Meri H
27th April 2003, 09:49 PM
ELECTRONIC PROGRESS REPORT
-----------------------------------
PROJECT: A-KON 2003 (A-Kon 14)
Updated as of April 24, 2003
Here's the latest official news, for A-Kon 14! PRE REGISTRATION MAIL IN
CUTOFF IS MAY 5 so HURRY! (Credit Card Cutoff is May 10) Were going to try
to send twice a month updates to keep you informed on the new panels,
events, guests, and things that are happening at A-Kon this year. If you
would prefer not to receive this info, go to
<http://www.a-kon.com/>www.a-kon.com and use the unsubscribe option on the
homepage. If you want a copy of previous updates, email us at
<mailto:info@a-kon.com>info@a-kon.com and well send them to you.
-------------------
THE BASICS (Some New Stuff Here)
DATE: May 30-June 1, 2003
WHERE: Hyatt Regency Hotel at DFW Airport (International Parkway, DFW
Texas, 75261), in Terminal C
HOTEL PRICE: $115 per night for 1-4 people (plus tax)
* NEW INFO * ROOM RESERVATIONS: FIRST OVERFLOW HOTEL SOLD OUT, SECOND
OVERFLOW HOTEL INFO FOLLOWS:Our second overflow is: HARVEY HOTEL-IRVING
(Also called HARVEY HOTEL-DFW AIRPORT) (former home of A-Kon 9), 4545 John
Carpenter Freeway, Irving, Texas 75063. Call Hotel Reservations:
972-929-4500. Anyone booking must tell the reservations desk that they are
booking for A-Kon 14to get the con rate. (Using that exact phrase, because
that is what is in their computer.) The rates are: Sgle/Dble/Tple/Quad -
$110 + tax per night.
Also available at the Harvey are one Bedroom Suites (15 in our block) -
$150 + tax per night. The Harvey will provide free shuttle service on a
schedule during the day, and as needed at night. They will only go to
Terminal C, however, so there is a short walk to the Hyatt through or
around the parking garage (Harveys shuttle is a third party company and we
are in negotiations with them to see if we can convince them to go straight
to the Hyatt, but dont count on it) Again, call the HARVEY directly to make
reservations, as were not sure their online national systems will work with
our blocks and we dont want to see anybody get stranded.
KON MEMBERSHIP PRICES & CUTOFF DATES: $40 until mail-in cutoff of May
5. Credit Card Cutoff is May 10. This price includes the Duel Jewel AND
Camino concert on Friday night. Price at the door for 3-day membership will
be $45. All memberships will include program book, and all pre-reg will
get a bag of goodies (while supplies last) filled with whatever we can get
to stuff in'em! (might be CDs, shirts, comics, bookmarks, posters, whatever
we can find!) We plan to have enough special edition A-Kon promo posters to
include one with all pre-reg as well.
SINGLE DAY MEMBERSHIPS AT-THE-DOOR: Friday Only (includes TWO concerts!)
$27, Saturday Only $27, Sunday Only $20. The 3-day membership at the door
will be $45. The Pre-Reg price of $40 right now is nearly HALF the
at-the-door price for comparable memberships (if all days were purchased
separately)! Pre-Reg NOW and get ALL the goodies!
CHILDREN PRICE: 0-5yrs-FREE, 6-12yrs-$15, 13 and above, full
price. At-the-door prices for kids remains the same ($15)
GROUP PRICE: 10 or more people registering together gets $5 off the current
membership price for all people in your party (children excluded-those are
already discounted) Get your groups together NOW!
BANQUET TICKETS: $28 (includes brunch, seating with the star of your
choice, awards ceremony, concert from the Sun String Quartet
doing selections of anime music, video presentations and giveaways)
Seats are almost sold out and we will likely NOT have any at the door to
sell. Get yours today!
T-SHIRT PRICE: $18 (M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL will be available. IF demand
warrants, we can get 4X shirts for $3 more)
DEALER PRICES: Room is SOLD OUT.
KOMIK MARKET: (our ArtistsAlley) is also SOLD OUT
-------------------
MARCH OF DIMES A-KON WALKS FOR BABIES
Phoenix Entertainment & A-Kon is part of a March of Dimes CEOs Walk The
Walkteam for this years Walk-America. (This means Meri gets to walk many
miles for charity! Woo Hoo!) The walk is April 26 (that's THIS SATURDAY)
at White Rock Lake in Dallas. Were trying to raise $1000 toward this
charity. To make a donation via the web, we have our page set up at
<http://tools.walkamerica.org/T-1ZU>http://tools.walkamerica.org/T-1ZU. Go
here and hit the Sponsor Us button. You can also register to be a walker
or a virtual walker, meaning that you support, but are not physically
walking. Please help us reach our goal, and sponsor Meri! You can also
send a check (made out to March of Dimes) to the A-Kon address (Phoenix
Entertainment, 3352 Broadway Blvd #470, Garland TX 75043) You can be an
offline sponsor from the website above if you want to sponsor with
something other than a credit card. that means you sponsor and pledge, and
will send a check by May 1. If All the A-Kon folks donated JUST ONE DOLLAR
we'd MORE than reach our goal! If this message reaches you after the walk,
you can still donate - we have to have all our donations in by May 1.
The mission of the March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by
preventing birth defects and infant mortality. Infants the size of a 1 lb
butter box can now be saved thanks to advances in medicine and research,
and with so many of us having families now, that research is more important
than ever. Help A-Kon reach our goal and support the health of our
community (the anime fan community too!)
------------------
PLEASE UPDATE YOUR EMAILS
Every time we send out a newsletter, we get bouncebacks with bad addresses,
or the message over quota, etc. While not as expensive as bad mailed
addresses, they still take up a LOT of time to clean up. If you know your
friends have changed addresses, or if you have changed addresses, PLEASE go
unsubscribe the old one at the www.a-kon.com homepage (near the bottom
there is a subscribe/unsubscribe feature), and update us with your new
address. If you have more than one address, make sure were sending stuff
to the one you check often. If you know your friends should be receiving
this newsletter and aren't, maybe we don't have their right address. Pass
the word help keep our mailing list clean we don't sell it or give it out
to anybody else EVER. Its only for A-Kon info so you can stay as informed
as possible before the show. Thanks for your help!
When you get a membership, you are automatically subscribed to the
newsletter list. HOWEVER you can unsubscribe by going to the www.a-kon.com
page. We subscribe you so that you will get the information about the
convention (not needless advertising) and we send no spam, just convention
news and updated info on what/who will be there, directions, and other
things of need.
-------------------
NEWS on CAMINO
We found out (thanks to Chris Simonds) about a juicy tidbit regarding our
new J-Rock group, Camino. One of their members used to be a member of the
band Misty Eyes, and has done Gundam theme
songs! (<http://www.mistyeyes.net/>http://www.mistyeyes.net/) Misty Eyes
made quite a few songs from 1995-99, several of which were used for TV show
themes, a Playstation video game and of course a song for Gundam W! Their
song, "Mind Education" is the theme song for Gundam Wing: Blind Target, a
Japanese radio drama which bridged the gap between the Gundam Wing TV
series and the concluding Endless Waltz OVA / motion picture.
Wow! Cool!
Their new album Arise will be available at some of the same places that
sell A-Kon memberships (see below), so ask them about it and get yours in
advance they will certainly sell out FAST at the show they can never bring
enough with them to fill the demand. The street date for this goodie is
Tuesday, so were getting them fast, comparatively! Well work to see if we
can get Duel Jewel albums to local retailers as well.
