Geek Event Guide D.C. – August 2010

29 July 2010 | Leave a Comment 

Is it the dawning of a new month already? I didn’t get to go to HALF the events I wanted to see in July. If you went to any of the July events, get in touch — I’d love to hear how they were.

Luckily, August looks like an equally exciting month for geeks in the D.C. area:

August 2-5 : Imaginasia Workshop – Anime – Young Artist Residency. More info.

Want to learn how to draw anime from the best? For four days, the Sackler gallery is offering a one-day class taught by real live (but unnamed, boo) anime artists. Unlike most of the events I list, this costs money – $40 – but it sounds like it’s worth it.

August 2, 9, 16 : Star Trek Outdoor Film Festival. More info.

This Crystal City festival continues with three more Star Trek films: Insurrection, Nemesis, and Star Trek, the 2009 remake. If you can only make one date, I suggest the 9th, which doubles as Star Trek Trivia.

August 7 : D.C. Anime Club Swap Meet. More info.

Do you have any unwanted anime, manga, video games, wall scrolls, figures, cosplay clothes, or even con T-shirts lying around? Bring them to the one-hour swap meet and exchange them for new (to you) swag. There’s even an 18+ section. Not sure I’d want that stuff used, but that’s just me.

August 14 : Bit Gen Gamer Fest 5. More info.

It may be out in Baltimore, but this event is worth the drive. This music festival exclusively features artists and acts inspired by videogame music, including The OneUps, Entertainment System and Powerglove.

August 28 : Maryland Renaissance Festival. More info.

Did you know Maryland’s official state sport is jousting? Celebrate that and more at what is arguably the best Ren Faire in the tri-state area. This event goes through September, too.

As always, please help me fill in the blanks by submitting any events you think I’ve missed in the comments.


Meet up with me at Otakon 2010!

27 July 2010 | 4 Comments 

Otakon is the pinnacle of my convention year. Out of the four conventions I regularly attend, it is the only one I do not work, neither as press nor convention staff. It’s my anime convention vacation, and I plan to make the most of it. And what could be better than to use that time to meet with some of my readers?

Above, I’ve posted a photo of myself so you’ll be able to identify me. I will most likely be wearing this or something equally colorful, so I won’t be easy to miss! But given the vast size of Otakon, I’m also posting my tentative schedule as a general idea of where to find me:

Friday

  • 3:30 p.m. – What’s the Point of Anime Intro & Ending Themes? Panel. I loved Alex Leavitt‘s Anime Boston panels, so I wouldn’t miss his Otakon panel for anything.
  • 6 p.m. – Anime Journalism Panel. I guess this one is obvious!
  • 8:30 p.m. – The Ultimate Lolita Fashion Show. I considered modeling for this, but I decided it’d be more fun to watch.
  • 9:30 p.m. – Modern Mythology Panel. I’ve wanted to attend this for a while.

Saturday

  • 2 p.m. – Podcasting For Your Fandom Panel. I have actually participated in a fandom podcast, and I learned how to make general podcasts in school, but I’d like to know more.
  • 7:30 p.m. – Fanthropology Panel. I love studying and writing about fandom and I hope to meet likeminded people at this panel.
  • 11:30 p.m. – Cosplay Burlesque. Because the performance isn’t just about being sexy, but actually stays true to the characters. Also, Lily Stitches is my body confidence inspiration when I go running in the morning.

Sunday

  • 12:30 p.m. – Toy Collecting Panel. I don’t actually have any figures (and I talked about why in the podcast), but this is also the meet up with the Japanator staff. They’re one of my favorite anime blogs so I am so excited to meet their team!

It may be three days away, but I’m so excited that I’m already packing right this moment. Hope to see you there!


Anime convention commercials: an art form

26 July 2010 | 5 Comments 

In my last post, I poked some fun at Otakon’s 2010 TV commercial.

I take all of it back. Can’t risk the karma.

You see, I just found out that, as Marketing Director at Anime USA, I am officially in charge of our 2010 commercial. And unlike Otakon, a large con with considerably more money and staff to dedicate to the offending commercial, I am planning to create Anime USA’s on a budget of exactly $0.

