The MAG (originally known as MaGnology) is a community convention in Germany with a focus on various fan cultures, including

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

influencers An Internet celebrity (also known as a social media influencer, social media personality, internet personality, or simply influencer) is a celebrity who has acquired or developed their fame and notability through the Internet. The rise of social m ...

cosplay Cosplay, a portmanteau of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture, ...

. The MAG convention is held annually in

Erfurt, Germany Erfurt () is the capital and largest city in the Central German state of Thuringia. It is located in the wide valley of the Gera river (progression: ), in the southern part of the Thuringian Basin, north of the Thuringian Forest. It sits in ...

. The inspiration for the current MAG concept as a community convention came from shareholders' experience at other, overcrowded conventions in Germany and their desire to create a comfortable space for fans to meet their favourite creators.GamesWirtschaft Interview MAG 201

August 13, 2018 The defining pillars of the MAG include the Fangress, a three days long workshop, keynotes, Q&A, and panels programme; as well as the presence of high profile influencers and creators, exhibitors from the games, manga, anime and influencers industry; an Artist Alley where over 100 artists showcase their own creations; a cosplay contest; and a

Lolita Fashion is a subculture from Japan that is highly influenced by Victorian clothing and styles from the Rococo period. A very distinctive property of Lolita fashion is the aesthetic of cuteness. This clothing subculture can be categorized into thre ...

tea party organized by the largest German Lolita Fashion association, Court of Fables.

History

The first MAG, known at the time as ''MaGnology'', was originally created by Hiro Yamada as a games, comics, manga and

Japanese culture The culture of Japan has changed greatly over the millennia, from the country's prehistoric Jōmon period, to its contemporary modern culture, which absorbs influences from Asia and other regions of the world. Historical overview The ance ...

convention. It was held on June 5–7, 2015 in

Hamburg, Germany (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

, at the brand academy. The following year, the event was held at the

Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg The Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg (''Museum of Art and Design Hamburg'') is a museum of fine, applied and decorative arts in Hamburg, Germany. It is located centrally, near the Hauptbahnhof. History The museum was founded in 1874, foll ...

in July as a co-program for the ''Hokusai Manga'' exhibition in the museum. In 2017, the company MaGnology UG was founded by Hiro Yamada, Henning Kroll and THREAKS which organized the third installment of the convention. It was held at the Hamburg Cruise Center and an estimated 3.500 visitors attended. After the success of the 2017 edition, MAG announced that it would be moving to Erfurt, Germany for the foreseeable future. The official reason for the move away from Hamburg was stated as being the inability to find agreeable terms with the city of Hamburg in order to expand the convention. On June 7, 2018, it was announced that the MaGnology UG was being rebranded as Super Crowd Entertainment GmbH with two additional shareholders—the German influencer agency 2nd Wave, and one of the top German gaming influencers PietSmiet.

Content

The MAG takes place over three days and focuses on several pillars, including the Fangress, Artist Alley, creators, Lolita tea party, anime, manga and cosplay. Each pillar is designed to cater for one or more communities and appropriate content is presented for each. The MAG is open to all ages, with children under the age of 8 given free access to the entire convention. To view content rated USK 12+ and higher, visitors will be required to show a proof of age armband which they receive at the entrance.

Fangress

Located in the congress center of Messe Erfurt and on the stages of each hall, MAG offers catered content for each community. Visitors can attend any workshop, panel, Q&A, and keynote without any additional fee. Experts of their respective fields are invited to host these sessions, allowing fans and professionals alike to join and learn.

Artist Alley

Like other anime and manga conventions, MAG invites international artists of comic, manga, fashion and more to exhibit on their show floor. These artists are a mix of professionals and amateurs who are able to sell their creations to MAG visitors.Artist Alley MA

2018

References

{{Reflist Anime conventions in Germany Gaming conventions Erfurt Game jams Multigenre conventions Recurring events established in 2015 Trade fairs in Germany Tourist attractions in Thuringia