New York Comic Con was this weekend and like any good company having to do with comics, anime, or the selling of imported chibi Spider-man toys FUNimation was there.  This was the 4th year for NYCC and attendance has more than tripled since its inception.  The Exhibitor’s room was packed from first thing Friday to the closing minutes Sunday.

FUNimation had a prime spot located in the front row near one of the main entrances.  Not to mention a stones throw from the ‘Nuts4Nuts’ and frozen slushy stands that teased us with smells of vanilla cookies all weekend. With a great many events planned for the show we (I’m going to say we instead of FUNimation from here on out because guess what – I work for them if you couldn’t have guessed already) had to have something that could keep up with the high level of class, standards, and excitement.  I give you Shin chan and his Shin Girls:

Yep, that’s klassy with a K for sure.  But the fans eat it up.   Even a few other special guests were more than happy to see Shin.

I myself had to take a moment with the little guy.

Hmmmm – needs more gangsta.

Yea, that’s much better.

We also were giving away our convention exclusive Shin candles with purchase of any Shin DVD or $50 box set.  These went fast and we ran out of them before the show ended.  Better catch us at KatsuCon this weekend if you are looking to score one.

It was also the weekend of the Afro Samurai: Resurrection DVD and Blu-Ray.  So Happy Afro-Sam-Res Weekend everybody!  I’m sure you all had a wonderful time with friends and family and that the government will make this a national holiday after reading all those letters I sent them.  But I digress.   Yes the highly-anticipated sequel to the original Afro Samurai has finally hit stores. Because of the great excitement expected of this launch I asked some people at the convention what they thought of AS:R and here is what they had to say:

Julie, Bronx, NY – “cool.”

Mike, Brooklyn, NY – “awesome”

Rick, Boston, MA – “that dude totally got cut and that was sweet as S&#%!”

Billy, New York City, NY – “I’m not allowed to watch those kind of cartoons.” (age 6)

James, Flushing NY – “Loved every minute of it.  None stop action from beginning to end.  Especially the part when that giant robot helicopter came in and started… – what do you mean that’s not part of the film?  Afro Samurai?  Never heard of it.”

As you can see it was resounding praise from everyone around.  So much so that we sold out of all of our Afro DVD’s and Blu-Ray discs early Sunday morning.  Both the original series and the sequel movie!

I would also like to thank everyone who came out to our Industry and Sneak Peak panels.  They were very well attended and with as much great stuff going on at the show (Yattaman and UP previews to say the least) it was great to see so many in attendance.  Plus no one threw anything blunt at me during either one!  That is always a win in my book.

Overall NYCC was a great success for us and we can’t wait to get back out to the east coast again.  Actually, we won’t be waiting long at all.  KatsuCon is this weekend at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, VA and FUNimation will be there.  We will have a booth with all of our newest DVDs, free stuff, and more Shin chan candles (Shin chandles? – yea, you’re right, too far).   We will also be having Industry and Sneak Peak panels at this show as well.  Don’t miss them, they are full of win and many, many quick moving slides for the ADD at heart.  We will also have some screenings of not-yet-out-in-stores dubs.  Check your KatsuCon program guide for exact details.

I all hope you found this infotastic for a first convention blog post.  I will be trying to get these online weekly (Wednesdays work for you? Cool) so you will be able to see what’s going on with FUNimation at the cons.  I will also be taking you behind the scenes even when we are not on site as we plan future shows and possible cool things that I can some how tie back to cons.

If that wasn’t enough for you I’m going to give you some alternative anime editorial with as many of these posts as I can.  This will be fun stuff, not necessarily convention reports but more fun facts, general topic discussions, and just things that keep me up at night tossing a ball at the ceiling.

Alternative Anime Editorial

“Allow myself to introduce, myself”

For my first attempt at this I’ve decided to use as an introductory piece so you can know a little more about who’s writing this and more importantly, who is in charge of your anime at various conventions.  Scared yet?  Well not nearly enough then for I’ve decided to have three types of questions for this:
1.    Various questions I get asked about me and my job
2.    Strangest questions I’ve ever been asked at a con or event
3.    Questions from a late 1980’s ‘Tiger Beat’ Magazine interview with Kirk Cameron when he was on ‘Growing Pains’

See if you can guess which question is from each group.  I hope you all enjoy.

1.    How long have you been an anime fan?
Since I was 3 years old.  I grew up watching Astro Boy on the BBC.  I later discovered Voltron and Robotech when I was in elementary school.  My first real anime purchase was Ranma ½ movie 1 and Battle Angle Alita at a Suncost back in the early high school days.  I also ran an anime club while I was in college and named my daughter Lain.

2.    How did you get this job with FUNimation?
Before I worked at FUNimation I worked for a company called Score Entertainment (The Dragon Ball Z CCG guys) as their conventions and Hummer Tour Manager.

I got to know the FUNi crew via working with their staff and the voice actors we brought out for some of the events.  There was an opening one day at FUNimation and I decided to make the jump from cards to anime.

3.    I don’t have any money.  Can I get that Black Cat box set for free?  I’ll give you a hug.
I’d love to take that offer but unfortunately I don’t think that would work out.  How about if I give you a hug?

