4th of July Workshop at Kinokuniya

Our friends at Kinokuniya hold a lot of events, not just monthly anime circuses, and if you’re looking for something to do on July 4th, Kinokuniya’s got a workshop for you! From 2-5 PM, Kinokuniya will be welcoming Carol Cypher, author of “Master Beadwork”, and she’ll be giving a workshop on the craft of Peyote Bead stitching.

Registration is $25 and includes all the supplies needing – Japanese glass cube beads, a beading needle, beading thread. To take part, call (212) 869-1700 or email fuller@kinokuniya.com.

Gorgeous Twitter

So, "Gorgeous Twitter" is one of today's tending topics? What's it all about? Fancy, sexy aggregators...

http://mashable.com/2009/06/30/gorgeous-twitter-visualizations/

What do you use?

Listen to the C2E2 Alex Ross Spotlight Now!

A big thanks to everyone who participated in C2E2’s first Virtual Spotlight! We chatted online with Alex Ross on June 29th and had fans from as far away as Trinidad join in. Didn’t make it to the Spotlight? Well, you can listen online at any time as we have the whole event archived right here…

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/214850137

Burn some of your office’s bandwidth on C2E2’s first baby step into online radio. Will there be more? That’s a big 10-4!

Yui Makino Comes To NYAF!

A week ago, the New York Anime Festival announced Yoshiyuki Tomino as our first Guest of Honor. This week, we're proud to reveal he'll be joined by voice actress and singer Yui Makino!

Yui Makino is best known for the role of Princess Sakura in the Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle anime and manga franchise, but while fans may know Ms. Makino mainly through the role of Sakura, Tsubasa is just the start of Ms. Makino's voice acting career, and her voice can be heard in the roles of Aiko Tokosumi in Bokurano, Honoka Kawai in Sora Kake Girl, and Misaki Nakahara in Welcome To The NHK, among others.

Further, an accomplished singer, Ms. Makino has contributed opening and ending themes to series including ARIA (Undine, Euforia, and Spirale), Sousei No Aquarion (Omna Magni), Welcome To The NHK (Modokashi Sekai no Ue de), as well as Tsubasa (Amrita and Synchronicity).

Anime News Network -- the largest anime news website in the world -- has published a new interview with Ms. Makino simultaneously with this announcement. When asked by Anime News Network if she had a message for her American fans, Ms. Makino said, "I'm so excited to meet all of you that it's hard to contain my excitement. I will work hard to prepare for the show so I can give you all the best possible performance I can offer. Let's enjoy our time together!"

The full interview is now online at AnimeNewsNetwork.com.

Yui Makino will appear at NYAF in panels, autograph sessions, and a special concert. Ms. Makino's concert will take place on Saturday, September 26 at the Jacob Javits Center. Details about her panels and autograph sessions are forthcoming. For more information on Yui Makino, please visit her personal blog (www.bgbcom.com/makino-yui/) and view her personal thoughts on YouTube (www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz4ao56AlWw).

Alex Ross Live Webcast on Monday

If you haven't signed up yet for C2E2's first Virtual Spotlight, do so now! C2E2 Keystone Guest of Honor Alex Ross will be doing an online interview with us live at 1 PM EST on Monday, June 29! It's like a panel, but it's all online so you can wear your favorite pajamas and bunny slippers and ask Alex questions from anywhere in the world. All you have to do is log on... No travel, no lines, no cost.

To listen to the webcast and ask Alex questions, simply sign up right here...

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/214850137

Metrocon Masquerade Winners Coming to NYAF

Laura Hale and Hannah McCue won the Masquerade at Metrocon in Tampa, FL earlier this month, and now they're headed to the New York Anime Festival! Metrocon -- Florida's largest anime convention -- held its 2009 event June 19-21 at the Tampa Convention Center, and Laura and Hannah took home the top prize in the con's Masquerade with their costumes inspired by the manga series Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.

As part of their prize, Laura Hale and Hannah McCue were presented with two tickets to NYAF along with a guaranteed place within NYAF's Masquerade. By taking part in NYAF's Masquerade, Laura and Hannah will be in the running for numerous prizes, chief among which being two tickets to Japan for the contest's winner.

For the uninitiated, cosplay is short for "costume play" and is one of the most vivid and creative aspects of anime fandom. At its center is the creation and wearing of costumes based on a fan's favorite anime or manga character. A Masquerade -- part talent show and part fashion show -- is an event where cosplayers perform often-elaborate skits in front of an audience.

