Otakon News

Now if only I could find waldo too!

 Sakura's costume from the picture of Naruto Uzumaki as hokage and her as Sakura Uzumaki. Original art by Twinenigama. Original character's property of Kishimoto.

Otakon® 2009 Unofficial Attendance Numbers  

 

Baltimore, MD (July 19, 2009) – As of the close of the convention, the head of Otakon Registration announced an unofficial headcount of 26,350 members from picked up pre-registration and at-con registration. Usually, the difference between the unofficial numbers and the official confirmed headcount is a couple hundred members, according to Otakon officials.  

 

This year, Otakon did not offer Sunday one-day memberships, which had boosted previous year's totals, notes Otakon president Matt Smiechowski. He added that, despite issues with the economy, Otakon saw moderate growth while many otherlarge-scale events that take place in the Baltimore Convention Center have faltered recently. "We can call Otakon a success," he said.  

  

Last year's official count was 26,262.  

 

ABOUT OTAKON AND OTAKORP, INC.: Now entering its sixteenth year, Otakon is an annual celebration of Japanese and East Asian popular culture, and also one of the largest gatherings of fans in the United States. Otakon celebrates popular culture as a gateway to deeper understanding of Asian culture, and has grown along with the enthusiasm for anime, manga, video games, and music from the Far East. Since 1999, Otakon has been held in Baltimore, Maryland; currently, Otakon is one of Baltimore's few large, city-wide events, drawing over 25,000 individual members for three days each year (for a paid attendance of over 70,000 "turnstile" attendees). Otakon is a membership-based convention sponsored by Otakorp, Inc., a Pennsylvania-based, 501(c)3 educational non-profit whose mission is to promote the appreciation of Asian culture, primarily through its media and entertainment. Otakorp, Inc. is directed by an all-volunteer, unpaid staff – we are run by fans, for fans.  

FUNIMATION ENTERTAINMENT ACQUIRES FOUR DETECTIVE CONAN MOVIES FROM TMS ENTERTAINMENT

 

Flower Mound, TX (July 17, 2009) – FUNimation® Entertainment today announced that it has acquired Broadcast, and DVD distribution rights to the mystery suspense anime movies “The Last Wizard of the Century” “Captured in Her Eyes” “Countdown to Heaven” and “The Phantom of Baker Street” from TMS Entertainment.

 

The movies are directed by Kenji Kodama (who also directed previous Case Closed movies “The Time Bombed Skyscraper” and “The Fourteenth Target”) and produced by TMS Entertainment, Ltd. (“Lupin III”, “Virtua Fighter”, “Project ARMS”, “D.Gray-man”).

 

ABOUT THE CASE CLOSED MOVIES

The Last Wizard of the Century

When The Phantom Thief announces his intentions to steal a famous Russian Fabergé Egg, Conan is in hot pursuit of the criminal on Interpol’s most wanted list. But there’s far more to the case then a mere robbery, as history’s ghosts seem to haunt the present. Just who is the Last Wizard of the Century?

 

Captured in Her Eyes

There’s a killer on the loose, and the targets are none other than the boys in blue. No cop will be safe until Conan cracks the case. There’s just one problem – only Rachel has seen the fiend in action, and she has amnesia from the trauma of witnessing a murder first-hand causing her to forget everything she ever knew and everyone she ever loved.

 

 

Countdown to Heaven

As the grand opening of a pair of towers nears, death and mayhem mars the fresh start to the architectural marvels. Conan, suspecting that the mysterious Black Organization that poisoned and left him for dead of being involved, goes to investigate. But soon finds himself in harm’s way, trapped, as the buildings are set to blow.

 

The Phantom of Baker Street

At the launch party for a new virtual game that includes a world heavily modeled off of the stories about Sherlock Holmes, Conan and the Junior Detective League find themselves among the lucky few to try out the new game. But when a hacker takes control of the game and changes the stakes, solving the mystery and catching the killer becomes a matter of life and death.

 

FUNimation Entertainment will release each movie individually beginning winter 2009.

Voice Actor/Dub Director Mike McFarland  
to Appear at Otakon® 2009 

Baltimore, MD (July 10, 2009) – American voice actor and dub director Mike McFarland, who has worked on a wide variety of popular series, will be a guest at Otakon 2009.  

McFarland got his start in anime as one of the first voice actors in Texas to be hired by FUNimation Productions in 1997, and has since moved on to become a director, script writer, and line producer for numerous anime series.  

Notable roles include Master Roshi, Yajirobe, Android #8 and Pui-Pui in Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, Baby and Baby-Vegeta in Dragon Ball GT, Goemon in Lupin The Third (Movie Specials), Ritsu Sohma in Fruits Basket, Lt. Jean Havoc in Fullmetal Alchemist, Cain in Trinity Blood, Buggy the Clown in One Piece, “Ranka” Fujioka in Ouran High School Host Club, Tybalt in Romeo x Juliet, Leo in Burst Angel, Bruce J. Speed in Galaxy Railways, as well as various roles in Yu Yu Hakusho, Nerima Daikon Brothers, Kodocha, Desert Punk, Black Cat, Kiddy Grade, and many others.  

As an ADR/Voice Director, McFarland has worked on such series and films as Fullmetal Alchemist, Fullmetal Alchemist: Conqueror Of Shamballa, Dragon Ball Z, Vexille, Yu Yu Hakusho, Mushi-Shi, Case Closed, Dragon Ball, Galaxy Railways, Trinity Blood, and Evangelion: You Are (Not) Alone. ADR scriptwriting credits include Fullmetal Alchemist, Kodocha, Trinity Blood, Solty Rei, Mushi-Shi, and the uncut versions of Dragon Ball Z.  

