Just a reminder that this weekend is Vampire Weekend at the Paley Center in NYC. Paley’s vampire weekend events are free to Paley Center members and $10 for non-members. There are three days of screenings and special events, with all the details at…
http://www.paleycenter.org/dark-shadows-at-twilight-a-paley-center-vampire-weekend
Marvel Comics is hosting the first ever MarvelFest on today in Union Square! The event features talents including Chris Claremont, Neal Adams, and Dan Slott as well as a costume contest and various giveaways. Oh, there’ll also be an outdoor screening of the Astonishing X-Men motion comic, too. It all kicks off at 4 PM. For more details, visit http://marvel.com/fest09.
Tomorrow, NYC’s Paley Center will host a celebrity stage reading of The Twilight Zone’s “The Masks” at 6:30 PM. Presented in association with Food For Thought Productions, The Paley Center’s live reading will feature Lucie Arnaz, Laurence Luckinbill, Katharine Luckinbill, Robert Walden, and Fritz Weaver in front of the audience and is directed by Antony Marsellis. Anne Serling, daughter of Rod Serling, will also speak at the event.
Tickets are available at paleycenter.org and are $50 for the general public / $35 for Paley Center members. The Paley Center is located at 25 West 52 Street in NYC.
NYC’s Paley Center is hosting a celebrity stage reading of The Twilight Zone’s “The Masks” on Wednesday, October 28 at 6:30 PM. Presented in association with Food For Thought Productions, The Paley Center’s live reading will feature Lucie Arnaz, Laurence Luckinbill, Katharine Luckinbill, Robert Walden, and Fritz Weaver in front of the audience and is directed by Antony Marsellis. Anne Serling, daughter of Rod Serling, will also speak at the event.
Tickets are available at paleycenter.org and are $50 for the general public / $35 for Paley Center members.
The Paley Center is located at 25 West 52 Street in NYC.
What are you doing October 28? Here’s what… Marvel Comics is hosting the first ever Marvelfest on Oct 28th in Union Square. The event will feature talents including Chris Claremont, Neal Adams, and Dan Slott as well as a costume contest and various giveaways. Oh, there’ll also be an outdoor screening of the Astonishing X-Men motion comic. It all kicks off at 4 PM. For more details, visit http://marvel.com/fest09.
On October 9th and 10th, the music of The Lord of The Rings came to Radio City. Live performances of the entire score of The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring by over 300 musicians to an immense projection of the film, it was nothing short of a spellbinding orchestral and cinematic experience. And, a wee bit late, here are my thoughts.
Howard Shore Fun Fact: Lord of The Rings composer Howard Shore was the first band leader on Saturday Night Live.
The Lead Up
I’m trying to recall the first time I heard about The Lord of The Rings at Radio City. It was some months ago, maybe as far back as New York Comic Con this past February, and it was from a fan. It was a die-hard Tolkien fan who told me about the event, although, if memory serves, he didn’t get it quite right. “A Lord of The Rings musical is coming to Radio City!” As the months passed, I heard about The Lord of The Rings at Radio City some more — from The New York Times and WNYC as well as The Onion, TheOneRing.net, and New York Comic Con. And, just as I first heard about the concerts from fans, it was the fans again — through TheOneRing.net and New York Comic Con — that I heard the drum beat most loudly leading into fall.
I should state now that, beyond the occasional posts on Suvudu, I’m responsible for the guests, panels, and special events at New York Comic Con as well as much of NYCC’s involvement with The Lord of The Rings. So, feel free to call “bias”, as there no doubt is one, but there’s also a new point of view of the entire LOTR concert experience. (I should state, too, that despite being involved with The Lord of The Rings at Radio City, I’ve never had a soft spot in my heart for fantasy. I’ve never been able to get excited by wizards, trolls, and elves, and even The Lord of The Rings is no exception.)
CAMI Music, the organizers of The Lord of The Rings Radio City concerts, knew the power, the meaning, and the reach of the LOTR name, but they also knew where to find its core, and as self-congratulatory as is sounds, it was smart decision for them to partner with New York Comic Con to speak directly to NYC’s greater geek community. We did a lot with The Lord of The Rings in the months leading up to the concerts including photo contests, art contests, promotions at The Brooklyn Book Festival, The New York Times Great Children’s Read, and The New York Anime Festival, outreach to other websites, and a total newyorkcomiccon.com takeover. One promotion and one event, though, stick out most in my memory.
