Project: A-Kon - Jun 2-4, 1995
pho...@netcom.com
UPDATE of 3-13-95
**** PROJECT: A-KON 6 INFORMATION ****
The first, and oldest, National Convention For fans of Japanese
Animation, and other eclectic animation in the Country!
Project: A-Kon 6 will be held June 2-4, 1995 at the Harvey Addison (Dallas,
Tx) Hotel. (214-980-8877 for hotel reservations-be sure to mention
A-Kon)
NEW INFO: NEW JAPANESE GUEST STAR ANNOUNCED:
Project: A-Kon, in conjunction with A.D. Vision are proud and honored
to welcome
*** YORHISA UCHIDA ***
to America for his first visit!
This is the Director/Character Designer for Guy 1 & 2, and Legend of
Lyon: Flare 1, and Character Designer for Flare 1 & 2 (Flare III is being
worked on now). He has also worked on such titles as Metal Jack and Baldios.
Come help us welcome him to the U.S.!
NEW INFO: More Japanese Manga Artists from Studio Do-Do!
HARUMI SHIMAOTO (Naokin) (works on "Canvas Diary")
DOSA (we're not sure what he works on yet)
MIO ODAGI ("Gakken")
There are more Japanese guests at this A-Kon than at any other con we know of
outside of Japan itself!
IF YOU WANT MORE INFO & PROGRESS REPORTS SENT TO YOU:
email us at pho...@pic.net and include your SNAIL MAIL
ADDRESS (some stuff is just TOO LONG to stick on the net, and
any giveaways we get are too bulky to cram into the
computer! ;) ) or regular mail us at: 3352 Broadway Blvd.,
Suite 470, Garland, TX 75043. If you want to use the phone
or fax us, call 214-278-6935.
Check out our World Wide Web page at:
http://www.metronet.com/HomePages/ocon/akon6.html
We hope to have artwork up there soon!
OTHER INFORMATION:
GUESTS SO FAR: (*=new as of this update)
*YORHISA UCHIDA See above for info
Ippongi Bang Japanese manga artist guest of honor. Co-sponsored by our
friends at Antarctic Press, Ippongi Bang is a manga artist
responsible for such titles as: F-III Bandit, Amazing Strip,
and Change Commander Goku, among others. We welcome her to
her first A-Kon and know you'll look forward to seeing her!
STUDIO DO-DO Almost a whole manga company from Japan is coming over to
A-Kon! Including:
Masayuki Fujihara ("Dodekain" currently on comic
stants now!)
Hiroshi Yakumo ("Hurricane Girls"-Debut in July from
Antarctic Press!)
Yutaka Kondo ("Gojin" - Debut in April from AP!)
Nozomu Tamake ("Time Knight Reverser")
*Harumi Shimaoto "Naokin" ("Canvas Diary")
*Dosa (??)
*Mio Odagi ("Gakken")
Ben Dunn Founder of Antarctic Press
Carl Macek Head of Streamline Pictures (considered the creator of
Robotech) His first A-Kon ever.
Pat Duke author/artist of Mouse Marines, etc.
Joe Wight (Tentative, but probably) author/artist of Twilight-X
Ted Nomura author/artist of "Tigers of Terra"
Tex Henson Former animator for Disney, Jay Ward and Fleischer
Bros. studios. Co-creator of "Chip N Dale", head animator on
"Rocky and Bullwinkle", among others.
Adam Warren Premiering new FULL COLOR "Dirty Pair" comic. It won't be
released 'till July, but you'll see it here first!
Neil Nadelman Freelance translator & all-around fan
Dale Engelhardt Fan Guest of Honor. Known up and down the West Coast for
being the spitting image of Lupin III (I've seen him, it's
true!), great costumer!
Fred Perry Artist of "GoldDigger" comic
Elin Winkler Editor, Antarctic Press
Herb Mallette Editor, Antarctic Press
In fact, A-Kon 6 is the only place where you can meet virtually ALL of the
Antarctic Press folks, from editorialists, to artists, to authors, to
editors, including Doug Dlin, Kuni Kimura, Matt High, and others!
