What Do You Want In The NYAF Store?

So, we’ve done NYAF and NYCC for a few years now and produced a number of fun, exciting, and often times terrible things to sell in our show store -- including plushies, sake sets, pins, and underpants. As we ramp up to this year’s NYAF, rather than locking myself in a conference room with the brain trust, I’d love to toss this out to all of you. What kind of items would you like to see available at the NYAF Store? Think it over. Sleep on it. Then, if you think you you’ve got a genius idea, post it in the NYAF Messageboard here...

http://newyorkanimefestival.yuku.com/topic/919

If you come up with something we actually make, I’ll make sure we get a box/bag/stack/pile of it sent over to you.

Geoff Johns Comes To Jim Hanley's!

Geoff Johns will be signing at Jim Hanley's in Manhattan tomorrow -- Wednesday, April 1 -- in celebration of the release of Flash: Rebirth. Geoff is signing from 6 to 8 PM, and before that, he'll be doing a panel open to 50 lucky fans! For all the details, visit jhuniverse.blogspot.com.

BEA To Highlight Publishing in the Arab World

Two years ago we wanted to better highlight the strong international programming and participation at BookExpo so we created the Global Market Forum - a vehicle to explore the commerce of publishing within a given part of the world or on a given topic. For 2009 The Global Market Forum will grow to an impressive new level with our focus on Publishing in the Arab World, this is an announcement that has been two years in the making and will include massive participation from nearly a dozen Arab World countries, in depth education, matchmaking, market analysis and for the first time cultural programming.

In honour of this premier opportunity for dialogue and exchange, Mr. Amr Moussa, General Secretary of the Arab League will take part in a ribbon cutting ceremony. Publisher from 8 Arab countries, including Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates (with Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah), will show case their publications and look out for US partners in the trade.

The professional program, on Friday 29 May, will bring together editors and publishers from both several Arab countries and their American counterparts to discuss possibilities and recent success stories of translation from and into Arabic. Further debates will address key trade issues such as exports, imports and distribution as well as copyright and market analysis for the major Arab book markets thus creating unique match making opportunities for book professionals.
For the first time, BEA is also reaching beyond standard trade markets and business practices with a genuine cultural program in order to shed “New Eyes on the Arab World and Culture” – which is the title of an evening event on Saturday May 30, at the New York Public Library at 42nd Street in Manhattan, sponsored by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation and curated by ArteEast and by the Center of Literary Translation at Columbia University.

Additional cultural programs will include a celebration of Beirut as the UNESCO “World Book Capital 2009”, a performance lecture on the Islamic contexts and the European remixes of “The Thousand and One Nights”, organized by the Berlin-based cultural association west-östlicher diwan at the New York Goethe Institute, as well as a focus on children’s books sponsored and created by Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al-Qassimi of Sharjah. These events will in fact form a prestigious prelude to the wider festival “Muslim Voices” opening in New York just one week after BEA.

I am really honored and excited at this new development for BEA on a global scale, and pleased to see our Global Market Forum program expand to a whole new level with our focus on Publishing in the Arab World. Stay tuned for more details and updates, and check out the Global Market Forum page on the BookExpo web site right here.

-L

Did Ya See G4 Underground?

G4 Underground premiered last night on -- you guessed it -- G4. The show is a news magazine covering odd, extreme, illegal, and underground topics. Last night's premiere focused on real-life super heroes (and amateur porn). The super hero segment looked at two gents who dress up in masks and tights in real-life, including one -- Dark Guardian -- who patrols the streets of New York City. Really.

If you missed it, G4 Underground reairs tonight at 9 PM EST.

http://g4tv.com/g4underground/splash.aspx

Did you know…

New York Comic Con is a place of excitement, entertainment, and – sometimes – magic. Did you know Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid got its start at NYCC? Believe it!

http://lohud.com/article/20090329/ENTERTAINMENT/903290308/1164

BEA Web Developments......

You don't know her, but Kim is an amazing person. She's the Marketing Director on BEA and she's got the BEA web site looking top notch. Check it out and pay attention to a few nice new features:

• An interactive show planner that has a clear, printable floor plan and the ability to add panels, events, booth appointments, etc to a daily planner. Try it out by clicking here.
• A daily news features that aggregates headlines and posts with industry info. Read the headlines here.
• We also have a bunch of our educational panels listed. There will be a lot more added, but right now there are little gems in there that I haven';t even leaked via this blog yet - see if you can find them........Take a sneak peek at our panels here.

