Missions Unknown » Paul Vaughn

Weddings Widow and Wardrobes at Doctor Who Appreciation Night

Paul Vaughn — Wed, 16 May 2012 20:03:42 +0000

Tonight is Doctor Who Appreciation Night at the Alamo Drafthouse Westlake. By popular demand the the feature is The Wedding of River Song along with the latest Christmas Special, The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe.

Showtime is Wednesday May 16, 2012 at 7:30 pm at the Alamo Drafthouse Westlakes (1255 SW Loop 410, San Antonio, TX, 78227, 210.677.8500).

Admission is FREE, but you will need to get a ticket from box office to secure your spot in the theater.

Dragon’s Lair will be back this month with a huge variety of Doctor Who merchandise.

Doctor Who Appreciation Night is sponsored by Doctor Who Fans Unite.

Peelander Z Plays Free Show Tonight at the Korova

Paul Vaughn — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 21:52:54 +0000

Not only can you see Buckaroo Banzai tonight, but afterwards you can head downtown to the Korova to enjoy the crazy superhero antics of Japanese rockers Peelander Z. Doors open at 9pm Thursday April 26th, 2012 for this free show featuring Peelander-Z, Slick Dickens, Cure For The Radio, Please Help! and Brothers or Not. All ages are welcome. The Korova is at 107 E. Martin.

While all the members of Peelander Z are originally from Japan, they are now headquartered in New York. The band themselves note that they are a ”Japanese Action Comic Punk band hailing from the Z area of Planet Peelander”. Expect a high-energy show with wild stage antics that may include outlandish costumes, human bowling, piggy-back rides, pro wrestling-style chair assaults and plenty of audience participation.

Check after the jump for one of Peelander Z’s videos, Star Bowling…

Livewire Films Presents “Fuse”

Paul Vaughn — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:54:22 +0000

You have to check out this new short film, Fuse, from Live Wire Films and director Mark Cantu. The cinematography, lighting andacting make for a tense, terse thriller of a Sci-Fi short.

In the not-so-distant future, a virus has wiped out some parts of civilization and the only hope lies with the mysterious cure known as Narcissus. Fuse stars Alejandro Vargas Lugo, Stacie Reyes Kidd, Kris Kidd, Jacob Figueroa, Jason Scarbrough, Corando Martinez, Jr., Joshua Thomas, Taylor James Johnson and Nick Sanchez. It was produced by Kris Kidd and directed by Mark Cantu.

Cantu and company won the last San Antonio 48 Hour Film Experience with their entry Love After and this film shows more of their chops. Cantu is shopping this short around to film festivals and we expect to see more awards in the near future.

Doctor Who Appreciation Night: Human Nature/Family of Blood

Paul Vaughn — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:58:58 +0000

Tonight is Doctor Who Appreciation Night at the Alamo Drafthouse Westlakes (1255 SW Loop 410, San Antonio). This monthly gathering of the best Doctor Who fans in the city is a fun chance to enjoy your favorite time travel adventures on the big screen with great company. Showtime is Wednesday, April 18, 2012 at 7:30 PM. This month’s showing is the two-part story Human Nature and Family of Blood, which was written by Paul Cornell and was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form in 2008.

In Human Nature, the Doctor (David Tennant) is laying low in 1913 in the guise of teacher John Smith. Along with his companion Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman), he is trying to avoid the detection of a murderous family of aliens. To make the act complete, the Doctor transfers his TimeLord essence into a watch and forgets that he is not just a normal human. Naturally, the deception doesn’t work entirely and leaves the Doctor with a “Sophie’s Choice”.

The story resumes in Family of Blood. The Great War has arrived a year ahead of time, the school is under attack by aliens and the Doctor is still unaware of his true being! Martha tries to convince the Doctor that the ‘dreams’ he has recorded in his book are real and that it is his current life as a school master that is the fantasy. When the Doctor finally regains his identity, you almost pity the Family of Blood. Almost.

These episodes are dark, romantic and a lot of fun. The sponsoring group, Doctor Who Fans Unite, will have a table full of Doctor Who goodies for sale.

As always admission is free, just stop by the box office to pick up your ticket to secure your spot.

ChimaeraCon 2012: Game On This Weekend!

