Guests

Yoshiyuki Tomino

Yoshiyuki Tomino, born November 5, 1941 in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan, began his animation career at Mushi Productions where he scripted and storyboarded the classic anime series Astro Boy. Going on to direct, Mr. Tomino has overseen numerous series including Aura Battler Dunbine, Brain Powerd, Overman King Gainer, and The Wings of Rean. His longest-lasting legacy is Mobile Suit Gundam, a genre-breaking series first broadcast in 1979, which is noted for defining the current realistic portrayal of robots in Japanese animation. The original Mobile Suit Gundam series has been followed by numerous sequels and spin-offs, and the saga continues today with its latest entry — Mobile Suit Gundam UC (Unicorn) — debuting this winter in Japan.

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Yui Makino

Yui Makino was born January 19, 1986 and took up the piano at the age of four. Ms. Makino made her debut as a singer in 2005 with "Omna Magni," produced by Yoko Kanno, the ending theme song to the anime series Sousei No Aquarion. In April of the same year, she also made her debut as a voice actress, starring as Sakura in Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, and while fans may know Ms. Makino mainly through the role of Sakura, Tsubasa is just the start of Ms. Makino's voice acting career, and her voice can be heard in the roles including Aiko Tokosumi in Bokurano, Honoka Kawai in Sora Kake Girl, and Misaki Nakahara in Welcome To The NHK. Further, beyond Aquarion, Ms. Makino has contributed opening and ending themes to series including ARIA (Undine, Euforia, and Spirale), Welcome To The NHK (Modokashi Sekai no Ue de), as well as Tsubasa (Amrita and Synchornicity). Yui Makino's blog — www.bgbcom.com/makino-yui/ — is one of the most-read in Japan!

Become friends with Yui at http://www.myspace.com/makinoyui!

AKB48

AKB48 is a female music group created in 2005 by songwriter Yasushi Akimoto. The group was born under the concept of "idols you can meet everyday" and is based in Akihabara, the center of Japanese anime and manga culture. Members of AKB48 regularly appear in movies, television shows, and theater, and they are on top of Japan's pop culture consciousness, singing at Japan's biggest New Year's Eve broadcast, joining Prime Minister Taro Aso for cherry-blossom viewing, hosting their own weekly television show, and collaborating with artist Takashi Murakami on multiple projects. AKB48's NYC performance is their first visit to the USA. Image © AKS. For more, visit http://www.akb48.co.jp/english/index.html!

Please note, AKB48 has asked that fans not record video of them during their appearance at NYAF. Fans may take still pictures (but not flash photography) during their Saturday panel and performance as long as they are for their personal use. Fans may not take photos of any kind during the AKB48 autograph session

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Echostream

Echostream is a band that succeeds in creating music that can draw the audience into its world of rich and vivid emotion. Deep grooves, driving guitars, and a dark and beautiful ambience provide a perfectly crafted world for emotion-injected vocals to thrive in. Live performances are more like theatrical experiences than concerts. Echostream's ability to connect emotionally with its audiences is the band's true strength. Their fans come back time and time again for a chance to relive this intense experience. For never having been on extended tour, Echostream has racked up a lot of credit around the Eastern half of the nation and opened up for international touring acts such as Blood, Anti-Feminism, and Phantasmagoria. For more information about this unique band, go to myspace.com/echostream. See them at the Far East To East Showcase!

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Gelatine

In Japan, there was an all-girl punk band called 10 Yen Anakinoko, begun by singer Seiko when she was only 15-years-old. This band ended after playing in New York City in 1995, and they have since become a legend. Five years later, a 10 Yen Anakinoko reunion show with new guitarist Jun became the beginning of Gelatine; a band created to let the great songs of 10 Yen Anakinoko come to alive once again as well as to craft new, intense music. Gelatine's long-awaited first album, Gie Ji Gaii, was released in January 2009. It is an embodiment of what Gelatine has been aiming to capture for all these years. Experience the Japanese horror-comical freak punk metal that is Gelatine at the Far East To East Showcase!

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ichiP!

