Anime Evolution Announces 2007 Dates and First Guests

Asian Popular Entertainment Event Highlights Multimedia, International and Local Talent

Vancouver, BC Canada – Anime Evolution (AE 2007) is primed to be Vancouver's premiere Asian entertainment event where industry and audiences interact directly in an informal setting. This three-day Japanese Animation Convention, expected to draw over 4,000 people, will bring together art, animation, video games, TV, film and music in a celebration of Asian popular culture and multimedia. All are welcome to attend the event, which draws largely on Vancouver's local talent pool of gifted actors and artists, as well as film and animation studios, comic book publishers, and game developers. Festivities will take place from Friday August 17 to Sunday August 19, 2007 at Simon Fraser University's Burnaby Campus. Events will take place at various locations on campus and the convention runs 24 hours a day.

Over the course of the weekend, AE 2007 will feature Q&A's and workshops with professional voice actors, directors, artists, animators and game developers. In addition, visitors can participate in a cultural festival, video screening & video game rooms and live performances by DJs, bands and improv actors. Attendees can also expect to see convention goers engaged in more unusual activities like an Anime-Idol competition, a collectable card game room and dramatic costume play - or "cosplay" - where anime fans don costumes representing anime characters and participate in a fashion show. The convention art gallery will be open to submissions from all AE 2007 attendees, and there will be an "Artists' Alley" where visitors can buy and sell original works of art. A dealers area will also be available for attendees to purchase their favourite comic books, videos and other animation related items.

For more information on the event or to pre-register for a convention membership, please visit our website at www.animeevolution.com.

List of Confirmed Guests

Musical Guests

• Back On

BACK-ON's combination of metal riffs, hip-hop poses, emo angst and electronic atmospherics has seen them cause a stir of sorts in the Tokyo club scene since the five-piece first started gigging in 2002. It's a sound not dissimilar to big-selling contemporaries such as RIZE, whose member Jesse gave BACK-ON their name.

BACK-ON was originally comprised of MC TEEDA, vocalist/MC KENJI03 (read as “Kenji Three”), guitarist SHU, bassist GORI and MACCHIN on drums (later replaced by ICCHAN). KENJI03 and GORI have been friends since childhood having attended the same primary school in Tokyo's Adachi Ward, a district that by Japanese standards is rife with crime and high-density, public-housing apartment blocks. Though Adachi isn't Compton – ghetto it most certainly ain't - this less than glamorous background is a big part of BACK-ON's identity, giving the band something approaching a genuine street edge compared to Japan's other bling-oriented rock-rap acts.

BACK-ON debuted with the mini-album “Adachi Tribe” in October 2004. The band also contributed tracks to underground hip-hop compilations. By the end of the year were attracting 200 fans to club shows in Tokyo's Shibuya district. The following year BACK-ON kept the momentum going with constant touring – by the end of 2005 the band had clocked up more than 100 shows in a year – including gigs with like-minded bands such as RIZE and Screaming Soul Hill, and recording their debut “major” release, “Baby Rock,” for Avex Trax's rock-oriented subsidiary imprint label, Cutting Edge.

But it was BACK-ON's next release, the 2006 single “Chain,” that truly launched the band, the song receiving a boost by being chosen as the opening theme song to TV Tokyo's animate “Air Gear,” a series that has also been licensed in the U.S by ADV Films. Typically, the track featured TEEDA's rapping and a chorus sung by KENJI03. Another mini-album “New World” followed in November.

BACK-ON kept the anime connection going in 2007 by providing the opening theme, “Hikari Sasuhou,” to the direct-to-video title “Murder Princess” and contributing the songs “A day dreaming…” and “BLAZE LINE” to “Eye Shield 21.” Logical, then, that the group should also perform at the anime fan conventions Anime Matsuri in Houston and now Anime Evolution in British Columbia, Canada.

BACK-ON is coming to Vancouver courtesy of AVEX Group.

Voice Acting Guest

• Michael Coleman

In his 6+ years of performing as a voice actor Michael has amassed credits on shows such as: Inuyasha, Dragonball Z, Power Puff Girls Z, X-Men: Evolution, Hello Kitty, Hamtaro, Zoids: Fuzors, Transformers: Cybertron, Hikaru No Go, Starship Operators, Mary-Kate and Ashley in Action!, Infinite Ryvius, Gundam Seed: Destiny, Project Arms, Megaman: NT Warrior, Galaxy Angel, Dragon Drive, Ranma _, Cardcaptors, Boys Over Flowers, Go! Go Itsutsugo Land, Ringu Ni Kakero, A Tree of Palme, Ark, Samurai Troopers, Trouble Chocolate, and Flippo & the Sea Nymph as well as countless animated series and numerous national and international commercials.

Some Michael's commercial clients include McDonalds, Microsoft, Kokanee, Staples, Playland, Global TV, Solo Mobile, Honda, Ford, Time Warner, Telus, and Rogers. Michael also works extensively in front of the camera. He has worked with Ashley Judd, Jessica Biel, Britney Spears, N'Sync, Shelley Long, Jennifer Beals, Jonathon Taylor Thomas, Chris Isaak, Lance Henrickson, and Jack Scalia to name but a few. Michael's most recent TV credits include the Lifetime Network's My Name is Sarah and Honeymoon with Mom, the Sci-fi channel's Eureka and the new Vampire drama to be released this spring Blood Ties. Michael also plays supporting leads in the films The Heart of Whistler and Masters of the Sea currently playing at film festivals around the world.

Comic Artist Guest

• David Stanworth

David has been interested in video games and animation for his entire life. When he realized he's FAR too worthless to do either he stuck with comics. Snafu-Comics started in the summer of 2002 and has quickly grown to incorporate five separate comics: ‘Snafu’, ‘Power Puff Girl Doujinshi’, ‘Grim Tales’, ‘Tin: The Incompetent Ninja’ and ‘Training Wheels’. Two more comics are already scheduled to become a part of the of the Snafu-Comics family. Expect teaser images at Anime Evolution!

Snafu has constantly been an evolving comic often drastically changing art styles and directions comic to comic. The subject matter could range from anime, videogames, politics, social commentary or fart jokes (mostly fart jokes) but what Snafu really excels at is a strong forum community of active participants. Snafu wouldn't exist without the fantastic support from the online community.

About Anime Evolution: Starting as a university video gathering in 1998, Anime Evolution morphed into full fledge convention on 2003. In our fifth year as a full convention, AE hopes to continue educating and entertaining fans of Asian popular culture.