------------------------
A-KON MEMBERSHIPS NOW AVAILABLE AT COMIC STORES:
Keith's Comics (5400 E. Mockingbird Ln. Suite 120, Dallas, 75206; 214-827-3060)
Keith's Atomic Age (4043 Trinity Mills Road @ Midway, Dallas, TX 75287;
972-662-3136)
Dragon's Lair Austin (4910 Burnet Road, Austin TX 78756; 512-454-2399)
Dragon's Lair-Round Rock (117 Louis Henna Blvd. #140, Round Rock, TX 78664;
512-279-8888)
Excalibur San Antonio (7959 Fredericksburg Road, San Antonio, TX 78229;
210-615-1229)
Fried Ant Anime Rockwall (2006 S. Goliad #222, Rockwall, TX 75087;
972-772-4812)
We will work on more stores soon!
-----------------
A-KON ON REDHAWK RADIO SHOW MAY 15
On May 15 from 7 to 9pm Central Time, GRISMILL a gaming show dedicated to
fan activities, gaming, etc. will feature A-Kon's chairman Meri
Hazlewood-Davis. Log into www.redhawkradio.net (national internet radio
show playing music and things of interest to fans and gaming 24hr a day 7
days a week) and check out the show! Thanks to the RedHawkRadio people for
wanting to do a spotlight on A-Kon! Several days a week they do shows
featuring spotlights on live action games, Amtgard, local & national
events, etc.
So, go to www.redhawkradio.net between 7 and 9pm on Thursday, May 15 to
hear more about A-Kon!
---------------
CORRECTION
We listed an additional voice credit for Amy Howard Wilson (Nova from Star
Blazers) as being Martian Successor Nadesico, when in reality it was
Irresponsible Captain Tylor, OAV (Rules of Being 16). Our bad. Thanks to
those of you who pointed this out (included Amy herself -hi Amy!)
----------------
FLYER AND POSTER PEOPLE NEEDED
If you are willing to pass out flyers in your area (doesn't have to be just
Texas, we have fans coming from all over) or hang posters in various
places, email us at <mailto:info@a-kon.com>info@a-kon.com and let us know
and we will send you some. Flyers and posters can be placed in local
stores, anime shops, comic shops, schools, wherever there are people
gathered who like anime and comics. Be creative there are mall stores (Hot
Topic, independent music and bookstores, eclectic video stores, gift shops,
game stores, arcades, movie houses that play HongKong or art movies, etc.)
who sometimes allow a poster to be hung, or flyers to be put out. We have
full and half-page flyers (and color quarter-page flyers are being
printed) Fans are our best advertising! Let us know if you can help and
how many you want sent to you.
--------------------
PARKING AT THE AIRPORT (Repeat Info because its one of the biggest problems)
We KNOW parking will be TIGHT (very) at both the Hyatt parking lot and
Terminal C, (the closest airport parking lot) so we are urging those of you
who are coming and staying for long times to use the remote or infield
airport parking lots and ride the busses or airtrans into the hotel. (The
AirTrans are those little rail cars you see running around the airport)
These are free and leaves the Hyatt lot available for those who are just
coming for a few hours, or for a single event (like a concert, wedding or
cosplay) then leaving. If you park in a lot that gives you another ticket
for entry(some do), you will need to REMEMBER to get the hotel to validate
BOTH tickets you get the first one gets you into the airport area, the
other one is for the lot itself. If you come and stay less than 16 hours,
the parking is validated at the hotels concierge/bell desk near the front
door. If you are here longer than that, the validation comes from the
hotels front desk registration counter. (don't know why, its just the way
they do things). REMEMBER TO BRING ALL PARKING TICKETS YOU RECEIVE WITH
YOU INTO THE HOTEL (don't leave them in your car-you cant get them
validated that way). It only takes a few minutes to ride the bus to the
hotel from any of the outer lots, and will make life much easier for
everyone. (An alternative if you have a ton of stuff or luggage to move
into the hotel park, bring your stuff in, and then go move your car to an
outer lot)
-------------------
POP ARTIST GALLERY OPENING at A-KON
Pop Artist Iain Gill will have his nationwide gallery tour opening at A-Kon
this year. Iain's art is based on pop culture with a bend toward animation
and Japanese anime in particular. Iain is particularly fond of A-Kon,
noting the warmth and friendliness of our fans and management, and wanted
his first public showing of this art display to be here with us, before it
continues on to several national galleries and then on to Japan. He will
be available to discuss the paintings, and the statement they make,
throughout the weekend. His art will be shown in Constellation 1 as a
permanent display.
---------------------
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Well use this column to answer a couple questions per newsletter that have
been asked repeatedly to try to answer them for everybody to clear up
confusion and make your Kon time the Best it can be!.
Q: I've just arrived at the hotel and this is my first con. Now what?
A: First you should check into your hotel room. Go to the hotel's front
desk in the lobby, get your room, and put your stuff in it. If you do not
have a hotel room, you should go get your convention badge. Bring your
proof of membership (the numbered card that was in your pre-registration
pack, or one that you bought at a comic store) that says Weekend Membership
on it-its about the size of a bookmark) to the convention pre-registration
desk (upon entering the hotel its on the left, the hotels registration desk
is on the right) and claim your membership materials, goodie bag, bag,
daily schedule, t-shirt (if you pre-ordered one). From there, you should
look at the program schedule and decide what you want to see or do and go
there (maps are in the book and around the hotel).
Q: I have a room reserved but its at an overflow hotel, not the
Hyatt. What should I do?
A: IF YOU ARE AT an OVERFLOW HOTEL, you should go THERE first to secure
your room and belongings, and THEN come to the convention to get your badge
via the shuttles the hotels are running between their locations and the
Hyatt-DFW. That way when you get your membership materials, you can
immediately start enjoying the Kon and don't have to make a trip back to
your hotel and waste time.
Q: What kind of things should I bring with me?
A: The basics: Changes of clothes for all 3 days, toiletries (toothbrush,
hair brush, etc.) (tip: if you are getting a Kon shirt, you can pack one
less shirt for your travel since you will be getting one on-site you can
wear). Because of the massive amount of room-sharing, if you can bring
your own towel or two you might be happier as the towels run out fast in a
shared room. Change for phonecalls, a credit card for the hotel room (or
cash for the room deposit). If you are driving in, you might bring a cooler
with some drinks or snacks. The overflow hotels have restaurants (the
Harvey has Scoops, a burger-bar kind of cheaper food locale, however, hotel
food is more expensive than non-hotel food in general, so be aware of
that). Bring whatever costumes you plan to wear, of course.
Q: What do I need to claim my hotel room once I arrive?
A: You need ID, and a credit card to put the room charges on (or if you
dontt have that, they will ask for a cash deposit of around $20-30 for any
charges you might incur while in the room). You will get the deposit back
when you check out (or it will be applied to the room cost if you want to
do it that way). All hotels ask for some kind of security deposit against
phone calls, movies, etc. that get charged up in a room. If you don't want
the phone turned on or movies available, you may be able to get around this
deposit, however your room phones will not function except for room-to-room
communication within the hotel. So many people have cel phones that you may
determine that having the phone in the room is not necessary.
Q: What's one of the biggest problems at the con?
A: Honestly, and its something people don't think about, one of the biggest
things we hear about is the crowding of people and the body odor that
occurs in close quarters. The standard of wearing
antiperspirant/deodorant, and taking regular showers is extremely important
in a hot-weather climate like ours (especially when wearing costumes that
are warm as well). You get 7000 people moving around sweating in 90 degree
weather, and you get some serious funk going around very quickly. Now, try
to sit in a vid room for 2 hours with 500 funky fans...and well, its not
exactly pleasant for anyone. No one person is to blame for this, its
merely a fact of life, so we figure to say something in advance might help
alleviate it somewhat. People get in a hurry, get out of bed, throw on a
shirt and run out, without thinking of the fact that they haven't had a
shower, and very shortly everybody in a 10 ft radius KNOWS they haven't had
a shower....if you get our drift. So, we have determined that at A-Kon,
Soap and Water is Your Friend (and everybody else's friend too!). Be
considerate of everyone around you. Thanks for your attention to this.