For cosplayers wishing to join Laura and Hannah in NYAF's Masquerade, the show will be opening its Masquerade to general entrants in early July and further details about the contest and its various awards will be available at that time.

Laura Hale started cosplaying in late 2002 and enjoys the artistic process of making costumes. A few of her favorite anime and manga are Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, NANA, Paradise Kiss, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Fruits Basket, Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, Lupin III, and Hellsing. Her favorite games include the Legend of Zelda series, Katamari Damashii, Persona 3 and 4, Dance Dance Revolution, and most titles from Nintendo. For more information on Laura, visit her Cosplay.com page at www.cosplay.com/member/6474. She goes by the name Tranquility6487.

Hannah McCue has been cosplaying since 2004 and has been very dedicated to the hobby ever since. Some of her favorite anime and manga are Neon Genesis Evangelion, Paranoia Agent, NANA, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Azumanga Daioh, Cowboy Bebop, and FLCL. She loves the Shin Megami Tensei series, Chrono Trigger, Dance Dance Revolution, Beatmania, Soul Calibur, Street Fighter, the Metal Gear Solid saga, all varieties of strategy/tactical/puzzle games, and most video games from Nintendo. For more information on Hannah, visit her Cosplay.com page at www.cosplay.com/member/20208. She goes by the name Hanamaru.

Special thanks to and photos by Anna Fischer of Cosclips.com.

JAPAN CUTS at Japan Society!

You know that New York Asian Film Festival I'm talking so much about? Did you know it's co-presented by Japan Society’s JAPAN CUTS Festival? JAPAN CUTS is presenting a number of amazing Japanese films as well as some unique interaction with their creators. The JAPAN CUTS Festival trailer embedded above was created by animation studio UrumaDelvi, and they’ll be at Japan Society as part of JAPAN CUTS on July 11th giving a screening of their shorts and Q&A about creating animation!

For information on the screening and Q&A…

http://www.japansociety.org/event_detail?eid=29d75cf3

CBLDF Party in NYC Tomorrow!

Don't forget the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s Member Appreciation Party is tomorrow night! It's free drinks for a good cause. How could you not show up?

Wednesday, June 24th
6pm to 9pm
Village Pourhouse
64 3rd Ave. at 11th St.
NYC

Enjoy a free open bar of Bud Light & Well Drinks courtesy of clicklinksforfreedrinks.com.

CBLDF Members get into the party for FREE by showing their member card. Not a member of the CBLDF? Well you should be! Join today for only $25 at cbldf.org or sign up at the party. Non-members have a $10 cover to get in. A small cover for free drinks... You can’t get a better deal in NYC!

Asian Films Are Go!

The New York Asian Film Festival is upon us! Invading IFC Center and Japan Society in NYC until July 5, the New York Asian Film Festival features over 50 films, shorts, and special events, and more than a dozen guest filmmakers. And we’re big fans! NYCC and NYAF gave out a pair of tickets to Yoroi Samurai Zombie earlier in the month (congrats to winner Ted O’Brien) and we’ve now got a pair of tickets to 20th Century Boys – Parts 1 and 2.

20th Century Boys is the story of a gang of seventh graders in 1969 who hide in their secret clubhouse, making up stories about saving the world from super villains. Flash forward to the future and their imaginary stories are coming true, and the broken down salarymen and convenience store managers they've become realize they've got to come together to save the world. We’ve got a pair of tickets to the 11:45 AM double feature on July 4 at Japan Society. To enter click the link below before the end of June 30. We'll be picking the winner on July 1.

http://www.newyorkanimefestival.com/en/Home/20th-Century-Boys-At-The-New-York-Asian-Film-Festival/

Want more? You can skim through all this year's films right here...

http://www.subwaycinema.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=159&Itemid=93

And don’t miss actor Eiji Okuda and director Sion Sono at Kinokuniya Bookstore (1073 Avenue of the Americas) on July 3 at 4:30 PM. Both Okuda and Sono will be in NYC as guests of the New York Asian Film Festival, and they'll be at Kinokuniya to speak about their careers and their work together on their newest film, Be Sure To Share, which will receive its World Premiere on Sunday, July 5 at 8:15 PM at Japan Society. The film is being co-presented as part of Japan Society's Japan Cuts Festival of New Japanese Film.

