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  Unfortunately, due to the current wartime situation that our whole country finds itself in, our Japanese guests (who we never even got a chance to announce) had to cancel their plans to come to our convention, at the request of their respective companies. We certainly understand their safety concerns, and hope that the situation is much improved next year.
Steve Bennett is a former Japanese Animation Artist Veteran (or an Anglo-Sino SAAV). He worked at Studio Aoehyma in Tokyo, Japan, as an animator/in-betweener on projects such as the Cat’s Eye and Urusei Yatsura TV series, and most notably the first UY movie, Only You. Since returning from Japan, he’s been teaching Animation Art and currently he’s the co-founder and art director for Studio Ironcat. Being a big Civil War buff, Steve can be seen wandering the halls wearing a confederate cap. So if you see him, stop him and he will be glad to tell you about his time on the tracing tables with the industry’s finest.
Robert is an Indiana born, self-taught artist. February of 1990, he got his first art career break when he sent an eight page story to Antarctic Press' anthology, Mangazine. From that he was asked to work on other assorted AP comics, such as Ninja High School, Mangazine, Not Ninja High School, Again and SB Ninja High School. After working for Antarctic Press for about four years, Robert went freelance. He worked with other artists such as Adam Warren on Bubblegum Crisis and Dirty Pair, Phil Foglio's Xxxenophile card game and co-produced a portfolio 'zine with Steve Bennett. His art has also attracted invitation from overseas by a couple of grand Japanese artists, Kenichi Sonoda (Gunsmith Cats, Riding Bean) and KoKoMai (character designer for Japan's Playstation, Crime Crackers) to do work for their own personal dojinishi circle. But it doesn't end there, Rob has done much work for many comic companies, major magazines, an animated TV show, a major toy manufacturer and a very well known video game developer. But Robert's biggest claim to fame has to be designing a certain teenage, spiky red hair, high school uniform wearing, video game otaku named Banzai Chibi Chan. For two years Robert designed and drew the magazines' easily excitable, video game addicted mascot for Playstation Magazine, 100% Independent. Lately Robert spends more time experimenting with traditional and Flash animation, and creating self-produced products. His latest is a book titled Ai Candy Deluxe which has been in demand for the past two years, enough to warrant a sequel in the near future. Also in his spare time he tries to maintain his very own website under the same name. Ai Candy Online features his latest pinups, comics and current dealings. Be sure to drop and say hello @:http://www.icongrp.com/~banzai.
In 1987, Scotts obsession with anime overpowered his common sense (and ardent desire to remain stuck forever as a Radio Shack salesman) and he moved to Japan to pursue a career in the anime industry. He attended the International Animation Institute where he was made a teacher almost a year before graduation. He went on to work at various small production companies learning about the various stages of the animation production process. Despite the best efforts of the Japanese Immigration Bureau (bad attitude) and the Chinese Army (bad marksmanship) to keep him from his goal, Scott went to work for Artland in 1989 in the production department, a first for a foreigner. He worked on RikiOh 2, Locke the Superman (OVA), Shurato (OVA), Bubblegum Crash (OVA) and Tottoi (feature). With the experience of teaching animation production techniques all around Asia, Scott founded his own full production company, TAO Corporation Ltd., in Bangkok, Thailand in 1991. TAO did work on Moldiver, Diary of Mikan, Genocyber and SWAT Kats amongst others. In 1994, Scott moved into consulting work, freelancing for Cambridge Animation Systems the developers of Animo (a computer assisted (2D) animation production system). In 1995 he went to work for Production I.G (Ghost in the Shell, Blood, Jinroh) as the president of Production I.G. USA and a producer and technical director on the Japanese side. He left Production IG in early 1998 to pursue a career as a freelance director. In 2000, Scott moved back to the USA and worked in Los Angeles at Trimedia (www.retas.com) on the development of the next generation of digital production systems. In early 2001 he moved out east and currently works at the Pasadena, MD branch of Trimedia. He continues to develop original projects for television, OVA and feature film release. Scott has traveled extensively throughout Asia and the US teaching animation techniques, speaking at conventions, evangelizing, griping, abusing substances (caffeine and chocolate) and eating far too much. He has also written and co-written magazine articles and textbooks about anime and computer animation. His newest form of expression is the spoken word performances he delivers at cons, which show the raw emotional side of what it is to work in the anime industry.
Anime fans mostly know Matt as the English voice of Tenchi Masaki in the four series and three Tenchi Muyo movies, (not to mention in the Pretty Sammy spin-off series), but his credits also include Pretz in Final Fantasy I & II; Sirius in Dragon Slayer; Tenku in Twilight of the Dark Master; as well as roles in Trigun; Gundam I, II & III; Fist of the North Star; Hurricane Polymar and Bio-Hunters to name a few. Feature films also include The Dog of Flanders; Alexander the Great; and, most proudly, the three Miyazaki greats, Kiki's Delivery Service; Castle in the Sky and Princess Mononoke, starring Minnie Driver, Gillian Anderson, Claire Danes and Billy Bob Thornton. Original voice-over work includes series for HBO (Spawn, Spicy City); MTV (Aeon Flux); MGM (James Bond, Jr.); and movies such as Gen 13, and taking over for Robin Williams as Batty in Fern Gully II. Too numerous to mention here are the additional foreign series, commercials and industrials Matt has provided voices for. Also a prolific stage actor, Matt has appeared onstage with such notables as Cyd Charisse, Alfred Molina and Sir Ian McKellen.
Neil Nadelman got his start translating by working on Central Park Media’s Project A-ko and has never slowed down. He has gone on to translate titles such as Gall Force, Grave of the Fireflies, Detonator Orgun, Armored Trooper Votoms, Mobile Suit Gundam, Irresponsible Captain Tylor, and he got the chance to translate his favorite anime of all time, Wings Of Honneamise. Neil has done translating work for companies such as Anime Village, Pioneer, CPM, Manga Entertainment, Software Sculptors and Right Stuf International.
Doug worked for A.D.Vision as one of their top graphic artists. He is best known for his lead character role of Kintaro Oe in Tatsuya Egawa's Goldenboy series. In addition to Goldenboy, he has also voiced well over 20 different suporting characters in various other A.D.Vision titles, such as Dragon Knight, Sorcerer Hunters, Sukeban Dekka, Gunsmith Cats, BurnUp W!, Super Atragon, Suikoden, Plastic Little, Gamera, Devil Hunter Yokho, Slayers: The Motion Picture, Dirty Pair Flash, Original Dirty Pair, the new Cutey Honey, Compiler, several Blue Seed and Evangelion episodes, and even the new Bubblegum Crisis 2040. Since leaving A.D.Vision in 1999, Doug has now joined forces with Steve Bennett at Studio Ironcat. He will be designing covers for various Ironcat titles, but still looks forward to furthering his voice-acting career in the near future.
Corn Pone Flicks, a household name in old school anime fandom, have been producing fanzines and other fine animated crap since 1988. Beginning with the ever classic, Star Dipwads, they moved onto more wonderful fan hits such as The Making of Star Dipwads, A Star Dipwads Christmas, never to be released, Corn Dog Seven, the always almost done, Ozone Commandoes and more shorts and videos than you could shake a 5XL fanboy at. Better known to most of the world as those wacky guys who made B.A.D. I, Too, and III. Or for acronym impaired, Bad American Dubbing. For additional information send e-mail to: SugoiGuest@fuse.net |
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