Ticket Prices: $20 for all three days in advance; $25 at the door
Hotel Prices: $69 a night (flat - tax is already figured in) for 1-4 people
A-KON's 6th FABULOUS YEAR WILL BOAST SUCH fEATURES AS:
* Multiple 24 hr. vid rooms (1 is an amphitheater)
* 24-hr. Kon hospitality suite
* Costume Contest
* Sat. Nite Dance
* Panels & Autograph sessions
* AWOL's ANIME JEOPARDY
* Talent Search/Portfolio Critiques by AP-come show your stuff!
* Komik Market a new idea for fan publishers to show off their stuff!
* Hong Kong Films (and other interesting asian film)
* Live action role playing games such as CYBERPUNK, VAMPIRE and NERO
* aprox. 6,000 sq. ft. of dealers with all kinds of merchandise
* Great art show & auction
* Heretic's Descent Into Doom II Room: Computer multi-player gaming room
* Fan Video Contest - hosted by Vulture
* Prizes, giveaways, etc.
* 24 hr. Battletech
* 24 hr. regular Gaming, including Japanimayhem, the tongue in cheek look at
the anime world, run by Steve Grape, it's co-creator
* Fan participation rooms and events
and MORE as we develop it!
************* PROGRESS REPORT Updated 3-13-95 *****************
Here's the latest and the greatest on Project: A-Kon Animation Convention,
June 2-4, 1995: (New or Revised stuff has headings in CAPS)
KON HOURS:
Pre-Registered people can pick up their packets Thursday, June 1,
from 6 pm - 10 pm and avoid Friday's lines!
Registration hours: Friday: 10-7, Saturday: 9-7, Sunday: 11-4
Video Rooms: Open Noon on Friday, and operate non-stop until Sunday
at 6 pm!
Art Show: Open 2:00 pm Friday. Art Auction: 9:30pm Saturday
*** DEALERS So Far: (new dealers for this update are in CAPS)
AD Vision: Subbed and dubbbed anime titles of all kinds.
Anime Wink: Cels, Cels & More Cels!
Antarctic Press: Get their great lineup of comics, original stories, anime
titles, etc.
Asylum Comics: All kinds of titles & stuff!
Banzai Comics: Comics & Anime merchandise
Bruno Ruchalski: Books, manga, tapes, & other merchandise
Jingobei Binbo Club: Anime Memorabilia
Comic Wizard: All kinds of anime cels & great prices
Databank Press: Custom made ID badges & stuff
GK GEN: Manga, and other anime stuff
Gryphon Comics: All kinds of collectible cards & games (including some
rare animated card sets)
Happy Jackal Graphics: Art, Anime stuff, models, etc.
Instant Attitudes: buttons & stuff-attutude you wear on a shirt!
KEITH'S COMICS: All kinds of comics & other neat stuff
Kevin Garten: Handmade anime glass items, swords, etc.
Kimono My House: The best collection of anime stuff found anywhere!
Laser Perceptions: CD's, Laser Disks
Martel Enterprises/Yakity Splat: For big blades and big time comics, see
our table...it's Big Time!
Mayfield Bros. Cards: Cards, Collectibles
Nexxus Nine Imports: Some of the finest anime stuff available, and great
prices!
NIKAKU ANIMART: Anime paraphenalia, books, posters, etc. A GREAT selection
Paradigm: Anime merchandise of all kinds
Pegasus: Witty buttons, t-shirts, bumper stickers, etc.
Planet Anime: CD's and anime collectibles-a huge collection
RADIO COMIX: translated manga, anthropomorphic, independent and adult comics,
plus furry fanzines
San Francisco Laser Disk : LD's, memorabilia, shirts, etc.
Stage & Screen: Movie memorabilia, hard-to-find stuff, popular items
Storm: Anime models., toys, etc.
Streamline Pictures: Anime titles of all kinds
Studio Chaos/Theory Productions: Anime stuff (we don't know, they didn't
say!)
