Doujin Overload 2008!

So Doujin Overload 2008 has been and gone… and oh my god, can I say BEST EVER DOUJIN OVERLOAD EVA!!!

*cough* sorry, my mind still hasn’t quite calmed down from all the excitement, and after having spent all day today resizing, editing etc. photos from the event, I can finally let my enthusiasm loose to talk about the event!

The experience actually started on the Friday for me. I’d taken the day off from work to hang out with friends and also watch the movie ‘The Dark Knight.’
If you havne’t already seen this movie, you must. All the hype about it isn’t just hype, the movie actually is good! I would go as far as saying that I don’t think anything will top it for me for quite a while.

Friday morning, 6.30

Morning cuppa tea

Nadea, Paolo & Kylie

Note: The above and following photos are all clickable thumbnails, you can click them to view a larger version.

The full gallery can be viewed here.

Friday morning heralded in a storm. The type of storm Auckland apparently hadn’t seen in over 15 years. Weather reporters told Aucklanders to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary. For many of us anime and manga fans, who’d been looking forward to Doujin Overload for so long, no storm was going to stop us!

Nadea and I met up at my work at 8.30AM and then took one car to a parking location closer to the Mercure Hotel, which is where Doujin Overload was taking place. After grabbing a quick coffee in Esquires opposite the hotel, we went in and met up with our friend Helen before heading into the event room.

There were heaps of people already there, mainly artists, organisers and friends setting up. After meeting and greeting friends and acquaintances we wondered around taking photos.
It is a fascinating experience watching artists set up… some have a method to their madness, others I don’t think had any method, but in the end, come 10AM when the doors opened to the public most artists were ready and waiting to greet the masses!

Kylie & Krista set up

Artists set up

Xinaliia & Cisiko set up

And boy did the masses come! There were so many people the entire room was a crush for most of the day. The heat and the almost claustrophobic atmosphere got to a few people, with many needing to catch a breath outside. Regardless of this, everyone looked like they were having heaps of fun, I know we were!

I won’t say how much I managed to spend in that first hour (with a short break to head out to the ATM to get more cash *groan*) but I know I didn’t get nearly half what I wanted to get, nor the commissions I wanted to ask for! The types of art for sale ranged from anime manga style, fan art, to work that was so uniquely the artists’ own.
Photos of my haul can be seen at the bottom of this post

After grabbing a quick lunch, Nadea and I said our goodbyes to Helen and started our duties as volunteers at the event by manning the figure display. It was a really nice selection of figures too, and thankfully not full of the “same same” types of figures that were available last year.

Figures oh my!

Cute Halloween

Haruhi circle

After a brief break we went on to watching over the art competition entries… and there were many. Most of high calibre, although three stood out as favourites. In the end only one of the three I liked won (came in second place) but eh… each to his own.

Girl on Unicorn

Beautiful marker work

Panda death

The prizes were some amazing figures from the Doujin Overload sponsers WETA. A massive Superman figure, a very large Zorro figure and an equally large figure from Lord of the Rings. Thankyou WETA!

The day passed far too quickly I think. With so many events occuring including the Lucky Star and Bleach Musical dance performancces, a lot of fun was had by all. Infact I don’t think I could see a sad face in there, I know I for one thoroughly enjoyed the event.
Enjoyed meeting friends, making new ones, squealling over artwork and feeling the pain of wanting to buy something, but not being able to afford it XD

Dinner with folk from the GNC forums was a blast, and I will never ever look at takoyaki (octopus balls) the same way again!

Thankyou so much to the Doujin Overload organisers and to all the artists who came. This event rocked thanks to you guys!

Right… onto the pretty pretty photos of ma loot!

Doujinshi artbooks, an original comic strip from Kylie and Paolo’s bag

Original artwork, including a commissioned mermaid, postcards & bag from Paolo

Various prints from akira-666, Cisiko, J-pac & unknown

More prints from J-pac, Nina & Liz Leaper

Original art including commissioned mermaid, goth girl & paper
children by Xinaliia, Cisiko, Kylie, Liz and 2 unknown artists

Liz Leaper originals, Cooking Girl, Spring,
Disney Princess and My Neighbor Totoro

Original sketches by Kamairie, SilentSeraphim,
Nyxx, Bane and Alex

Miscellaneous pretties bought or received as freebies

More detailed scans of all the original artwork will be available for viewing in my Original Art Collection section.

And that, is that. Please check out the photo album for more photos from the event and I would love to read about other peoples’ experiences at Doujin Overload 2008 too!

The following are links to other artists, friends and event goers’ recaps of their experiences at the event.
Arkillian
Hiyaku Studio
Kamairie
Kouken
J-Pac
Rinree
SilentSeraphim
Triggermann
Xinaliia
Zmallet

Other photo albums:
Arkillian

ROLL ON DOUJIN OVERLOAD 2009!