When anime, dancing, and four girls combine, "ichiP!" is born! Ichigo Pantsu is happy to perform on their home turf at NYAF this year! Usually found in the artist alley or dealer's room, you can find them on stage this weekend performing — and teaching! — dances from popular anime and some of their own! Watch ichiP! online at http://www.youtube.com/ichipdansu.

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Kokusyoku Sumire

The dark sounds of baroque and cabaret unite for a unique two-piece band know as Kokusyoku Sumire. At the center of Kokusyoku Sumire (Black Violet) are Yuka, a genuine soprano songstress with the attraction of a little devil, and Sachi, an exceptional violinist and model who effortlessly strikes adorable poses. The girls express with extravagant freedom motifs based on internationally known fairy tales such as Little Red Riding Hood, The Little Match Girl, and Hansel and Gretel, while adopting elements from such music genres as chansons and classical music. Formed in 2004, this musical unit has acquired a unique position in the Japanese musical scene and the world. Kokusyoku Sumire toured France at the end of November 2007 and are ready to enchant New York City at NYAF. See them at the Far East To East Showcase!

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Reni Mimura

Reni, born and raised in Japan, currently resides in New York City and specializes in Akihabara style performances, a genre that emphasizes the cute look of Japanese pop culture with the hip appeal of Japanese animation. Through her singing and dancing she creates an adorable, peaceful, yet exciting mood. Her first Japanese CD, released in 2006, was produced by Takahiro Yamautsuri, who composed the music for one of the Pokemon movies. Reni is quickly winning over the hearts of many new local fans, thanks to her pretty stage costumes, upbeat personality, and her outstanding singing talent. She'll be performing at the start of NYAF's Masquerade. For more, visit renireni.com.

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Swinging Popsicle

Japanese indie music veterans Swinging Popsicle play pop/rock music in amazing fashion with incredible vocals, tasty guitar work, and catchy lyrics. After starting strong with multiple Sony-label releases, Swinging Popsicle continued to build their international fan base with their independent releases of "Change" and "Orange." Their album transit features the hits "I Just Wanna Kiss You" and "Girl Meets Boy." Performing to regular sold-out live shows, the band continued to develop new material for their full-length album, Go on, which features "rainbounds," "Clash," and "Chocolate Soul Music." Their song "Satetsu No Tou" track is the image song for Akiha Tohno from Tsukihime. Their "Kanashii Shirabe" came packaged with the manhwa Cracker. Their music's also appeared in the Nitro+ PC game Star Mine Girl - Sumaga. Swinging Popsicle was nominated as Best Japanese Rock Band by Shojo Beat magazine.

Abigail Mascherpa

Abigail “Maskerpa” Mascherpa is a Mexican cosplayer who represented her country at the 2009 World Cosplay Summit. She started cosplaying a few years ago, has participated in many Mexican anime events, and has written for anime magazines, too. Her weakness for sake, geishas, and samurai have inspired her to make a lot of complicated costumes. She will be appearing on the International Cosplay Panel and in Saturday’s Masquerade.

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Brit Frady-Williams

Brit Frady-Williams has worked with crafts and textiles since her childhood, a pursuit that she feels her Cherokee heritage spurred forward. Starting with beadworking at the age of seven, Brit learned to master sewing, draping and design, eventually leading her to New York City where she earned a degree in fashion design from the prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology. She revels in complex designs, rich fabrics and historically inspired pieces. She also strives to reimagine everyday living and commonplace objects, envisioning the fantastic amidst the mundane. Noting how modern life seems deprived of the quality and wonder that has enriched humanity since its origin, Brit seeks to reawaken this old world charm for a new generation.

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Brittney Karbowski

Brittney Karbowski began voice acting in 2005, and she recently has started working at FUNimation. Some of her first FUNimation roles include Mai in My Santa, Sia in Shuffle!, Anri in Sasami, and Nina in Save Me Lollipop. Most recently, she's appears in Ouran High School Host Club as Hinako Tsuwabuki and Darker Than Black as Kiko. She's now Black Star in Soul Eater. In her free time, Brittney likes to garden, cook, and collect piggy banks. She lives in her native town of Houston with her dog, Sierra, her cat, KiKi, and her boyfriend, Matt. She'd like to thank everyone who believes in her.

