World Cosplay Summit Team USA is in Japan!

The winners of the 2007 New York Anime Festival Masquerade were given a very special prize -- they were crowned the World Cosplay Summit's Team USA -- and after months of practice and preparation, they've flown out to Japan to compete in the World Cosplay Summit Finals.

The World Cosplay Summit is the Olympics of Cosplay, an event that brings teams from over ten countries together every summer in Nagoya, Japan. There, they compete before press, fans, and celebrities until one is named the best in the world. And, I'm very proud that the US is represented on the international stage by two girls -- Sonnya Paz and Renee Gloger -- from Queens.

Sonnya and Renee have spent the entire year getting ready for the WCS and along with gifted cosplay photographer Anna Fischer, they're now on a bullet train destined for Nagoya. The three have been in Japan since last week and already geeked out in Akihabara, hung out with some of the other teams, and met the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Really.

If you'd like to follow Team USA's journey, you can browse Anna's flickr gallery, and or more on Team USA, you can check out their recent interview with AintItCoolNews and this story on the AP.

If you think you've got the stuff to compete with cosplayers from around the world, enter the 2008 New York Anime Festival Masquerade, as its winners will travel to Japan as Team USA in 2009!

Stars of Gurren Lagann at NYAF!

I'm very pleased to announce Gurren Lagann stars Tony Oliver, Kyle Hebert, and Steve Blum will all be attending the 2008 New York Anime Festival. Tony Oliver is directing the English-language version of Gurren Lagann, Mr. Hebert is featured as the voice of Kamina, and Mr. Blum provides the voice of the genius mechanic Leeron.

For those who haven't heard about Gurren Lagann, the series follows the story of Simon and Kamina, youths from an underground village who become embroiled in a conflict with surface "Beastmen" who pilot humanoid machines known as Gunmen. It's a story that starts buried deep beneath the soil and travels into the farthest reaches of the heavens. Gurren Lagann won "Best Television Series" and "Best Character Design" at the 2008 Tokyo Animation Fair and airs every Monday at 11 PM EST on the SCI FI Channel.

It's shaping up to be biggest show of the year, and we're honored to bring its stars together in the biggest city in America.

Mr. Oliver, Mr. Hebert, and Mr. Blum's appearances are thanks to the tremendous cooperation of Bandai and Bang Zoom! Entertainment.

Comic Industry on NPR

I embedded a player from NPR below with a great interview with Joe Field, the president of the comic retailer's trade group ComicsPro. It's worth a listen for a view on the industry from the media, but Field's comments are also insightful, especially when he contrasts indie bookstores with comic shops. Field admits that comic retailers have seen market share get eaten by big box retailers and then cites knowledge of product and customers as the key strength comic shops have over those national chains.

Some of Field's comments paint a similar situation to that of indie book shops before the big crash that began 10 years ago and saw half of this countries indie bookstore close before the slide ceased. I know one cannot make a direct comparison, and I'm not predicting doom and gloom for comic shops, but it does pose the question of if our local comics shops are vulnerable.

I spent some time this weekend talking to my friends at Diamond Book distributors about inventory and tracking (for a project I am working on) and I found it stunning that most comic shops do not have a live inventory, do not receive products into a database, do not sell online - at least according to the individual I was chatting with. These were all issues the indie bookstore scene was facing when Amazon and the big box retailers came to the fore in the 90's.

Our good friends at the American Booksellers Association have done amazing things in the last 3-4 years to help indie bookstore professionalize how they do business. The results are that in 2007 more indie bookstores opened then closed, the first net gain in around a decade.

I plan to talk at length with ComicsPro (and I was supposed to meet them in San Diego, but well, you know how things happen at San Diego) as I'm interested in what there goals are as an association. Do they have the power to help transform the industry in the same manner the ABA has for it's constituents? Do they need to?

My intention was just to post the interview, but clearly I've rambled at greater length than that......

I'll leave you with a great quote from field, "Comics are the creative genesis of all visual entertainment."


In case the player doesn't work, here is the link to the Marketplace story on comic retailers.

-L

Kikuchi Birthday Party

The Hideyuki Kikuchi Birthday Party at NYAF is now sold out!

