ANIME SACRAMENTO NEWSLETTER, APRIL - MAY 2003   Welcome to the April-May 2003 Anime Sacramento Newsletter. Meetings of Anime Sacramento are bi-monthly, usually on the 2nd Saturday of the odd-numbered months, at the private residence of Laurine White, Sacramento, California. Email the editor, LVBwhite@concourse.net for info and directions. I enjoy trading non-commercial Japanese-language anime (such as tv episodes), and do limited freebie-dupes of same. E-mail me about trading tapes and some stuff I have for sale.   Next meeting will be Saturday, MAY 10, 2003, from 1pm to 10pm. Thank you kind folks who brought munchies in March. We have lots of Girl Scout cookies, chips, pretzels, and some kind soul donated a 12-pack of Coke Classic for next meeting. Dinner break is 7-8pm. More DVDs are on hand for next meeting. It would be nice to run some classic anime like GOD MARS (Matt?), some live action sentai stuff in Japanese, including episodes of the next Power Rangers and the latest Kamen Rider with the really pretty boys (wink, wink, nudge, nudge, know what I mean, know what I mean). If you have anime DVDs you want to view with others, please bring them to the show.   Subscriptions to this newsletter are available, 3 issues for $1.80, 6 issues for $3.60. Make checks payable to Laurine White or send unused postage stamps. If your subscription is expiring, ask to be added to the personal distribution list for the newsletter (it's not an attachment), just send me an email. Remember, if you change your email address, please let me know, so I can keep you on the distribution list. Also let me know if your email is set up to reject distribution list emails. If you want to Unsubscribe to the newsletter, just let me know.   Chris says that 20th Century Fox is losing its TOTORO rights to Disney in a year, so it's not worth the money to add the extras to the TOTORO DVD. Also, 20th Century Fox may not even have the rights to use the Japanese soundtrack. So wait for the Buena Vista version.   Yaaayyy! SPIRITED AWAY won the Oscar for best animated feature! No one was on hand from Japan to pick up the Oscar, due to war concerns. Miyazaki is hard at work on his next anime feature, "Howl's Moving Castle", due for release in mid-2004. (source: animenewsservice.com) And now Disney has finally given SPIRITED AWAY the big theatrical release it deserves! (I've been arguing with someone at work on the relative merits of SPIRIT vs. SPIRITED AWAY, which he never heard of, due to its previous inadequate release.   Important Dates: Pacific Rim Festival 11th anniversary in Old Sacramento (www.pacificrimstreetfest.org) is scheduled for Sunday, May 18, 10am to 5pm. Admission is free and it takes up most of the streets in Old Sacramento. Food booths, booths with arts, crafts, information on Asia, dancing and song performances, job fair. Lots of fun, but it could rain (like last year), or be horribly hot (like the year before).   Cherry Blossom Festival, Japantown, San Francisco takes place on weekends April 12-13 and April 19-20, at Post & Buchanan Streets, with food booths, martial arts, art demos, music, dance, food booths (very important!), a samurai sword display on Apr 19-20 at the Radisson Miyako Hotel (www.ncjsc.org/NCJSC_events.htm for more info on that). The big parade will be 1 to 3 pm on April 20, including Cosplay (see www.mirifique.net/pic/acp.jpg or phone William Tak at 415-563-5220 if you wish to participate).   Free Comic Book Day is May 3rd. Visit your local comic book store that day and pick up (FREE!) an issue of Way of the Rat Movie Special #1, Rocket Comics - Ignite, Transformers: Armada, Disney's Donald Duck Adventures - "Maharajah Donald", or a selection of other titles.   