ConnectForce Auditions

ConnectForce Productions produces live events featuring emerging artists from abroad, and they currently hold events in New York City venues such as Drom, S.O.B’S, The Blue Note, Blue Owl Cocktail Room, and The Kitano. ConnectForce is now looking for new singers, musicians, and vocalists who want to be involved. If you're curious, they're holding auditions on June 27th in NYC. For more information, visit http://www.connectforceproductions.com/events.

Drink to Help The CBLDF!

Want a free drink? And want to help the CBLDF? There's only one answer, isn't there? Come on out to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s Member Appreciation Party!

Wednesday, June 24th
6pm to 9pm
Village Pourhouse
64 3rd Ave. at 11th St.
NYC

Enjoy a free open bar of Bud Light & Well Drinks courtesy of clicklinksforfreedrinks.com.

CBLDF Members get into the party for FREE by showing their member card. Not a member of the CBLDF? Well you should be! Join today for only $25 at cbldf.org or sign up at the party. Non-members have a $10 cover to get in. A small cover for free drinks... You can’t get a better deal in NYC!

(And, yeah, you gotta be 21 to enter.)

Yoroi Samurai Zombie Giveaway Ends Tonight!

The New York Asian Film Festival is in town, and we’ve got some tickets to give away! Our first raffle -- for tickets to Yoroi Samurai Zombie -- is ending today, so if you haven't entered yet, get to it!

http://www.newyorkanimefestival.com/en/Home/Yoroi-Samurai-Zombie-At-The-New-York-Asian-Film-Festival/

We’ve got a pair of tickets to the June 26th screening at 9:45 PM at IFC Center. Enter by 11:59 PM EST. We'll be picking the winner on June 22.

Alex Ross Live Webcast Starts Soon!

C2E2's Virtual Spotlight on Keystone Guest of Honor Alex Ross begins at 1 PM EST on Monday, June 29! (That's today!) It's a live online talk with Alex, and we'll be taking questions from fans. All you have to do is log on... No travel, no lines, no cost.

To listen to the webcast and ask Alex questions, simply sign up right here...

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/214850137

Yoshiyuki Tomino! NYAF Guest of Honor!

The short story. Yoshiyuki Tomino -- the father of Gundam -- is coming to NYAF as a Guest of Honor.

The long story. Do you get the NYAF newsletter? If not, you can sign up at NYAnimeFestival.com. It's a weekly e-mail about NYAF and anime in NYC. If you look at any of the current ones, I close 'em out with "Spin On!" because I'm a Gurren Lagann fangirl, but if you go back to the newsletters from way earlier in the year, what do we close them with? "Hashin!"

Were we hinting at Tomino from the very start of the year? Indeed we were.

And, now, we're not hinting any more. It's official and announced. Legendary Japanese director Yoshiyuki Tomino will attend NYAF 2009 as a Guest of Honor. Mr. Tomino has overseen numerous series including Aura Battler Dunbine, Brain Powerd, Overman King Gainer, and The Wings of Rean, and his longest-lasting legacy is Mobile Suit Gundam, a genre-breaking series first broadcast in 1979, which defined the current realistic portrayal of robots in Japanese animation. The original Mobile Suit Gundam series has been followed by numerous sequels and spin-offs, and the saga continues today with its latest entry -- Mobile Suit Gundam UC (Unicorn) -- debuting this winter in Japan. Gundam turns 30 this year, and Mr. Tomino will be at NYAF to celebrate.

To join in Gundam's 30th Anniversary celebration, AnimeNewsNetwork.com has published a new interview with Mr. Tomino simultaneously with our announcement. A big huzzah and kudos to our friends at ANN. Now, go check out ANN's interview and then list off your favorite Mobile Suits right here.

Hashin!

Caturday!

Shirah's unnamed kitten! Wait, no, the kitten is named! Hokori!

UNI-QLO Pac-Man Contest is Over

Big thanks to NEW YORK-TOKYO, UNIQLO, and NAMCO! The NYC Pac-Man Championships were today, and NYCC's Michelle Manning and Peter Tatara played a part. Team NYCC racked up a whopping 7,970 points and walked away with UNIQLO canvas bags and Pac-Man mousepads.

If you like Pac-Man or other retro games, stop by UNIQLO soon as they unveiled an exclusive line old school gamer shirts as part of the Pac-Man event.

They've also got an exclusive Gundam apparel line. Sexy.

