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AnimeFest
We're proud to announce the following confirmed guests:
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J. Michael Tatum
Voice Actor / Writer / ADR Director
Nurtured on anime classics from the tender age of Star Blazers, et al, this reclusive fanboy-turned-voice actor/writer/ADR director/flake extraordinaire spent more years than he cares to remember in what might charitably be described as freefall before landing, mostly by accident, smack dab on the industry of his dreams. To this day, some believe the small crater made by the impact remains the source of his power.
Discovered by Funimation warhorse and visionary ADR director Christopher Bevins, who cast him as Rikichi in 2005’s Samurai 7, Tatum’s inexplicable luck held long enough to see his flag hoisted on a slew of dream roles, most notably Kyoya Otori in the hit English language dub of Ouran High School Host Club. Other characters the man still can’t believe he’s had the crazy good fortune to play include: Doumeki in XXXHolic, Jiro Mochizuki in Black Blood Brothers, Isaac Dian in Baccano!, Both God Eneru and Dalton in the new dub of One Piece, Komui Lee in D-Gray Man, Dororo in Sgt. Frog, the titular loveable savage of Heroic Age, Ryosuke Takahashi in Initial D, Lawrence Kraft in Spice and Wolf, Zarbon in Dragon Ball Z Kai and Scar in Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood. His vocal "stylings," much to the chagrin of drama teachers everywhere, he’s sure, have also been featured in Romeo X Juliet, Speed Grapher, Trinity Blood, Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple, Black Cat, Nabari no Ou, Ghost Hunt, School Rumble, The Tower of Druaga, Aquarion, Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles, Shuffle, Shigurui, Glass Fleet, Mushishi, Soul Eater and the feature- length film Vexille, among many others.
And as if being involved with so many awesome shows wasn’t enough, in late 2007 the fluky so-and-so tempted fate by officially branching out into ADR directing and adaptive scriptwriting for Funimation as well. His ADR directing credits to date include Aquarion, Jyu-oh-Sei, Romeo X Juliet, Big Windup, Rin: Daughters of Mnemosyne and Shikabane Hime, while his writing credits include substantial work on Ouran High School Host Club, Heroic Age, Initial D, Blassreiter and Dragon Ball Z Kai.
In early 2010 he teamed up with Terri Doty and Stephen Hoff to launch That Anime Show, a weekly web-based program centered on colorful, often diabolically unhinged interviews with friends and colleagues within the dubbing industry, all of which can be downloaded for free at http://thatanimeshow.isgreat.org/. Past guests include luminaries Josh Grelle, Joel McDonald, Tia Ballard, Anastasia Munoz, Alexis Tipton, Micah Solusad, Maxey Whitehead, Stephanie Young, Brina Palencia, Brian Massey, Chris Burnett, Chris Cason, Jamie Marchi, Eric Vale, Monica Rial, Cynthia Cranz and Aaron Dismuke.
Ever the workaholic, Tatum is currently burning the midnight oil on a number of exciting projects due for release later this year. And before you ask, the "J" stands for... Well, it stands for whatever you’d like it to.
Bruce Lewis
Artist
Bruce Lewis is an author, writer, voice actor, and illustrator. He has worked in the American anime/manga industry since 1993, and has been an anime and manga fan since 1969.
He is the author of Draw Manga: How To Draw Manga In Your Own Unique Style (ISBN 1-84340-188-6), which has consistently topped the "how to draw manga" sales chart on Amazon.com and was recommended by Shôjo Beat magazine as one of the four best English-language books on drawing your own manga. This book is currently being translated into Chinese for Asian release. He has also written for television, as well as penning many articles for the leading anime magazines in the US and UK over the years.
His career as a voice actor began in 2005. Since then, he has appeared as "Fat Thief" in Ragnarok: The Animation; as "Hikobe Mariko" in Shigurui; as "Joshua" in Darker than Black; as "Kurokawa" in Kenichi; and as "Pezzo" in Baccano. His most recent role is "Magobei" in Sengoku Basara.
He has also appeared in Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone, BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad, Black Cat, One Piece, Genesis of Aquarion, Hell Girl, Witchblade, Black Blood Brothers, Baldr Force EXE, Shuffle! , XXXHolic, Shin-Chan, School Rumble, Strain, Jyu Oh Sei, Heroic Age, Romeo x Juliet, Kenichi, and many others, all for FUNimation.
