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Otakon to Host Madhouse Founder Masao Maruyama
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
The organizers of Otakon announced on Thursday that Madhouse anime studio founder Masao Maruyama will return to the August 9-11 convention in Baltimore.
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 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, Maryumama left Madhouse and formed MAPPA, whose first major project was last year's Kids on the Slope television anime series.
Otakon first hosted Maruyama in 2001 and he has since returned every year except in 2004 and 2007. This will be Maruyama's 11th time at Otakon, and he is the the first guest at the con to be named an honorary staff member.
Otakon will be held at the Baltimore Convention Center in Maryland. The convention is also hosting voice actress Maile Flanagan and voice actor Vic Mignogna. The convention is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
