Legal Times: Old and New, Marvel MGA Entertainment and Toys

Introduction to Legal Times: Old and New

Marvel verses MGA Entertainment for violations of licensing agreement. The battle shall continue...

MGA Entertainment Gets Marvel Die-Cast LicenseMaker of Popular Bratz Dolls ICv2 Published: 02/02/2006 12:00am

Marvel Sues MGA By Alexa Hyland Los Angeles Business Journal Staff Posted date: 1/7/2009

Marvel Sues MGA Over Toy License ICv2 Published: 01/15/2009 12:40am

Lolita Lyntha Presents Cosaru

I was first intrigued by Cosaru.com, due to their kimono style lolita outfits, which is also known as Wa Lolita. I thought Cosaru’s interpretation of the style was unique. For example one of the outfits had bat wings in the back and another had influences from a maid outfit, such as an apron. Because I myself like Wa Lolita, I wanted to learn more about Cosaru.com.

Cosaru.com is an online anime, cosplay and costume store of New York. Not only is it a store name but also it is the owner’s cosplay nickname. The origin of the word Cosaru is from a combination of the words “cosplay” and “saru”, which means “monkey” in Japanese. When choosing a store name, it can represent the store, but it can also represent a person. In this case, Cosaru represents the one and only staff of Cosaru.com

“I chose the word "saru" because according to the Lunar Calendar I was born in the year of Monkey.” But wait there is more to the name. “In addition to that, Cosaru also represents me.” When she first opened the store, Cosaru was not completely focused on “oh-yeah-let's-make-some-money thing. Instead, my online costume store was meant to represent myself and share my joy of making costumes with others. I'm managing Cosaru.com simply because I liked to sew and make something out of fabric. Yes, I just "like" & "love" cosplay, which is why I named the store, Cosaru. The name reflects one side of me, who just loves to cosplay and make costumes. And I'm sure the people who visit my store have the same feeling about cosplay. If that's the case, the name "Cosaru" is enough to be my store name.”

With her love of sewing and cosplay, Cosaru became a “costume recreator.” Her work includes going to fabric shop to buy wonderful and good quality fabrics and going to USPS to ship out the beautiful costumes and out fits. “Every work is done through my own hands as there is no other second staff at Cosaru.com.”

It all started with her first costume sale at eBay.com as an auction. “As more people started to request a commission, I felt that I might need my own website to display my costumes.” Cosaru.com became her first priority. “The first and most important goal that made me open this store was that "I want to make quality costumes with affordable price." She continues to do her best following this mission since she started sewing.

So what was the process or steps that led to the fulfillment of Cosaru.com? “Everything was done by my online research and studying the contents of other websites. In 2002, there weren't many online US commissioners. Most of the websites that I did my research on were based in Japan. Since I'm the only person who manage this entire store, studying based on online resources were a great help to make the next step in building the Cosaru.com website.”

Wondering what the typical day is like for Cosaru to work on items and things related to COSARU.com? When it is time for her to start a “new costume”; she starts by finding as many “reference images of the specific character and anime series” as possible. This is conducted by searching from one website to another. “Once I'm ready and know what I want to make, I spend the rest of the day drawing patterns and sewing costumes.” Her experience in handling and working on all things related and dealing with Cosaru.com has been great. “It's exciting (and busy) work since I'm eager to see new anime and find new costumes for people who visit Cosaru.com.”

Now 7 years later, her first cosplay related website is still standing. Her success did not come over night though. During the first two years of Cosaru.com the “sale record or # of visitors at Cosaru.com wasn't successful as it is today.” She learned that “any new website needs wide advertisement,” which helps online users locate her website. Because of the Cosaru.com advertisements, for the past three to four years, “I am seeing that Cosaru.com has been growing bigger than I expected. So now I'm in the ups!”

Now on to the Kimono Lolita style! According to Cosaru “it's also called Wa-Loli. The top is just the same as traditional/original Japanese Kimono or Yukata pattern, but the bottom is replaced or modified to a lolita style skirt - a big puffy skirt with a petticoat”

Her first encounter to the kimono style lolita made her scream in her head, "I gotta make that!" To Cosaru the “General Lolita style dresses are still beautiful, but they did not have that strong enough pull to my attention and effort of sewing.” So with her mind set on making a Wa Lolita outfits, she has many on her site for sale and display. The completion of her kimono style lolita outfits estimates one to two weeks.