SUPERCOLLECTOR: all kinds of anime merchandise
Underhill Arts: Really nifty anime art
We only have 6 TABLES LEFT before the 82 table room is completely SOLD OUT!
Then there is the FAN and KOMIK MARKET TABLES OUTSIDE the dealers room! Pass
along the info to interested parties, or be a dealer yourself! We expect
1,300 people to be at A-Kon 6, a great place for you to sell your stuff!
*** Hotel Info ***
Our new hotel is the Harvey Hotel-Addison (Addison is actually a section of
North Dallas that is it's own town) , a lovely (and oddly designed) 4 story
hotel (it ain't tall, but it's LONG) in a really nice part of town,
surrounded by trees, other businesses, free parking and many restaurants.(In
fact, you're within walking or short driving distance of a restaurant row
called the Addison Corridor). The hotel is planning on a weekend breakfast
buffet for our attendees as well, and their food is great!
*** Reservations ***
Make your reservations AS SOON AS POSSIBLE so you don't miss out on the
rooms. We are sharing space (rooms, not meeting space) so the rooms reserved
for us are slightly different than you may be used to. Reserved for us are
Executive Kings, and Executive Doubles (which have one regular bed, and one
fold out double-sized sofa bed, which the hotel swears has been considered
comfortable by their guests in the past). This allows people to have more
room if they want it, and space to cram people in the room if they want to.
It is actually a somewhat larger, overall slightly nicer room than the
standard double room (which are better than average anyway), and we are
getting them because of the unavailability of standard doubles being used by
the Taikwondo group. Make the most of it! We do have an overflow hotel with
rooms reserved at a Marriott Courtyard across the street if we need to use
it, so make your resevations quickly (even if you're not 100% sure you'll
make the Kon-you can always cancel the room later) because the Harvey will
release our room block 3 WEEKS away from the Kon, and you may not have a room
when you want it if you don't reserve! Call 214-980-8877 to make your room
reservation and make sure you mention you're with Project: A-Kon to get that
special Kon rate of $69 per night flat for 1-4 people, tax included! ($89
for the larger Executive Suite) Everything's going up in Dallas, so that's a
really nice price for this great hotel on a good side of town.
*** Travel Arrangements ***
We have an official travel agent this year: Stephanie Alford of Lunisea
Travel. She'll help you get here with a minimum of cost, hassle and fuss.
Give her a call at: 408-631-1056, FAX her at: 408-734-2840 or EMAIL her at:
lun...@netcom.com She can also help with train fare, bus fare or any other
way you might want to come to A-Kon! Look for her web-page as well (will
post the address when we know it)
*** Volunteers ***
People have asked 'how do I volunteer to help work A-Kon?' Well, you write
and get one of our handy-dandy volunteer packets, fill out the form, and
return it. It asks pertinent questions about your preferences and
availability, and gives you a full rundown of departments, etc. Volunteers
get crash space (not necessarily a bed, but a place to sleep), and at least
one hot meal a day. You also get the opportunity to purchase (at cost) one
of the limited edition Kon Staff t-shirts, available ONLY to workers. (A
collectors item, one fan offered a staffer $50 for his staff shirt one year!
He didn't give it up!). We ONLY make shirts enough to cover the orders, so
if you think you'll want one, order one! You will pay for it at the time of
the Kon, so you can wear it that weekend. Send a SASE with your request for
a volunteer info packet to the main Kon address, attention: Volunteers, and
you'll be contacted by the appropriate staff head when you return the form.
We can always use dependable volunteers who really want to help A-Kon be it's
best. We welcome all inquiries.
** SPECIAL GIFT TO ALL PRE-REGISTERED AND FULL-KON PASS ATTENDEES:
Antarctic Press will be doing a super special gift for us, to
be included FREE to all pre-registered (and 3-day pass) guests. It may be a
portfolio. It may be a commemorative comic. You won't know unless you sign
up, but it WILL be limited edition, and WILL be done just for us! Not
available on newstands nor in stores! Get yours today!
