Hi all! With the start of Comic Con a few little over a week away, I figured it wouldn't hurt to give a quick rundown of things that might be of interest to Gatchaman fans. The main fan activity at the con will be our daily lunchtime gatherings. We'll be meeting in the Sails Pavilion at noon on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. This is the place to relax, have a bite to eat, and chat with other people who speak the same fannish language you do. If you're at the con, we'd love to see you! Sadly, nothing there's no Gatchaman programming on the main convention schedule, but there are still a couple of panels that might be of interest to fans. Annoyingly enough, they are both scheduled at the same time. Still, the first is Cartoon Voices II, held on Sunday at 11:15~12:30 in Room 6A. This is a panel devoted to the fine actors who provide the voices of many popular cartoon characters. Among the actors included on this panel will be none other than Janet Waldo, the voice of Princess in Battle of the Planets! The second panel is Dark Horse: Yoshitaka Amano, held on Sunday at 11:30~12:30. This panel, hosted by Dark Horse Comics, will feature a retrospective on the career of Yoshitaka Amano, and to help promote Amano's new work for Dark Horse, "Shinjuku." Mr. Amano was, of course, a Character Designer on all three Gatchaman TV series. The hard part will be deciding which one to go to... Perhaps making that decision a little easier, Mr. Amano will be signing autographs at the Dark Horse Comics booth (Booth 2615 in the Exhibit Hall) on Saturday from 11:00~12:00, and again on Sunday from 1:00~2:00. Both signings are a ticketed event, and you'll need to speak with a Dark Horse employee at the convention for details on how to obtain a ticket. In the Anime Room in Marriott Hall 6, there are a couple of Tatsunoko programs being shown. On both Friday and Saturday, you can watch Tekkaman Blade at 11:40am and Casshern Sins at 5:45pm. While not Gatchaman, they're worth your time if you're interested in seeing some other works of the studio. I've seen both series, and they're quite good. I'd recommend both of them. As far as the exhibit room goes, there's no telling that kind of Gatchaman merchandise might turn up scattered around the floor. Both Anime Link (Booth 400) and AnimeEd.com (Booth G09 and G10) usually have a few cels, and Alexrossart.com (Booth 2419) tends to have at least one piece of Gatchaman art painted by Mr. Ross. While it's safe to assume that Capcom (Booth 4844) won't be promoting Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom like they were last year, they may have something related to it at their booth. So, there are a few things to look forward to! If you're going to be at the convention, I hope we'll see you there! James

Thank you James for pointing out the other interesting things to see. I had already looked at the programming and noticed Janet Waldo. If you knew a bunch of us were going to that panel, then maybe you would be more interested in seeing the Dark Horse: Yoshitaka Amano panel. Unless you want to sit with a bunch of raving fan girls, one of them in a Swan costume. (I am only assuming TJ would want to head to see Janet Waldo, I could be wrong maybe she would much prefer the Amano panel.)

I'd like to see Amano and Janet Waldo, but if I have to pick, I'd go with Janet Waldo. I certainly want to see some anime while I'm there too, and I've never seen Casshern Sins or Tekkaman Blade. Thanks for the tips, James!

Drat! I've just realized I can't see either Amano or Janet Waldo -I have a 1.10pm flight out of San Diego on Sunday.

Yeah...I think I'll go see Janet Waldo...although I would love to see Amano, too... how wonderful it would be to get a sketch from him? *yeah, I know I'm dreaming*

I thank everyone for all info! It's very kind of you to keep people like me, who cannot attend such cons, adjourned! It always feels like I'm attending and participating myself!

Hi all!

Unless you want to sit with a bunch of raving fan girls, one of them in a Swan costume.

Maybe I'll sit somewhere else in the room...

Drat! I've just realized I can't see either Amano or Janet Waldo -I have a 1.10pm flight out of San Diego on Sunday.

I had a feeling that someone would end up missing those panels by having to leave early. Regardless, you can still see Mr. Amano at the Dark Horse booth on Saturday.

how wonderful it would be to get a sketch from him? *yeah, I know I'm dreaming*

You never know. Try for an autograph. If he sees you're wearing something Gatchaman-related, perhaps he'll do a quick sketch to go with it. He's done that in the past, so it is possible. James

Really, James? Oh, that would be SO exciting...we'll see what happens...I'd definitely like to get his autograph!

I think if you arrived with TJ, that would really get a reaction and probably a good result.

Originally posted by tatsunokofan

Drat! I've just realized I can't see either Amano or Janet Waldo -I have a 1.10pm flight out of San Diego on Sunday.

I had a feeling that someone would end up missing those panels by having to leave early. Regardless, you can still see Mr. Amano at the Dark Horse booth on Saturday.

Yes, work-related logistics make it necessary for me to leave on Sunday.