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Cherami Leigh

Cherami Leigh is an on camera and voice actress. She started in the anime world voicing Sae in Peach Girl and has since worked on Shuffle (Primula), Sasami (Makoto), xxxHOLiC (Himawari), Hell Girl (Saki Kirino), Ouran High School Host Club (Kirimi), Negima (Setsuna and Akira), Sgt. Frog (Natsumi), D. Gray-man (Road Camelot), Dragonaut (Sieglinde), and more. She began acting at the age of six and has worked with LeAnn Rimes, Bernadette Peters, Paul Dano, Ethan Hawke, Ashley Johnson, Wilmer Valderamma, Marcia Gay Harden, Thomas Jane, Avril Lavigne, Claire Danes, and many others. She has worked on Fast Food Nation, The Hottest State, and The Mist, the new film for HBO Temple Grandin. She is now voicing Patty in Soul Eater, and she is thrilled to be attending New York Anime Fest — finally getting to visit NYC!

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Disorganization XIII

Disorganization XIII is the world's foremost authority on the geek community. Their crack(ed) team of writers, speculators, journalists, and all around geeks have been performing at conventions for many years, bringing fans the latest info on their favorite games and anime. Their self-award-winning Spoiler: The Panel comedy panel is coming back for the third straight year, and it's joined by other panels about anime, video games, and the geek community at large. .

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Eric Maruscak

Eric Maruscak is an illustrator and cartoonist from Upstate New York. He is best known for making giant chalk mural recreations of famous anime and comic book images at numerous conventions and art shows over the past four years. Eric's work has appeared in Los Angeles, Chicago, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Dallas, and the past two New York Comic Cons and New York Anime Festivals. You can watch his artistic progress all weekend long, or check out more of his work at www.pepperink.com.

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Green Light Anti-Zombie Squad

Our government is prepared for almost anything — foreign attacks, nuclear warfare, even the occasional civil uprising — but what defenses does our government have against the undead? Due to chemical experimentation, toxic waste dumps, and unsafe biohazard disposal, an outbreak is now more possible than ever before, and that's why the Green Light Anti-Zombie Squad is at NYAF. From firearms to melee weapons to survival skills, the Green Light Anti-Zombie Squad will train you how to be a zombie apocalypse renaissance man.

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Jamie Marchi

Raised on a steady diet of Bob Dylan, Molière, Christopher Durang and Mentos, Jamie Marchi has been making fresh and acting professionally since the turn of the century. She is best known for roles in Witchblade (Masane Amaha), Black Cat (Rinslet Walker), Burst Angel (Meg), Shin Chan (Miss Polly), Sgt. Frog (Aki, ADR Writer, ADR Director), Spice and Wolf (Chloe, ADR Writer, ADR Director), Negima (Haruna, ADR Writer, ADR Director), and Fruits Basket (Motoko Minigawa). In her spare time, Jamie enjoys '80s music, dancing, watching football, spending time with friends, fajitas, making fun of people who are taking long walks on the beach, and generally just being a redhead. Born in Knoxville but never considering herself a Knoxvillian, she now resides in Dallas after majoring in Theater and minoring in Fashion and Espionage at the University of Oklahoma. Go Sooners! She's now voicing Liz in FUNimation's Soul Eater!

