A few weeks ago, I went to the Grand Central branch of the New York Public Library for Otaku TakeOver!, a fun few days of events celebrating fandom in general and the fandom of the branch’s teen patrons in particular. This really was an event by, for, and of the kids.
My first day, I led a panel discussion of kids in which they talked about what they were fans of, why they loved what they loved, and what being a fan means to them.
The second day, I sat on a panel with Raina Tegelmeier (Smile, The Babysitters’ Club graphic novels) and First Second’s marketing guru Gina Gagliano, answering questions from the kids.
The video below is a quick 12-minute trip through what was an entire week of geeky, fannish coolness for the kids and the guests.