Over the weekend, I gave myself a bit of a crash course on anime convention commercials, which is an undeservedly ignored genre of film studies if you ask me. (Does anyone already do a panel on the craziest ads, or would that run into too many copyright issues?)

I began my education with Anime USA‘s 2005 commercial:

Did you watch it? That 30-second treasure of a film cost $5,000 to make. That’s not even including the costs of getting it on TV.

Let’s check out some more of the competition. You might be familiar with this infamous Sakura Con 2009 commercial if you avidly follow the meme circuit:

Without even getting into the uncomfortable racial politics of this ad, the mere addition of “Girugamesh” add a pure WTF quality. This commercial even inspired a parody commercial that advertises another convention, Kami Con, in 2009:

If only we at Anime USA could get Little Kuriboh and his team to make us a commercial, too! Of course, that would be defeating the $0 budget goal.

Otakon‘s 2008 commercial is getting (at least visually) closer to my presumed expenses:

I am bursting with pride to have been picked to make this year’s commercial and be included in this canon of greatness. Seriously, as much as I love to laugh at these, I really appreciate all the work that’s gone into them and I applaud you, commercial creators! You’ve already accomplished what I hope to do. So find out: will I stick to the budget? Will I make Otakon’s latest attempt look like Citizen Kane? How the heck can a commercial cost $0 anyway? All this to be answered in September on my deadline.

If I’m missing any superb specimens of anime convention commercial, please add them to the comments. I am serious about that panel thing.


Weekly Links 7.23.10

23 July 2010 | Leave a Comment 

1) Star Trek + Good design = the nicest posters I’ve seen this week. If you feel the same, you can buy one on Mondo today only, but hurry! Olly Moss’s (the designer) last Star Trek inspired poster, “Space Seed,” sold out in only 25 minutes!

2) The definitive timeline of science fiction history. Thanks to Kristen B. for the tip!

3) A scholarly critique of Gilligan’s Island. I watched this show every weekend with my dad when I was a kid, and while this is meant to be funny, it also spot-on.

The tragedy of the tale is not that they can never go back. The real affliction is the wish itself. They are all so preoccupied with the notion of going back that they never realize they are already in paradise.

4) Mad Men returns this Sunday! I’ve been biding my time by perusing Mad Men Unbuttoned, a charming and well-researched blog that shows how the show fits into broader 1960′s America.

5) Mark S. Luckie of 10,000 Words recounts the best journalism advice he’s ever received. A couple weeks old, but worth re-reading.

6) I loved looking through this gallery of designers’ workspaces. It goes to show just how much one’s working environment can affect one’s work. I’d be fine working in any of these spaces!

7) And last: Otakon, let me help you help yourself with next year’s commercial. Free of charge.


Kindling an addiction

21 July 2010 | 7 Comments 

I really wanted to blog about something more exciting today. I’m in the midst of several graphic and web design projects that I’m dying to share with you, but unfortunately, I don’t have any finished products yet. So let me introduce the newest addition to my technology arsenal: my Amazon Kindle.

Before I get to that, let’s address my intense love affair with real life books. I have a TON of them, and that may be literal. According to my last count, I have 227 at least. If you’re interested, you can check out my personal library database in Google Docs and be exposed to my questionable taste.

Part of one of my four bookshelves.

I love everything about books — the smell, the feel of the pages, the way they look lined up by author and subject on my shelf. I take good care of my books, make sure they have breathing room (did you know books need to breathe?) and annually sort them out and give some away to the library. But it’s clear that if I don’t want to end up on Hoarders, I have to admit that I no longer have the space for more books. Though if you want to encourage me into self-destruction, here’s a shameless link to my Amazon book wish list.

Enter the Kindle. It’s NOTHING like a book. It doesn’t have a smell, and there aren’t any pages to make a satisfying ripple under your fingertips. For a long time, I was completely adverse to owning one — will digital readers lead to the death of books? I couldn’t live in a world without bookstores. But after a year living in D.C., I grew accustomed with the concept after spending my daily Metro commute reading classics on the tiny screen of my Droid. (I use the Wordplayer app.) And as you might expect, I eventually grew tired of squinting and wanted an upgrade.

