DOCSLIB.ORG

Proquest Dissertations

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Proquest Dissertations POP-DIPLOMACY: ANIME AND MANGA AS VEHICLES OF CULTURAL CONTEXT, IDENTITY FORMATION, AND HYBRIDITY By Morgan Elizabeth Burkett Submitted to the Faculty of the School oflntemational Service of American University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master ofArts in International Affairs Chair: Patrick Thaddeus Jack on ··#.ffi.~ rk: Dean ofthe School oflntemational Service Date 2009 American University Washington, D.C. 20016 AMERICAN UNIVERSITY liBRARY CfS3 L1 UMI Number: 1484436 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will b~ noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI ___.Dissertation Publishing---.. UMI 1484436 Copyright 2010 by ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This edition of the work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. Pro uesr ---- ---- ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml48106-1346 ©COPYRIGHT by Morgan Elizabeth Burkett 2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED POP-DIPLOMACY: ANIME AND MANGA AS VEHICLES OF CULTURAL CONTEXT, IDENTITY FORMATION, AND HYBRIDITY BY Morgan Elizabeth Burkett ABSTRACT The purpose of this thesis is to critically examine how a community, or "fandom," of American consumers is interacting with certain aspects of Japanese popular culture and to explore these interactions as sites of cultural negotiation. Specifically, the purpose is to explore the rise in popularity of Japanese manga and anime, as well as the associated subcultures, in the US within a theoretical framework of hybridization and ask: How is the community framing discussions of cultural context and identity formation and and are its members engaging in the hybridization of culture? In the case studies, fieldwork conducted at anime conventions and through analysis of public discussion on community web forums highlight two site of cultural negotiation: conventions and cosplay and fansubs. 11 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT......................................................................................................................... ii Chapter 1. RESEARCH QUESTION ...................................................................................... I 2. THE SETTING AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGY...................................... .2 3. LITERATURE SUMMAR¥ ................................................................................. 6 Literature Critique Conceptual Framework Historical Framework 4. TECHNOLOGICALADVANCES ...................................................................... 24 5. CASE STUDIES .................................................................................................. 27 Conventions and Cosplay Fan subs 6. CONCLUSION .................................................................................................... 60 APPENDIX........................................................................................................................ 64 BIBLIOGRAPHY.............................................................................................................. 66 lll CHAPTER I RESEARCH QUESTION The purpose of this thesis is to critically examine how a community, or "fandom," of American consumers is interacting with certain aspects of Japanese popular culture and to explore these interactions as sites of cultural negotiation. I am interested in examining the relationship between the consumption of Japanese popular culture and the formation of cultural context and identity in this community. Here I use the definition of culture given by James Lull in his book Media, Communication, Culture. Culture is a complex and dynamic ecology of people, things, world views, activities, and settings that fundamentally endures but is also changed in routine communication and social interaction. Culture is context. It's how we talk and dress, the food we eat and how we prepare and consume it, the gods we invent and the ways we worship them, how we divide up time and space, and all the other details that make up everyday life. 1 Specifically, I am exploring the rise in popularity of Japanese manga and anime, as well as the associated subcultures, in the US within a theoretical framework of hybridization and asking: How is the community framing discussions of cultural context and identity formation and and are its members engaging in the hybridization of culture? 