In 2002, Ushicon made its debut in a north Austin facility that was
an overgrown motel. In 2003, the convention moved downtown... |
...to a larger Marriott that was only a couple of blocks east of the
Texas state capitol building and a short distance south of the huge University
of Texas campus. |

Holding forth in the dealers' room was Robert DeJesus of Studio Capsule,
the fan favorite artist who had driven all the way from Indiana to Texas... |

...and Elin Winkler of Radio Comix, the San Antonio-based small press giant.
Winkler was selling two
volumes of comic art to raise money for James Hardiman, the "Skunkworks"
artist who has been battling diabetes and potential blindness. |

Actor Monica Rial, who has made a dubbing career of playing against type,
was contemplating a bottle of a Japanese soft drink that contains a marble. |

Actors Vic Mignogna and Stephanie Nadolny also had a musical touch for
the convention. Nadoly, who performs with a band in Texas, was selling
audio CD's featuring her singing... |