Otakon At Large: The Real Real Reason I Was In Baltimore

Sweet Cinnamon Apple New York Griddle Cakes. Breakfast Burritos. Vegetable Tempura. Yaki Soba. Smoked Gouda Quiche. Sweet Potato Tots.

What's this?

The menu at XS Cafe, one of my favorite restaurants in the world. They serve a full menu of Japanese dishes as well as a traditional American breakfast all day. So, you can, as I did today, get pancakes, inari, and tamago. I'm serious, and it's spectacular. See for yourself at http://www.xsbaltimore.com/.

Oh, I overheard this from two girls leaving XS just as I got there...

"Peace out, girl scout!" Girl A
"Text me if you want to see My Cousin Vinny!" Girl B

Otakon At Large: The Real Reason I Was In Baltimore

Otakon? That's a lie. I was in Baltimore this weekend for Baltiport, the most prestigious, invite-only anime convention in the country.

I saw the premiere of Gurren Lagann x Gundam UC 3D. Char's fight with Viral may be the most amazing thing ever animated in the history of the world.

GeekChicNYC Launches Tomorrow

Pssst! GeekChicNYC launches tomorrow. A daily newsletter highlighting one upcoming event that’s just a tad bit geeky, GeekChicNYC will shine a spotlight on the signings, screenings, and hidden happenings that are uniquely New York. You should sign up now.

GeekChicNYC kicks off August 1, but you can register today. And you really should. GeekChicNYC’s giving away a ThinkGeek tauntaun sleeping bag as part of its launch celebration. Actually, wait. You shouldn't sign up. That's right. Stay away. I want to win that Tauntaun.

Don't follow @GeekChicNYC on Twitter as well.

Snowy (that's what I've named the Tauntaun), will soon be mine.

Otakon At Large: Sunday

My posters are gone. My Natsu pins are gone. Only Happy pins remain. And only a few of em.

I'm cutting down what posters actually make up the booth today at 2 PM. I've got a case of Pepsi I'm also giving away then. My Sharpies, though, are coming home with me.

Otakon At Large: Onigiri Monster

So, in addition to our NYAF posters and pins, we've got several stupidly large stacks of paper and pens all the colors of the rainbow - as long as it's a rainbow made up of only blue, red, green, and black.

This is the result. Or, rather, this is a small fraction of the result.

PS: We have no more NYAF posters.

PPS: I have two breakfast meetings tomorrow.

Caturday

Otakon At Large: After

Yeah, so, Otakon's busy. People like the Fairy Tail. My plan to fill today with posts and tweets has soundly failed. But we're here, Booth 421. See me and a revolving cast of characters - Petrina, Chris, Cole, Nikki, and more - talk about anime and Doctor Who.

We've got NYAF posters and pins and a pile of Sharpies and giant pieces of paper to sketch on. Impressed by the lack of obscene things.

Chris says Yoko is supposed to be 15-years-old in Gurren Lagann. I say he's stupid. What says the internet?

Wanna Host A Panel Or Screening At NYCC? Time Is Running Out!

Just a gentle reminder that our panel and screening submissions are wrapping up in just a few more days. NYCC and NYAF panel and screening submissions close on August 1.

Want to hold your own presentation at NYCC? Have something important to tell the world? Do you fancy yourself the East Coast's foremost expert on chromium covers? From Golden Age to Present Day, NYCC will host panels covering the breadth and depth of popular culture, and if there's something you're passionate about, apply to host a panel now. Seriously, right now. August 1 ain't that far away.

Apply to host a panel or screening here...

http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/en/Whats-Happening/Panels-And-Screenings/Panel-Submission-Form/

The, uh, picture is of "Dinosaurs of Doom". It's what came back when I googled "Time Pirates", as I felt something Time Pirate related would be approporiate for a post about time running out.

Otakon At Large: Before

Here we be, at Otakon in sunny Baltimore. Sunny and 103 degrees. And kids have been in line since Wednesday. The show starts today. Ah, anime. We're in booth 421 all weekend long.

