Post New York Anime Festival 2008 Interviews

Check them all out!

New York Anime Festival - Peter Tatara
Dark Horse Comics Inc. - Michael Gombos
Del Rey Manga - Ali T. Kokmen
FUNimation Entertainment - Adam Sheehan
Otaku USA - Benjamin Boyles
Otaku USA - Joseph Luster

© 2008 Linda Thai

Post NYAF 2008 with Peter Tatara

Check out my Pre-Anime Festival with Peter Tatara.

Since the end of the festival, Peter Tatara has been feeling "sleepy." The New York Anime Festival was a great show. They were aiming for 17,000 and ended up having over 18,000 fans and attendees. Peter said "I'm very proud of it, but once a show wraps, we don't kick up our feet until next year." Not only was Peter very happy with the event but also his boss Lance Fensterman. "The show went over very well, but -- like me -- we're already looking ahead." They are "all deep in planning for New York Comic Con 2009" and New York Anime Festival 2009 "is already in the works."

Last time I spoke to Peter he said, "I honestly don't know what I'll be doing during NYAF yet." Of course during the festival Peter had things to do. All of his activities were related to his responsibility to the festival. "Tighten bolts. Patch leaks. Put out fires. If there was something that needed fixing, that was my job." On a lighter side of his duties he had dinner with Kikuchi-san.

With his duties at New York Anime Festival, Peter had to make sure the process of turning NYAF into reality was going smoothly. He arrived at Jacobs Javits Center a day before the show around 9:00am. While walking onto the exhibition hall, the booths "were midway through construction." At the time it was not yet complete: the convention was still setting up. It was on its way to completion. "It's an amazing thing to see something that only exists on paper for most of the year transform into something real." He didn't really have an exact set schedule for any day. He just had to be there within enough time do his job. "I jumped around the panel rooms, registration, guests, etc. As for Sunday, I got home around 11 or 12 and was up at 6 to greet guests before they left for the airport."

According to Peter, "most of the show ran very well and very smoothly." Their biggest concern was with the Akihabara Stage. "We featured a number of performers and artists on this stage, and we were worried before the show that sound might carry too far into the panel rooms." Guess what? Their concern came true. "We tried as best we could to keep the volume down, but it was something we had to deal with all weekend." Blasting loudness.

Even with the issue of loudness coming from the stage, the "fans were very happy." Even though the overall feeling of satisfaction was present, there were some mixed reactions in regards to the big concert's location. Instead of having the event at the Jacob Javits Center, it took place at the Knitting Factory. "I understand the want to have everything in one building, but we can't do large scale concerts inside the Javits, so for both the New York Anime Festival and New York Comic Con going forward, if it's big and musical, it will be in a different venue." Understandable.

Another related event that fans had some reactions to was the appearance of Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, who was the Guest of Honor. "Morimoto was standing room only. Prior to the show, some blogs were confused as to why Morimoto was at the show." I also asked Peter in a Pre-Anime Festival interview about that too, so I could understand the confusion. "The answer's because he's awesome. His events were all packed, and the Chef was thrilled. He's never been to an anime convention and had no clue his fanbase included anime fans."

Another event that had a large fan base, which included fan participation, is the Lucky Star Dance contest. There was "about a half dozen complete entries." The winners of the contest were announced a few weeks before the show." Yes, they did get prizes and goodies for being the victors! "They won tickets to the con as well as a nice selection of DVDs and swag from Bandai."

Not only was there a dance contest, but there was competition in the cosplay realm: World Cosplay Summit Masquerade. The parade of colors and creativity of magnificently display of costumes. "The World Cosplay Summit, WCS, was a blast. We've got some of the best cosplayers in America coming to NYAF. Looking to ages, we had a few youth entrants (who weren't in the running for the WCS) and twenty five teams that ranged from 18 to 40 who were aiming to win the tickets to Japan." So did Peter have a favorite? "I know a lot of the cosplayers participating and am good friends with a few, but I can't have a favorite. I support everyone entering the competition." The victor of the competition, Team USA, was crowned at the end of the night, whose names are India Davis and Becky Licata. Team USA will be going to Japan in the summer of 2009 to represent the USA. "They've already done a few interviews and are actively blogging at newyorkanimefestival.com."

Another fan related issue was room changes. On Sunday there were Lolita events, but the original rooms were changed the last minute. I did not even realize this change until I went looking for the event room. It was not just me that got confused it was both fans and some of the volunteers. So I had to ask Peter why were the changes done last minute? Peter said "On Sunday, we swapped the rooms the Lolita events were in. We moved the Baby, The Stars Shine Bright fashion show into our biggest room in anticipation of larger crowds." Do not worry Peter. Even with the confusion of room changes, the volunteers were able to guide many others and I in the right direction.

Now Peter is an anime and manga fan himself and has certain people he looks up to. Peter met his childhood heros Hideyuki Kikuchi and Yoshitaka Amano shortly before Opening Ceremonies of the festival. "I was nervous at first, simply because both men are hugely important and I didn't want to goof it up, but things went very well, and some great bonds were made. We're keeping in touch, and I hope to be able to bring them back to NYC again." Good job Peter!

