One Hell of a Day @ Anime NYC 2018!!!
Erik McRimmon
Anime NYC 2018 was awesome and even though I only went for one day I definitely got my money’s worth. In that one day I took photos of awesome figurines of One Piece and Dragon Ball Z characters and just like any other Con there was some awesome cosplay of various anime characters that I had to snap photos of for my photo album.
Now unlike previous cons I attended, I decided to actually buy some souvenirs. I ended up buying the official Anime NYC hoodie and a mini pillow featuring Asui Tsuyu aka Froppy from the My Hero Academia manga/anime. The pillow features Froppy in both her Superhero costume and school uniform. For a combined total of $70, it was money well spent.
I also took part in a scavenger hunt featuring the Golden Kamuy manga/anime with fellow Region 99 writer Josh B. Participants had to find four people wearing particular shirts related to the series and have them stamp the official Golden Kamuy card given to them. Once you had your card stamped all four times and presented it to the booth, participants had a choice to pick between a Sugimoto Saichi or Asirpa button. I ended up taking the Asirpa button since I have an affinity for characters voiced by Monica Rial.
I next went to my first fan meet up. This was for the Fairy Tail manga/anime. Fans were excited as they were able to discuss everything Fairy Tail including their favorite characters, arcs, fights and tear driving moments. Fans were especially excited for Fairy Tail, the final season to air English dub on Funimation.
I then played the new Kill la Kill game coming out next year. Kill La Kill: IF is a versus game featuring all the major characters from the manga/anime including Ryuko Matoi, Satsuki Kiryuin and the elite four. The game will have a story mode with an original story and is set to be released on both the Nintendo switch and PlayStation 4.
Lastly, I meet some awesome people while at the Con. First I had the privilege of meeting Paul M. Walcott (@paulmichaelwalcott) who was promoting his new manga Seishin Brawl.
EM: Can you tell me a little about your manga?
Graphic Novel: Seishin Brawl by Paul Walcott
PW: My graphic novel is called Seishin Brawl and it’s about two sides of the world battling one another to see who’s the ruler in a mixed martial arts world.
EM: What inspirations did you get for your manga?
PW: Yu Yu Hakusho, It’s my favorite manga/anime of all time.
EM: How long did it take for all of this to come together?
PW: I’ve been writing my manga since high school and am still writing it so it’s been around eight years.
EM: What advice can you give to anyone that wants to get their own manga out?
PW: Keep drawing every day and don’t stop.
EM: What success do you hope your manga brings you?
PW: An anime adaptation. That’s how I know I’ve made it.
Me with Voice Actor: David Wald
I also meet anime voice actor, David Wald. Mr. Wald has voiced many anime characters from such anime as Fairy Tail and My Hero Academia. I took the time to ask him about his career in the anime industry:
EM: Tell me about some of the characters you voiced?
DW: I’ve done Gajeel Redfox from Fairy Tail, Tetsutetsu from My Hero Academia, Golgo 13 from Golgo 13, Bulat from Akame ga Kill, Master Chief in Halo Legends and more.
EM: What were some of your favorite characters to voice?
DW: Well, Golgo 13 was a big break for me because it was one of the few anime I saw before I started acting in anime and Bulat from Akame ga Kill because he lives deep inside my heart. Bulat was a big deal to me, but it’s hard to choose favorites because every character I voice is kind of like my children. Those roles were very important to me, because of how they happen and when they happen.
EM: A lot of characters you’ve voiced have metal base abilities; therefore is that kind of your thing?
DW: Well I have no control over that, they call and say Dave we would like for you to do this role and I’m like okay, so that had nothing to do with me. However, when I got called to voiced Tetsutetsu I kinda had a metal theme going and my favorite X-Men is Colossus, so maybe it’s just an energy I give off, so if you need metal, call Dave.
Attending AnimeNYC 2018 offered a new experience for me. I’ve taken photos of amazing cosplay and figurines; I’ve seen first-time previews of games that haven’t been released yet and I’ve even met several high profile individuals in the Movie, TV and anime industry. I hope to continue to experience going to AnimeNYC for years to come and encourage anyone who haven’t attended, to go, because, take my word it’s a lot of fun and a totally different experience.