Come on by, say hi, and take home a Fairy Tail poster, pins, and...

Oh, look, there's some dude cracking a bull whip.

I repeat: Ah, anime.

Fairy Tail Manga-Ka Hiro Mashima Comes To NYAF

I'm very excited to today reveal Hiro Mashima, creator of the Fairy Tail manga and anime series, will coming to this October's New York Anime Festival! Voice actors Todd Haberkorn, Colleen Clinkenbeard, Cherami Leigh, and Newton Pittman -- all in the anime adaptation of Fairy Tail -- have been previously announced as guests, too. Mashima will be appearing at NYAF on October 14th and 15th and will speak on a dedicated Q&A Session as well as part of a larger Fairy Tail panel with voice actors Todd, Colleen, Cherami, and Newton -- culminating in a premiere screening. Mashima will additionally be dedicating time to autographing, both public signings for general attendees and dedicated, reserved autographing for NYAF VIPs.  Big thanks to our friends at Kodansha and FUNimation!

Hiro Mashima is a Japanese manga author and artist most known for his fantasy titles Rave Master, published in Japan from 1999 to 2005, and Fairy Tail, ongoing since 2006 and adapted into an anime since 2009. In the world of Fairy Tail, sorcerers band together in Guilds to take on paying assignments, including hunting monsters, finding lost items, and running odd errands, for non-magic users. The saga follows Natsu (a dragon slayer who can control fire at will), Lucy (a rookie wizard), and Happy (your average flying cat). They all belong to the Fairy Tail Guild, whose members often cause a bit of trouble. The Fairy Tail manga is published in the US by Kodansha. The Fairy Tail anime is available through FUNimation Entertainment.

Fairy Tail is one of the biggest titles in Japan and quickly gaining a huge following in the US. To be able to celebrate its success and present it to even further fans with its original creator and American voice cast is going to be one of the top highlights of this year's Anime Festival.

The New York Anime Festival features Fairy Tail anime art on its 2011 official poster, too, (which is to the right), which we’ll be formally unveiling (and giving away) this weekend at Otakon!

STGCC Is An Awesome Monster

Huzzah and kudos to Zi Qi -- winner of this year's STGCC Program Guide Art Contest.  His work, to the right, will be featured on the Singapore Toy, Game & Comic Convention's Program Guide this year.  What is the giant blob?  According to Zi Qi...

In my artwork, you can see a huge monster popping out from a rubix cube containing things inside it. This signifies that STGCC is a monster event where many and any ideas, surprises and experiences are waiting to be freed and felt. The little red monster represents me and everyone who comes to STGCC, who will be getting these pleasant surprises.

For more on STGCC, visit singaporetgcc.com.

GeekChicNYC Launches August 1

New York City. 8 million people looking for something to do. And, starting August 1, the nerds of New York will get their marching orders delivered to them every morning from GeekChicNYC. A daily newsletter highlighting one upcoming event that’s just a tad bit geeky, GeekChicNYC will shine a spotlight on the signings, screenings, and hidden happenings that are uniquely New York -- and, honestly, make most other cities jealous.

We couldn’t be happier. We love bringing people together for New York Comic Con, but hate having to tell everyone we’ll see them next year – when we’d much rather tell our attendees we’re going to be seeing them next week or even tomorrow. And while NYCC still only comes once a year, GeekChicNYC will be giving you the 411 24/7 about being a nerd in New York.

GeekChicNYC kicks off August 1, but you can sign up today. And you really should. Why? GeekChicNYC’s giving away a ThinkGeek tauntaun sleeping bag as part of its launch celebration, and – knowing the ocean of heat NYC’s currently underneath – I absolutely love the spot on brilliance and irony of winning a snuggly, comfy sleeping bag as August breathes fire down upon us. But, yeah, it's a Tauntaun. Think Hoth. Think cold. I'm sure that'll work.

Anywho, sign up for GeekChicNYC and register for a chance to win a Tauntaun sleeping bag.

Be sure to follow @GeekChicNYC on Twitter as well to get your daily fix on your smartphone -- and for an additional chance at the adorable, gutted snow beast.