1 James Lull, Media, Communication, Culture, (New York: Columbia University Press, 1995), 66. CHAPTER2 THE SETTING AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The interactions indicate an avenue of understanding and cultural context transmission that is not produced or facilitated by an official governmental route and instead comes from the community. Official routes of cultural transmission already exist through programs such as education exchanges, art exchanges, and the like; these are not what I am examining. They are usually highly structured and have specific goals integrated into their design. What I am looking at differs in that there is no official program to promote the cultural flow and context transmission brought about by the exchange of anime and manga and their related community. While the commercial exchange may be aided by governmental processes in the form of quotas, tariffs, and the like, the guiding force for this form of cultural exchange lies in the consumers, or audience. How these cultural exchanges are carried out, and what form they take, is community driven. At times these exchanges happen despite official rules or channels. Before I continue, let me first explain the basics of anime and manga. Both terms are closely intertwined in Japan and the United States. Anime is short for animation and can be considered a Japanese analog to the live-action television shows that make up the majority of American television programming and movies. That is to say, rather than being analogous with American cartoons (also animated) which have tended to focus 2 3 primarily on programming for children, anime is developed and marketed to a wide range of age groups--from young children to adult-only programming. Anime covers many different genres; from school life and raging space-operas to fairy tales and the mundane. If it can be conceived, there is likely an anime about it. Manga can be considered Japanese comic books, but rather than being part of a male-dominated "geek-dom" as American comics are, manga developed over the years for all genders and age groups. Sharon Kinsella, in Adult Manga: Culture & Power in Contemporary Japanese Society, describes manga, and by extension anime, as follows: Though often thought of by foreign observers as a specialized cultural trope with strongly defined themes such as pornography and science fiction fantasy, manga is primarily a medium. Like television, literature or film, the manga medium carries an immense range of cultural material. The bread and butter of the manga industry has been a large number of long-running series which can be loosely compared to the soap operas, dramas, sitcoms, comedies, and docu-dramas aired on British television. However, manga generally has a greater thematic range than Japanese television broadcasting, a medium which has been dominated by low­ budget celebrity game shows, chat shows, audience and panel discussions, and food and game guides. The themes of series have been defined mainly by their location, for example, in and around a sports club, school, college campus, workplace, household, historical set, or criminal underworld. In addition to drama about everyday life, manga has also absorbed a range of material, too raw, bawdy, satirical, politically subversive, delinquent, artistic, fantastic, or simply obscure, to get distribution in any other mass media. One of the most common synonyms used to describe manga is 'air', something that has permeated every crevice of the contemporary environment. Manga can be purchased from train platform kiosks, in book shops near railway stations and on shopping malls and streets, as well as in art book shops and luxury department stores; it can be bought from any 24-hour convenience store, a snack bar in a car park at a tourist resort, at a grocery store serving the needs of a remote village, or from a vending machine chained to the comer of a street.2 2 Sharon Kinsella, Adult Manga: Culture & Power in Contemporary Japanese Society, (New York: RoutledgeCurzon, 2000), 3-4. 4 The manga and anime creation systems are highly intertwined; many anime stories were first developed as manga. If there was not a manga of the story before a popular anime aired, one was often developed afterwards as "manga are the source for over 90 percent of anime."3 The terms anime and manga themselves are treated at times as interchangeable, at least in the United States. In American usage, the term anime can mean the animated shows themselves or it can be used to refer to both anime and manga at the same time (though the reverse is not generally used). While anime and manga are both forms of commercial mass media, my focus is not confined to the actual commercial products but broadened to an examination of the resulting community (or fandom) that forms around the products as the major factor of the study. This paper will focus on several sites of cultural negotiation within that fandom as the case studies. To be clear, these are not case studies in the
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Cons & Confusion