The kiddies excited by the upcoming Astro Boy movie? We’ve got just the thing for you. Take ‘em to Osamu Tezuka Day on Sunday, October 18 is at Kinokuniya Bookstore (1073 Ave of the Americas) in NYC. Tezuka’s the creator of Astro Boy and only a few hundred other legendary manga characters, and folks from Vertical, Abrams, Samurai Beat Radio, and the NY Anime Festival will be talking all about Astro Boy and Tezuka’s other creations. Details are at nyanimefestival.com.
And, oh yeah, they’ll be plenty of free stuff, too.
A CBS story on yesterday and today’s Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring concerts at Radio City in NYC.
Amazing. Awesome. Epic. Legendary. These are just a few of the words that can describe Friday’s Lord of The Rings concert at Radio City Musical Hall in NYC. We were there, and you’ll be getting a full report from us early in the week, but briefly, if you weren’t at Radio City on Friday, go there today. Seriously, head to http://www.theradiocitylotrconcert.com and then head to Radio City for tonight’s concert. I cannot urge you enough.
Sunday, October 4 — from 10 AM to 5 PM — is the 3rd Annual New York Times Great Children’s Read! This free event will be held at Columbia University’s main quad at 116th and Broadway and features live readings by notable New Yorkers of children’s books selected by librarians from the New York Public Library system. Additionally, there’ll be food, giveaways, and an on-site Target bookstore, and cultural and community partners with a variety of fun activities for kids and parents alike.
New York Comic Con will be there with markers, crayons, mazes, and coloring books all day along with some special guests!
Misako Rocks! will be signing at our booth from 11 AM to 1 PM
Neil Numberman will be signing at our booth from 1 PM to 3 PM
And there may be a cosplayer or two posing with the kids! If you’d like to spend Sunday at a kid-friendly and family-fun event in NYC, stop by the New York Times Great Read!
Sunday, October 4
10 AM - 5 PM
Columbia University
116th Street & Broadway
www.nytimes.com/greatread
The New York Anime Festival is going on right now in NYC. It’s got guests from all across America and Japan, but the biggest stars — the women and men behind Del Rey Manga — will be taking the stage later today. Come on out to the Jacob Javits Center in NYC today for the Del Rey Manga Panel…
11 AM to 12 PM - Panel Room 1
Get more details at nyanimefestival.com!
The New York Anime Festival starts tomorrow. So, what’s the in-the-know NYC manga fan up to tonight? The smart answer is coming to the Del Rey Manga Birthday and New York Anime Festival Pre-Party from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at Dave and Buster’s (234 West 42nd Street) in NYC’s Times Square. This special event is both a celebration of Del Rey Manga’s Fifth Anniversary and of this year’s Anime Festival — and to mark this special occasion, Del Rey and NYAF are inviting fans and professionals to partake in food, drink, giveaways, and a cake crafted by Baltimore’s famed Charm City Cakes specifically for Del Rey Manga and NYAF.
Manga and Anime Raffle (5:30-6:30 PM) - Come during the party’s first hour to be entered to win a selection of manga spanning Del Rey Manga’s five years. Further, the Charm City Cakes Del Rey Manga birthday cake will be on public display during this time, so fans, press, and pros interested in taking pictures of the party centerpiece should do so before the raffle ends.
Charm City Cakes Cutting (6:30-7:30 PM) - Once the raffle ends, the real party begins as representatives from Del Rey Manga and the New York Anime Festival will cut into the Charm City Cakes Del Rey Manga birthday cake. Created by the talents of Food Network’s Ace of Cakes TV show, the Del Rey Manga birthday cake will take the form of a towering stack of manga, showcasing some of Del Rey Manga’s landmark books from 2004 to today.
At 7:30, following the formal end of the NYAF and Del Rey Manga party, attendees are free to stay and enjoy Dave & Buster’s or attend a special one-night-only screening of Bandai Entertainment’s Eureka Seven - good night, sleep tight, young lovers - animated motion picture, presented at the AMC Empire 24 theater neighboring Dave & Buster’s.