NYAF 2011 Poster and Shoe

This just in from @jackiewilliams, the NYAF 2011 poster! Note, too, my right foot. This year's New York Anime Festival poster features Natsu, Lucy, and Happy from Fairy Tail and was made in cooperation with FUNimation. We'll have the US voices of Natsu (Todd Haberkorn) and Lucy (Cherami Leigh) at the show, too.

This little beauty will be up at New York area stores soon, and I'll be giving them away this weekend at Otakon. Come on by the New York Anime Festival booth, where I'll be talking about Todd Haberkorn, Cherami Leigh, Junko Takeuchi, and - fingers crossed - another guest, too.

What's on NYCC's poster? @Briansteez has teased it on Twitter, and it's a glorious thing. Hoping we can share it on the blog soon.

Otakon, here we come!

American Airlines NYCC and NYAF Discount!

The New York Anime Festival and New York Comic Con are proud to Partner with American Airlines as our Official Airline. Many of our guests will be traveling this year on American, but this partnership isn’t just for creators. American, NYCC, and NYAF are proud to offer a special discount for any travel for fans, professionals, and exhibitors, too!

If you book on American through NYAF and NYCC, we’re proud to offer you a 7% discount.

This special discount is available on flights on American Airlines, American Eagle, and American Connection between October 10th and 19th, 2011. To book travel with this discount, simply visit www.aa.com/group and enter code 17H1BL. Don’t want to book online? Call 1-800-433-1790 from anywhere in the US with the code handy. And, if you’re traveling internationally, contact your local reservation number and mention our discount code.

A big thanks to our friends at American!

The Intergalactic Mole

Zip and Cody? Cool. Space Cadet Topo, The Intergalactic Mole? Awesome. A co-production between Singaporean and Argentinean creators, Topo will also premiere at STGCC. He'll be chilling at the Kalkitos booth.

STGCC SingPost Tokidoki Exclusive!

Have you met Zip and Cody? Sure, you have! Well, maybe. The duo made their debut at the 2010 Singapore Toy, Game & Comic Convention -- a collaboration between Tokidoki and the Singapore Post Office. This year, they're back, as Tokidoki and SingPost are turning their mascots into toys. SingPost will be making limited-edition Zip and Cody figures available for the first time at this year's STGCC! For details on Zip and Cody and all of STGCC's exclusives, visit singaporetgcc.com.

Let it sink in, too, that Singapore's Post Office is working with Tokidoki.  For toys and stamps.  I sure wish the USPS would issue cactus pup stamps. Sigh.

Caturday!

Junko Takeuchi - The Japanese Voice of Naruto - Comes To NYAF

Hot and fresh and baked with love, I'm very proud to share a little gem of information announced publicly just a short while ago today by our friends at VIZ Media on their 25th Anniversary Panel at San Diego Comic-Con.  What did VIZ have to say?  Only that we're together bringing voice actress Junko Takeuchi to the New York Comic Con and Anime Festival.

Takeuchi is most-known for her work as the voice of Naruto Uzumaki -- lead character in the Naruto franchise -- and is also well-known for roles including Gon Freecss in Hunter x Hunter, Mamoru Endo in Inazuma Eleven, Metabee in Medabots, and Gomamon in Digimon.

At the New York Anime Festival, Takeuchi will speak on a Q&A session and dedicate time to autographing, both public signings for general attendees and reserved autographing for NYAF VIPs. Her appearance will culminate in the introduction to the US premiere of the feature film Naruto Shippuden The Movie: Bonds.

We're nothing but honored to welcome Junko Takeuchi to New York City. VIZ is responsible for the biggest manga series in America, Naruto being one of them, and we're very excited to partner together to bring the voice of Naruto together with her fans in NYC. Of course, while we're excited, you guys are -- no doubt -- absolutely, entirely ecstatic.

Also, a shout out to our friends at American Airlines, who are providing travel for Takeuchi-san.

Details around all of NYAF's Naruto events and its full schedule will be announced later this summer. Want to guarantee yourself Takeuchi's autograph? Grab an Anime Access VIP Pass now at newyorkcomiccon.com.