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Jamie McGonnigal

Jamie McGonnigal is best known for voicing Barry in Pokemon, Blitz in Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s, Omi in Weiss Kreuz, Takeo in Magic User's Club, and Kazuto World of Narue. He can also been heard in as Ranmaru in the yaoi classic Kizuna, Yoshito in BECK, Kanou in Big Windup!, and LA in El Cazador de la Bruja. Jamie has also produced and directed award-winning theatrical concert presentations of Children of Eden, Pippin (starring Rosie O'Donnell and Ben Vereen), The Secret Garden (voted one of the Top 5 theatrical events of 2005), Rags (at Times Square's Nokia Theatre), and Snoopy (starring Tony-winner Sutton Foster), as well as Broadway Loves the '80s and Flopz n' Cutz. He has worked to raise awareness and funds for organizations including The Matthew Shepard Foundation, Broadway Impact, Join the Impact, The Joey DiPaolo AIDS Foundation, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Free Arts NYC, God's Love We Deliver, The National AIDS Fund, OneIowa.org, Lambda Legal, and many more. For more, visit www.JamieMcG.com or www.TalkAboutEquality.org.
Photo by Jimmi Kilduff (www.jkbkphotography.com).

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Kyle Cassidy

Photographer Kyle Cassidy will be shooting portraits of fans for an upcoming gallery show at the New York Anime Festival. Kyle's most recent book is "Who Killed Amanda Palmer", created with author Neil Gaiman. You can find out more about Kyle on his blog at www.kylecassidy.com and see his fan photos from Worldcon 2009 at http://tinyurl.com/lfse9x. Kyle will be taking photos from 2 to 5 PM on Friday, September 25 in NYAF Room 1A01. All fans are welcome, and all images will be available for download later.

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Kyle Hebert

Kyle Hebert is a Los Angeles-based voice actor whose credits include the voices of Kamina in Gurren Lagann, Ryu in Street Fighter IV, Kiba in Naruto, Aizen in Bleach, and the teenage Gohan in Dragon Ball Z. He can also be heard as Falman in Fullmetal Alchemist, Munei in Ghost in the Shell, Tomitake in When They Cry, and Bael and Dagon in Devil May Cry 4. He's co-sponsored by theOtaku.com.

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Laura Bailey

Laura Bailey got her start in anime playing Kid Trunks on Dragon Ball Z and has gone on to play several leads in other popular titles. Some of her most recognizable roles include Shin in Shin Chan, Tohru Honda in Fruits Basket, Lust in Fullmetal Alchemist, Keiko in Yu Yu Hakusho, Sana in Kodocha, Marlene in Blue Gender, Oboro in Basilisk, Henrietta in Gunslinger Girl, Chi-Chi in Dragon Ball, Anko in Naruto, Schrodinger in Hellsing, Evangeline and Ayaka in Negima, and Rakshata in Code Geass. And for the gamers out there, you can hear Laura’s voice as Chun Li in Street Fighter IV, Rayne in the BloodRayne, Marta in Tales of Symphonia, Reimi in Star Ocean 4, Rise in Persona 4, and Raspberyl in Digsaea 3. To see her full credits, visit www.lizardbee.com. She's currently voicing Maka in FUNimation's Soul Eater.

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Lindsey Henninger

Known for her unique coloring style, Lindsey (aka ElvesAteMyRamen) is the most popular fan artist on theOtaku.com. In addition to her anime art pursuits, Lindsey is a freelance illustrator whose works have appeared in galleries and shows throughout upstate New York. She's co-sponsored by theOtaku.com.

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Mario Bueno

With a background in stage and screen, Mario is an award-winning cosplayer whose performances have made a splash throughout the world thanks to the power of the internet. He has appeared on Anime News Network as a co-host for their 2007-2008 news webisodes and was the director/writer/star of 2005's Final Fantasy vs Kaiju Big Battel. Mario invites you to check out his costume gallery on American Cosplay Paradise, as well as his website and YouTube page. He's at NYAF hosting the Friday Night Cosplay Variety Show!

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Melissa Diaz

Each design Melissa makes is a journey. Sometimes she uses patterns and sometimes collage fabric onto a model. Regardless of how she works, her fabrics usually dictate the final composition; her Unrefined series is the best example of that. Within the series there are different styles, but the constant in all pieces, is that they are scraps of fabrics collaged together. She have found that this is her preferred way of working, and she hopes the designs are enjoyed as much as I enjoyed making them. Melissa is appearing as part of the Neo-Victorian Fashion Show. For more, visit gro-wings.com.

