Schedule (2024 Will be uploaded Soon™)
All Day
Retrievercon Information Desk
Need help finding a location? Question about the programming? Any problems that need to be addressed? Stop by the Retrievercon information desk, located on Main Street!
Dealers and Artists
Check out our large variety of vendors and artists in three different locations! The Retrievercon information desk will also be here (on Main Street).
Locations: Skylight Room, Main Street, Game Room (318)
Retrievercon Lounge
Hang out, eat cookies, and drink tea in the Retrievercon Lounge! For (Afterschool) Tea Time—There will be a buffet of tea and cookies 2-4 PM.
Location: Lower Flat Tuesdays
Video Games
In our (video) game showcase, members of UMBC's Game Developer's Club will be sharing some of their work. In this room, we also have one of our vendors, a game studio founded by UMBC students, who will be running demonstrations of their game!
Location: 318
Tabletop Games
Come out and play tabletop games with UMBC's tabletop gaming club!
Location: 327
Photo Suite
Location: 328
Events
10:30 AM: Opening Ceremony
Location: Skylight Room
11 AM: A Brief History of Anime [Guest] [Panel] [Discord]
Where did anime come from? How did it start? Brent P. Newhall of the Otaku Brain Trust will take you on a hundred-year trip through the history of Japanese animation, from World War II propaganda, through Astro Boy, Gundam, and Evangelion, up to the anime that's changing the industry today.
Location: Panels (331)
12PM: Lunch
Location: Skylight Room
12 PM: The Life & Times of Cartoon Network [Panel] [Discord]
Cartoon Network has gone through a lot in 30 years. Well talk about the specialties of each era, influential creators, nostalgic bumpers, and how the brand ended up where it is today.
Location: Panels (331)
12:10 PM: Cosplay Contest Pre-Judging [Cosplay]
Location: Retrievercon Lounge (Lower Flat Tuesdays)
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1 PM: Retrievercon Cosplay Contest [Cosplay]
Anime Society is once again teaming up with the UMBC Cosplay Coalition to bring you a cosplay contest! There will be fabulous prizes! First and second place will be chosen by a panel of judges, and there will also be an audience favorite choice.
Location: Skylight Room
1 PM: Miyazaki's Mythical Animals [Guest] [Panel] [Discord]
Hayao Miyazaki's films frequently feature important animals, from Teto to Totoro and Jiji to Yakul. But rarely are these mundane creatures; Miyazaki typically brings a fantastical twist. We'll chart Miyazaki's fascination with the animal kingdom through his works and perhaps gain an insight into why his animals are nearly always more than they appear.
Location: Panels (331)
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2 PM: SEGA's retro crossover, Fighters Megamix. [Panel] [Discord]
A history and showcase of the obscure fighting game Fighters Megamix for the Sega Saturn.
Location: Panels (331)
2 PM: Foam Armor 101 [Panel] [Cosplay]
This panel is an introduction to using EVA foam for cosplay, starting from the basics like where to get the supplies. I would teach people how to work with EVA foam for cosplay (how to glue, shape, cut, etc). I have been using foam for cosplay for 3-4 years and have won awards for my cosplays at Baltimore Comic Con and Farpoint. You can reference my cosplays at @sydnycsply on Instagram!
Location: Skylight Room
2 PM: Where in the World Did Yuki's Anime Go? [Guest] [Trivia]
Lupin has stolen all the dragon balls. We need your help to find him gumshoes! Test your knowledge of geography and anime trivia in this globetrotting game show to catch Lupin and recover the dragon balls.
Location: Sports Zone
2 PM: Who Are Kyoto Animation? [Guest] [Panel]
Kyoto Animation is among the most distinctive and best-known studios in anime – a studio which routinely leaves their industry peers in as much awe as their fans. But how did they get there? What makes them so fascinating? And how are they recovering from the deadly arson of July 2019?