As a manga creator, Bruce Lewis is best known for the thirteen issues of the Robotech: Invid War Aftermath OEL manga he wrote and drew during the 1990s for Eternity Comics and Academy Comics. He is a former writer, editor, and artist for the American Star Blazers comic/magazine, which was among the first OEL manga published in the US; he also wrote and drew the three-part OEL manga Gall Force for CPM Manga.
Greg Ayres
Voice Actor
Greg Ayres has spent the last two years rockin' his way through some really fun anime series. As the loud-mouthed Hideki in Nerima Daikon Brothers, and Koyuki, singing with the the band in Beck:Mongolian Chop Squad. He is also thrilled to be able to add the role of Kaoru Hitachiin in Ouran High School Host club, and Abe in Big Windup to his list of favorite new roles. Other recent works include JR. in Xenosaga , Roan in Ragnorok The Animation, Yamazaki in Welcome to the NHK , Nowy, in Glass Fleet, and Yukinojoh Tohyama in The Wallflower.
The once "Fanboy" turned VA started working in anime a little over eight years ago, and within the first two years managed to snag two of his favorite roles in anime. He was thrilled to voice the role of his favorite character Son Goku in Saiyuki. Just one year later voiced Kaworu Nagisa in the Director's Cut of Neon Genesis Evangelion. Other roles include Chrono in Chrono Crusade, Negi Springfield in Negima, Heihachi in Samurai 7, Jr. in Xenosaga:The Animation, Satoshi Hiwatari in DNAngel, Pope Alessandro XVIII in Trinity Blood, Tsuyoshi in Kodocha, Leo in Ghost Stories , Tsujido in Speed Grapher, and Gau Ban in Shadow Skill. He can also be heard in other anime titles such as Super Gals, Spiral, Macross, Mythical Detective Loki, Burst Angel , Gravion, Godanner, Pretear, Full Metal Panic, E's Otherwise and a whole lot more.
When he's not in a booth with headphones on, you can usually find him sporting headphones of another variety behind "the decks". A veteran nightclub DJ of many years, Greg has really enjoyed the opportunity of doing something else that he truly loves at conventions. From packed rooms at anime conventions, to the legendary stage of *The Knitting Factory (NYC)*, Greg never misses an opportunity to share his love of music with anyone who will listen.
Chris Rager
Voice Actor
Chris Rager is an American voice actor for Funimation studios. More notable performances are as Mr. Satan and King Yemma on "Dragonball Z", as well as, Arlong the leader of the fish people on the popular "One Piece". Chris has been seen in national and regional T.V. commercial ads like Taco Bell, Southwest Airlines and Visa. You may also see Chris performing live on stage in Dallas with Section 8 Comedy Troupe for the last 11 years where they perform Improv, sketch and musical comedy. Although he loves the live stage and T.V. exposure, Chris holds voice acting close to his heart. You may have also heard Chris in Animes such as Blue Gender, Case Closed, Black Cat, Desert Punk, Lupin III, Full Metal Alchemist, Yu Yu Hakusho, Samuri 7 and Sgt. Frog. Chris has also been heard in such video games Spike out: Battle Street, Stuntman Ignition, Bloodrayne, Roadkill and many others. Chris always looks forwards to his next voice over role, hoping he can bring a high level of talent and professionalism to such characters.
Matt Herms
Artist
No stranger to the anime/comics community, Matt Herms got his first professional break fresh out of high school in 2004 and has since done conceptual, promotional and interactive artwork for video games, magazines, conventions and toy companies as well as his longest passion: traditional dead-tree comic books, most notably as penciler and colorist for the all-ages hit Sonic the Hedgehog. Matt's clients include Archie Comics, SoMoGa Games, Hasbro Toys, Angry Viking Press, and more and he continues his webcomic roots with occassional comic srip and illustrative contributions to Snafu-Comics.com and Halolz.com.
Amelie Belcher
Artist
melie "Ami-Chan" Belcher was born in Baton-Bloody-Boring-Rouge Louisiana where the combination of chemical plant fumes and river water did major damage to her fragile little mind at an early age. By all accounts, she started drawing at the age of five (when she figured out that the pencil goes on the paper and not up your nose) and didn't stop drawing until she ran out of paper...twenty years later. Amelie taught high school art for four years, but lost interest in teaching when it cut into her quest to collect all the dragon balls and forcibly evolve her pokemon into the Old Spice Guy. She is also the artist behind the manga "Loud Snow" and the web comic "The Real Life Adventures Of Amelie" seen currently at Cordeval.com. Amelie now travels the country doing one of a kind stand up drawing panels where she secretly sneaks art education into peoples minds between hilarity, and selling her award winning artwork.