Just thought you'd be interested in a few improvements and additions on the web site.

-L

KRAZY Cosplay Party is Tomorrow!

Don't forget, Japan Society's KRAZY Cosplay Party is Saturday!

In conjunction with the exhibition KRAZY! The Delirious World of Anime + Manga + Video Games, Japan Society will hold its first-ever Cosplay Party on Saturday, March 28 from 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM. Admission to the Cosplay Party includes classic anime screenings of Paprika, Akira, Mind Game, a costume contest with prizes including a $200 Gift Card to Kinokuniya, and free entrance to KRAZY!

Tickets are only $10 in advance and online at…

http://www.japansociety.org/event_detail?eid=30d38e21

I'll be there. Will you?

BEA Editors Buzz Details....

OK, ok, I am a day and a half late in getting this posted for all of you, but I was in Spain, that's a good excuse, right? Actually it's not, I was 6 hours ahead so I could have really given you an advance scoop....Frogive my tardiness.

We finally have the Editors Buzz back where it belongs (and started) on the BEA show schedule - Thursday afternoon. At last! And we also added a Young Adult Editors Buzz (which will happen Friday), which looks simply amazing (which as a side bar, you know the last 2 years, some of the best events have been YA and Children's focused events, i wonder what we can read into that?)......

The whole point of the Editor's Buzz is to get the inside scoop from the editor as to why these books excited them and then you have the chance to seek them out on the show floor and learn more about them from the publishers. So it seems like a little thing, but having the adult event on Thursday afternoon is crucial, it helps you get prepared and helps set the tone and the buzz for just what the books of BEA are going to be......

I am excited to hear about the Jonathon Tropper book from Ben Seiver and from First Second Editor Mark Siegel. I totally adore Troppers work and admire greatly what the entire First Second team does.......

Here are the details:

BEA Editors’ Buzz, Thursday May 28, 4:15pm

• Program Chair: John Freeman, American Editor, Granta.
• Deb Futter, VP, Editor-in-Chief, Grand Central Publishing with Leila Meacham’s Roses.
• Paul Elie, Editor, FSG with Michael Sandel’s Justice.
• Alexis Gargagliano, Editor, Scribner with Alex Lemon’s Happy.
• Harriet Popham Rigney, Executive Editor, Tor Books with Brandon Sanderson’s A Memory of Light.
• Ben Sevier, Sr. Editor, Dutton with Jonathan Tropper’s This is Where I Leave You.
• Robert Weil, Executive Editor, WW Norton with David Small’s Stitches.

BEA Young Adult Editors’ Buzz, Friday May 29, 2:30pm

• Program Chair: David Levithan, Editorial Dir., Scholastic Press & Push.
• Arthur Levine, VP & Editorial Dir., Arthur A. Levine Books with Laini Taylor’s Lips Touch.
• Ari Lewin, Sr. Editor, Disney/Hyperion with Sarwat Chadda’s The Devil’s Kiss.
• Krista Marino, Sr. Editor, Delacorte Press for Young Readers with James Dashner’s
  The Maze Runner.
• Mark Siegel, Editorial Director, First Second Books with Danica Novgorodoff’s Refresh, Refresh.
• Liz Szabla, Editor-in-Chief, Feiwel & Friends with Jill S. Alexander’s The Sweetheart of Prosper County.
• Tara Weikum, Executive Editor, HarperCollins Children’s Books with Adriana Trigiani’s Viola in Reel Life.
  

Comics in Spain

Just returned from a week bouncing around Spain, from the Mediterranean Island of Mallorca to literally burning the city during the Las Falles festival in Valencia to a nice extended stay in Barcelona. While tripping around Barcelona with the Editor in Chief we found this awesome comics shop in the neighborhood of Gracia. Poked around inside and found some pictures of creators they've hosted including friend of NYCC Chris Claremont and Andy Kubert! How cool is that?

We also snatched up some Spanish comics for our much more bi-lingual than us 8 year old nephew...

Happy to be back in the states, but will miss the pace of lovely Spain....