    Cons & Confusion The almost accurate convention listing of the B.T.C.! We try to list every WHO event, and any SF event near Buffalo. updated: June 11, 2019 to add an SF/DW/Trek/Anime/etc. event; send information to: [email protected] 2019 DATE local EVENT NAME WHERE TYPE WEBSITE LINK JUNE 12-16 OH ORIGINS GAME FAIR Columbus Conv Ctr, Columbus, OH gaming, anime, media https://www.originsgamefair.com/ FRAZIER HINES, WENDY PADBURY, Mecedes Lackey, Larry Dixon, Charisma Carpenter, Amber Benson, Nicholas Brendon, Juliet Landau, Elisa Teague, Lisa Sell, JUNE 13-16 Phil WIZARD WORLD Philadelphia, PA comics & media con wizardworld.com Lana Parrilla, Ben McKenzie, Morena Baccarin, Ian Somerhalder, Rebecca Mader, Jared Gilmore, Mehcad Brooks, Jeremy Jordan, Hale Appleman, Dean Cain, Holly Marie Combs, Brian Krause, Drew Fuller, Sean Maher, Kenvin Conroy, Lindsay jones, Kara Eberle, Arryb Zech, Barbara Dunkelman, Edward Furlong, Adam Baldwin, Jewel Staite, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Chris Owen, Ted Danson, Cary Elwes, Tony Danza, George Wendt, OUT: Stella Maeve JUNE 14-16 ONT YETI CON Blue Mountain Resort, Blue Mtn, Ont (near Georgian Bay) https://www.yeticon.org/ Kamui Cosplay, Nipah Dubs, James Landino, Dr Terra Watt, cosplayers get-away weekend JUNE 14-16 TX CELEBRITY FAN FEST Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio, TX media & comics https://pmxevents.com Jeremy Renner, Paul Bettany, Benedict Wong, Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Dolph Lundgren, Walter Koenig, Joe Flannagan, Butch Patrick, Robert Picardo JUNE 15 FLA TIME LORD FEST U of North Florida, Jacksonville,
    [Show full text]
  • O(S) Fã(S) Da Cultura Pop Japonesa E a Prática De Scanlation No Brasil
    UNIVERSIDADE TUIUTI DO PARANÁ Giovana Santana Carlos O(S) FÃ(S) DA CULTURA POP JAPONESA E A PRÁTICA DE SCANLATION NO BRASIL CURITIBA 2011 GIOVANA SANTANA CARLOS O(S) FÃ(S) DA CULTURA POP JAPONESA E A PRÁTICA DE SCANLATION NO BRASIL Dissertação apresentada no Programa de Mestrado em Comunicação e Linguagens na Universidade Tuiuti do Paraná, na Linha Estratégias Midiáticas e Práticas Comunicacionais, como requisito parcial para obtenção do título de Mestre, sob orientação do Prof. Dr. Francisco Menezes Martins. CURITIBA 2011 2 TERMO DE APROVAÇÃO Giovana Santana Carlos O(S) FÃ(S) DA CULTURA POP JAPONESA E A PRÁTICA DE SCANLATION NO BRASIL Esta dissertação foi julgada e aprovada para a obtenção do título de Mestre em Comunicação e Linguagens no Programa de Pós-graduação em Comunicação e Linguagens da Universidade Tuiuti do Paraná. Curitiba, 27 de maio de 2011. Programa de pós-graduação em Comunicação e Linguagens Universidade Tuiuti do Paraná Orientador: Prof. Dr. Francisco Menezes Martins Universidade Tuiuti do Paraná Prof. Dr. Carlos Alberto Machado Universidade Estadual do Paraná Prof. Dr. Álvaro Larangeira Universidade Tuiuti do Paraná 3 AGRADECIMENTOS Aos meus pais, Carmen Dolores Santana Carlos e Vilson Antonio Carlos, e à Leda dos Santos, por me apoiarem durante esta pesquisa; À minha irmã, Vivian Santana Carlos, por ter me apresentado a cultura pop japonesa por primeiro e por dar conselhos e ajuda quando necessário; Aos professores Dr. Álvaro Larangeira e Dr. Carlos Machado por terem acompanhado desde o início o desenvolvimento deste trabalho, melhorando-o através de sugestões e correções. À professora Dr.ª Adriana Amaral, a qual inicialmente foi orientadora deste projeto, por acreditar em seu objetivo e auxiliar em sua estruturação.
    [Show full text]
  • DOWN the RABBIT HOLE and INTO the CURIOUS REALM of COSPLAY By
    DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE AND INTO THE CURIOUS REALM OF COSPLAY by Margaret E. Haynes A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of George Mason University in Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Anthropology Committee: ___________________________________________ Director ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ Department Chairperson ___________________________________________ Dean, College of Humanities and Social Sciences Date: _____________________________________ Fall Semester 2017 George Mason University Fairfax, VA Down the Rabbit Hole and into the Curious Realm of Cosplay A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts at George Mason University by Margaret E. Haynes Bachelor of Arts George Mason University, 2016 Director: Rashmi Sadana, Assistant Professor George Mason University Fall Semester 2018 George Mason University Fairfax, VA Copyright 2017 Margaret E. Haynes All Rights Reserved ii DEDICATION To my dog, Gypsy, who had to forgo hours of walks and playtime in order to supervise my writing. To my loving parents and younger brother, who are the foundation of my success with their unconditional support. To the cosplay community who welcomed me with open arms. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank everyone who helped make this thesis possible! I would first like to give a huge thanks to my thesis advisor, Dr. Sadana, and the other members of my committee, Dr. Gatling and Dr. Schiller, who were always happy to give me constructive criticism on my ideas. A special thanks to the convention committees at Nekocon, Katsucon, and Anime Mid- Atlantic, who gave me permission to interview cosplayers at their conventions. This work would not have been possible without my friend, Samantha Ouellette, who introduced me to cosplay and conventions.
