Well, this is disgusting. Basically, a “promoter” set up an anime con, promising the extra profits would go to breast cancer research, and the whole thing was a scam. The “promoter” cancelled the event and made off with all the money.
AnimeFF and its breast cancer awareness turned out to be a scam of ridiculous magnitude, affecting so many parties in the anime industry, including the integrity of the anime fans. Active Anime’s friend Adam of TheOtaku.com, who took his time from his busy schedule to promote AnimeFF’s “Tour For the Cure” convention experience this issue first hand as he was a guess at the convention that was held last January 13 – 14. TheOtaku.com, is putting pressure on AnimeFF’s parent company Duplicate Mass Industries as it is only posting documents and events that happened at the convention, and starting with the only AnimeFF representative Jeffery Borncamp. According to one of the posting, Jeffery Borncamp left the convention with the cash box and was never heard from it again. Duplicate Mass Industries is based in Columbus, Ohio. If you have any information on AnimeFF or Duplicated Mass Industries, please contact Adam at [email protected], and visit TheOtaku.com for more inforamtion and to read the events that transpired at AnimeFF.
AnimeFF was founded with the purpose of leveraging the goodwill of the fandom community to generate money for breast cancer research, specifically the Susan G. Komen Foundation. With this in mind they launched the anime “Tour for the Cure” convention, with the idea that the entire proceeds of the convention be donated.
Needing help to get the convention started and help to have it promoted, they turned to a variety of people in the anime community, including Richard Stott, founder of the well-respected Anime Vegas convention, and the team over at theOtaku.com, who helped in a number of ways, including running an anime art contest. The winners of the contest were promised a number of gaming systems, donated to the con because AnimeFF’s parent organization, DMI (Duplicate Mass Industries) has ties to the gaming industry. MTV was even set to come out and video tape the cosplay parade.
Instead, the worst things that could ever happen in an anime con happened: Contracts for the convention rooms were not signed. The three day con was suddenly cut to a one day con. Event after event was canceled. Accommodations promised to the various con guest were never made available. Finally, AnimeFF representative Jeff Borncamp told the convention center people that the con was over with, while he ran off with all the registration money and dealer deposits.
This will turn off most legitimate anime cons from doing anything charity related besides what is in the their narrow educational missions. It has changed my opinion on whether Non-Profits should do charity auctions for other non-profits.