*** KOMIK MARKET ***
Suggested by a friend (Hi Cap'n Dave!) and named in honor of the Comic Market
in Japan (an industry con similar to San Diego Comic Con here), A-Kon Komik
Market will be THE place for fan publishers and small-press folks to show off
their stuff. This is a new idea for us, but we think it's time that there is
a focus on fan publishers, as they help keep communication lines open, and we
want to help promote the small publisher. There is a small $10 charge for
the tables, which will be located outside the dealers room in a 'publisher's
alley' setup. Highlight your mini-comic, fanzine, one-shot comic,
underground press piece, etc. at our Komik Market and let the fans know
you're there! Tables are very limited, so sign up for one soon, if you want
one. One table per fan/group, please.
Komik Market Participants so far are:
A*M Works (Will Allison-new anime mini-comic)
Kimagure Productions (Stephen Tsai - "Kimagure Orange College",
"Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Ranma")
*** OTHER ACTIVITIES:
-- Welcoming Ceremony & Concert:
8:00 pm Friday night, in Whispering Oaks, we welcome all you folks to
the Kon, tell you of any last minute events or happenings, let you know what
you need to know for the weekend, and introduce the guest stars. Your chance
to win some initial prizes, see the guest stars, hear the latest news & info
for this year's Kon. A tradition, with maybe some special surprises (last
year a couple of staffers became engaged on the stage!). Ippongi Bang will
give a special concert of anime tunes for all us A-Konners. Don't miss it!
-- Costume Contest:
At 8pm on Saturday in Whispering Oaks, gather and see the fans in
their finery. Special cash prize for the best Antarctic Press character, as
well as the prizes for Best Re-Creation, Best Skit/Presentation, Most
Humorous, Grand Prize-Best Overall, People's Choice, Judge's Favoriet, etc.
To enter, pick up a form at the Kon and turn it in, and then show up
beforehand for the lineup (the form will give you times and further
instructions).
-- Dance & Contest:
Saturday night starting at 10 pm, right after the Costume Contest,
bop to the strains of Radio Free Oz and their first visit to A-Kon. This DJ
group knows how to keep a crowd going, and has done others in the area in the
past. Then at Midnight, dance for prizes at the Absolutely Fabulous Disco
Dance of Death Contest. This should be a riot, so don't miss out!
-- The Water Warz: Bring your super soakers and prepare for the traditional
battle! In the parking lot, Friday and Saturday night.
-- Gaming & Stuff:
Fantasy Mercenaries will handle the board gaming including games such
as Magic: The Gathering, Warhammer, AD&D, and others.
NERO will run it's fun fantasy-based bash-em-up game
DALLAS BY NIGHT will be working with TWILIGHT PRODUCTIONS to bring
you Live Action Vampire in an all-nite session on Saturday
(maybe Friday as well!)
JAPANIMAYHEM, the tongue-in=cheek, nothing-is-sacred look at the
anime world will be played both Friday and Saturday night,
led by its co-creator Mark Camp of #14 Productions
BATTLETECH will start at noon Friday and have continuous non-stop
mech stomping action until Sunday at 6:00, run by our friends
at Mechwarriors Guild.
CYBERPUNK, a live action version of the popular RPG will be run
Friday by Anime Interlock
Small fees charged for some of the games cover prices of info
packets, printing, prizes, gear, etc.
-- Vulture's Anime Fan Video Contest:
The Fan Video Contest will once again be happening at A-Kon this
year, thanks to our friend, Therel. So, for you folks who like making your
own music videos, re-dubbing anime, or doing your own splicing and filming,
this is your chance to show off your work! All kinds of tapes are allowed,
and multiple entries are allowed (no more than 10 per person, perferably),
but you must send a copy by May 15 to: Therel Moore, Vulture's Roose, 201 W.
Stassney Ln., Ste. 515, Austin, TX 78745 so that the tapes can be viewed,
compiles, put in some kind of order, and prepared for their debut at the
special block of time slated for them in the Fan Video Room. Prizes will be
awarded to the best videos, as judged by anime pros, and industry folks who
appreciate what it takes to put such a video together. Include a Self
Addressed Stamped padded Envelope if you want your tape sent back to you (it
costs $3.20 for 1-2 tapes in the mail, FYI). If time permits, last minute
entries may be accepted at the Kon itself, but to ensure your place, send
your tapes to Therel now! You can see the results between 5 and 8 pm in the
Fan Video Room on Saturday night.
