Hello once again, fellow otakus! KuroNekoCon is just a couple months away, and we're getting more and more excited by the second.
     Last month was our annual fashion show and neon dance party! After a few bumps in the road, we got the show off without a hitch. The fashion show had its highest number of contestants yet, which also brought some heavy competition with it. Something most people don't know about our fashion show is that we do our judging before the actual show starts so our guests don't have to sit around quietly for a crazy amount of time. We get a big list of each cosplay that includes all sorts of information about the costumes given to us by the contestants. It tells us which costumes were handmade, modified, or purchased, which definitely sways our decision on the winner. Our judges have even been known to circle the contestants and get an up close view of craftsmanship. This year, when it came time to start the show, our judges started to panic a little. We still hadn't been able to choose winners. We sat an debated for a long time, and even relied on the response from the crowd when choosing our final three. In the end, we're proud of our choices for who won their spots, and each winner has received one free weekend pass to KuroNekoCon 2013 that they can choose to keep or give to a family member or a friend.
     Tomorrow is Otaku Prom [link]! It's our second year running this event, and we know it will be a lot of fun. It's only $5 to get in, and attire can range anywhere from formal to cosplay to every day. We'll have live music provided by Cirque De Marionette [link] and a photo area set up to capture memories of the night. As per tradition, we'll be crowning a king and queen, but this year we're also crowning a jester. This award will go to the person who brings the most energy to the dance. Of course, there will also be cake as well as all of your favorite Japanese snacks, so make sure you bring a little extra cash.
     Just to further the excitement, this year we're happy to announce that Darrel Guilbeau will be returning to our convention as a special guest. His work includes Durarara!, Blue Exorcist, Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan, Zoids: Genesis, Code Geass, the ever popular Bleach, and so much more. We're so happy to have Mr. Guilbeau back at our convention, and his constantly growing list of work only adds to the reasons why you should be excited too! Keep an eye out for more exciting announcements!
     Earlier this month was also Free Comic Book Day and Bloomsday. We made our way down to the Comic Book Shop [link] in costume to help them hand out free comics and some other nice treats to those visiting the store including free chocolates provided by Pixie Dust Chocolates [link]! We were joined by Spokane Batman [link] and the 501st [link]. We had so much fun and we want to give a big thank you to the Comic Book Shop for letting us join in the fun and helping get our name out. At Bloomsday, we joined the members of SpoCon [link] along the course to cheer on the runners and dance to a little Gangnam Style and the YMCA. We were delighted that many of the runners stopped to say hi and take pictures or even stay and dance with us. To everyone that ran the race, you did an amazing job, and we're proud of each and every one of you for finishing all 7 miles of the race.
     We feel like we've come such a long way in just the last five years, and we thank you guys for sticking with us through everything. We've faced a lot of hardship, and we've had to say goodbye to many of our staff members. We've scraped by when funds seemed low, and flourished when we overcame those financial pulls. Our staff members get so enveloped in their work that it throws us for a loop when we realize all of the things people outside of our staff don't know. Our committee is run entirely by volunteers that spare their time for no compensation. They put in months (sometimes years) of work just to bring a smile to the faces of our attendees. We even see a lot of volunteers from the convention itself step in to help with individual events throughout the year. Every cent of profit is put right back into the convention to make this convention what it is, and our staff puts a fair amount of their own money into the budget as well. It all goes towards our venue, special guests including their hotel and airfare, equipment, and so many other things that you'll see at our convention this year. This committee strives to make the convention happen and improve every year. The next time you see a KuroNekoCon staff member, be sure to at least spare a smile, and feel free to give a 'thank you.'
     The last of our sign ups are officially up and running on our website. If you're interested in joining the cosplay contest for KuroNekoCon 2013, applications are available [link]. Be sure to read the rules thoroughly, and, if you're feeling inspired, consider signing up to take part in our skit contest [link] as well. We also have space open in our cosplay chess game [link] so don't hesitate to sign up, and get your friends to come fight along side you.
     If cosplay isn't so much your game, there are plenty of other ways to get involved. Applications are also available for volunteers [link]. If you'd like to spare your time as security [link] or in the maid cafe [link], be sure to fill out those applications too. If you're interested in running a panel, we have plenty of space open for you to sign up! Of course, we still have room for vendors, so if you've got some fine goods to sell, this is the place for you [link].
     As always, thank you for helping make KuroNekoCon the best it can be, and we appreciate all of your support.

Thanks again,
KuroNekoCon Staff