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Micah Solusod

Micah Solusod is fairly new to the voice acting scene. Born and raised in Hawaii, he left home to pursue his professional voice acting dream. He's voiced various minor characters in several FUNimation titles, and the lead role of Soul in Soul Eater is his big break. When he's not in the studio, he enjoys playing guitar, sketching, and taking pictures of the sky. NYAF is his first convention, and he is honored and excited to be here.

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Michael Sinterniklaas

Michael Sinterniklaas is a voice actor, dubbing director, and the founder of NYAV Post, a dubbing studio based in New York City. He was born in the Netherlands and moved to the United States at the age of 10. Sinterniklaas graduated from the High School of the Performing Arts in New York City and attended college in North Carolina where he did work at both Southwynde and Coastal Carolina Studios. He's currently the voice of Dean Venture in Adult Swim's The Venture Bros. and Leonardo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Mike's also the voice of Leo in Fullmetal Alchemist, Mikey Simon in Kappa Mikey, and Mahad in Yu-Gi-Oh! In the past, Sinterniklaas has dubbed shows including Twin Signal, Weiss Kreuz, Magic User's Club, and Berserk.

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Misako Rocks!

Misako Rocks! developed a love for comics and manga at an early age and drew her first comic at the age of 13. She moved to New York in 2001 and worked as a puppeteer, face painter, animal balloon maker, and art teacher while still developing her own work. Her first book — Biker Girl — and second — Rock and Roll Love — were published by Hyperion. She recently scored a three-book deal with Henry Holt, and her first Henry Holt book — Detective Jermain — was released in 2008. Besides these books, Misako writes scripts for Archie comics and stories for the weekly kids comic magazine Peach de Punch in the UK. She's also illustrated The Onion's Savage Love for 10 years. Misako currently lives in Brooklyn and spends her free time riding her vintage bike, making hip hop, kissing babies, shaking hands, slam dunking, and eating lots of onigiri! Visit misakorocks.com for more.

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Monica Rial

Monica Rial is currently voicing Tsubaki in FUNimation's Soul Eater. She's been working in the anime voice over industry for 10 years, and some of her other credits include Air TV (Misuzu), Air Gear (Simca), Azumanga Daioh (Nyamo), Baccano! (Chane), Burst Angel (Jo), DNAngel (Towa), Excel Saga (Hyatt), Full Metal Panic (Kyoko), Ghost Stories (Momoko), Gunslinger Girl (Angelica), Hello Kitty's Animation Theater (Hello Kitty), Kiddy Grade (Lumiere), Kurau Phantom Memory (Kurau), Negima (Konoka/Kazumi/Satsuki), Moon Phase (Hazuki), Nanaka 6/17 (Nanaka), Noir (Kirika), One Piece (Tashigi/Carue), Ouran Host Club (Renge), Princess Nine (Izumi), RahXephon (Haruka), Macross (Misa), Peacemaker Kurogane (Saya/Saizo), Sasami (Misao), Sergeant Frog (Momoka), School Rumble (Lara), Shuffle! (Asa), Speed Grapher (Kagura), Spiral (Rio), Steel Angel Kurumi (Saki), Tsubasa Chronicles (Sakura) and Witchblade (Maria).

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Naruto

In Japan, Studio Pierrot has traveling Naruto stage shows that perform at malls and conventions. At NYAF, you'll have a rare opportunity to meet one of the these stage show actors in costume — as an official Naruto mascot will be appearing and signing autographs throughout the show at Anime Bento (Booth 420)!

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Rachael Lillis

Rachael is an actor and singer who lives in NYC and has voiced roles in various anime dubs. Some of her voice credits include Dinosaur King (Ursula, Reese, Laura), Chaotic (Intress), Pokemon (original voices of Jessie, Misty and about 35 monsters), Comic Party (Mizuki), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Tomoe Ame), Genshiken (Ohno), Kujibiki Unbalance (Kasumi Kasuragi), Boys Be (Aya), Boogiepop Phantom (Nagi, Manaka), Animation Runner Kuromi (Mai), Revolutionary Girl Utena (Utena, Chu Chu), Gokudo (Nihi), His and Her Circumstances (Aya, Miyako), and The Irresponsible Captain Tylor (Yuriko Star). She has narrated audiobooks and also played characters in video games, and has done voiceover for Sesame Street, Nova, and American Masters. She’s also looped for live-action shows such as Sex and The City and Law and Order.

