Reported by Linda Yau
Photographs by Eric M. Chu and Linda Yau

» Continue reading “New York Anime Festival 2009: Part 2″

Reported by Linda Yau
Photographs by Eric M. Chu and Linda Yau

This past weekend on September 25-27, was the third annual New York Anime Festival also abbreviated NYAF by regular con goers, and Twittter alike. As a tool of instant communication, Twitter was referred to countless times this weekend. With many of the conventions this past year that I have been able to attend, it has became the norm to see people possibly on their cell phones, tweeting if you must know. Now If you look on the right side column, you will see the Twitter widget that JLHLS has. For following any NYAF news, type in #nyaf, and many of twitter responses will pop up. Personally I was able to twitter some updates via text, but if you were willing to have money for the Wi-fi service at Jacob Javits, then many live blogging updates have reach fans and interested people. This is a report on what I was able to see and take back.
» Continue reading “New York Anime Festival 2009: Part 1″

Reported and Photographs by Linda Yau

» Continue reading “Brooklyn Book Festival 2009″

On July 23, 2009, I attended the “Comics Arts Conference Session #5: Fan Power” at Comic Con San Diego. I was attracted to the words “fan power,” thinking it might be about squeeing fangirls and glowering fanboys, and wound up with more to think about than I’d anticipated. This interview is the product of my ruminations on Dr. Debowy’s talk and the questions I either didn’t think of or was unable to ask at the panel.

Ginger Mayerson: If I understood your talk at Comic Con, the millennial generation hero wins by not engaging in the competition and sacrificing himself. The way our society in the U.S. is now, how would new leaders emerge based on this new myth?

Daniel Debowy: The key here is that the millenial generation hero competes, but avoids traditional conflict with the prior generation. This is not to say that the values of the prior generation go unchallenged. In fact, it is precisely by avoiding conflict on the prior generation’s terms that the Millenial Hero advances real change. This can sometimes be by avoiding a fight, as Peter Petrelli does on Heroes, when he refuses to take sides between his older brother and his father. Or it can be by fighting back in a novel fashion, as Peter does when he assists an “underground railroad” for fellow super-humans in response to his brother initiating mass arrests and detentions. At Comic-Con, I highlighted the most striking novel form of protest in the Millenial hero, sacrificing self and/or power. This is what Luke Skywalker does at the climax of the Return of the Jedi. It is what another protagonist on Heroes, Hiro Nakamura, does at numerous points in the series. This is not the same as giving up the quest, so self-sacrifice can only occur if the hero is already an inspiration to others, and heroic action continues after the hero has given up his/her powers.

New leaders might occur in the real world, using such mythic themes, by inspiring others to carry on the torch even if they are killed, and then continuing to campaign for their cause despite losses or risk to self. This dynamic did not just start in the last 30 years, but it could become more prominent, even within leadership roles that have traditionally been unitary sources of supreme power, such as presidencies, super-celebrities, and military leaders.
» Continue reading “Millennial Generation Hero Interview with Daniel Debowy, M.D., Ph.D.”

by Linda Yau
Photographs by Linda Yau etc.

Saturday: July 18

After the excitement of Friday, I wanted to attend MELL’s press conference, but because of circumstances was not able to. Instead I waited for Naomi Tamura’s autograph session. Caught some pictures of interesting cosplays. Slight changes to Otakon this year was that there weren’t any express tickets made available to fans, so people had to wait on lines irregardless.

» Continue reading “Otakon 2009: Part 2″

by Linda Yau
Photographs by Linda Yau

Otakon 2009, a convention intended for the Otaku Generation or for the masses of fans that would converge onto the Baltimore Convention Center on an annual basis. This year the convention was held on July 17 to July 19 and the final count of the convention attendance was at 26,350 people, an increase from last year’s official 26,262 people.

» Continue reading “Otakon 2009: Part 1″

Ummmmmmm…….
» Continue reading “Comic Con 2009″

I took more pictures.

