This coming weekend, from October 13 through October 16, New York City's Javits Center will be playing host to thousands of comic, movie, TV--and, yes, anime--fans from all over for New York Comic Con 2011.
From 2006 through 2009 NYCC's parent company, Reed Exhibitions, hosted New York Anime Festival as a separate event. Last year, the two were integrated into a single event under one roof, with mixed results, but this year's roster of anime-themed events and personalities is still promising.
Among the Japanese guests scheduled to be present:
- Dai Sato, screenwriter for Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Eden of the East, Ergo Proxy and Tekken: Blood Vengeance. He was present for AnimeFest 2011 as well, so it'll be a pleasure to see him once more.
- Junko Takeuchi, the voice actress for Uzumaki Naruto in the Japanese edition of Naruto.
- Makoto Shinkai, director of 5 Centimeters per Second and Children Who Chase Lost Voices From Deep Below, the latter of which premiered at Otakon 2011 for Western audiences.
- Hideo Katsumata of Aniplex, responsible for producing Rurouni Kenshin, Black Butler, and the newly released Blue Exorcist.
- Hiro Mashima, the artist who created Rave Master and Fairy Tail, both adapted into anime. (Fairy Tail is currently streaming on Crunchyroll and will be in English via FUNimation soon.)
- Katsuhiro Harada, director/producer for the Tekken game series.
- Koichiro Natsume, also of Aniplex, and one of the producers for Fullmetal Alchemist.
- Masayuki Ozaki, of Sunrise, Inc., where his credits include Gintama the Movie and the new hit series Tiger & Bunny.
And English voice actors:
- Cherami Leigh, voice actress (Lucy in the newly-dubbed Fairy Tail; Mami Izumi in Ga-rei: Zero; Cecily Campbell in The Sacred Blacksmith).[1]
- Chris Sabat, voice actor now perpetually famous for the gamut of roles he's portrayed in DragonBall Z.
- Colleen Clinkenbeard, voice actor and also ADR director/scriptwriter for FUNimation Entertainment, with more roles in her c.v. than can be comfortably listed here.
- Justin Cook, sometime voice actor and now Director of Production for FUNimation's dubbing studios.
- Mandy Bonhomme, voice actress (Revolutionary Girl Utena, among many others).
- Newton Pittman, voice actor (Eden of the East, Black Butler, Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~).
- Roland Kelts, author (Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture has Invaded the U.S.) and lecturer about contemporary Japanese culture.
- Sean Schemmel, voice actor (DragonBall Z, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's Bonds Beyond Time, and direction for the English adaptation of Ah! My Goddess).
- Todd Haberkorn, voice actor (Soul Eater, xxxHOLiC, Hell Girl, Ouran High School Host Club, Darker Than Black).
- Tyler Walker, director and scriptwriter for FUNimation.
- Uncle Yo, the otaku stand-up comedian whose riffs on anime culture and fandom have been convulsing audiences nationwide since 2007.
Anime distributors Aniplex, Bandai, VIZ and FUNimation all plan to have exhibitions and panels at the show as well, which I'll be reporting back on, along with a screening of the new Naruto film, Naruto Shippuden The Movie: BONDS.
[1] I had the pleasure of talking to Cherami at Animefest 2011, although the transcript for that interview hasn't been posted yet; look for it soon.
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