PREMIER ANIME CONVENTION RETURNS TO NKY

Contact: Rob Ratliff
513-263-0956 (m)

PREMIER ANIME CONVENTION RETURNS TO NKY

Fort Mitchell, KY/October 4, 2007—SugoiCon, Cincinnati's Premier Anime Convention, will be held at the Drawbridge Inn Friday, November 16th through Sunday, November 18th, 2007.

A celebration of Japanese animation and popular culture, SugoiCon will feature a masquerade and dance, karaoke, attendee-driven workshops, and video rooms featuring old and new anime series. Cosplayers (attendees dressed in character-based costumes) will be in evidence throughout the weekend, as this popular aspect of Japanese fandom is highly encouraged.

The convention offers several notable voice actors from producer-distributor and dub studio ADV Films, including returning fan favorites Christopher Ayres, director of ADV's recent Nerima Daikon Brothers and lead actor in Gantz; Greg Ayres, lead actor for Nerima Daikon Brothers and FUNimation's release Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad; and Brittney Karbowski, with featured roles in Paniponi Dash!, Coyote Ragtime Show, and the current release Le Chevalier D'Eon. Additionally, one new addition to ADV's stable of actors will be Carli Mosier, who will participate in industry panels and sign autographs.

Chris Ayres will offer a workshop for attendees called "Mock Combat for Cosplay", in which he draws upon his skills as a fight director and choreographer for Houston-area stage productions to instruct cosplayers how to stage realistic fights and skits for presentation. Chris has offered this popular workshop for the last two years at SugoiCon. Greg Ayres, Chris' brother, will serve as the headline DJ for SugoiCon's dance, as he did last year. The dance will also feature other DJs from the anime fandom community.

Other guests attending SugoiCon include Jan Scott-Frazier, Bob & Emily DeJesus, and Doug Smith. Jan Scott-Frazier experienced the anime industry firsthand for 13 years as a Westerner living in Japan; she worked on several series and in several different capacities ranging from cell checker and background artist to episode director. She currently is producer of the benefit CD "Voices for Peace" and the upcoming "Voices for Tolerance", CDs featuring leading voice actors performing under the name "Voices For," covering theme-related songs. 2006's "Voices for Peace" CD contributed proceeds to charities Doctors Without Borders and C.A.R.E. Bob DeJesus and Doug Smith, longtime SugoiCon guest artists, contributed to the design and production of these CDs. The Ayres brothers and Brittney Karbowski have provided vocals on the two CDs; SugoiCon will host a "Voices For" concert in support of these efforts for the second consecutive year.

SugoiCon introduces a focus on the growing presence of webcomics on the Internet this year. Joining mainstay guest Dan Hess, creator of "Angel Moxie" and the current "Realms of Ishikaze", will be webcomics creators Jennie Breeden, of the strip "The Devil's Panties", and James Hatton, creator of "In His Likeness". All three will be participating in panels and workshops for those who would like to explore the creative process behind self-publishing in webcomic form.

The convention will also feature a large dealers' room, as well as videogame and collectible card gaming tournaments. Card gaming will be run by game store YottaQuest of Mt. Healthy, and will include a demonstration and tournament of the Bleach CCG, courtesy of manufacturer Score Entertainment, and based on the anime series of the same name currently shown on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim.

Pre-registration cost for a three-day pass is $30, and is open through October 23, 2007. The at-door cost of a three-day pass is $40, or $25 for a one-day-only pass. The Drawbrige Inn offers a special convention discount rate for reservations of $90 a night; it is suggested that reservations be made by October 16 to ensure room availability.

SugoiCon is in its eight year of public operation, and is the Cincinnati area's most successful anime convention. SugoiCon's sponsors are ADV Films, Broccoli Books, The Right Stuf, and Tokyopop.

For more information, please visit SugoiCon's website at www.sugoicon.org.

The mission of the Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau is that of an aggressive sales, marketing, service and informational organization whose primary responsibility is to positively impact the Northern Kentucky economy through conventions, meetings and visitor expenditures. The direct economic impact of visitors' spending in Campbell, Kenton and Boone Counties in 2006 was $263 million.