Wednesday, 13 February 2013
GM
 Press Release: In the popular Japanese cartoon, Dragon Ball, a band of martial artists search the world over for the mystical 'dragon balls' a set of orbs that grant one wish of the finder when all seven are located and assembled. Your wish has just been granted. On April 5-7, 2013 at the Lansing Center in Lansing, Mich., seven voice actors from the epic anime will reunite for one weekend to hold panels, sign autographs, and discuss the time they worked on the series, at Lansing's premiere anime convention: Shuto Con. The final guest announced this week is the Dragon Ball franchise's starring hero, Goku, as voiced by Sean Schemmel, who also voices King Kai and Nail in the internationally acclaimed anime series. Additional roles include: Batman in The Dark Night Rises game adaptation, Onsakumaru in Ninja Nonsense, and dozens of voices in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles remake. Schemmel will be joined by the following veteran Dragon Ball voice actors: Christopher Sabat: Voice of Vegeta, Piccolo, Yamcha, Mr. Popo, Kami, Jeice, Recoome, Korin, Burter, Shenron, Zarbon, Guru, Porunga, and more, as well as voice director for the series. Monica Rial: Voice of Bulma. Sonny Strait: Scriptwriter for Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, as well as the voice of Krillin, Lieutenant Blue, and more. Colleen Clinkenbeard: Voice of Gohan, Android 18, and Baby Trunks. Chris Rager: Voice of Mr. Satan/Hercule and King Yemma. Greg Ayres: Performer of one of the Dragon Ball Z Kai opening themes and voice of Guldo. A special industry guest from Funimation, the studio that dubbed and distributed the English-language Dragon Ball, will also be holding panels and special previews of newly released anime. Special artist guests will include Doug Smith, who also voiced Kintaro in the cult anime Golden Boy; Rikki Simmons, who voiced Gir in Invader Zim ; and Tavisha Wolfgarth-Simmons, artist behind studio Tavicat (with Rikki Simmons). Several bands will also perform a marathon Saturday concert including: Armcannon, Those Who Fight, Knights of the Round, The Pillowcases, The X-Hunters, and Arc Impulse. Returning to this year's two-day rave will be DJs Freddy D and TKR. More information about individual guests can be found at shutocon.com/guests.htmlPre-registration for admission badges ends Friday, Mar. 22. More information at: shutocon.com/registration.html
Monday, 19 November 2012
GM
Press Release: Throughout the 90s an imported anime cartoon dominated the airwaves and captivated children and even adult fans of Japanese animation alike. That cartoon, also known as anime, was Dragon Ball. Lansing, Mich anime convention, Shuto Con, will bring together six cast members of the Dragon Ball franchise for a special reunion event over the weekend of April 5-7, 2013, with additional guests expected to confirm at a later date. Each of the guests have had an impact across the anime and animation communities, but will meet at Shuto Con to greet fans and hold talks about Dragon Ball and the major cult following it created. The guests lineup will also include several artist and entertainment groups to round out the fan experience. Guests this year include: Greg Ayres- The prolific voice actor and DJ will pull double duty during the convention meeting fans of his work on Nerima Daikon Brothers, Beck, Negima! and his hilarious script writing and acting for Ghost Stories, as well as playing DJ for both evening rave dances. Ayres played the role of Guldo as well as preformed the opening theme used in some episodes of the new Dragon Ball Kai. Colleen Clinkenbeard- In addition to supervising scripts for several anime, Clinkenbeard has also starred in fan favorite anime such as Fullmetal Alchemist, One Piece, the new Evangelion films and more. Among her myriad of roles with Dragon Ball, she has played the voices of Gohan, Android 18 and Baby Trunks. Chris Rager- Bringing a multitude of talents to the convention, Rager is not only a voice actor for several popular anime and games, he also lent his voice to many television commercials, stage acts and preforms improvisational comedy. Rager voiced the fan-favorite Mr. Satan/Hercule, among several other roles for Dragon Ball. Monica Rial- At over a decade in the animation industry, Rial has provided voices to more than 250 anime including major roles in One Piece, Ouran High School and the smash-hit Panty and Stocking. Rial was cast as Bulma in Dragon Ball Kai. Christopher Sabat- While Sabat has acted in many popular anime including Fullmetal Alchemist, Lupin III and One Piece, when you think of Sabat's work, the dozens of roles he has played in Dragon Ball come to mind most prominently. His most major roles include Vegeta, Piccolo, Yamcha, Mr. Popo and many more. Sonny Strait- As a writer, director, and voice actor, Strait has made a major impact on the anime community with his roles in Fullmetal Alchemist, Lupin III and the incomparable voice of Tom in the fondly regarded Toonami program block on Cartoon Network. Strait played the voice of Krillin and Bardok, among others in Dragon Ball. Additional guests include:Rikki and Tavisha Wolfgarth-Simmons- Comprising an impressive voice acting and artist couple-duo, Rikki Simmons provided the voice of Gir in the cult cartoon Invader ZIM as well as serving as an