So are people still interested in doing Swapcon 2 in September??

If so I need to start talking to the BAKA Exec’s to look at booking some rooms.

Heck, if people are interested we could look at adding a viewing room, gaming room, and/or panel room if we can find people to run them.

For anyone who doesn’t know what Swapcon is, it’s a Swap Meet/Garage Sale style meet-up for people to buy, sell and swap their anime and gaming related stuff. It’s held at the U of A and sponsored by BAKA and Anime Alberta.

It’s free to attend for both customers and vendors, as usually they’re the same people, and we hope to keep it that way. So it’s not going to get any larger than as many rooms as we can get for free.

BAKA and Anime Alberta are looking at putting on a larger event in Winter called Wintercon, but that depends on how much enthusiasm we get and how many of the other U of A clubs decide to join us.

So do you want a table at Swapcon? Or, are you interested in running an event there?

If you’d like to help plan the next SwapCon or have some suggestions, please share them over here.

Related posts:

1. Swap Meet this Weekend
2. “A Taste of Animethon” Interview
3. Edmonton Cosplay Parade

During Animethon 17, staffers boasted that this year’s attendance had surpassed that of Animethon 16 by over a thousand. Everyone was ecstatic at the news as the new revenue would ensure the future of the event for years to come. But just as people were thinking of Animethon 20, the same staffers started saying that the attendance increase was much less, maybe only an increase of 100.

More questions were raised about Animethon’s attendance when vendors started complaining that there felt like less people were going through the vendor’s hall. Several people commented that the halls of MacEwan University felt lighter then in previous years. People began whispering that there actually a drop in attendance, maybe as much as 500 less patrons then in Animethon 16. Animethon has not released any official attendance figures, but there have been other dark indications.

Over the last few months, Animethon has been acting strange. There was no gripe panel at the end of Animethon 17, a panel traditionally held since Animethon 11 that allowed patrons to share their concerns in person with the directors of Animethon. The Animethon website has not been updated since before the event. No announcement has been made about the dates for Animethon 18 and there have been no calls for directors for Animethon 18.

Then there’s ASAPA (Alberta Society for Asian Popular Arts), the not-for-profit society that manages Animethon. For almost a year now ASAPA has not sent out any minutes, a record of decisions made by the ASAPA board, to its members. Since ASAPA’s founding, the minutes of meetings have been sent to all members automatically, but current ASAPA President Jared Samborski has argued that, under his interpretation of the society’s bylaws, these minutes will only be sent out when members ask for them in writing. However, even when members have requested the minutes in writing, no ASAPA minutes were made available.

When all of these things are taken into account something seems very wrong.

Is There Method in this Madness?

Every year there is a rumour claiming that Animethon is finally going to die. During Animethon 16 there was the rumour that Bandai was going to sue the society into oblivion, before then Animethon 15 had rumours stating that former con-chair Nathan Johnston was going to destroy the event. Each year the event sounds like a Shakespearian drama is taking place, but normally it is just rumours spread by people with wild imaginations and embittered staff.

This isn’t to say that Animethon hasn’t had real problems. The event has been plagued with a variety of issues for years, many of which haven’t been resolved. But the closest debate the society came to actually shutting the event down came when then AMV coordinator Vlad Pohnert and then ASAPA President Nik Ekonomakis pushed for Animethon 17 to be postponed till 2011. Even then, the postponement was motivated by a desire to give the event more time to fix its problems, not cancel it. People would speculate that the event could die at any moment, but realistically the only way the event would shut down was if the society went bankrupt— which is why the current speculation now seems more credible.

Financially ASAPA hasn’t been doing well. Last year’s Edmonton Halloween Dance was a financial disaster, the latest in a long string of Edmonton Anime themed dances with a poor attendance. A Taste of Animethon did manage to get a fair attendance, but also resulted in a financial loss for the society. Then there are the other expenses ASAPA has had to incur over the year ranging from equipment purchases to legal fees, all of which picked away at its savings.

Almost certainly these gloomy financial results affected Animethon 17. Usually, every Animethon adds something to the event. Animethon 15 greatly expanded Artist Alley and featured both card & console gaming rooms. Animethon 16 then added a Lan Gaming Room as well as a Saturday night concert. But Animethon 17 didn’t expand, it actually shrank.