And thus, I ordered my Kindle on Amazon a couple weeks ago, and it has quickly become indispensable. It’s light and sleek, which appeals to the design enthusiast in me, plus, it doesn’t have the (excuse me, purists) negatives of books. For example, I am currently reading Vanity Fair, a 19th century novel that has been compared to War and Peace based on how lengthy it is. Seriously, this would be 900 pages or so in print. Think of how hard that would be to carry around! However, on my Kindle, it’s less than an ounce.

Not to mention, just like on the Droid, I’m able to read my favorite classics for free! Since it’s so old, Vanity Fair is in the public domain. If I bought the book, aside from having nowhere to put that mammoth, I also would have to fork over $10 or so to pay for the printing. But without printing fees, in digital form, it’s absolutely free.

Like the case? It’s Moleskine’s official Kindle case. Yes, like the stereotypical former English major that I am, I am also a big fan of Moleskine. I love the pocket that fits a Moleskine reporter’s notebook, so I can still make notations on the book I’m reading even though I can’t underline the words anymore. For someone who had a hard time letting go of print, the case comfortably blurs the line.

Do you have a Kindle? Would you buy a Kindle? Or are you too attached to the feel of a book in your hand?


How serious is anime journalism?

19 July 2010 | 3 Comments 

Photo from Japanator.

I have to start this out on a sad note. As all my anime-enthusiast readers already know, “Speed Racer” voice actor Peter Fernandez passed away last week. As “Speed Racer” transcends the anime genre by also being one of the formative cartoons of the last century, the obituary ran on a couple of major news sites (MSNBC and CNN). And they both cited Anime News Network.

I started thinking about this after one of my Twitter friends, The Ginachu, tweeted about how funny it was for the mainstream media to source ANN of all places. I agreed that it was strange since ANN is so niche — and now I’m wondering why.

There would be no reason to post at all if the mainstream media had cited a videogame blog. Somehow, in the past decade, videogame blogs have achieved the legitimacy that anime blogs are still fighting for. (Though my favorite hater might disagree on this point.) The heart of the matter is, blogging about videogames has become a paying career while anime bloggers continue to keep their day jobs. This is an obvious generalization, as there are exception to both rules, but let’s be frank — how many anime blogs have made the Technorati top 100? (zero.) How many gaming blogs? (fifteen.)

The obvious theory is that videogames have had longer to embed themselves into American culture. They began getting popular since they found their way into our home en masse in the form of Ataris in the late ’70′s. Meanwhile, anime has only been a sizeable part of American entertainment since the birth of Cartoon Network’s Toonami in 1997. (Why am I not including “Speed Racer” or other early anime in my equation? Because, as my friend The Hoffgod aptly put it, they were no more ambassadors to Japanese anime than “Godzilla” was an ambassador to Japanese cinema.)

As a result, American culture is far more comfortable with videogames than it is with anime, which still, in 2010, is not a household word. And thus, you will see a lot of corporate backed videogame blogs (Kotaku by Gawker Media, Joystiq by aol, Multiplayer by MTV, etc.) But I can’t think of a single anime blog that’s affiliated with the mainstream media. The closest I can think of, of course, is Anime News Network, which has been granted legitimacy by its citations in the mainstream.

That isn’t to say I can’t think of a lot of popular, accurate, and interesting anime blogs. Some of my favorites are Japanator, Anime Almanac, Otaku Dan and Janaiblog. Still, anime bloggers (excepting maybe Japanator? Let me know) do it for love of the genre, not for the money.

In some ways, it’s good that anime journalists are not corporate backed. In hit-obsessed videogame journalism, it can be tempting to write stories about celebrities and sexy women just to attract traffic. Anime blogging is still about quality content, somewhat “purer.” But (maybe because sexy women are such a big part of anime?) the bloggers I mentioned above get more hits than I could ever imagine!

In another way, corporate backing would improve journalistic standards for anime bloggers. Once the blogs that produce the most accurate information start getting backed, it would inspire other blogs in the subject area to raise their standards. And perhaps, like with videogame blogs, potential new writers will begin to be hired based on their journalistic skills (and I’m all about journalists getting hired!)

I think it’s only a matter of time until the big media companies start to notice and acquire anime blogs, the way they’ve added videogame, tech, and celebrity blogs to their empires. Videogames may have had an early start, but there are a lot of hits to be had in anime as well.