    [Show full text]
  • On-Site Historical Reenactment As Historiographic Operation at Plimoth Plantation
    Fall2002 107 Recreation and Re-Creation: On-Site Historical Reenactment as Historiographic Operation at Plimoth Plantation Scott Magelssen Plimoth Plantation, a Massachusetts living history museum depicting the year 1627 in Plymouth Colony, advertises itself as a place where "history comes alive." The site uses costumed Pilgrims, who speak to visitors in a first-person­ presentvoice, in order to create a total living environment. Reenactment practices like this offer possibilities to teach history in a dynamic manner by immersing visitors in a space that allows them to suspend disbelief and encounter museum exhibits on an affective level. However, whether or not history actually "comes alive"at Plimoth Plantation needs to be addressed, especially in the face of new or postmodem historiography. No longer is it so simple to say the past can "come alive," given that in the last thirty years it has been shown that the "past" is contestable. A case in point, I argue, is the portrayal of Wampanoag Natives at Plimoth Plantation's "Hobbamock's Homesite." Here, the Native Wampanoag Interpretation Program refuses tojoin their Pilgrim counterparts in using first person interpretation, choosing instead to address visitors in their own voices. For the Native Interpreters, speaking in seventeenth-century voices would disallow presentationoftheir own accounts ofthe way colonists treated native peoples after 1627. Yet, from what I have learned in recent interviews with Plimoth's Public Relations Department, plans are underway to address the disparity in interpretive modes between the Pilgrim Village and Hobbamock's Homesite by introducing first person programming in the latter. I Coming from a theatre history and theory background, and looking back on three years of research at Plimoth and other living history museums, I would like to trouble this attempt to smooth over the differences between the two sites.
    [Show full text]
  • Piracy Or Productivity: Unlawful Practices in Anime Fansubbing
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Aaltodoc Publication Archive Aalto-yliopisto Teknillinen korkeakoulu Informaatio- ja luonnontieteiden tiedekunta Tietotekniikan tutkinto-/koulutusohjelma Teemu Mäntylä Piracy or productivity: unlawful practices in anime fansubbing Diplomityö Espoo 3. kesäkuuta 2010 Valvoja: Professori Tapio Takala Ohjaaja: - 2 Abstract Piracy or productivity: unlawful practices in anime fansubbing Over a short period of time, Japanese animation or anime has grown explosively in popularity worldwide. In the United States this growth has been based on copyright infringement, where fans have subtitled anime series and released them as fansubs. In the absence of official releases fansubs have created the current popularity of anime, which companies can now benefit from. From the beginning the companies have tolerated and even encouraged the fan activity, partly because the fans have followed their own rules, intended to stop the distribution of fansubs after official licensing. The work explores the history and current situation of fansubs, and seeks to explain how these practices adopted by fans have arisen, why both fans and companies accept them and act according to them, and whether the situation is sustainable. Keywords: Japanese animation, anime, fansub, copyright, piracy Tiivistelmä Piratismia vai tuottavuutta: laittomat toimintatavat animen fanikäännöksissä Japanilaisen animaation eli animen suosio maailmalla on lyhyessä ajassa kasvanut räjähdysmäisesti. Tämä kasvu on Yhdysvalloissa perustunut tekijänoikeuksien rikkomiseen, missä fanit ovat tekstittäneet animesarjoja itse ja julkaisseet ne fanikäännöksinä. Virallisten julkaisujen puutteessa fanikäännökset ovat luoneet animen nykyisen suosion, jota yhtiöt voivat nyt hyödyntää. Yhtiöt ovat alusta asti sietäneet ja jopa kannustaneet fanien toimia, osaksi koska fanit ovat noudattaneet omia sääntöjään, joiden on tarkoitus estää fanikäännösten levitys virallisen lisensoinnin jälkeen.
