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RVACON launches this weekend

Posted at 1:44 AM, Sep 26, 2013
and last updated 2013-09-26 16:27:34-04

RVACONSuperheroes

Maybe you have heard of “game jammers,” or maybe you haven’t.

They're a group of people who assemble (not like the Avengers, but maybe) and try to make a video game from scratch; be it over 48 hours or a week.

It can be daunting to take on a challenge like that, much less find a venue to host or a tribe to offer encouragement and advice.

You probably have heard of the VA Comicon event, now in its 27th year. And at the very least you know about San Diego Comic-Con, which easily draws 100,000 people over four-days and is the place for exclusive collectibles and trailer premieres.

PromoFlyerBut this weekend RVACON - the event you might not have heard of but need to know about—debuts downtown and its organizers plan to showcase a lot of interests under one roof, including game-jammers.

Jimmy Budd, who co-founded the event with Alex Gentile,said they hope to host “a convention that reflects the diverse artistic community in Richmond.”

“We felt like there was a need to draw all these enthusiasts around anime, comics, gaming, design, music and technology and put them all under one roof,” he said. “We’re in a creative city right now, it’s booming and so we want to be on that cusp.”

It’s an event two years in the making, with a website that went live not even three weeks ago. Budd intends for RVACON to become an annual event, but emphasizes that the team’s focus remains small this year.

He hopes to just “do a really good job,” and plans for 1,500 to 2,000 people to attend all weekend [Scroll down for ticket info and schedule].

Budd is no stranger to Richmond events. He has managed Fashion Week for five years, and recently threw the Rockett’s Landing “Wake and Sun” event. Budd said he and Gentile sought out a team of experts who could each manage a particular element and work seamlessly together for RVACON.

Doors into their vision open at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 27.

You’re going to walk through the main doors of the Canal Club and into a Silent Disco hosted by Richmond based Hear No Evil. Throughout the weekend 15 different artists will play one hour sets that are broadcast through a transmitter and into a pair of wireless headphones; 200 will be available to the audience.

Vendors will be in the back of the club, nearby the Gaming Cube is located. Games will be played out over the numerous, huge monitors, along with a projector.

The Cosplay (cos = costumes) band will perform on the downstairs stage. This is where the fashion shows will be located. There are two shows scheduled on Saturday. The first is at 2 p.m., and it’s for beginners and kids.

The second one, at 3:30 p.m., is for more experienced Cosplayers, age 16 and up.

Workshops, panels and films are on the second floor.

Organizer Justin Mallaney said to expect a good mix of different speakers. He’s excited about Friday’s science-fiction speaker Nathan Madison. Madison’s presentation chronicles science fiction’s evolution from Victorian times, how the genre progressed through comics and radio and into film.

QuidditchLogoA Quidditch panel joins the Friday roster of speakers, with demonstration play outside near the Electronica Weekly tent.

On Saturday Andreas Addison will be discussing the affects and social influence of Google Glass, with a set on hand to demo.

The demonstrations and talk continue through Sunday. Richmonder George Rollins, also known as DJ Akasha, will delve into the world of computer software music production.

The full list of speakers is here.

RVAconFlyerFinalComic book writer Rick Spears and illustrator Chris Visions, both Richmonders, will be among the many artists on site all weekend selling items. Spears has written for DC and Marvel Comics, recently produced a graphic novel adaptation of the film “Jennifer’s Body,” and self-published the popular “Teenagers from Mars” series.

The event will sprawl outdoors, into a nice open-air spot for more vendors and booths. Food vendors are being finalized. Alcohol available through the Canal Club.

Mallaney, officially designated as the Music Director, is seriously pumped (and knowledgeable) about the music lineup, which stretches from day into late night, with the after-parties going to 2 a.m.

He said that Charlottesville’s 8-bit music producer Chipocrite will be “really interesting” and “different.” It’s a style of music that uses old video game hardware to create modern compositions. Chipocrite will offer a presentation and performance.


Saturday night’s big draw is DJ Reid Speed, who started out in 1996 as one of the lone female DJs spinning records at the time. Click here for the complete list of music.