Even though the Wa Lolita style is part of her online store, the kimono style lolita has a personal meaning to Cosaru. “Before I already fell in love with traditional Kimono and its colorful flower motif patterns and prints. The original kimono and yukata are in long ankle-length dress, which may not be comfortable to wear and walk around to cosplay. Then, Kimono Lolita comes up as it combines both traditional and modern side of look. It became the choice that refreshes my sewing and designing experience.”

My final questions to Cosaru was about the Lolita fashion and the US market. What competition does the Lolita fashion, including the kimono style, face in the US market? How does the industry make itself more competitive or overcome such obstacles? This is her opinion on it:

“I feel that Asian and oriental styles are more marketable in US than any other Asian countries. Kimono may be viewed as a unique clothing fashion that can appeal as a special gift and collection.
Lolita fashion has been growing so fast that I see more and more Lolita cosplayers attending at anime conventions. Also, people get so creative that they don't stick to one fixed lolita style, but keep modifying and changing the style to what they want. It is true that there are still more cosplayers who do specific anime, game, and manga characters. While anime cosplay is just fun as to bring anime characters to life, Lolita cosplay is another way of expressing one's creativity. I expect that both Lolita and Kimono fashion will be growing faster than ever as people are seeking something new.”

Thank you Cosaru for participating in the interview and the pictures!
For more information about Cosaru and her outfits please visit www.cosaru.com
© 2009 Linda Thai

My Mascot: Lolita Lyntha

Hello Everyone,

This is my mascot (^_^), chibi style, in full body view and she is the same girl in my banner. She is wearing my interpretation of Qi Lolita or Chinese style Lolita. Her outfit is influenced by Han clothing from the Han Dynasty. From what I can understand the "qi" is taken from the "qi" in qí páo, which the Chinese characters are 旗 袍. Because the Chinese language has many dialects, the character 旗 for this "qi" could be pronounced in different ways. In Mandarin this "qi" sounds like the word "key" with an up tone, while in Cantonese this "qi" sounds like the letter "k." Also when you see the letters "q" and "i" together, it is not always pronounced the same way when you see it. Because I have no idea what is the adopted pronunciation of the word "qi," I will stick with the Chinese character 旗 for individual pronunciation in their respective Chinese dialect.

There is more to anime, manga and comics than just what you read or watch. There is something beneath the surface. It is something deeper.
© 2009 Linda Thai

News: The U.S. Debut of Sword of the Stranger

THE U.S. DEBUT OF SWORD OF THE STRANGER – A ROUSING SAMURAI ANIME EPIC – HITS MOVIE THEATRES NATIONWIDE FOR A ONE NIGHT EVENT

Tickets Now on Sale for Exclusive In-Theatre Anime Event

Appearing in More than 360 Movie Theatres on February 5^th

Centennial, Colo. – Jan. 6, 2009 NCM Fathom and Bandai Entertainment presents Sword of the Stranger, an exhilarating samurai anime tale straight from Japan, on the big screen in a special one-night event on Thursday, Feb. 5^th at 7:30 p.m. local time. This unique theatre event (English dubbed) that brings the story of a nameless samurai to movie theatres will feature an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the Sword of the Stranger at studio BONES as well as never-before-seen interviews with the English voice actors, director Masahiro Ando, and legendary producer Mashiko Minami.

Tickets for this special event are available at www.FathomEvents.com and presenting theatre box offices. For a complete list of theatre locations and prices, visit the website (theatres are subject to change).

Acclaimed Japanese anime studio BONES (“Cowboy Bebop,” “Full Metal Alchemist,” “Soul Eater”) brings Sword of the Stranger to life for this one-night exclusive event. Hunted by the Mings from China, a young boy named Kotaro and his loyal dog Tobimaru meet a nameless samurai who is haunted by his past – a memory so terrible he has vowed to never draw his sword again. Among the Mings is Luo-Lang, a ruthless Western swordsman with the Chinese name who has walked the earth in search of a worthy rival. When both groups clash with a feudal lord and monks torn between faith and survival, the truth behind the Mings’ pursuit of Kotaro tests the bond between the boy and the samurai.

“Bandai Entertainment is proud to partner with NCM Fathom for the American debut of Sword of the Stranger – this film has some of the most stunning action cheorography ever seen in anime film,” said Robert Napton, marketing director for Bandai Entertainment, Inc. “Anime and samurai fans won’t want to miss this visually amazing and emotionally compelling event at their local movie theatre, where this film was meant to be seen.”

