Yaoi-Con 2004 Initial Press Release
San Francisco, CA, USA - March 1, 2004 - Yaoi-Con, the only Western fan convention dedicated solely to the yaoi genre of Japanese anime and manga (animation and comics, respectively), is pleased to announce that preparations are well underway for its fourth annual event, to be held the weekend of October 29-31, 2004 at the Westin San Francisco Airport hotel in California.
Created primarily by women for a largely female audience, yaoi is unique in the exploration of romantic relationships and strong platonic bonds between male characters. This Japanese phenomenon of "boy's love" has gained popularity in the United States in a large part due to the intense and highly idealized examples of love and romance that yaoi work exemplify. The genre is widely accepted in Japan and many popular mainstream mangaka, or manga artists, had their start in yaoi comics.
Yaoi-Con has always been committed to the promotion and celebration of this genre, and in 2004 will feature activities and events such as a 24-hour anime screening room; yaoi-themed panels and workshops; a Dealers' Room packed full hard-to-find merchandise; a fundraising Bishounen (beautiful boy) Auction; Fan Fiction, Cosplay and Anime Music Video contests; and much, much more.
This year's Guest of Honor is Yamane Ayano, who will be accompanied by her editor. Yamane is best known for her illustrations in numerous Boys Love novels and has risen to star status with her premier mangas in BexBoy Gold (Finder no Hyouteki) and Drap (Ikoku Irokoi Romantan). Artist bio and interview forthcoming on the Web site. Additional guests will be announced as they are confirmed.
The fourth annual Yaoi-Con in San Francisco is looking forward to an even more successful event than ever due to the continuing rise in the popularity of yaoi. Yaoi-themed anime and manga enjoyed a huge boom in the United States in 2003-2004, including the release of the popular anime series Mirage of Blaze and the manga series Gravitation and Fake. Greater commercial attention to the genre continues to attract new fans and ensures the popularity and growth of Yaoi-Con for 2004 and in years to come.
For additional information on Yaoi-Con, visit the Web site at
http://www.Yaoi-Con.com.
Created primarily by women for a largely female audience, yaoi is unique in the exploration of romantic relationships and strong platonic bonds between male characters. This Japanese phenomenon of "boy's love" has gained popularity in the United States in a large part due to the intense and highly idealized examples of love and romance that yaoi work exemplify. The genre is widely accepted in Japan and many popular mainstream mangaka, or manga artists, had their start in yaoi comics.
Yaoi-Con has always been committed to the promotion and celebration of this genre, and in 2004 will feature activities and events such as a 24-hour anime screening room; yaoi-themed panels and workshops; a Dealers' Room packed full hard-to-find merchandise; a fundraising Bishounen (beautiful boy) Auction; Fan Fiction, Cosplay and Anime Music Video contests; and much, much more.
This year's Guest of Honor is Yamane Ayano, who will be accompanied by her editor. Yamane is best known for her illustrations in numerous Boys Love novels and has risen to star status with her premier mangas in BexBoy Gold (Finder no Hyouteki) and Drap (Ikoku Irokoi Romantan). Artist bio and interview forthcoming on the Web site. Additional guests will be announced as they are confirmed.
The fourth annual Yaoi-Con in San Francisco is looking forward to an even more successful event than ever due to the continuing rise in the popularity of yaoi. Yaoi-themed anime and manga enjoyed a huge boom in the United States in 2003-2004, including the release of the popular anime series Mirage of Blaze and the manga series Gravitation and Fake. Greater commercial attention to the genre continues to attract new fans and ensures the popularity and growth of Yaoi-Con for 2004 and in years to come.
For additional information on Yaoi-Con, visit the Web site at
http://www.Yaoi-Con.com.
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