Category: Events

NY Anime Festival & Comic Con 2010: Premieres

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I was blown away by the amount of premieres and showings announced for NYAF. This was the first convention I have been to in a long time where I spent a good deal of my days actually watching anime. And it was not from a lack of having other things to do. There were things here that literally couldn’t be seen anywhere else not even in Japan yet, like Mardock Scramble, or things that only recently hit Japanese theaters, like Gundam 00: A Wakening of the Trailblazer, plus all manner of things in between. These were the biggest draws for me this year, and from the crowds that packed in for most of these showings it seems I wasn’t the only one.

hisuiconNYAF was the Cannes Film Festival for anime films this year. I saw part of three anime films you cannot see in English even with less that legitimate means. I have been to some awesome premieres but there were three major coups this year. The Gundam 00 movie and the Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya were being shown before they made it to DVD in Japan and we got to see Mardock Scramble before audiences in Japan. Any one of the three would have been amazing but all three in one place was simply breathtaking. Being able to see the first episode of Star Driver and talk to the producer was merely icing on the cake.

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NY Anime Festival & Comic Con 2010: Exhibitors Hall

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The exhibitors hall is the biggest draw of most big time media conventions housing all types of companies from comics to video games to anime to novels with money to burn and products to promote to the eager masses that pass their way as well as a hodgepodge of comic, anime, and merchandise dealers hocking their wares. Most attendees spend a good portion of their time trolling around this section picking up free swag, playing the latest games, and finding deals. In my early con days, I too rarely went outside of such an area. NYCC really did it up big this year and it left an impression no doubt.

hisuiconYou can always tell how healthy an industry is by how vibrant their booths are. With a few exceptions the companies that are flush with cash will have lavish booths with fantastic giveaways. So while the anime and manga companies mostly had simple booths with a few (if any) giveaways on the other end of the spectrum the video game companies had gargantuan affairs with giveaways galore. The NYCC reminded of my times of going to technology expos like PC Expo were the exhibitors hall is the entire convention and 80% of the reason people go is to get freebies. Theoretically the other 20% of the time you were looking for hardware and software for your home and office but the second free t-shirts came out you wonder if 20% was being generous. But if you were not in the mood to go a panel or a screening there was plenty to do in the exhibitors hall especially if you wanted to go home with a few treats.

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NY Anime Festival 2010: Artist Alley – Making it Big!

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GUEST POST BY SKEITH

For better or worse, the New York Anime Festival certainly shook things up this year by merging with the New York Comic Con. Thankfully, my usual haunt – the Artists Alley – was also on the winning end of this merger, taking advantage of the Jacob Javits Center’s layout to get as many of the 90,000+ attendees to take a look and perhaps buy some art from the many booths. I saw a lot of familiar faces, but more and more I’m beginning to see them making the transition from amateur artist to full-time professionals, making me wonder just how they made the jump.

“It’s a lot of work,” said  Sarah Moulder of Stuido Kitsu. “You have to look at it like a full-time job and put in the extra hours to do it.” Moulder started simply, making odds and ends such as Kingdom Hearts dangles. Now she peddles a wide variety of anime-inspired hoodies, costume pieces and more. Sharing a booth with Moulder are Carolann Voltarel and Carrie Wink of Athena’s Wink who also claim crafting as a full-time job – and not an easy one.

“The both of us sit [at home] 8 hours, Monday through Friday, sewing hats most weeks,” said Voltarel. “And half of our weekends we’re selling at conventions.” When asked if they could be considered a success story of the Artists Alley, Wink responded, “We’re still working on the success part.”

Sarah Moulder, Carolann Voltarel and Carrie Wink

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