VAMPS Ticket Winner

Congrats to Kaydee Fyujin, NYAF's VAMPS ticket winner!

NYCC at the UNIQLO Pac-Man Challenge!

Are your Friday plans getting rained out? If so, come by the UNIQLO PAC-MAN CHALLENGE -- at 4 PM on Friday at UNIQLO (546 Broadway) in NYC. NYCC's own Peter Tatara and Michelle Manning will be competing against Lime Wire, Crispy Gamer, Anime News Network, UGO, and more in a Pac-Man Battle Royale. The smart money is NOT on Peter and Michelle.

For details about how badly they'll get their asses beat, check out http://www.newyork-tokyo.com/wp/pacman/.

VAMPS Ticket Contest Ends Tonight!

You've got less than 24 hours left to enter for your chance to win tickets to the VAMPS NYC show. Visit nyanimefestival.com before 11:59 PM EST tonight!

The New York Asian Film Festival's In Town!

If you haven't heard, the New York Asian Film Festival will shortly be upon us. Taking place June 19 to July 5 at IFC Center and Japan Society in NYC, the New York Asian Film Festival features over 50 films, shorts, and special events, and more than a dozen guest filmmakers. The New York Comic Con and New York Anime Festival don't run the Asian Film Festival, but we are big fans and give it high praise.

The New York Asian Film Festival packs together over 50 of Asia's biggest, best, and most bizarre films, and whether you're a serious cinephile or just looking for something cool to do, you've got to check it out. Skim through this year's films right here...

http://www.subwaycinema.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=159&Itemid=93

Want more? How about an invite into an exclusive event? Can do. Japanese actor Eiji Okuda and director Sion Sono will be making an appearance at Kinokuniya Bookstore (1073 Avenue of the Americas) on July 3 at 4:30 PM. Both Okuda and Sono will be in NYC as guests of the New York Asian Film Festival, and they'll be at Kinokuniya to speak about their careers and their work together on their newest film, BE SURE TO SHARE, which will receive its World Premiere on Sunday, July 5 at 8:15 PM at Japan Society. The film is being co-presented as part of Japan Society's JAPAN CUTS Festival of New Japanese Film.

Shall we give out some free tickets, too? The New York Comic Con and the New York Anime Festival are proud to raffle off a pair of tickets to both YOROI SAMURAI ZOMIBE and 20TH CENTURY BOYS - PARTS 1 AND 2.

What's YOROI SAMURAI ZOMBIE about? A bunch of rotting, samurai zombies rise from the grave and go after a happy little family on their vacation. Throw in some heavily-armed crooks on the run and a gaggle of mentally-unbalanced cops and garnish with hard-rocking horror action, too. I've got a pair of tickets to the June 26th screening at 9:45 PM at IFC Center. To enter, just click here before the end of June 21. We'll be picking the winner on June 22.

http://www.newyorkanimefestival.com/en/Home/Yoroi-Samurai-Zombie-At-The-New-York-Asian-Film-Festival/

Now, 20TH CENTURY BOYS. Imagine the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy with giant robots and religious cults instead of wizards and orcs and you've got 20TH CENTURY BOYS. It's the story of a gang of seventh graders in 1969 who hide in their secret clubhouse and listen to T. Rex while making up stories about saving the world from super villains. Flash forward to the future and their imaginary stories are coming true, and the broken down salarymen and convenience store managers they've become realize they've got to come together to save the world. I've got a pair of tickets to the 11:45 AM double feature on July 4 at Japan Society. To enter click here before the end of June 30. We'll be picking the winner on July 1.

http://www.newyorkanimefestival.com/en/Home/20th-Century-Boys-At-The-New-York-Asian-Film-Festival/

Wow, that was a lot of text. Thanks for making through it all. If you did make it through it all. If you've got a tough time dealing with buckets and buckets of words, we can deal them to you in smaller doses on Twitter.

http://twitter.com/NY_Comic_Con
http://twitter.com/NY_Anime_Fest
http://twitter.com/petertatara

The Few! The Proud! The Maids!

We're just about 100 days to go until NYAF. What's that mean? Announcements are coming. The first of which? NYAF's Maid Cafe is back, and we're right now accepting Maid (and Butler) applications. If you'd like to be involved, you can find details here...

http://www.newyorkanimefestival.com/en/Overview/For-Volunteers/

You can apply until July 15.

Pierre Bernard Goes West!

