Yuricon was an anime convention geared toward fans of yuri anime and manga.[1] The first Yuricon event was held in 2003 in Newark, New Jersey with about 200 attending,[2] although Yuricon has existed as an online entity since 2000.[3] The event was organized by Yuricon, LLC., which continues to run Yuri-focused events of its own,[4] collaborates with other organizations to hold unique events,[5][6] and hosts contests.[7]

Yuricon
StatusDefunct
VenueHilton Newark Penn Station
Location(s)Newark, New Jersey
CountryUnited States
Inaugurated2003
Most recent2007
Attendance200 in 2003
Organized byErica Friedman
Websitehttp://www.yuricon.org/

History

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In 2000, Erica Friedman founded Yuricon on Usenet with the name of "Anilesbocon" but this was changed to Yuricon in 2003 in an effort to better "celebrate Yuri in anime and manga."[8][9] In 2003, the organization had a "three-day anime and manga convention" in Newark, New Jersey.[10] Two years later, Yuricon hosted an event in Tokyo and co-sponsored Onna!, together with the Shoujo Arts Society, which focused on women's roles in animation and comics.[10] Two years after that, in 2007, Yuricon ran a small one-day event, named Yurisai, to recreate the feel of the Tokyo event from 2005.[11] During this time period, Yuricon hosted several panels,[12] cosplay events,[13] anime music video contests, and other competitions, while Yuricon maintained a library of yuri manga for attendees to read.[14]

Some years later, in 2011, Yuricon moved to a new website.[15] The same year, the Kyoto International Manga Museum added works published by ALC Publishing, the publishing arm of Yuricon, into its permanent collection.[16] Also that year, Renbooks, an Italian publisher announced that an Italian edition of Rica 'tte Kanji!? would be published.[17] The following year, ALC Publishing announced a partnership with JManga to publish POOR POOR LIPS!,[18] Kimi no Tamenara Shineru,[19] and three other yuri comic titles.[20] The next year, Okazu, then just a blog of Friedman, joined the domain of Yuricon[21] and ALC publishing stopped publishing new material.[8]

In later years, the webpage of the Yuricon website as a whole was improved, while the group's founder, Erica Friedman, asked for donations to ensure that Yuricon and Okazu are "on the cutting edge of Yuri Culture."[22] Later, the new-and-improved Yuricon store would be opened[23] and the page listing yuri essays would be improved.[24] Then, in May 2018, Friedman appeared at a guest panelist at AnimeNEXT in Atlantic City, NJ.[25] The following year, Yuricon joined forces with PacSet to launch a guided trip across Japan "dedicated to the Yuri genre of Japanese animation and manga," which would take place in September of that year.[26] The same year, Erica Friedman appeared at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival to celebrate 100 years of Yuri,[27] while speaking at various other events that year.[28]

In May 2020, Yuricon hosted an online panel about yuri.[29]

Event history

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Dates Location Atten. Guests
June 13–15, 2003 Gateway Hilton
Newark, New Jersey
200Dr. Sarah Frederick, Gaijin-a-gogo, Michelle Hayes, Eriko Tadeno, Rica Takashima, and Kathryn Williams.[2]
April 16, 2005 A/Z Books & Cafe
Tokyo, Japan
30Akiko Mizoguchi, Natsuko Mori, Eriko Tadeno, and Rica Takashima.[30]
September 29, 2007 Hilton Newark Penn Station
Newark, New Jersey
Rica Takashima.[31]

Publishing and outreach

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Yuricon has a publishing arm, ALC Publishing, the only all-yuri publisher in the world.[1] Publications include translations from the Japanese—such as Rica 'tte Kanji!? and WORKS—as well as the original English-language anthology series Yuri Monogatari.