McFarland is also an accomplished improv comedian, musician, and has appeared in numerous commercials and independent films, including The Rage Within, House Of The Generals, Placebo, and the award-winning Shtickmen. For more information, check out his web site: www.mikemcfarland.com. 

McFarland appears courtesy of FUNimation. Look for him at their booth and panels. 

Otakon 2009 will be held July 17-19 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland.  
 
 

ABOUT OTAKON AND OTAKORP, INC.: Now entering its sixteenth year, Otakon is an annual celebration of Japanese and East Asian popular culture, and also one of the largest gatherings of fans in the United States. Otakon celebrates popular culture as a gateway to deeper understanding of Asian culture, and has grown along with the enthusiasm for anime, manga, video games, and music from the Far East. Since 1999, Otakon has been held in Baltimore, Maryland; currently, Otakon is one of Baltimore's few large, city-wide events, drawing over 25,000 individual members for three days each year (for a paid attendance of over 70,000 "turnstile" attendees). Otakon is a membership-based convention sponsored by Otakorp, Inc., a Pennsylvania-based, 501(c)3 educational non-profit whose mission is to promote the appreciation of Asian culture, primarily through its media and entertainment. Otakorp, Inc. is directed by an all-volunteer, unpaid staff – we are run by fans, for fans. 

For more information about Otakorp, Inc., see http://www.otakon.com/otakorp/index.asp

For more information and the latest news on Otakon 2009, see http://www.otakon.com/ 

Otakon® Pre-Reg Higher Than Expected

Up 4.6% Over Last Year's Numbers 

Baltimore, MD (July 12, 2009) – Despite global financial troubles and health scares such as the swine flu, more people than ever are flocking to Baltimore to attend Otakon. This year, 17,985 have pre-registered for Otakon. This is up nearly 800 people, or 4.6%, from last year. 

Otakon president Matt Smiechowski says, "I was actually expecting it to be on par with, if not lower than, last year's pre-registration total of 17,186, due to factors such as the economy. It's better than I could have hoped." He said he's expecting around 27,000 to attend this year. That would represent 2.8% growth over last year.  

Pre-registration badge pick-up this year will be open one hour later (until 11 p.m. on Thursday). This means that those picking up their badges Thursday night could get in line in the early evening and still make it through the line quickly. Smiechowski reminds those attending that if they plan to get in line first thing Thursday morning, they should come prepared for the weather. Pre-registration begins at 5 p.m.

 

ABOUT OTAKON AND OTAKORP, INC.: Now entering its sixteenth year, Otakon is an annual celebration of Japanese and East Asian popular culture, and also one of the largest gatherings of fans in the United States. Otakon celebrates popular culture as a gateway to deeper understanding of Asian culture, and has grown along with the enthusiasm for anime, manga, video games, and music from the Far East. Since 1999, Otakon has been held in Baltimore, Maryland; currently, Otakon is one of Baltimore's few large, city-wide events, drawing over 25,000 individual members for three days each year (for a paid attendance of over 70,000 "turnstile" attendees). Otakon is a membership-based convention sponsored by Otakorp, Inc., a Pennsylvania-based, 501(c)3 educational non-profit whose mission is to promote the appreciation of Asian culture, primarily through its media and entertainment. Otakorp, Inc. is directed by an all-volunteer, unpaid staff – we are run by fans, for fans. 

For more information about Otakorp, Inc., see http://www.otakon.com/otakorp/index.asp

For more information and the latest news on Otakon 2009, see http://www.otakon.com/

Animator Hidenori Matsubara to Appear at Otakon© 

Baltimore, MD (June 29, 2009) – Character designer, illustrator and animator Hidenori Matsubara, perhaps best known for his character design work on the Oh My Goddess! OAV series and the Sakura Wars games, will be a guest at Otakon 2009.

As a young and hungry animator, Matsubara worked as an in-betweener on the Project A-Ko movies. From there, he served as an animator on Bubblegum Crisis and Gunbuster. Graduating to animation director for Nadia: Secret of Blue Water, he completed the opening animation for Bubblegum Crash, and then served as animation director on Otaku no Video (the inspiration for Otakon). Other credits in this period include work as an animator on Perfect Blue, Gunsmith Cats, and the original Neon Genesis Evangelion series. For the Oh My Goddess! series (and later for the movie), Matsubara served as character designer and chief animation director; more recently, he was character designer for The Count of Monte Cristo. He also served as the character designer of the hit game series Sakura Wars.

Currently, Matsubara is working under Hideaki Anno as an animator and animation director on the new series of Evangelion movies.

Otakon 2009 will be held July 17-19 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland.

ABOUT OTAKON AND OTAKORP, INC.: Now entering its sixteenth year, Otakon is an annual celebration of Japanese and East Asian popular culture, and also one of the largest gatherings of fans in the United States. Otakon celebrates popular culture as a gateway to deeper understanding of Asian culture, and has grown along with the enthusiasm for anime, manga, video games, and music from the Far East. Since 1999, Otakon has been held in Baltimore, Maryland; currently, Otakon is one of Baltimore's few large, city-wide events, drawing over 22,000 individual members for three days each year (for a paid attendance of over 60,000 "turnstile" attendees). Otakon is a membership-based convention sponsored by Otakorp, Inc., a Pennsylvania-based, 501(c)3 educational non-profit whose mission is to promote the appreciation of Asian culture, primarily through its media and entertainment. Otakorp, Inc. is directed by an all-volunteer, unpaid staff – we are run by fans, for fans.

For more information about Otakorp, Inc., see http://www.otakon.com/otakorp/index.asp

For more information and the latest news on Otakon 2009, see http://www.otakon.com/