NYAF Anime News Network Forum (And John Barrowman)

So, things have been quiet over at NYAF HQ for the past week or so on account of all of us being at San Diego Comic-Con. Highlights of the show include seeing the back of Kubo's head and standing dumbfounded in front of John Barrowman. I'm a heterosexual male, and I'll fully admit he's a sexy, sexy man. Now that SDCC is over, it's back to business, and you'll start seeing some new announcements from NYAF as soon as the 30th. Unless I get any last minute changes, expect three new VAs coming on Wednesday.

And, immediately, if you head over to Anime News Network, you'll see we're testing out a new forum with them right now located here...

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/bbs/phpBB2/?c=9

The NYAF team and the folks over at ANN are good friends, and this new forum is a part of this relationship. (For the record, the NYAF ANN forum isn't the result of large chunks of change being exchanged either way, so let's keep the "omg u sux u korporate pig sellz out" posts to a minimum.) It's an experiment for both sides, and we'll see how it works out. This current forum (newyorkanimefestival.yuku.com) isn't going away any time soon, and we hope the ANN forum will only add to the online NYAF community. Should it take off, we may roll the yuku forum into the ANN one, but -- again -- it's only if it works out. It's something both NYAF and ANN are excited about, and we hope it leads to great things.

San Diego Comic-Con Quote

Talking to a mid major comics publisher he summed up the "new" business model thusly, "Publishing is our R&D for movies and video games."

Wow. Well said. Agree or disagree there was no ambiguity in the statement.

I've got a host of dangerous thoughts swirling in my mind regarding SDCC, I promise to try and organize them and put them to "paper" before the weekend is up.....

-L

Diamond Vision and San Diego

Fun night at Yankee Stadium last night. Watched my Twins rally in the top of the 6th and then snuck down to some of those 2000 dollar seats right behind home plate (in the Metrodome, you can buy an entire section for 2 grand). Got there just in time to watch Abreu hit that 2 run shot and drive a stake through my Twins.

After that we headed out, I had work to do and needed to pack or we would've stayed. On our way out from those seats some dude yelled at me and my Twins shirt to "get the F*** outta heh!".

My first and last trip to Yankee Stadium was complete.......

I'm on my way to the airport and then hello San Diego Comic-Con! Got a full roster of meetings and panels to check out. Of note - the Mystery Science Theatre 3000 20th anniversery reunion with Patton Oswalt and a killer Lego Brickbuilder panel.

Catch you on the flip side and don't forget, I still have some passes to the CBLDF party tomorrow night. Comment here or email if you wanna come.

-L

Lance Fensterman
Vice President
BookExpo America
New York ComicCon
New York Anime Fest
Blog: www.mediumatlarge.net
203.840.5507 (o) 203.417.3607 (m)
--------------------------
Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld - Please excuse any typos!

Who Wants To Go To A Party?

Did I mention open bar?

New York Comic Con is a proud sponsor of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund's welcome party at San Diego Comic-Con.

The CBLDF Welcome Party starts at 7:30 PM on Thursday July 24 at the Westgate Hotel in downtown San Diego. Admission is a $10 donation for CBLDF Members, and $20 and up for non-members.

I've got a few passes to the shindig left, if anyone wants to join me for a drink (and yes, you will be obligated to talk to me the entire time - and none of that looking over my shoulder for someone more interesting kind of crap - I will own you. I'm just kidding) send me an email or post a comment here and I'll see if I can't get you on the NYCC guest list for the party.

See you in San Diego.....

-L

Cliffs Notes - All Minnesota Edition

My Twins invade Yankee stadium tonight and I'll be in the nose bleed sets tomorrow to catch them (note, at writing the good guys are losing by 4 runs). On the line is not just my hometown pride, the lead in the AL Central but also and most importantly a 6 pack of something imported as a side bet with one of those obnoxious Yankee fans I work with (sorry Steve, but I'm painting with a broad brush here). In honor of this momentous occasion (and the fact that I've found a bunch of good Minnesota stuff today), I bring you a long overdue edition of Cliffs Notes - Minnesota Style......

