Worldcon ’84: The Anime Room Experience

Since 1939, the World Science Fiction Society has held a Worldcon each year. Effectively, they took about a years off for WWII. Anyway, each annual Worldcon occurs in a city at the least 500 miles faraway from the get site of the outdated Worldcon, for that reason of causes. Because the pre-infamous gathering of science fiction followers and professionals, it is miles the flow-to vacation build for each sci-fi junkie and delusion nerd who can predicament up airplane fare, jam themselves fifteen deep into resort rooms, and suffer three hours of stern Bob Heinlein lectures on American freedom (Kansas City, ’76). And as piece and parcel of that swirling stew of propeller-beanie-sporting poindexters, anime followers have confidence stumbled on themselves thrust into the center of Worldcon on bigger than one occasion. 

1984’s Worldcon –  “L.A. Con II” – took situation August 30 all the honest about September 3 – that’s handsome, these items are FIVE DAYS LONG – at the Anaheim Hilton and Anaheim Convention Heart, one day of the boulevard from Disneyland and additionally the prolonged flee internet page of 1998 and 1999’s Anime Expo. Customer of Honor used to be Gordon “Dorsai!” Dickson, with Robert “Psycho” Bloch and Jerry “Janissaries” Pournelle MCing and internet hosting awards ceremonies. L.A. Con II had nearly 8400 members, an outstanding quantity for the time. Even for followers of “Japanimation”, as it used to be then known as, the convention used to be indubitably a magical gathering. Visiting Gundam guru Yoshiyuki Tomino printed here for the first time that Cell Swimsuit Gundam used to be getting a sequel. A 35mm print of the Lensman anime film purchased its American premiere. Carl Macek screened Harmony Gold’s divulge-to-video Macross, the precursor to next year’s Robotech. And over in the Santa Monica Salon on the 4th floor of the Hilton, the LA chapter of the Cartoon/Fantasy Group used to be rocking the dwelling with a full slate of that Japanimation thing, all weekend prolonged!

Now now not too prolonged ago uncovered in the voluminous recordsdata of Dr. Steve Harrison – who used to be there! – we now have confidence particular proof of the schedule of the 1984 Worldcon’s anime room.  And what a schedule it used to be, with a combination of the frequent and the brand new, the English and the Eastern, future franchises and lost relics ready to be forgotten. 

Thursday kicked issues off with Star Blazers, next straight into Tatsunoko’s robotic-struggling with Casshan, followed by some Galaxy Dispute 999 TV episodes, after which dropped unsuspecting audiences into Toei’s 1973’s risque Traipse Nagai hasten series Cutey Honey.

Subsequent up, a jarring change of trudge with the critically classier Sherlock Hound – you know, the Sherlock Holmes adventures animated by TMS starring the Effectively-known Detective Holmes, who’s now a dog living in a dog London? Determined you label. Then, abet to outer situation with Tatsunoko’s Macross, the English dub of their Speeding Warrior Muteking, some more Star Blazers to your afternoon, after which abet to Tatsunoko land for an episode of their then-new SF series Southern Impolite. That used to be followed by an English language episode of the TMS series Adventures Of Gamba, the field-famend fable of the sailing mouse battling to defend the mouse island, in vogue all over the field except in the United States. 

This used to be followed by the magical girl Minky Momo, after which the all the time-in vogue “dinner damage”.  The remainder of the evening? Galaxy Dispute, Lupin III, Star Blazers, Gold Lightan, a early subtitled version of Lupin III Castle Of Cagliostro, the first episode of TMS’s robotic anime Orguss followed by one other TMS robotic anime God Mars, and the wee hours would see more Star Blazers and Macross. 

Friday began intellectual and early with Tatsunoko’s 1975 outer situation knight Region Knight Tekkaman, soon to be launched to dwelling video in an English-dubbed version with the C/FO’s enjoy Fred Patten on workers. The daylight hours’s schedule of the acquainted Star Blazers, Macross, Galaxy Dispute and Cutey Honey can be enlivened by what would possibly presumably per chance well had been the North American premiere of the field-famend Daicon III and IV opening animations, produced by what would turn out to be Gainax.

Steal a damage for some new air as they re-flee supreme year’s Worldcon costume contest, but be abet at 5:30 for the Region Adventure Cobra film, Osamu Dezaki’s fancy letter to the splitscreen psychedelic psycho-gun world of outer situation hasten, and select abet for more Star Blazers, Macross, 999, and Orguss, with a aspect of art-thief coffee-shop proprietors Cat’s Glimpse.  Oh yeah, and GI Joe. 

Saturday? Earn there intellectual and early for more Star Blazers! Some Region Cobra! Quite Galaxy Dispute, some more Cutey Honey, future-cop adventures with Tatsunoko’s Urashiman, highlights of CostumeCon II, after which Carl Macek himself will introduce the American characteristic-length adaptation of Huge Region Fortress Macross! Singing along with the theme tune is now not any longer simplest counseled, it is miles strongly encouraged. 

Then prepare for frequent Miyazaki with Lupin III #155 – “Farewell Gorgeous Lupin” – some more Southern Impolite, what looks to be the English pilot dub of Tatsunoko’s Mospeada, more Macross and Galaxy Dispute, a determined presentation of the are living-movement Eastern SF film Sayonara Jupiter, the English pilot for Region Adventure Cobra, and more Star Blazers, Orguss, and Cat’s Glimpse, at which point it is 2:00 in the morning and you slither abet to the room you are sharing with a bunch of strangers to overview out to convey a build on the ground, shy with the conclusion that you peaceable have confidence two more full days of Worldcon forward of you. 

Just a few questions peaceable live: did the anime room proceed for Sunday and Monday? And why no Gatchaman? Why no Captain Harlock or Raideen? How did Tomino indubitably feel about your whole lack of Cell Swimsuit Gundam on the anime room schedule? 

Worldcons future and former would bring Eastern animation firsts to American audiences: the 1983 Worldcon featured rooftop cosplayers and a screening of a 35mm print of Arrivederchi Yamato (it used to be supposed to be Final Yamato, but something purchased lost in translation), and the ’88 New Orleans Worldcon, “Nolacon”, would see both a 35mm print of Wings Of Honneamise and the premiere of Gainax’s Gunbuster, and as a video room staffer, the opportunity to label VHS copies of the anime opening credit tape brought over by Eastern company used to be priceless. Nonetheless in 1988, we were ready; we knew what “anime” used to be and were hungry for more. In 1984, no longer so powerful. For sheer impactful energy of a ingenious medium upon a nation unprepared for its awesomeness, 1984 used to be a novel year. 

Special thanks to Steve Harrison for unearthing these schedules and to L.A. Con II and the C/FO for making all of it occur in 1984!