Hidenobu Kiuchi
(Voice Actor)
 

As an up-and-coming voice talent, Hidenobu Kiuchi puts three hundred percent into every role he plays. From leading characters to supporting cast members, he strives to make each and every line count.

Kiuchi entered the industry doing small roles in various series, including HUNTERxHUNTER, Rurouni Kenshin, Dr.Rin ni Kiitemite, and Whistle!. His star began to rise when he was cast as the voice of Yuushi Oshitari in the fan favorite Prince of Tennis anime. Since then, Kiuchi has moved slowly into starring and supporting roles in a number of anime, among them Toji in Peach Girl, Jose in Gunslinger Girl, King in Onegai my Melody, and Ema in CLUSTER EDGE.

This year, Kiuchi continues to do one-shot roles in Kemonozume and Ren Honjo in Nana, while taking a supporting position in other series. Among them, Ryouhei in Hit Man Reborn, Nero in the current season of One Piece, Ryuuren Ran in Saiunkoku Monogatari, and Ukita in Death Note. Fans may know that he also starred in Monster as Dr. Kenzou Tenma. To find out even more information visit Mr. Kiuchi's website at www.bee-nice.com.

Funny Stones
(J-Pop Cosplay Duo & Modeling Team)
 
Already popular in Japan, this Cosplay J-Pop singing duo is rapidly gaining popularity with American fans since their 2006 appearance at Katsucon 12. With their up-tempo techno sound and trademark onstage Cosplay act, which features them in different costumes throughout their performance, the cute and perky duo, consisting of Maro and Akiko, present a unique and different sound and visual show. Fun and energetic on and off stage, the Funny Stones are sure crowd pleasers!
 
In February 2006 the Funny Stones released their limited American debut album "Sky Clear" (originally released in Japan in 2004) which has sold nearly 5000 units in the US without being widely distributed. In Japan you can catch them performing live at Harajuku Ruido, a well known and respected Live House responsible for producing many of today's hot J-Pop stars! You can also catch the cute duo modeling for "Arms Magazine" (Japan) and as feature acts in the "Bleach The Idol" J-Pop concert DVD series in Japan. In the U.S. Funny Stones is represented by TenBu Productions.

Mai
(Costume Designer, Cosplay Idol, Dancer & J-pop Singer)
 

One of Japan's rising stars, Cosplay J-pop Singer, dancer, and costume designer, Mai is making her international debut here at SugoiCon!!

Breaking into the Japanese entertainment industry from behind the scenes, this up and coming J-Pop artist started out as a costume designer turned model /idol. Mai is known for her unique costume designs and intricate hair and make-up work that have become her own signature look that takes on a Gothic Fantasy motif. Recently Mai designed costumes for the 2006 Suzuka Taikyu Racing Team -one of Japan's most famous pro Racing teams, and has been featured as their premier Race Queen Idol. She is currently becoming one of Japan's top models and is rapidly breaking into the Japanese Anime scene through Cosplay and singing.

Another passion and talent of Mai's is Hip Hop dancing! Mai earned Second place in one of Japan's top Hip Hop Dancer's competition. Currently Mai is one of Japan's new breed of "Moe" idols and stars, a new cultural movement from Akihabara (Akiba), Japan, that is rapidly gaining popularity world-wide. For more info on Mai please visit www.tenbuproductions.com.

Christopher Ayres
(ADV VA)
 
Chris started as a performer working professionally on stage and television at the age of 6. As an actor he has worked on Broadway, Off-Broadway, with both National and Regional Touring companies as well as many professional regional theaters. In 1991 he made a semi career shift and started working professionally as a Director, Choreographer and Fight Director in Houston Texas. Only performing occasionally, Chris was delighted to get picked up with A.D.V. Films just under two years ago.
 
