Anime Expo 2009 Announces Afro Samurai Manga-Ka as Official Guest of Honor

Okazaki to Attend Nation's Largest Anime and Manga Convention

Anaheim, California (June 12, 2009) — Anime Expo® 2009 is extremely proud to announce “AFRO SAMURAI” creator Mr. Takashi Okazaki as an official Guest of Honor for the nation's largest anime and manga convention held July 2-5, 2009 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. More information can be found on the website www.anime-expo.org.

Mr. Okazaki is a successful Tokyo-based illustrator, painter, graphic designer and manga writer who has found success internationally-providing illustrations for the "Spider-Man 2" DVD and illustrating a limited edition comic insert for the "BLADE III" Original Sound Track CD and for his original manga "AFRO SAMURAI" which has been adapted into a successful animation series by GONZO, each of its first two seasons becoming the #1 selling anime program in the US in 2007 and 2009.

Takashi Okazaki joins other Anime Expo® 2009 Official Guests of Honor Hiroyuki Imaishi, Daisuke Ishiwatari, Yun Kouga, Yōsuke Kuroda, Toshimichi Mori, Toshiyuki Morikawa, Morning Musume, Yasuhiro Nightow, Atsushi Nishigori, Satoshi Nishimura and Kari Wahlgren.

Attendees, Press and Industry Members are also encouraged to view the video coverage site of the 2008 convention at www.axbackstage.org.

Red & Black Sponsors include: FUNimation, Silver Sponsors include: Anime News Network and Digital Manga Press, Patron Sponsors include: COPIC, Central Park Media and The Right Stuf, Media Sponsors include: ImaginAsian TV, Animation Magazine, Anime Insider Magazine, Anime News Network and UTB Hollywood.

About Anime Expo®
Located in Los Angeles, California - Anime Expo®, the nation's largest anime/manga convention, serves to foster trade, commerce and the interests of the general public and animation/ comics industry. This event serves as a key meeting place for the general public to express their interest and explore various aspects of anime/manga, as well as for members of the industry to conduct business. AX 2009 will be held July 2 – July 5, 2009 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Southern California. More information can be found at its website (www.anime-expo.org).

About Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation
The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA) is a non-profit organization with a mission to popularize and educate the American public about anime and manga, as well as provide a forum to facilitate communication between professionals and fans. This organization is more popularly known by its entertainment property – Anime Expo®. More information can be found at its website www.anime-expo.org.

The statements made in this press release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements." These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. The Company cautions readers of this press release that a number of important factors could cause Anime Expo®/SPJA's actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in any such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, without limitation, product delays, industry competition, rapid changes in technology and industry standards, protection of proprietary rights, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, vendors and third-party developers, international economic and political conditions. The Company may change its intention, belief or expectation, at any time and without notice, based upon any changes in such factors, in the Company's assumptions or otherwise. The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.