Friend of show Pierre Bernard was a graphic designer (and host of The Recliner of Rage) on Late Night with Conan O’Brien. When Conan moved West, Pierre went, too, and he’s now on staff at The Tonight Show. Pierre’s been blogging about his trek out to LA at pbdotman.blogspot.com, and it’s worth a read. Also, if you didn’t see the June 3rd show, check it out on Hulu.com now…

http://www.hulu.com/watch/75846/the-tonight-show-with-conan-obrien-wed-jun-3-2009

Beyond Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bradley Cooper, and Sheryl Crow, it featured Pierre’s first appearance on The Tonight Show.

Super Secret Media Kabul Controls The Big Books Of BEA

This probably got lost in all of the post BEA dust settling, but we released a list of the buzz books of the show as chosen by an elite group of secret media book nerds.....

The task was simple, we asked a diverse group of mysterious members of the media (who's identities will never be revealed) to wander the aisles with a keen eye towards the big books of BEA. The books that would buzz coming out of the show and buzz even more when they hit the shelves.

So what are the buzz books of BEA?

• AMERICAN ON PURPOSE by Craig Ferguson (HarperCollins)
• CONNECTED: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives, by Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler (Little Brown)
• JULIET NAKED by Nick Hornby (Riverhead)
• SOULLESS by Gail Carriger (Orbit)
• SOUTH OF BROAD by Pat Conroy (Doubleday)
• SPOONER by Pete Dexter (Grand Central)
• STITCHES by David Small (W.W. Norton)
• THE LOST SYMBOL by Dan Brown (Doubleday)
• THE SWAN THIEVES by Elizabeth Kostova (Little Brown)

So who is this mysterious group of media moguls picking the buzz books of BEA? I've vowed to never name names, but you've read there names in a byline and they might all be Freemasons as well......

-L

Caturday - Gnome Edition!

Bob with gnome.......

Moon Director in NYC Today and Tomorrow!

Moon Director Duncan Jones will be in NYC today and tomorrow, and he'll be appearing both days at NYC's Sunshine Cinema. Mr. Jones will be at the 7:00 PM and 9:40 PM showings of his new film both days. (He'll be doing a Q&A following the 7:00 PM shows and introduce the 9:40 PM shows.)

Win Tickets To VAMPS!

Japanese rock legends HYDE (L'Arc~en~Ciel) and K.A.Z (Oblivion Dust) are coming to America this summer! HYDE and K.A.Z – together as the band VAMPS – will be touring the USA this July, kicking off at the legendary Fillmore in New York City on July 11th.

Wanna learn more? Perhaps from HYDE and K.A.Z themselves? Well, then click over to our friends at samuraibeatradio.com as they have an exclusive welcome message from HYDE and K.A.Z to all their fans in the USA!

Want more? Maybe a pair of free tickets to the VAMPS NYC show? Can do! The New York Anime Festival is proud to be raffling off two tickets, and to enter, all you've got to do is follow this link...

http://www.newyorkanimefestival.com/en/Home/NYAF-VAMPS-Ticket-Contest/

We'll be picking a name at random on June 19, so sign up now! For further details on the VAMPS NYC show, visit irvingplaza.com.

Lolita Fashion Day - (Almost) A Week Later

Lolita Fashion Day was last Saturday at Kinokuniya in NYC. It was a jam-packed event, and big thanks go to Anna, Jessie, Leo, John, TOKYOPOP, and the New York Asian Film Festival. First up, I wanted to reveal the results of TOKYOPOP’s Gothic & Lolita Bible Giveaway. NYAF was honored to raffle off some amazing Lolita items. Hundreds of Lolitas entered, and here are the winners…

Hiromi Himekawa - HN+nois lock and key necklace
Alexis M. - Angelic Pretty white wallet
Krystle Rodriguez - Angelic Pretty sailor blouse with lace trim
SicGothicKitten Nima - Angelic Pretty black bolero jacket
Emily Stein SweetWarrior - Ergi black bloomers with bow trim

Next up, Ms. Anna Fischer has published a selection of the photographs she took at the event. You can view her preview here, and the full gallery will be online at tokyopop.com. Wonderful work, Anna!

I Am A True Blood Fangirl

So, True Blood is starting up again in only a few days, and I cannot wait. The HBO Store in NYC's all decked out with True Blood goodies, and I spent an embarrassing amount there last weekend. Is this post just cheering that True Blood is back? Nope, it's cheering the advertising campaign that's accompanying True Blood coming back. HBO's got some amazing, clever ads -- both online and around NYC -- promoting the new season. Genius.

