Concinnity Convention logo
Concinnity bills itself as “Milwaukee’s longest running anime, gaming, and sci-fi convention,” an annual mainstay of gaming, vendors and screenings since 2001. Concinnity 23 returns Saturday, April 22 at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) in Diercks Hall. Concinnity is a fundraiser for the MSOE Anime, Gaming, and Entertainment (MAGE) student organization.
Attendance fluctuates, but the average is 300-500 attendees, explains Christopher Cebula, one of Concinnity’s committee members. His favorite part of the convention is “helping the students plan and execute a successful convention.” It also gives him a chance to bust out his “Doctor Who” costume every year.
Concinnity’s planning committee selects a different theme each year. 2023’s theme, Cebula says, is “B-movie Horror.”
Tying into this theme is a panel fans of the hit show “The Last of Us” might find intriguing, titled “The Zombie Apocalypse: Math, Myth, and Reality,” a discussion led by professors Dr. Stacey Smith? (the question mark is part of their name) from the University of Ottawa, who specializes in the mathematical modeling of infectious diseases, and MSOE’s Dr. Charles Tritt, who is a biomedical engineering expert.
The fandom of “Doctor Who” is well represented at Concinnity. There’s a screening of episodes that tie into the B-movie Horror theme, and there’s a presentation by Steven Warren Hill, Robert Warnock, and John Lavalie, co-authors of Red, White, and Who: The Story of Doctor Who in America. Larry VanMersbergen, a “Doctor Who” historian and collector, will be there, too.
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Also represented are presentations on futurism, role-playing games, and fan films. Other activities taking place include a costume contest, Living Dungeon escape rooms, “paint and take” model painting, Magic: The Gathering sessions, and food from Kawaii Akemi Maid Café and MSOE's FeelGood Chapter. The event is open to MSOE students as well as the general public.
Concinnity 23 takes place Saturday, April 22 10 a.m.-10 p.m. at MSOE’s Diercks Hall, 1025 N. Milwaukee St. Admission for MSOE students and children under 12 is free, non-MSOE students and children 12-17 are $10, adults $15, and there is a VIP option. More info and tickets at concinnitycon.weebly.com.