Originally posted by tatsunokofan You never know. Try for an autograph. If he sees you're wearing something Gatchaman-related, perhaps he'll do a quick sketch to go with it. He's done that in the past, so it is possible.

I can look for Amano on Saturday then (and I can do it wearing something Gatch related!)

You realise, of course, that we now expect to see pictures of you in your costume, Cloud...

Cloud does not have a costume, not even a numbered shirt to wear. I don't have the courage to do the spandex outfit and let all my flabbiness hang out to disgust all the con goers. Now if I was tall and skinny like so many people here say they are in the other thread, then I probably would do it.

I'm definitely overweight (and not the Hollywood version). Even if I could go, you'd see me in street clothes. (Crow is what I wish I looked like, hence the realistic 150 pounds. Although in her case, a lot of that is muscle.)

<--------- exact replica of what I look like. And I am so sticking to that! *snort*

costume and all ?!? Or should I say outfit?

That's my work uniform, honey. It's bikinis and not much else the rest of the time! *giggle*

Originally posted by green <--------- exact replica of what I look like. And I am so sticking to that! *snort*

Heh heh, babe ... I bet you are. The only diff between me and my character in the other thread is hair colour, length, and height (I'm way taller) ... oh, and I have smaller hips ... Other than that, I look as gorgeous as her ... :grin:

Hi all! Katharine has reminded me that she'll be bringing her large "battle flag" to the lunch meetings. So if you can't find us among the crowd, just look for a black flag with a red Gatchaman 'bird head' symbol on it. That's where we'll be! James

I'm definitely going to see Janet Waldo! And of course I'll have to go as a Swan. Ryota Niitsuma will also be present this year, so I'm hoping to say hello to him again at another autograph session.

Ah sweet! She's bringing the battle flag! I love that thing.

Thanks, James! Yes, the Battle Flag is in hand (just need to find a suitable retractable pole...Home Depot run is in order...)

Pictures, I want/need pictures I need to live vicariously through others since the Aussie Con was cancelled And details and did I mention pictures especially of the flag, goody! good and bad bits Oh I dream about one of the big US convention, I've only seen them on the TV, but they look amazing, drool

Same here!

Originally posted by Mad Katharine Thanks, James! Yes, the Battle Flag is in hand (just need to find a suitable retractable pole...Home Depot run is in order...)

Well, I'll certainly keep an eye out for this flag! (Currently sitting in the Houston airport, awaiting connecting flight to San Diego... At least there's free wifi.)

Hi all! Well, the con started last night. Unfortuntely, a cold decided that yesterday was the perfect day to come on strong, making me a runny-nosed, shambling mess. As a result, we weren't able to do as much on Preview Night as we might have liked. We managed to get our memberships for the 2011 con taken care of, and walked a handful of rows of the Dealers Room before we ran across the group of ladies from these boards at the convention. We all chatted for a good half hour (With my trying to keep enough distance as not to share my bug with anyone) before Preview Night came to a close at 9:00. We'll all be getting together, along with some of the other fans who are at the con, for lunch today in the Sails Area. The only Gatchaman items Heather and I saw were some of the ADV DVDs, though the other ladies came across the cels that Anime Link has and the artwork for sale at the Alex Ross Art booth (Which, if you have a couple of grand burning a hole in your pocket, can be yours). While Marvel Vs. Capcom was their big push this year, the Capcom booth does have both the Tatsunoko Vs Capcom game and joystick for sale (Separately, not as a bundle). Nice to see, but both items can be purchased elsewhere online for much less than Capcom is charging. Anyway, I'm feeling somewhat better today, though I'v still got a faucet for a nose and some congestion in my chest. With any luck, the worst of that is over, since we've got plans for the rest of the day! More updates later! James

Originally posted by Mad Katharine Thanks, James! Yes, the Battle Flag is in hand (just need to find a suitable retractable pole...Home Depot run is in order...)

Would a strong fishing pole not do? Or one of those extendable window washing ones...

Thanks a lot for your update, James! I hope you'll feel and get better soon! Regards to all at the Con!

Originally posted by Askura

Originally posted by Mad Katharine Thanks, James! Yes, the Battle Flag is in hand (just need to find a suitable retractable pole...Home Depot run is in order...)

Would a strong fishing pole not do? Or one of those extendable window washing ones...

As soon as I find a 10-foot ocean fishing rod at someone's yardsale for ten bucks or less.

We just got in late last night and I'm still tired... I ate terribly at the Con, stayed up until 1 am each night chatting with everyone and then woke up again by 7 am each morning. I walked a million miles and stood in lines for hours. And I lost 2 pounds! Will wonders never cease... I'm still recovering, but I'm hoping to catch up here during the day...