This year’s Animethon eliminated all overnight viewing rooms from the MacEwan Residence. It also didn’t issue any badges or lanyards to day of attendees. Instead patrons buying a 3-day pass were expected to wear a gold colour wristband over the entire weekend. On top of that, at-the door prices for 3-day passes were increased to $40.00. While a positive face was put on all of these changes, evidence suggest that money had become an issue.

But Animethon has faced challenges like this in the past. Usually when Animethon is in jeopardy, the community comes together and works towards a solution to make the event work. But for that to happen, ASAPA would need to inform its members and the Animethon staff, something that hasn’t happened yet.

The Rest Could be Silence

The reason for Animethon and ASAPA’s continued silence on the issue is because of the reforms put in place during Animethon 17. Vlad Pohnert, chair of Animethon 17, pushed through a number of measures to tighten control on information. Previous Animethons were plagued with rumours and staff would witness the fights between various Animethon directors. To deal with this, Mr. Pohnert enforced that certain issues would only be discussed in “director only meetings”— meetings where staff and the public were kept out. Outside of these meetings directors were expected to keep up a positive opinion about the event, and keep the staff in the dark about any disagreements within the committee.

This has worked in conjunction with Mr. Samborski’s policies in running ASAPA. In addition to not sending out any minutes about the ASAPA board, the society hasn’t announced the time and location for ASAPA meetings. These meetings were once open to all ASAPA members, but for the last year the only meetings ASAPA members have been informed of were elections or meetings that had special resolutions that needed to be passed.

These reforms have certainly succeeded in making Animethon look better. There have been very little negative comments about Animethon 17 and some staff commented that the event has been run much better in compared to previous years. There’s been no public dispute between directors, no issue that seems to have divided the committee, and certainly no indication that everything is about to collapse— which is a problem.

Right now the actions of ASAPA and Animethon indicate that there is a very serious problem, but the rhetoric makes it sound that Animethon 17 was a major success. Even if there isn’t anything wrong, that means Animethon should get its act together soon. Usually the directors for Animethon are chosen by mid-October with most key staff positions filled by the end of December. This means that if Animethon doesn’t open up applications for directors soon, it risks falling dangerously behind. Considering Animethon 17 was late with everything from sending out the vendors package to announcing the guests, falling behind isn’t a wise move.

The only thing that is certain is that this Sunday ASAPA is having a by election for two positions. ASAPA members were only given two week’s notice, strange considering most elections are given a full months notice. It’s also stranger when you consider that quorum is important and members actually need to attend if there’s going to be an election at all. But hopefully some of these important questions will be answered.

Then again all of this is speculation as ASAPA and Animethon have not said anything definitive on the future of the event. If everything is fine, then it would be prudent to shed some light on the state of the society to Animethon staff and ASAPA members. But if there is a problem, then it’s in their best interests to let the cat out of the bag so people can come together and try and work out a solution. Otherwise this might be Animethon’s last act.

Want to discuss this article? You can over on our forums right here.

Related posts:

1. Guide to the ASAPA and Animethon General Meeting
2. ASAPA By-Election this Sunday
3. ASAPA Annual General Meeting Announced

From The 404s press release:

This will be a little different than most improv comedy shows you’ve
seen The 404s perform, or anyone for that matter. What we’re doing is
running an “Improv Jam” format show, where the audience will be the
main cast! This is a great format popular in many cities, which we’re
bringing to Calgary for the first time.

And as much as The 404s are the geeky type, this show is for anyone
who is an IMPROV geek! The community of improvisors of any background
or experience, and interested public from all walks of life, are
invited to participate in short improv games in a fun and friendly
environment. The 404s will be organizing the show, performing hosting
duties, and participating in some improv games too!

We will be announcing more details and starting up a Facebook event
page soon. In the meantime, mark down your calendars and start
spreading the word! With your help, The 404s will be contributing to
the community of improv comedy in Calgary, and give you a place to
enjoy yourselves in the company of improvisors of all kinds. We’ll see
you there!

Want to discuss this article? You can on our forums, here.

Related posts:

1. The 404′s Announce Their Event Schedule
2. Press Release: 404′s Playing at Bellrose Festival Today
3. Interview with Mark Nguyen of the 404s

ASAPA (Alberta Society for Asian Popular Arts) will be holding a by-election this Sunday at MacEwan University. The election will be for the position of Secretary and of Director at Large.