So with all the events going on both inside and outside of the Jacobs Javits Center, did he have time to attend any? Peter attended as many as he could. The New York Anime Festival had many events happening at night. As a result, Peter had to pick and choose which ones he should go to. "I made damn sure, though, I was running Hideyuki Kikuchi's Birthday Dinner."

Making sure he would be at the birthday celebration, it became his most memorable moment of NYAF 2008. "It was fantastic -- completely and utterly fantastic." Kikuchi's Birthday Dinner was held at Jekyll and Hyde Club in midtown. "Jekyll and Hyde is a horror-themed Chuck E. Cheese's and I knew it would either be a big hit or a complete failure. Kikuchi-san ate it up as did all the attendees. It couldn't have gone better."

Even though the excitement is over, would Peter relive the moment of NYAF 2008 again? "I'd very much like to be able to go back and attend the con. I'd like to be able to sit through Kikuchi's panel, Morimoto's panel, Amano's panel, and Tanaka's panel. I'd like to be able to watch the entire Masquerade, listen to the Far East To East Showcase, and enjoy the After Party. There's a lot of fun stuff I don't get to take in that I'd love to be able to go back to."

Thanks again Peter! Thank you for the pictures Peter!
If you want to learn more about the New York Anime Festival please visit http://www.nyanimefestival.com/
© 2008 Linda Thai

Post NYAF 2008 with Adam Sheehan

Check out my Pre-Anime Festival with FUNimation.

I present to you Adam Sheehan the Senior Events Manager and Brand Manager for FUNimation Entertainment. I spoke to him before the festival about his work there and what he hopes to happen. Let’s see if anything he expected and did not expect came true.

New York Anime Festival 2008 is over. So what were his overall impressions? “It was a great show that’s growth impresses us once again.” According to Adam, FUNimation’s presence was “even better than last year.” They had some huge events related to Claymore, Ouran High School Host Club, and Darker Than Black and “all were great successes.” They will definitely be back for NYAF 2009.

Since Adam has been to both 2007 and 2008 NYAF, I wanted to know what were the differences and similarities of FUNimation’s presentation and the festival itself. “For both shows we kept the similar push for key shows releasing around that time.” At the NYAF 2007 FUNimation was promoting their One Piece release, but for 2008 NYAF they were promoting Claymore and Darker Than Black. When it came to shopping ease, their booth set-up became a “lot more shopper friendly with some key new elements purchased earlier in the year.” The change in presentation and keeping the similarities was an important contribution to FUNimation’s presence. “The importance of keeping a similar booth plan but tweaking a few items helps greatly since the fans will have some idea of what to expect but at the same time will always be able to find something new.” In regards to comparing and contrasting the festival for 2007 and 2008, the difference Adam saw was the size of the event. Comparing to last year the attendees were much “more excited.” Both festivals “ran well,” so that “didn’t need to change.”

Back to NYAF 2008. Adam arrived the day before the show began at around noon. When he reached the the floor of the exhibition hall his first thought was : “there is a lot to do.” (^_^) So why did he think this? “When we first arrive the booth is just a black spot on the floor with a big crate next to it.” The emptiness must be filled with the presence of FUNimation power!
So it was time to fill up the emptiness. After the set up it was time for the show. On Friday, it was a “steadily” start, but it “picked up a lot near the end.” On Saturday, it was “insanely busy from beginning to end.” I guess there was no bathroom break… The last day, it “was very full with fans who were trying to catch everything they missed in the last two days.” Lucky for Adam, he did not leave New York City until Monday morning, so he had time to rest. “I wasn’t as tired as I could have been.”
Last time we spoke, Adam said he was overseeing a couple of panels. So, how did they go? According to Adam, “all of our panels went very well and were well attended.” There was a “really strong” fan reaction to their Darker Than Black premier and the panel. Many of the fans that have seen a subtitled version of the show gave a positive reaction. They “loved it even more with the English language track.”

I remember him being worried about the weather in NYC. So I had to ask was too cold for you? This is what he said “(laughing out loud) I was more worried for my girlfriend since she’s from Vegas and doesn’t do well with the cold. I love it since I’m originally from the east coast. Show wise the weather didn’t affect anything luckily.”

Ok remember Adam mention big surprises. Boy was I surprised! My biggest surprise was the nice sword they were displaying. I didn’t think it was gonna be that huge! According to Adam, “we are big fans of the Claymore sword as well. We had to make it so big to watch the size of the series.” There were two big FUNimation announcements during the festival. One announcement was about the acquirement of the live Action Mushi shi movie. Another announcement was that FUNimation would be bringing Ouran High School Host Club to the FUNimation Channel. “The fans were very happy with both announcements and were asking for more details as soon as we have them.”
With all the surprises, process and presence of FUNimation he was focused on, he really did not have time to attend non-FUNimation events and activities. “I barely have time to manage all the FUNimation activates and the booth so usually I never get a chance to see anything else the show has to offer.” From different fans that had attended some of the events they “seemed very happy.”

Even though his priority was FUNimation, did he want anything at the festival that was not there? “(☺) Not really, it’s a great show that is sure to keep growing each year and we are happy to be part of that growth.” The attendance for the festival was met. “They managed to get more people this year which allows us to do more things at the show.”

