LA Times: Anime Expo

[Mark Nornes]

I thought the comment from the Pioneer rep is interesting, as this is 
usually the way they talk about international film markets----not fan 
events!

markus



LA Times, July 1, 2003

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MOVIES
Mainstream call of animé
The annual Animé Expo expects to draw an ever-growing demographic of 
fans to Anaheim.

By Charles Solomon, Special to The Times

Some come to watch the latest videos. Some come to buy the accompanying 
merchandise. Some come dressed up like their favorite characters. Some 
come to meet and listen to the animators and actors who give life to 
this very particular form of entertainment.

The reasons vary, but come they do to Animé Expo, an annual four-day 
convention that celebrates the movies and comic books of Japanese 
animation.

The 12th annual gathering, sponsored by the Society for the Promotion 
of Japanese Animation, returns to the Anaheim Convention Center on 
Thursday after a two-year stint in Long Beach.

Mirroring the increasing popularity of Japanese animation in the United 
States, the Expo has grown from a small get-together that attracted 
1,750 people in 1992 to the largest event of its kind in North America: 
More than 15,000 people attended in 2002.

As it has grown, Animé Expo has also undergone a shift in demographics.

"Over the last 11 years, we've seen Japanese animation move from the 
exclusive property of a sort of private club to general audiences," 
says show coordinator Jennifer Pon. "That change is reflected in the 
people who attend the Expo — and in our staff. It's now about 60% men 
to 40% women; in the beginning, we would have been lucky to have 10% 
women. There's also an exponentially growing audience base of younger 
viewers. It used to be people in their late teens to early 20s who 
came; now it includes kids as young as 8 to people in their mid-30s 
with families."

[SNIP]

Highlights of the four-day event include masquerade and karaoke 
contests, panel discussions, workshops on cel painting, trivia 
contests, a charity auction and a concert by voice actor-pop singer 
Yuki Kajiura.

Guest appearances are scheduled by directors Kazuki Akane ("The Vision 
of Escaflowne," "Escaflowne: A Girl in Gaia: The Movie"), Kazuhiro 
Furuhashi ("Rurouni Kenshin," "Get Backers"), Goro Taniguchi 
("s-CRY-ed," "G Gundam"), director-character designer Atsuko Nakajima 
("Ranma 1/2," "Haunted Junction") and screenwriter Yousuke Kuroda 
("Trigun," "s-CRY-ed").

[SNIP]

The shopping area, which sometimes resembles a feeding frenzy with 
credit cards, reflects another significant trend: Like many film 
festivals that began as showcases for the art form, Expo and similar 
animation convocations have become important events for people in the 
rapidly expanding businesses of animé distribution, licensing and 
merchandising.

"Animé Expo has become not only the largest convention in North America 
dedicated to animé but a crucial convention for animé businesses," says 
Hideki Goto, Pioneer Entertainment vice president for animation. "U.S. 
companies are trying to impress American consumers — and potential 
business partners from Canada, Japan, Mexico, Germany, England and many 
other countries."

Animé Expo

Where: Anaheim Convention Center

When: Thursday through Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (with some night events)

Price: $10-$50

Information: http://www.anime-expo.org/index2.html


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