March 18, 2006
News for Metrocon 2006:
Metrocon announces guest list
TAMPA BAY, FL, March 17, 2006 - METROCON is pleased to announce voice actors Johnny Yong Bosch, Luci Christian, Christopher Patton, Doug Smith, Cynthia Martinez, John Swasey, Lauren Goodnight, Steve Bennett, Chris Sabat and the alternative rock group Eyeshine as special guests at METROCON 2006.
JOHNNY YONG BOSCH
Johnny Yong Bosch made his debut as Adam, the Black Ranger on Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. He appeared in over 200 episodes and both big screen versions of the series. He is also known for his voice acting work as Vash in Trigun, Kaneda in Akira, Reiji in Gate Keepers, Claus in Last Exile, Clair in Heat Guy J, Sakaki in Witch Hunter Robin, Mike in Please Twins, and Kiba in Wolf's Rain. Johnny has recently completed his directorial debut on a love action horror film called Devon's Ghost with Artist View Entertainment. Johnny is also a part of the rock band Eyeshine.
LUCI CHRISTIAN
Luci Christian is a relative newcomer to anime but her professional background is extensive and includes a Master's in Acting and appearances at the John F. Kennedy Center and Houston's Alley Theater, as well as work in television, film and radio. These experiences have prepared her for voice roles as diverse as Kaname Chidori in Full Metal Panic!, Ran Kotobuki in Super GALS!, Yukari Tanizaki in Azumanga Daioh, Sasshi in Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi, Himeno in Pretear, Luna in Gravion, Dejiko in Digi Charat and Sarah in Kaleido Star.
Luci has attended METROCON four years in a row!
CHRISTOPHER PATTON
Chris is a voice actor for both ADV Films and Funimation Productions, and has voiced over sixty titles, including Full Metal Panic and Full Metal Panic: Fumoffu (Sousuke), Gravion (Eiji), RahXephon (Ayato), Pretear (Sasame), Princess Tutu (Fakir), Chrono Crusade (Joshua), Aquarian Age (Kyouta), Hello Kitty's Animation Theater (Dear Daniel), E's Otherwise (Kai), Angelic Layer (Ohjiro), Super Gals (Rei Otohata), A Tree of Palme (Shatta), and Gantz (Nishi). Chris is also currently voicing a role he can't name just yet in Fullmetal Alchemist, and has voiced characters for Case Closed, the latest Lupin 3rd movie, Princess Nine, Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi, Excel Saga, Kekko Kamen, and many more.
CYNTHIA MARTINEZ
Cynthia was first introduced to anime when ADV cast her in her first acting/voice acting role ever as the dragon slayer sorceress Lina Inverse in Slayers. Since then she has voiced a variety of roles such as Sora in Kaleido Star, Hermes in Kino's Journey, Poemy in Puni Puni Poemy, Hiroko in RahXephon, Mikako in Voices of a Distant Star, Yuna in Galaxy Fraulein Yuna, Hikaru in Princess Nine, Hikaru Amano in Nadesico, Harue in Super Gals, Mint in BASTof Syndrome, Meek in Panyo Panyo Di Gi Charat, Pike in Princess Tutu, and Kaho in Sister Princess. Other titles include Gravion, Aura Battler Dunbine, All-Purpose Cultural Cat-Girl Nuku Nuku, Azumanga Daioh, Excel Saga, Najica Blitz Tactics, Neo Ranga, Noir, Nurse Witch Komugi, and Those Who Hunt Elves.