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Roland Kelts

Roland Nozomu Kelts is a half-Japanese American writer who divides his time between New York and Tokyo and publishes in both English and Japanese. He is the author of Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture has Invaded the US (www.japanamericabook.com). He is also a lecturer at the University of Tokyo, a contributing editor and writer for "Adbusters" magazine and "A Public Space" literary journal, and a columnist for "The Daily Yomiuri" in Japan. His essays and stories can be found in the books "A Wild Haruki Chase," "Gamers," "Kuhaku," "Playboy's College Fiction," "Tokyo Art Space," "Zoetrope" and others. He is the Editor in Chief of the "Anime Masterpieces" screening and discussion series. His forthcoming novel is called "Access," and when he is not writing, reading, lecturing or traveling, he can be found playing the drums in his band. Mr. Kelts will appear on Friday's Tomino panel, Saturday's AKB48 panel, and Sunday's Makino Q&A.

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Sabina Iglesias

Mexican representative in the 2009 World Cosplay Summit, Sabina Iglesias has been cosplaying for a few years now, mainly characters designed by CLAMP (she loves cute puffy dresses and with lots of lace). Each costume she makes is carefully detailed with painted applications and hand-made beading. Also known as Wabisabi, Sabina lives and works in Mexico City as an illustrator for some local and international publishers, using both digital and traditional styles and techniques. She will be appearing on the International Cosplay Panel and in Saturday’s Masquerade.

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Scott Westerfeld

Scott Westerfeld is the author of the steam punk book Leviathan and you can see him on Sunday at the NY Anime Festival. Westerfeld is also the author of the Uglies series. His other novels include The Last Days, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and the sequel to Peeps; So Yesterday, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults; and the Midnighters trilogy. Scott alternates summers between New York City and Sydney, Australia. Visit him on the Web at scottwesterfeld.com.

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Shien Lee

Shien Lee is the creator of the monthly club night Dances of Vice, which began in New York in 2007 as a venue showcasing an exotic melange of performances from and influenced by that special time in history, the 1920s and 30s. Since then, it has blossomed to include Victorian and Rococo themed events with a New Romantic flair and has established a decadent community of elegant dandies, aesthetes, romantics and ne'er-do-wells who gather in shared enthusiasm for the music, fashion, culture, and beauty of times forgotten. Shien is appearing in Sunday's Neo-Victorian Fashion Show.

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Todd Haberkorn

Todd Haberkorn is a proud member of the anime community and is hoping to cosplay at some point down the road during at least one convention. Catch Todd's voice as Death the Kid in Soul Eater, Watanuki in xxxHolic, Raki in Claymore, Yamato in Suzuka, Naru in Ghost Hunt, Keroro in Sgt. Frog, and Allen Walker in D.Gray-Man. (Todd's directing D.Gray-Man, too!) He received his BFA in Acting from Southern Methodist University and works professionally, primarily in Texas and surrounding states, as an actor, director, producer, and writer, and he recently joined with the film division of Blue Logic Productions as an Associate Producer.

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Tom Wayland

Tom Wayland is a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts with a degree in acting. Tom got his start performing in various theatrical productions ranging from Hamlet to Stomp to Jesus Christ Superstar. After a stint as a rock star roaming the East Coast's rock clubs, Tom ran out of money and had to get a job — and thus began what is now a 10-year career in the animation industry. Tom has produced and/or directed hundreds of anime programs such as Now & Then, Here & There, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Alien Nine, The World of Narue, Ichi the Killer, Mew Mew Power, Magical Do Re Mi, and GI Joe: Sigma Six. He currently serves as the voice director on the hit series Pokemon. Tom is also a very busy voice actor, having appeared in over 100 titles including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as Jammerhead, GI Joe: Sigma Six as Stormshadow, Pokemon as Reggie, Sho, and numerous monsters, Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds as Nervin, and Yu-Gi-Oh GX as Abidos and Chumley, Chaotic. His voice has also appeared in Magical Do Re Mi, One Piece, Mew Mew Power, Knight Hunters, Genshiken, Kujibiki, and Gokusen. In addition, Tom's work can be seen or heard on various TV commercials, feature films, and audiobook projects. Make sure to check out Tom's talent in the English-language version of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival hit, Dead Snow. What's it about? Two words. Nazi Zombies!