David Doub
Artist
David is influenced by all form of comics from superheroes, to manga, to European. For a while David tried to balance a normal 9 to 5 job and a comic career on the side, but he has now taken the plunge and his doing comic writing full time. His current work is Dusk, a supernatural vampire drama/action/thriller graphic novel
More on Dusk - As a battered wife, Eve's only concern was to keep her marriage together. But when she is kidnapped into the sordid supernatural world of vampires and foul magic, Eve finds she doesn't want to leave. Her mysterious benefactor, the Vampire Lord Ash, wishes her to have a normal life but Eve chooses to stay in the service of Ash. Dusk is the stories about Eve and her challenges living in the darkness. Dusk is a supernatural action/drama story done in a dynamic blending of the sequential art styles of American Comics and Japanese Manga. Several artists help tell these stark noir tales of Vampires and Unrequited Love.
You can find out more on David's Comic Space page.
Channel M
Comic & Game Publisher
Channel M is a Dallas,Texas based comic book and game publishing company. Almost two years old has found success in both industries thanks to it’s hard working staff and the creative mind of veteran comic book and screenplay writer Malcolm Harris.
Channel M’s game Witch Girls Adventures has not only brought a new players and a new demographic to table top RPG’s but has also been nominated for best “Indie RPG “ of 2009.
It’s comic “Princess Lucinda” , has found success and rave reviews in the crowded American comic world and beyond. This story of an evil magical princess trapped on a mundane earth has even attracted Hollywood movers and shakers as fans and more.
Looking forward and upward always Channel M is branching out with plans for more Witch Girls supplements and bring table top RPG’s back to comic book fans with their 2012 superhero RPG Nemesis: Remix.
You can learn more about Channel M at their online homes.
David Willis
Artist
David Willis is no stranger to the world of webcomics, having started his first series, Roomies!, in 1997. Including Roomies!, he has four webcomics series under his belt, such as the sci-fi drama It’s Walky!, its more domestic sequel Joyce and Walky!, and Shortpacked!, a look at action figures and pop culture. In 2005, he and other leading cartoonists formed the webcomics collective Blank Label Comics. Raised in La Porte, Indiana, David Willis graduated from the Illinois Institute of Art in Schaumburg, Illinois with a Bachelor in Fine Arts. After college, he escaped the frighteningly-empty cornfields and hicks of Indiana to the frighteningly-empty cornfields and hicks of Ohio. David Willis currently resides with his wife Maggie in Columbus, Ohio, where he surrounds himself with more Transformers toys than he can bother to count.
J. Grant & Mel Hynes
Comic writers
Mel Hynes and J. Grant are a conglomerate beast, spawned in California's strange climes and summoned to the heart of Dallas, where they now reside in a dank cave. Between the two of them, they create the webcomic Two Lumps, as well as various other comics and works of literature. Mel enjoys martial arts, cats, and committing random acts of senseless kindness. J. is fond of drawing things, shooting things, and preaching to any who will listen of the coming Puppy-geddon. Between the two of them, no problem is too complicated, no mystery too convoluted, no video game too difficult, and no beer is safe. Their works have primarily appeared online, in magazines, and in the form of "books" that are "printed" by various "publishing houses." They are delighted to make their fourth Animefest appearance in as many years, and look forward to introducing people to the concept of flammable undergarments.
Read their comic Two Lumps for more insight into J & Mel.
Joel Watson
Comic writer
Dallas-based Joel Watson is the creator of HijiNKS ENSUE, the thrice weekly webcomic that delves into the deepest recesses of geek pop culture searching for LOLs. Casual geeks and obsessed fanboys alike can appreciate HijiNKS ENSUE's unique perspective on TV, movies, sci-fi, technology and the internet. A little over two years ago Joel left his job in sales to pursue cartooning full time and hasn't looked back since. His efforts to turn his passion for cartooning into a real job have been dubbed "The Experiment" and are chronicled online at www.hijinksensue.com/experiment. His first print collection entitled "HijiNKS ENSUE Vol 1: Godspeed You Fancy Bastard" was released in 2009.
