Anime Expo 2009: Saturday's Manga Highlights

Happy Birthday U.S.A.! While the rest of the general population is off grilling, heading to the beach or poppin’ open a beer, there are some of us (who are not camped out at the Staples Center for Michael Jackson memorial concert tickets) getting ready to check out Day 3 of Anime Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Southern California.

What’s on tap for today? For me, it’s all about seeing manga artist Yasuhiro Nightow talk ‘bout Trigun, but for many, it’s a day for dressing up for the Masquerade and checking out a huge Power Rangers reunion. Oh America. You are so strange and wonderful. Here's the rest of today's manga-centric must-sees / must-do's:

SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2009

• 9:00 am - 9:50 am: The Indecent Otaku Comedy Hour, Room LP 3 / LACC 411
  Are you awake yet? You will be after you hit the Indecent Otaku Comedy Hour, and get your share of geeky giggles courtesy of the bloggers from Anime Diet, Anime Genesis and How a Girl Figures. And just to make it worth your while, I hear they’re giving out stuff too.
• 9:00 pm - 9:50 pm: Self-Defense for the Otaku, Room LP 2
  Tired of trying to justify your passion for anime and manga? The smart folks at Arashi Productions are here to give you a couple of smart, snappy comebacks to all who would dare scoff at your otaku obsessions.
• 10:30 am - 11:20 am: Guest of Honor Spotlight with Yasuhiro Nightow and Satoshi Nishimura, Room LP 1 / Petree Hall
  Meet the manga creator who brought you Trigun and get the latest updates on the upcoming Trigun anime.
• 11:00 pm - 11:50 pm: Yaoi Press Industry Panel , Room LP 2
  Meet publisher Yamilla Abraham, and find out what she’s got up her sleeve from the wonderful world of international boys love publishing. Also, find out how you too can submit your art and stories to be published by Yaoi Press. Juicy, no?
• 11:00 am - 12:15 pm: Industry Only Panel: Digital Distribution of Anime and Manga, Room LP 3 / LACC 411
  Cell phone manga, online manga, rental manga, manga for the Kindle, pay-per-view live streaming. There’s so many possibilities, but are these just passing trends or will this be the way you buy, read manga and watch anime in the near future? Sorry, entry to this event is restricted to attendees with professional or press badges.
• 12:30 pm - 1:20 pm: FUNimation Industry Panel , Room LP 1 / Petree Hall
  You love everything they release – now show a little love (and maybe a little sympathy for that One Piece anime … incident) at FUNi’s panel. They could use a hug.
• 2:00 pm - 3:50 pm: Power Rangers Reunion, Room LP 1 / Petree Hall
  Can the time-space continuum handle having this many former Power Rangers (and Barbara Goodson, a.k.a. “Rita Repulsa”) in one room at one time? You’ll just have to be there to find out!
• 2:00 pm - 2:50 pm: Robotech Industry Panel, Room LP 3
  Ask almost any anime fan of a certain age what was their favorite series was when they were growing up and you’ll likely hear Robotech. Oh, those misty, watercolor memories of the way we were addicted to this space-faring mecha drama… Now you can relive them once more as Harmony Gold and Tommy Yune, the director of Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles will chat about this popular series that lives on in our hearts.
• 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm: Anime Music Videos Contest Rescreen & Awards Ceremony, Video Room 1
  So you didn’t make it to last night’s showing of the AMV competition? Ahh, you’re fine. You can see all the entries and see who won. See? It was worth getting that extra hour of sleep last night after all.
• 5:00 pm - 5:50 pm: Nozomi Entertainment & Right Stuf Premieres, Room LP 2
  Get a peek at the recently released Gakuen Alice anime series, plus clips from The Irresponsible Captain Tylor TV series, now remastered for your pleasure.
• 6:00 pm - 6:50 pm: Anime and Manga in Academia, Room LP 2 / LACC 502
  You know how your mom would tell you to turn off that darn anime and do your homework? For these studious sorts, watching anime and reading manga is their homework, and the basis for their thesis. Howdya like them apples, mom?
• 8:00 pm - 11:50 pm: Anime Expo Masquerade , Main Events – LACC Hall A
  Anime Expo is famous for attracting a lot of amazing cosplayers. Now you can see many of the very best strutting their stuff, and doing a few skits too at the AX Masquerade. The hall opens for seating at 6:00 pm, so be prepared to do a good deal of waiting before you are amused by the cavalcade of costumes.

And of course, there’s always time for another go-round in the Dealers Room. Here are a few booths worth visiting:

• Anime Pavilion – Booth 757, 759, 761, 856, 858, 860, 125, 224
• Aurora Publishing – Booth 514, 516
• COPIC Marker – Booth 601
• Crunchyroll – Booth 501
• Digital Manga Publishing – Booth 801
• eigoManga – Booth 501
• Imagi Studios (Astro Boy movie) – Booth203
• J-List / Jast USA – Booth 825, 827, 829
• JapanFiles.com – Booth 725, 824
• Kinokuniya Bookstores – Booth 1225, 1227, 1229, 1324, 1326
• Manga University – Booth 925
• Marble Pop – Booth 1149
• Media Blasters – Booth 747, 749, 751, 846, 848, 850
• Netcomics – Booth 1224, 1226
• P.M.B.Q. Studios – Booth 1013, 1112
• Organic Hobby Inc – Booth 501
• Spicy Brown – Booth 361
• Udon Entertainment – Booth 501
• Yaoi Press – Booth 739, 838

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Image credit: © Yasuhiro Nightow