The Value of Almost Giving It Away - Yeah, so free content is all the rage, but as usual Paul Westerberg can't follow a trend. His new "album" came out today, it's one track long, 49 minutes and costs 49 cents. Here is the best music review I've ever read from one of my favorite blogs, My Pronto Pup. A taste (regarding why the format was chosen):

Or, the safest bet. He's just insane. He just doesn't care about money or distribution or production values or anything. He's just going to mash up the muddle of sounds in his head and put it out there, even though it won't profit him financially. Read the rest of the review here.

Don't Freak, It's Fake - This cover of an imagined Sports Illustrated if Favre were to sign with the Vikings. Catch the full fake storey here.

Watch What You Say - I've been indulging in the blog Overheard in Minneapolis, part of a network of a dozen or so "Overheard's" around the world. I caught this gem on it today:

Girl holding a PBR tallboy in one hand and a cigarette in the other: Other than drinking and smoking, I’m pretty much straightedge. - Overheard at Bastille Day

Yup, me too.

OK, off to San Diego Wednesday morning. Anyone else going? Wanna be a straightedge with me?

-L

Baby, The Stars Shine Bright at NYAF

The New York Anime Festival is a celebration of all that is part of Japanese pop culture, and our Guests of Honor represent this. We have author Hideyuki Kikuchi. We have illustrator Yoshitaka Amano. We have voice actress Rie Tanaka. And now, I'm pleased and honored to reveal we have fashion designer Baby, The Stars Shine Bright.

Baby, The Stars Shine Bright -- Japan's premier Lolita fashion brand -- will be sending designers Miho Satoh and Masumi Kanoh will attend the New York Anime Festival to speak about the history and philosophy of their brand, welcome fans to a special Baby, The Stars Shine boutique, and even enjoy a cup of tea with NYAF attendees during a Baby, The Stars Shine Bright tea party.

For those unfamiliar with Lolita fashion, born on the streets of Japan, Lolita fashion is a style of clothing which adopts child-like charms and details from periods such as Rococo France and Victorian England. The Lolita look is full of knee-skimming skirts, pintucks, petticoats, and blouses edged in lace. Developing since the 1970s in Japan, Lolita fashion is now rapidly gaining a wide following worldwide.

Baby, The Stars Shine Bright was founded as a boutique in Shibuya, Tokyo in 1988 by husband and wife team Akinori and Fumiyo Isobe. Baby, The Stars Shine Bright has since grown into an international phenomenon with fans around the world and stores as faraway as Paris. The brand has collaborated with numerous famous icons including Sanrio's Hello Kitty and Japanese pop star Nana Kitade. Anime fans and followers of Asian cinema will no doubt recognize Baby, The Stars Shine Bright as the clothing line at the center of the feature film Kamikaze Girls.

Baby, The Stars Shine Bright designer Miho Satoh was born in Tokyo, enjoyed handicrafts since she was young, and started studying clothing design as a high school student. Even now, after joining Baby, The Stars Shine Bright, she continues her studies in clothing design. Designer Masumi Kanoh was born in Miyagi, Japan. She's always loved cute things and discovered Lolita fashion in junior high school. She joined Baby, The Stars Shine Bright right out of university.

Details about Miho Satoh, Masumi Kanoh, and the Baby, The Stars Shine Bright events at the New York Anime Festival will be available at newyorkanimefestival.com in the coming weeks. (And keep your eyes peeled for another Guest of Honor coming soon. All I can say is I like Japanese food.)

Venture Bros. T-Shirt Club

Why did no one tell me about the Venture Bros. T-Shirt Club until today?  If you -- like me -- were in the dark on this limited-edition awesomeness, head over to astrobasego.com and behold everything you missed.

Come to Hideyuki Kikuchi's Birthday Party!

Vampire Hunter D author Hideyuki Kikuchi turns 59 on September 25, the day before the start of the New York Anime Festival. Yet, preparing for all his panels and autograph sessions, he won't have time for a proper birthday dinner until NYAF ends. Kikuchi-san will be celebrating his birthday from 6-8 PM on Sunday, September 28 at a restaurant in Midtown Manhattan with Yoshitaka Amano, Kevin Leahy, and -- possibly -- you!

