Sakura-Con Announces Three New Guests

Sakura-Con Announces three new Guests of honor.

Seattle, WA 2-17-2009- Guests Kappa Yamaguchi, Peter Fernandez and Wendy Powell to attend Sakura-Con 2009

Kappei Yamaguchi is making his first WEST. coast appearance at Sakura-Con 2009 as a guest of honor. Yamaguchi is a popular and prolific seiyuu (voice actor) best known for the roles of Ranma (Ranma ½) Tombo (Kiki's Delivery Service), Yattaro (Kyattou Ninden Teyandee), Inuyasha (InYuasha), L (Death Note), Usopp (One Piece), Hideyoshi (Law of Ueki), and Kaito Kid and Shinichi Kudo (Case Closed).

Yamaguchi has dozens of roles to his credit-many of them are lead roles in very notable series. He is known as one of Japan's most prolific voice actors. Additionally, he works on video games and Japanese dubs of foreign shows. Japanese fans will also know him as the voice of "Bugs Bunny" and South Park's "Kyle". On top of all that, he sings, performing theme songs for many of the anime he's starred in, (including Ranma ½ and Eyeshield 21).

Sakura-Con is pleased to also announce Peter Fernandez as a Guest of Honor for Sakura-Con 2009. Peter Fernandez is an American actor, voice actor, film director, and film crew person from the United States with extensive experience in screen writing, production, and voice and dialog direction. Despite a vast and varied career in entertainment extending from the late 1930s to the present day, Fernandez is perhaps best known for his uncredited roles of both the title character, and Rex Racer/Racer X in the 1967 anime dub of Speed Racer of which he also wrote the English version; he was also the voice director for the series. Peter, among others, in his capacity as a voice-actor, writer, and producer, was instrumental in introducing many anime series to Anglophonic audiences.

Sakura-Con is pleased to announce Wendy Powell as a Guest of Honor for Sakura-Con 2009. Wendy Powell has been a professional voice actress for FUNimation Entertainment and OkraTron 5000 for over seven years. She is probably most well known for a little villain named "Envy" on Fullmetal Alchemist. Wendy is also known for smaller parts . . . in which she usually dies a most painful death. Wendy's first love is the Theater (although Anime is quickly catching up!!!) and she works in local theaters in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Many more guest announcements will be coming through in the next few weeks-please keep an eye on www.sakuracon.org for the latest details.

Sakura-Con is the first and largest Pacific Northwest convention devoted to Japanese animation (anime), comics (manga), gaming and traditional Japanese culture. It is the destination event for an expected attendance of over 15,000 fans, industry leaders, celebrities, and artists. Sakura-Con is the fifth largest convention of it's kind in the United States.

ANCEA is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public about popular and traditional Japanese media. Sakura-Con is ANCEA's main realization of that mission.

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