At the Expo - just a few pictures...



If I ever live in a retirement home I hope nurses are this hot:



Kelly's eyes are really this blue:



The Anime Expo was a disappointment. (It wasn't nearly as good as last year's.) For one, they had the AX Idol in the middle of the day without showcasing it at the Nokia Theater. Furthermore, the dance hall was 8 blocks away from the LA Convention Center! To top it off, I didn't enjoy the masquerade. I don't think I ever would have anyway. The skits are all lip-synced and the costume design presentations were awkwardly short. Anyway, maybe I'll go to the Comic Con to make up for a bad experience at the Anime Expo.

One thing I read and found interesting while at the Expo is the fact the US Manga Market has dropped 17%. This was even before the Economic Crisis of 2008.  As of 2009, it looks like Manga sells aren't doing any better. Some have speculated it's due to the easily accessible and cheaper use of the internet and the wild popularity of webcomics. If someone has an iPhone they can merely visit a website to find their favorite comic series and download it. Europe and Japan are using the webcomic phenomenon and America has yet to deal with it even more. I think we're in store for some pretty radical stuff with webcomics. They're already doing Eisner awards for them.