Paul Vaughn — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 21:05:27 +0000

Chimaeracon is a South Texas festival for Gamers, Sci-Fi enthusiasts and Anime fans. Come out this weekend to enjoy video games, miniatures, card games, RPGs, live action role play and much more. Join discussion panels, participate in the costume contest, and hang out with people interested in Gaming, Sci-Fi and Anime. The classic South Texas Gaming and More Fest runs April 6-8, 2012 at the San Antonio Downtown La Quinta.

Special guests for the event are Godzilla artist Matt Frank, Gestalt author Hoshizora Aona and artist Karen Brittany (aka LadyInsomnia). Games include Pinchess, Warhammer: Invasion, Lord of the Rings LCG, Shadowrun, Mission: Apocalypse, Fight Klub, Decipher Star Wars CCG, Sneak or Kill, Battletech, Pathfinder, Palladium, Khet, Marvel Superheroes, Rifts, Warhammer 40K, Walking Dead, Magic the Gathering, Circus Maximus, Settlers of Canaan, Dungeons & Dragons, Food Fight, Burn in Hell, World of Warcraft TCG, In Nomine, Shadowfist, Are You A Werewolf, Memoir 44, Heroes Unlimited and many, many more.

There is more than gaming however, there will be cosplay, an attempt at the Guiness world record for dice stacking, panel discussions, vendors and more.

The con fun lasts all weekend long at the La Quinta San Antonio Convention Center (303 Blum, San Antonio, TX 78205, 210.222.9181). ChimaeraCon has extended hours this year; Friday: 5 pm – 2 am; Saturday: 8 am – 2 am and Sunday: 8 am – 7 pm. Early registration is closed, but you can purchase tickets at the door. A Weekend Pass is $25, but students and military get in for $20. A Family Weekend Pass is $60 for a family of four including one adult. Individual day passes are also available: Friday – $8, Saturday – $15 and Sunday – $10.

Be sure to read our interviews with con organizers and participants Matt Frank, Daniel and Liz Griego, Vince Guzman and Tiffany Franzoni.

Like ChimaeraCon on Facebook to keep up with the latest news.

Check after the jump for an example of LadyInsomnia’s work…

Chimaera by LadyInsomnia

Con Report: Mizuumi-Con 5

Paul Vaughn — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 18:06:09 +0000

Mizuumi-Con 5 wrapped up at midnight Saturday and it looks like the event was another smashing success! Large crowds with many people in costume enjoyed the packed dealer room, panels, game and video rooms, cosplay skits and the mini-rave. The Missions Unknown crew went out to the con and we give you a little taste of the sites to be found:

Made in SA: Mizuumi-Con Organizer Darrell Hoberer

Paul Vaughn — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 21:20:56 +0000

We’re seriously geeking up for Mizuumi-Con 5 tomorrow at Our Lady of the Lake University and we want you to know all about the con. We still had questions so we turned to the the man with all the answers. Darrell Hoberer is a senior IT technician at OLLU and, more importantly, he is the con organizer and faculty sponser. We dialed up the help desk and plied him with questions.

Previous Mizuumi-Cons has featured some great guests, who’s on tap for this year?

We are super excited to be featuring voice actors Todd Haberkorn, Alexis Tipton and Brittney Karbowski this year as well as comic artist Sam de la Rosa – among others!!! And for the kids we will have 2 panels featuring top talent from the epic MMORPG Wizard 101.

Todd is most recognizable as the lead voice talent in Fairy Tail as Natsu, Sgt. Frog as Keroro, Suzuka as Yamato, Hetalia as Italy, xxxHolic as Wataknuki, D. Grayman as Allen Walker, Rosario + Vampire as Tsukune Aono, and Soul Eater as Death the Kid.

Alexis has been in over 40 titles and has voiced roles such as Julia Chrichton in Full Metal Alchemist: The Star of Milos, Moka Akashiya in Rosario+Vampire, Yomi Isayama in Ga-Rei: Zero, Musubi in Sekirei, Sun Seto in My Bride is a Mermaid, Yuki Saegusa in Dance in the Vampire Bund and Mizuki Himeji in Baka and Test.

Brittney has been an anime voice actress for many Funimation and ADV releases including: Yuri Nakamura in Angel Beats!, Black Star in Soul Eater, Ryou Fujibayashi in Clannad and Mone in Yumeria.

Sam has inked/finished DC and Marvel comic books for over twenty-five years! His favorite work was always on Spider-Man and Venom!

