Otakon Welcomes Back Masao Maruyama for 2012
Baltimore, MD (July 12, 2012) – Otakon welcomes back producer and honorary Otakon staffer, Masao Maruyama!
The founder of Madhouse Studios, Masao Maruyama has had a hand in the Japanese animation industry for almost forty years. Maruyama was born in 1941 in the Miyagi Prefecture. After graduation from Hosei University, he went to work for Mushi Production. He later went on to help produce Unico, based on a story by Osamu Tezuka, of Astro Boy fame. In 1972, Maruyama had a direct hand in the establishment of the burgeoning new animation Studio Madhouse and led the team as a creative producer for many years.
No matter the wide range of mediums in which Madhouse Studios dealt including television, OAV, and theatrical release, Maruyama brought the same level of quality to every production. Regardless of the subject matter, Murayama always brings something new to the table, and he is internationally known for exceptional animation. Maruyama is also acknowledged for his eye in finding young talent to bring into Madhouse; under his creative guidance, talents like Satoshi Kon and Atsuko Ishizuka flourished.
Since Madhouse's inception, Maruyama has produced an amazing library of animation including Barefoot Gen, Dagger of Kamui, Record of Lodoss War, Vampire Hunter D, Ninja Scroll, Card Captor Sakura, Trigun, Perfect Blue, X, Boogiepop Phantom, Chobits, Pita-Ten, Abenobashi Maho Shotengai, Gungrave, Gunslinger Girl, Black Lagoon, Kiba, NANA, Tokyo Tribe 2, Beck, Monster, Highlander: Search for Vengeance, Devil May Cry, Death Note, RAINBOW and Red Line.
Maruyama has also overseen production of critically acclaimed films such as Paprika and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.
Otakon 2012 will be held July 27 – 29 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland.
ABOUT OTAKON AND OTAKORP, INC.: Now entering its nineteenth year, Otakon is an annual celebration of Japanese and East Asian popular culture, and also one of the largest gatherings of fans in the United States. Otakon celebrates popular culture as a gateway to deeper understanding of Asian culture, and has grown along with the enthusiasm for anime, manga, video games, and music from the Far East. Since 1999, Otakon has been held in Baltimore, Maryland; currently, Otakon is one of Baltimore's few large, city-wide events, drawing over 31,000 people for three days each year (for a paid attendance of over 85,000 turnstile attendees). Otakon is a membership based convention sponsored by Otakorp, Inc., a Pennsylvania-based, 501(c)3 educational non-profit whose mission is to promote the appreciation of Asian culture, primarily through its media and entertainment. Otakorp, Inc. is directed by an all-volunteer, unpaid staff – we are run by fans, for fans.
For more information about Otakorp, Inc., see http://www.otakon.com/otakorp/index.asp
For more information and the latest news on Otakon 2012, see http://www.otakon.com/
