Veteran Producer Masao Maruyama Returns to Otakon for 14th Appearance

Baltimore, MD (July 28, 2016) – Veteran producer Masao Maruyama will resume his standing as an honorary Otakon staff member in 2016. Otakorp, Inc. is very excited to announce that the revered “legendary force” in the Japanese animation industry will make his 14th appearance at Otakon 2016.

Maruyama was involved in the establishment of MADHOUSE in 1972. Since then, he has nurtured talents such as Tetsuro Araki, Atsuko Ishizuka, and the late Satoshi Kon. Among the anime works he has produced are "Unico", "Ninja Scroll", "Card Captor Sakura", "Monster", "Death Note", "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time", "Paprika", "Redline", and "Supernatural: The Animation". In 2011, Maruyama left MADHOUSE and formed MAPPA, whose first major project was 2012's "Kids on the Slope" television anime series.

Maruyama's recent works involve "Punch Line", "Rage of Bahamut", "Ushio to Tora", and Japan's record-breaking crowdfunding film, "In This Corner of the World".

Otakon 2016 will be held August 12-14 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, MD. ABOUT OTAKON AND OTAKORP, INC.: Now entering its twenty-third year, Otakon is an annual celebration of Japanese and East Asian popular culture, and also one of the largest gatherings of fans in the United States. Otakon celebrates popular culture as a gateway to deeper understanding of Asian culture, and has grown along with the enthusiasm for anime, manga, video games, and music from the Far East. Since 1999, Otakon has been held in Baltimore, Maryland; currently, Otakon is one of Baltimore's few large, city-wide events, drawing over 34,000 people for three days each year (for a paid attendance of over 100,000 turnstile attendees). Otakon is a membership based convention sponsored by Otakorp, Inc., a Pennsylvania-based, 501(c)3 educational non-profit whose mission is to promote the appreciation of Asian culture, primarily through its media and entertainment. Otakorp, Inc. is directed by an all-volunteer, unpaid staff – we are run by fans, for fans.

For more information about Otakorp, Inc., see http://www.otakon.com/otakorp/index.asp
For more information and the latest news on Otakon 2016, see http://www.otakon.com/