Sword of the Stranger, which was recently submitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for consideration for Best Animated Feature of 2008, appears on the big screen in high-definition with Cinema Surround Sound in more than 360 select AMC Entertainment Inc., Celebration! Cinema, Cinemark Holdings, Inc., Clearview Cinemas, Cobb Theatres, Georgia Theatre Company, Goodrich Quality Theatres, Hollywood Theaters, Kerasotes Showplace Theatres, Marcus Theatres, National Amusements and Regal Entertainment Group movie theatres, as well as Arlington Theatre (Santa Barbara, CA) and Palace Cinema 9 (South Burlington, VT) through NCM’s exclusive Digital Broadcast Network – North America’s largest cinema broadcast network.

“NCM Fathom has experienced great success bringing anime events to the big screen in limited engagement events and we are excited to bring Sword of the Stranger to anime fans across the country this February,” said Dan Diamond, vice president of NCM Fathom.

About National CineMedia, Inc.

National CineMedia (NCM) LLC operates the largest digital in-theatre network in North America through long-term agreements with its founding members, AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CNK) and Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC), the three largest theatre operators in the U.S., and through multi-year agreements with several other theatre operators. NCM LLC produces and distributes its FirstLook pre feature program; cinema, lobby and online advertising products; comprehensive meeting and event services and other entertainment programming content. NCM LLC’s national network includes over 17,000 screens of which approximately 15,000 are part of the company’s Digital Content Network (DCN). NCM LLC’s network covers 176 Designated Market Areas® (49 of the top 50). During 2007, approximately 689 million patrons attended movies shown in theatres currently included in the network (excluding Consolidated Theatres and Star Theatres). National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCMI) owns a 42.3% interest in and is the managing member of NCM LLC. To learn more about National CineMedia Inc., visit the company’s website at www.ncm.com.

About Bandai Entertainment

Bandai Entertainment Inc. is a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings (USA) Inc. and the premier distributor of Japanese animation on DVD and programming for television broadcast in North America. Additional company and product information is available through our website at www.bandai-ent.com.

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NCM Fathom Press Release

DC Anime Club and Japan Information and Culture Center, Embassy of Japan Present: The World of Anime Fandom

DC Anime Club and Japan Information and Culture Center (JICC), Embassy of Japan Present “The World of Anime Fandom” on Friday January 16, 2009 at 6:30pm. This event is in celebration of the one year anniversary of the monthly Anime screening series held at the JICC.

During this event DC Anime Club will explain via a power point presentation about the World of Anime Fandom from what is Anime (Japanese Animation) and Manga (Japanese Comics), special anime conventions that are held around the US to explanations for all the parents who wonder why they’re child is so in awe about Anime and Manga.

This event will also feature the new DC Anime Club dancers who will perform a dance routine based upon popular Anime Films and will be dressed in hand made costumes. Attendees of this event who come in costume will receive a prize.

This event will be held at the Japan Information and Culture Center, Embasy of Japan located at Lafayette Center III 1155 21st Street, NW Washington, DC 20036-3308. Seating for this event is limited and attendees are encouraged to rsvp by sending an e-mail to jiccrsvpwinter08@embjapan.org

This program is free and open to the public. For more Information please visit the Japan Information and Culture Center website at http://www.us.embjapan.go.jp/jicc/or visit DC Anime Club website at http://dcanimeclub.org.

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From the DC Anime Club Press Release

Pre-New York Comic Con with Peter Tatara

Ok New York Comic Con is just around the corner and I am psyched! Not only are the fans psyched but Peter Tatara is also very excited about the event. “NYCC has very quickly become a huge spectacle.” With excitement comes work. “There's a lot of work that needs to be done, and it has to happen all right now to make sure the con is ready for February.” Once the work is done and the convention occurs I am sure everything will be great with amazement.

Speaking of work, the people at NYCC have been working on finalizing guest and panel list. “This is confirming who'll be there and making sure they've got flights and hotels.” Other works conducted in preparations for the convention includes, but not limited to, are programming, exhibitors, and sponsors. So, all the work they do is to make sure every detail and every corner is worked out smoothly for the success of the convention. The work for a successful convention does not stop at the pre-convention nor preparation stages. It continues during the show, which includes Peter’s duties. “Patching leaks, putting out fires, and making repairs. We're going to build a good show, but things will break, and it's my job to be the duct tape.”

Peter has been working on previous NYCC's. I wanted to know if he felt that his previous experience will be any or less different to NYCC 2009? According to Peter, he said that it would be “very different.” In the past, Peter was in charge of the anime and manga programming aspect of NYCC. This time Peter is “running all the programming at the show.” As a result, he has his “hands in all the guests, all the screenings, all the panels, and all the special events.” So it is full blown programming duties for him. With his newfound duty, Peter feels that “it's daunting having to take something that is known and loved and do it again -- and make it better.”

