SEPTA Strike Travel Info: The organizers of Zenkaikon have updated their website with some alternative travel routes for those impacted by the SEPTA strike: http://www.zenkaikon.com/general/strike.php

Comics and Cartoons to Invade Niagara Falls

The Can-Am Comics and Anime Expo will be held in Niagara Falls Canada at the famous Skylon Tower, March 12-14, 2010.

The show will feature displays from exhibitors covering both of these popular and interesting genres.  While comic books and their collectors have been almost timeless, the Japanese cartoon animation forms (Anime) are relatively new.

Anime has become a popular world wide phenomena due to their challenging plots, creative costumes and on going stories of intrigue.

At shows such as The Can-Am Comics and Anime Expo, it will be common to see show attendees dressed in the costumes of their favorite Anime Character.

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Caroline is an artist and crafter who enjoys working with several different mediums. She have a fondness for Halloween things but likes snowmen too. Whimsical, silly and dark art are also a favorite!

Congratulations! Stay tuned for additional National Halloween Convention ticket contest happening from now until the convention!

ROCHESTER, NY - November 1, 2009 - The RIT Anime Club is excited to announce a charity screening of Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone, as well as add to Tora-Con 2010’s guest line-up: Johnny Yong Bosch and his band, Eyeshine!

The RIT Anime Club will be showing Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone, November 14th, 8 PM to 10 PM, located in Ingle Auditorium, in the Student Alumni Union on the Rochester Institute of Technology campus. There will be a $2.00 entrance fee, with a door prize raffle. All proceeds from this event will be going to charity for Golisano Children’s Hospital.

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 Metropolis to be Screened at the Japan Information and Culture Center, Embassy of Japan

DC Anime Club in collaboration with Japan Information and Culture Center, Embassy of Japan Present screen Metropolis on Friday November 13, 2009 6:30 pm at Lafayette Center III (Lower Level) 1155 21st Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 as part of inaugural showing for a new film series based on both Anime (Japanese Animation) and Manga ( Japanese Comics).

Kenichi and his detective uncle, Shunsaku Ban, leave Japan to visit Metropolis, in search of the criminal, Dr. Laughton. However, when they finally find Dr. Laughton, Kenichi and Shunsaku find themselves seperated and plunged into the middle of a larger conspiracy. While Shunsaku searches for his nephew and explanations, Kenichi tries to protect Tima (a mysterious young girl), from Duke Red and his adopted son Rock, both of whom have very different reasons for wanting to find her. This event is free and open to the public. Reservations are required.
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Readers of the Convention Fans blog have been selected to receive a special $8 off entry to Madame Tussauds Hollywood to see the unveiling of the newest addition to their permanent collection: William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk! It is “Star Trek Weekend” at Madame Tussauds Hollywood, November 5-8 as the attraction celebrates the new figure. The discount is good through the end of the year. General Adult tickets are $25 and Kids tickets are $18. In order to receive the discount, you must print off the PDF coupon below (the discount can only be redeemed at the Box Office).

Download: Star Trek Weekend at Madame Tussauds Hollywood Downloadable Coupon

Thanks to Madame Tussauds Hollywood!

Thanks to Tom who posted this information as a comment on our earlier Zenkaikon article.

We’ll see you at Zenkaikon!

 Oni-Con 2009 Convention Report
written exclusively for Convention Fans by Elle Velie

Note: These are not only the opinions of myself, but others who attended the con as well. For the most part, everyone was unhappy.

Convention:

- I have been to this convention before. Last year was fun and exciting… this year however it was horrible. There was no organization at all, and if I’m mistaken and there was, then I don’t know what sort of organization method was used. Everything from registration, to basic opening times for the dealers rooms, to events, were a half hour late if not more. The entire weekend was full of mass confusion about not only the start and end times of events, but of the LOCATION of certain events.