Rocks to the chest!

NYCC VIP Update

Going, going, so close to being gone! All of our Special Access VIP Tickets are sold out, and we’ve only got a small number of Anime Access and Ultimate Access tickets remaining. These puppies won’t last long, so if you’re of the mind to adopt, you may want to now. You can view the details at newyorkcomiccon.com.

New Celebration VI Video

You should head over to StarWarsCelebration.com.  A new Celebration VI video just premiered at the Lucasfilm booth at San Diego Comic-Con, and it's live now on Celebration VI's official site.

There may be more interesting news out of San Diego tomorrow.

NYCC VIP Tickets Are Almost Gone

A little heads up that NYCC's VIP tickets are in short supply.  Really short supply.  If you're interested in getting first access, a private lounge, guaranteed seats, and more, I'd recommend clicking over to nycomiccon.com before the week's through.

DC and Paul Levitz at STGCC

It's hot in NYC. Very hot.  Of course, the heat wave currently melting Manhattan is a cool day in Singapore.  With this charming annedote, I'm proud to reveal DC Comics will be attending this year's Singapore Toy, Game & Comic Convention.  This is DC's first STGCC and first time officially in South East Asia, too.  DC will be at the con with a booth showing off upcoming toys, an exclusive comic, and a very special Guest of Honor -- Mr. Paul Levitz!

Paul, President of DC Comics from 2002 to 2009, is nothing short of a comic book legend. He was one of the key talents responsible for the hiring of writers including Marv Wolfman, John Byrne and Alan Moore, as well as artists George Pérez and Keith Giffen. Further, he's written for most of DC's classic characters and series including the Justice Society, Superman (in both comics and the newspaper strip), and an acclaimed run on The Legion of Super-Heroes, a series he has recently returned to. And serving as the company’s youngest editor, he also oversaw the Batman line of books.

Paul Levitz will be appearing at STGCC on August 20 and 21. He will be meeting fans and signing autographs at the DC Comics booth and STGCC Walk of Fame as well as speaking about his lifelong career and current projects.

For more on STGCC, including its current guest list, visit singaporetgcc.com.

Everybody Loves Donuts: NYAF Trigun Twitter Contest

Nobody rocked a full-length crimson coat quite like Trigun’s resident outlaw, Vash the Stampede. His story left a huge impression on anime watchers in the late 90s and early 2000s, and we’re happy to announce that he is returning to the big screen for his new movie, Trigun: Badlands Rumble! Now, we don’t want to reveal TOO much of the plot, so we’ll just say that Vash’s hairy past will usher a new clan of unlawful characters into the Trigun universe. Expect a bullet thunderstorm and a whole lot of action. The movie will make its New York debut at Big Cinemas (239 East 59th Street) on July 29 and 30.

But what’s the fun in buying a ticket when you can win one? We have five individual tickets to Trigun: Badlands Rumble that we want to give away, and we’re doing it via a Twitter trivia contest. Simply follow @ny_anime_fest and look for the #NYAFTrigun hashtag for one trivia question each day between now and Monday, July 25. The first person to send us the correct answer will win the daily ticket!

Good luck!

Negin's Pug

Monday, we posted a little pic of Travis's pug and put a challenge to NYCC's Mike Negin. Well, Negin's answered that challenge with what he calls "Kung Fu Pug", although the pug is clearly practicing karate.

Win A Signed Copy of Morgan Spurlock's SDCC Book From GCD!

Morgan Spurlock's making a movie on San Diego Comic-Con.  It's coming out later this year and includes contributions from the likes of Seth Green and Joss Whedon. (Maybe you've heard of them.)  Along with the film, Spurlock's got a companion book. While the film's yet to premiere, the book will be at San Diego this week -- for sale at the Sideshow Collectibles booth (1929).

Can't make it?  Well, GeekChicDaily's got a copy of the book signed by Morgan Spurlock. Want in? Just hop over to GeekChicDaily.com to enter.

