News

Gilles Poitras

March 18, 2024

Gilles was born in Quebec, Canada in 1951 and raised in a farm town in Northern California. As a child in rural California, he was exposed to a great deal of Japanese toys and games without even being aware of their origins, thanks to his many Japanese American school friends. In high school he became a fan of world cinema, and in 1977, he saw part of an episode of Space Battleship Yamamoto on a store display in San Francisco’s Japantown. From that day on, Gilles began going to every anime feature shown at the UC theater in Berkeley. Later on he discovered Cal Animage Alpha, UC Berkeley’s anime club. For years he attended regularly and even began to write his first articles on anime for the club’s newsletter the Konshuu, which then turned into an anime newsletter on Usenet. Eventually he wrote The Anime Companion, the first of his three books on anime. As a result of this writing he ended up speaking at many public libraries, doing presentations at anime conventions, curating an anime exhibit at the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco, introducing movies at the Smithsonian, and even teaching a class on anime for Pixar Staff.
All of this exposure to anime, and manga, quickly led to a growing interest in Japan. Gilles even began tracking down information on locations seen in shows.When he first went to Tokyo with friends it was to explore the city not as a regular tourist but as an anime tourist. Further trips and research resulted in a large set of notes that became foundational for his latest book Tokyo Stroll, a guide for wandering about over 20 neighborhoods in that city.

Gilles has been a long-time guest of FanimeCon, beloved by many attendees for his intimate knowledge of anime, manga, and traveling to Japan. FanimeCon is happy to have him join us once again for more stellar panels and events!

Website: https://www.koyagi.com

Social Media:
Twitter/X: @GillesLPoitras
Mastodon: @Gilles@sfba.social
Bluesky: @gillespoitras.bsky.social

VampyBitMe

March 12, 2024

Vampy is a cosplayer/Gunpla Builder residing in Los Angeles, California.She has been part of the cosplay and Gundam community for over two decades and loves spreading positivity in cosplay and crafting. She believes anyone can express themselves through the love of creativity and their passions! Besides cosplay, she also works in the games industry and loves streaming her passions on Twitch.She enjoys meeting passionate people in all different walks of life and currently hosts and travels to various shows for games and hobbies as well as meeting other creatives! She can’t wait to be back at FanimeCon 2024!

https://twitter.com/VampyBitme
https://www.twitch.tv/vampybitme
https://www.instagram.com/vampybitme

FanimeCon Board of Directors’ Statement on Resignations and Harassment Claims

March 11, 2024

The Board of Directors of FanimeCon would like to apologize for the delay in our response regarding the current resignations and harassment claims that have been made public recently.

Dealing with and returning from the pandemic has not been easy as we’ve had to focus on continuing to keep our attendees and staff safe while also providing a space to connect. When these issues came to our attention, we wanted to gather more information and give the matter proper consideration. We see now our caution comes across as indifference, which is the opposite of what we are trying to convey. This is not an excuse and we could and should be better. Our motto has always been “By Fans, For Fans” and we along with our staff attendees are here to ensure that there’s a safe space for everyone.

On harassment – 

We do not take the issue of harassment lightly and it is clear that we have a lot of work to regain the trust of our former staffers and attendees – one that we are working with outside sources to make sure that we are doing the right thing, not just for our previous individuals that have experienced harassment but to have a working process to report, document, and act on all future harassment. We will provide updates as best we can, when appropriate. With a con our size, we will try to include as many stakeholders as possible, so the process may not be as visible or as quick as preferred but be assured that steps are actively being taken.

On the resignations – 

We also understand and acknowledge that there are issues with toxicity among our staff – one that has made staff members feel unsafe and unwelcome. While we have received this feedback with a heavy heart, we appreciate being aware of it so that we can take steps to create a better environment for all. We know it is never easy to speak up when feeling it will not be welcomed, so we do respect the bravery of those who did.

We are working with our Chair team to investigate, gather information, and take action to help improve things. We appreciate feedback and take it seriously from all sources.  We are looking into solutions such as having a form where reports can be given with complete anonymity, leadership training, better open feedback sessions, and a clearer Code of Conduct. All feedback will be tracked and used to improve the process, internally and externally.

The world is much more different from the first FanimeCon, where anime clubs came together at a college campus. Our goal is and has always been to be a welcoming and safe space where everyone and everyone can feel comfortable regardless of who they are. We ask for your patience as we work with partners to set up a process that can allow individuals to effectively report harassment as well as giving feedback in a safe manner. Our plan is to work with external resources to implement some of these solutions prior to the start of FanimeCon 2024.