Jeff Toney of KingsIsle Entertainment is the Principal Artist for the phenomenally popular online game Wizard 101. KingsIsle’s kid safe games have been honored with awards from the National Parenting Publication, Beckett Massive Online Gamer Magazine, Massively.com and MMORPG.com. Wizard 101 has over 20 million players!

What sort of musical offerings will people enjoy at Mizuumi-Con 5?

Along with our popular evening of Karaoke, this year Mizuumi-Con is proud to present After Midnight Productions performing their musical rendition of “Dr. Horrible” on the main events stage in the evening. Special Guest Sephi Hakubi is DJing the Mizuumi-Con 5 Mini-Rave and is also presenting a panel on Japanese Music.

Mizuumi-Con 5 keeps evolving and growing. What sort of changes will patrons see this year?

We’re getting bigger! We’ve opened up an additional panel room this year and also have 3 times last year’s space for vendors and artists. More guests, more events, more fun!

Last year, Mizuumi-Con raised money for Japanese Earthquake relief. Are there are such charitable intentions this year?

Mizuumi-Con is proud to announce that we are sponsoring the Sisters of Divine Providence and their work with disadvantaged children in Central Mexico this year.

Putting on an anime convention every year is a perpetual learning process. What are the best things you have learned that have made Mizuumi-Con 5 better than previous cons?

It’s all about organization! This year we are implementing a new autograph ticket system enabling more autographs from our stars with less waiting in line. More people pre-registered so we expect the line wait to be shorter for walk-ups as well.

Do you expect a lot of cosplay enthusiasts at the con? Do you see any new trends for this year?

We have an all new online cosplay signup so that people can tell us they want to participate in our cosplay contest ahead of time and save them time at the con so they can have more fun isntead of waiting in lines. The question we’re frequently asked is do I have to be in the contest if I wear a costume to the convention. You do not have to go in the contest unless you want to but we would love it if everyone dressed up to come out to the convention! We’re seeing lots more interest in making your own costume this year, so I expect to see lots more handcrafted costumes and props.

Are you partnering with any other fan organizations for help with the events or logistics?

We have been in touch with Anime Flux at Trinity University, St. Mary’s Japanese Culture and Anime Club and several other groups around town. Many students are volunteering to help us run the con. We’ll even still accept volunteers on a walk-up basis on the day of the con. With an event this size, there are never enough hands to do all the jobs, so additional people are always a blessing.

What event are you looking forward to the most?

I’m very excited about our Wizard 101 panels! This family-friendly online game is a lot of fun- for all ages- and I can’t wait to meet some of the people that created it! I am also looking forward to seeing the attendees enjoying our beautiful campus. We have grassy areas that they lounge in and I’m also looking forward to watching people talk and laugh near the food vendors in the green space we call the University Mall.

What’s your favorite anime that you’ve seen since the last Mizuumi-Con?

I have to say My Bride is a Mermaid. It features both Todd Haberkorn & Alexis Tipton! One day during his summer vacation, a young boy named Nagasumi is saved from drowning by a mermaid, Sun Seto. Under mermaid law either the mermaid whose identity was revealed or the human who saw the mermaid must be executed. In an attempt to save their lives, Sun’s family reluctantly decides that the two should be married. Madcap antics ensue, of course!

We’re looking for a record breaking crowd, great weather and lots of fun this year! Don’t forget to get some free birthday cake celebrating our fifth birthday in the university mall area at 3 PM!

Made in SA: Sephi Hakubi Drops Beats at Mizuumi-Con 5

Paul Vaughn — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 15:29:24 +0000

DJ Sephi Hakubi will be speaking and performing at Mizuumi-Con 5 Saturday, March 31, 2012.

Mizuumi-Con 5 is tomorrow (March 31, 2012) at scenic Our Lady of the Lake University and one of the special guests is the progressive trance DJ Sephi Hakubi. Sephi is also the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Multimedia Producer and Artist for Sushicrowd Entertainment. On the eve of the con, we put some questions to the multi-talented culture masher.

Tell us a little about the kind of music you perform.

While I’m DJing, my main genres are Progressive Trance and House with a mixture of Japanese Pop. I’ve been a fan of Electronic Dance Music ever since my freshman year of high school (2000-2001), growing up in the South Florida area. Combining my growing passion for anime with Miami’s dance station Party 93.1, the two revolved around my entertainment world and I’ve been partying that way ever since. Currently my wife Rin Hakubi, my DJ peers Ryudo, Infam0us, and Sephiroth, and Club La Vela owner Totally Patrick, have been my biggest influences in the past five years and with the support of my peers, friends, and fans, I know I can continue to find a greater appreciation for Electronic Dance Music, and hopefully someday I will create something just as incredible for them to appreciate as well.

