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
NYAF Friend of Show Tom Wayland Makes Music On Friday
NYAF Guest and Friend of Show Tom Wayland will be at the P&G Bar on the Upper West Side on Friday, making some music with friends, starting at 6 PM. P&G Bar is at 380 Columbus Avenue.
For more, visit www.pandgbar.com.
Japan Society Cosplay Party � May 15
Last year, NYC’s Japan Society held its first Cosplay Party in conjunction with its KRAZY! exhibit. This year, the cosplay returns in a bigger, brighter, longer party. Like anime? In NYC on May 15? Make the short trek to Japan Society at 333 East 47th Street!
Set on Saturday, May 15, the event will include New York City's first-ever big screen presentation of the anime film Evangelion 1.11, nonstop musical entertainment by cosplay DJ Ruby Red, a photo booth, free admission to Japan Society's current exhibition "Graphic Heroes, Magic Monsters", and a full-blown costume competition with prizes from Kinokuniya Bookstore, hosted by Uncle Yo, and judged by the World Cosplay Summit’s 2009 Team USA. Throughout the day, cosplayers are welcome to enjoy a variety of sweet and savory snacks with Japanese and Western drinks while relaxing in Japan Society's J-Lounge.
In addition, Japan Society's mangaka (comic book illustrator) artist-in-residence, Hiroki Otsuka serves as a guest judge for the costume competition. In the early part of the day, participants can meet and observe Otsuka as he creates an original comic book based on Graphic Heroes, Magic Monsters.
Tickets are $20 in advance ($15 for members). The first 220 ticket buyers receive auditorium seating for the costume competition, after which ticket buyers can watch live on plasma screens in the foyer. Contest participants do not require a seat, but pre-sale is recommended for those wanting to compete. Film screening tickets will be released at 2:00 PM on the day of the event and are on a first-come, first-served basis to Cosplay Party ticket holders. All Cosplay Party ticket holders receive complementary admission to Japan Society Gallery for the exhibition Graphic Heroes Magic Monsters.
For more, including the Cosplay Party’s schedule of events and costume contest entry information, visit www.JapanSociety.org!
Dwyer Cultural Center Anime Event
NYC's Dwyer Cultural Center will be hosting "PJ Mini Pop", an afternoon-long Japanese event on May 23. Running from noon to 6 PM, it'll include a karaoke contest, robots, anime screenings, food and drink, and a performance by singer Reni-chan.
The Dwyer Cultural Center is at 258 St. Nicholas Avenue. Admission is $15, and you can learn more by calling 212-222-8901 or emailing [email protected].
NYAF Mascot Contest!
The New York Anime Festival is moving to October! Taking place October 8-10 in the Jacob Javits Center in NYC beside the New York Comic Con, NYC's celebration of Japanese popular culture will be bigger and better than ever. I know, change can be scary, but there's a lot of fantastic things ahead for NYAF. And while there'll be changes, don't expect the classic elements of the convention to disappear. (Can I call them "classic" elements after only four years? Eh.) One of NYAF's big events since its very first year's been our Mascot Contest. We've seen a pint-sized Statue of Liberty (by Shi Yuan Kuang), a kawaii kaiju (from Quarteni), and a bishounen taxi driver (by Mel) grace NYAF's walls, and now you could construct NYAF's 2010 ambassador.
Wouldn't you love to see your character at the biggest anime festival in the North East? Thanks to Del Rey Manga, theOtaku.com, Kinokuniya Bookstore, and the New York Anime Festival, you can!
Announced May 1 at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Sakura Matsuri and running until May 20th, Kinokuniya, theOtaku.com, Del Rey Manga, and the New York Anime Festival welcome artists and anime fans from around America to think about what “Anime”, “New York City”, and (because we're in October) “Halloween”, mean to them and draw these thoughts into an original character. Whether it's big, small, a towering mecha, or chibi, we want to see your entries!
Once all the entries are in, Kinokuniya, theOtaku.om, Del Rey Manga, and the New York Anime Festival will be selecting ten finalists that will be put on display at Kinokuniya Bookstore in NYC (1073 Ave of the Americas). Kinokuniya visitors will vote for their favorite, with the character receiving the most votes crowned NYAF's 2010 mascot. On June 26, as part of a day of anime events at Kinokuniya, the winner will be revealed!
Sounds good? What are the rules?
1. You must be 13-years-old or older.
2. You must be a US or Canadian resident.
3. Your art must be original. (No using the characters from Negima.)
4. Your art must be at least 300 dpi.
5. Your art must be in JPEG format.
6. Your art must be accompanied by your full (real) name, e-mail address, age, and phone number.
What about the prizes?
This is your chance to get your artwork in front of over 20,000 anime fans! The 2010 New York Anime Festival mascot will grace the convention's program guide and appear on signs throughout the event, and to make sure the winner's name is known, he or she will be profiled in the New York Anime Festival's program guide beside the mascot.
And, there's more! The creator of the winning New York Anime Festival mascot will receive a copy of all of the New York Anime Festival's swag with the mascot appearing on it (T-Shirts, Posters...) and take home 10 weekend passes to the 2010 New York Anime Festival!
We're not done yet, as Del Rey Manga will be giving the winner an instant collection -- 50 volumes of manga!
Our nine other finalists will each receive two weekend passes to the New York Anime Festival and one volume of manga from Del Rey.
So, break out the pencils, fire up the Photoshop, read through the official rules, and submit your original mascot now! For all the rules, all the details, and to enter, visit our friends at theOtaku.com!
NYPL Otaku Take Over
We're a little late to the party, but the New York Public Library is hosting a special series of events for manga and anime fans all week long. Dubbed the Otaku Take Over, it's a series of after-school events running until March 6th...
Monday, March 1, 4 PM: Gaming event (board and video games)
Tuesday, March 2, 4 PM: Teen Panel, moderated by Barry Lyga
Wednesday, March 3, 4 PM: Professional Panel with special guests Barry Lyga and Raina Telgemeier. Followed by a Career Festival – find out how people made their passion into an occupation!
Wednesday, March 3, 5:30 PM: Teen Central teams up with our Gay-Straight Alliance. Yaoi and yuri discussion.
Thursday, March 4, 4 PM: Gaming event (board and video games)
Friday, March 5, 3 PM: Art Workshop with Jolene Siana
Friday, March 5, 4 PM: Drawing Workshop with Misako Rocks!
Saturday, March 6, 3 PM: Martial Arts demonstration
The events take place in the Community Room of the NYPL's Grand Central Library. For more details, visit...
www.nypl.org/events/programs/2010/03/01/otaku-takeover