I also went to the Convention Feedback panel. Oy.
» Continue reading “Anime Expo 2009 Day 4″

No pictures today, I got there in time to see four episodes of Galaxy 999. It’s the same era as the Harlock eps I saw yesterday, but a little stranger than them. Maetel is in Galaxy 999, so I’m glad I got to see it. And then I went home.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 4

Took more pictures today

Was in a better frame of mind.
» Continue reading “Anime Expo 2009 Day 2″

I didn’t stay very long.
» Continue reading “Anime Expo 2009 Day 1″

Reported and Photographs by Linda Yau

Acknowledged as the largest professional book fair in North America, Book Expo American was held the last week of May at the Jacob Javis Center in New York City. The Expo began on Wednesday and ended on Sunday. » Continue reading “Book Expo America 2009 – Part 1″

Report by Tissie

Book Expo America, the largest book convention in the US, concluded on May 31, 2009 after 4 days of fanfare and dire predictions. Attendance was down this year significantly (11% below the previous BEA held in NYC). Many publishers who had exhibited in past years decided to sit this year out. Finally, many attending publishers greatly reduced the size of their booths.

So it leaves one to wonder, when it comes to the changing landscape of the book industry, are publishers getting smarter, is money simply getting tighter, or is it a combination of both?

» Continue reading “Book Expo America 2009: Are publishers getting smart or is money getting tighter?”

Check the sidebar or the J LHLS Twitter page for updates from Linda Yau, Jilly Gee, and Rachel Livingston at Book Expo in New York. We’re Twitterfied, all right.

by Tom Good
Photography by Gregor Torrence and Tom Good

“I like getting to hug people.” That’s how one young woman answered the question, “what do you like best about Sakura-Con?”

“What is it about an anime convention that allows you to hug people?” I asked.

“It feels like we’re all one big family,” she said.

The convention keeps growing, with this year’s member count at 16,586 — up from 13,600 last year — and a “turnstile” count of 45,560 for the weekend. Can 16,000 people really feel like a family? Yes, at Sakura-Con they can. The convention takes its name from the Japanese word for cherry blossoms, which fits well with the blossoming anime subculture.
» Continue reading “Convention Report: Sakura-Con 2009″

Wow. Convention report on the way, more pictures here. I like this one, too.

From Tom Good’s iPhone!

Updating throughout the weekend!

April 10, 2009
10:17AM
“On the train now with Gregor. Fun ride!”

5:39PM
“Wow they put artist alley at the very front before you even get to other exhibitors, that is so cool, it makes them seem like the stars.”

6:27PM
“In the artists area at Sakuracon, I discovered an artist named Allison Theus who has a book of illustrations called ‘A Book of Mostly Creatures.’ I instantly liked the style of the art — it reminded me of old 17th century illustrations of animals, only these are fantastic creatures from her imagination. I talked to her about how she came up with this. She said she was inspired by being really interested in dinosaurs and also in anatomy, and wondering how the various pieces of animals could go together in new ways to create a new creature. I bought the book and she autographed it.

“She has a web site at www.oblivionunleashed.com where you can see her work.

“Another good change this year is that they put the line for registration off in an out-of-the way hall, so that the registration line doesn’t make the main area of the convention feel overcrowded. I’ve only been here a few hours but already things seem better organized than ever (not that it was bad in the past, but they have continued to improve it).”

April 11, 2009
10:49AM

“Flickr stuff, more to come.”

Photos!

3:11PM

More photos!

Reported by Jilly Gee and Linda Yau
Photographs by Eric M. Chu and Linda Yau

First day of NYCC

After a very cold week in New York City, the Jacob Javits Center was host to the fourth New York Comic Con. Similar to San Diego’s Comic Con, NYCC is the East Coast’s representation of this American tradition. NYCC welcomes all types of fans, so there was programming suitable for industry professionals, video gamers, science fiction lovers, fantasy enthusiasts, Japanese animation, cosplayers, and even children.

This was the Journal of Lincoln Height’s first time attending the NYCC, which is also a companion con to the New York Anime Festival. » Continue reading “New York Comic Con 2009″