For Adam, the most memorable moment at the festival was the Darker Than Black event. “We had a whole viral campaign with different characters from the show interacting with fans at the show and it was great to see this all come together and the fans excitement of being part of it.” He would “absolutely” relive the moment of the festival, because “it was a great show.”

Adam’s final words: “Just that everyone should stay close to FUNimation.com or where ever they get there anime new from for new and exciting developments in the near future.”

Thank you Adam for helping me out again! If you want to learn more about FUNimation Entertainment please visit www.FUNimation.com
Photograph of the FUNimation Entertainment NYAF 2008 Booth by Linda Thai.
© 2008 Linda Thai

Post NYAF 2008 with Ali T. Kokmen

Sorry for the long delay everyone, but schoolwork comes first and could not update until my professor reviewed my online assignment. (^_^) Now I am back with other Post New York Anime Festival interviews. The first of these interviews is Ali T Kokmen, the Manga Marketing Manager of Del Rey Manga.
This is my second interview with Ali, but I will tell you about his duties based off my first interview. As reflected in his position title, his responsibilities are the related to the marketing activities in the realm of the manga and graphic novels. “Once a project is acquired and scheduled, I work to let everyone know about that project—not only individual readers, but also (and, in some ways, primarily) the book stores, comic stores, schools, and libraries that carry our books, and my colleagues in the company that specialize in working with those various customers.” That’s a lot of promoting he has to do just to get the book out there. As the marketing manager his other activities are “meetings with editorial and publicist and sales colleagues. But the overarching responsibility is always to the book, to do best by it and its creators, to ensure it garners everything it deserves.” So, there is a lot more to being a Marketing Manager then what the title implies. Along with these duties he has job also involves “looking after advertisements, trade sale prices and convention and trade show attendance.”

Speaking of conventions Ali was at the 2008 New York Anime Festival. The man “absolutely” enjoyed the event. He felt that it has been a while for New York to have such an event dedicated to anime and manga. “It’s just great to see how the show has grown and evolved to fill that need.” Hell yeah boy!

When it came to his duties at the convention, he had to make sure that everything was going smoothly so that all of the plans Del Rey Manga had for the festival would go well. According to Ali, “most obviously, that means making sure that our booth set up in the exhibitor hall is taken care of, but it’s also making sure we’re ready for the panel events we’re participating in, or that the objectives for our attending editors and publicists are addresses as well.”

It was not only to tend the Del Rey Manga’s booth in the exhibition hall, but Ali participated in a panel. The panel Ali participated in was The State of the Manga Industry. “I was asked to participate in a state of the manga industry panel along with staffers from Yen Press and Dark Horse Comics.” The way the panel worked out was that the moderator of the panel gave the panelists “a set of questions beforehand so that we could get a general sense of the subject areas he wanted to cover.”

According to Ali,

“The general theme of the State of the Manga Industry panel was just that: a discussion of where the business of manga is right now. I don’t think there were any bad moments. Fans who attend these sorts of industry panels—the kind that speak more to the underlying business of our industry—tend to be a little more serious, studious, and inquisitive. They’re genuinely interested in the behind-the-scenes realities of working in our business. I think all of the panelists were mindful enough to recognize that. Plus, I think that we were able to demonstrate the general collegiality that still underlies our business. We may work at different publishers, but we’re all fans of each other and of each other’s work. Plus, the audience laughed at my jokes, so that’s always good.”

With a list of agenda, Del Rey Manga was lucky to have a staff based in New York, which helped meet staffing needs of Del Rey Manga’s festival presence. “However, the one main difference between 2007 and 2008 was that Del Rey Manga Associate Publisher Dallas Middaugh was unavailable to attend the show this year.” He got married not too long ago and went on his honeymoon with his lovely spouse. “I know Dallas feels bad for missing the show, but I think we can all forgive him this time!”

Even though the 2008 festival opened on Friday afternoon, Ali arrived with some of his colleagues to setup Del Rey Manga’s booth and presence on Thursday morning. Early set up means good preparation for the festival. His initial reaction is like more or less the same in a situation like this. “Whenever I first arrive as a show site: a tremendous rush of adrenaline as you enter the raw space; the worry that you’re not going to be able to complete your set up before the show opens; the scramble to find your materials, solve problems on the fly, and get ready to present yourself and your company well.” In another words, “it’s heady, exhilarating, and terrifying, all in equal measure, and that’s how it goes for every show.”

So with the nerves and plans in mind, they had a schedule to follow and hopefully sleep.
In Ali’s case, he arrives roughly half an hour to an hour before the opening of the festival on each day of the event. At the end of each day, he leaves around the time of closing of the festival. So lucky him, since he does not have that many evening appointments, whether it be a dinner engagement or late night meetings, the man was able to get some sleep in one’s own bed. The last day of the show is slightly different. When it came to Sunday, Ali and his colleagues stayed roughly an hour after closing to dismantle the Del Rey Manga booth and organized and prep all their materials for return shipment. “Setting up and breaking down shows can be the most stressful parts of the process, but the nice thing is that the Del Rey Manga Manga team has worked together for so long and for so many shows that we’re really, really good at those parts.” Experience man, experience. It takes time to learn and understand the process. Dey Rel got it good.
Along with their staff and NYAF team, there is another group involved in the NYAF. The group I am talking about is the fans and those who attend the festival. Del Rey Manga had promotional items to give away to the fans, such as their “famous Fairy Tail snap bracelets.” They celebrated their publication, Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney manga, with “foam rubber gavels, which were a hit with fans.” Along with that celebration, they also celebrated their “upcoming Bakugan books by displaying some of the many, many Bakugan toys on the market.” So what is Bakugan? “Bakugan, as you know, is wildly popular, but it wildly popular among a slightly younger group than the typical shojo/shonen reader, so it was a lot of fun to have something for that younger crowd too.”

