Do you Love Kawaii stuff? Do Kawaii things make your heart turn to mush? Then you’re in luck! Very soon we’ll be posting a link for you to WIN a Subscription Box from the FANTASTIC Subscription Service, KAWAII-BOX!!
Kawaii-Box & JapanCandyBox are teaming up with AnimeIowa to Sponsor a giveaway just for you, our wonderful attendees! We can’t wait to get it started!
Keep a lookout for the link and Good Luck!!
AnimeIowa is pleased to announce that we are bring Sallie & Greg Abba in as the Convention Parent Guest of Honor for 2018. Convention Parents (or “Con Moms” or “Con Dads”) are individuals who serve as role models, guardians, or even actual parents to attendees and the broader community. These individuals act as a shepherd, guiding newer generations into fandoms and helping to ensure a safe experience for everyone. That is why we are here to celebrate Con Parents with Sallie and Greg.
Greg and Sallie attended their first convention in 1989 and haven’t missed a year since. Their convention going has included Science Fiction and Fantasy, Anime, Gaming, WorldCons and CostumeCons. They have been on quite a few convention staffs, and chaired a few as well. However cosplay is their forte. They have done just about everything from tech crew, to judging, to competing. Greg is the prop master and fabricator, while Sallie is the sewer and textile wizard.
They have dragged their kids along on their convention escapades and are now working on the next generation with their grandsons. Conventions have become a family gathering time with as many as four generations in attendance. “We are fortunate to be able to share our convention adventures with our families and our con-family.”
For Friday only, AnimeIowa is pleased to announce that Greg Ayres will be returning!
Greg Ayres has been blasting his way through 2017! He was thrilled to make his second appearance in Dragon Ball Super earlier this year as Frost, and equally excited to help blast bugs as Geo in Sony Picture’s Starship Troopers : Traitor of Mars. 2017 also gave him the opportunity to reprise one of his favorite roles as Son Goku in Saiyuki Reload Blast, and will also 
be appearing in Haikyu as Yu Nishinoya, as well as voicing Zenji Marui in Food Wars. With over 290 credits to his name, he has managed to play a variety of characters that are almost as colorful as his hair. Some recent roles include Nagisa Haruki in Free, and Free Eternal Summer, MonoKuma in Danganronpa, Clear in Dramatical Murder, and Doug in Gangsta. Thrilled to be a part of the Toonami re-launch in the roles of Ganta Igarashi in Deadman Wonderland, and Heihachi Hayashida in Samurai 7, and even more thrill to follow that up the in the following summer’s thriller Another as Kouichi Sakakibara. He can also be hear as Satoru Asahina in From the New World, Kenji Nakanishi in Say I Love You, Sion in No. 6, Heisuke Toudou in Hakuoki, Tommyrod in Toriko, Tomoki Sakurai, in Heaven’s Lost Property, and Volken, in the Book of Bantorra. Some of his all-time favorite roles include Son Goku in Saiyuki, Chrono in Chrono Crusade, Kaoru Hitachiin in Ouran High School Host Club, Youhei Sunohara in Clannad, Yuki in The Wallflower, Leo in Ghost Stories, Satoshi Hiwatari in DNAngel, Kaworu Nagisa in the Director’s Cut of Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Negi Springfield in Negima.
When he’s not in a booth with headphones on, you can usually find him sporting headphones behind “the decks”at many a music event. A veteran nightclub DJ of many years, he has jumped at the opportunity to play music and organize late night dances at many of the conventions he attends. He currently helps organize dance and music tracks at several US conventions. Greg is also a member of Project BECK, who perform music from the anime Beck Mongolian Chop Squad, and has had a blast reliving the music from the show with his friends. Thrilled to be able to share his love of music with anyone willing to listen – from packed rooms at anime conventions, to the legendary stage of The Knitting Factory (NYC), he’s always ready to make a little noise.
AnimeIowa is pleased to announce that Christopher Bevins will be a 2018 Guest of Honor!
Since 2001, Christopher Bevins has directed, cast, produced, acted in, and/or adapted scripts for over 200 anime series, movies and specials. His anime acting credits include Japan in Hetalia, Nine in Terror in Resonance, Yogi in Karneval, Johnny Gill in D.Gray-Man, Apollo in Aquarion, Amata in Aquarion EVOL, Hanamori in Princess Jellyfish, Joe in Prison School, Sero in My Hero Academia, Hagakure in Danganronpa: The Animation, Narsus in The Heroic Legend of Arslan, Lahar in Fairy Tale, Fastener in Panty & Stocking, Sherlock Holmes in Soul Eater, Lafitte, ChouChou, & 
Lasso in One Piece, Shishi Wakamaru in Yu Yu Hakusho, Bee the Puppy in Dragon Ball Z, and Beck the Dog in BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad. He can also be heard as various characters and critters in SerVamp, Tokyo Ghoul, Space Dandy, Attack on Titan, Steins;Gate, Baccano!, Fullmetal Alchemist (both series), Ouran High School Host Club, Sgt. Frog, Black Butler, Big Windup!, Shin chan, Fruits Basket, Case Closed and many more. Chris has also worked on several video games, most notably as Dhalsim in Street Fighter IV and Street Fighter V, as well as various background characters in Borderlands 2.