JOHN SWASEY
A native of Houston, TX John has been cutting his acting chops since the late 80's. He started out as an improv actor working at the famous (or infamous) Comedy Workshop in Houston. This is where he started honing his vocal skills with different voices and character types. From there he went on to work for several theater companies and formed a couple of improv groups. It was during this time that he ran into a friend who suggested he try his hand at voice acting some anime. In 1997, he landed his first role with a company called AD Vision. Since then, John has gone on to voice numerous shows and characters. Not really the leading man type has actually given John the freedom to voice everything from Vulcan in Orphen to Ken in Kaleido Star. Other favorite roles include Ban Bunnings in Aura Battler Dunbine as well as lead roles in the live action films 2009 Lost Memories, Conduct Zero, Yesterday, and the soon to be released Jungle Juice. In 2004, John jumped to the other side of the "mic" to direct. His first effort was Wandaba Style. This followed with St. Seiya and Shinobi (live action). Both at home in front of and behind the mic, John loves working in the world of anime and with ADV Films! In addition to anime, John has voiced thousands of radio and tv commercials, not to mention some film work such as RAY and DAZED AND CONSUED. There are too many folks to thank for all the success John has realized, so he will just thank two: mom and dad!
LAUREN GOODNIGHT
Lauren Goodnight, a voice actress for ADV Films, has appeared in Aquarian Age: Sign for Evolution (Sarashina, Arayashiki West), Pretear (Natsue Awayuki), Angelic Layer (Narrator), SuperGALS! (Sanae), Sorcerer Hunters: Chocolate, Springs, and Other Hot Things (Shiorina), Evangelion: Director's Cut, Noir, DNAngel, and RahXephon.
Anime has always been a part of her life, from watching Voltron and Speed Racer as a child through her Bachelor's Degree thesis on fandom (especially anime fandom)...showing how the love of something central can bind people together. In between all of the anime, she dances, sings for the bands "mit Reißzahnen" and "Hourglass System", draws the webcomic Status Report: FaerieTale, and writes a regular column for AnimeOnDVD.com as their Staff Music Reviewer.
DOUG SMITH
Doug Smith is a Texas-based actor and artist who has been voicing titles at ADV Films for several years, most recently at their Austin-based Monster Island studios. In addition to his well-known portrayal of Kintaro Oe in Golden Boy, Smith can be heard as Doria and Pasta in Steam Detectives, the title character in Dragon Knight, Roger in Plastic Little, Kijima in Blue Seed, and as various characters in series such as Bubblegum Crisis: Tokyo 2040, Sorcerer Hunters, Those Who Hunt Elves and more.
STEVE BENNETT
Stephen Robert Bennett IV was born *&#@?! years ago at Tachikawa Air Force Base in Tokyo Japan. Being an Army brat, Steve moved all over the place in his younger days with his parents and four brothers, He spent his early years in Alaska and Colorado, and lived for almost eight years in Germany during elementary and junior high. The family moved back to Japan when Steve was in his teens, and while he was there he was lucky enough to land a job with Studio Aoehyma, and work under the great Japanese animator, Noboru Furusei (New Dominion Tank Police, Lupin III, etc.) During his time at Studio Aoehyma, Steve learned quite a bit about anime, and worked on such titles as Cat's Eye, the Urusei Yatsura TV Series and Only You, as well as many others for televison and Movies.
But finally, the family moved back to the States and settled in Virginia. Steve finished up high school, took some college courses, and ended up working at a bunch of different jobs. He worked at King's Dominion amusement park (where he met his future wife Nikki), and he also worked in a Japanese restaurant, a video store, and ended up working in construction.
Steve's Interest in Military history lead him to take part in such movies as "Gettysburg" and various History Channel shows. Just look for him in the feathered gray slouch hat next to the soldiers in grey kepis!
About the time Steve and Nikki tied the knot (1994), Steve attended his first anime convention as a guest --Katsucon 1-- and finally remembered his true calling. He started up Studio Ironcat, a Japanese manga publisher, in 1997 and quit his construction job. Ironcat ran until 2004. Although Steve enjoyed his time with Ironcat, the job kept him too busy to focus on his own art. With the close of Ironcat, Steve was finally free to create his own comics, and get back into the artistic side of the industry. Today, Steve is busier than ever at conventions, has two new webcomics on-line at http://www.stevebennettart.com/ ("Shakespeare Rodeo" and "Life With Steve") and is finally letting his creative juices flow!