Since Ali attended both 2007 and 2008 NYAF, I wanted to know were there any differences or similarities between the two festivals. In regards to NYAF 2007, which was the first ever New York Anime Festival, it was a “excellent experience.” Since Del Rey Manga’s first particiation, they have been communicating with the NYAF staff about their plans for the next festival. Del Rey Manga was “very impressed” with the dedication of those part of the New York Anime Festival team, which was to make it “a premiere event” in the world of anime and manga. “All our thoughts were positive. We have a great relationship with NYAF and with Reed Exhibitions (NYAF’s parent company,) so we had no trepidation about working with them for 2008.” A working relationship is good and can help make things go smoothly and successfully.

Next is comparing 2007 and 2008 NYAF and there were some similarities and difference in Del Rey Manga’s participation. At NYAF 2007, the editor of FAUST Katsushi Ota was in attendance, but at NYAF 2008 there were no Japanese guests. This is the “chief difference between the two year’s activities.” According to Ali, with any show that Del Rey Manga participates in, “we structure our activities and expectations around what books we have to promote and what assets we have to promote those books; those obviously change from year to year.”

Even though there were differences and similarities there was a “core goal” at the 2007 and 208 NYAF. According to Ali, it was “to present ourselves to the fans who support us, to tell them about what we have coming up, and to listen to what gets them excited.” So, how did Ali feel about Del Rey Manga’s presentation this year? “I think we did great! As I said above, Del Rey Manga has a great team, and I think we really shined at NYAF 2008. “

So with the similarities and differences was there anything that Ali might have wanted for NYAF 2008 that the festival did not have? “Well, the maid café isn’t exactly my thing, but being an egalitarian fellow, I sympathize with those who complained that there were no butlers. But maybe for 2009!” The funny thing is there was one butler, who I happen to know ;) Let’s save the person the embarrassment.

Was there a memorable moment at the festival for Ali? Yeah there was. Even though he was busy being a Del Rey Manga staff, he was able to get Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto’s autograph. “I couldn’t make it to his panel, but I was able to get away long enough to get him to sign a copy of his book. That was a thrill.” Now that is a fan! Along with the achievement of the autograph, it was his brief participation in a podcast with the team from Japanator, which Ali thought “was pretty cool.”

Along with his fandom moments, Ali was “impressed with attendance” of the 2008 NYAF. Even with the first day of the festival, which was rainy, the attendance “just proves how NYAF has already evolved into a must-attend event.” Go us fans!!! Ali also said, “I understand that NYAF saw a substantial attendance increase overall from 2007 to 2008, which is gratifying to hear.”

With all the excitement done and lived through would Ali relive the moment? “Of course, but any convention is an intrinsically ephemeral event. It lasts for how long it lasts and then it’s over, and then you have to plan for the next one. That’s just the nature of things.

Ali’s final words: “If all goes to plan 2009 will be another great year for both NYAF and Del Rey Manga Manga. Stay tuned!” We will be on the look out for Del Rey Manga in 2009!

Thank you Ali T. Kokmen for participating in the interview and the logo!!!
For more information about Dey Rey Manga please visit http://www.randomhouse.com/delrey/manga/index.pperl
Photograph of the Del Rey Manga NYAF 2008 Booth by Linda Thai.
© 2008 Linda Thai

Post NYAF 2008 with Joseph Luster

Check out my Pre-Anime Festival with Otaku USA

Hello fellow readers! Here we are with another wonderful and humorous employee of Otaku USA. Presenting Mr. Joseph Luster! (Applause please) So how has Joseph been feeling since the conclusion of the festival? “Fantastic. Thanks for asking!”

Joseph is the 27-year-old videogames editor and writer for the magazine. Along with his duties as the editor, he is also the contents manager for the website of Otaku USA. He recently moved from Louisville, Kentucky and now living in Hoboken, New Jersey. On his background and heritage, “I am a pale American glowing constantly with the light of my laptop's monitor.” You cannot tell me what he just said was not funny. Seriously, he is funny! Look at what he just said!

Ok enough about funny man and his personal life. On with the New York Anime Festival! As with Benjamin Boyles, Otaku USA’s Account Executive, this was Joseph’s first New York Anime Festival. So what is his overall experience about it? “I really enjoyed my first time at NYAF. I didn't have a chance to attend any panels, unfortunately, as most of my time was spent in the Exhibition Hall, but I dug the venue and all the attendees seemed to be having a blast.”