Kikuchi-san wants to celebrate his birthday with ten of his most die-hard American fans, and if you think you're one of them, I'd like to give you the chance to reserve your seat now. A ticket to Kikuchi-san's birthday costs $125 and includes appetizers, a salad, an entrée, dessert, birthday cake, unlimited coffee, tea, and soft drinks, and autographs from Kikuchi-san, Amano-san, and Mr. Leahy.

If you're curious about the menu, you can take a look right here...

http://www.nyanimefestival.com/images/factsheet/kikuchimenu.pdf

If you want to attend this once-in-a-lifetime experience, grab your seat fast!

http://www.nyanimefestival.com/en-us/tickets/583.cfm

Small Market Hero's Invade The House that Ruth Built [edited]

Editor-in-Chief just scored us Twins tickets at Yankee stadium next week! I've never been before and this is the last chance to see the park. Think Yankees fans will dump beer all over me for cheering for my small market hero's?

This is a cool shot of Joe Mauer at the All star game this week.

-L

Note - I was corrected when I posted the title as "Small Market Hero's Invade the Polo Grounds." That is just flat wrong. Then again, I don't really care. After a Twins sweep, who will quibble over a nickname?

Funky Winkerbean at BEA?

Not sure when this appeared, the Editor-in-Chief sent it to me......

It's Never Too Early.....

I put up my NYCC countdown clock in my office today. Just 205 days until NYCC 2009.....

We got new art too.

-L

Rie Tanaka - Guest of Honor at NYAF!

I'm very happy to announce Japanese voice actress Rie Tanaka will appear at New York Anime Festival 2008 as a Guest of Honor. Ms. Tanaka is most known around the globe for voicing Lacus Clyne in Gundam SEED, Chii in Chobits, and Suigintou in Rozen Maiden, but this is just the tip of her resume.

While Ms. Tanaka is most recognized for her roles in Gundam SEED, Chobits, and Rozen Maiden, she's contributed her voice to characters in over 50 animations, with some standouts including Simca in Air Gear, Yomi in Azumanga Daioh, Sei in Burst Angel, Hiroko Matsukata in Hataraki Man, Monica Lange in Macross Frontier, Tomoe Marguerite in My-Otome, Saki in Steel Angel Kurumi, and Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke in Strike Witches. In addition, Ms. Tanaka is also the voice behind songs featured in many of the series she's worked on including Azumanga Daioh, Burst Angel, Chobits, and Gundam SEED.

Beyond question-and-answer and autograph sessions, Ms. Tanaka will perform a selection of her songs at the start of NYAF's World Cosplay Summit Masquerade -- a costume contest with prizes including a trip to Japan.

I hope you'll join me in September in welcoming Rie Tanaka to NYC and the USA!

Japan Cuts Film Festival at the Japan Society

The New York Asian Film Festival just wrapped up earlier in the week, but that doesn't mean cinephiles can go back to sleep -- as the Japan Society's Japan Cuts Film Festival is just starting up and continuing on until July 13.

What's on tap for Japan Cuts? 20 feature films and over 60 shorts pulled from Japan's cineplexes and art houses and screened just for you in New York City! Highlights include Sakuran, A Gentle Breeze in the Village, and Kisaragi.

To learn more, see a full list of the Japan Cuts films, and get the entire festival's schedule, click on over to http://www.japansociety.org/japancuts. I hope you, like me, will be spending some hot July events in NYC in the cool Japan Society theater enjoying some of Tokyo's best!

Nirvana

Happy 4th!

I think this photo is from last 4th if July taken from the dock at our cabin in the great Northwoods of Minnesota. I have the signature cabin stubble and crazed look in my eye. So from me to you, have a crazy 4^th of July and for god sakes gents, don’t shave, it’s a holiday weekend.

This brings me to another point. Since when did The Hold Steady become a Brooklyn band? The Times did a great review of their concert this week in which they kept referring to them as "Brooklyn’s own" or some equivalent statement. As a Midwesterner I take offense. Everything good we come up with you East Coasters co-op. Craig Finn of The Hold Steady played in Lifter Puller around the Twin Cities for years. Now they are a Brooklyn band? I say pishaw. And buy the new album, Stay Positive, it rocks.....

-L

Anyone Need A Room in San Diego?

I think I have two extra rooms at the Marriott for SDCC. Email me if you need a room and I can probably help hook you up.

-L (lfensterman at reedexpo.com)