Anime And Manga Come Alive At AnimaXtion!

animeXtion - Anime and Manga Come Alive! is organised for the public, especially for anime and manga enthusiasts, in conjunction with the Asia Media Festival. It will be held on Friday, 5 December 2003, from 7.30pm at Rooms 325/326, Level 3, Suntec International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

"The media touches everyone. In addition to being consumers of the media, the MDA wants people to get involved in the media in various ways. By organising events like animeXtion, we hope that people will take an interest in the industry and inspire aspiring media practitioners to join us in the MDA's mission to grow Singapore into a media hub," comments Mr Lim Hock Chuan, Chief Executive Officer of MDA. "animeXtion promises an evening of action, sights and sounds as members of the anime and manga industry will be here to shed light on international developments in the area and local clubs and companies display a kaleidoscope of paraphernalia."

animeXtion - Anime and Manga Come Alive! will bring together experts such as Mr Masami Esaka. The graphic artist from ComixWave Inc is the creator of characters for TV, magazines, campaigns and commercial goods. The evening also features representatives from Toei Animation and Shogakukan Inc in Japan. Toei Animation is the company behind productions such as Digimon Adventure, Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon and Transformers while Shogakukan Inc is an active promoter of Pokemon.

The evening's magic begins with a mini-fair featuring local anime and manga organisations such as Miyuki Animation Club, M.A.G.E, Kareshi Kanojyo no Mise, Singapore Cosplay Club and Wings Symphonia Illustration Group. They will showcase a myriad of paraphernalia including collectible items, merchandises, magazines fan art and even local illustrators' works of art. This fair will begin at 6pm.

Registration fees for animeXtion - Anime and Manga Come Alive! are $20 for adults and $10 for students. Students should include a copy of their student passes. To register, send a cheque made payable to the "Media Development Authority" enclosed with each participant's name, e-mail address, contact address and numbers and mail it to:

Public Affairs Department
Media Development Authority
45 Maxwell Road. #07-11/12
URA Centre East Wing
Singapore 069118

The closing date for registration is Friday, 28 November 2003.

Participants who sign up for the symposium will receive complimentary admission to the Singapore Art Museum from 6 to 12 December 2003.

Anime and manga enthusiasts can contact the Public Affairs Department of the Media Development Authority at 6372 2795 or e-mail mda_input@gov.sg for more information about animeXtion - Anime and Manga Come Alive!

Contacts for more information:

Ms Cecilia Yip
Asst Director
Public Affairs
Communications Division
DID: 6372 2821
E-mail: Cecilia_YIP@imda.gov.sg

Ms Cheong Tyng-Tyng
Asst Manager
Public Affairs
Communications Division
DID: 6372 2854
E-mail: CHEONG_Tyng_Tyng@imda.gov.sg

About The Media Development Authority of Singapore

The Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) was formed on 1 January 2003 to develop Singapore into a vibrant global media city, in effect fostering a creative economy and a connected society. The agency's Media 21 strategy aims to create a vibrant environment for the industry to flourish and the public to enjoy, via five key thrusts: to establish Singapore as a Media Exchange;to export 'Made-by-Singapore' content;to internationalise local media companies;to nurture local media talents;and to develop digital media.

About Mr Masami Esaka, Graphic Artist, ComixWave Inc

Masami Esaka began his career as an artist in 1982 when he worked as a designer for Toyota. His works include the exterior designs for the Mark II and Crown series of cars. His career took a new turn in 1987 when he became a freelance illustrator. Since then, he has been producing air-brushed illustrations and creating characters for TV, magazines, campaigns as well as a range of commercial products. Mr Esaka is currently focusing his efforts on two anime series - Love and Earth and The Gokudo.