Is this your first time at Mizuumi-Con?

Mizuumi-Con 5 will indeed be my first Mizuumi-Con. I heard about it for a while ever since I moved here to San Antonio back in May, 2011. Just as I love the big cons like Kawaii Kon, Mechacon, and San Japan, I love the smaller cons just as much because I get to interact with the attendees in a more intimate setting. I believe anime convention fans are the best fans in the world and I never forget that every con I go to that I am a part of that fandom, that universe. Part of the reason why I film convention videos extensively is that I capture incredible memories, and I hope to experience and capture more memories at Mizuumi-Con as well as any future convention I appear at.

What events are you running at the con?

Besides filming the convention, I will be hosting a one-hour panel on Japanese Pop Music from 3PM – 4PM in the Orange Room. I will be discussing the basics of traditional Japanese Music, J-Pop and J-Rock; as well as, show some of my favorite promotional videos from different Japanese music genres. Then at 6PM I will be mixing the best in J-pop and Trance with Mizuumi-Con’s “mini-rave” for 2 hours, although there are rumors that I may be playing longer depending on how logistics go, but let’s hope we get lucky.

Tell us about the mini-rave? What makes it mini?

The “mini-rave” will take place at 6PM in the Orange Room. I’m not sure why it was called a mini-rave as I wasn’t the one who named it. If I were to make an assumption, I’ve mentioned that Mizuumi-Con’s convention scale is appropriate for a close-knit gathering compared to a huge convention that may be too crowded to enjoy for folks looking for a more friendlier setting. FAN:dom Con 2011, my last full-scale convention rave, had such an immense turnout that I was hearing the crowd with the music. Mizuumi-Con may become a more modest dance party but we never know, we may surprise ourselves. I’m sure not going to try to make anything mini about it and just as with anything I do, I am going to give it my best shot because the fans deserve it; otherwise, I may be partying right along with the ravers.

People don’t typically think of J-Pop and Texas together. What’s the J-Pop scene like in San Antonio and beyond?

Not sure whether to say if it’s a good thing or bad thing, but just like most places, J-Pop has not become part of their American mainstream yet. As I’ve mentioned, I recently moved to San Antonio back in May 2011, and it wasn’t until I attended San Japan and visiting message boards, Facebook pages, and anime shops like Ooples, that I started becoming a part of the local scene here. Based on a lot of events that I have attended whether it was hosted by the convention, Ooples, or the anime fans themselves, I believe there is a strong J-pop fanbase here; however, it does take some community searching to find it. I started working for the anime community when I was in Hawaii, and Japanese Pop culture was just everywhere. When I moved to Fort Walton Beach, FL after Hawaii, it almost appeared non-existent, that is until I searched for nearby conventions and became a part of their message boards. I would say my advice to Japanese Pop culture fans out there, if you think you’re lonely in the town you live in, check the internet for convention message boards or Facebook groups. You never know that your next-door neighbor is into Gundam, Final Fantasy, and Malice Mizer. As much as I like to see J-Pop part of mainstream culture, I hope that such a great thing doesn’t get spoiled as other things that may become way too popular.

If people like what they hear, where can we catch your next performance?

I occasionally play whenever Ooples has a major event but there isn’t one scheduled yet. I’d say check Ooples’ Facebook page whenever an announcement is made. For sure, I will be DJing at the AT&T Center for the Autism Walk taking place on April 14th where I will also join the San Antonio Cosplayers group. Also for September 14th and 15th, I have been invited to perform at Edinburgh, TX for a new multi-fandom convention called RurouniKon. It’s too soon for me to officially discuss details on it but from what I understand, this convention will be massive and I am really excited about it. I hope to score some more gigs between then, especially for another awesome convention that takes place in San Antonio *winkwink*, but we’ll see what happens.

Best J-pop we need to hear?

