# Anime NebrasKon

Anime NebrasKon is an annual three-day anime convention held during October at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. It is organized by the Nebraska Japanese Animation Society.

## Programming

The convention typically offers an artist's alley, anime idol, anime music video contest, cosplay contests, cosplay masquerade, dance/rave, dating auction, dealer's room, game room (video, tournaments, tabletop), formal ball, human chess, panels, and talent shows. The convention raised $2,600 for Big Brothers Big Sisters during the 2012 charity auction. Charity auctions prior to 2012 raised around $1,000 which was donated to Make-a-Wish and Open Door Mission. The convention's charity events in 2015 benefited the National Alliance on Mental Illness and raised around $7,500. Basset and Beagle Rescue of the Heartland was 2018's charity. The conventions charity events in 2022 benefited The Trevor Project.

## History

Anime NebrasKon was founded by the members of University of Nebraska-Lincoln's anime club (Otaku Jinrui) in 2004 as a fund-raising project and had 300 attendees at the first convention. Due to the convention's growth, in 2009 it moved to the Holiday Inn Omaha Convention Center in Omaha, Nebraska, and added 24-hour programming. Weddings have been held at the convention in both 2010 and 2011. The dealers room was expanded in 2012 because of renovations at the Ramada. An attendee on the way to the convention in 2012 was briefly detained by police after entering a bank wearing cosplay from the series Resident Evil. For 2016, the convention moved to La Vista in order to accommodate growth. Anime NebrasKon 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

