Has the Absence of NYAF Affected FUNimation? Part 2

Please read Part 1 of the interview before reading Part 2

FUNimation at the 2007 New York Anime Festival

New York Anime Festival vs New York Comic Con

So fans of New York Anime Festival (NYAF) knows what happened to the convention; it became a convention within NYCC then completely merged with it. I was curious to know how much has this action affected FUNimation and its anime presence. To my surprise, it did not have a major impact on FUNimation's participation at NYCC. The difference was just the conventions itself.

Has the Absence of NYAF Affected FUNimation? Part 1

Last time I spoke to Adam Sheehan he was the Senior Events Manager and Brand Manager. Now he has moved out of brand management for about 5-6 years and from events 1 year ago. He had the opportunity to move on to something new and decided to go for it. He is the Senior Marketing Manager for FUNimation.com. His main responsibilities are to promote and market the company website to obtain more traffic and members, support their physical product release, to promote the FUNimation apps and video subscription service.

NYAF Folds Into NYCC!

NEW YORK ANIME FESTIVAL
FOLDS INTO NEW YORK COMIC CON

Anime Content To Remain Vital Part Of NYCC Programming

Feature Anime Guests To Be Announced Soon

Norwalk, CT, May 29, 2012: Officials at New York Comic Con (NYCC) have today announced that the New York Anime Festival (NYAF) will become an integral part of the massive pop culture convention rather than continue to operate as a separate co-located event. NYAF was launched in December 2007 as a stand-alone festival delivering quality content and entertainment to anime fans and professionals in New York City. NYCC organizers note that while NYAF will no longer be staged as a separate entity, their mission to serve the anime community will be a priority and will remain consistent with past standards of excellence. Since its inception, NYAF has presented the latest and the best in anime, manga, Japanese cinema, music and games and this programming will be a vital part of NYCC planning moving forward. New York Comic Con provides something for attendees across diverse fandoms, and in this new configuration, the anime fan will play a central role – as opposed to a separate role – in defining convention activity by being part of the NYCC pop culture community.

New York Comic Con/New York Anime Festival 2011 – Sunday

This day was perfect to browse around, take photos of booths and buy items that were discounted from the original price at the start of the con. Since I did not have that many panels or activities to check out, the day was less hectic and more relaxing. Plus, the crowd on that day tends was less crowded, so taking pictures was a bit more easier.

NYCC/NYAF 2011 - Anime and Manga Exhibitors

The Anime Network

NYCC/NYAF 2011 – Signings

October 13

Robert Kirkman, writer of The Walking Dead and many others, at the Image Comics, Inc. booth.

NYCC/NYAF 2011 – Official Cosplayers

Hasbro booth - Jem from Jem and The Holograms

Post NYCC/NYAF 2011 with Peter Tatara Part 5

Please read Part 4 of the interview before reading Part 5

Facing the Concerns continuation

Continuing with the subject of the IGN Theatre events, I read on Medium At Large, that after the conclusion of the events, the room will not be cleared out. This situation is similar to events like San Diego Comic-Con, where the rooms are not cleared out either. If one were allowed to enter the room, one is permitted to stay in there for the duration of the day. “While clearing out rooms may sound like a good idea,” said Tatara, “moving, storing, and sorting 3,000+ people every hour quickly escalates to something that wouldn't fit inside the Javits.” Since attendees from prior events are allowed to stay, what can other attendees do to get into the later events? Simply put, “if you want to get into the IGN Theater, the recommendation is to get there early. Same thing as with San Diego, if you want to get into their Hall H, you need to get there early.”

Post NYCC/NYAF 2011 with Peter Tatara Part 4

Please read Part 3 of the interview before reading Part 4

Facing the Concerns continuation

In regards to the guest appearances, the website listed guests ranging from literature to entertainment. However, not all of the information provided stated when or where they would be signing autographs. Sometimes one would only find out if the fan attended an event or panel that had the guest the day of, or by accident at a booth that was under a different name. For example, Sesame Street had autograph sessions, but their booth was under their partner's name WeLoveFine. The only reason that I realized that the company was there was because the Oscar puppet was on display, and there was a cardboard announcement about the signings. For next year's convention, I wonder if ReedPop will be able to obtain all autographing information ahead of time. Then it could inform the attendees prior to the event, so that the attendees will not miss their chance to meet the guest; especially if he/she is not in the autographing area?

Post NYCC/NYAF 2011 with Peter Tatara Part 3

Please read Part 2 of the interview before reading Part 3

Facing the Concerns

On October 13, 2011, it was the first Thursday opening for NYCC and NYAF. Although most of the exhibitors were set up, the show floor was not accessible until 4pm to non-exhibitors. Unfortunately, there was not a separate press time, meaning prior to 4pm. As a result, the press, professionals and VIP holders shared the day with 10,000 four-day pass holders. In previous years, on a Friday, the convention was opened in the morn for press, professionals, and VIPs; while the fans were allowed to enter the show floor at 1pm. This year all Friday hours were open to everyone. Thursday night was “preview night and time for press and pros to walk on the show floor without the crush of the full weight of the convention,” said Tatara. “Looking to next year, it's too early to say. We'll be announcing details about what we're doing on Thursday as we get into 2012, but I can say we're looking at doing more.”