    [Show full text]
  • The Otaku Phenomenon : Pop Culture, Fandom, and Religiosity in Contemporary Japan
    University of Louisville ThinkIR: The University of Louisville's Institutional Repository Electronic Theses and Dissertations 12-2017 The otaku phenomenon : pop culture, fandom, and religiosity in contemporary Japan. Kendra Nicole Sheehan University of Louisville Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.library.louisville.edu/etd Part of the Comparative Methodologies and Theories Commons, Japanese Studies Commons, and the Other Religion Commons Recommended Citation Sheehan, Kendra Nicole, "The otaku phenomenon : pop culture, fandom, and religiosity in contemporary Japan." (2017). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 2850. https://doi.org/10.18297/etd/2850 This Doctoral Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by ThinkIR: The University of Louisville's Institutional Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ThinkIR: The University of Louisville's Institutional Repository. This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has retained all other copyrights. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE OTAKU PHENOMENON: POP CULTURE, FANDOM, AND RELIGIOSITY IN CONTEMPORARY JAPAN By Kendra Nicole Sheehan B.A., University of Louisville, 2010 M.A., University of Louisville, 2012 A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of the University of Louisville in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Humanities Department of Humanities University of Louisville Louisville, Kentucky December 2017 Copyright 2017 by Kendra Nicole Sheehan All rights reserved THE OTAKU PHENOMENON: POP CULTURE, FANDOM, AND RELIGIOSITY IN CONTEMPORARY JAPAN By Kendra Nicole Sheehan B.A., University of Louisville, 2010 M.A., University of Louisville, 2012 A Dissertation Approved on November 17, 2017 by the following Dissertation Committee: __________________________________ Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • The Icg Newsletter
    THE ICG NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED BY THE INTERNATIONAL COSTUMERS' GUILD, INC. A 501(C)(3) NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION VOLUME VIII, ISSUE 5 - SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2009 The International Costumers' Guild, Inc. (ICG), is an affiliation of amateur, hobbyist, and professional costumers dedicated to the promotion and education of costuming as an art form in all its aspects. The awards from the Masquerade Judges followed: FROM THE WORLDCON: Novice Division-Presentation: By Patrick J. and Leah R. O’Connor (CCG) Best in Class: Jennifer Aubin for “X-Men-The Phoenix” Best Character: Colin Betts for “Green Lantern” This year’s World Science-Fiction Convention (Anticipation 2009) Recreation: Jennifer Wynne for “Wanted: One Hero” was in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Masquerade was chaired by photo by Christine Mak, pxlbarrel Byron Connell . Novice Division- Like Neil Armstrong, we came on behalf of all mankind, but Workmanship: particularly the Chicagoland Chapter, with the ancillary goal of Best in Class: Jennifer delivering the coveted(?) Cement Overshoes Award to a suitable Wynne for “Wanted: One contestant in the Masquerade, and of course, to report back to the Hero” – also noted for Membership on the outcome of that competition. “best use of spandex.” The Masquerade took place at the Palais de Congres de Montreal There is “Well Tailored,” on the evening of Saturday, August 8, 2009. “Really Well-tailored,” and 23 groups competed for awards; the entries were of such high “Looks Like it was Painted quality that the judges could not decide on an overall Best in Show, on” Jennifer W’s costume and none was awarded. This was not due to any lack of excellence— was in the third category..
    [Show full text]
  • Historical Reenactment in Photography: Familiarizing with the Otherness of the Past?
    INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY AND ETHNOLOGY POLISH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES INSTITUTE OF ETHNOLOGY AND FOLKLORE STUDIES WITH ETHNOGRAPHIC MUSEUM AT THE BULGARIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES The Multi-Mediatized Other The Construction of Reality in East-Central Europe, 1945–1980 EDITED BY DAGNOSŁAW DEMSKI ANELIA KASSABOVA ILDIKÓ SZ. KRISTÓF LIISI LAINESTE KAMILA BARANIECKA-OLSZEWSKA BUDAPEST 2017 Contents 9 Acknowledgements 11 Dagnosław Demski in cooperation with Anelia Kassabova, Ildikó Sz. Kristóf, Liisi Laineste and Kamila Baraniecka-Olszewska Within and Across the Media Borders 1. Mediating Reality: Reflections and Images 30 Dagnosław Demski Cultural Production of the Real Through Picturing Difference in the Polish Media: 1940s–1960s 64 Zbigniew Libera, Magdalena Sztandara Ethnographers’ Self-Depiction in the Photographs from the Field. The Example of Post-War Ethnology in Poland 94 Valentina Vaseva The Other Dead—the Image of the “Immortal” Communist Leaders in Media Propaganda 104 Ilkim Buke-Okyar The Arab Other in Turkish Political Cartoons, 1908–1939 2. Transmediality and Intermediality 128 Ildikó Sz. Kristóf (Multi-)Mediatized Indians in Socialist Hungary: Winnetou, Tokei-ihto, and Other Popular Heroes of the 1970s in East-Central Europe 156 Tomislav Oroz The Historical Other as a Contemporary Figure of Socialism—Renegotiating Images of the Past in Yugoslavia Through the Figure of Matija Gubec 178 Annemarie Sorescu-Marinković Multimedial Perception and Discursive Representation of the Others: Yugoslav Television in Communist Romania 198 Katya Lachowicz The Cultivation of Image in the Multimedial Landscape of the Polish Film Chronicle 214 Dominika Czarnecka Otherness in Representations of Polish Beauty Queens: From Miss Baltic Coast Pageants to Miss Polonia Contests in the 1950s 3.
    [Show full text]
  • Event Highlights
    Event Highlights Events • Yoshihiro Ike: Anime Soundtrack World sponsored by Studio Kitchen: International debut performance of one of Japan’s most prolific music composers in the industry featuring a 50 piece orchestra that will bring to life the greatest collection of soundtracks from Tiger & Bunny, Saint Seiya, B: The Beginning, Dororo, Rage of Bahamut:Genesis, and Shadowverse. • 4DX Anime Film Festival: Featuring Detective Conan: Zero The Enforcer, Mobile Suit Gundam NT (Narrative) and Mobile Suit Gundam 00 the MOVIE – A Wakening of the Trailblazer- enhanced with immersive, multi-sensory 4DX motion and environmental effects. • Anime Expo Masquerade & World Cosplay Summit US Finals • Inside the World of Street Fighter & Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition - Ultimate Cosplay Showdown sponsored by Capcom • LOVE LIVE! SUNSHINE!! Aqours World LoveLive! in LA ~BRAND NEW WAVE~ • Fate/Grand Order USA Tour • Fashion Show: Featuring Japanese brands h. NAOTO with designer Hirooka Naoto, Acryl CANDY with guest model Haruka Kurebayashi, amnesiA&paramnesiA with guest model Yo from Matenrou Opera, and Metamorphose with designer Chinatsu Taira. In addition, Hot Topic will reveal a new collection and HYPLAND will debut new items from their BLEACH collaboration. Programming • 15+ Premieres & Exclusive Screenings: Promare, Dr. Stone, In/Spectre, Human Lost, Fire Force, My Hero Academia Season 4, “Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back—Evolution!” and more. • 900+ Hours of Panels, Events, Screenings, Workshops, and more. • Programming Tracks: Career, Culture, Family, and Academic Program. • Pre-Show Night on July 4 (6 - 10pm) 150+ Guests & Industry Appearances • Creators: Katsuhiro Otomo, Bisco Hatori, Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, Yusuke Kozaki, Atsushi Ohkubo, Utako Yukihiro. • Japanese Voice Actors: Rica Matsumoto, Mamoru Miyano, Maya Uchida, Kaori Nazuka.