Membership sign-up will be available at the beginning of the meeting.

ASAPA is the not-for profit society that manages Animehton. The directors of ASAPA will be responsible for such things as appointing the directors for Animethon 18, approving Animethons budget, and organize other events to promote Asian Arts.

Want to discuss this piece of news? You can by going onto our forum here.

Related posts:

1. ASAPA Annual General Meeting Announced
2. Animethon/ASAPA GM Announced
3. Guide to the ASAPA and Animethon General Meeting

With so many new 404s on the field, we thought it would be nice for people to get to know them a bit better. So here’s a nice interview with their new members.

Can we start by you guys telling a bit about yourselves?

TONY: I am more of a sci-fi / comic book guy than an anime guy. I can say, however, that I am ‘old school’ anime, in that I used to watch Battle of the Planets (the English dub of Science Ninja Team Gatchaman) every day after school about 25 years ago. I am an aspiring actor, and am getting very excited for my call back rehearsal to Wipeout Canada! Afterwards, it’s obvious I will be Stratford Shakespeare Festival-bound after landing that.

PAUL: I am a complicated man. I was born on Mount Ishbel. I act in a hospital to train doctors and students. I act a lot, it lets me be normal in front of you humans. Sometimes I do Crimestoppers videos-sometimes as a criminal, sometimes as a victim. I love dinosaurs, brewing wine and beer, eBay and collecting music-related things like posters, picks and setlists.

TEIGAN: My improv and acting experience started in high school when I became a part of my school’s improv team. I love improv in all its forms. I also take great glee in doing the technical aspects of theatre. I love directing, as well as set and costume design. I got into anime with Pokemon and Inuyasha but progressed into other animes such as Naruto and Hunter X Hunter and continue to watch different
shows as I find them. As for sci-fi stuff I am really into the Stargate series, really I watch anything that airs on the Space channel. Studio Ghibli rules my video collection, and Jacqueline Carey books rule my book shelf.

AARON: I was born in Calgary, Alberta. When the doctors saw me they knew everything would change. The prophecy of the one who would entertain them all had been set into motion. I was to become a master of timing and movement, but not without practice. I went to Mount Royal College (now University) to do theatre studies for two years, and after that quickly joined an improv group that deals with at risk teens called Act Out. I used to do improv in high school and captained my team, “The Naughty Housewives”. In one of the most epic improv battles I’ve ever been a part of in the Loose Moose theatre high school championships, my team “President’s Choice” came in second. As a child I liked Dragon Ball Z, the Super Mario Bros cartoon, and Record of Lodoss War. I’ve always been into gaming, mostly role playing games. I still remember when my favorite game ever came out: Final Fantasy 3, or 6 for other people.

DANIEL: I was born in Calgary in 1990. I generally enjoy theatres and plays but have become a member of the “Whose Line is it Anywho?” improv club at Mount Royal University. I am an otaku who specializes in fantasy genre stuff, however my portfolio does include familiarity with magical girls, high school dramas, super heroes, Star Trek, Star Wars, Doctor Who, and RPG games. I generally wait for new anime to get to episode 14 before I start watching.

Why did you decide to join The 404s?

TONY: I met Mark in an improv workshop, and he asked me to try out for his team. I had actually never heard of The 404s before that. I was looking to join an improv team, and the comic / sci-fi angle appealed to me.

PAUL: I joined for the money and to meet women. So far I am not any richer, but I did meet Teigan…

TEIGAN: I couldn’t give up improv, and I had seen the 404s before so I decided to try out for the group. Anime conventions are a blast and so are improv gigs, so what’s not to like?

AARON: I joined The 404s because I love improv. The thought of doing “geek-prov” (that The 404s excel at) was just too enticing to pass up because i am such a geek.

DANIEL: I had witnessed The 404s group perform improv at Otafest for the last 2 years, and decided not only to join but also to learn the ways of improv to improve my wit. I found out the most information about them by accidentally having my ex-vampire ninja friend take the same bus Mark did on the way home, and spark a conversation.

How has being a part of The 404s the last 6 months been going so far? Is it what you expected?