The con was fun. I got to chat with lots of friends and fans about Gatch and gatch related stuff. James is a wealth of knowledge and knows all the good booths to hit looking for Gatch merchandise. I did too much walking among the crowds of people and spent the last day, yesterday, relaxing on the lawn beside the hotel while we waited until it was time to head to the airport.

It was nice to get together with lots of Gatch lovers at the con! Also, a big "hello" to my new friend, the lurker, who came over to sit with us under the sails! Be sure to say hi! You'll be welcomed with open arms!

Ah yes, our lurker... I think I promised to start a thread for her...

Welcome back to all! I so wish I could have been able to join you, but you're so far! I wouldn't have minded at all to chat until late with all of you! I'm glad to hear that you all had a great time, and I can also imagine how tired you must be! But, all in all, it must have been an awesome, worthwhile experience! And, with James as a guide, it must also have been one that was really Gatch educational!

I had a great time at the Con -so nice to finally meet people that I've only known online, and it's marvelous to be around people who understand why I'm obsessed with characters from an "old cartoon" who dress like birds!

Pics? Pretty please? With a cream-covered Jason on top?

Oooo...cream covered Jason...throw in a Mark, too, please!

Congrats to the people who were able to go. Sounds like it was a blast. Noticed the new avy you're sporting there TJ, did you get that at CC? Soooooo luckyyyyyyyy. ;_;

Originally posted by Cain Highwind Congrats to the people who were able to go. Sounds like it was a blast. Noticed the new avy you're sporting there TJ, did you get that at CC? Soooooo luckyyyyyyyy. ;_;

Yes, it was a blast! If you come next year, you can have a blast too! Glad you like the avatar! Yes, it's from the Con. It's a drawing of me by Yoshitaka Amano.

Hey Cain...we all managed to snag some wristbands to get us in to see Yoshitaka Amano and get him to draw a picture for us!! I was squealing like a fangirl...and I actually gave him one of my sketches (under the threat of TJ, CD, Hino and LB- LOL!) He said, "Nice"" and bowed to me...so I guess he liked it ok... I also got to meet Janet Waldo, get a picture and get an autograph...what great luck I had! More coming soon!

Yes, the Con was absolutely fabulous! It was my first time attending, and it was great!! Meeting so many Gatch fans was wonderful, and of course being with TJ, Springie, CD, and LB for days (and nights) on end is an experience I will never forget!! The panels were fun and informative, the costumes were unreal, and the crowd... Wow, I knew there were a lot of people who attended, but wow... I'm sure we'll be telling more of our adventures as the days go on!

Great to see you, Hino! And, I'm loving all your new avatars, guys! Glad to hear more positive feedback from all of you that were able to be present at the Con!

I know we all love the new avatars as well. Was it mentioned that Amano drew them for us himself? It was sooooo thrilling to be in the presence of greatness.

Teehee...I was squealing like a fangirl when I met him...Hino thought that she and CD might have to catch me if I fainted! It was so cool watching him sketch...I was grinning from ear to ear the whole time!

Originally posted by Springie Teehee...I was squealing like a fangirl when I met him...Hino thought that she and CD might have to catch me if I fainted! It was so cool watching him sketch...I was grinning from ear to ear the whole time!

You had all the reasons in the world to act like that, Springie! All of you are so lucky to have obtained such precious gifts from such a great person and artist! Good thing that Hino and CD were ready to catch you, just in case!

The Owl is/will always be around to catch her/his team mates, in a crisis. That is our role on the team.

Originally posted by clouddancer It was sooooo thrilling to be in the presence of greatness.

Yes, and especially when he spent only about a minute drawing each sketch. I could never draw that fast! Heh, my Joe sketch looks like he's thinking "lborgia88? Who's she and how did I end up in her avatar?"

Drawing, with color. Man's had years of experience.

Actually, the color on mine is courtesy of Springie. The originals were black and white.

Originally posted by Transmute Jun Actually, the color on mine is courtesy of Springie. The originals were black and white.

Same with mine! Thank you very much Springie.

You're welcome baybees...any time!

It's nice to be back, Marie! Yes, I really thought CD and I would need to catch Springie. She was so nervous!! But she was a true Swan (or Eagle) and persevered. Way to go, Springie!!! Springie colored my Amano too. She's a real Photoshop whiz. Thanks so much, Springie!!!

Wow ... you did an awesome job with the colouring, Springie! Amano's ability to draw such sketches in such limited time is awesome, but yours to make them pop out and seem more alive, as if in their authentic colouring is just as much! Well done!

Whew! Photoshop. For a moment, I thought I should chide you all on wrecking potential collector's items. Sounds like a couple of you almost did the Wedgetail squeal-and-pounce.

Here's a pic of Amano, when he was doing TJ's sketch.

