BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE YOKAI
Q: So what kind of projects are you two working on now?
Matt Alt: In addition to our normal line of work -- we run a company that produces the English versions of Japanese video games and comics -- we've got several new original book projects in the works, some in the vein of Yokai Attack! and others not. We hope to have one of them out next year. Stay tuned!
Q: Any messages you'd like to share with readers who might be interested in checking out your lecture, or picking up your book?
Matt Alt: Yokai are the pulse that beats beneath the surface of modern Japanese pop culture. They are a really critical part of the puzzle that Japanese culture and tradition often poses to outsiders. And they also happen to be a lot of fun. So even if you aren't specifically into fantasy or the supernatural, they are really fascinating to read about. And Hiroko and I hope to introduce even more of them in the future!
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You can check out Matt Alt's Yokai University presentation at New People on Saturday, October 31, 2009 from 1:00 - 2:30 pm at VIZ Cinema. Admission is free. New People is also hosting an exhibit of yokai art and artifacts, including GeGeGe no Kitaro prints by Shigeru Mizuki from October 23 - November 6, 2009. New People is located at 1746 Post Street in San Francisco's historic Japantown.
Discover more yokai by picking up Yokai Attack! from Kodansha International. Keep up with the Alt and Yoda's adventures at their blog, AltJapan. You can also visit some of the spooky spots in Tokyo with Alt and Yoda's "Tokyo Map of Terror" on CNN Go.