4.    What’s you’re favorite anime?
Ranma ½ was my first love and working with FUNimation I have personally become a huge fan of Full Metal Alchemist and Beck.

5.    Who’s hotter: Debbi or Tiffany?
Tiffany.  She had red hair – way hot.

6.    Why did you change the Pokemon voice cast?
Ahhhh, that wasn’t us I’m sorry to say – please don’t cry.  …free Fruits Basket postcard?

7.    I just made copies of all the DVD’s in this box set up in my hotel room.  Can I return it for another box set?
Yea, I’m sorry we won’t be able to help you out with that since that would be an illegal copy after you stop being the owner of the DVD.  (Fan gives the ‘WTF’ confused stare for about 5 seconds)

8.    How many conventions have you done?
In the last seven years I’ve done over 400 professional events and more than half of them have been conventions.

9.    What is in your walkman right now?
Probably a mix tape featuring Extreme, MC Hammer, and Nirvana.  I lost that thing years ago.  If you mean ipod then Radiohead, random Initial D soundtracks, and Johnny Cash.

10.    I’ve spent the last 5 years writing a sequel to Dragon Ball Z.  It’s 200 pages long.  Can I read it to you and then can you read it like I read it to you to Akira Toriyama?
Wow – where to start?  Well…(goes into 5 mins on copyright rules)…and that unfortunately is why that would not work.

11.    What’s your favorite outfit?
I’m a t-shirt and jeans kinda guy and have been forever.  Just now they are nicer jeans and t-shirts.

12.    Do you have any pets?
I have a white American Eskimo dog named Rei (she’s a pure bred so her full name is Rei Asuka-Langley-Soryu Green) who is a bit crazy.

13.     What do you do for fun?
When not traveling or doing anime related events I enjoy video games (Street Fighter IV OMG can’t wait!!!1!), watching movies and sports, running, and spending time with my friends and family.

14.    That Ed and Al statue is pretty cool.  Can I have it after the convention ends.  Oh wait, that won’t fit in my car.  Well, can I just have Al’s head then?
No….just no.

15.    What’s your idea of a perfect date?
One where my girlfriend is present, after that everything else is optional.  ☺
A nice pizza, some drinks, not too loud of a place, and hours of good conversation.  Did I forget to mention my girlfriend is a cosplayer? Her name is Tristen Citrine.

16.    What is the best part of conventions and events?
Traveling around the country and seeing everyone.  From fans to friends it always is great to get out and take a new look at things from a different part of the country.  …and the expense account isn’t to bad either.  …and getting out of the hot Texas summers is also a big plus.  I’ve fried an egg on the sidewalk before, no really.

17.    Is Goku stronger than Jesus?
Go ask your mother.

18.    Have you ever had a celebrity crush?
Cindy Crawford after that 1991 Pepsi ad was just great and Jenny Lewis from the movie ‘The Wizard’ all the way to now being an indie rock singer is the bees-knees.

19.    I want to be a voice actor but I can’t do any voice and don’t know how to act.  Does that matter?  I mean I’m a huge FUNimation fan and have watched all your dubs.
I’m glad you enjoy our shows.  We will keep trying our best to bring you what you want on every DVD we put out.  (smiles and waits for them to walk away)

20.    If you were abducted by aliens, what cassette tape, book and movie would you bring along for the ride?
The biggest ones I could find so I could hit them with and/or throw at them to get out of there.  I don’t want to be going out to some Space Gitmo.  No sir.

21.    What is the coolest thing you have done because of this job?
Helped bring CLAMP to the U.S. for Anime Expo.  5,000 screaming fans at a panel you helped to set up sure makes you feel good about your job.

22.    Are you Chris Sabat?
Sorry, I’m not
Are you related to Chris Sabat?
No, sorry I’m not related to him either
…you’re Chris Sabat aren’t you?
Lol, no really I’m not Chris Sabat
Really?
Really.
Will you sign my Vegeta poster?
…sure. (signed it ‘Not Chris Sabat’)

Next Week: KatsuCon update, MegaCon preview, and how watching MacGyver can help you with CosPlay.

5 Responses to “FUNimation attends New York Comic-Con. Anime shown not to be ‘just tentacles and robots’. Fans pleased.”

1

Tristen Citrine on February 10th, 2009 at 6:53 pm says:

Wha…? you’re NOT Chris Sabat? Darn. Well, that changes… everything!

Congrats on your first blog post, Adam! Here’s to many more tales of great convention adventure!

2

saya on February 19th, 2009 at 10:11 am says:

whoa now ther putting funimation on new york comics now, its gonna get bigger ill bet

3

Mastablubba on May 21st, 2009 at 4:06 pm says:

Hellow People

just found this lustfully arse Shaking Video on youtube…

check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsoHCukkeUo

May you can share something similar.

happy watching
mastablubba

4

恵子 ことみ柊 on October 17th, 2009 at 10:21 pm says:

こんにちは、あなたではない私の母。私はあなたの愛は決して！まあ、私もチーズ好きではない wwwww

5

Tiffany Jens on January 6th, 2010 at 4:41 pm says:

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