SubVersion Anime

These days, anime Festivals, Conventions and Expos conjure images of masses amassing en masse, seas of sequins and flesh ... and so on.

But SubVersion's virgin run this weekend in downtown Portland, Oregon offered something fresh: an intimate venue (the lovingly restored Bagdad Theater above), cozy confines, free food--and a focus on the films over the peripherals. Cosplay contests, forums, panels and presentations are all fine. But focusing on the anime medium felt like a welcome respite from the chaos of trade show extravaganzas.

An additional respite for me: low humidity and temperate air as soon as I hit the tarmac. I feel like a refugee fleeing the stultifying summers of Tokyo and New York, and finding amnesty at last in the Pacific Northwest.

Plus: did I mention the complimentary cuisine?

(Organizers Extraordinaire: Jonathan and Meg.)

Popular posts from this blog

Manga, Anime & Cosplay: Japanamerica Night--Thank Yous--

Image
--to John Fuller, Shigeharu Ono and the absurdly patient and kind staff of Kinokuniya NYC , to Marco Pavia and Mandy Willingham of TokyoPop , to Clyde Adams III of NYC Anime , to Peter Tatara of New York Anime Festival and Comic Con , to Taeko Baba and Justin Keesey of New York-Tokyo , to Wired magazine , to Lee-Sean Huang and JETAANY , to the four extraordinary manga artists, whose backgrounds (US-Hispanic; US Caucasian; Korean; Japanese) served to exemplify the japanamerica phenomenon--and to you, that glorious mob of you who attended, ranging in age from the teens to the 80s, in race and ethnicity from African American to Asian to White to Hispanic, and in costumes elaborate to mundane--I am, and remain, grateful. What a night in New York. [photos courtesy of marlene marino and lee-sean huang.]
Read more

Shinji Aramaki and the Appleseed Ex Machina Opening

Image
Got blogged down, I guess, but a few notes here from New York: I was privileged recently to spend some time conversing with veteran designer and Appleseed director Shinji Aramaki in Tokyo. Aramaki is among the most candid and clear-headed of the folks I've met in the anime industry in Japan; he's also an ambitious and committed artist, one who retains faith in the future of his art form, even as he offers suggestions for its survival. Portions of our conversation were published in The Daily Yomiuri on the eve of the Japan nationwide theatrical release of Appleseed: Ex Machina , the latest and most visually stunning film in the Appleseed series. The film will be released in the US in the form of a DVD disc set in 2008. On the same day (Oct. 20, US-time), Kinokuniya will open its largest overseas bookstore in midtown Manhattan. The three-floor outlet will overlook Bryan Park in the very center of the city. Look for expanded offerings of manga, anime, and all books related to th...
Read more