There are four different sets of tickets available, and tickets bought online will be held at will call. And VIP pass holders not only get a commemorative lanyard, but also a Boba Fett posters (while supplies last) designed by Daniel Paul, the convention's Gaming Director.

TICKETS: 

1 Day Pass Tickets $15
3 Day Pass Tickets $25
VIP (3 Day GA + 2 After Parties) Tickets $40
After Party 1 Tickets $10
After Party 2 Tickets $10

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2013

  • Comic / Art
    • [3:30] "Scientification - Science Fiction, From Victorian Times to the 1960s" with Nathan Madison
    • [5:00] "Hope Is Not Yet Lost: One Indy Comic Artist's Story After College" with Kevin Roberts
  • Gaming
    • [2:30] How League of Legends is changing eSports and Gamer Behavior with Franklin Dillich
    • [6:00] Richmond Community Quidditch, An Introduction to Playing Quidditch with Pierson Geyer
    • [7:00] VA Lottery Game Show (Downstairs)
  • Silent Disco
    • [12:00 - 7:00] Pixel N Bits, Agent, Eli Cash, Phil Dice, Paranoid Androidz, Rudeebeatz, Chrispi Dream, Elliott Ness, Aden, Groove Status, Rometti, Rutu, HOYT!, Isra3l / Caasim, Metrix, Snarfie, HeKontrolls
  • EQ Produktions & Electronica Weekly Party Tent
    • [11:00 - 7:00] Live Music, Quidditch Freeplay, Live Gaming, Raffels, Dance Area, Cosplay Show Off
  • EQ Produktions & Electronica Weekly
    • [7:30 - 9:00] Pre-Party
  • RVACON Afterparty:
    • [9:00 pm - 2:00 am] Mitis, Kicks N Licks, Mahi, Nint3ndo, & Rudeebeatz

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2013

  • Anime
    • [5:30] Anime Movie Screening (Upstairs)
  • Cosplay
    • [2:00] Cosplay Fashion Show (Beginner)
    • [3:30] Cosplay Fashion Show (Advanced)
  • Gaming
    • [1:00] Eien Strife: Video Game Challenges
  • Music
    • [11:00 am] Eien Strife: Meet and Greet / Voice Acting / Adventuring
    • [4:00] Eien Strife Concert: Cosplay Musical Adventure Event
    • [5:30] Chipocrite - 8 Bit Music (Downstairs)
  • Technology
    • [2:30] "Google Glass and how it will affect you" with Andreas Addison
  • Silent Disco
    • [12:00 - 7:00] Pixel N Bits, Agent, Eli Cash, Phil Dice, Paranoid Androidz, Rudeebeatz, Chrispi Dream, Elliott Ness, Aden, Groove Status, Rometti, Rutu, HOYT!, Isra3l / Caasim, Metrix, Snarfie, HeKontrolls
  • EQ Produktions & Electronica Weekly Party Tent
    • [11:00 - 7:00] Live Music, Quidditch Freeplay, Live Gaming, Raffels, Dance Area, Cosplay Show Off
  • EQ Produktions & Electronica Weekly
    • [7:30 - 9:00] Pre-Party
  • RVACON Afterparty:
    • [9:00 pm - 2:00 am] Reid Speed, Agent, Reinhold, Phil Dice, Eli Cash

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2013

  • Music
    • [11:00 am] Eien Strife Acoustic Concert
    • [3:00] A World of Possibilities: (Ableton, Tablet Tech, DJ, VJ, Production) Workshop with George Rollins (Akasha)
    • [5:30] Eric Wolfe Hanson
  • Silent Disco
    • [12:00 - 4:00] Pixel N Bits, Agent, Eli Cash, Phil Dice, Paranoid Androidz, Rudeebeatz, Chrispi Dream, Elliott Ness, Aden, Groove Status, Rometti, Rutu, HOYT!, Isra3l / Caasim, Metrix, Snarfie, HeKontrolls
  • EQ Produktions & Electronica Weekly Party Tent
    • [11:00 - 6:00] Live Music, Quidditch Freeplay, Live Gaming, Raffels, Dance Area, Cosplay Show Off