Travis's Dog

This is Travis's dog. In a tux. Negin, you're up.

GeekChicDaily Giving Away Harry Potter's Cloak of Invisibility!

The Harry Potter saga hasn't ended. Nope, it's just hiding. Invisible, really. Or something. This lead up is kinda lame, but the reward is worth it.  The fine folks at GeekChicDaily are giving away a Museum Replicas Invisibility Cloak.  Modeled after Harry's own magical cloak -- rumored to be made of the hair of a Demiguise by Death himself -- this replica is a hand-finished silk and velvet number that goes for $395.  But, through GCD, it can be yours free.

The contest runs through July 27th.  Want in? Get all the details at GeekChicDaily.com.

Trigun: Badlands Rumble Comes To NYC

Trigun. Golly, that show was fun.  An out-of-control Western set in the far off future, it's sadly faded into the past.  The saga of Vash the Stampede's something that's been long buried beneath the sand. Until now.  Director Satoshi Nishimura -- Black Lagoon, Gundam SEED, Paradise Kiss, Noir -- has returned to the world of Trigun, with the first new Trigun tale since 1998 now flickering across the silver screen in select cities in the US.

Trigun: Badlands Rumble comes to Big Cinemas (239 East 59th St, New York, NY) on July 29th and 30th.  We'll be talking more about the new Trigun flick in a bit, but -- for now -- mark your calendars as the galaxy's greatest gunslinger's returned!

Midtown Comics DC #1 Super Bundle

DC's rebooting/relaunching/reshaping their Universe this fall.  While no one knows exactly what the new DC Universe will bring, we do know anything and everything that's DC will begin again with #1.  And it all starts August 31.  Now, what will 52 #1 issues cost you?  Normally $159.48, but the good folks at Midtown Comics are offering an amazing deal if you bundle it all up together.  Pre-order all 52 first issues and get 40%.  That's $94.99.  That's saving $64.49.

If you want to take part, though, click on over to Midtown Comics soon as the deadline for this pre-order ends July 29th. Don't trust the internet? In-store, Midtown will be offering weekly bundled packages at a savings of 25%.

Thor Parker is a genius. Or mad.  Or both.

Just Some Normal Everyday Wands

Some of the wands on display at the Group That Shall Not Be Named's table.

The Group That Shall Not Be Named

The Group That Shall Not Be Named is NYC's Harry Potter Meetup Group. They host monthly gatherings, readings, and Quidditch Matches. They're with us today with props, toys, goodies, and some amazing cosplayers. For more on em, check out www.hp-nyc.com.

Part 2, Part 2

We're ready, set, and powered by a Europa Cafe breakfast for today's noon screening of Deathly Hallows, Part 2 at the Ziegfeld Theatre. We've got Liz, Petrina, and Clair with us today - Plus The Group That Shall Not Be Named.

Kishida Mel Comes To Singapore

The Singapore Toy, Game & Comic Convention is a celebration of popular culture from both the East and West, featuring guests from Marvel's Kieron Gillen to voice actress Itou Shizuka. This week, the STGCC was proud to unveil the latest name in its diverse line up -- Japanese illustrator Kishida Mel is coming to Singapore!

Kishida's character designs have been featured in the video game Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland as well as anime series including Hanasaku Iroha, Kami-sama no Memo-chō, and Sound of the Sky.

Yatta!

That's A Wrap

Huge thanks to Liz, Kristin, Mandy, Jackie, Jim, and Petrina for coming out to tonight's Harry Potter screening. We gave away pins, comics, graphic novels, shirts, and tickets to NYCC. We're coming back on Sunday, too. Swing by the noon screening at NYC's Ziegfeld Theatre to take in the end of Harry Potter with a pre-show from New York Comic Con.

And here's a single picture that pretty much sums up tonight.

Blurry Liz

Blurry Liz kicking off tonight's Deathly Hallows event.

Comic Con HQ

Here's The NYCC Table, Jackie chatting up fans around the differences between the books and the movies. We've got buttons and comics we're giving away, plus a raffle for tickets to the show.

Trivia contests, costume contests, and more soon!

