The ninth annual Japanese Animation, Film, and Art eXpo (JAFAXpronounced JAY-fax) will be held June 26-27 on the Allendale Campus.
The purpose of JAFAX is to introduce the general public to Japanese culture through the use of their popular entertainment media namely anime (animation) and manga (comics) while giving current anime fans a place to find others with similar interests. The event features anime shown on both days, with the return of the three theater-sized screening rooms, series rooms, and kid-friendly room, plus the addition of both a live-action screening room and an adult-friendly screening room. In addition, there will be several returning game shows, including Lets Make an Anime Deal during the closing ceremonies, as well as martial arts demonstrations, contests, an artists alley featuring local artists drawing in the Japanese style, and vendors of anime- and manga-related merchandise.
Now in its seventh year of being located at GVSU, this free event will be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, and will be housed in Loutit and Padnos halls, Manitou Hall, and part of the Kirkhof Center.
JAFAX will also feature guests from the domestic side of anime and manga production to discuss their part in bringing these art forms to the U.S., as well as how others aspiring to get into these fields might do so. This years guests include Robert DeJesus with Studio Capsule, James Dawsey, Doug Smith, Jan Frazier, Newton Ewell, Bruce Lewis, Nickey Froeberg, Amy Howard-Wilson and Michael Coleman.
The event is sponsored by Otaku No Anime, GVSU's official Japanese Animation club. This club was founded for the purpose of sharing and watching anime. For more information about JAFAX, including directions to the event and a new forum, please visit www.jafax.org.