Next up some overdue BEA related posts as we've been busy getting things done in rapid succession on that little festival of all things literary......

Here's a shot of the inside of the shop and adios for now.

-Lance

More Caturday Fun

From Mr. Fitch to all of you...

http://www.mows.com/

Caturday!

Here is Bob in the front yard in Borwalk leering at me through the fence. What? It's my blog, I can post my own personal cute cat pictures!

-L

Free Will Eisner Presentation in NYC

On Monday, March 23rd, comics writer and critic Danny Fingeroth will give an illustrated presentation about the life, work, and influence of the great writer and artist Eill Eisner. Taking a tour through Eisner's life-in effect, a journey through comics history-the presentation will serve as an introduction to those who'd like to know more about how the graphic novel phenomenon (which has spawned hit comics-based movies like The Dark Knight and Watchmen), and will offer new insights for those who may already know the work of Eisner and his creative descendants.

Monday, March 23, 8:00 pm
Columbia University
Broadway and 116th Street, New York City
Schermerhorn Hall, Room 501

For Information
212-854-2581 or mg27@columbia.edu

Free Admission

Monsters vs. Aliens Preview Screening!

NYCC, NYCMovieScreenings.com and Paramount Pictures are proud to bring you an advance screening of Monsters vs. Aliens at a Manhattan theater on Thursday, March 26th at 7:00PM. We're giving away 25 pairs of Priority Passes (Guaranteed Admission) to 25 random fans. For your chance to win, head on over to...

http://nycc.nycmoviescreenings.com/

Winners will be notified via email 36 hours before showtime. All winners should be present at 6:00pm to check in. Seating is guaranteed until 6:30pm.

Monsters vs. Aliens opens officially in theaters on March 27th.

http://www.monstersvsaliens.com/

KRAZY Cosplay Party!

In conjunction with the exhibition KRAZY! The Delirious World of Anime + Manga + Video Games, Japan Society holds its first-ever Cosplay Party on Saturday, March 28, 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM. Admission to the Cosplay Party includes…

Classic anime screenings - Paprika, Akira, Mind Game!
A costume contest with prizes including a $200 Gift Card to Kinokuniya!
Free entrance to KRAZY!

Tickets are only $10 in advance and online at…
http://www.japansociety.org/event_detail?eid=30d38e21

I'll be there. Will you?

CannibAlien Lands in NYC

The Japanese film CannibAlien will be showing as part of the NY International Film & Video Festival on Sunday 3/22 at 5:45pm at the Village East Cinema at 181 2nd Ave on 12th Street. The film's by Studio Deen (Simoun, Jigoku Shojo, Vampire Knight) and the director, Mr. David Kame Tsai, will be at the screening.

Thanks, Mari!

JET Alumni Author Showcase

On Sunday, March 22nd, the JET Alumni Association of New York will present its first ever JET Alumni Author Showcase (http://jetaany.org/authors). This event will feature authors Roland Kelts (Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture has Invaded the US), James Kennedy (The Order of Odd-Fish), and Robert P. Weston (Zorgamazoo).

Kelts, Kennedy, and Weston will participate in short readings of their respective works, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A session on the writing profession, tips on getting published, and how their time spent in Japan through the JET Program has contributed to the success of their current careers. Moderating for the event will be Randall David Cook (Sake With the Haiku Geisha and Fate's Imagination).

Date:
March 22, 1:00 p.m.

Location:
Holiday Inn Midtown Manhattan
440 W 57th St. (between 9th & 10th Aves.), New York, NY

Admission:
$10 in advance; $15 at the door
($5 discount provided for JET alumni)

If you'd like to attend you must RSVP to authors@jetaany.org. Space is very limited.

Calling All Chicago Comic Pros!

Are you a creator, professional, academic, agent, freelance writer or otherwise connected as a professional in the comic biz in Chicago? Or do you know someone who is? Well we want your info.....

We are working on a cool launch party for C2E2 in April and we want to make sure sure all of the movers and shakers from the Chicago Comics scene are invited. If you are a comic industry pro, send Kim an email with your info (who you are, what you do and your email address) and we'll make sure you get invited. You can reach her with an email here - Kim.

We are going to start C2E2 off right with good old fashioned party and if you are comic industry pro in Chicago we don't want you to miss it....

