago.edu/uchi-con/ -Stephen