Interview with Kinokuniya's John Fuller

Linda Thai and the Something Deeper blog recently conducted an interview with John Fuller, Manager of NYC's Kinokuniya Bookstore and NYAF Friend of Show. You can read Linda's entire interview with John below...

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Wanna Buy Comics In CT This Weekend?

One of the NYCC Staff needs to make a little more space at home and is selling off some of her collection this Saturday. If you’re in the Norwalk, CT area and are interested in buying some pre-loved comic books, send an e-mail to katzinoire@yahoo.com. She’ll send you over her address and, if you want to know, details about her collection.

Alex Ross Answers Your Questions Online! June 29!

Have you heard the announcement of C2E2's first Guest of Honor? Alex Ross will be at the inaugural Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo in April 2010. Of course 2010 is far away, and we really can't wait. As such, on Monday, June 29 at 1 PM EST we'll be hosting a Virtual Spotlight on Alex Ross. It's like a panel, but it's all online so you can wear your favorite pajamas and bunny slippers and ask Alex questions from anywhere in the world. All you have to do is log on... No travel, no lines, no cost.

Alex Ross will be answering your questions live, but we've only got room for 999 fans in the digital panel room, so register for the Virtual Spotlight today.

The NYCC Happy Hour Was Awesome!

Thanks to everyone who came out to our June 10 Happy Hour at Dave and Busters! And a big, big thanks to Kim Mueller for putting it all together! Our next NYCC Happy Hour is July 15. We'll have more details once we hit July, but make sure you bookmark the 15th.

(Also, let us know your thoughts about the trivia contest we ran at our June event. Good? Bad? Awesome? Sucky? We want these happy hours to be fun for you, so if you've got thoughts about how to improve, we're listening!)

And, be sure to see Blood: The Last Vampire on the big screen. Big thanks to the good folks at NYCMovieScreenings.com for all the Blood posters and goodies at our June event.

Japanese Music in Brooklyn Tonight!

NYAF friends Superglorious are putting on an awesome show at the Glasslands Gallery at 289 Kent Ave. in Brooklyn tonight. Who's playing?

Miho Hatori: www.myspace.com/mihohatori
Exit Clov: www.myspace.com/exitclov
Autodrone: www.myspace.com/autodrone
Class Actress: www.myspace.com/elizabethharper
Music by DJ Captain Heartlock

Doors open at 8PM. The show starts at 9PM. Cover is $15. And you gotta be 21 or over. For more, visit www.superglorious.com or www.glasslands.com.

CBLDF Party in NYC - June 24!

Didn’t get the partying out of your system at the NYCC Happy Hour? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! NY Comic Con is happy to be a part of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s Member Appreciation Party

Wednesday, June 24th
6pm to 9pm
Village Pourhouse
64 3rd Ave. at 11th St.
NYC

Enjoy a free open bar of Bud Light & Well Drinks courtesy of clicklinksforfreedrinks.com.

CBLDF Members get into the party for FREE by showing their member card. Not a member of the CBLDF? Well you should be! Join today for only $25 at cbldf.org or sign up at the party. Non-members have a $10 cover to get in.

A small cover for free drinks... You can’t get a better deal in NYC!

BookExpo on Your PC, TV & iPod

I've been really remiss and calling attention to all of the amazing vid coverage coming out of BookExpo this year. We worked closely with Michael Cader of Publisher's Marketplace to post video coverage and he's already got an amazing 15 hours and 45 different events posted on the Lunch TV site (which you can access right here).

Publisher's Marketplace is a member's only site but currently Michael is posting a vid a day as a sort of teaser of the great programming behind the gates of Publishers Marketplace. And as Michael deftly points out, "Joining us as a member for one month (for $20) is like buying yourself a video pass to all of the convention programming".

Meanwhile, over at the BookExpo podcast site, BooKExpo Cast, we have tons of author interviews and panels also being posted. Make sure and sign up for the feed via iTunes or you can listen from your pc while you steal bandwidth from your employer! Click here to see all of the coverage.....

-L

Tomorrow's Graphic Novelists......

This week I got to do one of the coolest things I've ever been invited to do. I got to present $20,000 worth of scholarships to the winners of the Random House Creative Writing Competition in the graphic novel category.