The party is free and open to the public.
Got a kid? Want ‘em to read? I’ve got an event for you! On Sunday, October 4 — from 10 AM to 5 PM — the 3nd Annual New York Times Great Children’s Read will immerse NYC kids and their families in the magic of literacy. This free event will be held at Columbia University’s main quad at 116th and Broadway and is the perfect setting for an educational and reading-focused adventure.
The Great Read’s New York Times Storytelling Area will feature live readings by notable New Yorkers and of children’s books selected by librarians from the New York Public Library system, and its Target main stage will host top talent in the children’s entertainment arena, including Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players, Yo Gabba Gabba, Peter Yarrow, and many others.
Other features include food, giveaways, and an on-site Target bookstore, and throughout the quad, cultural and community partners will host a variety of fun activities for kids and parents alike.
Sunday, October 4
10 AM - 5 PM
Columbia University
116th Street & Broadway
www.nytimes.com/greatread
The New York Anime Festival is September 25-27. Is there anime there? That’s a safe bet. Manga? Absolutely. But, did you know there’ll be steampunk there, too?
NYAF is hosting Steampunk in Anime panel at 11:15 AM on Saturday in Panel Room 2. Taking it a step further, it’s hosting a Neo-Victorian Fashion Show at 12:30 PM on Sunday on the Apple Kissa Stage. And, then topping it off, the New York Anime Festival will welcome Steampunk author Scott Westerfeld to the show. Scott Westerfeld will be at NYAF on Sunday at 1:30 PM in Panel Room 3, hosting a panel on his upcoming book, Leviathan.
Set in alternate World War I filled with giant robots and living battleships, Leviathan’s been getting a lot of attention, and it’ll be interesting to see the kind of crossover crowd it gets at a show where cosplay is king.
This year’s Brooklyn Book Festival (brooklynbookfestival.org) is going on this Sunday at Brooklyn Borough Hall. From 10 to 6, it’s a celebration of literacy in all its forms. Check out their site for all their authors and exhibitors. And, for the first time, our friends at New York Comic Con are taking part with a stage and whole section of exhibitors dedicated to comics and graphic novels, too!
Oh, and it’s free. That’s right. Free. You heard me. Free.
This ain’t exactly bookish or even SF, but it is something cool (and free) starting tonight in NYC. The Paley Center in New York (25 West 52 Street ) is hosting a week of free screenings — early glimpses of some of this fall’s biggest new shows — and you’re invited!
September 8, 2009
Free screenings at 6:30 pm: Glee, The Cleveland Show, and Brothers
September 10, 2009
Free screenings at 6:30 pm: Community, Trauma, and Mercy
September 11, 2009
Free screenings at 6:30 pm: Medium, Three Rivers, The Good Wife, and Accidentally on Purpose
September 14, 2009
Free screenings at 6:30 pm: Melrose Place and The Vampire Diaries
September 16, 2009
Free screenings at 6:30 pm: Hank, The Middle, Flash Forward, Modern Family, and Cougar Town
Interested? Want to go? Want to learn more? Get all the details at http://www.paleycenter.org/paleyfest-fall-2009-tv-preview-parties-ny!
The New York Anime Festival starts September 25 in NYC. What are you doing the night before? Getting in the mood for NYAF at the NYAF Pre-Party and Del Rey Manga Fifth Birthday Party! Del Rey and NYAF are proud to reveal we’re partnering for a party from 5:30 to 7:30 PM on September 24 at Dave and Buster’s (234 West 42nd Street) in NYC’s Times Square.
This special event is both a celebration of this year’s Anime Festival as well as a celebration of Del Rey Manga’s Fifth Anniversary — and to mark this special occasion, NYAF and Del Rey Manga are inviting fans and professionals to partake in food, drink, giveaways, and a cake crafted by Baltimore’s famed Charm City Cakes specifically for Del Rey Manga and NYAF.
Really.
