Anime Weekend Atlanta 2022 was personally, my first con of the year! It didn’t disappoint. It was held
at the Cobb Galleria Center(CGC) from October 26-29, 2022.

From the moment I walked in, I saw the line wrapped around the upper level of the convention center
with excited nerds like myself, ready to see what the weekend had in store!

After I scoped out the lay of the land, I decided to indulge in the Exhibit Hall where the vendors and
artists were selling their wares. I always love seeing the new items vendors and artists have to bring to
cons! I always manage to see something new and spend way more money than I would like. But
my favorite spot had to be Galaxy Props. These handmade helmets/masks are so realistic, they are
movie quality in my honest opinion. The owner, John Clark, is a cool guy. I am glad to have met him!

Another thing I really got geeked up about was meeting Roger Clark, the voice actor of the character
Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption II. I did not read anything about him being there, but I certainly
was excited to introduce myself!

Once I got done with my first run of the Exhibit hall, I realized, I had to check out some panels and
events. I peeped in on the My Hero Academia Pop Trivia Party and the Disney Sing Along. I thank my
daughters for preparing me for this moment as I knew pretty much every song they played.

After getting a few minutes in the panel rooms, I decided to check out the Free Play gaming room!
There was a bit of everything in here, from VR gaming, console gaming, arcade games, a Brawlhalla
Tournament and even Pokemon Battles via Nintendo Switch. The energy was high and the music was
pumping. It gave the feel of a casino on the Las Vegas Strip. Everyone was just excited to be there and
everyone was laughing and celebrating one another’s victories. I even got my fill in Dance Dance
Revolution…there was no footage…it was somehow deleted from my camera…intentionally…

After I walked out, I needed a bite to eat. I decided to grab food from one of the many food trucks
outside of the CGC. I managed to grab a few Beef Patties from Irie Mon Food Truck. They specialized in
authentic, Jamaican cuisine. I was ready for a nap after my Jerk Chicken, rice, and cabbage plate with a
Jamaican Pineapple soda…

I had to work off the food so I walked around the tabletop gaming discussion that was in session.
There were several tabletop gaming strategy sessions going on while I was walking from room to room.
They were discussion, game flow, character design, board game design, etc. These sessions seemed
intense, but that means, be on the lookout for some really great indie tabletop games in the near
future! My favorite spot during this session was the tabletop gaming library. I saw some games that I
wanted to get my hands on and play with a group of friends…maybe next con?

After I scoped out the tabletop gaming sessions, I stumbled upon one of the three Yoga sessions from
The Cosplayin Yogis. This specific session was UA Hero Yoga . They also had a Pokemon Yoga session
and a Sharingan Yin Yoga session. I didn’t plan on attending the entire session, but I thoroughly enjoyed
this. The owner Sean, has been doing Coplay Yoga all over the country for the last 15 years. He was
extremely knowledgeable and holds Yoga sessions for all types of cosplay. My favorite thing about this

specific Yoga session is the amount of trust it took from complete strangers. Some of the positions
required strength, and trust. Two things that are difficult to exhibit and provide to strangers. It truly
exemplified, what it takes to be a hero!

After getting sweaty with some yoga, I was just in time for ASCA. Her music has been used for several anime and video game OPs. This event came with quite a bit of hype, so I had to be
there! Nearly every chair was packed, and those that weren’t seated were surrounding the stage. This
was a great experience and I was well pleased to have attended the concert!

The rest of my afternoon, Evening was spent networking and connecting with fellow business owners
and cosplayers. Some of the best energy came from The Pit in the Renaissance Waverly Hotel. I hung out with some fellow geeks and just vibed the rest of the evening and Sunday. I packed as much as I could in 2 days but next year, it is a MUST that I attend the entire weekend! I and The
Blerd Team will be back and we look forward to building a great relationship with the AwA team! Until
next year, Cheers!