Otaku Researcher Lawrence Eng Confirmed as a Guest at Genericon XXIII

Eng studied United States anime culture at Rensselaer

TROY, NY (January 11, 2010) – Lawrence Eng, a former doctoral student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and a researcher of ‘otaku’ (anime fan) culture, will be returning to the university from February 12-14, 2010 as a guest at Genericon, the school's twenty-third annual science fiction, anime, and gaming convention.

Eng's doctoral disseration, completed in 2006, covered otaku culture in the United States, detailing the effects of science and technology on the social lives of American anime fans. Now a product analyst at Opera Software, Eng plans to run two panels at Genericon XXIII, one about the process of studying anime in an academic setting, and the other about the older works of studio Gainax (known for Evangelion, FLCL, and Wings of Honneamise).

Genericon XXIII will be held from February 12 through 14, 2010 at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY. To pre-register, visit http://genericon.union.rpi.edu.

ABOUT GENERICON:
Genericon is an annual, student-run convention of sci-fi, anime, and gaming. For over two decades, it has been run by student staff and volunteers at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute campus in Troy, New York. The convention features a 24-hour video game room, anime and sci-fi screenings, role playing games, a cosplay contest, vendors, artists' alley, panels by special guests and fans, a concert, gaming tournaments and more. More information can be found at genericon.union.rpi.edu.