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Convention Fans is super excited about the upcoming Zenkaikon convention, which is being held November 7 - 8, 2009 at the Radisson Hotel Valley Forge in Pennsylvania. Zenkaikon was created by the merger of two other events, Kosaikon and Zentrancon. Kosaikon launched in 2003. Zentrancon’s debut took place in October 2005. Now as Zenkaikon, the convention has attracted so many people that an attendance cap of 1,500 had to be instituted for 2009! That’s some amazing growth!

Guests for Zenkaikon 2009 include: The Geek Comedy Tour, Uncle Yo, Eden Star (Band), Eyeshine (Band), [geist] (Band), Reni Mimura (Cosplay Singer), Stephanie Chateau, C.J. Collins, Kevin McKeever, Robert Axelrod, Johnny Yong Bosch, Trina Nishimura, C. J. Henderson, and more.

Zenkaikon 2009 memberships are going quickly! Given that the convention has an attendance cap, if you want to be guaranteed entry, it is highly recommended that you pre-register. The pre-registration deadline is November 4th. A two day membership cost $40. Single day memberships are $23 (Saturday) and $20 (Sunday). The same prices apply whether you pre-register, or purchase at the door.

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There will be a 3rd contest to win yet another pair, so stay tuned for a future announcement and details!

About the National Halloween Convention:

This convention features a Costume Ball, Makeup Wars, Side Show Acts, Haunters Lair, Halloween Antiques, Halloween Authors, Robotic & Animatronic Vendors, Monster Collectors, Ren Fairs, Seminars from the “Haunted University”, Haunt & Haunted House Magazines and much more.

Classes in costumes, makeup, prop building, scenic design, special effects, and even “scareology”, will be taught by a staff with hundreds of years of experience in their respective fields. These “Halloween professors” have experience in TV, film, stage, music videos, ren faires, historical re-enactments, and haunted houses and attractions.

The National Halloween Convention is a place where you have a chance to enjoy Halloween prior to waiting for October to roll around!

I had a chance to meet Michael, one of the co-owners of the National Halloween Convention, when I visited GameX last weekend. He has a lot of great stuff planned, and we’re really looking forward to attending!

XENA CONVENTION: SUPER-HUGE NEWS!

We are VERY happy to announce today the HUGE news that everyone has been waiting for in regards to Creation Entertainment’s Official XENA Convention: The 15th Year Celebration (coming to Los Angeles on February 5-7, 2010).

LUCY LAWLESS and RENEE O’CONNOR are joining the fun! The incredible duo that means so much to us and their legion of fans worldwide will headline the convention on Friday and Renee will also return on Sunday. We thank them for clearing their busy schedules to make time to be with all of us! Throughout the years we’ve treasured our friendship with Lucy and Renee and have been honored to work with them on the conventions, concerts, live performances and other projects. In person, at the conventions, they always go all out to deliver a wonderful time for all and we’re looking very much forward to seeing them again at the 2010 event.

CLICK ON THROUGH to our XENA CONVENTION site to see up to date information on the gathering as well as picking up Renee’s autograph and photo opportunities. We’re also excited about all the other guests we’ve booked recently including the return of the sensational GINA TORRES. We have a special CLEOPATRA 2525 reunion planned with Gina, Victoria Pratt and Jennifer Sky!

Thanks,

Your Friends at Creation Entertainment

The 2nd Convention Fans National Halloween Convention 2010: FREE VIP Admission Contest ends tomorrow on Halloween, October 31st, at midnight, EST. Tickets won’t even go on sale until January 1st, 2010! Why not take advantage of this opportunity to go to the convention with a friend for free, and with VIP status!

What You Win:

The winner receives two VIP Admission tickets to the National Halloween Convention in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania on April 29 - May 2, 2010. VIP ticket holders get bumped to the front of the line and they get to bypass the crowd. Tickets will be mailed promptly with a delivery confirmation receipt to the winner.

To Enter:

Just send an e-mail to Convention Fans at dreadpiraterose@gmail.com with “National Halloween Convention Contest #2″ in the subject line (or just click here). That’s it! There is no need to provide a mailing address upon entry.