Blog posts I found helpful while writing this post:

In this nation of the blind: Anime journalism in the age of blogging

REPOST: What’s happening to the Anime News Network?

Star-Bulletin fostered anime journalism career [cached]


Weekly Links 7.16.10

16 July 2010 | Leave a Comment 

1) I always post way too many links from Geekosystem, but what can I say? I love the site! Here’s an interview for the font freaks about videogame typefaces, and check out the details of the ultimate geek vacation: The JoCo (Jonathan Coulton) Cruise Crazy! Plus, from their weekly links, nerdy My Little Pony mods that even my boyfriend would love.

2) Kirk Hamilton, my online acquaintance and the man behind Gamer Melodico, is going to experiment by spelling”videogame” instead of the AP style approved “video game.” As somebody who sure hated having to type the dated “Web site” instead of “website” until 2010 because AP deemed it so, I am going to follow Kirk’s example.

3) Wired’s helpful article on “the delicate dance of online bragging.” I admit that I’m the first to announce on Twitter whenever something good happens to me, and not even ironically! What about you? (via Gala Darling.)

4) I can’t believe I missed “Embrace Your Geekiness Day” on July 13! Check out CNN’s article on the celebration. It asks the difficult question, does today’s widespread acceptance of geekdom exploit traditonal geeks?

[Benjamin] Nugent said that when geeks and nerds were not as readily accepted in American culture, they had a thriving, fraternal community spirit. Now that technology, sci-fi, comics and gaming are mass consumer experiences, Nugent said, geek communities are fracturing.

5) I’ve been doing more design work than usual lately, between Anime USA and freelance work. I used a tutorial here to make this site of revolving, inspirational design quotes the screensaver for my Mac. (via swissmiss).

6) I’ve been getting into digital DIY lately. I’ve been working on designing my own font (more on that later!) and am planning to use one of these free font-making softwares to do it. And as a Droid lover, I’ll have to try out Google’s Android app making software.

7) And last: Leonard Nimoy shares a story about the time William Shatner stole his bicycle.


Fandom parody: serious business

14 July 2010 | Leave a Comment 

A couple weeks back, I saw a disturbingly funny video on Japanator. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Lolidudes:

I’ll give you a minute to let the magic wear off and catch your breath again. (Or alternatively, if you’re only wanting more, check out their website.) Now, why the heck would I show you such a ridiculous video?

In the grand tradition of former English majors everywhere, I’m trying to point your attention to what lies beneath the surface. This isn’t just about two guys in Lolita dresses. They’re all inside jokes for anime fans.

If you’re not an anime fan, you probably don’t find this very funny. (Unless you really get a kick out of guys crossdressing). Yes, it’s a parody video, but the guys aren’t the subject being parodied — the fandom is. All the things we feel silly about enjoying in anime, especially the older stuff, from Engrish phrases that didn’t quite make it through the translation process, cheesy Japanese music, or the ending credits showing the characters lying in a field, are presented in a half-serious manner.

Did you notice the:

  • J-pop music?
  • “rabu rabu” (Engrish for “love love”) in the recipe title?
  • ending theme?

It gives me the same uncomfortable feeling I get from watching mid-90s anime ending themes. Black Heaven‘s ending theme, complete with close ups on the sleeping character’s faces and nonsensical Engrish, always makes me embarrassed to like. (Video below may be NSFW: contains some cleavage.)

Yeah. Uses a lot of the same tropes that Lolidudes do, but this is meant to be serious.

This brings me to the title of my blog post. In order to parody something, it must have a set group of tropes and characteristics that would still be recognizable in parody form. For example, any good parody of the “double rainbow” video, better have Double Rainbow guy’s blissful voice in it, since that is the most prominent aspect of the original work. A popular parody will contain enough aspects of the original work for fans to recognize the original subject.

Fandom parodies like Lolidudes, show that anime fandom is alive and well. They show the intensity of fans’ interest in the subject — why parody something you don’t find interesting in the first place? They also show the unity of the fanbase — judging by the amount of views on this video, it is resonating with a ton of people.