### Event history

| Dates | Location | Atten. | Guests |
| October 9, 2004 | University of Nebraska–Lincoln Lincoln, Nebraska | 300 | |
| November 4–6, 2005 | University of Nebraska–Lincoln Lincoln, Nebraska | 500 (est) | Matt Burke, Tiffany Grant, Jan Scott-Frazier, and Shannon Townsend. |
| November 17–19, 2006 | University of Nebraska–Lincoln Lincoln, Nebraska | | Steve Bennett, Tiffany Grant, Kyle Hebert, Jan Scott-Frazier, Richard Townsend, and Shannon Townsend. |
| November 16–18, 2007 | University of Nebraska–Lincoln Lincoln, Nebraska | | Steve Bennett, Tiffany Grant, Matt Greenfield, Richard Townsend, and Shannon Townsend. |
| November 14–16, 2008 | University of Nebraska–Lincoln Lincoln, Nebraska | | Tiffany Grant, Matt Greenfield, James Hatton, Richard Townsend, Shannon Townsend, and Kira Vincent-Davis. |
| November 6–8, 2009 | Holiday Inn Omaha Convention Center (Coco Key Water Resort) Omaha, Nebraska | 1,470 | Buranden, Tiffany Grant, Matt Greenfield, Yuri Lowenthal, Tara Platt, Richard Townsend, and Shannon Townsend. |
| November 5–7, 2010 | Holiday Inn Omaha Convention Center (Coco Key Water Resort) Omaha, Nebraska | 2,100 | Tiffany Grant, Jerry Jewell, Keith Silverstein, Richard Townsend, and Eric Vale. |
| November 4–6, 2011 | Ramada Plaza Omaha Hotel & Convention Center (CoCo Key Water Resort) (Formerly the Holiday Inn) Omaha, Nebraska | | David Brehm, Chris Cason, Tiffany Grant, Matt Greenfield, Christopher Sabat, Keith Silverstein, and Stephanie Young. |
| November 2–4, 2012 | Ramada Plaza Omaha Hotel & Convention Center Omaha, Nebraska | | Steve Blum, David Brehm, Richard Epcar, Kyle Hebert, Keith Silverstein, John Swasey, and Stephanie Young. |
| November 1–3, 2013 | Ramada Plaza Omaha Hotel & Convention Center Omaha, Nebraska | | Dante Basco, Richard Epcar, Fredd Gorham, Wendy Powell, Keith Silverstein, April Stewart, and Alexis Tipton. |
| October 31 - November 2, 2014 | Ramada Plaza Omaha Hotel & Convention Center Omaha, Nebraska | | Robert Axelrod, David Brehm, Chris Cason, Richard Epcar, Fredd Gorham, Kyle Hebert, Erica Mendez, Eric Stuart, Alexis Tipton, Cristina Vee, and Stephanie Young. |
| November 6–8, 2015 | Ramada Plaza Omaha Hotel & Convention Center Omaha, Nebraska | | Amber Lee Connors, Fredd Gorham, Kyle Hebert, Amanda C. Miller, Chii Sakurabi, Keith Silverstein, Karen Strassman, Cristina Vee, and Doug Walker. |
| November 4–6, 2016 | La Vista Conference Center La Vista, Nebraska | 6,530 | Colleen Clinkenbeard, Aaron Dismuke, Caitlin Glass, Fredd Gorham, Todd Haberkorn, Cassandra Lee Morris, Kirby Morrow, Chii Sakurabi, Jad Saxton, Keith Silverstein, Sonny Strait, and Alexis Tipton. |
| November 10–12, 2017 | Hotel RL Omaha Omaha, Nebraska | | Barbara Dunkelman, Kara Eberle, Katelyn Gault, Todd Haberkorn, Lindsay Jones, Erica Lindbeck, Elizabeth Maxwell, Kyle McCarley, Keith Silverstein, and Arryn Zech. |
| November 2–4, 2018 | Ramada Plaza Omaha Hotel & Convention Center Omaha, Nebraska | 6,000 (est.) | Clifford Chapin, Aaron Dismuke, Chris Guerrero, Kyle Hebert, E. Jason Liebrecht, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, Erica Mendez, Vic Mignogna, Tony Oliver, Ryter Rong, Cristina Vee, and David Vincent. |
| November 1–3, 2019 | Ramada Plaza Omaha Hotel & Convention Center Omaha, Nebraska | Almost 7,000 | Leah Clark, Jerry Jewell, Brittney Karbowski, Lauren Landa, Erica Lindbeck, Joel McDonald, Xander Mobus, Ian Sinclair, Eric Vale, and Sarah Anne Williams. |
| October 22–24, 2021 | Mid-America Center Council Bluffs, Iowa | | SungWon Cho, Kara Edwards, Fredd Gorham, Chris Hackney, Billy Kametz, Lisa Ortiz, Keith Silverstein, and Abby Trott. |
| October 21–23, 2022 | Mid-America Center Council Bluffs, Iowa | | Kimberly Anne Campbell, Amber Lee Connors, Amanda Gish, Kellen Goff, Joel McDonald, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, Daman Mills, Max Mittelman, Xander Mobus, Ciarán Strange, Kit Strange, and Strangecat Cosplay. |
| October 20-22, 2023 | Mid-America Center Council Bluffs, Iowa | | Bryn Apprill, Katelyn Barr, Griffin Burns, Bill Butts, Khoi Dao, Lucien Dodge, Chris Hackney, Erica Lindbeck, Kristen McGuire, Risa Mei, Erica Mendez, Alejandro Saab, Lindsay Seidel, Keith Silverstein, Laura Stahl, and Ciarán Strange. |
| October 18-20, 2024 | Mid-America Center Council Bluffs, Iowa | | Tia Ballard, Griffin Burns, Bill Butts, SungWon Cho, Aaron Dismuke, Chris Guerrero, Kyle Hebert, Brittney Karbowski, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, Xander Mobus, and SnarkyJay. |

## NebKon Abridged

NebKon Abridged is a one-day event held during July at the Hilton Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska.

### Event history

| Dates | Location | Atten. | Guests |
| July 9, 2022 | DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Omaha Downtown Omaha, Nebraska | | |
| July 6, 2024 | Hilton Omaha Omaha, Nebraska | | |

## Mascot

Anime NebrasKon's mascot is the Husker Ninja.