background animation artist and novel writer, and Tavisha Wolfgarth-Simmons produces Japanese-inspired manga comics and fashions under her studio name of "Tavicat". Together they produce a weekly webcomic calles @Tavicat. Doug Smith- Smith both began his voice acting career and earned a legendary reputation while voicing the lead role, Kintaro, in the anime classic, Golden Boy. Smith also provides the artwork for several comics, magazines and games, and will feature some of his art as a vendor at the convention. Musical guests include: Arc Impulse, Armcannon, DJ TKR, DJ Freddy D., Knights of the Round, The Pillowcases, Those Who Fight and The X-Hunters. More guests are expected to be announced later. Visit shutocon.com/guests.html for more information and announcements. At this time Shuto Con is also collecting donations for their charity sponsor, Sparrow Children's Hospital of Lansing, Mich to provide spirit-boosting gifts to give for the holidays. Donations of cash can be made at the website at shutocon.com/about.html and donations to the ongoing manga library Shuto Con will gift to Sparrow can be given at the upcoming 2013 convention. Visit the Shuto Con website for more information about guests, the special charity and more.
 Press Release: June is recognized as Pride Month in the United States and abroad, which is what prompted the staff from one of Michigan's fastest-growing events to announce their plans to become a designated "Safe Space". Starting June 1, Shuto Con, an anime and popular arts convention of Lansing, revealed their newly-recognized status as an event with zero tolerance for harassment. "Ever since I first started our convention, I wanted to create a place where fans of all walks of life could get together and celebrate their dedication to fandom without worrying about being judged and harassed by others," said Stefanie Shall, founding Chairwoman of Shuto Con, going on its third year. Advocates for Youth, a sexual education advocacy group, defines Safe Spaces as, "a place where anyone can relax and be fully self-expressed, without fear of being made to feel uncomfortable, unwelcome, or unsafe on account of biological sex, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, cultural background, age, or physical or mental ability." In addition to eliminating gender discrimination, Shuto Con staff will attempt to put a stop to any hurtful speech or actions directed toward attendees of their April 5-7, 2013 event. Included in the plans to support their Safe Space initiative are increased security staff, policies against discrimination, and safe rooms where attendees can go if they are feeling harassed. "Even within our own self-built communities, there is a constant source of harassment that has turned many people away from doing the things that they love, like cosplaying which is the Art of Costume Play, and I felt it was time to stand up and end the harassment that is being put out by like-minded fans." said Stefanie Shall. Stefanie and her husband, Joe, both serve as leaders to the event, and have witnessed unchecked bad behavior at similar popular culture events, as avid travelers to similar shows nationwide. Together they made a commitment to have their convention be a place where attendees respect one another, reflected in the attitude of their staff on issues of harassment and hosting panels including "It Gets Better", modeled after the viral campaign to prevent suicides in gay adolescents. "We plan on featuring our 'It Gets Better' panel as a headlining event for our 2013 convention, and one of our lead Voice Actors, Greg Ayres, is set to host it again. This panel will be open to the public, and will be the only event at our convention that you will not need a Membership Badge for. We wanted to do this so the youth of Lansing could come in for free and hear a famous Voice Actor tell stories about personal struggles with his own life, hear stories from participating attendees in a hate-free environment, and help all overcome their own struggles by providing a Q&A time." said Stefanie. Additional information about Shuto Con and Safe Spaces can be found at: http://shutocon.com/safespace.html
Thursday, 01 March 2012
GM
Press Release: Mid Michigan will soon be host to one of the one of the most anticipated Japanese Animation conventions this season. Shuto Con will open its second year at the Lansing Center and Radisson Hotel on March 16 to 18 with attendees visiting from across the Midwest to participate in one of the fastest growing shows of its' kind. The annual convention received a lot of buzz after a successful event in 2011 featuring video screenings, dances, vending booths, artists, as well as industry guests, and has doubled in size this year. One guest artist featured for this year is Ann Arbor local, Fred Gallagher, who gained fame from his webcomic turned published manga comic, ' MegaTokyo', about two anime and gaming friends who fly to Japan for fun, but find they have no money to return home. Gallagher will join dozens of other artists who will feature original prints and drawings, as well as other crafts like jewelry and charms for sale. "Fred is a wonderful addition to our guest line up this year," said Chairwoman and Shuto Con founder, Stefanie Shall. "He has certainly achieved the fame that all American manga artists dream about, and