TONY: The last six months have been really good. We’ve gone to a few different places, and had a bunch of people laughing at us (in a good sense). For what I expected, the improv is pretty standard stuff, but
honestly, seeing some of the ‘things you see’ at an Anime convention has raised my eyebrows a bit. The people I perform with are good people, and we just keep getting better and better.

PAUL: It has been like a warm hug…

TEIGAN: I have really enjoyed the conventions and the convention crowds to be sure. There hasn’t been a lot of much else because I live too far away to hang with the team (for now).

AARON: It is what I expected, and MORE! I’ve had so much fun rocking the crowds with bombs on Twilight and Dragon Ball Z. The crowds are really into what we do, and we do it well.

DANIEL: After a year of effort, I officially became a member of The 404s and it’s going fantastic so far. Although it was not what I expected last year, it is a more efficient version than the University’s improv club. We are in a massive growth phase and will get more comedically powerful with every show and practice.

What do you feel you bring to the 404′s?

TONY: A van that seats seven. I think that is the most valuable thing.

PAUL: I bring a thirst!

TEIGAN: I offset the large amount of testosterone that seems to be given off by having a 7 to 1 (male : female) ratio present on stage. I bring improv experience and a different cosplay to every convention I
can.

AARON: I really bring a sense of, well… I guess the only word for it is awesomtasticfunlaughingness – if you don’t know what that means, Wikipedia it! I also think that I bring a lot of the looks to the team, as in people are always staring because my finger is up my nose a lot, but it’s not my fault! I have a couple of Batcaves on my face that need cleaning out once in a while.

DANIEL: I personally bring a slightly more calculated personality to The 404s, a pretty good knowledge base for the kinds of things young audience members want to be in a show, and a physical presence fueled by flexibility that lets me do minor gymnastic stunts without hurting
myself.

What is your most memorable moment in being with the 404′s so far?

TONY: Performing at the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo, a few months ago. I think that is the time our group really ‘gelled’ as one. We had a guest (Ian Boothby), and we kept up with him. We found
out afterwards he is this long-time super improv stand-up comedy guy. So, we felt very good about ourselves that we were able to legitimately share the stage with him.

PAUL: Performing naked, in front of a PG crowd… Or was that just a wonderful dream..?

TEIGAN: I am going to say that the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo was pretty awesome. Being able to improv with Ian Boothby was a highlight for sure. It’s always neat to expand your improv boundaries by being on stage with new people.

AARON: On stage, being two playboys with Tony was pretty fun, and I also liked being a ninja against Mark’s pirate. But the most memorable moment with The 404s for me was when Teigan and I did a “More Specific” scene and the audience wouldn’t let her stop speaking for like two minutes, they just kept yelling “More specific”! That scene is on YouTube for anyone who wants to check it out.

DANIEL: My most memorable moment in being with The 404s so far was finding out that by doing improv, I get into all the geek-themed conventions I want. That, and watching the expressions of the crowd when the audience sees a well timed “splits” from someone weighing 340 pounds.

What are some things you absolutely dread the fans will request from you?

TONY: Dread? Not dread, but when they ask for specific anime stuff which I don’t know. Once, when we were doing “Scenes From A Hat”, someone wrote down something that said ‘Yaoi’ in it, and I had no idea
what it meant. However, after the scene Teigan came over to explain it to me. We started speaking in louder voices, and it turned out to be funnier than the sketch.

PAUL: I dread they ask me to dinner and a movie… Please my fans, be more interesting when asking me out. Could I suggest hunting rats at the graveyard, and a nice breakfast of crepes?

TEIGAN: If I wrote that, then it would happen and the first rule of improv is that the answer is always yes, so I would be obliged to do it. So we are going to keep this answer on the down low!

AARON: I dread that they will want me to leave the stage and never return. Or that they will want me to do a scene in an anteater costume, which I feel is very personal because my girlfriend and I love to role play anteater and sexy car cleaner (you know you’ve done it before – quit lying to yourself!).

DANIEL: I dread nothing. The fans can request anything, and like a true improviser, I will do what they want.

What is one thing you wish your fans knew about you?

TONY: No comment.

PAUL: I take bribes, bootleg recordings and hugs!

