Media Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 16, 2013 Contact: Ryan LaFata, 757/728-5328 [email protected] Chris Gillenwater, 757/971-1161 [email protected] Time to Get Animated --NekoCon 16 Japanese Anime Convention Returns to the Hampton Roads Convention Center November 1-3-- Hampton, Virginia- This November 1-3, join over 5,000 anime and Japanese culture enthusiasts the Hampton Roads Convention Center welcomes back Virginia’s longest running Japanese anime and culture convention, NekoCon 16! Activities range from panels involving Nekocon 16’s many guests and other presenters, to nightly concerts and dances, as well as the ever-popular cosplay (where individuals dress up as their favorite character or creation). Nekocon 16 also has a Dealer’s Room where fans can purchase DVDs, posters, t-shirts, manga, imported Japanese goods and traditional clothing, art supplies, and more! The show will feature an Artist Alley where you can interact with and browse the creative output of many independent artists and studios. Attendees are invited to participate in workshops, a karaoke contest, and video and board gaming areas (with tournaments). Other major highlights include the anime music video contest, Asian Ball Joint Doll Tea Party, and an art show. -More- Time to Get Animated- NekoCon 16 Returns to the Hampton Roads Convention Center November 1-3- Page 2 Nekocon 16 Highlights Hello Kitty will be at Nekocon 16 celebrating her 40th birthday! Come join her at her birthday party and other events during the duration of the convention. A new comedy programming track featuring a variety of geek-themed comedians, including Uncle Yo, +2 Comedy, and local Hampton Roads geek comedians. NekoCon 16 is proud to introduce the first ever “Chibi Neko” or children’s programming track. This programming runs all day, each day, of the convention and is specifically designed for ages 10 and under. It features origami classes, character creation, and drawing sessions. The Hampton History Museum will be present panels on topics such as Steampunk, pirates, and ninjas. Nekocon 16 has nightly dances and concerts. The Friday night dance will feature the return of the “Spin Cycle” contest where three DJs will compete to show off their quickness and old-school mixing skills! The contest is judged by the attendees, and musical guests DJ HeavyGrinder and DJ SiSeN (who will also be spinning their own shows over the weekend). Traditional Japanese festival (matsuri) games will be available to play throughout the weekend for fun and prizes. The proceeds from these games will benefit Nekocon’s chosen charity, ShelterBox which provides emergency shelter and lifesaving supplies for families around the world that are affected by natural disasters. Nekocon 16 Special Guests Steve Blum is a voice actor with hundreds of credits to his name. Most notable are “Spike Spiegel” (Cowboy Bebop), “Wolverine” (multiple X-Men animated titles and games), “Orochimaru,” “Zabuza,” and others (Naruto). Steve is also the voice of “TOM,” the robotic host of Cartoon Network’s Toonami on Adult Swim. Jonathan Coulton is an independent musician with the heart of a geek. He is best known for writing Portal’s “Still Alive,” as well as his work on a visual novel (with Greg Pak) “Code Monkey Save World.” He has been writing songs since 2005. -More- Time to Get Animated- NekoCon 16 Returns to the Hampton Roads Convention Center November 1-3- Page 3 Chin Hamaya Culture Center is located in Charles County, Maryland and teaches adults and children the art of taiko drumming. There will be 25 performers of all ages and abilities at NekoCon 16. Enjoy workshops and performances. John Swasey is one of the most prolific male voice actors in North America. His roles include, “Gendo” (Evangelion), “Captain” (Halo video game), “Lord Death” (Soul Eater), “Hoenheim” (Fullmetal Alchemist), “Sir Crocodile” (One Piece), “Salvador” (Borderlands II video game). Cherami Leigh is an on camera and voice actress who has given voice to such characters as “Sae” (Peach Girl), “Aisa,” “Pepper,” “Miss Golden Week” (One Piece),”Yaz” (Shin Chan),” “Naomi” (Witchblade), and “Patty” (Soul Eater). She has also worked on camera in productions such as “Fast Food Nation,” “The Hottest State,” “Friday Night Lights,” “Temple Grandin,” “CHASE,” and “The Deep End.” NekoCon 16 Hours: Friday, November 1: 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m. Saturday, November 2: 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m. Sunday, November 3: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. NekoCon 16 Memberships: Regular Child (7 yrs. And up) (6yrs. & under) At the door (full membership) $50 FREE At the door (One Day Trial Membership) (Friday Nov. 1 only) $35 FREE At the door (One Day Trial Membership) (Saturday Nov. 2 only) $40 FREE Time to Get Animated- NekoCon 16 Returns to the Hampton Roads Convention Center November 1-3- Page 4 At the door (One Day Trial Membership) (Sunday Nov. 3 only) $30 FREE * Active duty military (with proper photo ID) will receive a $5 discount at the door. Children 6 and under are FREE with paying adult. For more information on NekoCon 16, check out www.nekocon.com or email [email protected]. Also, like NekoCon on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Nekocon or follow on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NekoCon. Hampton Roads Convention Center 1610 Coliseum Drive Hampton, VA 23666 Partially bordered by the Hampton Roads harbor and Chesapeake Bay, Hampton, with the 344,000 sq. ft. Hampton Roads Convention Center, is located in the center of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. Hampton is the site of America's first continuous English-speaking settlement and is home to such visitor attractions as the Virginia Air & Space Center and Riverside IMAX ® Theater, Hampton History Museum, harbor tours and cruises, Hampton University Museum, Fort Monroe, award-winning Hampton Coliseum, The American Theatre, among others. ### .