In his primary job as a Voice Director, Chris has assumed casting and directing duties on Michiko & Hatchin; Princess Jellyfish; Danganronpa: The Animation; Ping Pong: The Animation; Terror in Resonance; GANGSTA.; The Heroic Legend of Arslan; Nobunagun; Karneval; The Devil is a Part-Timer!; BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad (with Taliesin Jaffe); Sengoku Basara; Aquarion EVOL; Jormungand; King of Thorn; Heaven’s Lost Property; Samurai 7; Speed Grapher; Witchblade; Burst Angel; and Dragon Ball GT. His most recent directing work includes Yurikuma Arashi, Selector Infected WIXOSS, Aquarion Logos, and Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope’s Peak High School.
Follow Christopher Bevins on Twitter @VoiceofBevins
AnimeIowa is pleased to announced Rachel Robinson as a 2018 Guest of Honor!
Since 2000, born-and-raised Angelena Rachel Robinson’s voice has spanned the spectrum of video games, animation, national commercials, promos and anime. In gameland, she’s likely 
best known for her role as Oerba Yun Fang (Final Fantasy XIII, XIII-2 and Lightning Returns). She is robot ADA (Fallout 4: Automatron), Protoss matriarch Vorazun, (StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void), Goetia (Xenoblade Chronicles X), Nova (There Came an Echo), Time Patroller in (DBZ: Xenoverse); and Serqet, Medusa and Awilix skins (Smite). Additional noted roles (IBNLT): Argonian Guildmaster Sees-All-Colors (The Elder Scrolls Online), Rox Whetstone (Guild Wars 2), Celsius (Tales of Xillia 1 and 2), Holly Whyte (Bravely Default), Commander Nowak (Q.U.B.E.: Director’s Cut), with more on the way.
More recent anime roles include Mauve (ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Dept), Hiroko (Yuri on Ice!!), Chitose Oribe (Sakura Quest), Gundula Rall (Brave Witches), Anastasia (Drifters), Cal Shekar (Taboo Tattoo), Os Cara Stauffenberg (Project Itoh: Harmony), Fahali (Monster Hunter Stories), Angine (Puzzle and Dragons X) and Namazuo (Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru) – her first recurring boy role. She is also Diamondback/Rachel Leighton (Marvel Disk Wars: Avengers,) Maltran (Tales of Zestiria: The X), Kikyo (One Piece), and Wendy (Black Butler: Book of Circus). Additionally: Joel Raveau (Gangsta), Garak (Snow White with the Red Hair), Quinn Erari and Nya-Nyaa the Cat (Wizard Barristers), Farangis (The Heroic Legend of Arslan), Angelica (Show By Rock!!) and Sakura Ohgami (Danganronpa: The Animation). Her known villains include Zorin Blitz (Hellsing Ultimate); Empress Megaria (Kaijudo: Rise of the Duel Masters), and Cameran (Sailor Moon) and many others. Other roles of all sizes include Attack on Titan, Space Dandy, The Devil is a Part Timer!, Terror in Resonance, Tokyo Ravens, Noragami Aragato, Divine Gate, Masamune-Kun’s Revenge, Akiba’s Trip, Free! Eternal Summer, Garo, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K, Tokyo Ghoul, Yurikuma Arashi, A Certain Magical Index, and many other titles.
Rachel also does ADR adaptation; getting her feet wet with Kamisama Kiss II. She has since worked on both seasons of Show By Rock!!, Show By Rock!! Short!!, Snow White with the Red Hair, Escaflowne, Skip Beat, Myriad Colors Phantom World, Convenience Store Boyfriends, Alderamin on the Sky, Hundred, Kakegurui, and Katsugeki: Touken Ranbu. She also freelance writes, sings, and paints. She is a classically trained pianist, Red Vines fan, knows the military alphabet, and does a mean Katharine Hepburn impression. Accurate mean, not mean-mean. She’s thrilled to soon be marrying voice director and fellow VA Christopher Bevins, whom she met at an anime convention; proving that you really can find love anywhere; even in the green room. Follow Rachel’s occasionally entertaining tweets @larynx_lynx, or get more info on projects and appearances on FB: Rachel Robinson Voice Actress or at www.rachel-robinson.com
AnimeIowa is pleased to announce Trina Nishimura as a 2018 Guest of Honor!
