Header photo is fan with a Maki Nishikino ita-bag.
Akiba short for Akihabara is the district in Tokyo famous for otaku culture of games, anime, manga.
Aniplex’s AkibaFest took place October 15 and 16 at Little Tokyo Los Angeles, California. It featured anime films, guests, music and electronic entertainment and more. An entertaining two days of Japanese pop culture.
We’re back with another video! Check out this special 60fps on your computer for maximum smoothness. It should also play at 60fps on your phone with a Wi-Fi connection.
While walking through the halls of the 2012 Comikaze, I noticed a booth that looked very patriotic. The booth was sprawled with red, white, and blue. On closer inspection, I discovered what appeared to be a campaign booth. Suddenly it hit me. 30 Rock’s Dot Com was here at Comikaze and running for president. Oddly, he seemed to go unnoticed among all the fantastical booths but it looked like he had an important mission to share with the folks. He was at Comikaze for something bigger than comics.
Dot Com was nice enough to tell me about his campaign and didn’t dodge the hard ball questions I threw at him. Is America ready for Dot Com?
Be sure to follow Kevin Brown on Twitter for all the latest campaign news : @dotcom30rock
With Stan Lee and Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, at the helm, this Comikaze Expo looks to be quite epic.
There is already an event called “Elvira’s Horror Hunt”, which looks to be as they call it on the site:
… outrageous and unapologetic brand of humor and horror film savvy to a competition that’s one part movie review show, one part film festival, and all parts funny as hell.
A full list of events has not yet been released on their site.
Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo states it is a Comics, Gaming, ASci-Fi, Fantasy, Anime and Horror convention, and their guest list reflects that. Todd McFarlane … you remember him? Yeah, he’ll be there. Tara Strong, famous voice actress, Lou Ferrigno (best known as Incredible Hulk tv series), James Hong, and many more. See the full guest list here.
Last year, Comikaze had a “All That” reunion. And this year, they are continuing to renew our nostalgia (well for older folks like me) by having a “Salute Your Shorts” reunion!
This only the second year of this event, but it looks to be even bigger and better than last years! Stay tuned for more news and updates.
Anime Expo has wrapped. We’ve been out all weekend covering as much of the convention as we can. Stay tuned for the usual good stuff: interviews, panel news, and reviews.
Did you like what we did last year? Here we go again! Check out what this years anime fans.
00:00 – Pink castle crasher is known for throwing rainbows everywhere.
00:53 – this guy is a nameless character from the Monster Hunter series gets his armor from a slain Congalala. He took 3 months making his costume and hasn’t slept in 2 days.
03:18 – LeBlanc from League of Legends has definitely put some time into her costume and has plans to design them for a living.
04:40 – Porco Rosso was a flying ace but avoids planes himself. He’s a video editor that shares his thoughts on 3D.
05:49 – An announcer from an upcoming steampunk webseries, Tinker, is out trying to promote their work. Check them out at on facebook. Their gear was provided by Wonderland Studios (Anaheim)
07:12 – I catch a special rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody performed by some guys and Master Chief.
08:19 – Static Shock is known for putting a shock to your system and shares his suggestion to story tellers of ending things on a high note rather than dragging them out.
10:20 – Gender bender Ran Yakumo from Touhou has a very complicated background as being a boss. She’s a middle child of the Yakumo family. His outfit has amazing stitchwork. You definitely want to go full screen HD for this guy. He also talks about the difference between the Los Angeles convention versus Sakuracon.
13:24 – My Neighbor Totoro is one of Miyazuki’s most noteable works. Her mom helped her with this costume and also helps a lot for Halloween. I express some concern and she tells me she feels like she’s in a sauna but about to take a break. She mentions getting very excited over seeing some no-faces.
15:37 – Madame Red from Kuroshitsuji is known for killing whores and loves her character’s depth and awesomeness.
17:13 – Lulu from Final Fantasy X loves her character’s costume and is seriously warm in her costume.
19:17 – Rikku from Final Fantasy X has taken years to create her outfit.
20:55 – One of the most talked about costumes, Fiddlesticks from League of Legends, bouts with another champion.
21:29 – Morgana from League of Legends isn’t a big gamer because she’s busy studying nutrition. She hasn’t heard about the proposed big soda ban in New York but thinks it’s a good idea. Check her out on facebook
22:54 – Rinoa Heartilly from Final Fantasy VIII is known for looking cute and being the main character’s lover. She talks about the logistic challenges of living far away from a convention.
25:01 – Mumbo Jumbo from Banjo-Kazooie is a magical character.
26:26 – The Green Ranger from the Power Rangers loves that his character took on all of the rangers and the ability to summon his monster on his own. He shares his thoughts on rebooting the series and the joy he had living in Japan.
28:40 – I can’t make out who this character is. She’s known for being pretty and also cosplays Black Rock Shooter. She loves anime because it’s fun to watch.
00:00 – Jinbei (One Piece) spent 3 months working on his outfit because he has no sewing skills.
01:08 – Genderbender Marissa (Tohou) is a jerk and has me looking at myself through his glasses. He notes the weekend is super packed since the X Games were going on at the same time. I ask him how he’s celebrating the 4th of July and without missing a beat he shows me his patriotic undergarments. He’s a civil servant.
02:14 – Dr. Kawashima from Brain Age has plenty to say and is very passionate about the game.
04:14 – Hetalia: Axis Powers represented by Italy, Prussia, Germany, America, England, and Hungary. They say the worst thing they’ve seen is ugly naked people.