------------------
GUESTS LOST and now FOUND AGAIN
We are happy to report the Re-Appearance on our guest list of Jonathan
Tarbox of RAIJIN COMICS. He managed to get around the obstacles in the way
long enough to join us for the weekend and He's Bringin Stuff! What stuff,
we wont know until he gets here. Maybe signed things, for sure manga,
possibly tankoubon (Japanese books), AND he will be doing art portfolio
reviews get your work looked at by a REAL MANGA EDITOR (Jake is the editor
for Raijin, the US magazine that translates Japanese manga into English and
has been quite popular since its release last year) However, TADASHI
NEGISHI will be unable to join us this year, much to his disappointment.
-------------------
MORE GUEST INFO (Guests mentioned in previous e-updates are listed at the
end). Again, this is not a complete listing, more come in all the
time! Check the website at <http://www.a-kon.com/>www.a-kon.com for the
latest info on guests and bios and details! Mike Battle does a great job
of keeping it updated on a regular basis!
MORE GUESTS & PARTICIPANTS:
DOUG SMITH artist for IC Productions (formerly Studio IronCat), voice
actor, all around cool dude
DR. COMET from Japan, courtesy of Radio Comix. - Artist, Japanese video
game company Koei (Kessen), various Radio Comix books)- he had such a good
time last year, he's coming back! He loved the friendliness of A-kon!
STEPHANIE NADOLNY Voice actor, singer, performing artist. Returning as a
friend and as a fun person to hang around with.
MANGA GRAPHIX - Manga Graphix will be at A-KON introducing Anime and Manga
Fans to their Comics Witch-Girls, Witch Girls Talesand QuestersWriter,
Editor in Chief and President Malcolm Harris will be available to look over
Art work for potential Manga Artist? Malcolm will also be available to talk
to people about would be comic book creators about starting their own comic
book company covering everything from finances, to printing to finding talent.
AND: (from previous e-newsletters)
-BRIAN STELFREEZE Renowned Comic Artist, cover artist, co-founder of Studio
Gaijin
-GREG AYRES Voice actor, Saiyuki, Steel Angel Kurumi, Neo Ranga, Full Metal
Panic and more.
-DAN KANEMITSU Translator, expert on doujinshi
-BEN DUNN Pres. of Antarctic Press
-BOB BERGEN Voice Actor, current voice of Marvin the Martian, Porky Pig,
and many looney tunes characters, as well as Spirited Away, Lupin and
Akira. <http://www.bobbergen.com/>www.bobbergen.com for more info!
-FRED PERRY Creator of Gold Digger, and more
-ROBERT DEJESUS Artist
-JONATHAN CLEMONS Author of anime books (Anime Resource Guide, and more)
-HELEN McCARTHY Author of anime books, Miyazaki expert
-P.N. ELROD book Author
-NEWTON EWELL Artist, Game illustrator
-STEVE KYTE British artist, anime & fine art
-TRISTEN CITRINE award-winning cosplay diva,
-DRAGONBALL Z Numerous actors/actresses from DB and DBZ
-DUEL JEWEL J-Rock Band
-CAMINO J-Rock Band, their first A-Kon
-TIFFANY GRANT voice actor, Evangelion, MUCH more
-AMANDA WINN LEE voice actor, Evangelion, also MUCH more
-JASON LEE voice actor
-BRUCE LEWIS artist, publisher, Cheap Disposable Entertainment
-KYLE HEBERT voice actor, DBZ, Yu Yu Hakusho, etc.
-SCOTT MCNEIL voice actor, Gundam Wing, and much more
-LISA 'HONEY-CHAN' NELSON cosplay
-CHRISTOPHER PATTON voice actor, Full Metal Panic, RahXephon
-NOBOYUKI TAKAHASHI publisher, producer
-J SHANON WEAVER voice actor, Samurai X and more
-EDWARD LUENA comic artist Crow of the Bear Clan
-ARIK RENEE AVILA artist Dementia7
-SKUNK COMICS independent comic publisher
-MONICA RIAL voice actor, Gasaraki, Full Metal Panic, RahXephon & many more
-RIKKI SIMONS voice actor Giron Invader Zim, artist
-TAVISHA WOLFGARTH SIMONS artist Character Designer, Illustrator,
-AMY HOWARD WILSON voice actor, Nova from Star Blazers, Irresponsible
Captain Tylor
-ELIN WINKLER (President-Radio Comix and really cool gal)
-PAT DUKE (Radio Comix)
-JOHN BARRETT (artist, Gold Digger: Edge Guard, Unusual U)
-DIANA X. SPRINKLE (artist, True Hue, Saiko & Lavender)
-MICHAEL VEGA (artist, Monsters of Rock, Saiko & Lavender)
-KAI ROBERTSON (writer, Monsters of Rock)
-WILL ALLISON(staff member, artist of Bunny Town, Trouble Express)
-MATT HIGH (Radio Comix)
-JAMES HANRAHAN (writer Unusual U, Ninja High School)
-EDDIE PERKINS)(artist, Furrlough, Genus)
-URSULA HUSTED (artist, Furrlough)
Also appearing will be folks like Steve Bennett from IC Productions
(formerly Studio Ironcat), Ben Dunn and more from Antarctic Press, and MANY
more, will make appearances and participate in many A-Kon
activities. A-Kon.com has a more complete listing of participating companies.
And more will come in future emails, including the confimration of
the Funimation voice actors.
------------------
KAOS NEWS
The KAOS KREW announces the sponsorship of the DDR Tournament by Red
Octane. Red Octane distributes and makes DDR equipment, sells the games,
pads, controllers, etc. and is quite well known among DDR fans. We expect
them to provide some tournament prizes that should be very well received
and we thank them for their support. Thanks to Brigade and the Kaos Krew
for getting this sponsorship set up! Again, the DDRcade-Featuring a DDR 8th
Mix and DDR 7th Mix arcade machines, will be open from 6pm Thursday until
6pm Sunday, 24 hours. Freestyle and Perfect Attack (Intermediate and
Advanced) tournaments will be run, prizes TBA, entry fee for tournaments is
$10.
Additional sponsors include:
GAMESTOP (for console gaming such as Dreamcast, PS2, Nintendo). Visit
their website at www.gamestop.com
GAMEWYZE (for networked computer gaming such as Warcraft III and
Unreal). Visit GAMEWYZE at www.gamewyze.com
Both companies deserve BIG THANKS for helping us advertise, and for
sponsoring prizes and loaning us their equipment!
Computer Game Tournaments:
Warcraft III (Single-Player, Single Elimination) and Unreal Tournament
2003 (Deathmatch, top 20% frags advance) ... dates/times TBA, PRIZES FOR
THIS TOURNAMENT INCLUDE: an Intel P4 2.8 GHz chip for first prize in each
tournament. Other prizes for 2nd, 3rd, etc. Entry fee is only $10. Other
tournaments will be run throughout the weekend as well, complete games list
TBA.
----------------
CREDIT CARD GROUP REGISTRATION
CREDIT CARD Pre-Registration CutOff is MAY 10!
Groups can now use the credit card online system to register, HOWEVER
you need to know that it all has to be put on ONE CARD, and you will use
separate forms for each individual registration. At the end of the entire
transaction, the discount will be taken for the $5 per membership
discount. Again, contact <mailto:magespell@aol.com>magespell@aol.com for
any questions regarding this.
NOTE: If you are paying with credit card, you MUST use the Online
Credit Card page from the website. We cannot process credit card
memberships at our main office, they have to go through the processing
company and the online form goes to them directly. (Meaning you can't
write your credit card number on a piece of paper and send it in to us with
the regular membership form) We have no access to credit card processing
from here.
