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FanimeCon isn't the only convention that the staff is involved with, and just because you see familiar faces as staff or heads of another event doesn't mean it's part of FanimeCon.

Although I would like to see some sort of car show display at FanimeCon one day, maybe to highlight cars featured in anime over the years:
AE86, FD3S, FC3S, etc... from Initial D
GTR32, Devil Z S30, Porsche 911, etc...from Wangan Midnight/Maximum Tune
Lupin III's Fiat 500 (Fiat actually made a special edition Fiat 500 Lupin III Edition)
The police cars of You're Under Arrest
Professor Layton's Citroen C2V
just to name a few

I didn't just assume it, it's what I've been told. Someone told me that Fanime/ARG is throwing this show. And I know for a fact that they've showed interest in the Import Scene in the past. I was only asking because it would've sucked if it was part of ARG. That show was a HUGE loss and pretty stupid if you ask me. It was held on the same day as a larger car show and the same weekend as the EDC with very little promotion. I would just hate to see ARG lose money with other ventures and end up cutting corners with Fanime. Since it's not part of it, it's good to hear.

side note: I actually own 2 cars from your list. ;D
but both aren't replicas of the show and they're far from it.

1. Corolla GT-S "AE86". I have a GT-S, but it's red not panda... and it's an 1986, so I put all the 'kouki' stuff on it, not like Initial D's 'zenki'.
2. Honda City - I have a City like You're Under Arrest, but it's a convertible and it's blue.

no one knows?  ???

I heard that car show that just past called Auto Import Revolution is affiliated with Fanime. Is it true? Just wondering because I heard it was also a huge flop.

Just uploaded what we got.

www.agartstudios.com under Gallery.

Information Booths/Tables needs to have 'information' or at least the right info. Got either "I don't know" or completely wrong info all together from them that I totally gave up on asking them for anything.

I was Towelie.  ;D

Just uploaded our pics. Not that many, just got the few that passed through Artist Alley.

www.agartstudios.com

under Gallery.

Update:

Well, a lot more of the remodeling has been done. Our new counter has been completed minus the sneeze guard glass, but the crepe irons are all set. We also bought a panini press. So now we serve crepes and panini sandwiches ;D

What was pretty cool is how we're finding out that some our regular customers are into anime. As we put up more anime stuff, they started coming out of the woodwork. It was really surprising to see who was into anime. One guy gave us a couple Bleach figures to put next to our little Roronoa Zoro figure. These are just those little PVC figures you can get at the supermarkets but it's pretty cool to just have those randomly around. Once my brother has more time to complete some garage kits, we'll add them in with the Gamera that we have there now.

It's starting to get the theme in place. I think that since we are adding things in here and there it helps break in the locals to our anime theme. I think that it would be too much of a shocker to hit them with it all at once ;)

More updates later.

-Pepp

Hmm ... Whatever happened with this? I actually work in San Bruno now.

It's still in the works. The shop is called "Never Too Latte" on San Mateo Ave. I would've posted updates but I just found out that the forums are back up.

I'll update everyone on everything soon. I got some posters from the Asian Art Musuem from the Marvel of Manga: Tezuka exhibit. (AG Art Studios made the shirts for that event  ;D)

I would love to have a 'Maid Cafe'. Maybe that can be one of the events but not done daily. A couple of reasons I can't have it daily would be finding staff that would want to dress as maids and there's a bar across the street. I wouldn't want the drunks coming in harassing the girls. I already have some pervs that come in when our female staff is on.

BUT, I would do it as an event. Like for one weekend. Maybe I can colaborate with Fanime's Maid Cafe and we can work together to raise funds to help out the Maid Cafe for '08. (That's if there's going to be one next year).

They have to pay licensing fees to do that, or it's illegal. Chances are companies won't catch you, but if they do(I wouldn't risk it with Viz in the area) you're screwed.

Oh yeah and this one. I personally know the owners of Blowfish Sushi. Manga Video gave him a ton of stuff to play in the restaurant. So nothing being paid out or illegal happening there.

Yeah, but you still have to get permission for you to use that stuff commercially. Those free episodes and stuff are meant for private home use-only, you break agreement when you use it for commercial purposes.

Yes, I understand that. I'm talking to them about it. I wasn't going to just get them and play them

That always happens, you can't do anything about it.

Well, I can secure the network and then give access info to customers that ask for it and change the passwords daily, but I have enough to deal with so I don't bother, still sucks tho.

