Anime, gaming, cosplay, and finding your people at Youmacon

Today we’re leaning into the “where to go” part of Daily Detroit, with a look at YoumaCon at Huntington Place this weekend.

We talk with Youmacon CEO Eric Gaiser and music department head Marcus Cooper about anime, arcade games, cosplay, and a music lineup that brings those worlds together.

We get into what’s new and why having a place to find your people matters. Plus, we talk about what exactly what you’d need for a proper Prince of Brightmoor cosplay — and yes, the Casio watch is required.

More on Youmacon.

00:00 - Introduction and Welcome
00:25 - Norris Howard’s Element: Anime & Gaming
00:52 - Cosplaying as Prince Brightmoor
01:38 - Introducing Eric Gaiser and Mark Cooper from Youmacon
02:04 - The 22-Year History of Youmacon
02:37 - The Music and Nerdcore Fusion at Youmacon
03:41 - New Leadership and Expanding Youmacon’s Vision
04:58 - Arcade Memories and Gaming Culture
05:54 - Growing Up with Youmacon: Expanding Youma Youth
07:11 - Pokémon Yoga and Unique Programming
07:44 - Why Metro Detroit is a Hotbed for Anime & Gaming Culture
09:21 - Attendee Demographics and Regional Reach
09:54 - Youmacon Schedule, Badges, and Special Highlights
11:21 - Free Badges for First Responders & Closing Remarks

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Daily Detroit is brought to you by the community. Support our work at patreon.com/dailydetroit.

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Hello, friends! Welcome to your Daily Detroit show. What to know and where to go in Southeast Michigan. I am Jer Staes.

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This is Thursday, October 29th, 2026. Today we are really focusing on where to go. Cannot wait for this conversation.

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Joining me to do it is none other than my friend Norris Howard, the Prince of Brightmoor. How are you?

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You already know the West Side is back once again, and I'm excited because I get to be in my element...

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...outside of politics, outside of development news, and I just get to talk about anime and video games...

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...and all the stuff that I do when I'm not here boring y'all half to death! [Laughs]

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That's right, because we've got the crew from YoumaCon. But before we get started, Norris...

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...if someone were to do a Prince of Brightmoor cosplay—

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Yeah.

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—what would they need to grab?

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It would involve a full-length pea coat, probably some oversized slacks with Gucci loafers of some sort...

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...you know, maybe a nice belt. You're going to have a tight t-shirt to show off the physique! [Laughter]

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And, you know, maybe a turtleneck, a tight turtleneck to show off the physique.

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What's the number one accessory?

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Oh, listen! I don't have it today, but you gotta have a gold Casio. You gotta have your gold Casio watch, you know what I'm saying?

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And you gotta have the round glasses. If you don't have the round frames, you are not properly dressed as the Prince of Brightmoor.

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I understand that completely!

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All right, joining us at the table to my right is Eric Gaiser, the CEO of YoumaCon. Welcome!

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Hi, thanks for having me here.

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And across the table, Marcus Cooper, Music Department Head. Welcome!

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Pleasure! How are you doing?

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So good, so good! Glad to have you both here. So, let's get started with...

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...what is YoumaCon, and kind of how did it get started?

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Well, YoumaCon is an anime convention that we've had for the past 22 years.

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It's just something for our Metro Detroit that started by Morgan Collum back in early 2005. It was really starting in Dearborn.

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And then later on actually, you know, was able to grow and we had it at Cobo and RenCen. It's been around for a great time.

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It's just a great community with anime, video games, a whole fusion of different things in that aspect.

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Yeah, and you know, one of the things that I love as somebody who's been to Youma multiple times—you know, that's in the lexicon...

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...we don't say the whole thing, it's just Youma sometimes, you know, for those who know!

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But I've been multiple times, and one of the things that I've always loved about Youma is that sort of fusion between particularly music...

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...and the anime and gaming culture. Because a lot of times what you see is people go to conventions, they see the cosplays...

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...they see Artist Alley, they see all the things where they can go and buy stuff. But the musical experience is really something pretty unique to Youma.

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Can you explain a little bit more about how that came about?

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Oh, absolutely! What we were able to do is we decided that we have different kinds of culture, so we can have things coming from all the way...

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...from different countries like Japan and from the UK, and then also bringing the Americanized stuff.

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And what I love about it is the music I do is part of what is called nerdcore, focusing on a heavy niche of anime, video games, pop culture...

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...and being able to find artists that are like-minded in that type of situation.

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So when we bring all those things together, it gives a fusion like, "Hey, I recognize this reference! Hey, I enjoy this type of music!"

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And then we're able to bring that particular to a home community.

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Yeah, man. And I always love it. For those who are unfamiliar with nerdcore hip-hop, I mean, just go listen to some Lupe Fiasco...

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...particularly his earlier stuff. As well as listening to Marcus as well! [Laughs]

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But, you know, Eric, my question is for you. As somebody who's in the background, you're the CEO, you're the guy trying to make everything come together...

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...as a whole, talk to us a little bit about just how big is Youma and how has it grown over the years?

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I actually took over in 2024. The previous founder retired.