Free and open to the public, the NYAF and Del Rey Manga party welcomes NYAF attendees, anime fans, manga readers, industry professionals, and casual New Yorkers interested in the world of Japanese pop culture. The party will take place in two parts…
Manga and Anime Raffle (5:30-6:30 PM) - Typically you give the birthday boy or girl gifts; however, to mark the occasion of Del Rey Manga’s fifth birthday, we’re giving gifts to the party’s attendees. Come during the party’s first hour to be entered to win a selection of manga spanning Del Rey Manga’s five years as well as DVDs from NYAF partners including Bandai Entertainment and FUNimation. Further, the Charm City Cakes Del Rey Manga birthday cake will be on public display during this time, so fans, press, and pros interested in taking pictures of the party centerpiece should do so before the raffle ends.
Charm City Cakes Cutting (6:30-7:30 PM) - Once the raffle ends, the real party begins as representatives from Del Rey Manga and the New York Anime Festival will cut into the Charm City Cakes Del Rey Manga birthday cake. Created by the talents of Food Network’s Ace of Cakes TV show, the Del Rey Manga birthday cake will take the form of a towering stack of manga, showcasing some of Del Rey Manga’s landmark books from 2004 to today.
At 7:30, following the formal end of the NYAF and Del Rey Manga party, attendees are free to stay and enjoy Dave & Buster’s or attend a special one-night-only screening of Bandai Entertainment’s Eureka Seven - good night, sleep tight, young lovers - animated motion picture, presented at the AMC Empire 24 theater neighboring Dave & Buster’s.
So, come and celebrate five years of Del Rey Manga, three years of the New York Anime Festival, and one delicious cake!
Tomorrow is the NYC Japan Fair! Come by and say hi to Del Rey Manga and the New York Anime Festival!
NYC’s first Japanese Street Fair runs from 11 AM to 6 PM on Sunday, August 23 from 43rd to 44th Street on Madison Avenue and includes over 40 booths featuring traditional Japanese foods including miso-marinaded beef, roasted mochi, and okonomiyaki, as well as companies including Marukome, Hisamitsu America Inc., Ajinomoto, Otafuku Foods, and Kikkoman.
We have a booth (where 44th meets Madison), and we’ll be giving out NYAF posters, chopsticks, and all kinds of swag throughout the day, but that’s not all. Raina Telgemeier and David Roman - authors of Del Rey Manga’s X-Men: Misfits - will be stopping by the booth, hanging out and signing books from 1-3 PM, and anyone who visits the booth all day long will be entered to win a Del Rey Manga Instant Library - that’s 50 free books from Del Rey Manga! Yes, 50 free volumes of manga!
For more details on the NYC Japan Fair, follow it on Twitter (@NYCJapanFair) and read its blog (http://nycjapanfair.blogspot.com/). For up-to-the-minute reports from the NYC Japan Fair, follow NYAF on Twitter (@NY_Anime_Fest).
The guys at New York Comic Con are celebrating the end of summer with a Happy Hour at Dave and Busters in Times Square. Taking place from 6-9 tonight (August 19), it features drink specials, half priced games, gift bags, and a raffle. And nerds.
Just a reminder that next Sunday is the NYC Japan Fair. NYC’s first Japanese Street Fair, it runs from 11 AM to 6 PM on Sunday, August 23 from 43rd to 44th Street on Madison Avenue and includes over 40 booths featuring traditional Japanese foods including miso-marinaded beef, roasted mochi, and okonomiyaki, as well as companies including Marukome, Hisamitsu America Inc., Ajinomoto, Otafuku Foods, and Kikkoman.
And Del Rey Manga and the New York Anime Festival will be there, too!
We have a booth (where 44th meets Madison), and we’ll be giving out NYAF posters, chopsticks, and all kinds of swag throughout the day, but that’s not all. Raina Telgemeier and David Roman - authors of Del Rey Manga’s X-Men: Misfits - will be stopping by the booth, hanging out and signing books from 1-3 PM, and anyone who visits the booth all day long will be entered to win a Del Rey Manga Instant Library - that’s 50 free books from Del Rey Manga! Yes, 50 free volumes of manga!
For more details on the NYC Japan Fair, follow it on Twitter (@NYCJapanFair) and read its blog (http://nycjapanfair.blogspot.com/). For up-to-the-minute reports from the NYC Japan Fair, follow NYAF on Twitter (@NY_Anime_Fest).