So how did he know about the New York Anime Festival? “I've known about it for a while, since I usually like to at least keep tabs on what cons are going on around the country.” Did he have any initial reactions from the news of it? “Now that I live so close to the convention center, though, this was the ideal first year for me to attend.” Less travel time is good (^_^)

Now it is time for work. When he first stepped in the convention, his initial thought “was honestly just how big the Javits Center is, since I had never been there before. It kind of made the con seem small in comparison, at least until I walked into the heavily populated Exhibition Hall.” He attended the convention on Saturday and Sunday, but he was there most of the time attending the Otaku USA booth. “Honestly, I was behind the booth 95% of the time. On average for the two days I attended, I would get home around 8PM or so.” I am guessing the 5% of the 100% is break time and maybe sleep… ;)

Even though this is his first NYAF, Joseph has attended other conventions, both anime manga and non-anime manga related. So I had to ask did he notice any differences or similarities between those conventions he attended and NYAF 2008? According to Joseph, ”I'd say the only real differences I noticed were in the variety of fans that were present at the convention. Big and tall, old and young. It may just be a sign of the times, but it was a really diverse crowd and I enjoyed that aspect of it.” Diversity is good (^_^) Maybe because it is the Big Apple or is it something else that made this difference catch his eye? “The fact that I picked up on this might have had to do with the fact that the convention I attended prior to this one was Comic-Con '08 in San Diego, which was much more densely populated. With the comparatively smaller gathering in NYC, I had more of an opportunity to observe everyone that came.”

Ok, split personality career time. Remember that Joseph is both the editor of the Video Game section and the Content Manager of the Otaku USA website. So I had to ask and understand his position in doing both in regards to the festival. As the editor, his goal of attending the festival and his responsibilities “was pretty much solely to support the magazine and work at the booth, which was cool because I was able to meet quite a few of our awesome readers in the process.” Now, as Content Manager he had certain things to do after and in regards to the festival. Remember the Cosplay Contest at the Otaku USA booth? Otaku USA took photos of anyone in cosplay that wanted to participate and the photos chosen would be posted on the Otaku USA website after the show. “My web content partner-in-crime, Julian Gnam, did a lot of hard work to get them up quickly and keep the whole thing organized, and you can see the results in the Events section at our website.”

In regards to his expectations, which were to represent Otaku USA, “get an opportunity to talk to some readers and see what's going on in the NYC fan community in general—were all met. I would have liked to have met Yoshitaka Amano, as well, but I didn't get a chance, sadly!” Awww. Work got in the way (u_u) , but it pays the bill (^_^) ! So where there any pros and cons for him then? “Not to sound all purposely rose-tinted about the experience, but I can't think of any downs. The major up was certainly the location. Aside from a decent-length walk to and from the PATH station, it was a really painless commute. The cosplayers at the convention were also all really awesome and impressive.” Go NYAF! Yee-Ha!

Since there was not much down for him, did he have any memorable moment? “This one dude dressed up as Yusuke Urameshi from Yu Yu Hakusho came to our contest two days in a row, both times sporting a variation on the character's costume. He also let out a massive battle cry for the (microphone-less) camera.” Wow! What a fan!

Since it was more of ups at NYAF, was Otaku USA’s goal met? “I think so, for sure. We had a lot of fun and met a lot of cool people, and managed to sell some subscriptions and magazines in the process, so that's always a good thing. We also gave away a lot of free stuff, none of which I saw littering the floors of the subway on the way home!” Would he do NYAF again? “Well, my dogs were barkin' after standing up for two days straight. I'll definitely go back next year, though.”

Thank you Joseph Luster for participating in the interview!!!
Thanks Julian Gnam for the logo and the picture Otaku USA booth banner!!!

For more information about Otaku USA please visit http://www.otakuusamagazine.com/
Photograph of the Otaku USA NYAF 2008 Booth by Linda Thai.
© 2008 Linda Thai

Post NYAF 2008 with Benjamin Boyles

Check out my Pre-Anime Festival with Otaku USA

Hello Everyone! I am here with another employee of Otaku USA magazine, Benjamin Boyles. Now before we get to know him as Otaku USA, let’s get to know him on a personal level.

So how has Mr. Boyles been since the festival? “Busy, always deadlines and things to do.” I know the feeling. Work is work.

Ben just turned 28 and currently resides in Williamsport, PA. He is “Caucasian” with Irish and German heritage. Do I hear wedding bells? Guess what? He is engaged to the beautiful and lovely Emily Lomax and their wedding is on June 27, 2009. Congratz dude!!!! Ok back to work!

You curious about what his position in Otaku USA? Take a guess? His official position is Account Executive. Yeah I know what some of you are thinking… You might be thinking that his job is the same as an accountant, just counting numbers, right? Guess what guys? The reality is that he deals with advertising sales and monitors the trafficking of the ads. Even though those are his responsibilities, what makes his position important and necessary for OTAKU USA? Let Ben tell you why:

“When you see Advertising in the pages of OTAKU USA, to get that Ad in place, It takes me to be directly involved in the logistics and communication with the client that placed the Ad. Then it’s all tracked and scheduled in a program that I insert the information into. I also am constantly developing relationships with other prospective clients that would benefit from Advertising in our pages and I also try to find companies that I think our readers will enjoy their products and services.”