More websites of interest: felicity.org/cac/ website - This is a website for listing California Anime Clubs (cac), so if you have an anime club in this great state, please get it listed at this site, so others know you're out there.   www.bayareanime.com - Here's another website for getting your Northern California Anime Club listed. And you can check it out also if you're planning to do some anime shopping in the Bay Area. Not to mention that it also has anime news.   www.dragglestown.com and www.discounthobby.com - These sites are now selling Dark Age 35mm unpainted Miniatures of Usagi Yojimbo, Gen, Katsuichi, Jei from Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo comic book. They're fully licensed. Price is about $5 each. More characters from the series are being released later this month. Maybe sending a stamped self-addressed envelope to Discount Hobby, Inc., 2376 W. Michigan Ave., Battle Creek, MI 49017, will get you some more information. The figures may also be available through your local comics or gaming store.   Furry fandom FAQ website - if you want more info on Furry Fandom, here's a FAQ website for you: www.tigerden.com/~infopage/furry   Fans of SHI and Billy Tucci - website for buying Billy Tucci original artwork (from the various SHI titles) is www.WilliamTucci.com. If you'd like to buy the ultimate Guide to the SHI Universe Cover Gallery, with over 200 pages, $29.99, it's scheduled for release in May. Go to www.CrusadeFineArts.com. Sorry, I have no snail mail addresses for these.   www.sacramentoanime.com - has been completely redone. Check it out, see all the work Nicky has put into it. Anime Sacramento Newsletters are now being archived at this site.   www.nikaku.com - Nikaku Animart - 615 North 6th Street, San Jose, CA 95112, (408) 971-2822, for anime CDs, books, posters, etc. Visit them when you're in the area for Fanime.   Cartoon Network - Toonami website is www.CartoonNetwork.com/toonami Check Anime-tourist news below for Cartoon Network News. Also, TRIGUN starts at midnite on Monday, March 31.   My stuff for sale: Japanese CDs: RED - music soundtrack album from STEAM BOY DETECTIVE and BLUE, a drama album, same anime series, $10 for the set; ULTRAMAN ACE double CD set ($10); SFX GRAFFITI-ULTRAMAN - 4 CDs for $15; SHADOW SKILL original music soundtrack double CD set, very nice music for $10. Is anyone interested in three robot model kits, Net Attacker Glitch, Scratch, and Net Defender E-Male? They are Skill Level 1, and I'll let them go for the cost of postage. Also for sale are Roman Album-type publications, manga, robot models and laser disks.   Conventions - ReccaCon - Due to college budget cuts, ReccaCon has been re-scheduled from late May to November 8. Website: www.anime-garden.com/%7Eebnerj/index.html for the latest ReccaCon info.   YaoiCon 2003 (www.yaoicon.com) is October 17-19 at the Renaissance Parc 55 Hotel. Attendees must be 18 years of age or older. Guest of Honor is manga artist Shushushu Sakurai. Registration before June 31 is $40, $50 between July 1 and September 18, and $60 at the door. Visit the website to register online. Mail-in - make check or money order payable to biseinen-ya, send it and proof you're over 18, to Ycon 2003 Registration, 22810 Rancho Palomares Place, Castro Valley, CA 94552.   And don't forget FanimeCon - www.fanime.com - June 20-22, 2003 at the Westin Santa Clara, Santa Clara Convention Center, San Jose area, California, $40 until March 31, check payable to "Anime Resource Group", send to Fanime Con 2003 Pre-Registration, PO Box 8068, San Jose, CA 95155-8068.   