The online system can process some other out of country memberships
(like Canadian.) This was not available last year and is a new addition to
their processing systems. HOWEVER the system has difficulty with European
systems, due to banking differences those coming from Europe need to use
the regular print-and-send-in membership form on the website. (yes, we do
have some! Germany, Finland can you believe it!) Use an international
postal money order or other US currency to get your membership) You can
send a check drawn on US funds too (some areas offer this)
If you have any questions about the online credit card process, email
MageSpell at <mailto:magespell@aol.com>magespell@aol.com
--------------------
GET ON THE MAILING LIST - PASS THE WORD
Tell Your Friends to JOIN the EMAILING LIST, so they can get the latest
info and announcements. Go to <http://www.a-kon.com/>www.a-kon.com and on
the homepage is a place you can join our mailing list and receive the
scoop! If you have other questions you can email
<mailto:info@a-kon.com>info@a-kon.com or send a request to Project: A-Kon,
3352 Broadway Blvd. #470, Garland, TX 75043. You can fax us at 972-278-8498
as well (but we will get this slower as its in a different location than
our office). Don't miss out on the most current info available. Tell all
your friends! We want to pass the info out to as many people as possible to
make A-Kon go as smoothly as it can we expect 7000 people to show up, so
the more people know the Kon info, the better!
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, go to
<http://www.a-kon.com/>www.a-kon.com and at the bottom of the homepage is
an unsubscribe box. We give no info to other parties or companies.
----------------------
MEMBERSHIP MADNESS, LINES & REGISTRATION WOES (REPEAT INFO FOR NEWCOMERS)
Please when filling out the mail-in membership form, please either use
separate sheets or the back of the paper to give us ALL full names of
people getting memberships. We need REAL FIRST AND LAST names (we file
pre-made badges by peoples real names, in order to retrieve them as
efficiently as possible there is no way we can find one "Ranma-chan" badge
among 15 of them and know its YOURS without that information. We simply
cannot process things without having everybody's real names
available. This info is not printed on the front of the badge, and will
help us in case you lose your badge (*gasp*) during the Kon. There are
numerous Davids, Johns, Jens, and others, so we really need that full info.
And since we've gotten so big with pre-reg, were working on a new system
on-site that SHOULD make the lines go faster this year. APPLAUD NOW! We
encourage people to pick up their pre-reg stuff on Thursday night if
possible to avoid the longest lines, which are always Friday
morning. NOTE: Watch The New Signage as pre-reg and on-site purchase are
now at separate desks in order to break up the lines somewhat and make them
go faster. Pre-Reg will be handled by last name order, so again, WATCH THE
NEW SIGNAGE so you don't waste time being in the wrong line. Also we will
be having in-line registration forms so that we can gather the most current
information on people. This is mostly for on-site purchase people, as we
already have the info on pre-reg people. Badge clips or lanyards (badge
hanging straps), etc. will be in the pre-registration goodie bag that you
will get when you pick up your badge. Your T-shirt (if you have ordered
and paid for one) will be given to you at this time as well. (If you have
NOT ordered a shirt, you will have to go to the on-site desk to buy one as
they will have the cash registers, or down to Phoenix Sales in the Komik
Market)
IF there is a problem with your registration (we cant find the badge,
you've transferred your membership to another person and we don't know it,
etc.) we will have a THIRD line for dealing with problems like this, to
pull you out of the regular line, allow us to serve you more personally,
and not slow the regular lines down. IF YOU ARE HANDICAPPED (as in: have
trouble standing, in a wheelchair, using a cane, etc.) you can go to this
third line as it will be much shorter. This Line is ONLY for solving
problems, or handicapped assistance NOT general registration.
-----------------
BANDAI PRESENCE AT A-KON
We want to take a minute to thank BANDAI ENTERTAINMENT for sponsoring the
lanyards this year we will have real lanyards to hang our 3-day membership
badges from! Yay! Thanks to Bandai!
Bandai will also have a presence at A-Kon in the form of a room they are
calling Anime Addicts. Featuring Bandai productions, and the debut of a
new card game, the Anime Addicts room will be on an upper floor in one of
the '01' rooms (so named because they are room numbers ending with 01like
2701, 2801, etc.) These 01rooms will be hosting several different events
throughout the weekend, so make sure to visit them and stop by the Bandai
room for prizes, showings, giveaways, etc.
Bandai will also be premiering several shows in the Main Vid room on
Saturday, complete with prizes, so be sure to check our schedule and catch
the showings!
------------------------
DEALERS AT A-KON:
The following is a list of the vendors who will be selling their wares at
A-Kon in our 2 huge dealers rooms. Make sure to visit BOTH rooms!
AD Vision
Anime Doctor
Anime Palace
Anime Pavilion
Antarctic Press
Area 51
Asylum Anime
AVD & Model Show
Black Dog Enterprises
Cartoon Passion
Celtic Chrystal
Central Park Media
Closet Monsters
Comic Cellar
Comics and Things
Dale's Planet
Digital Discs
Fantasy & Hobby Sales
Foreign Expressions
Happy Jackal Graphics
Horizon Games
House of Anime
I.C. Entertainment
Imagine That Galleries
J-List
J-Pop House
Keith's Comics
Kinoshita Moku
LAW Studio
Mad Daffodil
Manga Entertainment
Masters of Tokyo
Media Blasters
Myth Adventures
Nene Thomas
Odin's Monsters
Owl Moon Studios
Paradigm
Pegasus Publishing
Planet Anime
Radio Comix
Rising Sun Imports
Savage Armory
Splash Page
SROriginals
Storm Peng
Toy Matrix
US Anime
Wes Tillander
WizzyWig, Inc
And there is a great long waiting list in case someone here doesn't show up
(it happens)
---------------------
We'll be sending more thorough and frequent updates now that the con is
fast approaching! Watch this space!
Use the handy coupon below for ordering your A-Kon 14 memberships! It's
really worth it to you (and very helpful to us) for you to pre-reg so you
get ALL the goodies!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY (or type)
SEND ME ___________ A-Kon 14 Full Memberships at $40 ea.
(make checks payable to Phoenix Entertainment)
Also send _________Banquet Tickets at $28 ea.
And I want _______ T-Shirts at $18 ea. Size: _______ (S,M,L,XL,2XL,3XL,4XL
($21 for 4x) are available and will be stuffed in your pre-reg pack )
(if ordering multiple shirts for people, tell us who gets what size!)
NAME(s)___________________________________________ ______________________
(if ordering multiple tickets, please give us first AND last REAL names
of ALL attendees so we can make packets-use more paper if
necessary. Memberships without legal first and last names cannot be
processed.)
Name(s) you want on Badge (if you use a
nickname) __________________________________ (LIMIT 20 letters
this year)
ADDRESS__________________________________________ Apt. #________
CITY, STATE, ZIP_______________________________________________ _
EMAIL ADDRESS:__________________________________Age: __________
Send me info on: ____Banquet ___Gaming ___Dance
__ Art Show ___Costume Contest ___Group Discounts ___Komik Market
____Other (what?)_________________________
Mail this coupon plus your check/Money Order (make checks payable to
Phoenix Entertainment) to:
Project: A-Kon, 3352 Broadway Blvd. #470, Garland, TX 75043
--------------------------
FEEL FREE TO CROSSPOST THIS MESSAGE WHEREVER THERE MAY BE ANIME FANS!
Meri Hazlewood Davis
Chairman
Hey, I'm Walking for Babies
in the March of Dimes WalkAmerica April 26th
Sponsor me QUICK at http://tools.walkamerica.org/T-1ZU
and help save babies no bigger than a 1 lb. butter box!
Thanks! (never thought I'd see the day!)
