Otakon Vegas to Host Space Dandy Launch Event

Las Vegas, NV (December 11, 2013) – Funimation presents sneak preview of Space Dandy, along with guests Ian Sinclair & Zach Bolton.

Funimation will present the first episode of the highly anticipated new anime Space Dandy in a special launch event at Otakon Vegas on Saturday (4 January 2014), featuring the US voice of Space Dandy, Ian Sinclair, as well as ADR director Zach Bolton. The anime will premiere in English on Adult Swim Toonami block at 11:30 pm that same day, and in Japan and throughout Asia hours later.

Space Dandy, the new anime from the entire creative team behind Cowboy Bebop, was announced at Otakon this past August by Shinichiro Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo), who serves as general director for the series. Also on board are director Shingo Natsume (Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos); screenwriters including Kimiko Ueno (movie Crayon Shin-chan), Dai Sato (Cowboy Bebop, Eureka Seven), and Keiko Nobumoto (Cowboy Bebop, Wolf's Rain); character designer Yoshiyuki Ito (Star Driver), spaceship designer Thomas Romain (Satelight) (Basquash!); and featuring a theme song by Yasuyuki Okamura. Animation production by Bones, Inc. (Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, Soul Eater, Eureka Seven AO).

Ian Sinclair performs the title role of Space Dandy. A professional actor based in Dallas, Texas, Ian's best known for his roles as Brook in One Piece, as Toriko in Toriko, as Ryner Lute in Legend of the Legendary Heroes, as Bardroy in Black Butler, and as Romano in Hetalia, as well as various roles in the Borderlands video games. He's also worked as a voice director on Initial D, Spice and Wolf II, Black Butler, and the Shana movie.

Zach Bolton directs the ambitious simultaneous English dub release. Drawing on eight years of experience with Funimation, Zach's credits include Soul Eater, Shin chan, Darker Than Black, Trigun: Badlands Rumble, Future Diary, Dragonball Z, and One Piece. He's also lent his voice to Hero in Soul Eater, Pluto in Black Butler, and Droy in Fairy Tail, among many others.

Otakon Vegas 2014 will be held January 3-5 at the Planet Hollywood Casino in Las Vegas, NV.

About FUNimation® Entertainment

FUNimation® Entertainment is the leading anime company in North America. FUNimation has a proven formula for launching and advancing brands. They manage a full spectrum of rights for most of their brands including broadcasting, licensing, production, internet, and home video sales and distribution. For more information about FUNimation Entertainment and its brands, visit www.funimation.com .

ABOUT OTAKON VEGAS AND OTAKORP, INC.: Otakon Vegas is the first annual celebration of Japanese and East Asian popular culture presented by Otakorp in Las Vegas, Nevada. Otakon Vegas celebrates popular culture as a gateway to deeper understanding of Asian culture. Otakon Vegas is a ticket 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.