Emma Premieres at New York Comic Con! Blogged Live from Toy Fair 2008!

So, a few weeks ago, everyone around the office was asked if they wanted to work Toy Fair, one of the largest -- if not the largest -- toy trade shows in the world. I, wanting a day out of the office and the power and pleasure of charging a bagel and cup of coffee to the company, immediately signed up. And, while I'm getting my day out of the office and going to expense my breakfast, both have come at a very high price. You see, I'm blogging to you live from Toy Fair now. It's 9:43 AM on Sunday, February 17th.

I should be asleep now. I should be between the soft arms and even softer chest of a woman. I shouldn't be in a suit and tie pacing about booth 3338 in Toy Fair's Reading, Writing, and Rhythm Section. I'm totally going to expense my lunch, too.

Don't get me wrong, Toy Fair's astonishing, but I just thought I'd be staffing a booth on a weekday. But I'm not. I'm here. Now. And I'm supposed to be talking to attendees about BookExpo America, New York Comic Con, and the New York Anime Festival. I hope I'm doing a good job. While I could easily spend the entire day talking to a single person about every facet of this year's NYAF, I'm probably less than qualified to even utter a single sentence about BEA or NYCC.

Someone asks about BookExpo? What do I say? "I sure hope Alan Alda comes this year." Someone asks about New York Comic Con? How do I respond? "I think we've got some comic book drawing guys, but I totally know we're premiering the anime series Emma!"

Anime's not that big of a focus here at Toy Fair. There are a few Japanese exhibitors, but there are a lot more board games, stuffed animals, and -- honestly -- normal stuff. That's okay, though. I like normal stuff, too. Like Doctor Who. I know the guys who manufacture all the official Doctor Who toys are on the show floor somewhere, and I've totally got to see if they've got the new fob watch accessory. I've been wanting a Doctor Who pocket watch since its brief appearance last season, and an official replica's just been released -- and is out of stock everywhere.

Speaking more about Doctor Who, my girlfriend got me a sonic screwdriver for Valentine's Day. A "sonic screwdriver" is another of the Doctor's gadgets. The odd, funny, bizarre, and wonderful thing about the present is that I already have a sonic screwdriver, and my girlfriend knows this, too. "I got you another one," she said. "I figure'd you'd want two." Isn't she sweet? Aren't I a geek?

Hold on. A few paragraphs up, did I say Emma would premiere at New York Comic Con? I think I did. Have I said that publicly any place before? I think I did not.

Yup, boys and girls, read through a few rambling paragraphs of nonsense and you're rewarded with a New York Comic Con anime announcement. I know, I know, I'm a marketing genius. Anywho, Emma will be released by my good friends at Right Stuf starting in June, but we'll be presenting the first episode for the first time in North America on April 19th.

Emma is the strikingly simple and sweet story of a house maid who falls in love with an aristocrat in 19th Century London. It's one of the most tender, touching, heart-felt, and purely genuine animations to come out of Japan in recent (and long-term) memory, and while it lacks giant robots, busty schoolgirls, and all the other traditional anime trappings, it deserves a viewing. Rather, because it lacks giant robots, busty schoolgirls, and all the other traditional anime trappings, it deserves a viewing.

Emma is the first anime premiere New York Comic Con has announced, but it won't be the last. I've got a lot more I want to say and am just waiting for a few okays from Japan before I start yapping.