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I was brought in really to change up YoumaCon. Kind of like, you have traditional anime and gaming conventions where you have the normal panels...

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...you've got the cosplay competitions, etc. I'm really looking to really see how far we can stretch out.

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So this year, we are doing a partnership with the Detroit Pistons, so that's really exciting.

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And then on top of the work that Marcus has been doing with music, we're trying to continue to grow that.

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We're also growing our 18+ community that hasn't really been done—I mean, it's been done lightly at YoumaCon before...

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...but we're really starting to expand that as far as like a new 18+ marketplace this year, and also the Otaku Cabaret...

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...from other conventions I've worked with. I met them and brought them here and they were a huge hit last year.

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Now as far as vision for YoumaCon in the future, I'm really looking to expand on the gaming offering.

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I'm talking to a bunch of sponsors and partners as far as bringing sponsored LANs in, potentially getting into esports...

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...and really just seeing how far we can really grow this.

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Yeah, and I'll say this: there was a year, I want to say maybe about 10 years ago, where I went...

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...and the bigger arcade I believe was over in the hotel, over in the RenCen hotel.

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And the music stage was across the hall, over here, and the arcade was on the other side.

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And I remember taking a whole bunch of people's money on the Windjammers machine! All right? [Laughter]

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You know, I just remember I was like, "You can put your money up, but I'm gonna be here for a minute." And it was just a great time.

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Talking about the gaming aspect of it—which is actually how I got introduced to Youma as somebody who has been a lifelong gamer...

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...used to be a games journalist, actually—what I love about Youma is that blend...

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...of having these sort of retro arcade machines and gaming cosplays, all that type of stuff.

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I think my next question, particularly for both of you, whoever wants to answer, is: now that gaming has become...

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...so much more over the past 20 years like an at-home experience, and there's less opportunity to go to arcades...

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...and go to these third spaces, do you find that people are at Youma as more of like a "Ah, finally I can get to my people!"?

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Do you kind of feel that energy?

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Well, to be honest, I do feel that it is like a situation where every year a lot of people like to gather at this con.

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Even whether if they're really into panels, or into the performances, or even the cosplay contest which a lot of people really enjoy...

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...they love the fact that they can be able to be around their friends like, "Hey, are you guys going to YoumaCon this weekend? Hey, are you gonna be in Detroit?"

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And then you hear other people from other states are also like, "Yeah, I'm definitely coming up for YoumaCon this year because I missed...

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...all the opportunities for it." And what's great is that I've seen individuals actually find their first loves at YoumaCon...

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Wow.

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...and have proposals! It's like a nostalgic experience for them. So it just really brings them together.

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But when it comes to games and things like that, sometimes it's good to have that old school, "Hey, let's go on the arcade cabinets, let's play something."

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We don't get to do that very often. You get to build those long-lasting friendships, and I believe that's something that's really been ideal with the con in general.

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Yeah, and Youma has been a thing that has, for the most part, brought in people of all ages.

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I know you were talking about that expansion of the 18+ stuff, because obviously a lot of folks... Youma's been going on for 20+ years!

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So a lot of these folks now are in their late 30s, in their 40s, but they're still vitally part of the culture.

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But now some of those people have kids, and they want to share these experiences with their kids. What offerings do you have for the younger anime fans?

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I'm actually glad that you asked that! That segues into... we have a Youma Youth room now.

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We debuted it last year, but this year we are trying to structure programming specifically for the youth.

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For example, I think it's Saturday at noon, we have like a carnival—think like a trunk-or-treat kind of deal...

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...where you have carnival games so you allow the kids to come in and burn off some energy, give the parents a break.

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We also have an art teacher coming in and teaching some kids different art techniques.

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And then we also have a librarian coming in and reading stories for the kids as well on Sunday.

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When we do this at other conventions as well, we could bring in potentially like a dance instructor that teaches kids TikTok dances...

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...or we had like Pokémon Yoga one year! So again, it's really just whatever we can think of, whatever we can dream up, I want to bring it to YoumaCon.

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All right, I gotta pull something over. Pokémon Yoga, break this down to me! [Laughter]

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How does that work?

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Yeah, it was really funny. I don't remember which convention we had done it at, but there was an instructor, and I believe he was in a Pikachu onesie...

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...and yeah, all the poses instead of calling it Scorpion or Downward Facing Dog, he changed it to a Pokémon name and the kids really got into it!

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Love it!

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That's awesome. I am somebody who is a bit of a nerd myself, but I'm also very adjacent to a number of...

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...kind of nerdish communities, right? And the thing is, I've always wanted to ask this with people smarter than me:

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Why is Metro Detroit such a hotbed for this culture? Like, why is this place specifically... it really seems to be a strong place for all of this stuff?

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The reason why it's such a strong impact is that because a lot of things that happened in the Midwest, right?

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So we think of from Chicago to Ohio, it's like a lot of those different niches came together for it.

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And what's interesting is that just the urban youth really enjoying anime and video games and things like that...

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...like that particular surge, I want to say arguably it started maybe during COVID, because it gave people a chance to be able to sit down.

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It was like the "world stop button," if you will.