So, you see he does play an important role in the functionality of Otaku USA.

Other than that he also attends conventions on behalf of Otaku USA. Even though he attended other conventions before NYAF, Ben is actually fairly new to the world of conventions, both anime manga and non-anime manga related. Being a sort of a newbie, how does he feel about the general environment of conventions? Well (^_^) according to him it is “craziness but fun. Have to sit back and say “wow” sometimes.” Some of us know exactly how you feel, Ben. I know I do.

Since he attended different conventions, I wonder if he noticed any similarities or differences? Yes, he did notice a few things. He told me this: “it was very similar to AX in LA. But that is a very big compliment.” We can take a compliment! Who does not want to be complimented (^_^)

From experiences at different conventions and being fairly new, I had to ask an important question. Does he feel that the conventions have an impact in society? He said yes. Why do you ask? According to Ben, he believes that it “gives that Fan base a separate population and gathering place. With that many fans of the culture, it breeds a separate sector of industry.” In this case it happens to be anime and manga related.

So from a creation of a separate sector comes the creation of such conventions as the New York Anime Festival. So how does this event relate to him being in Otaku USA?
According to Ben, “being more and more involved in the industry, it’s one of the main events to attend.” Since the New York Anime Festival 2008 was Ben’s first NYAF, so what were his overall impressions? “Love the Javits Center. Love the cosplay and the passion the fans have for the culture.” Yeah go NYAF! So what were his initial reactions when he first heard about the festival? “Curious on how it would turn out and where it was located in NYC.”

Knowing that he had to go to the festival, Ben kept an open mind “and didn’t really put any expectations on it.” Even though he had an open mind, he did have an initial reaction to the festival. His first reaction was that “the location was great.” Now comparing to AX in LA in July of 2008, “the event was very comparable. Not quite as big but well laid out and planned.”

Having to be there for all three days, Ben had a schedule to follow through. This would help him organize his work and have things go smoothly. So let’s read what was the schedule like for Ben and each day’s work. “Left Williamsport Thursday AM to get to NYC by about noontime or so, check into hotel and head to the Javits center to setup the booth with the other guys from the company. Manned the booth Friday and Saturday all day until the exhibition hall was closed. Get a bite to eat and back to the hotel to crash. The full days are exhausting. Sunday: Planned out the attack of packing up and making sure we got rid of all our merchandise we came with to the readers. Sunday had to leave the other guys a little early due to my ride back to Central PA leaving. But they could handle the rest of the day. Got back early evening to catch up on family things.” So remember guys, similar to Ben, plan and organize to make sure things get done smoothly and have time for food. (^_^)

With his busy schedule, the ups and downs of the festival were “pretty consistent.” He “always enjoy when people come up to the booth not knowing about us.” Yes, I know that sounds odd, but there is a reason. People kept thinking they are the “spawn from New Type. Then they are presently surprised that we are not and we are an individual company that only publishes magazines we are passionate about.” This assumption has been brought up so many times that it became a FAQ on Otaku USA’s website. So guys, it is not the same magazine. It is just independent Otaku USA.
Ok so about his job and responsibilities. Since he is the Account Executive and he was at the convention promoting the magazine, are his responsibilities different or similar at the festival and at the office? “My direct responsibility at NYAF was to promote subscriptions to fans. With a little bit of promoting the website. These two things are very different from my position responsibilities within the company. The only thing I do similarly at the cons that I do in the office is prospect new clients and introduce companies to us that may not be already familiar with our magazine.” So work in the office is more or less linked to work outside of the office space. Even though work is still work, Otaku USA “never go into it with a main goal but always love when the Hall is packed. Makes it crazy but fun.” He felt that the festival did a “great job.”

So, would Ben like to relive the NYAF 2008 again? “I wouldn’t mind doing it again next year. Was overall a good experience for us as a company and great to be around the fans and readers.”

His final words: “Thanks so much for your interest in us, we appreciate all our readers support.” So keep the support going guys!

Thank you Benjamin Boyles for participating in the interview!!!
Thanks Julian Gnam for the logo and the picture of the crowd in front of the Otaku USA booth!!!
For more information about Otaku USA please visit http://www.otakuusamagazine.com
Photograph of the Otaku USA NYAF 2008 Booth by Linda Thai.
© 2008 Linda Thai

Post NYAF 2008 with Michael Gombos

Check out my Pre-Anime Festival with Dark Horse

So how has Michael Gombos been doing since our last interview? “I think that I’m looking pretty darn good. ^_^ Actually, I just got married, so I am doing great. I am getting ready to go to Japan for a couple of weeks to work on some new exciting projects that will be heading Dark Horse’s way. It’s fall (my favorite season), the weather is clear and the leaves are falling. I’m drinking coffee from a Hellboy mug, listening to the Samurai Champloo soundtrack and making comic books with my friends. I am translating the new Evangelion Manga. Keeping a 32-inch waist. Hellsing 9 just came out. Things are good.”

First time I ever interviewed Mike, I did not ask some basic, general information about this cool guy. This time I was able to and got some information back. He turned 32 this year, and according to him “that’s the official lower-end age limit of the last of the “Classically Trained Translators.” He currently resides in Portland, Oregon, but he said “technically, I suppose it’s Milwaukie, Oregon, birthplace and current home of Dark Horse Comics.”