-L

Japanese Indie Band Grapevine Plays Free Show in Brooklyn

Friend of show Superglorious is presenting a free show at 9 PM on March 24 at the Public Assembly (70 North 6th Street) in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The event -- Wall of Love -- is headlined by Japanese indie superstars Grapevine and New York favorite Apollo Heights. The event also features up and coming indie rockers Cale Parks and Autodrone.

Although this is one of their first shows in the United States, Grapevine is a big name in Japan and have been touring their home country since their second album debuted at number three on the national charts in 1999. Every album since has landed in the Japanese Top 10, and their latest album -- their ninth -- was released July 2008. Grapevine is best described as uncompromising. They spare no expense at delivering a distinctive performance and sound and are influenced by blues, soul, and classics such as the Beatles and Neil Young.

For more, visit http://www.superglorious.com/.

Who Is BEA? Part 3

This is part 3 in a 3 part series of posts on the value of BEA to publishers and its evolving identity......

I offer a few broad themes that BEA needscontinue to evolve to, embrace and execute:

1 Touch the books and meet the authors
2 All the shows a stage
3 Think outside the light box
4 Create new media buzz (but where?)
5 Influence the influencers

Create media buzz & go digital (but where?) – Authors, books and stages are the content, but the content must be captured and literally broadcast for the needle to be moved amongst the book buying public. So where do we find that spotlight? We plan to make a significant investment this year to capture the happenings at BEA digitally. But the question remains, what do we do with it and how do we get it to the readers? Where are book buyers going for information? Their local bookshop? Online review sites (Amazon, B&N.com, Borders.com)? Blogs? Print book coverage? Publisher’s websites? The answer is yes, and probably a half dozen more mediums. So how do we reach those buyers with the content, the passion, the authors and book news that come out of BEA? I don’t know! This is not a leading question, I really don’t know! At New York Comic Con, we work with leading web sites that disseminate the news and events that take place at NYCC. We work closely with at least 4 of these sites, all of whom enjoy Alexia ratings in the top 10% – and do keep in mind before you dismiss these situations as not being comparable, the sale of books in general dwarves the sale of comics and graphic novels. Who will help all of us sell books in the coming years?

For examples of the coverage our media partners bring us on New York Comic Con, see the following links:

IGN.com

Newsarama.com

Comicbookresources.com

Influence the influencers – Last and definitely not least, the people inside the building during BEA must be THE tastemakers in our industry. Twenty years ago independent booksellers were the driving force in consumer influence that generated book sales were. As independent booksellers influence on consumers began to wane, that of chain bookstores grew as did that of online retailers and in particular Amazon.com. While all of these entities are represented at BEA, there is a gap from groups whose influence on consumer book buying habits is growing. We call all of these groups collectively; Influencers, and our goal is to define who is influencing consumer book buying habits, articulate what makes them an influencer and include them all at BEA. The value of the event increases dramatically if a publisher can present information on forthcoming titles, access to authors and advance review copies to every segment of these influencers in one place (at BEA). The end goal is simple; for publishers to influence all of The Influencers at BEA to help launch books and sell copies.

In its simplest form, this is where BEA needs to go to once again be the relevant vehicle for “making” books that our customers need it to be. No doubt, there are countless other steps, themes and innovations that need to happen, but these are the focal points for continuing to assure that BEA is valuable, vibrant and relevant. I have not even begun to talk about how ideas, community, networking, etc are invaluable elements of BEA as well, so take my more narrow focus in these posts as an examination of one segment of the show and what needs to happen within that segment for our community, our industry and our industry event.

-L

Anime Day is Over!

A big huzzah and kudos to everyone who put together and attended Anime Day at Kinokuniya. The day couldn’t have happened without Kinokuniya Bookstore, Cosclips, Echostream, Del Rey Manga, Japan Society, Karaterice, Keio Academy, Samurai Beat Radio, and Yen Press, and all the anime fans waiting in line since 9 AM to get in. If you didn’t make it out or want to relive the experience, we’ve got Anime Day captured in 180 pictures here…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/littlest_asian/sets/72157615366896974/

What’s next?