The program is amazing and is in it's 15th year and in that time they have given over a million bucks in scholarships. Check out the program here.


The coolest thing was getting to judge all of the entries about a month ago. The entire NYCC team passed them around and we discussed and compared notes and came up with our 3 winners (two of which I posted the first page of below).


Then came the big night. I got to meet Lily Jen & Paul Lee who created Nydia and won the first place $10,000 scholarship. Lily didn't think it was at all funny when I told her that I got 20% of the value of the prize in cash.


After the awards, I got to meet Andrew Pratt who created the insanely colorful and creative Reptilicon.


It's amazing to see Random House sparking creativity in this fashion and much credit given to them for creating the graphic novel category 3 years ago.


Andy, lily and Paul are all big NYCC fans too, so i let them know they'd never have to buy a ticket again!


Congrats guys!


-L

Tomorrow

NYCC Happy Hour – June 10!

Come test your geek knowledge at the next New York Comic Con Fan Happy Hour on June 10th! Hangout with fellow fans and the NYCC team from 5:30-9:00pm on Wednesday at Dave and Buster's in Time Square (234 West 42nd Street New York, NY). We will have 1/2 price cocktails, Beer and Wine Specials from 4:30pm-7:30pm, 1/2 price games all night, and trivia that will make your head spin. Bring your friends and make a team or go it alone to keep the prizes for yourself!

You could win Marvel Variant Comics Signed by Editor-In-Chief Joe Quesada, DC Variant Comics, New Era Caps Designed with the Comic Art of Your Favorite Super Heroes, Best of Vampirella Trade Paperbacks, T-Shirts and a Six Foot Tall Wall Poster by the Legendary Jose Gonzalez, and $25 Gift Cards from Midtown Comics!

What better way to spend your Wednesday night than with food, drinks, and prizes?

A big thanks to sponsors DC Comics, Harris Comics, Marvel Comics, Midtown Comics, and New Era Caps!

KRAZY! In Its Final Days

If you're looking for something to do in NYC this week or weekend, make sure you head out to KRAZY! at Japan Society. An art exhibition co-curated by leading North American and Japanese specialists, KRAZY! offers new insight into the interdependence of anime, manga, and video games. The exhibit's ending its run at Japan Society on June 14, and -- if you haven't seen it -- you don't want to miss it, as KRAZY! is a unique experience and testament to how far anime, manga, and video games have come in the USA.

A Question For All Twitterers

Wanna help us improve how we tweet? Seriously? Please? NYCC, NYAF, C2E2, and I all have twitter accounts, and I update them all. Each gets the exact same information. It's great if you subscribe to one, but sucky and redundant if you read more. I don't mean to spam them all with the same message, but - really - what else can or should I do?

One thought I want to play with is focusing on my personal account. Rather than promoting the NYCC, NYAF, and C2E2 accounts, we only use them for updates the days of the shows, and all the general crap I post year-round happens only on my personal account.

So, under this plan, the NYCC, NYAF, and C2E2 sites would all list their official twitter account but note they're only used to communicate at-show updates and for year-round rumors, rants, and random posts about breakfast fans should follow Peter Tatara, Lance Fensterman, etc.

This keeps it personal, keeps it unique, and keeps it free of copy and pasted content. But it means the official accounts kinda die.

What says the internet?

Also, I'm not, and have never, got twitter replies on my BlackBerry -- the thingy I use to tweet -- but I know people are tweeting back to me. I gotta fix this, too, as I wanna talk back, but Mr. BlackBerry needs help.

So, in summation, let me know if you follow, care, like, or hate NYCC's, NYAF's, C2E2's, and my personal tweets, as while the shows and I are tweeting, I know we could be doing so better.

Best. Caturday. News. Ever.

With great please, I announce to the internet that Ben Huh, the mastermind behind Lolcats, will be speaking next week in NYC.

As the CEO of Pet Holdings, Ben runs icanhascheezburger.com and grew it into the global purveyor of absurd cat humor that we know and love today. The book based on the site -- I Can Has Cheezburger?: A LOLcat Colleckshun -- has spent thirteen weeks on the New York Times paperback best-seller list, and I’ve personally bought over 20 copies for friends, co-workers, and enemies.

Ben's ability to popularize memes has made him a cultural icon, and Pet Holdings now includes the popular brands Failblog, Pundit Kitchen, and Engrish Funny. Ben will be discussing memes and books with David Lat, the founder of the legal blog Above the Law.