He is married to a lovely Korean woman, who he met in the business "(yes, it happens more often than you think).” He said that she “probably knows more about licensing than I do. She’s responsible for the majority of Manhwa titles in the US today.” Go Mrs. Gombos Go! Michael’s nationality is American, but you might be able to consider him as Greek-American. “I don’t like hyphenating my ethnicity, but I think that’s the most common way to do it. Shortly put: Born in Bakersfield, raised in Portland via Japan.” Now, on with his experience and work at the New York Anime Festival 2008 acronym NYAF 2008.

In case anyone did not know, this was Mike’s first NYAF and when I first spoke to him he was quite excited about the event. So what were his overall impressions of it? “It was really great.” Even though he had a wonderful time at the event, he told me that he thinks that his opinions “might be a little skewed.” Now why is that you might ask? “Since we’re the official publisher of the two guests of honor. Having Mr. Amano and Mr. Kikuchi there made it the best show it could have been for Dark Horse.” Other then the presence of two great artists, Yoshitaka Amano and Hideyuki Kikuchi, “the fans were great and friendly and most importantly — into manga and anime, and Peter Tatara and friends orchestrated a really great show.” Then Mike tells me how much he understands and appreciates the work put into the festival, but wish they had something. “I know it’s hard to run a smooth show (especially in New York), and they really did a top-notch job. In short, I have no complaints about the show except for one — I really wish the Javits center would get a PA so they could let fans know that the show is closing in 15 minutes or whatever, rather than have staff running up and down the aisles shouting it. In a way, that gives a show some personality, though, I suppose.”

Aside from being excited, Mike knew he had a job to do. It meant that being part of the NYAF also meant that there was Dark Horse work to be done. So what was the life like at NYAF 2008 for the Director of Asian Licensing? “We got there in the afternoon the Wednesday before the show started. So Mark and I went shopping and looked around New York, and basically made sure that we were ready to go for the show.” Now, this is what Mike had to say about the Big Apple: “New York is amazing — but it’s hard to think it’s so amazing when you have lived many years in Tokyo. That being said, New York feels more “foreign” to me than Tokyo does.” Remember, that Mike grew up in Japan.

Since NYAF was work for him, he did not have many personal expectations for the show. “I am representing Dark Horse full time, so I have to put that first. But from working the booth to doing panels to being at Mr. Amano’s press gigs, etc., it was a full show.” Think of it as three days of working as Dark Horse, instead of at the office, but at the NYAF. Remember that a job is a job. It is not always fun and games.

Since he was working for that entire weekend, what was the schedule like? Did he even have break time or leisure? “It consisted of being in the booth and selling our products, and then going to whatever panel Amano-sensei or Kikuchi-sensei had, or whatever panel I had, and then moving back to the booth, where my colleague, Mark Bernardi was running the show. So, I’d be at panels and press interviews half the day, and then at the booth (usually give Mark a break) the rest. The last day was a little more relaxed, and we got to wind down by selling the rest of our books, and talk with the fans.” Even though work will always be work, it does not mean that Mike would not have liked to check out some things outside of work. “So, basically, I always go on trips thinking, “It’d be great if I had a chance to see_________” but this is what I do for work, so that always comes first. We had about 6 hours to kill before getting our plane, so we did some shopping and looking around the city, which was nice.” So what did he do when he came back to the Dark Horse office? “I tossed my schedule when I got back (my office gets really cluttered with all the stuff and book samples I get, so I am trying to keep things as “tidy” as possible.” Yes the pictures below are of Mike's office (^_^)

Now from his duties tending to Mr. Amano, taking care of the booth and selling dark horse products, did everything work out? According to Mike, “it went as smooth as I could have imagined; this is again where I’d like to thank Peter Tatara for being so accommodating to us as well as the actual guests of honor.” What also helped ease the process was that “Amano-sensei is a veteran traveler.” He has lived in New York before, “so he’s quite low-maintenance, as it was, and always a pleasure to have at shows.”

Other then aiding Mr. Amano, Mike was able to have chitchats and chill with the great artist. “We had a lot of chances to chat throughout the show. We talk quite a bit.” Not only that but it was a learning experience also. “I am always learning something new from him. I only get to see Mr. Kikuchi about once a year, and it was my first time meeting Kevin Leahy (translator of VHD), so it was nice to mingle with old friends and new!” It is good to hear about Mike’s experience and enjoyment, but what about us fans?

This year Dark Horse borrowed the booth, but some fans were unable to spot the booth due to the lack of a visible Dark Horse logo. I was able to spot the booth, because I remember the distributors name. So I asked Mike what happened to the Dark horse logo?
“That was simply because the Dark Horse graphic logo didn’t arrive in time. Although it did cause some confusion, we’re grateful that Diamond let us use part of their booth.”

