Forum - View topicChase Wang on Anime Expo 2007
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fighterholic
Posts: 9193 |
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Once again Zac, you pull through with what I consider to be a well put interview. I have to agree with frentymon from earlier, Wang was really on the move to defend the mistakes of what happened with AX. All that crap I read about learning from this year's AX to apply for LA next year? Give me a damn break
 The fact of the matter is that there was quite a few things wrong, and if the AX higher ups can't admit that, they are going to have some real big problems for 2008. Apples and oranges? You're kidding me right? That is the worst answer I can hear for SDCC versus what we're trying to accomplish here. But oh well, we have to move in life, and have to hope for the better with the upcoming venue that I hope doesn't produce any major disasters. A death or injury that is resulted from a mugging or anything gang related on a AX attendee will be the biggest problem should it occur. AX is going to have to lighten up with their tradition that seems to be not so beneficial to certain people. BTW Zac, are you guys going to hold the ANN panel on day 1 like this year?
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GATSU
Posts: 15336 |
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testor:
Yes, and the costs of refueling their cars after a long trip there are so much cheaper than frequent stops on the subway, right?
It's still reasonably priced, especially if you're buying in bulk, which I assume will be the case for most con-goers. Anyway, most people spend more money on gas going to those places, so it's still fairly cheap. And at least you have something to take you there, instead of sweating in the 100+ degree weather common in Anaheim. I'm sure that, for most people, that's a good trade-off. fighter:
If the Japanese can get over their xenophobia to make trips down there, when they can get their urban experience for free in Shinjuku, I don't see why anyone else should be such a pussy about it. |
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fighterholic
Posts: 9193 |
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I'm not expressing concern for myself, but concern for families with kids and those who you know for a fact that will get drunk from the raves and go wondering off. They will be the most susceptible to an attack. |
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Dragynstorm
 Posts: 131 |
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Bravo, ANN! Thank-you for finally getting (somewhat) straight answers about AX!!
I'm curious to know what "changes" to AX lead Viz to not be part of the exhibit hall... I doubt they're not going to cons this year, especially since it seems like they're going to try to be a big presence at Comic-Con, what with bringing Arina Tanemura over and all. I guess it's probably important to have high attendence, but if Anaheim is restricting growth (and therefore a money issue), I'm sure attendees would not mind paying a couple extra bucks for Anaheim and dealing with an attendence cap. The serious AX-goers will just make sure to register early so they can go. I'm worried about the LACC, partially because of the danger, and partially because of the inconvience. I'm a cosplayer, and AX is a big deal for me. I typically have more costumes than I should, but at Anaheim it was not a problem because I could walk a short distance to my hotel room and change costumes. If the hotels are far from the convention center in LA, I don't want to have to walk a long way or have to take a shuttle multiple times a day. I know the easy solution to this would be to cut down on costumes, but personally, I don't think this is an issue that we should have to deal with. A lot of cosplayers, including myself, don't have many opportunities to wear these costumes during the year so being able to wear them at AX is a big deal. I sure hope there are some big guests or attractions next year, or I may just look into other conventions that are more cosplay-friendly. 
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Tempest
 I Run this place.ANN Publisher  Posts: 10425 Location: Do not message me for support. |
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Gatsu, problem is, you're looking at this from the point of view of someone who lives in the LA area. What you're forgetting is that most of the attendees at Anime Expo travel to get there. Sure, you know where to go for food, but out of towners don't. And even if they did, they don't want to travel away from the site. For out-of-towners, once at the convention site, it's inconvenient and undesirable to have to travel, even two stops by subway, in a city they don't know, in order to get to their hotels and find food. -t |
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xstylus
 Posts: 263 |
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I'm a fan, the manager I worked under is a fan, my manager's manager is a fan... how is it not fan driven? I mean, what other reason would managers and general staffers such as myself have for working this convention? Maybe I'm just masochistic. 
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Viga_of_stars
 Posts: 1240 Location: Washington D.C. in the Anime Atelier |
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Thats what i was thinking. The only thing apples and oranges is the subject matter but they are both conventions with a large number of people. bananas and more bananas! When Zac said that comment about SDCC didn't need a holiday weekend i clapped! Good job Zac on the interview. You really dig deep for the answers. Was this done in person or on the phone or im? |
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testorschoice
Posts: 468 |
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Again, this is a separate issue. Arriving in the city and leaving it is one thing, spending money just to go somewhere with "reasonably priced food" is another.
Again, you're raising the separate issue of arriving in the city and departing it, when we're talking about daily meals. Most con-goers don't buy "in bulk." They just go somewhere to eat.
According to Weather.com, the average high temperature of the Anaheim Convention Center in July is 83 degrees Fahrenheit. The average high temperature of the Los Angeles Convention Center in July is...84 degrees Fahrenheit. It's even cooler at night in Anaheim (low of 63) versus Los Angeles (low of 65). |
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GATSU
Posts: 15336 |
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fighter:
A lot of families live around there.
That's not a problem, since most people get drunk in the hotel rooms. Dragyn:
You're only gonna be there for four days. How many costumes do you need?! tempest:
And most of them travel to L.A. for other reasons besides AX.