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Edited by Steve Pearl- Moderator, rec.arts.anime.info
Email submissions to anime-info@cybercomm.net and questions about the newsgroup
to anime-info-request@cybercomm.net
-----------------------------------
PROJECT: A-KON 2003 (A-Kon 14)
Updated as of April 24, 2003
Here's the latest official news, for A-Kon 14! PRE REGISTRATION MAIL IN
CUTOFF IS MAY 5 so HURRY! (Credit Card Cutoff is May 10) Were going to try
to send twice a month updates to keep you informed on the new panels,
events, guests, and things that are happening at A-Kon this year. If you
would prefer not to receive this info, go to
<http://www.a-kon.com/>www.a-kon.com and use the unsubscribe option on the
homepage. If you want a copy of previous updates, email us at
<mailto:info@a-kon.com>info@a-kon.com and well send them to you.
-------------------
THE BASICS (Some New Stuff Here)
DATE: May 30-June 1, 2003
WHERE: Hyatt Regency Hotel at DFW Airport (International Parkway, DFW
Texas, 75261), in Terminal C
HOTEL PRICE: $115 per night for 1-4 people (plus tax)
* NEW INFO * ROOM RESERVATIONS: FIRST OVERFLOW HOTEL SOLD OUT, SECOND
OVERFLOW HOTEL INFO FOLLOWS:Our second overflow is: HARVEY HOTEL-IRVING
(Also called HARVEY HOTEL-DFW AIRPORT) (former home of A-Kon 9), 4545 John
Carpenter Freeway, Irving, Texas 75063. Call Hotel Reservations:
972-929-4500. Anyone booking must tell the reservations desk that they are
booking for A-Kon 14to get the con rate. (Using that exact phrase, because
that is what is in their computer.) The rates are: Sgle/Dble/Tple/Quad -
$110 + tax per night.
Also available at the Harvey are one Bedroom Suites (15 in our block) -
$150 + tax per night. The Harvey will provide free shuttle service on a
schedule during the day, and as needed at night. They will only go to
Terminal C, however, so there is a short walk to the Hyatt through or
around the parking garage (Harveys shuttle is a third party company and we
are in negotiations with them to see if we can convince them to go straight
to the Hyatt, but dont count on it) Again, call the HARVEY directly to make
reservations, as were not sure their online national systems will work with
our blocks and we dont want to see anybody get stranded.
KON MEMBERSHIP PRICES & CUTOFF DATES: $40 until mail-in cutoff of May
5. Credit Card Cutoff is May 10. This price includes the Duel Jewel AND
Camino concert on Friday night. Price at the door for 3-day membership will
be $45. All memberships will include program book, and all pre-reg will
get a bag of goodies (while supplies last) filled with whatever we can get
to stuff in'em! (might be CDs, shirts, comics, bookmarks, posters, whatever
we can find!) We plan to have enough special edition A-Kon promo posters to
include one with all pre-reg as well.
SINGLE DAY MEMBERSHIPS AT-THE-DOOR: Friday Only (includes TWO concerts!)
$27, Saturday Only $27, Sunday Only $20. The 3-day membership at the door
will be $45. The Pre-Reg price of $40 right now is nearly HALF the
at-the-door price for comparable memberships (if all days were purchased
separately)! Pre-Reg NOW and get ALL the goodies!
CHILDREN PRICE: 0-5yrs-FREE, 6-12yrs-$15, 13 and above, full
price. At-the-door prices for kids remains the same ($15)
GROUP PRICE: 10 or more people registering together gets $5 off the current
membership price for all people in your party (children excluded-those are
already discounted) Get your groups together NOW!
BANQUET TICKETS: $28 (includes brunch, seating with the star of your
choice, awards ceremony, concert from the Sun String Quartet
doing selections of anime music, video presentations and giveaways)
Seats are almost sold out and we will likely NOT have any at the door to
sell. Get yours today!
T-SHIRT PRICE: $18 (M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL will be available. IF demand
warrants, we can get 4X shirts for $3 more)
DEALER PRICES: Room is SOLD OUT.
KOMIK MARKET: (our ArtistsAlley) is also SOLD OUT
-------------------
MARCH OF DIMES A-KON WALKS FOR BABIES
Phoenix Entertainment & A-Kon is part of a March of Dimes CEOs Walk The
Walkteam for this years Walk-America. (This means Meri gets to walk many
miles for charity! Woo Hoo!) The walk is April 26 (that's THIS SATURDAY)
at White Rock Lake in Dallas. Were trying to raise $1000 toward this
charity. To make a donation via the web, we have our page set up at
<http://tools.walkamerica.org/T-1ZU>http://tools.walkamerica.org/T-1ZU. Go
here and hit the Sponsor Us button. You can also register to be a walker
or a virtual walker, meaning that you support, but are not physically
walking. Please help us reach our goal, and sponsor Meri! You can also
send a check (made out to March of Dimes) to the A-Kon address (Phoenix
Entertainment, 3352 Broadway Blvd #470, Garland TX 75043) You can be an
offline sponsor from the website above if you want to sponsor with
something other than a credit card. that means you sponsor and pledge, and
will send a check by May 1. If All the A-Kon folks donated JUST ONE DOLLAR
we'd MORE than reach our goal! If this message reaches you after the walk,
you can still donate - we have to have all our donations in by May 1.
The mission of the March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by
preventing birth defects and infant mortality. Infants the size of a 1 lb
butter box can now be saved thanks to advances in medicine and research,
and with so many of us having families now, that research is more important
than ever. Help A-Kon reach our goal and support the health of our
community (the anime fan community too!)
------------------
PLEASE UPDATE YOUR EMAILS
Every time we send out a newsletter, we get bouncebacks with bad addresses,
or the message over quota, etc. While not as expensive as bad mailed
addresses, they still take up a LOT of time to clean up. If you know your
friends have changed addresses, or if you have changed addresses, PLEASE go
unsubscribe the old one at the www.a-kon.com homepage (near the bottom
there is a subscribe/unsubscribe feature), and update us with your new
address. If you have more than one address, make sure were sending stuff
to the one you check often. If you know your friends should be receiving
this newsletter and aren't, maybe we don't have their right address. Pass
the word help keep our mailing list clean we don't sell it or give it out
to anybody else EVER. Its only for A-Kon info so you can stay as informed
as possible before the show. Thanks for your help!
When you get a membership, you are automatically subscribed to the
newsletter list. HOWEVER you can unsubscribe by going to the www.a-kon.com
page. We subscribe you so that you will get the information about the
convention (not needless advertising) and we send no spam, just convention
news and updated info on what/who will be there, directions, and other
things of need.
-------------------
NEWS on CAMINO
We found out (thanks to Chris Simonds) about a juicy tidbit regarding our
new J-Rock group, Camino. One of their members used to be a member of the
band Misty Eyes, and has done Gundam theme
songs! (<http://www.mistyeyes.net/>http://www.mistyeyes.net/) Misty Eyes
made quite a few songs from 1995-99, several of which were used for TV show
themes, a Playstation video game and of course a song for Gundam W! Their
song, "Mind Education" is the theme song for Gundam Wing: Blind Target, a
Japanese radio drama which bridged the gap between the Gundam Wing TV
series and the concluding Endless Waltz OVA / motion picture.
Wow! Cool!
Their new album Arise will be available at some of the same places that
sell A-Kon memberships (see below), so ask them about it and get yours in
advance they will certainly sell out FAST at the show they can never bring
enough with them to fill the demand. The street date for this goodie is
Tuesday, so were getting them fast, comparatively! Well work to see if we
can get Duel Jewel albums to local retailers as well.