Even though there was a lack of a sign, there were fans that were able to spot out the booth, for example, by the products and items on display. So what were the fans reactions? “Very good. It’s all about the reactions to the products. I have said it before, and I will say it again: Fans don’t usually care about who is publishing what — they just want the product. Many companies are publishing or making products expressly to promote their brand, using the property or product as a vehicle for that. This rarely works out. While there might be folks who see the Dark Horse logo and buy whatever it is, I’d wager that they’re very few and far between, and this is the same with every company. Fans want BLOOD+, Naruto and Suzumiya Haruhi. It doesn’t matter who puts it out, though if you do a shoddy job with it, you risk negatively impacting your company. People tend to pick up on the negative more and faster than the positive.” Honestly, speaking as a fan, I just go for what I am looking for, example BLOOD+, not who publishes it. So, from my point of view and my experience, yeah I agree with Mike.

Besides work and greeting fans during the festival, Mike had some other things to do after the event related to the event. Can you guess what they are? If not, let Mike tell you. “Make sure the products and money are all accounted for, and ship things back. Make the plane in time. Shows — no matter how wonderful they are — always end with a sigh of relief and happiness of closing a show well.”

Even though the show is over and I spoke to Mike about his work experience, I wanted to know and understand the deeper details and thoughts he had for NYAF. One question I asked was “what are the ups and downs?” According to Mike, “no real ups or downs that wouldn’t be expected at any show. NY is on the other side of the country, so the travel can be taxing. That being said, I rarely go anywhere but Japan, San Diego and Los Angeles, and compared to the flight from Portland to Tokyo, the NY flight is a breeze.”

Was there anything he wished they had but did not and why would it be important to have it? “Besides the PA system (which isn’t the fault of the show), I always thought it would be nice if they’d feature the publishers that attend. I mean, you can drop a lot of money and sponsor the show, but I think it’s just as meaningful to show your support by attending the events. Yen Press and Del Rey Manga had their booths adjacent to ours, and it’s always great to realize that these companies have their people out in the field with the fans at these events. Many of them are VPs or Directors, too, which shows a lot of care. Don’t get me wrong: Financial contributions are important, too, and essential to running a successful show. I just think it’s great when there are people there talking to the fans and talking about books and these things we love, even if you have only one person there representing the company.”

I wondered what was his most memorable moment at the festival was and why did he chose it? “I think that’d probably be the Amano panel. He’s got a magnetism that’s really unparalleled. He’s a gentleman, and always spends so much time signing books from the fans, tirelessly answering the same set of interview questions hour after hour after hour, and really gets into the panels.”

What about his happiest moment? “I was most happy when, at the Amano panel, a fan stood up and thanked him, saying that his artwork was the reason they got into art. Immediately following that, dozens of others stood up and said, “Me too! Thank you!” Hobbies inspire us. Many of the fans said that they went to art school and pursued being an artist because of Mr. Amano.”

So, would Mike want to relive the moment of NYAF 2008 again? According to Mike, it is not about him reliving the moment, but it is about his excitement for NYAF 2009!

Mike’s final words: “Just to thank all the fans that stopped by and talked, and that thanked us for our books!”

Thanks Mike for the pictures of your office!!!
For more information about the Mr. Amano please visit http://www.darkhorse.com/Zones/Amano
Photograph of the Dark Horse NYAF 2008 Booth by Linda Thai.
© 2008 Linda Thai

It's almost time!!! New York Anime Festival time!!!

Pre-Anime Festival with Peter Tatara

Hey guys! I got another Pre-Anime Festival interview for you to check out! Presenting Peter Tatara, the Programming Manager of the New York Anime Festival for 2007 and 2008!!! Is he excited? YES HE IS! With excitement and fun comes responsibilities. So let me tell you some things about Peter's job for the festival. "I supervise all the shows guests, screenings, panels, and special events. Lance, the Show Manager, is above me and looks over my work as well as everything in the Exhibition Hall." Everyone at the New York Anime Festival worked hard on putting the festival together! So read and learn about their duties and what they got in store for you, the fans!!! Enjoy!!!

Pre-Anime Festival with FUNimation Entertainment

Hey hey guys, especially, the wonderful FUNimation fans out there! I got another Pre-Anime Festival interview and this time it is with the Senior Events Manager for FUNimation Entertainment, Adam Sheehan. He is back for another round of the New York Anime Festival and yes, he is excited." I’m always happy to exhibit for FUNimation at a great show like New York Anime Fest. With fun and excitement there is work to be done, lots of work.

Pre-Anime Festival with Otaku USA

Remember that guy at the Otaku USA magazine booth from New York Anime Festival 2007 taking care of applications and photographing for their cosplay contest? Guess what? He is back to do another cosplay contest and working hard on the Otaku USA booth for New York Anime Festival 2008. Welcome back Julian Gnam!!!

NYAF In less than 2 weeks...

In less than 2 weeks New York City will be raging with Anime, Manga and J-Pop fans- are you going to be there? Avoid the long ticket lines on site and buy your tickets online. See panels, screenings, special guests, concerts and attend special events including the Cosplay Masquerade on Saturday night.

Pre-Anime Festival with Dark Horse

Hey it is that time again: New York Anime Festival!!! I would like to introduce to you the Director of Asian Licensing for Dark Horse, Michael Gombos (Applause (^_^))!!! I had the pleasure to interview Mr. Gombos thanks to Jeremy Atkins, Dark Horse Director of Publicity. They are so nice (^_^). Need to give them a hug.