Japan Society’s KRAZY Cosplay Party is Saturday, March 28
(http://www.japansociety.org/content.cfm/event_detail?eid=30d38e21)

Echostream’s playing Friday, April 3 at Webster Hall
(www.websterhall.com)

Sakura Matsuri is May 2-3 in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden
(http://www.bbg.org/exp/cherries/sakura.html)

Anime Day at Kinokuniya!

Don't forget, Anime Day at Kinokuniya is Sunday, March 15. Big thanks to Del Rey Manga, Japan Society, Karaterice, Keio Academy, Samurai Beat Radio, Yen Press, and Anna Fischer!

Caturday!

Sleepy Kitty.....

Thanks to the Editor-in-Chief for this one!

Time Out Does Cosplay!

World Cosplay Summit Team USA – chosen at the New York Anime Festival – are in this week’s Time Out NY, sharing a few cosplay tips and promoting Japan Society’s upcoming KRAZY exhibition. KRAZY opens Friday, and you can see Team USA this Sunday at Anime Day at Kinokuniya Bookstore!

http://www.timeout.com/newyork/articles/own-this-city/72336/cosplay-101

Thanks, Lawrence!

KRAZY! And Anime Day

We've got two big events for anime fans and Japanophiles this week in NYC!

First, Japan Society's KRAZY! Exhibit starts March 13 and runs through June. Check out this cultural look at Japan's popular arts early and often.

Next, Kinokuniya's Anime Day is March 15. NYAF and a number of partners will be at Kinokuniya all day on Sunday in this anime micro-con. Guests include echostream, and prizes include 50 manga from Del Rey.
---
Sent using BlackBerry

Who Is BEA? Part 2

This is part 2 in a 3 part series of posts on the value of BEA to publishers and its evolving identity......You can read Part 1 here.

I offer a few broad themes that BEA needs to continue to evolve to, embrace and execute:

1 Touch the books and meet the authors
2 All the shows a stage
3 Think outside the light box
4 Create new media buzz (but where?)
5 Influence the influencers

Touch the Books, Meet The Author – Several years ago, we began to create additional venues and opportunities for authors to step into the "limelight" at BEA and become more of a focal point. This will only continue as we move forward in larger and new forms. Authors and books are two of the prime differentiators of BEA from other global book fairs. For example, if you attend the London Book Fair, an amazing rights fair, you will see nary an author and absolutely no galleys of any kind. That fair is about the business of rights, pure and simple. BEA could not be further from that model. BEA is about buzz, marketing and advertising and making a splash. It is where authors can be met, books can be read and books are launched. For BEA to thrive, we have too embrace the idea that this is one of the few places in the world that so many authors gather and are so accessible to all of the players in our industry and the media.

All the shows a stage – The most visible platforms to garner attention, buzz and publicity at BEA are the author breakfasts and lunches. These events offer a sum total of 12 spots and it seemed that, in a way, we were asking publishers to enter a lottery and hope for this publicity. For BEA to be an effective and meaningful platform for publishers to launch books, we need a more democratic, this plentiful stable of opportunities for authors to promote themselves and interact with attendees. Step one in that process was the creation of stages on the show floor to serve as additional platforms (literally!) for authors to interact with booksellers, librarians and the like. Picture two authors, on the Uptown or Downtown stage (as we’ve named them) with a member of the media or a booksellers in between them facilitating a discussion about there latest works. This allows publishers to put their author in front of attendees and the media in a meaningful and impactfull way that no sales catalog can accomplish.

Think Outside The Light Box - Stages built by BEA to highlight authors is more a stop along the way than a final destination towards a more engaging and media friendly event. Ultimately, the big booths themselves need to be questioned and reexamined. BEA is working with a few key exhibitors to fundamentally alter the way they approach exhibiting at BEA. I give the example of the Marvel booth at New York Comic Con or San Diego Comic-Con. The booth is a wide open space surrounded by large hanging banners (for promotion and a clear delineation of where the “booth” is), signing stations along the edge for creators to interact with fans, a PA system, some flat screens running promos and the days schedule and a stage where interviews and creator talks take place. The booth is jammed. Always. Marvel understands that they, their sales catalog or the staffers are not what people are there to see. They are there to meet the writers, the artists and to see what is new and hot – how better to do that in real life instead of in a flyer or a catalog. They put there most important assets forward – the creators and there products. We need to work with BEA exhibitors to think out side the light box (the author book jacket blown up and put inside a lighted box hanging from the booth) and put the authors up front whenever relevant.