I know he will be a great inspiration to all budding artists hoping to break into the manga industry." Other guests will include Richard Epcar and Guest of Honor, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, who play the lead characters in the cyberpunk cult classic series of 'Ghost in the Shell'. Joining them are voice actors Greg Ayres from Nerima Daikon Brothers, Doug Smith from Golden Boy, and lead actor from Hetalia, Todd Haberkorn. Guests will hold panels and sign autographs for free during the convention. Also taking the stage will be bands both local and from across the country, including Arc Impulse, The X-Hunters, The Pillow Cases, and Lansing's Year200X. "We have four great bands playing on Saturday night," said Guest Coordinator, Will Burgess. "And if you're not tired by the end, there's even an evening dance following." Membership Badges are available at the door for $40 for the entire weekend, but can be purchased online until Friday, Mar. 2 at: shutocon.com/registration.html Anime is a type of animation from Japan, typically with more grownup themes, often based on manga books. Manga is the written and drawn counterpart to anime and can be likened to comic books for older readers. Additional information can also be found at: shutocon.com
Sunday, 22 January 2012
Stefanie Shall
Press Release: On March 16-18, 2012, Lansing will enter the cyber era. Voice actor Richard Epcar, is confirmed as the final guest for Shuto Con, returning for its second year to the Lansing Center and Raddison. Epcar is most famously known for his role as Batou in the cyberpunk, cult classic series of Ghost in the Shell films. The GitS franchise has inspired directors like the Wachowski brothers and Steven Speilberg, who is preparing a live-action version of these futuristic anime films. Joining Epcar will be Shuto Con guest of honor, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, who co-starred with Epcar almost since the films debuted in America, as an import from Japan. McGlynn is also known for her music directing and vocals in the Silent Hill series of video games and the wildly popular anime series Naruto. "Naruto is something of a convention staple today," said Will Burgess, Guest Coordinator at Shuto Con. "Rarely is there a convention without costumed attendees wearing outfits from the series, so we're excited to have guests like Mary Elizabeth who has worked on the anime." In addition to a bevy of voice actors, Shuto Con will also play host to several concerts from bands playing everything to video game remixes, original metal tributes, and cover songs from J-pop bands. "The Pillow Cases are a cover group to The Pillows, who play a heavy rock and pop sound that is so unique," said Burgess. "This is the next best thing to flying the band in from Japan. We expect a great show from The Pillow Cases." The Pillows gained fame after collaborating on a soundtrack to the hit anime, FLCL, proving to be a great match for the band, as the anime is as wild and unpredictable as their music. After their popularity boom in America, they released the single "Ladybird Girl" which is used as the opening theme song for the Cartoon Network series, Ben 10. The Pillow Cases will play some sets featuring fan-favorite music from FLCL as well. More information about guests, events and concerts can be found at the Shuto Con website: www.shutocon.com. 
Thursday, 10 November 2011
Stefanie Shall
Press Release: At a little more than five months away from their March 16 to 18, 2012 event, staff of Lansing's premiere Anime convention, Shuto Con, are getting busy. "This year we were able to practically double the space we had last year, all because of the wonderful support of the Anime and Gaming fans around us," said Stefanie Shall, Chairwoman of Shuto Con, "Due to this expansion we were also able to book some really amazing Voice Acting guests." Shuto Con confirmed Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, Todd Haberkorn, Doug Smith, and a recent addition, Greg Ayres to their guest list of voice actors this year. "I am especially excited that Greg Ayres joined our Shuto Con guest line up, as not only does he do great voice over work, but he is also a very accomplished DJ who will be providing music at our “rave” inspired dance" said Shall. Guests will host panel discussions and take part in many of the events planned for the convention, including a “rave” inspired dance, several musical performances, and cosplay costume contest. "Cosplay is a convention tradition of dressing up as your favorite character from anime, comics or games," said Will Burgess, Guest Coordinator, "Shuto Con practices Interactive Cosplaying which encourages attendees to interact with others as their character throughout the convention." Shuto Con also features a video and tabletop gaming room, a vendor hall and Artist Alley featuring original works by local artists. "We are currently running two art contests for our program booklet/badges and t-shirts" said Shall. "The art contests end Friday, November 18, and winners will receive a free Artist Alley table where their artwork will be featured at the con." For more information about the art contests see the contest section at: shutocon.com/about.html. Additional information about guests and events can be found at the Shuto Con website: www.shutocon.com.