Terms and Condition:

1. Only one entry per e-mail address.

2. Each entry will be assigned a number, and a random number generator will be used to determine the winner.

3. All entries must be received by Halloween, October 31st at midnight, EST.

4. This giveaway/contest is being run by the independent writer of Convention Fans, in conjunction with the National Halloween Convention, and has not been reviewed or endorsed by the webhost, Today.com .

5. Convention Fans, the National Halloween Convention, nor Today.com, are responsible for lost or stolen tickets.

6. Winner will have two weeks from the time of notification to provide a valid mailing address so the tickets can be mailed to them.

About the National Halloween Convention:

This convention features a Costume Ball, Makeup Wars, Side Show Acts, Haunters Lair, Halloween Antiques, Halloween Authors, Robotic & Animatronic Vendors, Monster Collectors, Ren Fairs, Seminars from the “Haunted University”, Haunt & Haunted House Magazines and much more.

Classes in costumes, makeup, prop building, scenic design, special effects, and even “scareology”, will be taught by a staff with hundreds of years of experience in their respective fields. These “Halloween professors” have experience in TV, film, stage, music videos, ren faires, historical re-enactments, and haunted houses and attractions.

The National Halloween Convention is a place where you have a chance to enjoy Halloween prior to waiting for October to roll around!

I had a chance to meet Michael, one of the co-owners of the National Halloween Convention, when I visited GameX last weekend. He has a lot of great stuff planned, and we’re really looking forward to attending!

Questions?

Still have questions about the contest? Please post a comment, or send us an e-mail!

From the official press release:

The Fantasy Twi-Life Tour is a Twilight themed celebrity convention tour that will travel across The United States in 2009-2010. This tour will give fans the opportunity to gather with each other across the country to celebrate the book and film series. Each stop on the Fantasy Twi-Life Tour will feature celebrity guests, musical guests, vendors, celebrity Q&A’s, dance parties, contests, panels, fan films, celebrity photo shoots, celebrity autograph sessions, V.I.P. cocktail parties and banquets, Twilight costume and role play contests, The John Henson Twilight costume museum, the art of Alex Meraz, Twilight trivia, Twilight fan fiction and more.

Tickets for the tour range in price from $20 to a whopping $450. Each ticket tier offers different amenities and bonuses. Autograph tickets and photo op tickets can be purchased in advance separately, although some ticket pages have autographs included already.

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Mr. [Michael] Lattanzio [President and CEO of the SPJA] has placed us into a precarious legal situation by breaking the contract that the SPJA held with BAM! Marketing Publicity and Promotions.

[…]

Mr. Lattanzio has opened us to not only potential legal action but highly unnecessary legal fees that can potentially destroy Anime Expo® financially.

[…]

[W]e are aware of the slander and libel that Mr. Lattanzio has conducted towards Mr. Chase Wang and BAM! Marketing, Publicity & Promotions. Mr. Marc Perez has been witnessed verbally supporting Mr. Lattanzio’s actions even though Mr. Perez has been fully aware of the existence of an “Addendum” to BAM!’s contract that dictates the terms in which we may break our ties with BAM.

[…]

It has come to our attention that promises of bonuses were provided by the Chairman of the Board and supported by the [Board of Directors] in amounts of up to $50,000.00.

[…]

Mr. Lattanzio has further proven no regard for the financial welfare of the SPJA or Anime Expo® by flying to Japan on Business Class with his newly appointed Marketing and Administration Director, Ms. Kimberly Groomes. This trip cost the SPJA and Anime Expo $8,400.00 in airlines tickets alone.

[…]

Another issue we wish to bring up is that, under Mr. Lattanzio’s guidance, The Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) has yet to obtain a check with the amount raised at our Charity Auction from Anime Expo® 2009.

[…]

There is also question as to whether the SPJA bylaws as they currently stand are legal. In July of 2008, this Board ratified the Bylaws of the SPJA. These bylaws are possibly in violation of the current IRS tax code.