That's fine, but you're still missing the bigger picture. Your menus and drink bars, etc. can be virtually anything you want. You can serve milk-tea, and have umibo, and all that crap... but what differentiates that from any other generi-cafe(other than... other cafe's probably have better food because it's not catered towards a specific group of people). Your ploy is that you're trying to make it anime-themed and what not right? If that's the case, you have a lot of legal issues you have to deal with. It's common sense to hire a lawyer whenever you start a business because there are so many legal obligations you have to uphold to even run a business and so many reasons why people can sue you, that it'd be stupid not to get a legal. But since you're now dealing with licensing issues, you have to be careful with everything you do. Putting up a Trigun poster, can be considered use of licensing, and if whoever owns the rights to Trigun wanted to, they could force you to remove the poster and/or sue you for illegal usage for commercial purposes.

I'm not very sure about international law, if you put up a poster of an unlicensed series up, and how legal that is and what not.

Like I said though, you need to see a lawyer about what you can, and cannot do before hand.

If anything the posters I have are promotional posters that are meant for shops to post up or it's anime art of my own. I am familiar with licensing. I deal with manufacturer contracts for Angry Guy Art Studios with other companies such as Sony, Nike and Tezuka Productions to name a few. I know not to mess with licensing like a fool. Fansubs was an thrown out as an idea but that's more like a "things I wish could do list". I worded that wrong. Worst case scenario for any questioning for any poster that I have up, then its for sale. I do have not 1 but 2 CA resale permits and 4 business registrations, so if I do put up a poster that's not a promo item, it's for sale. I got that from friends who deals with that type of stuff and they told me that's one way to easily have these things up there. If I want to keep it, its for sale for $1000 and if you want to give me $1000 for a poster, it's yours. Simple loop hole. If someone asks, why do you have that poster up? It's for sale.

Food catered towards a specific group of people? No. I sell coffee, bagels and crepes. I am working on selling imported soft drinks, but they will be placed in a refrigerator next to some Cokes and bottled water. If you're refering to "people who drink coffee and eat pastries" then yes, you are correct.

So, I do keep that stuff in mind, so you don't have to worry about that. Thank you for your concern.

yeah, fansubs is a bad idea. as for playing anime, I know that Blowfish Sushi in SF used to play anime but have music playing and the anime muted.

As for free stuff from companies, maybe. ADV has been making first episodes of new series free online. Like they had Xenosaga on IGN recently to view the first ep. I think it falls under the same lines as cons that screen some previews and such.

Free wi-fi for customers seems to be pretty cool right now. I just hate how I actually caught ppl sitting outside in their car leeching instead of coming in.

We are also working on getting drinks in like Ramune and Melon Sodas. I'm working with the distributors now.

Well stay tuned..
Thanks for all the comments and suggestions

Where is this going to be located? I ask because I know that at least Viz is in the area, so yeah, showing fansubs and whatnot probably wouldn't be a good idea. Still, I'm sure if you email some folks, show them pictures of the place when its ready and they wouldn't mind kicking you over some free DVDs to promote.

Anyway, I approve of the idea. We need more nerdy shops in the bay :D

Yeah, that's why I mentioned Viz. I know they're local.  :D
We're in San Bruno, CA on San Mateo Ave. The shop is called Never Too Latte. It was a pre-existing coffee shop that we took over and now we are converting over to our anime theme. We also want to promote other art as well, for example we have some stuff posted up from a local Photographer up right now. We are slowly breaking in the locals to our anime theme (don't want to freak them out right away :wink: )

oh and here's some info for now:
www.nevertoolatte.biz

cool thanks. btw- we're adding crepes to the menu too :D

Events are something the we've talked about before too. Running the shop at the moment is quite a handful especially since I have to run AG Art Studios at the same time. So event planning is pretty hard to do right now. Maybe once we are done with more of the remodeling this can become more of a reality. Events would be great also because we have a pretty good amount of seating and we have an area with a couple couches that we want to trade out for bigger ones. That way, anime clubs and such can have get togethers.

As for anime being played in the background, well I would like to play new fansubs but I'm not sure how some ppl will take that. I might contact some folks like ADV and Viz Media (only examples off the top of my head) for some sneak peek eps of up coming series.

Well, my brother and I are turning this coffee shop that we bought into an anime themed cafe. So far, we started putting up some anime posters, art and some garage kits.

Ideas ahead are some screens to play anime but that's if I can scrape the money for this project (T_T)

Anyways, I was wondering what other things that  people would like to see in there. Suggestions?

oh yeah, and there's free wi-fi for customers and I'm gonna get the usb wi-fi adapter to allow Nintendo DS' to connect easier  :wink:

OK, anyone can be a "DJ" but then there are Turntablists...

no one huh? well, she told me that someone asked to take her picture and then they asked if she can step on the Kon she was holding. I wasn't around so I was just hoping that someone had the picture.

Anyone have any other pictures of this Rukia:



She was also Magical Nurse Witch Komugi-chan:

ai no rob.