Location: Lecture Hall 01
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3 PM: Touhou Project: True Grit's Last Wishbone [Panel] [Discord]
What is a Touhou? While it would be impossible to explain in full detail we will try to give you the basics. After you have become a TouPro, we will be giving a live demonstration through one of the mainline games. Join us as we display the "hell" in bullet hell as time slowly runs out to overcome the challenge!
Location: Panels (331)
3 PM: Decora Fashion 101 [Panel] [Cosplay]
Have you ever wanted to try out Harajuku fashion but didn't know where to start, or thought you couldn't afford it? Allow me to introduce the most bang-for-your-buck styles out there, Decora! In this panel you will learn what Decora is, where it comes from, and how you can start a wardrobe and create awesome outfits for cheap.
Location: Skylight Room
3 PM: Retrievercon Quiz Bowl [Trivia]
The Retrievercon Anime Quiz Bowl returns once again for more anime related fun. Think you know enough anime trivia? Or do you want to put some more titles to your watch list? Come on down and join us for some silly questions and tons of laughter. First place winner gets a prize, kindly provided by our sponsor, Rightstuf.
Location: Sports Zone
3 PM: EXPLOSIONS! [Guest] [Panel]
Anime explosions are peerless.
Their variety: infinite.
Their power: overwhelming.
At every point in anime history, if you look at the cutting edge of technique, technology, and aesthetics, explosions will be there. Today, we’ll discuss those trends, study the masters, and examine their explosions in detail.
Location: Lecture Hall 01
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4 PM: Iyashikei, Sekai-kei, Kuuki-kei, and more: Exploring the "kei" genres [Panel] [Discord]
You may know about “iyashikei,” or “healing” slice of life anime. But what about the other “kei” genres? For example, did you know that Your Name is built on a sekai-kei model? Join us as we explore the world of anime kei subgenres —many of which have transformed the anime landscape as we know it.
Location: Panels (331)
4 PM: Lost in the Sauce [Trivia]
Have you ever seen a series and just wanted more? Your pasta was dry and you wanted some sauce? Here is a game show where you test your knowledge about the source material of various anime series!
Location: Sports Zone
5 PM: The Hard-Nosed Business of Anime: Why is Anime Made? [Guest] [Panel] [Discord]
Why does an anime studio decide to make a series? Who decides? What business forces constrain the studio? Brent P. Newhall of the Otaku Brain Trust takes you through the business processes that bring your favorite anime to reality. Includes hard numbers on costs, prices, and the popularity of various media.
Location: Panels (331)
6 PM: Puyo Puyo!! The great puzzle legacy! [Panel] [Discord]
An in depth history of the Puyo Puyo puzzle game franchise.
Location: Panels (331)
6 PM: Bye-Bye, all of EVANGELION [Guest] [Panel]
Evangelion is over, for now. But its legacy endures and Hideaki Anno hints that something more may come in the future. This will be a discussion panel - audience interaction encouraged - to talk about the final movie, the series, and the potential future of one of the most famous series in anime history.
Location: Sports Zone
7 PM: Anime with Agendas [Guest] [Panel] [Discord]
All anime is trying to tell a story, push a message, and so on. But a few certain anime are focused on one or two large overarching topics that they make the core of the story about. This panel aims to talk about a few general themes such as Technology, Government, and Society and see which anime are using them as a core part of their messaging.
Location: Panels (331)
Video Rooms
Room 329
11:30 AM Helpful Fox Senko-san (1-3)
12 PM Ya Boy Kongming! (1-2)
1 PM Run with the Wind (1-2)
2 PM Trigun Stampede (1-2)
3 PM Sweetness and Lightning (1-2)
4 PM Soaring Sky! Precure (1-2)
5 PM Ping Pong the Animation (1-2)
6 PM Sakamoto Desu Ga? (1-2)
7 PM Fate/Zero (1-2)
Lecture Hall 01
Anime Films + Discussion (Film Club)
4 PM A Silent Voice
~6:15 PM The Night is Short, Walk On Girl
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