Wednesday, 08 June 2011
Stefanie Shall
 
Press Release: Officers at the Lansing anime convention, Shuto Con, kicked off plans for the 2012 convention with some big announcements. Special guests Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, Todd Haberkorn and Doug Smith have been confirmed to attend as presenters next year. McGlynn is best recognized for her role as Motoko Kusanagi in the cult, cyberpunk anime series and movies, Ghost in the Shell. She has also performed some singing roles in the popular Silent Hill games. Haberkorn has received much acclaim as the role of "Italy" in the anime Axis Powers Hetalia, satirizing warring nations in WWII. Smith will return for his second year to present his original artwork and discuss his part in the short anime series, Golden Boy, where he plays a perverted, but loyal student of the world around him. "Doug was so much fun last year," said Guest Coordinator, Will Burgess. "He really engaged the audience as his infamous and hilarious Golden Boy character."
Among other events, there are plans for a formal ball, Pokemon gym leader challenge, and "cosplay refresh" room, where costumed attendees can repair garments and take photos, among events added to the 2012 schedule. "This year we had a great show, but with this lineup of guests and events so early, it looks like this will be the best convention yet," said Burgess.
More information about guests and events can be found at the Shuto Con website: www.shutocon.com.
Wednesday, 28 April 2010
Stefanie Shall
 Shuto Con Announces Their First Round of Guests, Including Guest of Honor
LANSING, MI (April 28th, 2010) - Shuto Con is excited to announce their Guest of Honor - Michelle Ruff, and special guests Year 200X, Doug Smith, and Hobocon.
Shuto Con is Lansing's Premiere Anime Convention, coming March 25th-26th, 2011. This convention will be a two day event held in Lansing, MI that focuses on Artists and the art of Interactive Cosplaying!
Michelle Ruff - Michelle is excited to be here from Los Angeles and is looking forward to meeting all the anime fans from her home state of Michigan! Most recently, Michelle won the SPJA 2009 Best Actress Award for her role in Cartoon Networks "Bleach" as Rukia Kuchiki. She began her acting and voice studies in Chicago, where she worked and studied at the legendary Second City, as well as at Player's Workshop and the renowned ImprovOlympic. Ruff relocated to Los Angeles to focus on her voice career, and has been working non-stop in the VO industry ever since. She also enjoys doing theatre and recently appeared in a show called Friday Night Quickies at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks, CA.
Having the ability to bring to life to a number of characters, Ruff can voice any age. A specialist in young voices, she has mastered babies to teens: girls and boys, as well as twenty to thirty-somethings. She also is exceptional at character voices of those in their forties and fifties, and can adeptly handle most any accent. She lends her voice to original animation, video games, dubbing, commercials, television shows and feature films. Michelle's lent her voice to many favorite anime Characters including Rukia in Bleach, Yoko in Gurren Laggan, Yuki Nagato in Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumia, Tsukasa in Lucky Star, Chi in Chobitz and Aoi-Chan in Ai Yori Aoshi as well as lending her voice to many fan fav video games. You have heard her voice in animated features including Kung Fu Panda, Biohazard: Regeneration, Monsters vs. Aliens, Madagascar 2, The Tale of Despereux, Polar Express, Through the Moebius Strip, What the @#$! Do We Know, and the animated TV Show Tutenstein. Television shows Ruff has done voice-over for include CSI, Greek, The Mentalist, The Sarah Silverman Show, Smallville, Battlestar Galactica, Melrose Place, Supernatural and Eureka.
http://www.voiceofmichelleruff.com/
Year 200X - Year 200X is a heavy metal video game cover band from Lansing, MI. Y2KX was formed in early 2006 by Tim Lydon and Tony Oliver. Joined by friends Rance Tatroe, Ian Whiters, Jake Bryan, and occasionally Kyle Hoke, they came together for two purposes: to have fun, and to play the awesomest guitar-driven video game covers that they can. Almost immediately, they were featured in Nintendo Power Magazine (June, 2006). Their debut album "We Are Error," a compilation of 13 tracks from games for the Nintendo Entertainment System, was released in August 2008 to great reviews by the video game community and fans of metal alike.