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Travis Willingham

Travis Willingham has worked in stage, television, and film, but he is best known in the anime world for voicing Colonel Roy Mustang in Fullmetal Alchemist — one of his very first anime roles. He has since gone on to work on many other popular titles in both Texas and Los Angeles, and his anime credits include Kanda (D.Gray-man), Pierre (Aquarion), Mori (Ouran High School Host Club), Ginko (Mushi-shi), Andreas Darlton (CODE GEASS), Portgas D. Ace (One Piece), and Leon (Vexille). His video game credits include Guile (Street Fighter 4), Nathan Hale (Resistance 2), Torgal (The Last Remnant), Clint (Tales of Vesperia), and Yodai Higashizawa (The World Ends With You). His on-screen credits include Secondhand Lions, Ray, Friday Night Lights, Prison-A-Go-Go, The Guardian, and most recently, A Perfect Getaway. He has also worked on CBS's Cold Case, FX's Nip/Tuck, and Fox's Prison Break. His newest roles are playing The Hulk and The Human Torch in the Marvel Superhero Squad on Cartoon Network.

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Uncle Yo

Having escaped from Raccoon and Shinra City, Yo takes on his old stomping grounds of New York City. Get your jutsus warmed up because this Starfleet intern wears the Number 1 ninja headband. Karl "Uncle Yo" Custer premiered his geek-specific stand-up comedy routine at the first NYAF, and year three will see Uncle Yo taken to a whole new level. Don't forget to encourage his bad habits at www.uncleyo.com.

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Veronica Taylor

Acting since she was five-years-old, Veronica Taylor got her start in school plays and talent shows, and she is now one of the most sought-after voice actresses in the country. She's most known for her role as the original Ash in Pokemon, and her lengthy resume includes Yukino in His and Her Circumstances, Aoi in To Heart, Amelia in Slayers, Scarlett in GI Joe: Sigma 6, and April O'Neil in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. She can also be heard as Alice Elliot in Shadow Hearts and Freya, Jayle, and Aelia in Valkyrie Profile.

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Zach Bolton

Zach Bolton has worked with FUNimation for over five years as a Voice Director, Line Producer, ADR Engineer, and Voice Actor. He began as an engineer on shows such as Samurai 7, Burst Angel, Fullmetal Alchemist, and Kodocha, and he slid over to the director’s chair with Desert Punk. His primary projects since then has been Shin Chan, One Piece, Rumbling Hearts, Negima, Peach Girl, Dragon Ball Z, Darker Than Black, and Dragonaut. He's now directing FUNimation's Soul Eater. (He's also the voice of "Guy Who Gets Stabbed With Four Swords" in Basilisk.)

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Zoh Rothberg

With a background in Broadway costume construction, Morrigan New York's lead designer Zoh Rothberg creates pieces borne of her knowledge of both contemporary and Victorian-era pattern drafting techniques. Her interest in 19th-century social history has also led her to New York's historic Merchant House Museum, where she volunteers behind the scenes to study and care for the museum’s collection of Victorian-era textiles The Morrigan label infuses Classical and Gothic Lolita styles with themes from 19th-century literature, art, and politics. The inaugural collection features a series of exclusive prints illustrated by Brooklyn-based painter Matthew Boyle — including the Raven Skirt, with a print based on a poem by Edgar Allen Poe. One of a very few Western Lolita brands to professionally manufacture clothing pieces in a factory setting, Morrigan is committed to worker's rights and high quality workmanship. All pieces are proudly handmade exclusively in local New York factories — 100% sweatshop free!

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