Theresa Ford grabbed a life-sized sling shot in the hopes of knocking over Angry Birds plush stuffed animals stacked on a tower of cardboard boxes Sunday afternoon.
The computer engineering sophomore was among hundreds of anime enthusiasts who gathered for the Shuto Con Anime Convention at the Lansing Center, 333 E. Michigan Ave. The convention was held Friday through Sunday with various activities including gaming rooms, dodgeball tournaments and a life-sized version of the popular app Angry Birds.
“Seeing (the Angry Birds) actually come to life was really awesome,” Ford said.
Conchairs Joe Shall and Stefanie Shall helped create Shuto Con and held the first convention last year. Both have tattoos of the convention’s logo.
“Stefanie and I used to go to conventions, we would have so much fun,” Joe Shall said. “When we came to Lansing and noticed there was no convention, it just made so much sense to do it.”
Along with coordinating the event, Joe Shall dressed up as the Ice King from the popular Cartoon Network show, ““Adventure Time”:http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/tv_shows/adventuretime/index.html.”
Attendees dressed in full Mario and Luigi costumes as well as costumes of characters from anime shows such as ““Pokémon”:http://www.pokemon.com/” and ““Bleach”:http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=4240,” wandered through the convention and posed with other die-hard fans.
“We are not your average con(vention), it’s all about the con-goers,” Joe Shall said.
Media and information senior Dan Losh volunteered and participated at the convention.
Losh entered some brackets for video game tournaments and dressed up in costume. He has been part of MSU’s Anime Club, also known as Animosity, for four years. Because of networks such as Adult Swim and Cartoon Network, Losh gained interest in anime at a young age.
“I didn’t really think of it as anime at the time,” Losh said. “It technically really started with ‘Sailor Moon.’”
Participating at the convention gives students an outlet for their love for anime, as well as a way to spread the word about the annual convention.
“For (MSU students) it’s good to have a convention that lets people know about anime, and they might not even know about anime,” Joe Shall said.
Ford enjoyed the Artist Alley because of all the various homemade items she said can be hard to find elsewhere.
The Artist Alley showcased various artists and dealers selling and displaying their work.
During the convention, Ford searched through the selection of fox ears and tails on display to add to her costume.
“You’re allowed to be a kid here and no one cares,” Ford said.
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