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Yoshitoshi ABe to Speak at Minneapolis Art Conference
posted on by Mikhail Koulikov
The annual "Schoolgirls and Mobilesuits" (SGMS) workshop at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) has announced that anime creator Yoshitoshi ABe will be a guest speaker at this year's event from September 26 to September 28. The full schedule for this year is not yet available, but the lineup of sessions will include screenings of some of ABe's anime and at least one panel discussion with his participation. ABe designed the characters in the Serial Experiments Lain and Texhnolyze anime, and he also created the Haibane Renmei and Niea_7 manga and anime projects.
The SGMS event was founded in 2001 and has been held at MCAD every year since. It combines the characteristics of a formal academic conference and a fan gathering; it features speeches by professors researching Japanese popular culture, presentations from voice actors and industry professionals, and a "cosplay fashion show." Besides ABe, participants in this year's workshop will include Tokyopop Director of New Product Development Jeremy Ross, scholars Christopher Bolton and Thomas Lamarre, Studio Ghibli expert Marc Hairston, voice actor Crispin Freeman, and gothic lolita fashion designer Samantha Sangster.
The registration fee for SGMS is US$75. MCAD students also have the option of taking the workshop as a one-credit class for a US$650 fee.