News from Matt: Shin Hokuto No Ken is a 3-episode OAV series in production. Artisan Entertainment has released the first 11 Speed Racer episodes on DVD, price $22.95. CD Japan's website is cdjapan.co.jp They have E-mail newsletter notification of various categories pre-releases.   If you enjoyed "Kung Pow" the movie, you may be interested in the following: Tommy Boy has acquired the rights to several Hong Kong movies, which are going to be edited and dubbed with funky dialog for DVD release as the "Kung Faux" series. The first DVD will be released April 8. It's also reported the DVD programs will have commercials during the show. Of course, if you didn't enjoy Kung Pow, you'll probably avoid this series. Then check out Fox Home Entertainment's release of several Hong Kong movies on July 22: City Hunter (starring Jackie Chan), Hong Kong 1941, Magnificent Warriors (Michelle Yeoh, 1987), Magnificent Butcher (Kwan Tak Hing, Samo Hung, Yuen Biao, 1979), Naked Killer (1992), for $14.95 each. (source: animenewsservice.com)   Mainframe News (www.mainframe.ca/mainframe/index_html.html): Mainframe (Vancouver, Canada) is working on The Scary Godmother Halloween Spooktakular for this coming Halloween. It is based on the comics and books by Jill Thompson. On Mainframe's development list are: "Alien Legion" - a 3D animated series about the Legion's Force Nomad, sort of an intergalactic French (oops - "Freedom"(?)) Foreign Legion; "Dot's Bots" - about a "12-year-old-girl and mechanical genius who creates a zany collection of robots assembled from scraps found in her grandfather's junkyard that mysteriously come to life"; "Betty Boop" - a new prime time comedy series about Betty and her friends and their dreams of rock 'n roll stardom.   Comics Buyers Guide News: Ironcat (www.ic-ent.com) will be bringing out "My Code Name is Charmer" by Narumi Kakinouchi. "You think your school life is rough? Try balancing classes and fighting evil as a psychic secret agent."// The main villain in the SPIDER-MAN 2 movie (due out in May 7, 2004) will be Dr. Octopus, to be played by Alfred Molina.   Rightstuf (www.rightstuf.com) News: "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure OVA now has an official English Website. Once you make it into the English site, make sure you click the star on the upper right hand corner to get the navigation menu. The site is in Flash and there's no downloadables (yet), so you can only look at the really great artwork and information on the show, but its still rather impressive. Visit the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Official Site: http://www.jojo-ova.com/ Media Blasters has also posted an official site for their upcoming show Samurai Deeper Kyo. Visit the Samurai Deeper Kyo Official Site: http://www.samuraideeperkyo.us/   Animenewsnetwork.com News: At this site you can find Kyle Pope's list of edits from the Cartoon Network airings of "Rurou ni Kenshin" episodes. //The new 13-episode anime series, "Ninja Scroll" starts playing on Japanese tv (WOWOW) in April. Urban Vision will release the series on DVD/video in 3 volumes this fall.// Viz has decided to discontinue the monthly DragonBall comicbook, replacing it with the graphic novel format.// Gerald R. Molen (Schindler's List) now has the rights to Lupin III, which he'll make into a live action Hollywood movie. Some creative license may be taken to make the film work for American audiences.// I.C. Entertainment (Studio Ironcat) has the North American license to Dragon Fist (by Kenji Okamura), about a boxer with a past. The first volume (of 5) will be published in August for $14.95, unflipped.