That doesn't stop them
It's no more inconvenient than dealing with the limited eateries at the airport, and the shuttles they have to use to go back and forth. testor:
New Yorkers do it all the time in taxis, but no one was bitching about getting around at BAAF. Hell, New York had a blackout the day before and that terrorist attack months before, and fans still flocked there.
You're kidding me, right? You should see the amount of junk they stock in their rooms for parties.
Anaheim has more humidity, though. Anyway, I just want to mention the irony of the last violent AX-related incident not even involving AX, in which some gunman tried to attack LAX, thus making Tsukasa Hojo late. But no one stopped using the airport because of that. |
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Dragynstorm
Posts: 131 |
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Even if I only brought a few costumes, sometimes gatherings for series that I cosplay from are on the same day, so I'd need to get changed if I wanted to participate in them. |
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testorschoice
Posts: 468 |
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You're still comparing daily meals to air transportation. Your argument basically sums up that daily meals at the Los Angeles Convention Center are no more inconvenient than airport meals and transportation. That's not an argument that it's convenient, it's an argument that it couldn't be much worse.
This is about "reasonably priced food." At Big Apple Anime Fest, McDonald's was across the street (57th Street).
Again, not for daily meals. Anyways, most people don't stock up McDonald's hamburgers for parties 
The average relative humidity in Los Angeles in July is 86%/68%. The average relative humidity in Anaheim in July is 81%/53%. |
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okitasan
Posts: 15 |
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Personally I think that the "fan driven con" thing he said is BS. Maybe in 1992-2000 or so, but I remember when I walked into the Anaheim Convention center in 2003 or 04 and saw all those giant banners advertising viz and tokyopop, I realized that AX is no longer a fan driven con. AX is ALL about advertisement and the industry now, its more like Comic-con now more than ever (so that apples and oranges thing is BS too), for gods sake they premiered TRANSFORMERS at AX.
Fanime is a fan driven con, and so is Anime LA. If they want AX to keep growing the way it has the past few years, they really need to smarten up and bring on a professional staff that can run a convention of this size, and at least bring the con back to the Long Beach Convention Center with better planning. If they can work it out to go back to Anaheim, even better. |
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CCSYueh
 Posts: 2707 Location: San Diego, CA |
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I can't believe San DIego is unique in realizing how much tourist dollars impact our local economy in SoCal, I work for a local government office & our latest paper had an article on employees who work for the same government entity who have vouneered for years at Comic-con. Like the volunteer co-ordinator who oversees the con's 1,500 volunteers since about 1997 & been volunteering since 1984 who's dayjob is in children's services or a gal who's been volunteering over 20 yrs-long enough to have met her spouse there & had a kid who has grown up volunteering at con. So by your definition one could say Comic-con is also fan-driven Gatsu, As someone who went to LA for a con in 1980 by bus & didn't know the lay of the land & thus lived on what to me was way too expensive hotel food s little as possible because money spent on food is money one isn't spending on salesfloor stuff, I'd have to agree about leaving the con. I was worried I'd get lost & be unable to find my way back to the hotel. Even though I've lived in San Diego since 1980 & know the lay of the land, leaving comic-con is another issue all-together. Thursday-12:30 Go Comi panel. 1:30-3:00-Viz Panel 3:00-4:00 do I skip Ray Harryhausen to have food? I haven't even seen the anime schedule--what if they're airing an anime I really want to see? What if the Koreans are back & have brought more authors & they're signing books at this time? 6 pm a manga panel discussing trends in Japan. What do I skip at con to go eat? And this is just the first day. Friday starts at 10:30 with a Shin-chan panel-yes/no? 11:30-Viz, 12:30-Tokyo Pop or Robert Englund, 2:30-Dark Horse, 3:30 Broccoli, 4:30 I could probably skip Seven Seas, 6pm the interesting Lost in the Translation panel I had to miss due to teen angst last year but it is up against Kevin Smith, though he's in a Hall, so that means they expect a huge crowd, so maybe the translation panel looks better. I haven't scoped out Saturday & Sunday's schedules fully yet, but it always comes down to what one want to do more & eating usually drops pretty low. Sleep deprivation's the worst usually. This year I'm planning to utilize Los Primos 2 for 1 burrito coupons (sorry everyone) for breakfast, the usual Lunchables & snacks thruout the day I've brought for myself, my teen & her friend (only one this year-we've had as many as 3 friends in tow) & whatever's open at midnight-1 am when I'm headed back the 45 minute drive home--Wendy's, Taco Bell, Jack's, Wienersnitzel. |
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Nabeshin
 Posts: 94 |
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What of the booth at Comicon NYC and SD? The past years they managed to have quite a presence there. Perhaps they're riding on their laurels at anime shows, and are now aiming for the casual reader not normally attuned to reading such material, especially given their significant increase in American-based artists/writers... |
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CCSYueh
Posts: 2707 Location: San Diego, CA |
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Considering Tokyo Pop's limited anime selection seems to have passed on to Funimation, I've been thinking they're focusing on manga which makes Comic-con a natural for them, particularly with their OEL line
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