Ahoy, I'm Peter Tatara. In brief, I'm left-handed, a vegetarian, and my blood type is A. I work for the New York Comic Con and New York Anime Festival and have a cute girlfriend and a Space: Above & Beyond boxset. I'm generally a happy guy.
- Created By ptatara
Japan Society Halloween Event at Kinokuniya!
Halloween's technically October 31st, but that's not stopping our friends at Japan Society from hosting a creepy, kooky, spooky event at Kinokuniya Bookstore on November 1! Japan Society will be taking over Kinokuniya's second floor from 2 to 4 PM on November 1 for a session of Kamishibai Storytelling. From Japan Society...
Mystical creatures of Japan such as oni, kappa and tengu are introduced through kamishibai (Paper Theater) storytelling around the time of Halloween. Participants will hear Japanese folktales featuring ghosts and otherworldly creatures in English and Japanese, accompanied by song and dance. Popular anime ghost characters of Japan will be also introduced. Afterward, they will create their own masks of the folktale characters featured in the stories.
Japan Society recommends the event for children from 3-10 years old, but it's open to all. And it's free to all, too!
Kinokuniya is at 1073 Avenue of the Americas in NYC. For more, visit…
http://www.japansociety.org/event_detail?eid=4adfa4c5
The Circle Is Complete (Cake Update)
Remember the New York Anime Festival? Come on, think back. It was only a month ago. We kicked it off with a Pre-Party at Dave & Buster’s in Times Square. What was the highlight of the party? The cake. The Charm City Cakes Del Rey Manga 5th Anniversary Green-Tea Flavored With Ginger Icing Cake. How’d we cut it? That’s right. A katana from the good guys at Dragonsong Forge.
Here’s the cake…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hExEeqV_ViA
Here’s the cutting…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9xft3E-OzA
And, now, the circle is complete, as the Dragonsong Force katana has been delivered to the awesome dudes at Charm City Cakes…
http://twitpic.com/ndnyn
Sorry, Geof.
HAPPYFUNSMILE SQUARED
Local band -- and friend of show -- HAPPYFUNSMILE plays an amalgam of Japanese street music, festival beats, and folk songs that's uniquely NYC -- and you've got two chances to see them this week.
HAPPYFUNSMILE will be performing a free show on October 30 at Forbidden City (just a few blocks from Forbidden Planet) in NYC. Taking place at 9 PM at 212 Avenue A (between 13th and 14th Streets), this is the band's annual Halloween gig. In other words, cosplay is encouraged! For more, visit…
http://www.mediumatlarge.net/2009/10/happyfunsmile-at-forbidden-city.html
Then, just a few nights later, the first J-Summit New York Halloween Party is taking place. On Sunday, November 1 at Webster Hall, it'll feature Uzuhi, Lilac, Gurigula, Kossan, Fuse, Ebina Kenichi, 10tecomai, DJ Frost, DJ AKi, DJ Yoshiki, and HAPPYFUNSMILE. Alone Together NYC will present a NY Meets Japan Fashion Show and Costume Contest, and there'll be a trip to Japan given away as part of the night. Doors open at 3 PM, and it's $25 at the door. Webster Hall is at 125 East 11th St. For more, visit…
http://www.mediumatlarge.net/2009/10/j-summit-new-york-halloween-party.html
NYAF isn't organizing either of the above activities, but they're events we want you -- as a New York Anime Fan -- to know about.
NYC Dumpling Festival � Oct 24
I love New York. I love the people, the places, and events, the opportunities, and the food. And I love when it all intersects. Like this weekend at the first ever NYC Dumpling Festival -- taking place October 24 in Sara D. Roosevelt Park off East Houston Street in Manhattan.
From 12 PM to 5 PM in Chinatown, the event will feature cookbook signings with Chefs Wai Hon Chu (co-author of The Dumpling: A Seasonal Guide) and Jaden Hair (author of The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook: 101 Asian Recipes Simple Enough for Tonight's Dinner), an East Village dumpling tour, dumpling making classes, family games, and a dumpling eating contest. Guests and attendees will also be able to taste and experience dumplings from around the world with offerings such as gnocchi (Italy), tamale (Mexico), palitaw (Philippines), kuih koci (Malaysia), idli (India), bao (China), and pierogi (Poland).
All proceeds from the NYC Dumpling Festival will benefit the Food Bank For New York City. (And a big thanks for C.B. Cebulski for the tip!)
Osamu Tezuka Day is Sunday at Kinokuniya!
Don't forget that Sunday, October 18 is Osamu Tezuka Day at Kinokuniya Bookstore in NYC! The full schedule is nyanimefest.com. Swing on by 1073 Ave of the Americas starting at noon to meet up with NYAF, Vertical, Abrams, and Samurai Beat Radio as we all celebrate Osamu Tezuka and our favorite Tezuka characters.
And, yes, there will be giveaways. Rumor has it, there'll be boxes of manga and DVDs from this year's New York Anime Festival.