// Quest, a comicbook title about a sort of "teen Lara Croft", is being added to Marvel Comic's Tsunami line-up as a sort of shojo title. Yuji Iwahara is the artist. As for the Tsunami line-up's "Namor" title, the artist has been changed from Mizuki Sakakibara to Salvador Larroca (X-Treme X-Men). Marvel wanted a better-know artist for "Namor". Sakakibara will be assigned to another title.   Anime-tourist.com News: Info on Cartoon Network 2003 schedule: Warner Brothers is working on a new "Duck Dodgers" animated series for Cartoon Network Saturday morning line-up, starting in July. A new Teen Titans animated series (from the DC title) will start in August. LowBrow starts in December, about slacker Coop fighting intergalactic baddies with an 80-foot-high robot he finds at the local dump. Samurai Jack has 20 new episodes starting in May 2003. Cartoon Network programming will also include 26 episodes of .hack//SIGN, 26 episodes of SD Gundam (a new series), 12 episodes of Kikaider (anime), 26 episodes of Trigun (starting March 31 at midnight), 13 new episodes of Big O, 26 episodes of Blue Gender.   www.zentertainment.com News: - The SciFi channel plans a 4-hour Battlestar Galactica mini-series for next December, with Edward James Olmos playing Commander Adama.// Fox is considering a Daredevil spinoff movie about Elektra, who is also supposed to appear in the Daredevil 2 movie. (You mean, she didn't really get killed off in Daredevil?)// Paramount is trying to get rights to Mech Warrior, to make a live action movie.// Genndy Tartakovsky is producing the animated shorts series, "Star Wars: Clone Wars", 20 shorts (2-3 minutes long) covering the Star Wars universe between Episodes 2 and 3 films. The shorts start airing on Cartoon Network next November.// New TNT mini-series, "Salem's Lot", will star Rob Lowe.// Universal has film rights to Michael Moorcock's albino swordsman hero, Elric, which is planned as a movie trilogy.// Jim Carrey will star in the film version of "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events", planned for release at the end of 2004.// Terry Gilliam's next film project is "Brothers Grimm", planned for release next year by MGM. // Looks like there may be a live action feature film based on the MTV series "Aeon Flux", about a female super-spy.// John Woo will direct the movie "Paycheck", based on a Philip K. Dick story. Ben Affleck will star as an amnesiac.   www.aint-it-cool-news.com News: Michelle Yeoh has postponed her "Mulan" movie, to start production soon on a heist action comedy, "Condor Heroin", in which she'll co-star with a Hollywood actor. The director is Jingle Ma.   Diamond PREVIEWS (diamondcomics.com) March 2003 for delivery in May (except as noted). Comics - Dark Horse - Mac Raboy's Flash Gordon Vol.2 (June 25), b&w, 256 pages, $20 (OK, so I'm a Flash Gordon fan). SPYBOY 13.2 The M.A.N.G.A. Affair #2 (of 3), b&w, 24 pages, $3. 3X3 EYES: Curse of The Gesu Ed.2, 152 pages, b&w, $15. Wildstorm - T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents Archives Vol.2 hardcover, 224 pages, $50 (yeah, I was a fan of the Thunder Agents too). RoboTech: The Macross Saga Vol 2 trade edition (reprint of #7-12), 176 pages, color, $15. Image - THE AGENTS #2 (of 6), (Tomahawks Are Go!) art by Ben Dunn, b&w, 32 pages, monthly, $2.95. HEIRS OF ETERNITY #2 (of 5) color, 32 pages, $2.95 (Gee, this sure looks an awful lot like DBZ! Can you say ripoff?). MICRONAUTS Trade Ed.Vol.1: Rebellion, color, 112 pages, $11. VOLTRON: Defender of the Universe #0 ($2.50) and #1 (of 5) color, 32 pages, $2.95. BATTLE of the Planets: JASON one-shot, color, 48 pages, $5.   