1942 + Cammy = Awesome

I’m a bit surprised by how little attention this fine piece of cotton has received, so to help rectify the deplorable situation, video game T-shirt company Meat Bun has just released a fabulous new tee marrying two of Capcom’s best creations: the classic arcade shoot-‘em-up, 1942, and Street Fighter’s lovely Killer Bee, Cammy.

Check-out a full shot of the design: Linku.

Once having sated yourself ogling Cammy’s toned legs and ample cleavage, why not give Meat Bun some play and buy one of these fantastic Bombshell shirts, available in light blue, gold, and olive.

I can attest to the solid quality of this company’s wares, having previously purchased the dandy Fight Night (in lip-puckering lemon). And so as not to seem the hypocrite, my light blue Bombshell was already ordered and shipped yesterday.

Can’t wait to try this darlin' on…

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Otakon – 3rd Music Act: DaizyStripper

While not yet mentioned on their website as of this posting (though that’s hardly surprising), Otakon has announced the third, and presumably final, musical act set to participate in their Sunday Concert--DaizyStripper will be joining MarBell and the Underneath for a three-pronged Sunday rock-out.

Now, I’ve heard nothing from this aural trio, so for all I know the bands involved could well suck the proverbial balls; but with a three group rock lineup, at least the chances of seeing something that’ll get one’s feet a’ tapping are significantly bolstered.

Head to Otakon's website for more information on the previously announced musical guests. And until the convention gets around to updating their site, you can hear some music and find out more about DaizyStripper at their MySpace.

Hit "Read More..." for the full Press Release.

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DaizyStripper joins Otakon© 2008 Sunday musical guest line-up

Baltimore, USA (24 July 2008) – Otakon is pleased to welcome one of the most popular rising stars of the J-music world, DaizyStripper! YU-GIRI provides the explosive vocals, backed by wild guitars from MAYU and NAO. The heartbeat of the group is REI's steady bass guitar and KAZAMI's energetic drumbeats and intricate piano melodies. The group has consistently sold out shows throughout Japan, and their first single "Dandelion" skyrocketed to #1 on the Oricon Indies chart.

The band performed a critically-acclaimed show at the "hide Memorial Summit" this past May, and on June 6 performed in Shibuya to a standing-room-only crowd. Although the group's roots are in visual kei, it has evolved into a musical powerhouse taking Tokyo by storm! Currently, the band is working on their new single, scheduled to be released in October.

ABOUT OTAKON AND OTAKORP, INC.: Now entering its fifteenth year, Otakon is an annual celebration of Japanese and East Asian popular culture, and also one of the largest gatherings of fans in the United States. Otakon celebrates popular culture as a gateway to deeper understanding of Asian culture, and has grown along with the enthusiasm for anime, manga, video games, and music from the Far East. Since 1999, Otakon has been held in Baltimore, Maryland; currently, Otakon is one of Baltimore's few large, city-wide events, drawing over 22,000 individual members for three days each year (for a paid attendance of over 60,000 "turnstile" attendees). Otakon is a membership-based convention sponsored by Otakorp, Inc., a Pennsylvania-based, 501(c)3 educational non-profit whose mission is to promote the appreciation of Asian culture, primarily through its media and entertainment. Otakorp, Inc. is directed by an all-volunteer, unpaid staff – we are run by fans, for fans.

For more information about Otakorp, Inc., see http://www.otakon.com/otakorp/index.asp
For more information and the latest news on Otakon 2008, see http://www.otakon.com/

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The Press – Otakon Here I Come

That’s right humble readers, looks like I’ll be attending the East Coast’s biggest anime and manga convention as a member of the esteemed Press. Writing reports, conducting interviews, availing myself of all those lavish perks, what a time it’ll be…

But seriously, I really will be going as Press courtesy of Mania.com (formerly Animeondvd.com), although I’ll likely still have to pay for my membership badge. Regardless, if anyone's looking for some specific coverage, drop a comment and I’ll see what I can do.

I’m not sure how often I’ll actually be updating this page during the con, since Junker Woland isn’t exactly deluged with page hits, but we shall see.

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It Really Is Cheaper…

As you might have already read, at AnimeExpo FUNimation essentially laid their iron glove of dominance across the whole of North America’s anime industry thanks to their dual announcements of a distribution deal with Geneon for a select number of previous (many unfinished) titles and their license acquisition of around thirty series formally held by ADV.

But this isn’t to discuss the industry’s new dark lord. No. This is about my wallet and why it’s screaming bloody murder. You see, FUNimation just released their solicitations for the months of August and September (see: part 1, part 2), which alone adds the following six titles to my monthly purchases:

Hellsing Ultimate, Vol.4 - $24.98 - 9/16/2008
Kamichu!: Complete Collection - $49.98 - 9/23/2008
Karin, Vol.4 - $29.98 - 9/2/2008
Shuffle!, Vol.6 w/Artbox - 39.98 - 9/9/2008
Yu Yu Hakusho: Season 2 Collection (Thinpak) - 34.98 - 9/23/2008

I knew, should Geneon ever return, the cost would bite me in the ass, though I have to say it’s stinging even more than expected. Guess it’s time to start looking for a second job…or getting into a cheaper hobby.

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Kodansha – Welcome to America

Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated....assuming there were any, which there weren’t. Regardless, getting back into the swing of things right before the major summer conventions hit, here’s a bit of important news concerning the U.S. manga industry.

Via ICv2 by way of Nikkei Net, looks like rumors were true that manga publishing giant Kodansha was planning to open a U.S. subsidiary in order to handle the localization of their various properties.

Such a move may well make sense for Kodansha, although businesses the likes of Del Rey and Dark Horse who’ve both mined the company’s titles could possibly find themselves with an increasing dearth of viable manga to license for future release.

With both AnimeExpo and the San Diego Comic Con right around the corner, hopefully we’ll soon learn in greater detail exactly how Kodansha plans to proceed with this venture.

Personally, part of me is eager to have a major manga force like Kondasha bring its extensive catalog to the States, but there’s always the concern their lack of experience with our market will see them making rather odd choices when it comes to releases, while their direct presence also has the secondary effect of blocking other companies from harvesting their tastier properties.

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