Parody is a huge part of anime fandom. Just look at all the congoers who wear t-shirts or hold signs with funny sayings throughout the convention. I know some fellow anime fans like to lampoon these inside jokes since they can be immature and disruptive. It’s true that signs can get in the way and yelling jokes can get old but, judging by the purpose that parody gives to anime fandom, I’d be more concerned if we didn’t have any at all.

However, nothing will make me condone this sign.


Self improvement the gamer’s way

12 July 2010 | 2 Comments 

Photo by Flickr user GotchiGirl.

Lately I’ve been spending a lot of time and energy on self improvement. I’ve started a new diet and exercise routine to try and lose some of the grad school pounds (turns out all nighters + Chef Boyardee isn’t that healthy). I’m honing my skills and updating my resume as I apply for jobs. And I’ve got plenty of other projects on the side to keep me more than occupied.

As you might expect, at times it has been hard to stay motivated. The goals of having a healthier body or being gainfully employed are certainly worthy aspirations to strive for, but sometimes they seem abstract and far away. Why can’t I aspire to them with the same strick, monk-like attitude that allowed me to beat Puzzle Quest 2 in a single week?

As a gamer, I’m well aware that human beings are game oriented. The structured environment and clear cut goals and incentives of a game lay out exactly what the player needs to accomplish in order to succeed. Life, however, isn’t always like that. While it’s a definite thing that I will receive loot for defeating the Orc Lord in Puzzle Quest, I could apply to ten jobs and not get any of them.

Enter Epic Win. This smartphone app allows you to gain experience points and level up your character for doing the tasks you need to do anyway. Gone is the uncertainty that, perhaps, doing 50 situps every day isn’t worth anything. Now I know for sure that it’s worth 300 experience points! Watch the introductory video below:

This shouldn’t be surprising, but according to James Gee, a professor of learning sciences at the University of Wisconsin, video games connect the rewards circuits of the human brain. They’re addictive because they’re learning based, and as the lessons increase in difficulty, the rewards grow in proportion. Video games not only challenge us, but make us feel like our efforts are worth it. The trick behind Epic Win is that it adds incentives to real life to mimic game structure.

Remember the teen who lost 150 pounds on his self-titled video game diet? Once again, video game challenges and incentives were applied to real life in order to make it more engaging. I haven’t read his memoir yet, but I bet his point system for food and exercise is similar to the structure behind Epic Win.

I’m going to give that app a try once it’s released and let you know if it helps me stick to my goals more resolutely. Making life changes is all about manipulating your brain into thinking they’re already habits. If video games can do that for me, it’s definitely worth a shot.

(Thanks to Evan for the Epic Win tip.)


Weekly Links 7.9.10

9 July 2010 | Leave a Comment 

Cosplay photo by me.

With a grand total of two posts on my blog this week, you might think I’ve been taking it slow. However, it’s been quite the opposite. I had a job interview, started a new freelance project, and have been up to my neck in marketing duties for the ever closer Anime USA! But now it’s the weekend and time to unwind. Here are a few links to get you started.

1) Why haven’t I heard about Cosplay: The Documentary until now? As a documentarian and occasional cosplayer, this is moving to the top of my must-watch list.

2) I love to cook and I’m also a nerd, so I might need to recreate this fantastic Sci-Fi dinner party sometime soon. Elvish lembas bread, anyone?

3) As a blogger, I always love a good meta-blog post. Analysis of Five Top Blogs and What You Can Learn From Them and 8 Habits of Highly Excellent Bloggers are both great. Also, are blogs dying? (via The Economist).

4) Tim Ferriss of The Four Hour Work Week fame has some great tips about learning to love your haters:

The bigger your impact, explains Ferriss (whose book is a New York Times, WSJ and BusinessWeek bestseller), and the larger the ambition and scale of your project, the more negativity you’ll encounter. Ferriss jokes he has haters “in about 35 languages.”

5) Some of my articles were featured this week on Critical Distance, a site that I consider to be one of the most influential in the video gaming blogosphere. I couldn’t be more honored.

6) Why intelligent people fail. An interesting list that I’m going to keep around to read whenever I’m feeling doubtful about success.

7) And last: Why never to ask favors from designers. (via Ladan).


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