Marvel Tsunami titles, color, 32 pages: Inhumans #1 ($2.50), The Crew #1 ($2.50), Mystique #2 ($2.99, Joseph Michael Linsner cover), Human Torch #2 ($2.50). Marvel mutant manga mania: X-MEN: Ronin #5 (of 5) and X-MEN: Phoenix #1 (of 3), both 32 pages, color, $2.99. Marvel thinks that well-endowed, scantily-clad women is what attracts us to anime manga. (What about the anime hunks? Hey? You jerks at Marvel listening to me?) I prefer the painted covers by Josh Middleton (X-MEN Unlimited #47, New Mutants #1, both out in May). Uncanny X-MEN Vol.2: Dominant Species, cover by Kia Asamiya, color, 128 pages, $12. Alternative - Same Difference & Other Stories Vol.1 graphic novel by Kerek Kirk Kim, short stories on Korean-American life, 154 pages, b&w, $12. Anarchy - XIN: Journey of the Monkey King #2, color, 32 pages, $2.99. Antarctic - Gold Digger Swimsuit Special 2003, "beauties and hunks wearing their swimtime best", b&w, 48 pages, $4.50. How to Draw Manga #24, b&w, 32 pages, $4.95.   CGE - Silken Ghost #1 (of 5), spinoff from Way of the Rat, 32 pages, color, $2.95. Comicsone - Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon #4, Storm Riders #12, each 120 pages, color, $14. CPM- ALIEN NINE Bk 1 by Hitoshi Tomizawa, 224 pages, b&w, $16, 6th grader Yuri must defeat the aliens that keep invading her school. Gutsoon - FIST of the North Star Vol.4, 190 pages, $18 (all the blood in full color!). Ironcat - AMERIMANGA #6, b&w, 170 pages, $8; CENTRAL CITY Vol.1 by Saya, 100 pages, b&w, $8, Earth rebuilding after WW III; YU & ME Vol.4, 200 pages, b&w, $12. Moonation - FRACTURED KISSES #1-2, manga romance anthology, b&w, each $4. Sentai - GIGANTOR Complete Collection, the complete Antarctic Press series, 208 pages, b&w, $16. TokyoPop - various titles most 192 pages, b&w, $10: G-Gundam Vol.1 (of 3), Cowboy Bebop Shooting Stars Vol.2, Brain Powered Vol.1 (of 3), CLAMP School Detectives Vol.1 (of 3), GRAVITATION #1 (of 12), Jing King of Bandits Vol.1 (of 7), King of Hell Vol.1 (of 3), Love Hina Vol.11 (of 14), Samurai Deeper Kyo Vol.1 (of 18), Pet Shop of Horrors Vol.1, Rave Vol.3 (of 18), Kundaichi Case Files Vol.1 (of 6), Tokyo MewMew Vol.2 (of 4), Under the Glass Moon Vol.1 (of 3), Kare Kano Vol.1 (of 13).   Zines - Super 7 Magazine #2, dedicated to Japanese Toy Culture, 64 pages, color, $5.95. NEWTYPE English Version Vol.2#6, June 03, $10. Protoculture Addicts #77, bi-monthly, 72 pages, $4.95. Action Figures - Battle of the Planets Series 1 & 2, 6-7" high, multiple pts of articulation, $11 each figure. Oh My Goddess Series 3 (6", articulated) $16 each. Berserk and Rurou ni Kenshin mini-figures, 4" high, posed, with weapons, $6 each. DVDs - Gold Digger Original Animation Vol.2 by Fred Perry, $20 (Antarctic Press). Casshan: Robot Hunter Vol.1 (ADV) dub $25. CASTLE IN THE SKY DVD (Buena Vista) $30. Crying Freeman Vol.2 (ADV) $30. G-Gundam Vol. 10-12 (Bandai) $20 each. Dai-Guard Vol.6 (ADV) $30. Hyper Police Vol.5 (Image) $20. KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE DVD (Buena Vista) $30, dub video $20. .Hack//Sign Vol.2 (Bandai) $40. Noir Vol.3 (ADV) $30. Reign Vol.2&3 (TokyoPop) $30 each. SPIRITED AWAY (Buena Vista) DVD $30, dub video $20 (may be delayed due to latest theatrical release). Star Blazers Series 3 Vol.1 (Voyager) $30. Ushio & Tora complete (ADV) $40. Live action - ONCE A THIEF (John Woo, Chow Yun-Fat, great movie!) $25. Yokai Monsters Vol.1 (Daiei 1960s film) $30. RINGU (the Japanese horror film) $30. CD soundtracks (STs) - from Pioneer - Ah My Goddess Movie ST ($15), Armitage Dual Matrix ($17), Hellsing ($20), Lupin III ($15), Tenchi Muyo OVA ST ($15), Tenchi Movie ST ($15).   