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Yeah, I think for me, going back even to when I was younger, I think for us because it gets so cold up here...

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...and you get stuck in the house for long periods of time, that the experience of things like gaming and anime...

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...you would get the big packs of DVDs from Media Play, you get like the whole Frieza Saga of Dragon Ball Z and you just binge that straight through!

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VHS for my age, I'm old, you know what I'm saying? I'm old! But you get the tapes or the DVDs and go through a whole archive of anime...

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...and now you're fiendin' cause you gotta wait for it to get dubbed and translated and then shipped over, and that would take months.

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But in between that, you would have these conventions or these pop-ups where people could go and discuss and have these great experiences.

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So Youma for me has always been, since I've been in my early 20s, has been the best place for me to connect with people...

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...that are into a lot of the same stuff as me. Because I'll tell you, after like 8th grade, I couldn't talk to nobody about which Sailor Scout was my favorite! [Laughter]

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You know what I'm saying? I couldn't talk to many people about, "Hey bro, do you want to go home and watch Ninja Scroll four times while we binge Cherry Pepsi?"

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[Laughs] But it's like calling back to that feeling, and that's why I think Youma, particularly for Southeast Michigan, is so special.

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Agreed.

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In addition to that, if you kind of look at the rest of the conventions around the United States, there's like an influx...

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...or just like an oversaturation in California and in the South, and I think the representation up in the Midwest is just less.

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Not to say that it doesn't exist, it's just not overly saturated.

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It's just new. It's like a new thing that a lot of people are getting used to in this generation. I agree.

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So from how far does YoumaCon really draw people from?

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I would say probably at least 80% is still from Michigan and the bordering states...

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...but we have people from the UK, we've got people coming from Japan, we have people from Florida... really just all over the United States.

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Yeah, wow! So it's really yet another opportunity to showcase Detroit.

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100%.

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So what are some of the things that you find... I know that it's at Huntington Place, right?

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Yep! And so it's going to be all this weekend. Let's talk about the details of what's happening and when.

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Thursday we do kind of like a soft open where you can get in line early to pick up your pre-registration badges.

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It officially opens at 5:00 at Huntington Place, but we try and get the doors open as early as possible.

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People I've seen line up there as early as 8:00 AM when I walk in the door, and last year I think we got pre-registration open around 3:00 PM.

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So then later that night on Thursday, we've got like the garage sale where people can come and trade or sell their used anime items, cosplays, etc.

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We also have light paneling going on that night as well.

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Light paneling? Oh, as in not full-blown panels! Gotcha.

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We're also bringing back the Gaming Hall. Gaming Hall will be open at 6:00, and there's no badge check on Thursday.

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So it really allows people to come, get the hype ready, get people a taste Thursday night, and then come back strong Friday.

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So what are some of the highlight events you want people to make sure that they know about, like panelists or event things?

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So like on Friday, not only do we have the Cybertronic Spree concert on Friday at 3:00...

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...but we also have the Otaku Cabaret at nighttime, I believe that's 10:00.

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We also have the Cosplay Competition, the main one is at 5:00 PM on Saturday, so that one's real big.

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We have the Senpai Squad Rave that Saturday night, I believe the doors open at 9:00.

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Now, I've seen Senpai Squad anime raves before. I've never been to one, but I've seen them, let me tell you...

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...they are momentous occasions if you need to go to them!

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They're a big group! So if you are into the cosplay anime raves they have, they are huge.

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For the first time after a couple of years, we brought back the Japanese seiyū, the voice actors.

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Hikaru Midorikawa is signing at 3:00, and then Marina Inoue is signing at 4:30 on Friday...

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...and they've got various signing times throughout the weekend. We have completely revamped the Charity Ball this year, that is Friday night at 8:00 PM.

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We have the Fan Art Theater competition on Saturday at 1:00. We have a lot of highlights this year.

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Our schedule is so jam-packed that we had to shuffle people around to try and fit it all in this year.

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Love it, love it!

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And anniversaries this year, too! 30 years of Pokémon, so we have NateWantsToBattle, Jun1er, and Cam Steady for that.

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We also have the 40 years of Transformers: The Movie, and the tribute to the late Peter Cullen that passed earlier this year.

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Well, if people want to go, what do they need to do?

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You can either buy badges at the door, or you can go to our website, youmacon.com, and purchase badges online.

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Ticket prices will go up again Thursday night at 5:00 PM because that's technically when at-door sales open.

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Now very quickly, Detroit first responders get a free badge at Youma? That's the deal you guys have cut, yes?

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Absolutely! Yeah, any first responder that's either part of the police department, or medical, or doctors, or any of those...

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...all they have to do is show valid proof that they do work for those companies, and then we will give them a badge for that.

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Man, that's fantastic! So if you are police, fire, EMT, paramedic, anybody like that...

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...if you want to go to Youma, Youma just said the badge is on them! So go ahead and check it out all this weekend.

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Well, I really appreciate both of you coming by! Eric Gaiser, CEO of YoumaCon, and Marcus Cooper, Head of Music Department.

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Really appreciate you making the time. Can't wait, this will be a great thing this weekend in Detroit!

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Appreciate it, thank you!