Out and About

For all my talk of world travel, I actually stay at home a lot. It's part of my existence as a grad student (and now stay-at-home-dad). However, I am pleased to announce that I'll be traveling soon.

First off, the good folks at Anime Punch! have graciously invited me to be a guest at their convention (March 31st - April 2nd). Anime Punch! is a relatively new and small con in Columbus, Ohio, but this is their first year at a hotel, and the schedule looks jam-packed with all sorts of cool stuff. Too many of the cons I've attended recently have had lackluster panels or simply not enough of them. That won't be the case this time. I've already agreed to host or co-host several panels, and I plan to attend many more. If you're going to be at the con, do stop by and say hello!

In May, I will be presenting some of my otaku research at the International Conference on Asian Comics, Animation, and Gaming 2006 at York University in Toronto, Canada. A number of my colleagues from the Anime and Manga Research Circle will be there as well, so I expect a good time will be had by all.

On a related note, if you want to see some of my work in print, I have an essay on otaku culture in Contemporary Youth Culture: An International Encyclopedia Vol. 1. The two hardcover volumes are quite pricey, but they're pretty cool if you can get ahold of them.