He has had an amazing time tapping into his "Inner Jerk" as Kei Kurono in GANTZ, which is one of his favorite roles to date. Other Roles include Yamanami in PEACEMAKER, Nakamaru in MABURAHO, Class president Hayashimizu in FULL METAL PANIC? FUMOFFU, Yousef Ali Mesa in YUGO: THE NEGOTIATOR, Dr. Pluto in BASToF SYNDROME, Sawadust in A TREE OF PALME, Murato in MOBY DICK, and a few others that he's not allowed to talk about at the moment. Some of the other shows he's provided voice work for include: KINO'S JOURNEY, MEGAZONE 23, MEZZO, E'S OTHERWISE, CHROMARTIE HIGH, HELLO KITTY ANIMATION THEATER, ELFIN LIED, MADLAX. As well as providing voices for the live action dubs including DARK WATER, MARRYING THE MAFIA, PUBLIC ENEMY, JUNGLE JUICE, GUNS AND TALKS as well as this SHINOBI series.
 
Chris is really excited to be here and hopes everyone has a great time at the convention.

Greg Ayres
(Voice Actor)
 
Greg Ayres is not your average voice actor. The once "Fanboy" turned VA started working for ADV Films just a few years ago, and in that short time managed to snag two of his favorite roles in anime. He was thrilled to voice the role of his favorite character Son Goku in Saiyuki, then just one year later Kaworu Nagisa in the Director's Cut of Neon Genesis Evangelion. Other roles include Chrono in Chrono Crusade, Negi Springfield in Negima, Heihachi in Samurai 7, Satoshi Hiwatari in DNAngel, Pope Alessandro XVIII in Trinity Blood, Tsuyoshi in Kodocha, Leo in Ghost Stories, Tsujido in Speed Grapher, and Gau Ban in Shadow Skill. He can also be heard in other anime titles such as Super Gals, Spiral, Macross, Mythical Detective Loki, Burst Angel, Gravion, Godanner, Pretear, Full Metal Panic, E's Otherwise and a whole lot more.
 
When he's not in a booth with headphones on, you can usually find him sporting headphones of another variety behind "the decks". A veteran nightclub DJ of many years, Greg has really enjoyed the opportunity of doing something else that he truly loves. From packed rooms at anime conventions, to the legendary stage of The Knitting Factory (NYC), Greg never misses an opportunity to share his love of music with anyone who will listen. To find out even more information visit Greg's web site at www.gregayres.com.

Austell Callwood
(TenBu Owner, Lead Artist)
 
Austell Callwood is an artist, author, business owner, and 13 year veteran of the American Anime industry. Since his first independent publication, "The World of Neb" in 2001, his highly stylized Japanese form of illustration has been popular through the East Coast con scene for many years. Callwood has since gone on to become full owner of a popular Asian Entertainment retail store in Springfield, Virginia called ANIME FX. More recently Austell has been making waves in the US as well as Japan with his new international entertainment house, TENBU PRODUCTIONS. Along with him, this studio represents many Japanese entertainers, from cosplay idols to singers, including a pair of our Japanese guests, the FUNNY STONES!
 
No newbie to Anime, Callwood's artist style was progressively developed at a young age as he was exposed to anime classics that were broadcasted in his native Virgin Islands in the 1970's and 1980's. Programs such as "Battle of the Planets", "Mazinger Z", "Space Pirates" (Captain Harlock) and "The Orbots" put him on a path to continuously search out progressive art forms that has eventually lead him to his unique style that is best described as a fusion of Japanese and Western animated illustration. Evidence of this influence can be scene in his new bilingual Manga styled graphic novel- "Cove Pirate Mercenary". Already released in the US as a Special Edition Prerelease, in 2007 "Cove" will be picked up as a web Comic in Japan and will be one of the first American Manga to enter the Japanese market. Visit TenBu Productions at www.tenbuproductions.com.

Bob and Emily DeJesus
(Amazing Manga-Style Artist Duo!)
 
Robert is an Indiana born, self-taught artist. February, 1990 he got his first art career break when he sent an eight page short 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 on to do freelance work. He teamed 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 circles. 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.
 
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. His work includes a collaboration with Studio Udon and Marvel comics. Released during the weekend of it's opening movie debut, he worked on two childrens books based on Spiderman. His most recent project was a pin-ups for past issues of Anime Invasion.
 