TEIGAN: I never wear matching socks. It’s not because I can’t find matching ones or that I am a horrible shopper. It goes much deeper than that, and if you want to know you might just have to come up and ask me. Rawr.

AARON: I wish the fans knew how much I care about them. They are my life and soul, and I am their body to do with what they will. I would also like them to know I enjoy their company and that you can never say I love you too much… I love you audience!

DANIEL: If I do a stunt [onstage], it’s because I’ve learned how to not harm myself during it.

TONY: Something original, something that isn’t specific to a very small group of people, and frankly,  omething practical.  [At a show this year], it was tough when ‘Alice in Wonderland’ came out, and people kept saying ‘Jabberwocky’…What’s an occupation?  Jabberwocky! What’s a favorite food?  Jabberwocky!  Give me a small island off the coast of Antarctica.  Jabberwocky!  Stretch your imagination out a bit… Don’t just yell out something for the sake of yelling something.  And that one Anime character that has appeared in one film that one time?  That one isn’t super helpful either!  Not really a request for me, more of a request for the audience.

PAUL: To have a dance off.

TEIGAN: Lulz, I have no idea. That is like asking for you to come up with something and your mind is immediately devoid of thought. Hmm, a banana cream pie eating contest is high on my list.

AARON: I would really love the audience to request a song improv. I don’t know if I’d be good at it, but I would just love to be in a romantic duet with Tony. He’s dreamy!

DANIEL: Keep their demands as physically positioning as possible.

Want to comment on this article? You can on our forums over here.

Related posts:

1. 404s Cancel Appearence at JAF
2. Interview with Mark Nguyen of the 404s
3. The 404′s Announce Monthly Improv Show

Summary:

• The Room of Mystery allows con goers to see anime and shows gives con goers a chance to sample random anime or see something they would normally not have a chance (or have the will) to go and see.
• Despite rumors to the contrary, Steve DOES NOT show porn in the Room of Mystery.  The reason for the 18+ rating is to be compliant with Alberta Film Board regulations so he can show whatever he wants. Hence, the mystery part of the room.
• This year’s Room of Mystery T-Shirt will feature a young girl riding a unicorn.
• The Room of Mystery is looking for other events to appear at in addition to Animethon. If you’d like the Room at your event, you can apply for it here.

Download the Room of Mystery Interview

Want to discuss this interview? You can by going here.

Related posts:

1. Interview with Mark Nguyen of the 404s
2. Synaptic Chaos Theatre Interview
3. “A Taste of Animethon” Interview

From the ASAPA Forums:

Hey, listen!!!

Ever wanted to show off your costume to a larger crowd while doing something worthwhile? Then how about signing up to join us in the Capital Ex Parade? Animethon will be walking in it, and we need cosplayers to help us out and draw attention! Sadly, we’re not allowed a float, but we will have a banner, and the more people who show up, the better! We’re looking for anime cosplay, traditional/historical Japanese, gothic lolita…basically, what you’d see in the halls of MacEwan during Animethon.

….

We’re still working on the where/when for meeting up before-hand, but as soon as I know, I’ll put it in here. If you would like to participate, please email community-relations@animethon.org ASAP! This is open to anyone who’s interested, though costumes will have to be pre-approved. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Thanks, and we look forward to seeing everyone there! And if you can’t join us in the parade, then come watch and give us your support!

Jennie Grundy

For the complete post on ASAPA Forums, you can go here.

Want to discuss this post? You can do so by going to our forums here.

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1. ASAPA By-Election this Sunday
2. A Taste of Animethon 2010 Review
3. Pure Spec Podcast: Cosplay Groups for You

You can find more information about it on the Animethon Website.

You can also discuss this article here.

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2. Anime Alberta Sponsor’s the Sobabowl
3. Animethon 17 Chair Decided

Pros:

• This movie might finally end M Night Shyamalan’s film career.
• It sort of completes a trilogy of bad live action remakes, beginning with Street Fighter: The Legend of Chung Li, then continuing with Dragonball: Evolution, and hopefully ending with Avatar: The Last Airbender.
• The Riff Tracks for this movie are going to be amazing.
• The soundtrack for this movie isn’t bad. Actually, I think I might buy some of this music.