Part 3 will be posted on Wednesday.

-Lance

Caturday!

I wonder what they are saying?

Thanks to the Editor-in-Chief for this one.....

BookExpo – Who Is It?

I feel like I've been in psycho therapy with BEA these last few months; Lots of reflection, introspection, honest self inventorying and some group therapy as well (I used to call that lunch with customers). The process has been healthy though and needed. We've made some significant changes that most of you are well aware of this point, but we've also confirmed some of the basic personality traits of the event. The changes we've made structurally (location, dates, participants, etc) will allow those personality traits to be highlighted and for the identity and value of an event like BEA to shine through more clearly. Here begins a series of two or three posts on just who BEA is after my off season of being "In Therapy" with it.....

When boiled down to it’s core, BookExpo is a marketing and networking event more than it is anything else. The question is, how do you measure the success of a marketing and networking event, particularity for publishers? Is it quantifiable? Is it how many books or catalogs you gave away or how many business cards you collected?

Ultimately I believe the event’s success is measured by the demand and buzz publishers create for their book(s) and how meaningfully they impact the people that impact book sales in our market. Did the publisher put themselves in a position to create more buzz for it's books by participating in BEA than if they’d stayed home watched 30 Rock and ate potato chips?

If that is indeed the ultimate test of BEA’s value to publishers – “making” books – then how will the show continue to hone it's offerings and identity to foster that? I offer a few broad themes that BEA needs to continue to evolve to, embrace and execute:

• Touch the books and meet the authors
• All the shows a stage
• Think outside the light box
• Create new media buzz (but where?)
• Influence the influencers

I'll break this into 2 additional posts beginning on Monday. And to be clear, these posts are not a manifesto on how it "should be done" but rather my attempt to articulate our response the ongoing challenge of keeping BEA relevant, vibrant and useful to all of those who use it.

-L

On The Morning Of Caturday Eve

http://inventorspot.com/articles/when_gloomy_bear_meets_hello_kitty_there_will_be_blood_24384

Celebrate Will Eisner This Saturday

A note to all of you from our friend Danny Fingeroth...

CELEBRATING WILL EISNER: A panel of Eisner experts discusses his life and career, examining just what made (and still makes) him so significant to the comics medium. Featuring DANNY FINGEROTH (Disguised as Clark Kent: Jews, Comics, and the Creation of the Superhero), DENNIS O'NEIL (longtime Batman writer and editor), N.C. CHRISTOPHER COUCH (The Will Eisner Companion), and KENNETH GINIGER (legendary publisher and lifelong friend of Will Eisner).

Saturday, March 7, 2:00-4:00 pm

Jim Hanley's Universe
4 W. 33rd Street
New York, NY 10001

Free
---
Sent using BlackBerry

Anime Day at Kinokuniya

The New York Anime Festival today is proud to announce it’s partnering with Del Rey Manga, Japan Society, Karaterice, Keio Academy, Samurai Beat Radio, and Yen Press to hold an Anime Day at the largest Japanese bookstore in North America -- New York City's Kinokuniya Bookstore. Taking place Sunday, March 15, Kinokuniya Bookstore (located at 1073 Avenue of the Americas in Manhattan) will present a day-long series of events showcasing the cute, cool, and diverse worlds of anime, manga, cosplay, and Japanese popular culture.

Anime Day at Kinokuniya will include a special all-day raffle as well as a series of speakers and presentations…

Anime Day Event Schedule
All Day: All customers who come into Kinokuniya Bookstore can enter to win a number of prizes from Del Rey Manga, Japan Society, and the New York Anime Festival, including a collection of 50 of Del Rey Manga's best-selling and fan-favorite manga as well as complimentary tickets to Japan Society's KRAZY! exhibit. Winners will be drawn at 6 PM, and customers must be present to claim their prizes. Note the Del Rey prize will be shipped to the winner following the event.

11 AM: Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei and Soul Eater Giveaway. Kinokuniya Bookstore opens at 11 AM, and it's got two special giveaways for fans who wake up early. Yen Press will be handing out limited-edition Soul Eater key holders to the first 30 fans who come in, and Del Rey Manga will be giving away free copies of the first volume of its upcoming Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei to the first 10 fans who come into Kinokuniya dressed as the manga's title character -- the morose school teacher Zetsubou-Sensei.