------------------------
A-KON MEMBERSHIPS NOW AVAILABLE AT COMIC STORES:
Keith's Comics (5400 E. Mockingbird Ln. Suite 120, Dallas, 75206; 214-827-3060)
Keith's Atomic Age (4043 Trinity Mills Road @ Midway, Dallas, TX 75287;
972-662-3136)
Dragon's Lair Austin (4910 Burnet Road, Austin TX 78756; 512-454-2399)
Dragon's Lair-Round Rock (117 Louis Henna Blvd. #140, Round Rock, TX 78664;
512-279-8888)
Excalibur San Antonio (7959 Fredericksburg Road, San Antonio, TX 78229;
210-615-1229)
Fried Ant Anime Rockwall (2006 S. Goliad #222, Rockwall, TX 75087;
972-772-4812)
We will work on more stores soon!
-----------------
A-KON ON REDHAWK RADIO SHOW MAY 15
On May 15 from 7 to 9pm Central Time, GRISMILL a gaming show dedicated to
fan activities, gaming, etc. will feature A-Kon's chairman Meri
Hazlewood-Davis. Log into www.redhawkradio.net (national internet radio
show playing music and things of interest to fans and gaming 24hr a day 7
days a week) and check out the show! Thanks to the RedHawkRadio people for
wanting to do a spotlight on A-Kon! Several days a week they do shows
featuring spotlights on live action games, Amtgard, local & national
events, etc.
So, go to www.redhawkradio.net between 7 and 9pm on Thursday, May 15 to
hear more about A-Kon!
---------------
CORRECTION
We listed an additional voice credit for Amy Howard Wilson (Nova from Star
Blazers) as being Martian Successor Nadesico, when in reality it was
Irresponsible Captain Tylor, OAV (Rules of Being 16). Our bad. Thanks to
those of you who pointed this out (included Amy herself -hi Amy!)
----------------
FLYER AND POSTER PEOPLE NEEDED
If you are willing to pass out flyers in your area (doesn't have to be just
Texas, we have fans coming from all over) or hang posters in various
places, email us at <mailto:info@a-kon.com>info@a-kon.com and let us know
and we will send you some. Flyers and posters can be placed in local
stores, anime shops, comic shops, schools, wherever there are people
gathered who like anime and comics. Be creative there are mall stores (Hot
Topic, independent music and bookstores, eclectic video stores, gift shops,
game stores, arcades, movie houses that play HongKong or art movies, etc.)
who sometimes allow a poster to be hung, or flyers to be put out. We have
full and half-page flyers (and color quarter-page flyers are being
printed) Fans are our best advertising! Let us know if you can help and
how many you want sent to you.
--------------------
PARKING AT THE AIRPORT (Repeat Info because its one of the biggest problems)
We KNOW parking will be TIGHT (very) at both the Hyatt parking lot and
Terminal C, (the closest airport parking lot) so we are urging those of you
who are coming and staying for long times to use the remote or infield
airport parking lots and ride the busses or airtrans into the hotel. (The
AirTrans are those little rail cars you see running around the airport)
These are free and leaves the Hyatt lot available for those who are just
coming for a few hours, or for a single event (like a concert, wedding or
cosplay) then leaving. If you park in a lot that gives you another ticket
for entry(some do), you will need to REMEMBER to get the hotel to validate
BOTH tickets you get the first one gets you into the airport area, the
other one is for the lot itself. If you come and stay less than 16 hours,
the parking is validated at the hotels concierge/bell desk near the front
door. If you are here longer than that, the validation comes from the
hotels front desk registration counter. (don't know why, its just the way
they do things). REMEMBER TO BRING ALL PARKING TICKETS YOU RECEIVE WITH
YOU INTO THE HOTEL (don't leave them in your car-you cant get them
validated that way). It only takes a few minutes to ride the bus to the
hotel from any of the outer lots, and will make life much easier for
everyone. (An alternative if you have a ton of stuff or luggage to move
into the hotel park, bring your stuff in, and then go move your car to an
outer lot)
-------------------
POP ARTIST GALLERY OPENING at A-KON
Pop Artist Iain Gill will have his nationwide gallery tour opening at A-Kon
this year. Iain's art is based on pop culture with a bend toward animation
and Japanese anime in particular. Iain is particularly fond of A-Kon,
noting the warmth and friendliness of our fans and management, and wanted
his first public showing of this art display to be here with us, before it
continues on to several national galleries and then on to Japan. He will
be available to discuss the paintings, and the statement they make,
throughout the weekend. His art will be shown in Constellation 1 as a
permanent display.
---------------------
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Well use this column to answer a couple questions per newsletter that have
been asked repeatedly to try to answer them for everybody to clear up
confusion and make your Kon time the Best it can be!.
Q: I've just arrived at the hotel and this is my first con. Now what?
A: First you should check into your hotel room. Go to the hotel's front
desk in the lobby, get your room, and put your stuff in it. If you do not
have a hotel room, you should go get your convention badge. Bring your
proof of membership (the numbered card that was in your pre-registration
pack, or one that you bought at a comic store) that says Weekend Membership
on it-its about the size of a bookmark) to the convention pre-registration
desk (upon entering the hotel its on the left, the hotels registration desk
is on the right) and claim your membership materials, goodie bag, bag,
daily schedule, t-shirt (if you pre-ordered one). From there, you should
look at the program schedule and decide what you want to see or do and go
there (maps are in the book and around the hotel).
Q: I have a room reserved but its at an overflow hotel, not the
Hyatt. What should I do?
A: IF YOU ARE AT an OVERFLOW HOTEL, you should go THERE first to secure
your room and belongings, and THEN come to the convention to get your badge
via the shuttles the hotels are running between their locations and the
Hyatt-DFW. That way when you get your membership materials, you can
immediately start enjoying the Kon and don't have to make a trip back to
your hotel and waste time.
Q: What kind of things should I bring with me?
A: The basics: Changes of clothes for all 3 days, toiletries (toothbrush,
hair brush, etc.) (tip: if you are getting a Kon shirt, you can pack one
less shirt for your travel since you will be getting one on-site you can
wear). Because of the massive amount of room-sharing, if you can bring
your own towel or two you might be happier as the towels run out fast in a
shared room. Change for phonecalls, a credit card for the hotel room (or
cash for the room deposit). If you are driving in, you might bring a cooler
with some drinks or snacks. The overflow hotels have restaurants (the
Harvey has Scoops, a burger-bar kind of cheaper food locale, however, hotel
food is more expensive than non-hotel food in general, so be aware of
that). Bring whatever costumes you plan to wear, of course.
Q: What do I need to claim my hotel room once I arrive?
A: You need ID, and a credit card to put the room charges on (or if you
dontt have that, they will ask for a cash deposit of around $20-30 for any
charges you might incur while in the room). You will get the deposit back
when you check out (or it will be applied to the room cost if you want to
do it that way). All hotels ask for some kind of security deposit against
phone calls, movies, etc. that get charged up in a room. If you don't want
the phone turned on or movies available, you may be able to get around this
deposit, however your room phones will not function except for room-to-room
communication within the hotel. So many people have cel phones that you may
determine that having the phone in the room is not necessary.
Q: What's one of the biggest problems at the con?
A: Honestly, and its something people don't think about, one of the biggest
things we hear about is the crowding of people and the body odor that
occurs in close quarters. The standard of wearing
antiperspirant/deodorant, and taking regular showers is extremely important
in a hot-weather climate like ours (especially when wearing costumes that
are warm as well). You get 7000 people moving around sweating in 90 degree
weather, and you get some serious funk going around very quickly. Now, try
to sit in a vid room for 2 hours with 500 funky fans...and well, its not
exactly pleasant for anyone. No one person is to blame for this, its
merely a fact of life, so we figure to say something in advance might help
alleviate it somewhat. People get in a hurry, get out of bed, throw on a
shirt and run out, without thinking of the fact that they haven't had a
shower, and very shortly everybody in a 10 ft radius KNOWS they haven't had
a shower....if you get our drift. So, we have determined that at A-Kon,
Soap and Water is Your Friend (and everybody else's friend too!). Be
considerate of everyone around you. Thanks for your attention to this.