[…]

Yikes! Not that any of this behavior (if proven true) is acceptable, but not sending a charity the money you raised for them is pretty damn shady. Bad form! Ironically, some of the SPJA’s core values are Transparency and Integrity. Stay tuned for developments on this issue as they become available.

As always, if you have convention news you’d like to share, post a comment!

1. ‘Geeks’ and ‘Nerds’ had Great Time at First West Coast Sci-fi Convention

Canada’s The Western Star has a report on the recent West Coast Convention. The first for this particular area of Newfoundland, it was considered “long overdue” by the areas self-proclaimed geeks. Guests included Paul Weston, Matthew LeDrew, Ellen Curtis, and Darren Hann.

2. College’s Anime Club (UNO) to Host ‘Sweets and Treats’ Bake Sale

The Sauk Valley Community College anime club, UNO (United Neo Otaku), is looking to raise money for a trip to the Anime Central (ACEN) convention. If you happen to be in the area, stop by today from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. and support their efforts!

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After WAY TOO LONG, Creation Entertainment is VERY happy to be returning to VANCOUVER, BC with a fantastic weekend of STAR TREK entertainment headlined by superstar LEONARD NIMOY and lots of other great guest celebrities! Vancouver was the site of many of our greatest Star Trek conventions in the past and NOW is the time to visit again, especially with the tremendous success of the new feature film! Join the celebration of Gene Roddenberry’s legacy and make your plans to be with us: we promise a wonderful time for all!

The dates to reserve are JUNE 25-27, 2010 and we’re at the amazing SHERATON VANCOUVER WALL CENTRE, one of the coolest hotels we’ve run our events in. You’ll love it! CLICK ON THROUGH TO SELECT YOUR SEATING IN THE GOLD AND PREFERRED WEEKEND PACKAGES and get the VERY BEST seats in the theatre! You can also grab photo ops with Mr. Nimoy at this time.

Look for continuing announcements on new guests and attractions for our visit to Vancouver (one of the world’s most beautiful cities!

Thanks,
Your friends at Creation Entertainment for
The Official STAR TREK CONVENTION Tour 2010

OMAHA, NEBRASKA - October 27, 2009 Anime NebrasKon is Nebraska’s oldest and largest anime con being held on November 6th -8th, 2009.  NebrasKon posses a friendly and lively atmosphere with 150 panels and activities providing a wide range of entertainment comparable to larger cons. NebrasKon has chosen Omaha as its new home to better accommodate its continuing growth for its sixth year. With incredible facilities at the Holiday Inn Coco Key Water Resort in Omaha, NE. NebrasKon will have enough room for its expected 1,500 attendees.

Anime NebrasKon boasts of 150 panels and activities to satisfy the interests of any of the attendees. NebrasKon will feature panels by anime industry guests and artists such as Yuri Lowenthal, Tiffany Grant, Matt Greenfield, Tara Platt, and Shannon and Richard Townsend. Matt Greenfield and Tiffany Grant will be present in one of their first guest appearances since the news about ADV rocked the anime industry.

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At the time of the arrest, Metrocon Director of Operations Alex Craddock wrote: “Roy Harms is our CEO, and a very close friend of mine. I trust him with my life, my dreams, and my 4-year-old child, and so would anyone else that has ever met the man.” He continued, “An arrest does not mean a conviction to or admittance of the crime being charged. In this particular situation there is one thing required for an arrest to be made, and that is a claim.”

After his arrest, Harms did step down, and Craddock worked with Metrocon Head of Security Nick Fazio to put on the convention. But a dark cloud has loomed over Metrocon since Harms’ arrest. Was he guilty? Was he innocent? Was this all just an “attack on the convention” as Craddock had suggested?

Well, Roy Harms just plead guilty to those charges this morning, October 27th, in front of Judge Diana L Morelan. He was given three years probation, and will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Guess that answers that, eh?