We received 200 entries in this year's mascot contest earlier this month, and we spent the past weekend at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Sakura Matsuri where fans voted and voted and voted for the winner. (It was a long weekend.) But, now, we have a victor -- Melissa Wilson! Take a look at newyorkanimefestival.com to see the art!

Melissa will be taking home ten Weekend Passes to NYAF, 50 free manga from Del Rey Manga, and a metric ton of praise from fellow artists at theOtaku.com. Praise must also go out to our nine other finalists -- Jessie Cooke, Johan Faulstich, Joanna Happ, Lindsey Henninger, Jayleen Jackson, Jessie Loo, Juu-Yuki Luu, April Osborne, and Nicholas Samarripa.

Also, shout outs to Jason Barberan, who won a pair of tickets to NYAF at Sakura Matsuri's ticket giveaway, and contest partners Del Rey Manga and theOtaku.com.

Be on the lookout for an interview with Melissa coming soon, and expect to see the 2009 Mascot a lot of places in the near future.