Yuricon

Last updated

Yuricon
StatusDefunct
VenueHilton Newark Penn Station
Location(s)Newark, New Jersey
CountryUnited States
Inaugurated2003
Most recent2007
Attendance200 in 2003
Organized byErica Friedman
Website http://www.yuricon.org/

Yuricon was an anime convention geared toward fans of yuri anime and manga. [1] The first Yuricon event was held in 2003 in Newark, New Jersey with about 200 attending, [2] although Yuricon has existed as an online entity since 2000. [3] The event was organized by Yuricon, LLC., which continues to run Yuri-focused events of its own, [4] collaborates with other organizations to hold unique events, [5] [6] and hosts contests. [7]

Contents

History

In 2000, Erica Friedman founded Yuricon on Usenet with the name of "Anilesbocon" but this was changed to Yuricon in 2003 in an effort to better "celebrate Yuri in anime and manga." [8] [9] In 2003, the organization had a "three-day anime and manga convention" in Newark, New Jerey. [10] Two years later, Yuricon hosted an event in Tokyo and co-sponsored Onna!, together with the Shoujo Arts Society, which focused on women's roles in animation and comics. [10] Two years after that, in 2007, Yuricon ran a small one-day event, named Yurisai, to recreate the feel of the Tokyo event from 2005. [11] During this time period, Yuricon hosted several panels, [12] cosplay events, [13] anime music video contests, and other competitions, while Yuricon maintained a library of yuri manga for attendees to read. [14]

Some years later, in 2011, Yuricon moved to a new website. [15] The same year, the Kyoto International Manga Museum added works published by ALC Publishing, the publishing arm of Yuricon, into its permanent collection. [16] Also that year, Renbooks, an Italian publisher announced that an Italian edition of Rica 'tte Kanji!? would be published. [17] The following year, ALC Publishing announced a partnership with JManga to publish two stories: POOR POOR LIPS! , [18] Kimi no Tamenara Shineru. [19] and three other yuri comic titles. [20] The next year, Okazu, then just a blog of Friedman, joined the domain of Yuricon [21] and ALC publishing stopped publishing new material. [8]

In later years, the webpage of the Yuricon website as a whole was improved, while the group's founder, Erica Friedman, asked for donations to ensure that Yuricon and Okazu are "on the cutting edge of Yuri Culture." [22] Later, the new-and-improved Yuricon store would be opened [23] and the page listing yuri essays would be improved. [24] Them, in May 2018, Friedman appeared at a guest panelist at AnimeNEXT in Atlantic City, NJ. [25] The following year, Yuricon joined forces with PacSet to launch a guided trip across Japan "dedicated to the Yuri genre of Japanese animation and manga," which would take place in September of that year. [26] The same year, Eric Friedman appeared at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival to celebrate 100 years of Yuri, [27] while speaking at various other events that year. [28]

In May 2020, Yuricon hosted an online panel about yuri. [29]

Event history

DatesLocationAtten.Guests
June 13–15, 2003Gateway Hilton
Newark, New Jersey
200Dr. Sarah Frederick, Gaijin-a-gogo, Mike Hayes, Eriko Tadeno, Rica Takashima, and Kathryn Williams. [2]
April 16, 2005A/Z Books & Cafe
Tokyo, Japan
30Akiko Mizoguchi, Natsuko Mori, Eriko Tadeno, and Rica Takashima. [30]
September 29, 2007Hilton Newark Penn Station
Newark, New Jersey
Rica Takashima. [31]

Publishing and outreach

Yuricon has a publishing arm, ALC Publishing, the only all-yuri publisher in the world. [1] Publications include translations from the Japanese—such as Rica 'tte Kanji!? and WORKS—as well as the original English-language anthology series Yuri Monogatari.

Friedman has run guest lectures about yuri at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, [32] MIT, [33] Kanagawa University, [34] International Christian University, [35] and University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. [36]

Additionally, Friedman has run a blog titled Okazu since 2002, which she describes as the "world's oldest and most comprehensive blog" which focuses on lesbian themes in Japanese comics, cartoons, and other media. [37] Yuricon also describes Okazu as their "official" blog. [38]

Publications

Related Research Articles

<i>Yuri</i> (genre) Fiction genre depicting female same-sex relationships

Yuri, also known by the wasei-eigo construction girls' love, is a genre of Japanese media focusing on intimate relationships between female characters. While lesbianism is a commonly associated theme, the genre is also inclusive of works depicting emotional and spiritual relationships between women that are not necessarily romantic or sexual in nature. Yuri is most commonly associated with anime and manga, though the term has also been used to describe video games, light novels, and literature.

<i>Simoun</i> (TV series) Japanese anime television series

Simoun is a Japanese anime television series created by Shō Aikawa, Yoshizaki Sasa and Gō Mihara. It ran for 26 episodes on TV Tokyo from April 3 to September 25, 2006.

