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Panels 2009

The Otafest Team proudly presents this year's panels! Come join in on the fun as we make 2009 the best Otafest celebration yet!

(new!) Ball Joint Doll Panel
A ball-jointed doll or BJD is a doll that is articulated with ball and socket joints. Cast in polyurethane resin, a hard, dense plastic, the parts strung together with a thick elastic. The BJD style has been described as both realistic and influenced by anime. Come join the BJD panel to learn more about them, and discuss them with other enthusiasts!
(new!) Dedicated Otaku Anime Panels
The DOA is the University of Calgary’s very own Anime club! Come join them as they discuss various informative topics as:
  • Working in an Artist Alley
    • Want to know how to start participating in an Artist Alley? Learn about how to sell your work, what materials you'll need, how to make certain kinds of merchandise, and more. Come find out how to make the most of your artist experience.
  • Character Illustration and Design
    • Learn how to create character sheets, use reference material, and how to develop more dynamic characters at the information panel. Discover common pitfalls, tips on bringing more personality to your characters, and how to build a reference library.
  • Manga Live Reading
    • Do you like Manga, Acting, or Improv? Then come on out and try your hand at improv-reading scenes from your favorite mangas. Members of the audience can try their improv and acting skills while reading excerpts from popular manga. Prizes will be awarded to the best and most entertaining performances.
  • Tokusatsu: What is it?
    • Tokusatsu is a genre of Japanese TV and movies, centered on special effects and sci-fi themes. Don't be fooled! Tokusatsu is more than just Power Rangers and Godzilla. It encompasses a a large section of TV and movies, and has even influenced anime. Come learn more about the genre and what it includes, watch clips from shows old and new, and learn more about this large but unknown genre of entertainment.
Please check back for more panels!
(new!) Johnny Yong Bosch: Interviews, Autographs, Live & Intimate
You’ve asked for him and we’ve finally got him! Otafest is pleased to present Johnny Yong Bosch as our headlining guest for Otafest 2009! Not only is Johnny the beloved Adam Park, Black Ranger from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, you’ve also heard him as Ichigo (Bleach) and Vash (Trigun)! Here’s your chance to finally meet him, listen to his story, grab his autograph, and if you’re really lucky, listen to him perform in a live & intimate acoustic setting!
(new!) Yaoi – or Boy’s Love – It’s What We Like!
Come appreciate the wonders of Yaoi – with Yaoi Pictionary, Yaoi Discussions and awesome Yaoi Prizes! Run by Q from Yaoi Fest!

http://www.yaoifest.com
Anime Academia
Otafest is proud to present Dr. Antonia Levi & Cory Gross as a guest lecturers for Otafest 2009! Dr Levi is a pioneer in the scholarly studies surrounding anime and Japanese pop culture (yes – you too can use anime for school projects!) and we are very pleased to be able to present a series of panels developed by Dr Levi, discussing various aspects of anime, manga, and Japanese pop culture.

Currently, our Anime Academia panels include:
  • Yaoi! Zaoi! I think they’re gay!
    • In Japan, yaoi (or BL/boys' love as it is more commonly called these days) is a fairly accepted part of female culture, mildly transgressive at most. In North America, however, it takes on new meanings. This presentation will discuss the roots of yaoi in Japan and explore some of the ways in which it has developed new meanings and even a new audiences in North America. Yuri fans are also encouraged to attend and add their perspectives.
  • Steampunk Anime: Scientific Romances in the Land of the Rising Sun
    • Though Steampunk may be a more recent trend, Japan has a tradition of giant steam-powered robots dating back to the 19th century. Learn about Steampunk anime, Japanese history and Victorian Science Fiction in this entertaining crash course.
  • How to Write the Perfect Term Paper on Anime and Manga
    • Term papers, essays, and presentations always work out best when you're actually interested in your subject matter, but going to professors and telling them you want to write about a cartoon can be tricky. Dr. Levi will discuss strategies, approaches, and topics that will allow anime/manga fans to research and write about their obsessions in ways that will be accepted by all but the most hidebound professors. This discussion forum is aimed primarily at university students, but high school students and even teachers and professors are welcome to join in.
  • Myths for the New Millennium
    • Anime and manga have long functioned as postwar Japan's modern mythology, what Fred Schodt once referred to as "the incessant babble of the collective Japanese subconscious." Yet now, those uniquely Japanese myths have gone global. What does this mean? Are the themes and images simply relevant to all (well, most) other cultures, or does the medium allow for such flexibility that different audiences respond differently.
Please check back for more panels!
Applegeeks
It’s a sensation that’s not entirely understood yet, but webcomics are an art form that have taken the world by storm. Otafest is pleased to present Hawk and Ananth of Applegeeks fame in their first Canadian con! Come have a chance to talk to these popular webcomic artists about what Applegeeks is about, how they got started, and what it takes to become successful in webcomics!
Photoshop by Applegeeks!
Have you ever wanted to draw, paint and color like the pros? Hawk and Ananth of Applegeeks fame can get you started on your way! The creators of the poplar webcomic applegeeks are guests at their first Canadian con, and will be teaching you the basics of using photoshop for all your computer graphic requirements!
Cosplay - Rules, Regs, Robots and Rascals
Recommended for cosplayers – this is the panel as hosted by our beloved Cosplay Director, explaining the deep, dark, and wildly mysterious inner working of Cosplay, Otafest’s prime event! Come with the questions you’ve always wanted to ask, and listen to the wisdom run forth!
G-Unleashed
... be… afraid. Be very… afraid. Our beloved Cosplay Director finally gets the chance to spout about various contemporary anime and otaku-subcultures! Please bring ID, because this panel is for an adult audience only!
Japanese 101
Love anime? Wish you could watch it without the subtitles? This course will help you with that first step! An introduction to the basics of the Japanese language, both written and oral.

Origami Extravaganza
In the mystical forests of regular school classrooms everywhere, they can be seen, silently folding, silently moulding, creating terrible! wonderful! beautiful pieces of work from seemingly simple sheets of paper! How do they do it?!

If you’re a beginner, then come to this panel to learn the basics!

If you’re a master, then come to show off your craft and lend a teaching hand to the next generation!

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