(And Koala's are running rampant at Koala Klub too!)
Steve has been to numerous anime conventions over the years (too many to mention here!) and has also lent his talents to other venues, such as the American Movie Association, Loyola University in Louisiana, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Iowa Gallery of Art.Steve also won the 1996 Osamu Tezuka Award for outstanding American Anime/Manga artist, and has taught animation/cel painting instructional classes at Comic Anime and Anime Pavillion. Steve's many appearances and personal approach to teaching and talking with anime fans about anime/manga over the years and his involvement with charities American Cancer Society, The Lupus Foundation, and Make A Wish Foundation have earned him the sobriquets of "Anime's Goodwill Ambassador"
Steve's friendly nature will entertain and inform all folks big and small so wherever he appears next, just pull up a chair, sit back, shoot the breeze with him and enjoy the ride!
CHRIS SABAT
Christopher Sabat has worked in voiceover and audio production for over 10 years. Starting as a DJ, his voice has been heard on countless radio stations, TV and radio commercials, phone systems, toys, voice-guided safety equipment, and as a narrator on industrial and feature films. His experience in anime voice acting career began in 1998 when he was cast as Yamcha and Igor on the Dragon Ball movie, "Sleeping Princess In Devil's Castle". Soon afterwards, he was asked to join the anime giant FUNimation Productions to direct the Dragon Ball Z series. Since then, he has directed over 600 episodes of various anime, cartoons and videogames and has voiced some of the world's most popular anime characters including the Vegeta and Piccolo in Dragonball Z, Kuwabara, Gama and Rizen in Yu Yu Hakusho, Jigen in Lupin III, Ayame in Fruits Basket, Alex Luis Armstrong in Full Metal Alchemist, Principal Naru Naru and Kurosaki in Kodocha, Kikuchio in Samurai 7 and others. Recently, he was cast as both Saiga in the dark Gonzo title, Speed Grapher and Tres in Trinity Blood. He has also appeared in a variety videogame titles such as Deus Ex: Invisible War, Budokai, BloodRayne, SpikeOut, Blowout, Time Crisis 4, Eon Flux, and Roadkill.
Currently, Chris lives in Dallas, Texas and owns an interactive audio production company called OkraTron 5000, Inc where he lends his production talents to movies, television and interactive media as a producer, voice director, sound designer and an audio editor. He is represented by the Mary Collins Agency, for acting and voiceover work.
This will be Chris's first appearance at METROCON.
EYESHINE
They're back! The Southern California based alternative rock group Eyeshine, have managed to "compile a great mix of ninja action melodies with karate explosive lyrics, well that is how they describe it." Eyeshine's rock n roll ninjas are: Johnny Yong Bosch (vocals, guitar), Maurice Salmin (vocals, drums). and Alex Orantes (vocals, bass).
METROCON is a weekend-long celebration of the numerous facets of Japanese popular entertainment – from anime (Japanese animation), manga (Japanese comics), J-pop and J-rock (Japanese pop and rock music, performed by "idols") to cosplay (costume design and performance) and video games.
Events at METROCON this year include: - The "Anime Human Chess Match" - Year 3, The Anime Fan Film Festival, "Anime Idol" J-Pop/J-Rock Competition, a concert featuring the alternative rock band Eyeshine, a formal ballroom dance, - Artists' Alley; - A "gong show style" cosplay competition; costume contest; dealers'/exhibition room, "DDR Extreme" Tournaments, - An Anime Music Video contest (AMVs), - Official convention screenings of new North American releases, - Panels with North American anime industry guests, - Live Celebrity Commentaries with the industry guests, - Dances and karaoke, - The METROCADE video game room and finally, continuous hours of Japanese anime and related programming.
METROCON is presented by AnimeMetro.com
Visit www.metroconventions.com for more information.