Kedamono Damono is a Japanese manga series written by Haruka Fukushima. It was serialized in the shōjo manga magazine Nakayoshi from 2004 to 2007. All three volumes have been released in North America by Tokyopop. The story revolves around the relationship between a boy, Haruki Sugimoto, and a girl, Konatsu Narumiya. Haruki is forced by urges to change genders at night, turning into Haruko. While his alter-ego takes over, the urges to flirt with Konatsu completely take over even as he is a girl.

<i>Rica tte Kanji!?</i> Japanese manga series

Rica 'tte Kanji!? is a Japanese yuri manga series written and illustrated by Rica Takashima. The series was first serialized in the Japanese manga magazine Phryne in 1995, and then moved to Anise in 1996. The manga was later licensed by ALC Publishing for release in English, with the first volume being released on June 19, 2003. Additional Rica 'tte Kanji! stories have been published in ALC Publishing's annual anthology Yuri Monogatari. Rica Takashima has stated in interviews that one of the reasons she created Rica 'tte Kanji!? was to have a yuri manga that was happy and about everyday life, unlike most yuri of the time, which typically ended in tragedy or were in a sci-fi setting.

Hana no Asuka-gumi! is a Japanese manga by Satosumi Takaguchi serialized in Monthly Asuka. It was adapted into a television drama series, two live action films, two OVAs and two drama CDs. It is one of the series with delinquent girls (sukeban) popular in the 1980s. Two new manga series were published, one from 2003 to 2009 and the other from 2007 to 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rica Takashima</span>

Rica Takashima is a prolific pop artist and manga artist who has had exhibitions and shows in museums and galleries in New York City and as well as across Japan.

Hanjuku-Joshi is a Japanese yuri romance manga series written and illustrated by Akiko Morishima. It was serialized in Comic Yuri Hime by Ichijinsha, with the chapters collected in two volumes. It was released online in English by JManga and it is published in French by Taïfu Comics.

<i>Haru Natsu Aki Fuyu</i> Japanese manga

Haru Natsu Aki Fuyu is a Japanese erotic romance yuri manga written by Eiki Eiki and illustrated by Taishi Zaou. It was serialized on Yuri Shimai and Comic Yuri Hime and published in a single volume by Ichijinsha. It was published in English on JManga and in French by Taifu Comics. Two drama CDs were also released.

Akiko Morishima is a Japanese yuri and shōjo manga writer and artist.

<i>I Married My Best Friend To Shut My Parents Up</i> Japanese manga series

I Married My Best Friend To Shut My Parents Up is a Japanese yuri manga series written and illustrated by Kodama Naoko. The series follows Machi Morimoto, a woman who enters into a same-sex sham marriage with her kōhai (junior). I Married My Best Friend To Shut My Parents Up was serialized in the manga magazine Comic Yuri Hime in 2018 and collected into a bound volume by Ichijinsha that same year, and was licensed for an English-language release by Seven Seas Entertainment in 2019.

<i>Superwomen in Love! Honey Trap and Rapid Rabbit</i> Japanese manga series

Superwomen in Love! Honey Trap and Rapid Rabbit is a Japanese yuri manga written and illustrated by sometime. Superwomen in Love! was serialized online at Yuri Hime @ Pixiv, the yuri manga magazine's official Pixiv platform. Before serialization it was published as a one-shot manga on the author's Twitter and Pixiv. It was licensed for an English-language release by Seven Seas Entertainment in 2020.

Yuri Life is a Japanese yuri manga series written and illustrated by Kurukuruhime. It was first published on Kurukuruhime's Twitter and Pixiv accounts, after which it was published by Kadokawa in 2018 as a single tankōbon volume. Yuri Life follows everyday romances of various couples living together. It is licensed for an English-language release by Yen Press.

Days of Love at Seagull Villa is a Japanese yuri manga series written and illustrated by Naoko Kodama. The manga was serialized in Ichijinsha's Comic Yuri Hime from January 2019 to August 2020 and is licensed for an English-language release by Seven Seas Entertainment.

The Two of Them Are Pretty Much Like This is a Japanese yuri manga series written and illustrated by Takashi Ikeda. The manga was serialized online via Gentosha's Comic Boost website from January 2020 to February 2022. The story follows the daily lives of Erie Sakuma, a 30-year-old scenario writer, and Wako Inuzuka, a 20-year-old voice actress. It was licensed for an English-language release by Seven Seas Entertainment in 2021.

Even Though We're Adults is a Japanese yuri manga written and illustrated by Takako Shimura. It was serialized in Kodansha's Kiss magazine from March 2019 to August 2023.

Poor Poor Lips is a Japanese yuri yonkoma manga written and illustrated by Hayako Gotou. It was serialized in Takeshobo's Manga Life from September 2006 to September 2012 and was licensed for an English-language release by JManga in 2012. The series follows Nako, a poor 21-year-old who begins working at a jewellery store along Ren, a rich lesbian who owns the store.

