The most popular parts of the anime convention scene are the panels and discussion groups that speak out for unique interests pertaining to the hobbyist in all of us.  This year at Katsucon, numerous panels packed in the crowds to listen in and emphasize fan participation.  In this section of the convention environment, we'll show you some of the exciting panels to be at throughout the busy weekend schedule.

KatsuCon 2005
 Panels and Discussions

Writing a Paper on Anime: Academics are paying more attention to the anime inspired generation with a sea of cultural diversity and unique social perspective ready to invest a whole term paper on.  Panelists were on hand to help interested people guide themselves through the understanding of the culture and background of anime, what outside factors influence the stories, how the characters relate to each other compared to American cartoons, and special themes chosen that give it a special spotlight.

 Webcomics: A huge amount of webcomic artists were on hand to talk about their latest projects and discuss how new artists can break into the scene with a compelling story and equally compelling characters.  Special webcomics guests attending this session included Rob Balder, Matt Boyd, Rich Burlew, Jekka Cormier, Kara Dennison, Barb Fischer, Mohammad F. Haque, Sarah Hevey, Chris Impink, Dave Lister, Ian McConville, Ananth Panagariya, Scott Ramsoomair, Michael Terracciano, and Jes Weigand.
Win Richard Kim's Pocky: It's not Katsucon unless chairman Richard Kim is at the helm to drive the panel of all panels: To win his pocky!  With a big bag of giveaway pocky boxes to toss to the crowd, anime trivia ensued with questions from X, Chobits, Angelic Layer, Chrono Crusade, Xenosaga, Devilman, Plastic Little, Inuyasha, and much more.

 Voice Actor Panels: Joining the big guest list this year were veteran voice actors and actresses from all over the states here to talk about their latest big projects, new anime to look out for, and sign autographs for their fans: Greg Ayres, Johnny Young Bosch, Richard Cox, Kyle Herbert, Janyse Jaud, Monica Rial, Rikki Simons, and Mike Sinterniklaas.

 
Katsucon had a wide range of panels and discussions held throughout the weekend including: Toy Collecting, Cel Collecting, Evangelion, Science of Anime, J-Pop / J-Rock, Bemani, Final Fantasy, Amerimanga, Cosplay in America, Cons 101, Anime Parliament, State of the Yaoi Nation, Starting an Anime Club, Grumpy Old Fans, Manga Erotica, Super Dollfie, Women in the Comics Industry, Figure Drawing, CG Coloring, Plus-size Cosplay, Manga Entertainment, Bandai, Hair and Wig Styling, Giant Robots, and Freeform Drawing with Range Murata.

Numerous popular Guests of Honor were available to talk about their latest projects and chat with fans at their respective panels.  Guests of Honor this year included: Tetsu Inaba (manga director), Psycho Le Cemu (J-Rock band), Range Murata (character designer, manga artist), Greg Ayres (voice actor), Johnny Young Bosch (voice actor), Richard Cox (voice actor), Kyle Herbert (voice actor), Lea Hernandez (manga artist), Janyse Jaud (voice actress), Trish Ledoux (Viz), Fred Perry (artist), Monica Rial (voice actress), Mike Sinterniklass (voice actor), Studio Tavicat (artist group), and Toshifumi Yoshida (Viz).

Additional guests from the industry included Katie Bair (wig designer) and Christy Lijewski (manga artist), both who are accomplished artists as well as award-winning cosplayers.
Tetsu Inaba: Manga for the Intermediate Artist: With an eye for detail, page flow, and use of backgrounds, master artist and comics director and producer Tetsu Inaba was available to chat with aspiring fan artists and critique their works on a professional level.

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