Lawrence holds a PhD from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he studied and wrote about otaku culture in the US. A die hard anime fan since he first saw Space Battleship Yamato on TV over 30 years ago, he turned his love of the medium into a multi-year academic project studying anime and manga fandom in America. Currently working in the IT industry, Lawrence continues to pursue his otaku studies in his spare time. Lawrence has presented his work on otaku culture in fan, professional, and academic settings, such as the Japan Society in New York City, and has been cited and quoted in numerous publications. Some of his own writings have been published in Contemporary Youth Culture: An International Encyclopedia, Success Stories: Japan, Ga-Netchu! Das Manga Anime Syndrom, and (most recently) Fandom Unbound: Otaku Culture in a Connected World.
You can see Lawrence at:
Patrick Drazen has written Anime Explosion: The What? Why? And Wow! Of Japanese Animation, which has become a standard work of anime scholarship; Stone Bridge Press is scheduled to release an expanded second edition. His second book, A Gathering of Spirits: Japan's Ghost Story Tradition, is available through iUniverse.com in paper and as an e-book. He's also written extensively on Japanese animation for Animation magazine, Time Out New York, and other publications. He's lectured on anime at conventions ranging from Anime Central in Chicago, to Schoolgirls and Mobile Suits in Minneapolis, to Yaoi Con in San Francisco. In 2006 he was invited to be Master of Ceremonies at the Smithsonian Institution's Anime Marathon, part of the District of Columbia's Cherry Blossom Festival.
You can see Patrick at:
Kay Clopton is a PhD student in Comparative Studies at the Ohio State University, studying women in graphic novels and manga. She recently earned a Master's in Comparative Studies doing a study of josei (women's) manga translations, with a focus on Japanese feminism and New Media studies. She also has a Master's of Library and Information Science, and is a life-long comics reader.
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This year, we will feature the return of COO! This band of traveling entertainers will be putting on some of the most interesting and out there events we have on our schedule!
You can see COO at:
+2 Comedy is a unique comedy trio unlike anything currently in the stand-up comedy world. This original form of stand-up comedy is created solely for nerds. Their comedy is on such topics as Star Wars, video games, comic books, anime, D&D and the like. Having performed Armageddicon in 2010, they are making their triumphant return to Ohio to make you laugh and stuff.
You can see +2 at:
The Fishnet Mafia has been a mainstay of Columbus Ohio counter culture for a long enough time that a world without them is difficult to imagine. Performing a monthly shadow cast of the cult classic "Rocky Horror Picture Show", this band of aliens, transvestites, cannibals, and upright newlyweds will be giving a once in a lifetime anime-induced performance of their stage show Friday night at Revoluticon!
You can see The Fishnet Mafia at:
Originating as a print-on-demand magazine, the staff at ACP are sworn to "put the culture back into counter culture" through critical analysis and discourse, and by holding pop and sub-pop media to the same standards as classic and contemporary literature and film.
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(I think they bake cheese into little pastries...)
Their brooms may not fly, but the OSU Quidditch League still brings the magic of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter sport to life, with a few changes to accommodate muggle limitations. You can spot them on campus practicing for matches throughout the year: just keep an eye out for the tall goal posts and kids running around on broomsticks. While it may look odd to some, quidditch is not just a fantasy–it is a growing international sport, with more than 500 teams worldwide. As a member of the International Quidditch Association, they compete each year with other teams around the country, as well as on an international scale at the Quidditch World Cup.
You can see them at:
Nerdcore rap duo of exceptional tallent. May on occassion punt puppies.