Trina Nishimura has become a fixture in the anime scene over the past few years, primarily working with FUNimation Entertainment. At age 3, her family moved from Sacramento, California to Amarillo, Texas. She started doing plays and performing at the community theater 
at age 9, and continued through high school. She got her Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of North Texas at Denton.
Trina was first cast in Desert Punk as the little hungry girl Namiko and has refused to leave the FUNimation property ever since. Her most notable credits include: Mikasa Ackerman (Attack on Titan), Black Cat (Tanya), Claymore (Flora and Sophia), Jyu Oh Se (Tiz), Kenichi the Mightiest Disciple (Shigure Kosaka), Speed Grapher (Yui), season one and two of Negima!? (Lingshen Chao and Motsu), Sasami: Magical Girl Club (Ayane), Baldr Force Exe (Tsukina Sasagiri), School Rumble and Yurippe School Rumble: 2nd Semester (Akira Takano), Baccano! (Rachel), Sgt Frog (Ghost Girl), Case Closed: The Last Magician of the Century the Movie (Natasha Kosaka), Nabari no O (Juji Minami), El Cazador de la Bruja (Nadie), and the ever popular Witchblade (Shiore Tsuzuki).
Additionally, Trina has voiced Meifong Liu in Blassreiter, Kaaya in Tower of Druaga, Akeno in My Bride is a Mermaid, Karen Nishiyama in Bamboo Blade, Luna in Cashern Sins, Lia Dragonell Sands of Destruction, Mizune in Soul Eater, Francesca Lucchini in Strike Witches, Oriku in Oh! Edo Rocket, Suzuri in Rideback, Capella Titus in Birdy the Mighty Decode, Lan Fan in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Sakuya in .hack//Quantum, Sohara in Heaven’s Lost Property, Hisca in Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike, Milly in Trigun: Badlands Rumble, and her most anticipated role to date as Mari Makinami Illustrious in Evangelion 2.22.
Facebook: OfficialTrinaNishimura
Twitter: @trinanishimura
Behind The Voice Actors
IMDB
AnimeIowa is pleased to announce Austin Tindle as a 2018 Guest of Honor.
Austin Tindle is a writer and actor living in Dallas, Texas. He was born in Orlando, Florida, raised in Austin, Texas and attended the University of Texas at Dallas on an academic 
scholarship, where he almost became an electrical engineer. At 19, he was cast as Romeo and changed majors the same day. He has spent over a decade performing professionally on stage in Dallas, Texas, but he’s probably most well-known for his work with Funimation Studios, where he has voiced many characters including: Marco Bodt (Attack on Titan), Karma Akabane (Assassination Classroom), Avilio Bruno (91 Days), Seborgia (Hetalia), Raspberry (Dragon Ball Z), Accelerator (A Certain Magical Index, A Certain Scientific Railgun), Ichirohiko (The boy and the Beast). You can also hear him voicing leading roles in many shows including: Is This a Zombie, Guilty Crown, D-Frag, Gonna Be The Twin-Tail, Prince Of Stride, Prison School, Tamo No-Rin, ACCA, Mariah the Virgin Witch, Snow White with the Red Hair, Trickster, Shangri-La, and many more.
AnimeIowa is pleased to welcome Daniel Mohr and Wolfie B Bad as 2018 Guests of Honor!
Daniel “Stitch” Mohr – Comic artist, author, and actor who was born and bred in Minnesota. Daniel is also known as that guy over there in the hat. He has been acting for over 20 years in both Community Theater and professional performances, and specializes in improvisation. He has been heard to say he will do anything for a laugh, and has proved it more than once. Ask him about being lit on fire. For almost a decade he has worked with his puppet companion Wolfie, and they have been called equal opportunity offenders however they promise to behave at least five minutes every day.
Currently he lives with his wife in St Paul, where they run Mohr Creations together selling his 
artwork and her custom made fine jewelry. Daniel has also begun his own publishing company, Wolfie B Bad Productions, which publishes his comic collections, “Everyday Gods”, “World Wide News”, “Life is a Natural One”, and soon the new comic “The Adventures of Bastian and Mushu”.
Wolfie B Bad – Wolfie was born in Minnesota, and was born to be an actor. He was on stage making audiences laugh when he was only three months old. Since then he has expanded his repertoire to include audience participation stand up, giving advice via the podcast “Bad Advice with Wolfie and Cory!!” and carousing on an Olympic level. Wolfie has presented at fortune 500 companies, and has also run for president. Vote Awesome in any future election, they all pay well.
Your favorite karaoke performance contest is back for 2018! That’s right, Karaoke Reverse is happening again, Saturday at-con from 5PM until 7PM. This isn’t a contest where you get judged on your singing ability, but on your ability to put on an entertaining performance.
And to help kick off the year, we have an online application so you can get signed up before the convention starts.
Interested? You can sign up by filling out this form:
Karaoke Reverse Application
Want more details? Have questions? Then check out the forum thread relating to this year’s Karaoke Reverse (link here).