The first annual ArctiCon, a science fiction and fantasy convention at UAF, lured in many gaming fans Saturday and Sunday.

ArctiCon is a club on campus that holds social events for its members such as movie nights and small gaming venues on the weekends. This weekend, the club held a convention and masquerade ball in the Wood Center.

The convention included console and tabletop gaming, and presentations from guest speakers such as local science fiction author David Marusek, comic artist Jamie Smith, and local fantasy artists Ellen Million and Jennie Seay.

On Saturday evening, the club hosted a masquerade dance in the Wood Center Ballroom with prizes for the best costumes and a beautiful belly dance performance.

Tony Mustered, a previous UAF student, and Dane Filemyr, a first year music student, were in charge of the anime room for the event.

"Japan's industry allows for a different cultural aspect," Mustered said. "I think they're much more creative."

Mustered said anime has several advantages over regular television shows. It's less expensive because the money doesn't have to be spent on actors, film equipment, or props.Instead creators can use the money given to develop the characters better and put in better graphic designing.

"Anime puts Disney to shame," he said.

The goal Mustered and Filemyr have for this convention is to introduce new Anime, share knowledge and reminisce with fans.However, the gathering was downstairs in the Wood Center near the showers and many people did not know it was there.

Ray Bonnell and his wife Betsy came to dress up and dance. Betsy, a longtime member of the Middle Eastern Dance and Cultural Association, was excited for another event they could go dressed up to. Later they met two other gypsies, Deena Jallen and Robyn Russell, and formed a band.

A tall proper Dustin Gridley, with hair slicked back, was dressed in his role-play gaming attire, a black suit. He usually likes to play intellectual vampire characters.

"I like role-playing because it's nice to explore other characters within yourself," he said.

In striped Hot Topic heels, Suzi Curran, a freshman studying literature and communications, was dressed as a succubus, a kind of corruption devil.

Her costume consisted of a black medium length dress that flared out, black wings, a black demon tail and ears, and black lipstick. She said that this was actually her costume for a role-playing game called "Vampire Masquerade" that she plays on the weekends.

Jill Mullen, a senior studying geography, stood looking into the ballroom where music resembling a "Jamaica Vacation" was heard. Her costume, an oriental red silk dress, was for a role-playing game where she plays a fireball-throwing vampire. At this event she was playing a vampire game called "Camarilla."

"It can be very political at times," she said. "But there are also times where you use a lot of combat."

Standing out from all costumes was what looked like a girl, but with a giant brightly colored horse head and paws.

Amanda Davis, an alumni student, dressed up as a "Fury" called Blyss that she said was her own creation. The creature is a cross between a human, a dragon, a fox and a horse.

"This is an animal representation of me," she said.

Other conventions she has been to include the Anthrocon in Pennsylvania and the Further Concussion in California.She is semi-interested in gaming, but her interests are mainly in the arts and costumes.

"I don't really game that much myself," she said. "My friends convinced me to come to this."

Wearing a pair of cat ears, the head of planning ArctiCon, Melissa Nelson, rushed around taking photos and doing small tasks to check on how things are running.

Nelson is a member of the Middle Eastern Dance and Culture Association.Nelson said the convention seemed to be going smoothly.

"And people seem to be having a lot of fun," she added.

She explained that for the most part things went as planned, and the planning itself wasn't too stressful.It was expected that the crowd would be smallish for the first festival.

The club plans on having a fest every semester, though probably just for one day from here on. Nelson used to do a lot of role-playing games, but her focus has changed to movies, literature and costume in the last few years.

Across the room heard beneath the funny music, a quite rap could be heard. Jay and Silent Bob slouched against the wall.Sean Pederson was dressed as Jay, and Michael McIntyre was Silent Bob.

"It's great to see people get together for one big extravaganza," Pederson said.

McIntyre, staying true to character, said nothing, giving a giant shrug.