07:28 – This version of the Cheshire Cat has a few tattoos recently graduated with a drawing and painting degree that she thinks is useless. Check her out anyway: facebook / jentakeda.com
09:29 – Majora’s Mask (Legend of Zelda) is Japanese and feels a strong connection with Anime. I ask her where the best place to get ramen and she says there’s a great place in Fullerton
12:29 – Axe Cop is a web comic that Fox recently picked up and talks about a few people mixing him up with real security. He’s an actor that’s done some commercials in Miami
14:19 – Who says Twilight Sparkle My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic can’t have a goatee? He loves seeking out knowledge.
16:47 – A steampunk couple explain why they love the genre.
18:32 – Rick Grimes loves killing zombies and cosplaying other zombie killers like Chris Redfield
20:02 – Tony Tony Chopper (One Piece) and Splicer (Bioshock). Tony Tony Chopper is holding cotton that she wishes was cotton candy
22:00 – Batman (cubecrafting edition) is a bit of a mashup and likes everything about anime and is studying criminal justice
23:20 – Reggie “My body is ready” Fils-Aime is a meme that has trouble seeing
24:54 – Thor finished her costume in 3 months because she got lazy. She explains that she likes gender bending because she’s not a big giant strong man but still loves the characters
26:36 – Pico (Boku no Pico) / Yuki (Tsuritama) are having a dangerous amount of fun and probably scaring children away. His water gun is definitely rated mature
28:20 – Jenova (Final Fantasy 7) definitely recognizes me. She talks about the challenges of making a costume being in your head and where she buys her materials. Check her group, SAUCEtown Cosplay. They are one of the best cosplayers out there drawing cameras towards them constantly at conventions. And how does one from SAUCEtown cosplay celebrate the 4th? Eating a trifle, of course!
With the fourth of July coming up fast, you lose track of time. If you live in the Los Angeles area, or are willing to travel here from wherever, there are some big events happening right now and into the weekend.
Anime Expo
Anime Expo (or AX) is the largest anime convention in the United States. Featured events include the Masquerade cosplay contest, the Anime Music Video competition, Video Game Contests, and even a Karaoke contest. There is a long list of creators and voice actors that will be at the event Anime Expo also has a large variety of focus panels, workshops, and events, some of which are fan or industry sponsored. Finally, there are also a number of film and video rooms presenting anime screenings that run all day and night.
Overall, at this convention, I’ve seen really great cosplay outfits. They rival cosplay that I’ve seen at San Diego Comic-Con. Great stuff out there. Anime Expo starts today.
X Games is an annual sport event, by ESPN, which focuses on action sports. It’s the summer X Games, so events include Freestyle BMX, Skateboard, Motorcross, and even Rally racing. It’s happening in the Los Angeles area, including the Staples Center, LA Live, and Nokia Theatre.
You’ve seen it on TV, why not see it in real life.
VidCon is the world’s first and largest Online Video Conference/Convention. Organized by Hank and John Green of the Vlogbrothers YouTube channel, VidCon is the largest gathering of the online video community worldwide, drawing thousands of attendees representing billions of online video views.
Tomorrow will be the last day for this con. For more information you can view their official site: http://www.vidcon.com/
Live in the Los Angeles area and hoping to start the new year with a healthy dose of cosplay action? Anime Los Angeles, a three day event, starts next Friday, January 6, 2012 and ends Sunday, January 8, 2012. Those who hesitated on getting a presale tickets are out of luck and will have to register at the door. Prices are $50 for the whole weekend, $25 for Friday-only, $35 for Saturday-only, and $20 for Sunday-only.
The Los Angeles Derby Dolls were at Comikaze promoting their league. I was lucky enough to check out an intense game a few weeks ago (Tough Cookies versus Sirens), so I was excited to chat with them for a few minutes and find out more about the sport and players.
STEFCON 1 gave us the low down on the history of its founders, the fresh meat program, public classes, injuries (broken collar bones, ankles, tail bone injures, wrists), other roller derby associations, the league’s involvement in “Whip It”, the growth of bank track leagues, hanging out with other teams after the game, and getting hit on by guys and girls.
That’s right, after November 6th, Elvira, the Mistress of the Dark, will no longer be making convention appearances. Comikaze Expo, at the Los Angeles Convention Center, will mark the last convention appearance of Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. As the official “spooksperson” of Comikaze Expo, Elvira (aka Cassandra Peterson) will sign autographs, pose for photos with fans and take part in various events throughout the Expo.
Elvira became a household name as the host of Elvira’s Movie Macabre, the first nationally syndicated horror movie show. The weekly series featured the sexy, outrageous movie hostess’ sharp wit and clever banter throughout her tongue-in-cheek commentary of B-movie classics. Her reign as ‘Queen of Halloween’ spans three decades and includes two feature films, her long-running series and two motion control rides. Her appearance at Comikaze Expo solidifies the event’s commitment to horror fans and promises to be a memorable experience for all.
Comikaze Expo is the largest multimedia pop culture convention in Los Angeles. This unique event brings together the best in comics, gaming, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, anime and all other cult programming. Comikaze takes place November 5-6 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, and offers a slate of innovative programming, panels, contests and other activities that provide fans access to their favorite artists and creators in this adventure-packed weekend. The event will kick off with an appearance by the father of modern comics, Stan Lee, at the event’s ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Tickets are already on sale for an awesome price of $12 and kids under 12 get in for free. Please go to the official Comikaze Expo page for additional information and a full list of scheduled guests and events.
Twelve bucks for a convention ticket isn’t gonna break the bank. Heck, parking usually costs that much. I’m quite excited to see what this convention will offer and how fun it will be. Come back for more information as the con draws near.