Man at Arms Craftsmen to be Guests at Otakon 2017
Washington, D.C. (July 28, 2017) – The master craftsmen behind the TV series "Man at Arms: The Art of War" — Matt Stagmer, Ilya Alekseyev, and Bill Collison — will be guests at Otakon 2017, according to Otakorp Inc.
Stagmer, host and bladesmith, has been making swords for 19 years. He is the lead blade grinder at Baltimore Knife and Sword. In the summer of 2014, he began hosting the hit web series "Man at Arms: Reforged." Teamed with other talented craftsmen, he brings to life the most requested fantasy arms and armor from your favorite video games, anime, and other pop culture genres. In 2017 he became the host of the TV show "Man at Arms: The Art of War," starring alongside Danny Trejo to make history's most devastating weapons.
Alekseyev was born in Troitsk, Russia. From an early age, he developed a liking for the art and craftsmanship of bladed weapons. He likes to bring his background in art history, Asian studies, and philosophy into his craft. Alekseyev is currently an armourer working with Baltimore Knife and Sword as well as one of the product designers. Among the skills that he brings to the Man at Arms project are his expertise in armour, damascus steel, bloomery steel, and engraving.
Collison has been working with Baltimore Knife and Sword off and on for the past 20 years and on a full-time bases for the past two years grinding blades. His craftsman background started in armor making and progressed into casting, mold making and heat treating. His knowledge with sheet metal work has made it easy to transition into prop armor and costuming. He has worked with the Freelancers as their jousting armorer for 17 years and has a background in martial arts as well as the SCA. Collison is contributing smith on both of the "Man at Arms" series (TV & YouTube).
Otakon 2017 will be held from August 11 to 13 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C.
ABOUT OTAKON AND OTAKORP, INC.: Now entering its twenty-fourth 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. Historically, Otakon has drawn up to 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.otakorp.org/
For more information and the latest news on Otakon 2017, see http://www.Otakon.com/