------------------
GUESTS LOST and now FOUND AGAIN
We are happy to report the Re-Appearance on our guest list of Jonathan
Tarbox of RAIJIN COMICS. He managed to get around the obstacles in the way
long enough to join us for the weekend and He's Bringin Stuff! What stuff,
we wont know until he gets here. Maybe signed things, for sure manga,
possibly tankoubon (Japanese books), AND he will be doing art portfolio
reviews get your work looked at by a REAL MANGA EDITOR (Jake is the editor
for Raijin, the US magazine that translates Japanese manga into English and
has been quite popular since its release last year) However, TADASHI
NEGISHI will be unable to join us this year, much to his disappointment.
-------------------
MORE GUEST INFO (Guests mentioned in previous e-updates are listed at the
end). Again, this is not a complete listing, more come in all the
time! Check the website at <http://www.a-kon.com/>www.a-kon.com for the
latest info on guests and bios and details! Mike Battle does a great job
of keeping it updated on a regular basis!
MORE GUESTS & PARTICIPANTS:
DOUG SMITH artist for IC Productions (formerly Studio IronCat), voice
actor, all around cool dude
DR. COMET from Japan, courtesy of Radio Comix. - Artist, Japanese video
game company Koei (Kessen), various Radio Comix books)- he had such a good
time last year, he's coming back! He loved the friendliness of A-kon!
STEPHANIE NADOLNY Voice actor, singer, performing artist. Returning as a
friend and as a fun person to hang around with.
MANGA GRAPHIX - Manga Graphix will be at A-KON introducing Anime and Manga
Fans to their Comics Witch-Girls, Witch Girls Talesand QuestersWriter,
Editor in Chief and President Malcolm Harris will be available to look over
Art work for potential Manga Artist? Malcolm will also be available to talk
to people about would be comic book creators about starting their own comic
book company covering everything from finances, to printing to finding talent.
AND: (from previous e-newsletters)
-BRIAN STELFREEZE Renowned Comic Artist, cover artist, co-founder of Studio
Gaijin
-GREG AYRES Voice actor, Saiyuki, Steel Angel Kurumi, Neo Ranga, Full Metal
Panic and more.
-DAN KANEMITSU Translator, expert on doujinshi
-BEN DUNN Pres. of Antarctic Press
-BOB BERGEN Voice Actor, current voice of Marvin the Martian, Porky Pig,
and many looney tunes characters, as well as Spirited Away, Lupin and
Akira. <http://www.bobbergen.com/>www.bobbergen.com for more info!
-FRED PERRY Creator of Gold Digger, and more
-ROBERT DEJESUS Artist
-JONATHAN CLEMONS Author of anime books (Anime Resource Guide, and more)
-HELEN McCARTHY Author of anime books, Miyazaki expert
-P.N. ELROD book Author
-NEWTON EWELL Artist, Game illustrator
-STEVE KYTE British artist, anime & fine art
-TRISTEN CITRINE award-winning cosplay diva,
-DRAGONBALL Z Numerous actors/actresses from DB and DBZ
-DUEL JEWEL J-Rock Band
-CAMINO J-Rock Band, their first A-Kon
-TIFFANY GRANT voice actor, Evangelion, MUCH more
-AMANDA WINN LEE voice actor, Evangelion, also MUCH more
-JASON LEE voice actor
-BRUCE LEWIS artist, publisher, Cheap Disposable Entertainment
-KYLE HEBERT voice actor, DBZ, Yu Yu Hakusho, etc.
-SCOTT MCNEIL voice actor, Gundam Wing, and much more
-LISA 'HONEY-CHAN' NELSON cosplay
-CHRISTOPHER PATTON voice actor, Full Metal Panic, RahXephon
-NOBOYUKI TAKAHASHI publisher, producer
-J SHANON WEAVER voice actor, Samurai X and more
-EDWARD LUENA comic artist Crow of the Bear Clan
-ARIK RENEE AVILA artist Dementia7
-SKUNK COMICS independent comic publisher
-MONICA RIAL voice actor, Gasaraki, Full Metal Panic, RahXephon & many more
-RIKKI SIMONS voice actor Giron Invader Zim, artist
-TAVISHA WOLFGARTH SIMONS artist Character Designer, Illustrator,
-AMY HOWARD WILSON voice actor, Nova from Star Blazers, Irresponsible
Captain Tylor
-ELIN WINKLER (President-Radio Comix and really cool gal)
-PAT DUKE (Radio Comix)
-JOHN BARRETT (artist, Gold Digger: Edge Guard, Unusual U)
-DIANA X. SPRINKLE (artist, True Hue, Saiko & Lavender)
-MICHAEL VEGA (artist, Monsters of Rock, Saiko & Lavender)
-KAI ROBERTSON (writer, Monsters of Rock)
-WILL ALLISON(staff member, artist of Bunny Town, Trouble Express)
-MATT HIGH (Radio Comix)
-JAMES HANRAHAN (writer Unusual U, Ninja High School)
-EDDIE PERKINS)(artist, Furrlough, Genus)
-URSULA HUSTED (artist, Furrlough)
Also appearing will be folks like Steve Bennett from IC Productions
(formerly Studio Ironcat), Ben Dunn and more from Antarctic Press, and MANY
more, will make appearances and participate in many A-Kon
activities. A-Kon.com has a more complete listing of participating companies.
And more will come in future emails, including the confimration of
the Funimation voice actors.
------------------
KAOS NEWS
The KAOS KREW announces the sponsorship of the DDR Tournament by Red
Octane. Red Octane distributes and makes DDR equipment, sells the games,
pads, controllers, etc. and is quite well known among DDR fans. We expect
them to provide some tournament prizes that should be very well received
and we thank them for their support. Thanks to Brigade and the Kaos Krew
for getting this sponsorship set up! Again, the DDRcade-Featuring a DDR 8th
Mix and DDR 7th Mix arcade machines, will be open from 6pm Thursday until
6pm Sunday, 24 hours. Freestyle and Perfect Attack (Intermediate and
Advanced) tournaments will be run, prizes TBA, entry fee for tournaments is
$10.
Additional sponsors include:
GAMESTOP (for console gaming such as Dreamcast, PS2, Nintendo). Visit
their website at www.gamestop.com
GAMEWYZE (for networked computer gaming such as Warcraft III and
Unreal). Visit GAMEWYZE at www.gamewyze.com
Both companies deserve BIG THANKS for helping us advertise, and for
sponsoring prizes and loaning us their equipment!
Computer Game Tournaments:
Warcraft III (Single-Player, Single Elimination) and Unreal Tournament
2003 (Deathmatch, top 20% frags advance) ... dates/times TBA, PRIZES FOR
THIS TOURNAMENT INCLUDE: an Intel P4 2.8 GHz chip for first prize in each
tournament. Other prizes for 2nd, 3rd, etc. Entry fee is only $10. Other
tournaments will be run throughout the weekend as well, complete games list
TBA.
----------------
CREDIT CARD GROUP REGISTRATION
CREDIT CARD Pre-Registration CutOff is MAY 10!
Groups can now use the credit card online system to register, HOWEVER
you need to know that it all has to be put on ONE CARD, and you will use
separate forms for each individual registration. At the end of the entire
transaction, the discount will be taken for the $5 per membership
discount. Again, contact <mailto:magespell@aol.com>magespell@aol.com for
any questions regarding this.
NOTE: If you are paying with credit card, you MUST use the Online
Credit Card page from the website. We cannot process credit card
memberships at our main office, they have to go through the processing
company and the online form goes to them directly. (Meaning you can't
write your credit card number on a piece of paper and send it in to us with
the regular membership form) We have no access to credit card processing
from here.