Some traditional J-pop that I could recommend are Koda Kumi, Utada, Mika Nakashima, Nami Tamaki, Ayumi Hamasaki. Actually, if you can find and listen to the Above & Beyond Remix of “M” by Ayumi, I guarantee if you like J-pop and Trance, you’ll really love this tune as it’s a perfect combo of both. I think I may be a bit biased towards the girls but I honestly do love their music. I feel that way with Korean Pop as well with artists like BoA, Bada, Lee Jung Hyun, and U;Nee (may she rest in peace). Believe it or not, I love Japanese Rock music and I am a big fan of metal, progressive, and visual-style rock as well such as Psycho Le Cemu, Dir En Grey, Gackt, An Cafe, and Girugamesh.

What’s your favorite anime you watched this year?

Honestly, I’ve been so busy with school, work, and maintaining Sushicrowd that I’ve been a bit behind on anime; in addition, I miss the old school traditional style where it was about the action, artillery, giant robots, and buxom beauties. If you can compare Outlaw Star to Lucky Star, you’ll see what I mean. I want to say that my favorite that I’ve seen this past year was Soul Eater. I thought it had a great cast of characters and has a good level of campiness without getting to ridiculous or melodramatic. On the other hand, despite what some folks might perceive as a rabid fanbase, I thought Hetalia: Axis Powers was the most hilarious thing I’ve seen recently. A lot of the jokes that are mentioned on that show have made my jaw drop in disbelief, especially since World History was one of my favorite subjects in high school. A great title for those that are not too culturally sensitive. As I knock out a lot of the stuff that’s keeping me busy, I’m trying to finish Yu Yu Hakusho until the end on Blu-Ray, then maybe pickup another classic title, but I’ll do what I can for this old fogie to keep up (I’m 25 by the way).

I love to stay in touch with other fans of Fandom culture. Check out my websites sephihakubi.com and sushicrowd.com. Also Like me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SephiHakubi and follow me on Twitter: @SephiHakubi. Finally, watch all of my past experiences from over 20 conventions at youtube.com/Sushicrowd. See you all at Mizuumi-Con, and remember: “Don’t die crashing…LIVE SMASHING!!!”

Mizuumi-Con 5 is Saturday at Our Lady of the Lake University

Paul Vaughn — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 23:59:59 +0000

The Mizuumi Animation Club at Our Lady of the Lake University will be hosting Saturday’s Mizuumi-Con 5 with lost of great family-friendly activities including cosplay, a video room, special guests, vendors, panels, gaming and some great music. The event is Saturday, March 31st, 2012 from 10:00 am to midnight.

Guests include voice actors Todd Haberkorn (Italy from Hetalia, Tsukune from Roasio+Vampire), Alexis Tipton (Moka from Roasio+Vampire, Mizuki from Baka and Test) and Brittney Karbowski (Yuri Nakamura in Angel Beats!, Black Star in Soul Eater). Musical guest will be Sephi Hakubi, progressive trance DJ and founder of Sushicrowd Entertainment. Sephi will be hosting a mini-rave starting at 6:00 pm. Marvel Comics artist Sam de la Rosa (Spider-Man and Venom!) will also be on hand.

Like Mizuumi-Con on Facebook and head down to the event Saturday for some great anime fun!

Help Move the Overtime Theatre to New Digs

Paul Vaughn — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 19:46:05 +0000

Have you been moved by the Overtime Theater? Did you sing along with Dr. “S” Battles the Sex-Crazed Reefer Zombies: The Movie: The Musical? Did you get messy with The Brain that Wouldn’t Die? Did you cry at the Life and Death of the Amazing Captain Piledriver?

Now it’s your turn. You can help move the Overtime Theater out of their current location at the Blue Star arts complex. The threater needs to raise $15,000 to renovate a new space and get it ready. If you love their shows, want to see more, and want to contribute to San Antonio’s next big cultural hub, now is your chance to make a difference. The Overtime started a Kickstarter fundraising campaign and we are urging you to consider giving as much as you can, even $20 helps.

The Overtime Theater is San Antonio’s “theater for the people” and has brought audiences innovative and accessible performances for the past five years. The Overtime performs only new works written by local authors and offers a space for experimentation and a home for writers, actors, visual artists, and musicians. In 2011, the readers of the San Antonio Current voted the Overtime the “Best Local Theater”. From late night scifi comedy and improv to mainstage plays ranging from political theater to musical adaptations of old films, the Overtime Theatre has made an indelible mark on the SA arts scene.

Make your contribution, score some great spiffs from the theater and let your inner art patron fly.