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
WCS Team USA on NPR
If you're one of those tweed-wearing, latte-drinking liberals, you may have heard Renee Gloger – half of World Cosplay Summit Team USA – on Friday while listening to NPR. Renee was interviewed by the BBC and PRI's radio program The World. She's currently in Japan with her teammate, Sonnya Paz, competing in the World Cosplay Summit Finals. Team USA was chosen at New York Anime Festival 2007, and next year’s Team USA will be chosen at New York Anime Festival 2008.
If you're not one of those tweed-wearing, latte-drinking liberals, you can listen to The World's interview with Renee here...
http://www.theworld.org/?q=node/19853
In the interest of full disclosure, I don't just listen to NPR, I'm also a member.
Bleach Producer Yuji Nunokawa at Kinokuniya
Not going to Otakon this year? Then I’ve got something – something huge – for you to do in NYC. Kinokuniya Bookstore will be welcoming the President of Pierrot at 4 PM on Saturday, August 9 to their NYC Store (1073 Ave of the Americas). Pierrot is the production company behind series including Bleach, Naruto, and Yu Yu Hakusho, and Mr. Yuji Nunokawa founded the company over 30 years ago. Today, he serves as President and Producer of Pierrot’s biggest shows – including Bleach and Naruto.
Nunokawa-san will be speaking about the history of his company and what it’s like creating the most popular anime in Japan. Japanese radio show Samurai Beat Radio will also be on hand during Nunokawa-san’s appearance, looking to interview American anime fans. If you’re selected, your voice could be broadcast to 26 cities throughout the Japan.
And, because the New York Anime Festival is a big fan of Kinokuniya, Kinokuniya will also be giving away free passes to the 2008 New York Anime Festival at the end of Nunokawa-san’s appearance.
World Cosplay Summit Team USA is in Japan!
The winners of the 2007 New York Anime Festival Masquerade were given a very special prize -- they were crowned the World Cosplay Summit's Team USA -- and after months of practice and preparation, they've flown out to Japan to compete in the World Cosplay Summit Finals.
The World Cosplay Summit is the Olympics of Cosplay, an event that brings teams from over ten countries together every summer in Nagoya, Japan. There, they compete before press, fans, and celebrities until one is named the best in the world. And, I'm very proud that the US is represented on the international stage by two girls -- Sonnya Paz and Renee Gloger -- from Queens.
Sonnya and Renee have spent the entire year getting ready for the WCS and along with gifted cosplay photographer Anna Fischer, they're now on a bullet train destined for Nagoya. The three have been in Japan since last week and already geeked out in Akihabara, hung out with some of the other teams, and met the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Really.
If you'd like to follow Team USA's journey, you can browse Anna's flickr gallery…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27594459@N04/
And or more on Team USA, you can check out their recent interview with AintItCoolNews and this story on the AP…
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/37577
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080730/ennew_afp/entertainmentjapancultureanimationoffbeat_080730160606
If you think you've got the stuff to compete with cosplayers from around the world, enter the 2008 New York Anime Festival Masquerade, as its winners will travel to Japan as Team USA in 2009!
http://www.nyanimefestival.com/en-us/607.cfm
Gurren Lagann Guests at NYAF!
I'm very pleased to announce Gurren Lagann stars Tony Oliver, Kyle Hebert, and Steve Blum will all be attending the 2008 New York Anime Festival. Tony Oliver is directing the English-language version of Gurren Lagann, Mr. Hebert is featured as the voice of Kamina, and Mr. Blum provides the voice of the genius mechanic Leeron.
For those who haven't heard about Gurren Lagann, the series follows the story of Simon and Kamina, youths from an underground village who become embroiled in a conflict with surface "Beastmen" who pilot humanoid machines known as Gunmen. It's a story that starts buried deep beneath the soil and travels into the farthest reaches of the heavens. Gurren Lagann won "Best Television Series" and "Best Character Design" at the 2008 Tokyo Animation Fair and airs every Monday at 11 PM EST on the SCI FI Channel.
It's shaping up to be biggest show of the year, and we're honored to bring its stars together in the biggest city in America.
Mr. Oliver, Mr. Hebert, and Mr. Blum's appearances are thanks to the tremendous cooperation of Bandai and Bang Zoom! Entertainment.
Baby, The Stars Shine Bright at NYAF
The New York Anime Festival is a celebration of all that is part of Japanese pop culture, and our Guests of Honor represent this. We have author Hideyuki Kikuchi. We have illustrator Yoshitaka Amano. We have voice actress Rie Tanaka. And now, I'm pleased and honored to reveal we have fashion designer Baby, The Stars Shine Bright.
Baby, The Stars Shine Bright -- Japan's premier Lolita fashion brand -- will be sending designers Miho Satoh and Masumi Kanoh will attend the New York Anime Festival to speak about the history and philosophy of their brand, welcome fans to a special Baby, The Stars Shine boutique, and even enjoy a cup of tea with NYAF attendees during a Baby, The Stars Shine Bright tea party.
For those unfamiliar with Lolita fashion, born on the streets of Japan, Lolita fashion is a style of clothing which adopts child-like charms and details from periods such as Rococo France and Victorian England. The Lolita look is full of knee-skimming skirts, pintucks, petticoats, and blouses edged in lace. Developing since the 1970s in Japan, Lolita fashion is now rapidly gaining a wide following worldwide.
Baby, The Stars Shine Bright was founded as a boutique in Shibuya, Tokyo in 1988 by husband and wife team Akinori and Fumiyo Isobe. Baby, The Stars Shine Bright has since grown into an international phenomenon with fans around the world and stores as faraway as Paris. The brand has collaborated with numerous famous icons including Sanrio's Hello Kitty and Japanese pop star Nana Kitade. Anime fans and followers of Asian cinema will no doubt recognize Baby, The Stars Shine Bright as the clothing line at the center of the feature film Kamikaze Girls.
Baby, The Stars Shine Bright designer Miho Satoh was born in Tokyo, enjoyed handicrafts since she was young, and started studying clothing design as a high school student. Even now, after joining Baby, The Stars Shine Bright, she continues her studies in clothing design. Designer Masumi Kanoh was born in Miyagi, Japan. She's always loved cute things and discovered Lolita fashion in junior high school. She joined Baby, The Stars Shine Bright right out of university.
Details about Miho Satoh, Masumi Kanoh, and the Baby, The Stars Shine Bright events at the New York Anime Festival will be available at newyorkanimefestival.com in the coming weeks.
(And keep your eyes peeled for another Guest of Honor coming soon. All I can say is I like Japanese food.)