Deathly Hallows is Go!

Just arrived at the Ziegfeld for tonight's Deathly Hallows, Part 2 screening. Already theater-goers in line, including a Luna and a Dementor. NYCC crew includes @ADiN15, @dammit_liz, @henchling, @jackiewilliams, and @nerdsherpa.

NYAF Sakura Matsuri Haiku Contest Winners

Beginning April 30th, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden hosted a two-day festival dedicated to the Japanese rite of spring. It was gorgeous.  It was beautiful.  It was pink.  And NYAF was there, hosting a haiku contest for attendees, asking visitors to sum up their thoughts, passions, and feelings for the cherry blossom (and other things).  At long last, all the winners and runners up have been transcribed and posted online at newyorkanimefestival.com.

Here are our winners...

Deborah Kim
Petals fly gently
Along the soft fragrant winds.
It’s beauty preserved.

Caitlin Pan
Spring time awakens
The first blush in cherry trees
Heralds hints of life

@Kel112
A warrior's scars
Show not failure or disgrace
But lessons he learned.

And here's the full list.

Moar Caturday

Even more Caturday Harry Potter goodness.  This one spotted by Petrina Cheng on Huffington Post.  May, at times, be NSFW, and that's why I'm posting it from my apartment while watching the end of the Doctor Who episode Utopia. Anywho, to the kittens...

Caturday

Remember, we're at the Ziegfeld Theatre tonight for the 7 PM showing and tomorrow for the 12 noon showing of Deathly Hallows, Part 2. And we've got swag!

Friday Night

Miles to go... Or something like that. Check out this super awesome to-do list I gotta get through tonight. There's a chopstick in the picture, too. There's no Chinese food on the list - dinner was a Magnolia cupcake - but this little bit of bamboo is, for this weekend, a magical wand. It'll be casting spells tomorrow and Sunday at the Ziegfeld Theatre.

NYCC volunteer and friend of show @nerdsherpa, meanwhile, spent the entire afternoon and evening working on an f-ing sweet wand composed of a plastic straw, resin, paper, and glue. He's got the full blow-by-blow on Twitter, and I'm looking forward to dueling him tomorrow in the Ziegfeld's lobby.

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo!

Trending

What's this, Twitter?  Neville Longbottom, #itallends, Mischief Managed, Alan Rickman, Gryffindor, Snape, and Voldemort are all trending? Bravo, Harry Potter fans. Bravo. Don't forget, NYCC will be at the Ziegfeld Saturday and Sunday for some special Harry Potter activities, and we've got a free popcorn offer out to anyone who sees Deathly Hallows at the Ziegfeld until the 28th. Alas, Twitter, why is there no love for Barty Crouch, Jr?

Andrew Bell at STGCC

Andrew Bell is a cool guy.  How cool?  His Twitter feed is @deadzebra.  Yeah, that cool. Andrew is a British-born, Brooklyn-based illustrator, painter, sculptor and toy designer responsible for a lot of toys.  And he's coming to STGCC.  Andrew's done a lot, but our favorites?

Android and Worrible.

Android? Well, you know a little company named Google and their mobile operating system? Andrew's the fellow Google teamed up with to launch a line of Android toys and collectibles.  That's awesome. Of course, it's nowhere near as awesome as the Worrible. 

Don't know what the hell it is, but Andrew made it, and I want one.

NYAF AMV Contest Is Live!

The New York Anime Festival at New York Comic Con is proud to play host to a competition between the editors, storytellers, and artists that are AMV (anime music video) makers.  It's been a part of our show every year -- and a part of most cons around the country.  This year, though, we're doing something new.  In addition to general Action, Comedy, and Romance categories, we're offering up a specific Fairy Tail division in honor of the show's upcoming FUNimation release.

Care to make an aural tribute to Natsu's awesomeness -- or a sonic soliloquy to Lucy's, well, let's also say awesomeness? NYAF'll reward you with special Fairy Tail-themed prizes!

For all the details and deadlines, head over to newyorkanimefestival.com.