References

  1. 1 2 Corson, Suzanne (2007). "Yuricon Celebrates Lesbian Anime and Manga". AfterEllen.com. Archived from the original on December 5, 2012. Retrieved May 1, 2007.
  2. 1 2 "Yuricon 2003 Information". AnimeCons.com. Archived from the original on October 4, 2018. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  3. Friedman, Erica (March 2008). "Interview: Erica Friedman - Page 3 - Interview With Yuri Manga Publisher and Founder of YuriCon" (Online). Interviewed by Deb Aoki. about.com. Archived from the original on August 20, 2016. Retrieved October 9, 2020. The first page of the interview indicates that it was conducted in March 2008.
  4. "Live Online Yuri Panel – April 29th, 2012". Yuricon. April 15, 2012. Archived from the original on June 22, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  5. "Yuricon Presents the Yuri Panel at Anime Next!". Yuricon. May 15, 2013. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  6. ""The Secret History of Yaoi and Yuri" at Flamecon!". Yuricon. August 20, 2016. Archived from the original on February 11, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  7. "You Choose Which Will Be the First New Yuricon Contest". Yuricon. April 13, 2011. Archived from the original on June 3, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  8. 1 2 "What is Yuricon?". Yuricon. March 3, 2012. Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  9. Friedman, Erica (June 29, 2008). "Interview: Erica Friedman" (Online). Interviewed by Deb Aoki. Geeks Out. Archived from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.{{cite interview}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch (help)
  10. 1 2 Corson, Suzanne (April 30, 2007). "Yuricon Celebrates Lesbian Anime and Manga". AfterEllen . Archived from the original on September 22, 2016. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  11. "US Premiere of "Simoun" anime at Yuricon's "Yurisai" Event". Anime News Network . September 18, 2007. Archived from the original on November 5, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  12. Friedman, Erica (August 3, 2012). "Interview With Erica Friedman (Yuricon)" (Online). Interviewed by Samantha Ferreira. Anime Herald. Archived from the original on October 9, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  13. "Media Blasters and Yuricon Team Up for "Simoun" Cosplay at Yuricon 2007". Anime News Network . June 26, 2007. Archived from the original on November 3, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  14. Lisa Z. "Convention Reports: Yuri Con 2003". Anipike.com. Archived from the original on January 18, 2006. Retrieved March 31, 2008.
  15. "Yuricon Under Construction". Yuricon. March 29, 2011. Archived from the original on June 23, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  16. Manry, Gia (March 11, 2011). "Kyoto International Manga Museum Adds U.S. Yuri Works". Anime News Network . Archived from the original on December 7, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  17. "Italian Publisher Renbooks announced "Rica 'tte Kanji!?" Edition". Yuricon. August 4, 2011. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  18. "ALC Publishing and JManga Announce POOR POOR LIPS Partnership!". Yuricon. March 9, 2012. Archived from the original on June 22, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  19. "ALC Publishing & JManga Partnering on Heian Period Yuri Manga "Kimi no Tamenara Shineru"". Yuricon. March 9, 2012. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.{{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch (help)
  20. "ALC Publishing and JManga announce a Yuri Summer with Three Comic Yuri Hime titles!". Yuricon. June 21, 2012. Archived from the original on June 23, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  21. "Welcome Okazu to the Yuricon Domain". Yuricon. March 3, 2012. Archived from the original on June 5, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  22. "Yuricon Shop Update Project Report!". Yuricon. January 15, 2015. Archived from the original on October 7, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  23. "Yuricon Store Grand Opening!". Yuricon. August 1, 2015. Archived from the original on February 10, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  24. "Yuri Essays Page Renewal!". Yuricon. June 22, 2017. Archived from the original on February 11, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  25. "Yuricon at AnimeNEXT in Atlantic City, NJ!". Yuricon. May 28, 2018. Archived from the original on February 11, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  26. ""Celebrate 100 Years of Yuri" Tour of Japan from Yuricon and Pac-Set Travel!". Yuricon. January 31, 2019. Archived from the original on February 11, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  27. "TCAF Welcomes Yuri Manga Creator HIROMI TAKASHIMA". Toronto Comic Arts Festival. April 3, 2019. Archived from the original on April 18, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  28. "100 Years of Yuri Events Schedule". Yuricon. June 16, 2019. Archived from the original on March 27, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  29. "2020 Online Yuri Panel Schedule!". Yuricon. May 1, 2020. Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  30. "Yuri Revolution 2005 Information". AnimeCons.com. Archived from the original on October 4, 2018. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  31. "Yuricon 2007 Information". AnimeCons.com. Archived from the original on October 4, 2018. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  32. "Speaker at UI March 3 to discuss "Yuri" movement in Japan". Foreign Languages Building. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. February 23, 2006. Archived from the original on September 1, 2006. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  33. MIT Reports to the President 2002–2003 (Report). MIT. 2003. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved October 9, 2020. Film and WS Events..."Schoolgirls and Superheroes: Gender and Sexuality in Contemporary Japanese Animation," by Sarah Frederick (Boston University), Erica Friedman (director of Shoujoai Conferences), and Kerey Luis (Brandeis University)
  34. "Yuricon Founder Erica Friedman to Lecture at Kanagawa University". Yuricon. September 28, 2013. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
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  37. Friedman, Erica (2020). "About". Okazu. WordPress. Archived from the original on October 2, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  38. "Links". Yuricon. 2020. Archived from the original on February 2, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
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