Speaking of previous NYCC and continuing the subject of working on the convention, there was an unfortunate event that occurred. “In year one, we had too many people in the building, and the fire department shut the show down for a few hours. We've been able to avoid this every year since, but we're still conscious of capacity and making sure we have enough space for all attendees.” So to prevent this from happening again, NYCC has gotten more space each year “but we're getting close to capacity.” Because of the closeness in capacity limit, estimation had to be done. To do that, Professionals, who would like to attend on Saturday and Sunday, will be charged ten dollars. “Previously, all three days have been free to Pros (with dedicated Pro programs on Friday), but we've never been able to track how many actually come over the weekend, and this means we've got several thousand more bodies who tip us over capacity. By giving Pros the option for a Friday or a Weekend Pro Pass, we'll be able to more accurately count who is actually inside when things get jam packed on Saturday.”

In regards to attendance, Peter told me that last year it was 65,000 attendees. “This year, we'll easily hit 70,000, but I don't want to look any higher than that. We were in April '08 but we're moving to February '09 and we're all cautious because of the cold.” Yes weather makes a big difference in attendance.

So from all the hard work that was put into the convention, what can fans expect? Are there any big surprises for the fans out there? Peter said “more. All I can say is "more"…but I can't talk about the big stuff yet.” So all NYCC is doing is “giving the fans more and doing it better.”

One of the things that fans can expect is the guest list at the NYCC 2009. The guests at NYCC 2009 “represent the best of pop culture -- across comics, movies, television, anime, and games.” Some of the guest are returning guest from NYCC 2008, while others are “crossing over from NYAF.” Of course not every desired guest can attend. Some cannot come due to scheduling conflicts. “They'd love to come, but they're supposed to be filming during the con. In these cases, we try to confirm them for next year.”

Other things that fans should look out for are any special activities during the convention and special events happening at NYCC. Of course, Peter cannot tell me the full-blown details, because they are surprises for the attendees. He did tell me that they would be having some special events, premieres, and concerts. “We try to make as many free as possible to attendees, but there'll likely be a small fee for anything offsite.”

Another event I was curious about is Kids Day at NYCC. Now some might think comics are not for children or some might think they are for whatever reason. Some might not even consider a comic book a literacy tool, but it is. This is what makes Kids Day important. Kids Day, like comic books and graphic novels, “promotes literary. The entire focus of the day is encouraging children to read. And it's done in a kid-safe environment. It's a controlled location built with kids in mind.” Kids Day at NYCC “is a day celebrating comic books as the gateway to literacy for kids. It began last year and is going to be bigger and better in '09.” The event will take place on Sunday of the convention in an area of the show built just for children. There will be” events, activities, and guests just for kids.”

Now this is the big question about NYCC, why is it important to have such an event? How does it affect or not affect society’s culture? This is what Peter had to say: ”New York Comic Con celebrates pop culture. If it's new, cool, hip, or awesome, it's at the show. We want to celebrate the comic book and everything comics have touched as pop culture is a huge part of culture and huge part of business. If you look at this past summer's movies, not a month went by when a big comic movie didn't premiere, and Watchmen is one of the most anticipated movies of '09. Comics are big part of what's driving what's hot, and we're here to celebrate it.”
© 2009 Linda Thai

Thanks again Peter!!!
Thank you Chet Royer for the pictures of the FIRST New York Comic Con.
For more information on the convention please visit www.newyorkcomiccon.com

Student Project: Comic Book Preservation

I figured since my site is about both manga and comics, I figured why not add my classmate's project on preservation of comic books? So now there are both worlds of preservation. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Because this is a fellow graduate student's student project, which is required to be online, please seek a professional on preservation of comic books. You can read this just for fun.

Comic Book Preservation

© 2009 Linda Thai

2009 Great Graphic Novels for Teens Nominations

Hey Everyone!

Happy New Year!! To start off 2009, I thought it would be cool to share this with you. My professor showed me the nominations for Great Graphic Novels for Teens, which is a list of recommendations. This list of graphic novels are recommended for the ages between 12-18 and is prepared by the Young Adult Library Services Association, which is part of the American Library Association. The nominees also includes manga published by Tokyopop, Viz Media and Yen Press, and comics published by Marvel comics, DC Comics, and Dark Horse.

The site also includes the 2008 and 2007 Great Graphic Novels for Teens!!
Check it out and see if your favorite series, volume, author, and/or publisher got nominated!!

www.ala.org/yalsa/ggnt

© 2009 Linda Thai