Nobody Was Thrown Into The Pool

This is Larry, Khoo, Lance, Liz, and Bill. They're searching for a football that Larry tossed into the bushes. We had a small shindig at la casa de Fensterman today.

Uncle Yo on iTunes

Think back. Remember the first year of the New York Anime Festival and fresh-faced comedian Uncle Yo? The dude debuted at NYAF 2007.  Now, he's become a fixture at our show -- as well as at conventions around the country.  And, now, he's on iTunes.

Uncle Yo, New York's geek-specific comedian, recently released his fourth album, Matching Hair Clips, and it's now live on iTunes. From Axis Powers Hetalia to Angry Birds, Yo covers a broad swath of the nerd world, and portions of the profits from this album will be sent to the Red Cross to assist with their continuing efforts in Japan.

In Yo's own words... "I'm making the summer of Green Lantern, Thor, and X-Men: First Class even hotter." 

Don't know about that, but he's definitely making it geekier.

Free Popcorn at the Ziegfeld for the Harry Potter Finale

It all ends.  Everything.  The Battle for Hogwarts and final fate of Harry Potter and He Who Shall Not Be Named.  The last of the Harry Potter movies -- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 -- comes out this weekend, and NYCC will be at the Ziegfeld Theatre (141 West 54th Street) both Saturday and Sunday to celebration.  We'll be holding trivia and costume contests at select screenings -- and we'll have our friends from the International Quidditch Association and The Group That Shall Not Be Named joining us for the festivities.

But that's not all.  Nope.  Come to see Harry Potter at the Ziegfeld by July 28th to also get a free 85 oz. popcorn with any drink purchase (that's $5.75 of popcorn free) and a limited edition Deathly Hallows souvenir pin. Simply present this coupon at the concessions stand.

See you at the Ziegfeld this weekend!

Deathly Hallows Quidditch Exhibition Match!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II is coming.  NYCC is celebrating by holding two parties attached to Saturday and Sunday screenings in NYC's Ziegfeld Theatre, and tomorrow, the International Quidditch Association is hosting a special Deathly Hallows Exhibition Match for all NY area summer club teams, players, and fans at Dewitt Clinton Park -- home of last year's Quidditch World Cup -- at 53rd St and 11th Ave.

The event is Wednesday, July 13 from 1-3 PM. It's free and open to the public.

I love New York.

Itou Shizuka at STGCC

Late last week, the Singapore Toy, Game & Comic Convention revealed its first seiyuu guest!  Joining cosplayer Kipi, STGCC is proud to announce voice actress Itou Shizuka will be coming to the con.

Itou Shizuka's been in a lot. Over 50 series. Really. Here are some of our favorites...

Amagami SS - Haruka Morishima
Beelzebub - Hilda
D.Gray-man - Lenalee Lee
Dance in the Vampire Bund - Nanami Shinonome
ef: a tale of melodies - Nagi Hirono
El Cazador de la Bruja - Nadie
Glass Fleet - Sillua Moe Silvernail
Gurren Lagann - Boota
Hayate the Combat Butler - Hinagiku Katsura
Kaze no Stigma - Nanase Kudou
Lunar Legend Tsukihime - Akiha Tohno
Mahou Sensei Negima - Misa Kakizaki
Pumpkin Scissors - Alice
Rental Magica - Manami Kuroha
Shakugan no Shana - Wirhelmina Carmel
Sky Girls - Eika Ichijo
Solty Rei - Silvia Ban
XXXHOLiC - Himawari Kunogi

Of course, while it's all well, good, and impressive, there's one role which really stands out.  BOOTA IN GURREN LAGANN!

STGCC Program Guide Art Contest Ends July 15!

The Singapore Toy, Game & Comic Convention wants you! As we celebrate pop culture with guests from around the globe, we want to shine the spotlight on local artists, too. And this year, reflecting this desire, one, lucky, talented artist will get a chance to have their artwork featured on the front cover of STGCC's Program Guide. Currently taking entries -- and running until July 15th -- STGCC welcomes artists from across Asia to think of what STGCC means and how it represents you as a fan and as an artist. Whether it is steeped in tradition, a dazzling metropolis, or floating in outer space, the STGCC team wants to see your imagination.