Diamond PREVIEWS April 2003 for delivery in June (except as noted). Comics - Dark Horse - LOST WORLD graphic novel by Osamu Tezuka, 1st time in English, 248 pages, b&w, $18. Wildstorm - ROBOTECH: Love and War #1 (of 6) new miniseries, 32 pages, color, $2.95; NINJA BOY: Faded Dreams graphic novel, 160 pages, color, $15; TOKYO STORM WARNING #1 (of 3), combat robots protect Tokyo from giant monsters, 32 pages, color, $2.95. Image - DAWN: Three Tiers #1 (of 6), new Dawn series by Michael Linsner, color, 32 pages, $2.95; JUNKBOT ROTOGIN #2 (of 8), color, 32 pages, $2.95; SOUL OF A SAMURAI #2 (of 4) by Will Dixon, b&w, 48 pages, $3.95; VOLTRON: Defender of the Universe #2, color, 32 pages, $2.95; Battle of the Planets: Trial by Fire graphic novel, color,$8. Marvel Tsunami - QUEST #1, artist Yuji Iwahara, 32 pages, $2.50. Antarctic - How to Draw Shoujo Super-Sized Edition #1, 144 pages, b&w, $20; SHOUJO #1 by Katie Bair & others, "heartfelt stories of love, drama & fantasy", 48 pages, b7w, $5.95.   Comicsone - BRIDE OF DEIMOS #5 BY Etsuko Ikeda & Yuho Ashibe, 120 pages, b&w, $10. CPM - SLAYERS SPECIAL Book 2: Notorious, b&w, $16 (www.cpmmanga.com). Gutsoon - all are 190 pages, b&w, $10 - CITY HUNTER Vol.1 by Hojo Tsukasa; FIST OF THE BLUE SKY Vol.1 by Hara Tetsuo & Buronson; FIRST PRESIDENT OF JAPAN Vol.1; SLAM DUNK Vol.1 by Inoue Takehiko. Ironcat - MANTIS WOMAN Vol.1 by Sen'no Knife, 180 pages, b&w, $14. Oni - JASON & THE ARGOBOTS Vol.1 by Torres & Norton, 120 pages, b&w, $12, a boy & his giant robot. Radio Comix - MANGAPHILE #1, 48 pages, b&w, $5; FURRLOUGH #126, 32 pages, b&w, $3. TokyoPop - BATTLE ROYALE Vol.2 (of 5), b&w, 192 pages, $10; CHRONICLES OF THE CURSED SWORD Vol.1 (of 10), 176 pages, b&w, $10; CONFIDENTIAL CONFESSIONS Vol.1 (of 3) by Reiko Momochi, 192 pages, b&w, $10; ESCAFLOWNE Vol.1 (of 3), b&w, $10; ANGEL by Erika Sakurazawa, b&w, $10; SABER MARIONETTE J Vol 1 (of 3), b&w, $10; WILD ACT Vol.1 (of 3) by Rie Takada, 192 pages, b&w, $10; ZODIAC P.I. Vol.1 (of 3) by Natsumi Ando, b7w, $10.   Zines - Wizard Anime Insider #8, summer anime conventions, Captain Harlock Miyazaki's greatest films, $5. Animated Planet #2, highlights Lupin III, $6. Books - THE SLAYERS ULTIMATE FAN GUIDE, 96 pages, $20. JAPANESE COMICKERS, 14 artists share the secret of their techniques, $128 pages, $25. JAPANESE WARRIOR MONKS 949-1603 AD, $17, from Osprey Publishing. 2004 Calendars - Lupin III - $14. Ladies of Anime - $14. Sandman King of Dreams (Amano art) - $13. T-shirts - Cowboy Bebop - 2 different shirts, L-XXL $17-$18. X - 2 different black shirts, L-XXL, $18-$19. Intron Depot (July), black M-XXL, $18, $20; long sleeve red & white, M-XXL, $25. Action figures - Getter Robo 8-figure box set, 3-4", $25 (July). UFO Grendizer 10", $30 (August). DVDs - Animatrix DVD, 90 minutes, $25 (Warner). City Hunter: Bay City Wars & Million $ Conspiracy DVD, 110 minutes, $30 (ADV). Cowboy Bebop Movie DVD, 2 hrs, $28 (Tri-Star). Full Metal Panic Vol.1 DVD, $30 (ADV). Eden's Bowy Vol.1 DVD, $30 (ADV). Gun Frontier 2: Midnight Samurai DVD (with Tochiro & Harlock), 75 minutes, $25 (AnimeWorks). JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Vol.2 DVD, 60 minutes, $25 (Super Techno). Kimagure Orange Road TV DVDs Vol.1-12, $25 each (Animeigo). S-Cry-Ed Vol.1 DVD, $30 (Bandai). Samurai Deeper Kyo Vol.1, 125 minutes, $30 (AnimeWorks). Speed Racer Limited Edition DVD includes first 11 episodes, $23 (Artisan). Live Action - Akira Kurosawa's RAN DVD, 160 minutes, $35 (Winstar). Full Contact starring Chow Yun-Fat DVD, $25 (violent revenge film, not one of my fave Chow Yun-Fat movies, but it's a cult classic, released by Tri-Star). ------------------------------ End of April - May 2003 Anime Sacramento Newsletter www.sacramentoanime.com - This written work is posted with the permission of the author, Laurine White