NekoCon 2026: The Rise of Purrzilla

The Epic of Purrzilla: The Forgotten Mascot

For nearly three decades, NekoCon has been shaped by stories, traditions, and the mascots who bring its spirit to life. But some stories were never meant to be forgotten… and some legends refuse to stay buried.

In the earliest years of NekoCon, there were two mascots. Reiko, bright and joyful, became the face of the convention. Beside her moved a second presence, a sleek black cat whose name was never spoken. A trickster, a guardian, a silent constant in the halls, he slipped through crowds, watched over doorways, and became part of the convention’s soul.

Then came the tenth year: the Zombie Apocalypse. Amid chaos and shambling undead, the black cat vanished. Some swore they saw him draw the horde away, his glowing eyes flashing one final time before he disappeared. After that, only whispers remained. As the years passed, memory faded… and myth took its place.

But the black cat did not die.

Lost in the chaos, he was pulled into the Forgotten Realm, a strange dimension made of abandoned ideas, lost props, forgotten cosplays, and echoes of NekoCon’s past. There, for seventeen long years, he wandered alone. The realm changed him. Necrotic energy, kaiju film radiation, and the warped parody at NekoCon’s heart twisted his form. Neglect hardened him. Loneliness became fury.

From that silence, a new being was born.

Purrzilla.

Small and absurd in appearance yet terrifying in power, this chibi kaiju cat began reaching back into the world, glowing eyes in dark halls, claw marks in locked rooms, tremors during setup, pawprints larger than cars along the shore. Each year, the signs grew stronger. Each year, the whisper echoed louder:

Remember me.

Now, as NekoCon enters its 28th year, the rift has shattered. The ground trembles. Lights flicker. A squeaky, furious roar fills the air.

Purrzilla has returned.

Reiko, Akiko, TK, and Miyoko now stand in his shadow. They cannot fight him. They cannot erase his pain. Only the laughter, love, and spirit of NekoCon itself can remind him of who he once was.

Will he be healed… or will his fury reshape the convention forever?

Join us November 6–8 as this legendary story comes to life.
The forgotten mascot rises.
The past returns.
And NekoCon will never be the same.