So break out the pencils, fire-up the Photoshop, read through the official rules and submit your original artwork now. It could you be your artwork gracing the Guide to over 30,000 fans!

But be quick, as the contest is almost up!

Shark Week Coming Soon

Thank you, Discovery Channel, for filling billboards with sharks throughout Midtown Manhattan.

Seriously.

This is awesome.

Gantz Part II Begins

Here's super blurry Sam.

How's Your Saturday?

Last night was the New York Premiere of Battle Royale - presented at Japan Society by Japan Cuts and the New York Asian Film Festival. Amazed half the audience had never seen the film before. The other half, meanwhile, knew the thing beat by beat. And while I've owned it on VCD, DVD, and Blu-ray, it was bright, fresh, wonderful and new on the big screen.

Right now, we're midway through the Gantz double feature - also dually presented by Japan Cuts and the New York Asian Film Festival. We're in the intermission. I'm amazed, now, by how much of the audience is female. Gantz is about resurrected average joes enlisted by a big, black ball to fight aliens. The crowd here's not so much into the story as the swoony male leads.

Japan Society's Sam's on stage now asking the crowd which of the main actors is cuter.

Clearly, he knew exactly what he was doing when he programmed this.

Caturday!

Best. Friday. Ever.

Today's Friday. Generally, Fridays are awesome. I mean, you've got the weekend, bringing with it Saturday Morning Cartoons, sleeping late, and brunch -- oh, brunch. I want to try Elephant & Castle this weekend.  They've got Eggs and Apples Benedict on French Toast.  Yeah.  Wait, I'm getting off top.  Fridays are awesome, but this Friday's extra awesome for two very cool, very geeky reasons.

Torchwood: Miracle Day
First, today's Miracle Day. Miracle Day? It's the day no one dies. A high concept sci-fi series starring John Barrowman, Eve Myles, Mekhi Phifer, and Bill Pullman, it's Doctor Who's sexy, grown-up spin-off, and, while it originally started in the UK, Miracle Day -- the fourth Torchwood series -- was produced in large part because of US TV Network STARZ, and it premieres tonight on STARZ well before its British release. Here's the official Miracle Day description...

One day, nobody dies. All across the world, nobody dies. And then the next day, and the next, and the next, people keep aging -- they get hurt and sick -- but they never die. This can’t be a natural event -- someone’s got to be behind it. It’s a race against time as C.I.A. agent Rex Matheson investigates a global conspiracy. The answers lie within an old, secret British institute. As Rex keeps asking “What is Torchwood?", he’s drawn into a world of adventure, and a threat to change what it means to be human forever. 

Battle Royale New York Premiere

For the first time in New York -- and probably North America -- Battle Royale explodes onto a theater screen.  After ten years of being dubbed "too controversial" for the US, Japan Society is bringing Kinji Fukasaku’s last masterpiece to the States. And it’s about killer kids.  The plot?  High school children are taken to a small, isolated island with a map, food, and weapons of varying deadliness. Over three days, they are forced to fight one another to the death until only one remains.  It's a film that manages to be both base and profound, both shock cinema and delicious art house pie.

I own various international VCDs, DVDs, and Blu-Rays of Battle Royale, and I'll be in the front row for tonight's screening.  Then, getting home, I'll catch the DVRed premiere of Miracle Day.  Best. Friday. Ever.

Retailer Tickets Now In Stores!

Need a ticket to NYCC? Think LulzSec will steal your information if you use your credit card online? Well, this is a gentle reminder that NYCC tickets are now in retailers across the great City of New York. Kristin personally delivered most of em last week, and you can find a full list of participating retailers at newyorkcomiccon.com.

Actually, tickets aren't just throughout NYC.  Nope.  We've got tickets around New York State as well as at shops in New Jersey, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and even Illinois.

And badges bought from NYCC retailers feature limited-edition Walking Dead TV artwork you won't find anywhere else.

Sweet.