Cons

• Acting, script, special effects, the cinematography, everything in this movie feels like punishment from God.
• A single dollar is too much to ask to see this movie.
• This movie also wasted $150 million dollars that could have went to make better movies.
• It’s not even funny in the way bad movies can be… it’s just bad.
• There is still the possibility of a trilogy.

Things I’d Rather Do Then See This Movie Again: Eat glass.

For People That Liked: Elektra.

Overall: If you want a movie to take little kids too, then take them to see Toy Story 3. Otherwise, only watch this movie if you hate yourself.

There is Nothing Good About This Movie

I like to find something good in a movie, even a film that I think is horrible. Usually I try to imagine a human being that would like that kind of movie, and try and write my review to explain why that person should watch that movie. But with M. Night Shyamalan’s Avatar: The Last Air Bender, I cannot imagine a single human being on Earth that could enjoy this film. Fans of the animated series will be disgusted by this adaptation, people who like martial arts movies will not find repetitive fight and uninteresting fight scenes, and parents wanting to take their kids to a children movie will spend the entire movie hearing  “why didn’t we go and see Toy Story 3 mommy?”.

It’s hard to narrow down what exactly is wrong with this Avater: The Last Airbender, because everything about this movie is done wrong. The back story is told to the audience through narration, character development is revealed through monologues, Noah Ringer performance of Aang is one of the worst things I’ve seen done by a child actor, the characters Katara and Sokka seem to follow Aang for no reason other then they have to be in the movie, the world is shown through annoying CGI clips of characters starring at the scenery for various contrived reasons, the CGI clips are annoying because they lack any real movement or life and portray the world as lifeless and stale, the fights are uninteresting and are poorly choreographed, the plot doesn’t feel like it’s building to anything epic, for that matter the plot doesn’t seem to be building up to anything interesting, and the whole movie feels like M. Night Shyamalan was trying to learn how to use CGI. This is a movie I’d expect from a film student that recruited his family and friends to act in his movie, not a professional hollywood production.

The only thing that was remotely good about this movie was some of the music composed by James Newton Howard. It’s not on the level of Hans Zimmer of Jerry Goldsmith, but I’d say it’s a decent soundtrack. Some of the tracks are good enough that I’d consider picking them up on iTunes. It’s just such a shame that Howard’s talents were wasted on scoring a movie this utterly bad.

I could go into more excruciating details about why this movie was bad, but I will simply use it’s Rotten Tomatoes Rating to show how bad it is.

Star Trek: Nemesis – 37%
M. Night Shyamalan’s The Happening – 18%
Dragon Ball Evolution – 13%
Halle Berry’s Catwoman – 10%
Uwe Boll’s Postal – 8%
Mortal Kombat: Annhilation – 7%
Avatar: The Last Airbender Live Action – 6%
Battlefield Earth – 2%
Ballistic: Ecks versus Sever – 0%

That’s right! M. Night Shyamalan has managed to create a movie that is marginally better than Battlefield Earth and slightly worse then Mortal Kombat: Annhilation.

Why Did They Make This Movie?

Why give this project to M. Night Shyamalan?

Even if you forget that his last two movies were horrible and he’s known for being the twist guy, he’s never made a movie like this. He’s never made a movie with heavy CGI, or with lots of martial arts, or really any extended action scenes.  He’s the bloody “twist guy” who makes pseudo mystery and suspense movies, not “light hearted martial arts movies guy”. I know it’s good for him to try something new and take a chance, but a $150 million dollar epic that is slated to be a trilogy isn’t what could be called “acceptable risk”

Then there’s the casting of the Asian lead Aang with white actor Noah Ringer. Many fans complained that casting Noah Ringer was racist, but I held out hope that the decision was made because it’s hard to find a child actor that can act. So long as the kid could act, I’d be happy. Noah Ringer can’t act. He can’t do facial expressions, deliver lines, or show emotions appropriate to his scenes. And while his martial arts skills are considerable, the choreography of the movie fails to show them off.

For that matter, why make this movie? There wasn’t anyone clamoring for a live action remake of “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” A wiser use of the $150 million would be to just make another series in the Avatar universe, or an animated movie. Hopefully Hollywood will learn from it’s mistakes, and at least M. Night Shyamalan’s career should be over.

Oh wait. M. Night Shyamalan is having a secret project that features Bruce Willis, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Bradley Cooper. Why… oh god why…

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