-- Portfolio assessments/critiques. Bring your art with you and show it to
some folks at Antarctic Press (and perhaps other groups), who will be
conducting special searches for new material/artists. This is YOUR chance!
Use it!
-- Scavenger Hunt:
Another Fan Driven game, you form teams and hunt for various items
from a list - all the teams have the same list, so it's a race against time
as well! Each item has a point value assigned, and the team who gathers the
most items by the end of the game wins! This was a lot of fun last year, and
we expect even more participation this year! Imagination and creativity is a
plus!
-- AWOL's ANIME JEOPARDY is back this year for even more fun & trivia! Based
on the popular game show, you can vie for prizes and prove just what an anime
fan you REALLY are by answering some tough (and not-so-tough) questions.
Hosted and designed by AWOL, a group of fans who regularly meet once a year
at A-Kon, comprised of members from Colorado, Texas and Georgia. JOin them
for a couple hours of great fun!
-- Unusual Video: Ippongi Bang, as well as being a singer and a manga
artist, is also an actress. She will bring a couple of her movies,
low-budget, fun films like "Exorsister" and a live action "Kekko Kamen"
(which is also an anime piece coming out soon, created by Go Nagai). Think
of the Hong Kong videos that are popular these days.
-- ART SHOW/AUCTION:
Handled capably by Planet eDGe, the show has again been enlarged, so
there is even MORE space! There is a small hanging fee to help cover the
costs of materials and prizes. For full entry instructions and info send a
SASE to: Edith DeGolyer, Planet eDGe Art Show, 5806 Birchbrook #207, Dallas,
TX 75206. There will be a special cash prize awarded by Antarctic Press for
the best piece of AP art (judged by them), so get started and draw those AP
scenes (scenes/characters can be from any AP publication) Times are
approximate: Friday 2pm-8:00, Saturday: 10:00 am-6:00, Sunday: 11:00-3:00
-- Art Show/Auction - Run by Planet eDGe, hosting some of the best fan & pro
stuff, maybe even from our Japanese guests! Prizes for various categories,
including a cash prize for best AP art piece. Get crackin' on those Ninja
High scenes now!
-- LIVE MARTIAL ARTS DEMO:
Greg Esch, a local teacher of the unusual art of Genbukan Ninpo Bugei
will be doing theater-like skits, historical, educational and just neat to
watch, incorporating this fluid art form. These promise to be very
entertaining, and will happen on Saturday and Sunday at various times. Look
for signs around the Kon to direct you.
-- MODEL CONTEST - Separate from the art show, but housed under the same
roof, bring your models, scratch built, model kits, bash kits, etc. and
compete for prizes! No fee for entry. Judging will take place at
approximately 4:00 pm Saturday afternoon.
-- Dub Yer Own Video (*Tentative)- see how hard it is to REALLY dub anime, or
show what a great actor/actress you are and be the envy of the audience!
-- All Kinds of Panels: including: Anime & The Internet, Intro panels from
Streamline and AD Vision (and whatever other companies are at A-Kon)and more
as we think of them!
-- CEL PAINTING DEMO - If we can talk him into it, Alain Viesca may share
with us again his wonderful demo, which went over so well last year. It's
harder than you think to paint a cel, which makes you appreciate the
hand-done anime all the more when you realize just HOW MANY of these it
takes to make a 30 min. show, or a 2 hr.movie!
*** DON"T MISS OUT!
To give us YOUR Ideas or for More Info email: pho...@pic.net
or if you already know you just CAN'T MISS this A-Kon: fill out the coupon
below and send to: (make checks payable to Phoenix Entertainment-it's the
same group of people, we just gave ourselves a name)
NEW ADDRESS: Project: A-Kon, 3352 Broadway Blvd, Suite 470, Garland TX 75043
(the other address will still work for awhile)
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