A new convention on the block, Kollision-con was started up by some fairly well-known folks in the community, going by the aliases Voltz and StripperVash. Held in the a Hyatt in the suburbs of Schaumburg, IL, it’s one of the more tucked-away conventions, but the location wasn’t entirely bad, being directly across from a mall.

To pre-empt this review, I will say; while the location was not entirely bad, the venue did pose some issues. Along with the 17+ curfew of Schaumburg, the hotel itself had a 21+ policy for checking into the room and using the elevators. This, of course, stopped many people from checking into their rooms throughout the convention; some people had to turn to their 21+ roommates, others may have been left in the dust. Voltz and StripperVash had no prior knowledge of this policy, and the hotel gave no notification of it, so it came as a fair bit of a shock to most. All this, however, is the only real downside of the convention, and the con heads have confirmed that this will not be the same venue next year. The hotel, however, was the only major downside to this con; the rest was uphill from there.

The weekend started off on Friday, like most conventions do. This didn’t mean there was any warm-up or waiting for the panels to kick in; things started right into full-swing. Some dealers had yet to arrive, but the majority of them were there and setting up from the start, ready to sell the crafts and art they had made. The dance/rave, while a bit sparse (expected on the Friday of a first-run con) was full of energy and people doing what they do best at raves. Dancers, glowstickers, and breakdancers covered the floor with their moves.

At the same time as the dance, the karaoke panel was going on, and it was an amusing one to say the least. Alongside these, the ACen Guys hosted a panel reminiscing on the ’80s and ’90s cartoons of days passed, playing on the nostalgia that most feel when talking about those shows. With all this going on, it was difficult to not find something to do.

Saturday was the most eventful day, featuring a myriad of fantastic panels and the masquerade, along with some highly interesting 18+ at midnight to boot. The Spoony Bards, a video game music cover group, performed a show in the main events room while other panels carried on. The performance was great, as one would expect from a group of their calibur.

The masquerade was filled with many creative costumes and an interesting improv act about the hit new (fictional) game, “Marvel Versus Everyone,” serving as a sort of preview for the 18+ improv later that night.

Sunday, as usual, was the wrap-up day. People did quick shoots of their simpler costumes to pass the time, while others packed up their luggage and headed out. Some panels carried on, like the Video Game Design panel which proved more informative than what would usually be expected at a convention.

Overall, the convention was surprisingly good, especially for a first-run con. The new location next year is something to look forward to, especially since that was the only real difficulty the con faced. Voltz and StripperVash deserve every ounce of credit they get for making this happen.

Check the gallery below for shots through the weekend, and be sure to check the official con website!