March 29, 2006
News for Anime Punch! 2006:
Anime Punch! announces final round of guests
COLUMBUS, OH., March 29, 2006
Known as "The Armageddicon", Anime Punch! 2006 is the new three-day Anime and Japanese Culture Convention designed to provide a completely new convention going experience. A.P. prides itself on having the most unique programming around and strives to strike perfect balance between the most intellectual panels and discussions with entertaining and enjoyable events, all while providing the most fun atmosphere of any convention yet. Our Annual Events include Concerts, Panels, a Masquerade 24-hour showing rooms, Dance, Swimsuit and Video Game contests and much, much more. We promise to take any fan's suggestion and do our best to make it happen!
Our esteemed academic guests include Lawrence Eng, a PHD candidate in otaku studies and a frequent contributor to the CJAS newsletter, who is well known for the website "Thought Experiments Lain"; Lien Fan Shen, an artist of shoujo and yaoi manga who has five works published in Taiwan and is currently researching postmodern trends in animation; Richard Torrance, who received his BA in Asian languages and literature from the University of Washington and his PhD in East Asian Languages and Literatures from Yale. Kuwai-sensei, an OSU Japanese Language Professor and author, who will be speaking on the differences between the Japanese spoken in anime and the Japanese spoken by real native speakers and many more.
Our Academic Guests will be joining our exciting Musical Guests of Honor Singer/Songwriter Steve Conte and popular fan-band The Spoony Bards at the con.
Steve Conte is an acclaimed musician and guitarist and a member of the legendary New York Dolls. He has worked with world-famous Japanese composer Yoko Kanno on numerous projects, including "Brain Powrd", "Cowboy Bebop", "RahXephon: The Movie" and "Wolf's Rain". Conte has also produced music for many television shows, including Smallville, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Angel, and JAG. His band Crown Jewels was named by Musician Magazine as one of the Top Ten Unsigned Bands in North America. Needless to say, the guy knows how to put on a show, and he'll be doing a concert at Anime Punch!
The Spoony Bards formed at Anime Central 2004 when a group of musicians have come to be known for their ability to assemble any available combination of vocal and instrumental talents to create a relaxed musical atmosphere at anime conventions. Since then, 'Bards have expanded their repertoire and have grown in popularity to become a famed network of musicians, known for playing videogame and anime music by request for days at a time at conventions. The Spoony Bards will provide a great atmosphere for all Anime Punch con goers and are always willing to let anyone join in on the musical festivities.
Our Industry guest include professional Voice Actors Crispin Freeman (Akira, Digimon, Wolfs Rain, Last Exile) and Joshua Seth (Angel Sanctuary, Xenosaga, Slayers, Witch Hunter Robin, as well as famous Alucard from Hellsing) who will host panels, answer questions about their craft and give tips to inspiring actors on how to break into the industry).
Anime Punch! will be held March 31st to April 2nd of 2006 at the Holiday Inn Columbus/Worthington Hotel (175 Hutchinson Avenue) in Central Ohio.