The Workshop
16 West 32nd Street, 10th Fl.
(btwn Broadway & 5th Avenue)
Tuesday, June 9, 7 PM
$15 admission; open to the public

NYC Can Has Cheezburger!

Caturday!

Whack-A-Kitty @ Yahoo! Video

Thanks, Linda!

Monster is, indeed, a charming boy!

Caturday begins thanks to Christine Peterson and Kristin Heise!

Live, From Hollywood!

I was on the Fox Pictures lot yesterday meeting with our friends there to discuss upcoming projects for inclusion at NYCC and C2E2 and snapped this pic of the Simpsons mural (featuring IGN.com Chris Carle's head as well - and it is a handsome noggin). I have to say, after 9 meetings with various friends at different movie studios, they are all really excited to finally have a massive, well funded, professionally run pop culture event in downtown Chicago - having a state of the art 5,000 seat theatre on site and spring dates before the summer blockbuster season doesn't hurt either! Its early, but I am getting good vibes from our friends out West for C2E2 so stay tuned, but for now, enjoy the Simpson's mural and Chris Carle's brain shell......

-L

PS - I can't wait to get home! Between BookExpo and this trip I am ready to sleep in my own bed for a change!

Lance Fensterman
Reed Vice President
BookExpo America
New York ComicCon
C2E2
New York Anime Fest
Blog: www.mediumatlarge.net
203.840.5507 (o) 203.417.3607 (m)
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Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld - Please excuse any typos!

Lolita Fashion Day is Tomorrow!

Don't forget that Saturday, June 6 is Lolita Fashion Day at Kinokuniya in NYC! What's on tap?

- Any customer who comes into Kinokuniya's Café Zaiya wearing Lolita fashion will receive a selection of complimentary sweets with their order.

- TOKYOPOP's Gothic & Lolita Bible will be hosting an all-day giveaway including Ergi black bloomers with bow trim, an Angelic Pretty long-sleeved black bolero jacket with bows and lace trim, an Angelic Pretty cotton sailor blouse with lace trim, an Angelic Pretty white wallet with bow, and a HN+nois lock and key necklace.

- The Gothic & Lolita Bible and photographer Anna Fischer will present a special Lolita photoshoot from 1-2 PM on Kinokuniya's second floor. Photographs taken at Lolita Fashion Day will appear on tokyopop.com.

- Subway Cinema's Marc Walkow will be at Kinokuniya from 3-4 PM as he previews this summer's New York Asian Film Festival (June 19 - July 5). Marc will speak about the festival's most exciting Japanese (and other) cinematic offerings and showcase selected trailers and clips from some of the films, such as 20TH CENTURY BOYS, PRIDE, THE MAGIC HOUR, ANTIQUE, LOVE EXPOSURE, and more.

Kinokuniya is located at 1073 Avenue of the Americas in Manhattan.

NYCC's Newest Team Member

Proud to announce the latest addition to the NYCC team -- Molly Marie Stephenson, daughter of Marketing Director Brian Stephenson. Molly, 6lbs 10oz, was born at 1:19 PM today. Huzzah and kudos!

Guillermo del Toro in NYC Today!

Guillermo del Toro is signing at 7 PM at the B&N in Union Square tonight.

UNIQLO Pac-Man Challenge

So, the good people at NEW YORK-TOKYO, UNIQLO, and NAMCO have joined together to host a Pac-Man tournament this month in NYC. The tournament features organizations including UGO, Gizmodo, Anime News Network, and even New York Comic Con competing online and in person for nerd cred and Pac-Man prizes.

The preliminaries are online from June 8-14, and the finals are at NYC's UNIQLO on June 19.

To learn more, visit http://www.newyork-tokyo.com/wp/pacman/. Also, check out the site to learn how you can enter the contest as an individual and kick NYCC's ass.

Dear Blogosphere, The Aisles Were The Same Size at BEA

There seems to be a persistent rumor that the aisles were made more narrow at BookExpo America to create a perception of more people. This is absolutely false. We used mirrors.

Seriously, the aisles were the same size they have always been. In fact, cross aisles MUST be 10 feet wide as the fire marshall would not allow the show to open if anything less than that - fire code.

This is rumor, plain and simple, that was given some legitimacy by lazy and inaccurate reporting by PW in the show daily. A wrong they righted in today's PW Daily with a retraction.

Trust me on this one, the aisles were the same.

-L