I recently learned that there was a JemCon hosted in Buffalo. On top of that, it was at this time that I learned about the animated series “Jem”. I guess that dates me. I had to conduct a Google search to learn that the TV cartoon series was about a girl whose alter ego was Gem, a rock star, who played in a band called the Holograms. The series ran for three years, from 1985 to 1988, and a film was released in 2o15.
JemCon is an annual convention that celebrates the animated series “Jem” and the line of fashion dolls from Hasbro and Integrity Toys.
It turns out that JemCon is an annual event, which takes place in a different city each year – next year the convention is heading to Minneapolis. The Buffalo event was a three day affair that included trivia, meet & greets, discussions, vendors, games, guest panels, autograph signings, karaoke, a disco, and a masquerade and cosplay pageant. The crux of the con featured “IDW comic artist Sophie Campbell, “Pizzazz” musical voice talent Ellen Bernfeld, and Hasbro packaging illustrator and designer Ruth Bush.”
One of the best takeaways from this year’s JemCon “Believe in Buffalo” event was that participants managed to raise $1625 for the Ten Lives Club, a non-kill, non-profit cat adoption group in WNY. Ten Lives Club is one of the most active nonprofits dedicated to the protection of felines in the area. The money raised at the con will allow the group to further its mission to provide medical care for the current cats in their program*.
These types of meet-ups might seem a bit out of the ordinary to someone who has never dived deep into the realm of real of real life fantasy, where fans get a chance to play out interactive roles pertaining to their own favorite cartoon/anime characters. Whether you’re hip to this scene or not, the ultimate takeaway is the good deeds that these types of events leave in their wake. In this case, WNY felines are the ultimate winners.
*All Ten Lives Club’s cats have been microchipped, spayed/neutered, treated for fleas, worms and ear mites, given distemper and rabies (if old enough), and checked for FIV/Felv.