12 PM: Introduction To Cosplay. India Davis, Renee Gloger, and Elizabeth Licata are three of the best cosplayers in America. Renee traveled to Japan to represent America in the World Cosplay Summit in 2008, and India and Elizabeth will be traveling to Japan to compete in the WCS this summer. Be sure to take notes when all three come to Kinokuniya to discuss the ins and outs of the world of cosplay, time-tested tips and tricks, and maybe even preview their latest costumes!

1 PM: Japan Society Presents KRAZY! Japan Society is an internationally acclaimed cultural institution located at 333 East 47th Street, and from March 13 until June 14, they're celebrating Japanese pop culture through KRAZY! THE DELIRIOUS WORLD OF ANIME + MANGA + VIDEO GAMES, an exhibit pulling together 200 works of art, objects, and pop culture ephemera and situating them within the context of Japanese art and life. Get a preview of KRAZY! at Kinokuniya and be sure to check out the full exhibit after Anime Day is through!

2 PM: Let's Draw With Misako Rocks! Misako Rocks! is a manga artist who calls NYC home, and she's come to Kinokuniya to teach fans to draw the manga way. Misako will be speaking about her background, her three comics, and the ABCs of manga illustration.

3 PM: Keio Academy Summer Camp. Like anime? Want to learn to make it? Keio Academy -- part of a 150-year-old school in Japan -- will be opening its doors to teenagers this summer for a special two week course teaching them the basics of anime and digital media. Keio will be at Kinokuniya to show off some of the works of their previous students and offer up information about their 2009 camp.

4 PM: SamuraiBeatRadio.com Introduces Ai Kawashima. Samurai Beat Radio comes to Kinokuniya to introduce fans to one of the rising stars of Japanese animation -- Ai Kawashima. Ai is a J-Pop star with six top-10 singles, a best-selling autobiography, and a part in One Piece. She's making her US debut later this spring, but before she gets here, Samurai Beat Radio is giving you a chance to get to know her. Samurai Beat Radio will lead a presentation featuring her music and a video greeting made exclusively for Kinokuniya and you! Plus, Samurai Beat Radio will reveal where you'll see Ai very, very soon!

5 PM: Making Music With echostream. Karaterice presents a special appearance by NYC band echostream! This fun and informative presentation will give you an inside look at how echostream produces music in their home studio. Watch and listen as Tony, Tomo, and Ryoko take you through a session, from recording guitars and vocals, to laying down a beat, to perfecting a finished piece. Sit back and learn how to record and make music right on your home computer.

6 PM: Raffle Drawing. 50 books from Del Rey Manga is the grand prize in the Anime Day Giveaway. Customers can enter all day long, and to win, they'll have to be present at 6 PM for the giveaway's drawing. Note the grand prize will be shipped to the winner following the event.

Kinokuniya Bookstore, Del Rey Manga, Japan Society, Karaterice, Keio Academy, the New York Anime Festival, Samurai Beat Radio, and Yen Press invite anime fans and New Yorkers up for a unique and unforgettable experience to come out to Anime Day at Kinokuniya on Sunday, March 15th!

Tokidoki Comes To NYC!

Tokidoki -- an addictive amalgam of haute, hip, chic, and cute -- is coming to NYC! Figures, collectables, apparel, and accessories emblazoned with the saccharine sweet characters created by Simone Legno are currently available throughout New York at shops including Toy Tokyo, Kinokuniya, and even Macy's, but starting this Saturday, everything that is Tokidoki will have a new home -- a dedicated Tokidoki boutique.

Located at 176 Spring Street, this new Tokidoki Store will be made of tooth rot and to make sure not even your gums survive, Tokdoki creator Simone Legno will be stopping on opening day.

Cancel your plans and come out to the Tokdoki Store Grand Opening with me from 1-4 PM on Saturday, March 7. I'll be the guy trying to pry his girlfriend off of Simone. Actually that description won't really help. I'll be the guy trying to pry his girlfriend off of Simone so he can try to get his own stuff signed. There we go, much better.

http://www.tokidoki-blog.com/2009/02/12/nyc-tokidoki-capsule-store-to-open-march-7th/