Now, with the help of his wife/partner in crime, Emily, have started thier own company, Studio Capsule. Capsule will be involve in creating a line of underground doujinshis, animations, portfolios and other sorts of Studio Capsule memorabilia. Find out everything that's new with either Studio Capsule or Robert DeJesus www.robertdejesus.com.

Jan Scott-Frazier
(Anime Industry Veteran)
 
Jan worked in the animation (anime) industry in Japan for almost 14 years. She attended animation school and later went on to work at a number of studios in including Artland, Production IG and Atelier BWCA on shows including RikiOh 2, Locke the Superman (OVA), Shurato (OVA), Bubblegum Crash (OVA) and Tottoi (feature). She become an expert in many different aspects of animation production, such as cel painting, animating, backgrounds, camera and directing. In 1991 she founded an animation studio - TAO Corp. Ltd. in Bangkok, Thailand. TAO did work on Moldiver, Diary of Mikan, Genocyber and SWAT Kats amongst others. In 1994, Jan moved into consulting work, freelancing for Cambridge Animation Systems, the developers of Animo (a computer assisted (2D) animation production system). Also in 1994, Jan co-founded GENESIS Digital Publishing Company with Izumi Matsumoto (Kimagure Orange Road) where they created the best-selling Comic ON, a CD-ROM manga compendium in which Jan debuted as a manga artist. In 1999 Jan directed episodes of Susie-chan & Marvy (TV) and spent most of the year working on the development of original TV series projects. In 2000, she moved back to the USA to work at Celsys USA on the development of the next generation of the RETAS digital production system.
 
Jan has traveled extensively throughout Asia and the US teaching animation techniques and speaking at tradeshows and conventions. She has also translated videos and manga, written and co-written magazine articles and created extensive training materials for cel painting, animation and computer animation.
 
In 2006 she produced the album Voices for Peace as a charity benefit. She currently produces albums for Voices For, a non-profit corporation and is writing her memoirs.

Ryan Gavigan
(Bringer of Hell and Madness)
 
Ryan is a long-time anime fan who got hooked during the era of Star Blazers and Robotech. What could he do next you ask? Why become a convention leader and organizer of course, as well as a game show host of some note (and a pretty good poker player to boot!). Always a fan of the satire, spoof, absurd, and demented in humor, Ryan became a fan of the nascent subgenre of anime fan productions known as anime parody dubs. Along with producing his own parodies, Ryan has become the de-facto historian and archivist of these extremely silly things.
 
What this actually important to SugoiCon crowds however, is his is he is the host of Midnight Madness, the showcase of anime parody dubs like Evangelion ReDeath. Ryan is also hosting the infernal celebration of bad film known to convention-goers across the world as Anime Hell. Become a minion of Anime Hell, join Ryan and crew and enjoy of night of the utterly bizarre and/or hilarious! Heino says he is a cool guy too, and you have to agree with Heino....right?!
 

Dan Hess
(Comic Artist)
 
Dan was born in New York and raised in Ohio. He earned a BFA in Computer Graphics at Syracuse University in 1998, and relocated to Cincinnati, Ohio where he worked in a series of education-oriented software companies until 2004, when he went freelance.
 
While Dan has been comicking most all his life, he only really got serious about it in 2002, when he started Angel Moxie. He's self-published three Angel Moxie books, with plans to publish a Realms of Ishikaze book but his goal now is to get something published and distributed nationwide.
 
In the meantime, Dan's kept himself clothed and fed by doing freelance artwork, which he would not recommend, lest you have a good chunk of change saved up first. You can visit Mr. Hess at www.venisproductions.com.

Brittney Karbowski
(ADV VA)
 
Profile Coming soon

Doug Smith
(ADV VA)
 
Douglas Smith is a Voice Actor/Artist personality in the Anime industry. He's voiced in several of ADV's shows like, BubbleGum 2040, Those Who Hunt Elves, Sorcerer Hunters, Dragon Knight, and Steam Detectives to name a few. Doug is most recognized for his role as Kintaro Oe in GoldenBoy. Be sure to swing by his table and check out his art.