Post NYCC/NYAF 2011 with Peter Tatara Part 2

Please read Part 1 of the interview before reading Part 2

Arrangement Decisions

When entering the show floor from the 34th street side of the building one encountered an extravagant display of exhibitor booths. As I moved towards the back of the room, the lighting was getting darker and it felt gloomy. This was where most of the least impressive booths were located. There was a similar layout in the room on the 38th street side of the building. Additionally, the mixing of vendors made it difficult to find all the manga or anime booths in one area of the show floor. Whether or not it was manga or anime related, a fan had to keep a sharp eye out for any product that they wanted. When it came to the exhibitors on the show floor, how did they figure out where to place the simpler or less extravagant booths? “The show floor has various different price points -- from premium space, to dealer space, to small press, to Artist Alley,” said Tatara. “Then, too, there are pavilions, like the Cultyard, Anime Fest, and Star Wars Zipcode. When we build the floor, the first things that are set are big, tentpole booths. From there, we work with exhibitors to place them according to space and theme.”

Post NYCC/NYAF 2011 with Peter Tatara Part 1

Hello readers! I present to you, Peter Tatara, who is the Programming Director of New York Comic Con (NYCC) and New York Anime Festival (NYAF). I had the opportunity to interview Tatara about this year’s convention accomplishments and improvements for the future. Overall, ReedPop is “very proud” of the convention. It was a great achievement with 105,000 attendees, and it “flowed smoothly, despite more bodies, more guests, new spaces, and just a wee bit of construction.”

NYCC/NYAF 2011 - Freebie Hunt

Saturday is usually the insane day and boy it was! As always, walking along 34th street in the morn, one would encounter a crowd of people, in costume and non-costumes, walking towards the Hudson River. When one reached the corner of 11th Avenue, there was a person(s), who would be providing guidance to those heading for the convention. Last year, was a police officer assisting in the flow of the cross walk. This year was a convention staff member instructing attendees on where to go when reaching the other side of the street. Once crossed over, there was a group of staff members assisting in the flow of ticket and non-ticket holders. It was just insane to see the masses.

NYCC/NYAF 2011 - She’s So Unusual: Lolita Fashion in the Media Panel

The next and last panel that I attended on Friday was She’s So Unusual: Lolita Fashion in the Media located in the Anime Galleria. I was hoping that there would be people in Lolita, but sadly there were not as many there as I expected. As shown in the photograph above, most of the seats that were facing the panel stage were filled. Along for the ride, was my friend who was not familiar with the fashion. I was hoping this would give him some insights.

NYCC/NYAF 2011 - Anime Network Panel

This was my first Friday panel. To be honest, I never heard of this company until I looked through the panel listings. So my curiosity led me to a line of waiting fans. Thank goodness I was there early enough to get a seat that would allow me to take pictures of the panelists and the screen.

Asura’s Wrath Indeed!

Article by Chet Royer

Oh man, the Sith would be so proud of this game! This is Chet a.k.a. Ninja101 and I want to tell you all about an action game called Asura’s Wrath, produced by Capcom.

Dragon’s Dogma: Worries

Article by Chet Royer

Hey there readers! This is Chet a.k.a Ninja101 here to tell you all about a certain game I was able to get my hands on at NYCC. That game is called Dragon’s Dogma by Capcom.

The Craziness of NYCC/NYAF 2011

After attending the Costume Contest on Saturday I wanted to rest my feet. I decided to travel underground to the press lounge. Along the way I stumbled upon the Speed Dating event. There was a tall sign for it and taped to it was a notice. It warned the attendees that this was going to be taped for a televised program. So, anyone who agreed to this had to sign a form at the table near the entrance. It was most likely a release form. Strangely enough, most of the people in line were male. I have no idea what happened to the females. Maybe they had gone into the room already.

NYCC/NYAF 2011 - North Pavilion

I have never been to this part of the convention/building. As a result, I was quite curious and excited about what was located there. The North Concourse leading to the building had a different appeal to it. Other than the fact that it was literally a tunnel, it had bright red walls that caught ones’ eye, while fitting the color scheme of the event. Opposite of the wall there are large windows with a view of the outside, and one can see random cosplayers running about. Looking above, there were signs hanging along the ceiling with a variety of phrases that related to the atmosphere of the convention. While walking, there was an exhibitor stationed in this location with Iron Man movie props for an auction. Moving onward, there were empty booths and one had a table with chairs occupied by attendees.

New York Anime Festival 2011 - Anime Galleria

Since this is the first time I have been to the Anime Galleria I decided to browse around. Strangely enough, it was the best time to do so! On Friday the area was practically empty after 7pm, and of course, most of the artists had left for the day. Nonetheless, I was able to walk around with ease and do some photography.