In 2007, NYAF chibi-ized the Statue of Liberty. In 2008, NYAF’s Chibizilla attacked NYC. In 2009, NYAF’s mascot took fans on the ride of their lives. Now, in 2010, NYAF's mascot's gotten a wee bit magical. The New York Anime Festival, along with partners theOtaku.com, Del Rey Manga, and Kinokuniya Bookstore, asked fans to create NYAF's 2010 mascot. Hundreds entered and, then, thousands voted. Now, the ballots have been counted, and we're very pleased to introduce you to Heather Bloss's Bon Bon! (You can see the mascot now at www.mediumatlarge.net.)
After hearing the news and collecting her thoughts, Heather took a few moments to talk to us about creating the NYAF 2010 Mascot...
NYAF: What was your inspiration for your mascot design?
BLOSS: Originally the girl wasn't a witch, but a normal girl falling from the sky with Japanese mythical creatures. The cat used to be a kitsune, for instance, and there used to be kappa children falling from the sky while reaching out for those pieces of Pocky. The Empire State Building also wasn't present in the original concept design. I shared my initial concept with friends to get opinions and found myself questioning why the girl wasn't a witch. From there, I had to reconstruct the character's outfit and particular elements, and decided to add the Empire State Building as a final touch. I thought it would be really fun to have the girl racing around the building on her broom on her way to the convention. Pigeons better watch out, haha!
NYAF: Have you given the mascot a name?
BLOSS: I like to call her Bon Bon. I think it sounds fun and fits her energy level.
NYAF: Are there any artists -- American or Japanese -- who inspire you?
BLOSS: My favorite American artists at the moment are Nico Marlet and Simon Otto who did concept illustrations for How to Train Your Dragon. I can't get enough of their character designs. All of the characters designs and personalities are so well thought out.
As for Japanese artist, I think we'd all have to say Hayao Miyazaki. Not to mention he's an amazing animator, I think I find I'm attracted to an artist's work that tells a story or emphasizes some deep emotion.
NYAF: What materials did you use to create the mascot, and -- overall -- how long did it take you to design?
BLOSS: From start to finish, I used Adobe Photoshop CS3 and a Wacom Intuos 3 tablet. The design alone took almost a day because I changed my mind halfway in and had to redraw the rough line art. My friend had told me about the contest three days before the deadline, but I really wanted to enter. Something in me told me "I have to do this!" so I did.
NYAF: There are a lot of minute details, such as the buttons on the witch's hat and bats on her outfit. Anything you want to say about the little things we may not notice at first?
BLOSS: The little details are one of my favorite parts. I really wanted her to feel a part of the world. A witch living in New York City! I decided to give her high fashion shoes as well. If you're going to fly around, you need to do it in style. Probably one part that I enjoyed the most was the manga books. I actually drew small manga pages and a mock manga cover separately which I then applied to the blank manga pages later.
NYAF: What will you do with the instant library of 50 manga Del Rey will be sending your way?
BLOSS: I haven't been able to afford manga lately, so I think I'll be happily overwhelmed and have something great to read when I travel.
NYAF: How long have you been posting art at theOtaku.com? How'd you discover your site?
BLOSS: I just recently discovered theOtaku.com when I learned about the contest. I wish I had found out about it sooner, it seems like a good community for artists and fans to share their work and passion.
NYAF: What manga are you reading and anime are you watching right now?
BLOSS: I like to read a lot of webcomics. Myth by Zelda C. Wang is one of my favorites. She takes Greek Mythology and always adds a nice twist. As for anime, I'm really into CODE GEASS. I finished the series a while ago, but it's still the first anime that comes to mind. It really has a great story.
NYAF: How long have you been a fan? What got you into manga and anime?
BLOSS: When I was in middle school, I would watch Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura on Cartoon Network; however, I didn't know either was anime at the time. I was also really big into Zelda: Ocarina of Time and would draw it obsessively. I wasn't really exposed to anime until I started going to anime clubs at my friend's parent's comic book store called Zimmies. Those were good times. It's where I was introduced to Evangelion, Cowboy Bebop, Bubblegum Crisis, etc. I think I've been a fan for roughly 8-9 years?
NYAF: Have you been to the New York Anime Festival or Comic Con before? Any favorite memories? Anything you're excited about this year?
BLOSS: The closest I've ever gotten to New York was visiting the Empire State Building on an 8th grade trip. I've always wanted to venture to New York for this con. I'm really excited. I hope I can make a lot of fun memories with my friends here.
NYAF: If you could eat only one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
BLOSS: SHABU SHABU! Which is basically "hotpot". I would willingly eat this everyday. It's filling and delicious and you can choose whatever you want in it.
NYAF: What do you do when you're not designing mascots, and what do you want to be doing in five years?
BLOSS: Hopefully I'll be working in an animation studio, haha. When I'm not designing mascots, I'm developing my own stories and characters. In five years, my goal is to have my own animated anime series underway. It's gonna be fun. I only wish I could make clones of myself to help speed up the process. It's a lot of work but animating my own series is a goal I've always secretly worked towards, almost like it was taboo, haha.
NYAF: Any message to the readers at NYAF?
BLOSS: I wish I could meet each and every one of you to personally thank you and hear your comments about the mascot! I'm very happy that everyone enjoys the mascot as much as I do. I can't begin to thank New York enough for this wonderful experience! Thank you to everyone!
NYAF: Have you thought about the mascot's powers? Besides swooping around the Empire State Building, how does she bewitch NYC?
BLOSS: She wouldn't necessarily rely on her powers to bewitch people. She can just do that with her charming, bubbly personality to win over people's affection. She's always fun to be around, and tries to make sure everyone is having fun. When it comes to helping a citizen in need, she might whip up a couple magic spells to help you. Can't always guarantee the spells will come out right though...
Be on the lookout for Bon Bon throughout the summer and fall as we ramp up into NYAF, and -- fingers crossed -- we've got a few Bon Bon cosplayers this year. (We had two fans dress up as Ron the Taxi Driver at NYAF 2009.) A big thanks, huzzah, and kudos to Heather, who'll be taking home 50 free manga from Del Rey Manga and 10 tickets to the con, and a very special thanks to all the finalists -- who'll each receive two tickets and one free manga -- and everyone who entered and voted.
October isn't that far away!
