She wore a bright blue wig, oversized orange jacket and an eye patch to entice them, and she morphed between giggling and frowning to attract the attention of the anime enthusiasts who were bidding on an afternoon to spend with her.
Angelica Martinez (freshman-communications and Japanese), dressed as anime character Akito on Saturday, raised $100 for charity during Setsucon 2008 -- a two-day conference held this weekend at the Days Inn, 240 S. Pugh St.
The conference is a subcommittee of the Penn State Anime Organization (PSAO) and was organized as a way to celebrate the Japanese culture.
"Setsucon is a conference and convention dedicated to celebrating Japanese art, animation and culture," said Setsucon President Andrew Martin (junior-psychology).
Setsucon derives its name from the Japanese word "Setsu," meaning snow, and "con" is an abbreviation for conference, said Setsucon Vice President Anita Lin (junior-chemical engineering).
It is referred to as the "snow conference" because it is held during the winter.
This is the second year of the conference, and because of an increase in funding, the conference was held for two days this year as opposed to the one-day conference held last year.
One of the highlights of the convention was a host auction. Members of Setsucon -- like Martinez -- dressed as their favorite anime characters and were auctioned to attendees of the conference. After the auction, the winners attended a tea party with the character they "purchased."
"We try to make this part of the [conference] as much of a show as possible," said PSAO President Ryan Foster (senior-information sciences and technology). "It entertains and it's for charity."
Lin estimated about $1,200 was collected from the auction, all of which will be donated to the United Way.
Other attractions included an Artist Alley, Dealer's Room, video gaming, anime movie showings, karaoke and various panels.
Julia Lichty traveled from Stroudsburg, Pa., to sell her art at the convention.
"I do a lot of illustrations and comic book work, mostly with an anime or dark look to it," Lichty said.
Various anime professionals attended the conference and ran panels.
Kyle Hebert, a voice actor known for his narration of Dragon Ball Z and the voices of other anime characters, said he came to the conference to run a panel on anime dubbing and "hang out with the fans and celebrate the art form."
Chris Malone, the creator of the webcomic Blue and Blond, hosted a table in the Artist Alley and led two panels, "Webcomics 101" and "Webcomic Industry and Management."
Penn State and non-Penn State students alike attended the conference.
"So far, I just like seeing all [of] the people dressed up and how all these people can come together and be friendly," said Becky Harris (freshman-communications and Japanese).
