March 18, 2008
News for Zenkaikon 2008:
Zenkaikon 2008 announces second round of guests
VALLEY FORGE, PA - Zenkaikon 2008 is pleased to announce more guests for its 2008 show; musical guests "The Slants" and "Le-Akt'z ISORA", voice actress Michele Knotz, and webcomic artists Laura and Will Robinson of "Friday Knights".
About The Slants:
The Slants are an Asian dance/rock band with a triad/yakuza theme. Formed of members from The Stivs and Son of Rust, they are experienced and professional: the band has over 2,500 live performances collectively, and have worked with producer Jack Endino (Nirvana,Soundgarden, Murder City Devils) as well as shared the stage with Nine Inch Nails, Joey Ramone, Zeke, and The Black Halos. Their sound is self described as "A cross between The Faint, Joy Division, Gang of Four, Depeche Mode, and the Kill Bill soundtrack. You know: shooting & killing and sweet, sweet revenge. Occassionally, some people will say that we sound like the Asian version of The Killers." They have just released their first album "Slanted Hearts, Slanted Minds" which immediately caught the attention of international mass media.
The Slants have also been described as: "It's a great story: All-Asian synthcore troupe lands anime festival, achieves instantaneous notoriety from overpacked fireball-laden maelstrom, inspires John Woo and Dragon Ball Z fans toward aggro electro and--just months after its first practice--books gigs across the globe. As shadow-warriory as the Slants' rise has been, it's still all about the tunes, and the band's debut--floor-filling synth pop bristling with all the menace and grandeur of its oft name-checked cultural icons--is propulsive, cinematic and impossible to ignore." - The Willamette Week
"It's been said that everything that could be done in music has been done already; new artists are inherently boring, with nothing that is original or creative to offer. But those people hadn't heard The Slants (yet), a band who has everyone screaming for some "Chinatown Dance Rock." (from www.theslants.com)
Zenkaikon is thrilled to have The Slants in their first NorthEast coast performance!
Songs, video and other information is available at :
www.theslants.com (official website)
www.myspace.com/theslants
www.youtube.com/slantsvideos (you tube channel)
About Le-Akt'z ISORA:
Le-aK† and his band ISORA are the "Dark Samurai of the Hidden Dragon Sign". Since early 2007, they have been actively spreading their dark virtues in Boston underground band scene . They combine Asian culture into Contemporary Hardcore Rock Music. Exotic and dangerous , these dark samurais plan to take on the scene with a new breed of American Visual Kei sound. They have just opened for Anti-Feminism and Hagakure (with Echostream) @ Studio B in Brooklyn, NY (wowrock.com).
Check out their music here: http://www.myspace.com/leakt
About Michele Knotz:
A native of the Jersey Shore, Michele Knotz has always had a passion for acting. She was cast in her first animated voice-acting role as Hajime Yagi in "The World of Narue" in 2003. Since then she has also voiced Takako Kawashima in "Shootfighter Tekken," Matsumoto and various additional characters in "To Heart", and Razali, Cindy, Greta, and The Fairy in "The Third." In 2006, Michele landed the lead roles, Jessie, May, Misty and Nurse Joy for the Pokémon 10th Anniversary Special, "The Mastermind of Mirage Pokémon," and continued to voice these characters throughout Season 9 of "Pokémon, the Battle Frontier." She has also voiced the characters May, Jessie, and Manaphy for the Pokémon Movie 9, "Pokémon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea." She has voiced the lead character, Chikorita in the Pokémon Special, "Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, Team Go-Getters Out of the Gate." Along with human-speaking characters, she has voiced various Pokémon in the series such as Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Chimecho, Beautifly, Masquerain, Dustox, Cacnea, Mudkip and many others. You can catch Michele as May, Jessie, Misty and Nurse Joy at www.pokemonlearningleague.com; an interactive web site dedicated to educating children in Math, Science and Language Arts. In Season 10 of "Pokémon, Diamond and Pearl", Michele returned as Jessie and Nurse Joy as well as the Pokédex, Piplup, and many other Pokémon characters. Just released, Michele voiced the Pokémon Trainer, Squirtle and various other Pokémon in the Nintendo Wii video game:"Super Smash Bros. Brawl." Michele is extremely excited and happy to be a guest at Zenkaikon this year and can't wait to meet all the fans throughout the weekend!
About Laura and Will Robinson:
While wandering in Tokyo, Wilfred and Laura Robinson conceived of an idea to start a web comic to chronicle their exploits. The idea was tragically lost in a kaiju attack. Months later safely back in America, the stubborn idea found its way back to them, and interrupted one of their weekly D&D session. The comic and the game merged into one entity, and to make it hilariously funny Michael Gans joined them as a writer. Thus was born Friday Knights, where humor meets critical failure. Come join them at www.friday-knights.net.
About Zenkaikon:Zenkaikon was formed by the merger of the anime and sci-fi con Zentrancon, and the anime con, Kosaikon, both in the Philadelphia area. In 2006 they put on their first event which was a tremendous success. Zenkaikon will return to the Valley Forge Scanticon Conference Center for its third installment on 10/17-10/18/08. The con will kick off its expansion to two days of programming on the evening of Friday, October 17 with concerts,a Cosplay Ball, gaming and other special events. A full day of convention action will follow on Saturday, October 18 with video screenings, concerts, gaming, cosplay masquerade, the new Zenkaikon favorites - the anime version of "Whose Line Is It Anyway" and The Cosplay Dating Game, and so much more!
Pre-registration for Zenkaikon 2008 is up and running! Go to www.Zenkaikon.com to pre-register online and get information on reserving exhibitor space, panel registration Zenkaikon rules and regulations and forms for snail mail pre-registration.
Zenkaikon 2008 Membership
by June 1: One Day (Friday or Saturday) $10.00, Two Day $20.00
by September 15: Friday $13.00, Saturday $15.00, Two Day $23.00
At Door: Friday $15.00, Saturday $20.00, Two Day $30.00
Two Day Group rates also available
Hurry and reserve your place at Zenkaikon 2008 today!
For more information about Zenkaikon 2008 please visit www.zenkaikon.com and/or email the Zenkaikon chairs with any questions to [email protected].