The band is currently working on new material, which will broaden their game selection by including music from systems other than the NES.
http://year200xband.com/
Doug Smith - Doug Smith is an accomplished freelance artist and voice actor who has performed many roles for ADV and Funimation, including the lead, Kintaro Oe, in "Goldenboy".
His artwork has been used for CD album covers, magazines, comics, posters, anime con program guides, badges, DVDs, TV and is currently working with Meta 3D Studios illustrating and assisting in the creation of their online video game, "Fantasy Kingdoms". Doug is also the Art Director for non-profit Voices For, an organization which works with talented people in the anime/manga industry to create products, the profits of which are donated to charity. Be sure to stop by Doug's table, view his art and say hi!
For more information:
http://www.dougsmithart.com
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0808008/
Voices For: http://www.voicesfor.com
Meta 3D Studios: http://www.meta3dstudios.com
Hobocon - Hobocon follows three fun loving friends as they journey through one of their most epic adventures of all time, or as they like to call it, their best worst idea ever! Dr. Boxcar (Jason Slingerland), The Pixie (Wilhelm Rumpf) and Benny (Rob Couch) let the cameras roll as they chronicle what it is really like to be a hobo at a convention from a gamer's point of view. Watch them as they stave off sleep and forage for food, while trying not to get discovered and thrown out.
Hobocon is not like other notable gaming themed documentaries. Hobocon "gets it". We did not make a movie just for the hard core gamer nor did we set out to make a stare-at-the-freaks exposé. Hobocon is for everyone from the non-gamer to your over-the-top cos-player. Throughout the movie, we take the time to interview a wide cast of characters and let them voice what this culture is all about. Simply put, Hobocon is more than just a fun look at GenCon, it is 'gaming convention 101' for everyone!
http://www.hobocon.com
http://www.screenhead.com/reviews/hobocon-review-the-best-worst-idea-ever/
Pre-registration is only $20 for the entire two-day weekend! This will grant you access to the Artist and Dealer's Alley, all the panel rooms, and the Main Events hall. The first 50 people to pre-register will also get a coupon to claim a special Shuto Con collectable item at the convention! To pre-register for Shuto Con please visit http://www.shutocon.com
Press Release for April 29, 2010
Sunday, 07 February 2010
GM
Shuto Con is Lansing's Premiere Anime Convention, coming March 25th-26th, 2011. This convention will be a two day event held in Lansing, MI that focuses on Artists and the art of Interactive Cosplaying!
Starting on Friday morning our convention will run from 9AM until 12AM Saturday night (Sunday morning) non-stop. On Saturday night we will conclude the festivities with a techno blasting, glowstick waving dance! We plan on having lots of wonderful panels, over 30 unique artists, several dealers to get your latest anime swag from, anime and video game viewing rooms open during the entire convention, a table top gaming room, special guests, and much more!
Shuto Con also hopes to give you a truly unique experience by participating in our "Interactive Cosplay" experience. We highly encourage ALL our attendees to dress up as their favorite characters and act like them during the convention. A mock battle arena will be staged where you can "fight" it out with other cosplayers, or even take "bets" on who will win! Special points will be given out to those that participate the most, and at Closing Ceremonies on Saturday night we will announce the Shuto Con "King and Queen of Cosplayers"! If you do not wish to participate, but would still like to capture those fond memories, we ask that your bring your cameras and/or video recorders and witness a viral hit in the making! For more information and rules on this event please visit the Interactive Cosplay page.
Pre-registration is only $20 for the entire two-day weekend! This will grant you access to the Artist and Dealer's Alley, all the panel rooms, and the Main Events hall. The first 50 people to pre-register will also get a coupon to claim a special Shuto Con collectable item at the convention!
We can't wait to see you there! Be sure to check out http://www.shutocon.com for more information!
Press Release for February 2, 2010.
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