    [Show full text]
  • THE FINNISH FANDOM All You Need to Know About It
    THE FINNISH FANDOM all you need to know about it Pasi Karppanen What is this crazy Finnish fandom that seems to be bursting with energy, keeps organizing free cons, and now and then is even coaxed to organize the Worldcon? This article aims for an overview of the Finnish fandom. It is originally based on Ben Roimola’s “Short Look at Finnish Fandom” from 1995. A previous version of the article, updated by Pasi Karppanen and Shimo Suntila, was published in Cosmos Pen’s previous English special in 2003. The origins of Finnish fandom unoffi cial sf/f, anime and role playing ning and made Finnish fandom what clubs and zines. it is today. The fi rst signs of a phenomenon Finnish fandom has all the charac- Another thing that should be called fandom can be seen in Fin- teristics of fandom everywhere else. mentioned when speaking of Fin- land during 1950’s. However, it took There are societies, zines, awards, nish fandom is that there has never over two decades before fandom as cons, gatherings and all the other been that big a diff erence between we know it started to emerge. The things that together make up the science fi ction and fantasy. Every- reasons for this are various. In 1950’s thing that’s called fandom. On the body of course understands the dif- Finland was barely getting back on other hand, there are also couple of ferences between genres, but basi- its feet, economical resources were features in Finnish fandom that make cally the fans and writers of science limited and urbanisation was only it somewhat diff erent from other fi ction and fantasy, as far as Finnish beginning.
    [Show full text]
  • The Formation of Temporary Communities in Anime Fandom: a Story of Bottom-Up Globalization ______
    THE FORMATION OF TEMPORARY COMMUNITIES IN ANIME FANDOM: A STORY OF BOTTOM-UP GLOBALIZATION ____________________________________ A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of California State University, Fullerton ____________________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in Geography ____________________________________ By Cynthia R. Davis Thesis Committee Approval: Mark Drayse, Department of Geography & the Environment, Chair Jonathan Taylor, Department of Geography & the Environment Zia Salim, Department of Geography & the Environment Summer, 2017 ABSTRACT Japanese animation, commonly referred to as anime, has earned a strong foothold in the American entertainment industry over the last few decades. Anime is known by many to be a more mature option for animation fans since Western animation has typically been sanitized to be “kid-friendly.” This thesis explores how this came to be, by exploring the following questions: (1) What were the differences in the development and perception of the animation industries in Japan and the United States? (2) Why/how did people in the United States take such interest in anime? (3) What is the role of anime conventions within the anime fandom community, both historically and in the present? These questions were answered with a mix of historical research, mapping, and interviews that were conducted in 2015 at Anime Expo, North America’s largest anime convention. This thesis concludes that anime would not have succeeded as it has in the United States without the heavy involvement of domestic animation fans. Fans created networks, clubs, and conventions that allowed for the exchange of information on anime, before Japanese companies started to officially release anime titles for distribution in the United States.
    [Show full text]
  • The Slants Convention Presskit 2011
    In 2007, The Slants kicked off their career in Contact Info: a small dive bar in Portland, OR. Three years later, we could barely believe what we achieved in that short time: ten tours across North America, released three albums, we rejected a million dollar recording contract, and performed more anime conventions than any other band in existence. However, the greatest barometer of success has been the feedback of the fans and the people we’ve worked with. I am contacting you today because we’d love to work with you. Sure, the band has a track record of success. The Slants LLC With over 1,500 TV shows, radio stations, 8026 SE Reedway St magazines, and websites talking about the Portland, OR 97206 group, it should be no surprise how many (226) 24-SLANT results you get when doing an online search of “The Slants.” But the best reason to host Management: The Slants at your event is that we are Last Stop Booking Agency professional and yet, easy to work with. We [email protected] respond quickly to every inquiry, we spend (503) 754-8703 time with your attendees to make sure they have the best experience possible. It’s no Publicity: In Music We Trust PR wonder why we were said to be “pound for [email protected] pound, dollar for dollar, the best value and (503) 557-9661 guests any convention can bring in.” Official Websites: [Letter From the Editor] So take a look and get in touch with us. You’ll theslants.com see why we make a great fit for the anime myspace.com/theslants facebook.com/theslants and comic book convention world.
    [Show full text]