Friedman has run guest lectures about yuri at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,[32] MIT,[33] Kanagawa University,[34] International Christian University,[35] and University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.[36]

Additionally, Friedman has run a blog titled Okazu since 2002, which she describes as the "world's oldest and most comprehensive blog" which focuses on lesbian themes in Japanese comics, cartoons, and other media.[37] Yuricon also describes Okazu as their "official" blog.[38] In 2022 essays written for Okazu, including those detailing the history of Yuricon and ALC Publishing, were published alongside Friedman's other works within By Your Side: The First 100 Years of Yuri Anime and Manga.

Publications

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  • Yuri Monogatari (named for Nobuko Yoshiya's Hana Monogatari) is an annual anthology of yuri-themed short comics. In September 2007, Yuri Monogatari 3 was nominated for the Lambda Book Award.[39] Five Yuri Monogatari anthologies have been published, with volumes 4 and 6 currently listed in the Yuricon store.[40][41] Caroline Ryder of The Advocate called Yuri Monogatari a "must-have manga".[42]
  • Shoujoai ni Bouken[43]
  • Rica 'tte Kanji!?[44]
  • WORKS[45]

References

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  1. ^ a b Corson, Suzanne (2007). "Yuricon Celebrates Lesbian Anime and Manga". AfterEllen.com. Archived from the original on December 5, 2012. Retrieved May 1, 2007.
  2. ^ a b "Yuricon 2003 Information". AnimeCons.com. Archived from the original on October 4, 2018. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  3. ^ Friedman, Erica (March 2008). "Interview: Erica Friedman - Page 3 - Interview With Yuri Manga Publisher and Founder of YuriCon" (Online). Interviewed by Deb Aoki. about.com. Archived from the original on August 20, 2016. Retrieved October 9, 2020. The first page of the interview indicates that it was conducted in March 2008.
  4. ^ "Live Online Yuri Panel – April 29th, 2012". Yuricon. April 15, 2012. Archived from the original on June 22, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  5. ^ "Yuricon Presents the Yuri Panel at Anime Next!". Yuricon. May 15, 2013. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  6. ^ ""The Secret History of Yaoi and Yuri" at Flamecon!". Yuricon. August 20, 2016. Archived from the original on February 11, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  7. ^ "You Choose Which Will Be the First New Yuricon Contest". Yuricon. April 13, 2011. Archived from the original on June 3, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  8. ^ a b "What is Yuricon?". Yuricon. March 3, 2012. Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  9. ^ Friedman, Erica (June 29, 2008). "Interview: Erica Friedman" (Online). Interviewed by Deb Aoki. Geeks Out. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  10. ^ a b Corson, Suzanne (April 30, 2007). "Yuricon Celebrates Lesbian Anime and Manga". AfterEllen. Archived from the original on September 22, 2016. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  11. ^ "US Premiere of "Simoun" anime at Yuricon's "Yurisai" Event". Anime News Network. September 18, 2007. Archived from the original on November 5, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  12. ^ Friedman, Erica (August 3, 2012). "Interview With Erica Friedman (Yuricon)" (Online). Interviewed by Samantha Ferreira. Anime Herald. Archived from the original on October 9, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  13. ^ "Media Blasters and Yuricon Team Up for "Simoun" Cosplay at Yuricon 2007". Anime News Network. June 26, 2007. Archived from the original on November 3, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  14. ^ Lisa Z. "Convention Reports: Yuri Con 2003". Anipike.com. Archived from the original on January 18, 2006. Retrieved March 31, 2008.
  15. ^ "Yuricon Under Construction". Yuricon. March 29, 2011. Archived from the original on June 23, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  16. ^ Manry, Gia (March 11, 2011). "Kyoto International Manga Museum Adds U.S. Yuri Works". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 7, 2018. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  17. ^ "Italian Publisher Renbooks announced "Rica 'tte Kanji!?" Edition". Yuricon. August 4, 2011. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  18. ^ "ALC Publishing and JManga Announce POOR POOR LIPS Partnership!". Yuricon. March 9, 2012. Archived from the original on June 22, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  19. ^ "ALC Publishing & JManga Partnering on Heian Period Yuri Manga "Kimi no Tamenara Shineru"". Yuricon. March 9, 2012. Archived from the original on June 29, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  20. ^ "ALC Publishing and JManga announce a Yuri Summer with Three Comic Yuri Hime titles!". Yuricon. June 21, 2012. Archived from the original on June 23, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  21. ^ "Welcome Okazu to the Yuricon Domain". Yuricon. March 3, 2012. Archived from the original on June 5, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  22. ^ "Yuricon Shop Update Project Report!". Yuricon. January 15, 2015. Archived from the original on October 7, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  23. ^ "Yuricon Store Grand Opening!". Yuricon. August 1, 2015. Archived from the original on February 10, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  24. ^ "Yuri Essays Page Renewal!". Yuricon. June 22, 2017. Archived from the original on February 11, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  25. ^ "Yuricon at AnimeNEXT in Atlantic City, NJ!". Yuricon. May 28, 2018. Archived from the original on February 11, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  26. ^ ""Celebrate 100 Years of Yuri" Tour of Japan from Yuricon and Pac-Set Travel!". Yuricon. January 31, 2019. Archived from the original on February 11, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  27. ^ "TCAF Welcomes Yuri Manga Creator HIROMI TAKASHIMA". Toronto Comic Arts Festival. April 3, 2019. Archived from the original on April 18, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  28. ^ "100 Years of Yuri Events Schedule". Yuricon. June 16, 2019. Archived from the original on March 27, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  29. ^ "2020 Online Yuri Panel Schedule!". Yuricon. May 1, 2020. Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  30. ^ "Yuri Revolution 2005 Information". AnimeCons.com. Archived from the original on October 4, 2018. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  31. ^ "Yuricon 2007 Information". AnimeCons.com. Archived from the original on October 4, 2018. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  32. ^ "Speaker at UI March 3 to discuss "Yuri" movement in Japan". Foreign Languages Building. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. February 23, 2006. Archived from the original on September 1, 2006. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  33. ^ MIT Reports to the President 2002–2003 (Report). MIT. 2003. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved October 9, 2020. Film and WS Events..."Schoolgirls and Superheroes: Gender and Sexuality in Contemporary Japanese Animation," by Sarah Frederick (Boston University), Erica Friedman (director of Shoujoai Conferences), and Kerey Luis (Brandeis University)
  34. ^ "Yuricon Founder Erica Friedman to Lecture at Kanagawa University". Yuricon. September 28, 2013. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  35. ^ "Yuri Essays Page Updated!". Yuricon. October 24, 2014. Archived from the original on October 7, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  36. ^ "Event: Yuri Lecture at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor on 1/19". Yuricon. January 16, 2017. Archived from the original on February 11, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  37. ^ Friedman, Erica (2020). "About". Okazu. WordPress. Archived from the original on October 2, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  38. ^ "Links". Yuricon. 2020. Archived from the original on February 2, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  39. ^ Friedman, Erica (September 14, 2007). "Yuri Monogatari News". Okazu. WordPress. Archived from the original on December 28, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  40. ^ "Yuri Monogatari 4". Yuricon. Yurikon LLC. 2020. Archived from the original on June 23, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  41. ^ "Yuri Monogatari 6". Yuricon. Yurikon LLC. 2020. Archived from the original on June 23, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  42. ^ "Shoujoai Ni Bouken: The Adventures Of Yuriko, Volume 1 (EN)". The Advocate. September 24, 2008. Archived from the original on October 9, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  43. ^ "Shoujoai Ni Bouken: The Adventures Of Yuriko, Volume 1 (EN)". Yuricon. Yurikon LLC. 2020. Archived from the original on March 6, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  44. ^ "Tokyo Love ~Rica 'tte Kanji!? – Digital Edition". Yuricon. Yurikon LLC. 2020. Archived from the original on March 2, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  45. ^ "WORKS". Yuricon. Yurikon LLC. 2020. Archived from the original on June 23, 2017. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
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  NODES
INTERN 3
Note 1
Project 1