Yuu Hayashi

March 07, 2024

Born on April 2nd in Kanagawa, Japan, Yuu Hayashi got his start as a child actor with the Gekidan Himawari theater group. He is currently affiliated with Ken Production where he voices anime and game characters, and also provides voices for Japanese language dubs. 

Mr. Hayashi’s most notable roles include Ryunosuke Tanaka in Haikyuu!!, Manjiro “Mikey” Sano in Tokyo Revengers, Michizo Tachihara in Bungo Stray Dogs, and Takuma Ino in Jujutsu Kaisen. He also has roles in MobPsycho 100, Banana Fish, Vinland Saga Season 2, Kuroko’s Basketball, and Yu-Gi-Oh! Go Rush!!

Aside from a successful voice acting career, Mr. Hayashi is also the vocalist for music unit SCREEN mode under the Lantis label. SCREEN mode has provided theme songs for Bungo Stray Dogs 2, Kuroko’s Basketball, Food Wars! The Second Plate, Gingitsune, and more.

FanimeCon 2024 is proud to host Yuu Hayashi’s first ever event appearance outside Asia!

Social Media
X – https://twitter.com/voice_singing
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/yuu_hayashi42/
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@tube2201

FanimeCon Is Looking For DJs!

March 02, 2024

FanimeCon’s Dance Department is looking for a variety of DJs with a passion for music who love anime as well! Have you ever thought about wanting to play at FanimeCon? Well now is your chance!

We are open to all genres, and our only requirement is that you have played at least one live DJ gig before.

Applications will be open until the end of March or until we receive 25 submissions, and will be evaluated by the staff.

Apply here: https://apps.fanime.com/2024/dj/index

Masquerade Registration Opens March 1st!

March 01, 2024

Do you love cosplay and want to show off your skills? Don’t miss FanimeCon’s Masquerade event featuring outstanding costumes and performances. Hosted at the beautiful historic San Jose Civic theater, right across the street from the San Jose Convention Center, the Masquerade Cosplay Contest is open to all FanimeCon attendees. Compete for the grand prize of $1000 and make a name for yourself in the competitive world of cosplay!

We welcome both new and experienced cosplayers!

Participate in one (or both!) of our prize tracts:

– Performance: sing, dance, or do a skit. No craftsmanship required!

– Craftsmanship: show us your elite skills!

Online Registration opens on March 1st, 2024 at 12:00 pm (noon) and closes on May 17th, 2024 at 3:00 pm.

Belladonna

February 26, 2024

Belladonna began in 2013 when long-time best friends Michelle and Rachel decided to embark on a wild journey to create J-fashion clothing and accessories for the American market.  Since then Belladonna has had the pleasure of showing collections in fashion shows all across the United States, and even a few international shows. Over the years Belladonna has grown and now offers plus size clothing, a large array of kawaii aesthetic jewelry, press-on nails, and everything from elaborate pieces to lolita fashion staples.

Belladonna and their stunning styles can be found at FanimeCon 2024’s J-Fashion programming all weekend. Check them out at the J-Fashion Elegant Fashion Show, the J-Fashion Market, and at panels and workshops throughout the con.

https://www.belladonnafashions.com

https://www.facebook.com/fashionsbybelladonna

https://www.instagram.com/belladonnalolita

Stage Zero Applications are Now Open! 

February 04, 2024

Applications to perform on Stage Zero at FanimeCon 2024 are now open!There’s space for all sorts of performances at Stage Zero, from dancing, musical performances, demonstrations, and more!

IMPORTANT: Performers on Stage Zero are subject to the rules and regulations of the San Jose Convention Center, FanimeCon 2024, and Stage Zero.

All performers are subject to the FanimeCon 2024 COVID-19 Policy . Please refer to the FanimeCon 2024 COVID-19 Policy for details.

Applications are due March 31, 2024. Check our page for more information! 

FanimeCon 2024 Artist Alley Applications have opened!

January 21, 2024

Calling all Artists! On your mark, get set, GO! 

Starting January 21st, Artists will be able to create an account early to prepare portfolios before submissions are open, so take advantage of this feature!

FanimeCon’s 2024 Artist Alley Applications will be opening on January 27th, 8:00 am (PST) through January 28th 8:00 pm (PST) OR until we receive 1,000 applications. 

For the latest information on FanimeCon Artist Alley, stay up to date on the FanimeCon Facebook and Twitter, and if you have any questions, you can check out the FAQ or email us at artistalley@fanime.com.