Great shot LB. Thank you for posting. I even love how you got in his name placard. Intentionally or not. I feel very sorry for the gentleman beside him (Mr. Mink) we were all walking right past him to get Amano's picture and autograph. Although I do think he may have signed the front of the page I handed to Amano to draw my picture. I should remember to go and check.

I was like... 'Mink who?' ....

I got Mink's signature, though I confess I knew nothing about him other than that he'd collaborated with Amano on a book. I got the impression, in our brief interaction, that he was aware that he was not so much the big draw at that signing and was resigned to it. In our case, our Gatch costumes were a pretty clear hint as to who we were really there to see! I've googled him now and learned that his name is actually "Christopher Morrison." http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=24096

I love seeing the new avatars. And LB, your costume is great! But what I really want to see, is Springie's picture with Dirk Benedict.

LB, that's a priceless pic of Amano doing what he does best, stopping time on that very special day! Great shot, with all the particulars, and thanks a lot for sharing!

Even though some part of my mind kept saying "You're too old to be doing this," it was great fun to dress up as my favourite character, in a setting where so many other people are doing the same thing, you don't feel like a weirdo at all. And while lots of people, I think, didn't know who I was supposed to be (and I saw plenty of costumes that I didn't recognize), lots of people also did, and said "Gatchaman," "Battle of the Planets" or "G-Force," (no one said "Eagle Riders") so it's nice to know our birdies are still popular.

Don't forget the person who shouted out 'Condor!" as you walked through the Capcom booth! I agree, occasionally I think I'm too old to be doing this, but honestly, many of the people in costume are as old as I am.

Here are some pics...I'm trying to go incognito in spite of my red curls...it's no secret that I'm a redhead anyway...LOL Ok...photos are giving me trouble...have to fix...will post soon...

Well, I was able to get one pic to work...this little gem was Jason Holfius' idea...that's the BOTP book that he wrote (as my head)...LOL

Here I am fangirling over Yoshitaka Amano...

me and Dirk...I can't believe I met him wearing birdstyle...he said he liked a woman in a cape, and asked if he could put his hand under my cape...he's still a big flirt...LOL

Me and Janet Waldo...she was so sweet...

Why is Jun wearing an Eagle cosutme? Great pics, Springie!

Those are awesome! Thanks for sharing!

Great pics Springie. Glad to see them at last. I don't think I saw the Janet Waldo one after the Con.

Wow, Springie, Dirk Benedict looks just as good as he did 30 years ago! Did he write "Are you sure you're married?" Jason's photo idea was the coolest -it's such a close match -you and the Ken's face- except for your... female attributes! That's such a nice photo of you with the original Swannie Princess, Janet Waldo.

Those are great pics, Springie! And Dirk Benedict ... wow! You're right, LB ... he looks just as good!! Thanks a lot for sharing!

Dirk Benedict *did* wrote 'are you sure you're married?' !!! He was flirting outrageously with Springie... and she didn't seem to mind!

No, I didn't mind at all! He definitely fits his TV personna in real life! He's a very funny guy! He was also saying that he was looking for a nice girl between 45 and 50...he said he was having troble finding women to date. I told him that I didn't believe him! LOL He gave me a big hug when he stepped out of the booth...wish it had lasted longer so that TJ could've caught it on camera! LOL Oh yeah...and didn't he say something about a kiss...but then said he'd get into trouble? He was really being bad...and you're right, TJ, I didn't mind!

Springie, my brown eyes have turned a vibrant green! All kidding aside, though, that sounds like it was one of the best parts of the trip.

Yes, it was very exciting! I definitely recommend going to see him if you get the chance. He is still a charmer!

I was trying to take the extra picture on the sly as it was! I don't think I could have gotten the hug too, Springie!

I know...it was all too fast! You did a great job, TJ! I am so happy with my pics!!

Looks like a good time was had by all. I'm really hoping I win the lottery soon, so I can do Comic con and dragon con next year.

We would love to see you, Veritas!

Spriongie - did you make your own costume? If so, is there a cape pattern you could share?

Springie, you flirt!!! And I don't blame you for "encouraging" Dirk Benedict. I would too. He certainly has aged well! Can't believe some gal hasn't snatched him up! And I feel you weren't so much dressed as the Eagle - but channelling your gatchagal Dove!

ITA, the more the merrier, Veritas! We'd love to meet you in person! Ste...that Eagle costume belongs to TJ, and she bought it off of the web (not sure if it was Amazon? Ebay?) I'd like to have a Swan costume made for next year (if I am able to go). Maddy- LOL! Yes, I couldn't help it...it was Dirk! I Had such a crush on him! (Although Mark was my first crush!*grin*) And yeah...definitely there was a little bit of Dove coming out!