The online system can process some other out of country memberships
(like Canadian.) This was not available last year and is a new addition to
their processing systems. HOWEVER the system has difficulty with European
systems, due to banking differences those coming from Europe need to use
the regular print-and-send-in membership form on the website. (yes, we do
have some! Germany, Finland can you believe it!) Use an international
postal money order or other US currency to get your membership) You can
send a check drawn on US funds too (some areas offer this)
If you have any questions about the online credit card process, email
MageSpell at <mailto:magespell@aol.com>magespell@aol.com
--------------------
GET ON THE MAILING LIST - PASS THE WORD
Tell Your Friends to JOIN the EMAILING LIST, so they can get the latest
info and announcements. Go to <http://www.a-kon.com/>www.a-kon.com and on
the homepage is a place you can join our mailing list and receive the
scoop! If you have other questions you can email
<mailto:info@a-kon.com>info@a-kon.com or send a request to Project: A-Kon,
3352 Broadway Blvd. #470, Garland, TX 75043. You can fax us at 972-278-8498
as well (but we will get this slower as its in a different location than
our office). Don't miss out on the most current info available. Tell all
your friends! We want to pass the info out to as many people as possible to
make A-Kon go as smoothly as it can we expect 7000 people to show up, so
the more people know the Kon info, the better!
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, go to
<http://www.a-kon.com/>www.a-kon.com and at the bottom of the homepage is
an unsubscribe box. We give no info to other parties or companies.
----------------------
MEMBERSHIP MADNESS, LINES & REGISTRATION WOES (REPEAT INFO FOR NEWCOMERS)
Please when filling out the mail-in membership form, please either use
separate sheets or the back of the paper to give us ALL full names of
people getting memberships. We need REAL FIRST AND LAST names (we file
pre-made badges by peoples real names, in order to retrieve them as
efficiently as possible there is no way we can find one "Ranma-chan" badge
among 15 of them and know its YOURS without that information. We simply
cannot process things without having everybody's real names
available. This info is not printed on the front of the badge, and will
help us in case you lose your badge (*gasp*) during the Kon. There are
numerous Davids, Johns, Jens, and others, so we really need that full info.
And since we've gotten so big with pre-reg, were working on a new system
on-site that SHOULD make the lines go faster this year. APPLAUD NOW! We
encourage people to pick up their pre-reg stuff on Thursday night if
possible to avoid the longest lines, which are always Friday
morning. NOTE: Watch The New Signage as pre-reg and on-site purchase are
now at separate desks in order to break up the lines somewhat and make them
go faster. Pre-Reg will be handled by last name order, so again, WATCH THE
NEW SIGNAGE so you don't waste time being in the wrong line. Also we will
be having in-line registration forms so that we can gather the most current
information on people. This is mostly for on-site purchase people, as we
already have the info on pre-reg people. Badge clips or lanyards (badge
hanging straps), etc. will be in the pre-registration goodie bag that you
will get when you pick up your badge. Your T-shirt (if you have ordered
and paid for one) will be given to you at this time as well. (If you have
NOT ordered a shirt, you will have to go to the on-site desk to buy one as
they will have the cash registers, or down to Phoenix Sales in the Komik
Market)
IF there is a problem with your registration (we cant find the badge,
you've transferred your membership to another person and we don't know it,
etc.) we will have a THIRD line for dealing with problems like this, to
pull you out of the regular line, allow us to serve you more personally,
and not slow the regular lines down. IF YOU ARE HANDICAPPED (as in: have
trouble standing, in a wheelchair, using a cane, etc.) you can go to this
third line as it will be much shorter. This Line is ONLY for solving
problems, or handicapped assistance NOT general registration.
-----------------
BANDAI PRESENCE AT A-KON
We want to take a minute to thank BANDAI ENTERTAINMENT for sponsoring the
lanyards this year we will have real lanyards to hang our 3-day membership
badges from! Yay! Thanks to Bandai!
Bandai will also have a presence at A-Kon in the form of a room they are
calling Anime Addicts. Featuring Bandai productions, and the debut of a
new card game, the Anime Addicts room will be on an upper floor in one of
the '01' rooms (so named because they are room numbers ending with 01like
2701, 2801, etc.) These 01rooms will be hosting several different events
throughout the weekend, so make sure to visit them and stop by the Bandai
room for prizes, showings, giveaways, etc.
Bandai will also be premiering several shows in the Main Vid room on
Saturday, complete with prizes, so be sure to check our schedule and catch
the showings!
------------------------
DEALERS AT A-KON:
The following is a list of the vendors who will be selling their wares at
A-Kon in our 2 huge dealers rooms. Make sure to visit BOTH rooms!
AD Vision
Anime Doctor
Anime Palace
Anime Pavilion
Antarctic Press
Area 51
Asylum Anime
AVD & Model Show
Black Dog Enterprises
Cartoon Passion
Celtic Chrystal
Central Park Media
Closet Monsters
Comic Cellar
Comics and Things
Dale's Planet
Digital Discs
Fantasy & Hobby Sales
Foreign Expressions
Happy Jackal Graphics
Horizon Games
House of Anime
I.C. Entertainment
Imagine That Galleries
J-List
J-Pop House
Keith's Comics
Kinoshita Moku
LAW Studio
Mad Daffodil
Manga Entertainment
Masters of Tokyo
Media Blasters
Myth Adventures
Nene Thomas
Odin's Monsters
Owl Moon Studios
Paradigm
Pegasus Publishing
Planet Anime
Radio Comix
Rising Sun Imports
Savage Armory
Splash Page
SROriginals
Storm Peng
Toy Matrix
US Anime
Wes Tillander
WizzyWig, Inc
And there is a great long waiting list in case someone here doesn't show up
(it happens)
---------------------
We'll be sending more thorough and frequent updates now that the con is
fast approaching! Watch this space!
Use the handy coupon below for ordering your A-Kon 14 memberships! It's
really worth it to you (and very helpful to us) for you to pre-reg so you
get ALL the goodies!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY (or type)
SEND ME ___________ A-Kon 14 Full Memberships at $40 ea.
(make checks payable to Phoenix Entertainment)
Also send _________Banquet Tickets at $28 ea.
And I want _______ T-Shirts at $18 ea. Size: _______ (S,M,L,XL,2XL,3XL,4XL
($21 for 4x) are available and will be stuffed in your pre-reg pack )
(if ordering multiple shirts for people, tell us who gets what size!)
NAME(s)___________________________________________ ______________________
(if ordering multiple tickets, please give us first AND last REAL names
of ALL attendees so we can make packets-use more paper if
necessary. Memberships without legal first and last names cannot be
processed.)
Name(s) you want on Badge (if you use a
nickname) __________________________________ (LIMIT 20 letters
this year)
ADDRESS__________________________________________ Apt. #________
CITY, STATE, ZIP_______________________________________________ _
EMAIL ADDRESS:__________________________________Age: __________
Send me info on: ____Banquet ___Gaming ___Dance
__ Art Show ___Costume Contest ___Group Discounts ___Komik Market
____Other (what?)_________________________
Mail this coupon plus your check/Money Order (make checks payable to
Phoenix Entertainment) to:
Project: A-Kon, 3352 Broadway Blvd. #470, Garland, TX 75043
--------------------------
FEEL FREE TO CROSSPOST THIS MESSAGE WHEREVER THERE MAY BE ANIME FANS!
Meri Hazlewood Davis
Chairman
Hey, I'm Walking for Babies
in the March of Dimes WalkAmerica April 26th
Sponsor me QUICK at http://tools.walkamerica.org/T-1ZU
and help save babies no bigger than a 1 lb. butter box!
Thanks! (never thought I'd see the day!)
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Edited by Steve Pearl- Moderator, rec.arts.anime.info
Email submissions to anime-info@cybercomm.net and questions about the newsgroup
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