Ani-Mania: NatsuCon 2009 Convention Report!

This week we have something different for our AniMania readers: a special report from last week’s event, NatsuCon! Taking its name from the Japanese word natsu, meaning summer, it is seeking to be the third contender in the St. Louis anime scene, alongside Archon in the fall, and Anime St. Louis in the spring.

While these two conventions are already well established, St. Louis anime fans appear to be hungry for more. Attendance at NatsuCon, which took place this past weekend at the St. Louis Best Western Airport Convention Plaza, surpassed the organizers’ expected headcount of 200, and while exact figures were still being tallied, it appears the final numbers may have blown the hotel imposed cap of 500. The hotel staff was a source of frustration for many fans, who complained of being driven from the lobby and halls and threatened with expulsion and arrest.

But in spite of the pains that came with outgrowing the venue on the first day, NatsuCon still managed to field many of the events and amenities that one expects at a convention, including a masquerade, rave, dealers’ room, date auction, and all of the glomping and general hall craziness that goes on at cons.

One special treat were appearances from two special guests, Chris Patton and Cristina Vee. AniMania is grateful to both of them, and to Matt Lankford and the rest of the NatsuCon staff for giving us an opportunity to speak with each of them.

Chris Patton Interview:

One of the things that really helped cement the con’s very existence was when it announced that Chris Patton had been signed to make an appearance. While he is probably best known as the voice of the homunculus, Greed, in Fullmetal Alchemist and the quirky Sousuke Nagara in Full Metal Panic, Patton has appeared in many anime titles, including one that is especially dear to him. “I’m really proud of a movie called ‘The Place Promised In Our Early Days’”, Patton said, “It’s one of the things I was in that I can watch multiple times without getting bored.” The movie tells the story of three friends trying to unravel a mystery in an alternate history, where Japan was divided after World War II. Patton voices the part of Hiroki Fujisawa, whom he also said is his favorite character.

Never one to be idle, the prolific Patton is currently engaged in several projects, including Graham Spector in a Baccano OVA, two roles in One Piece, and the villain, Venom, in the latest incarnation of Sgt. Frog. The role of Venom marks something of a departure for him. “Voicing young males is something I’ve done many times, but not villainous frogs”, Patton said.

He also related a humorous incident about his role as Kum in Tower of Druaga. If you’re wondering in today’s PC world how that character name should be pronounced, you weren’t alone. “So we’re going to pronounce it ‘Koom’, right?”, Patton asked. “No.” Apparently, its spelled pretty much how it sounds. Patton got something of the last laugh, however, when the character, which at first had a small part, went on to have a much bigger role later in the series.

While to many of us, the idea of being a voice actor sounds glamorous, the more one knows about the process, it all begins to sound suspiciously like work. Patton described getting into the office at 10 am, after a several hour commute. He would then work on his primary project for 3-5 hours. After that would be shorter sessions, about 30 minutes each, where he would work on various other projects, making the most of his studio time.

When asked what it was like in the booth, Patton responded, “Annoying”, he said, “. . . they’re all pretty small”, commenting that the tiny recording booths felt like “closets on wheels. After a while it’s like you’re in a flotation tank, and you start hallucinating things.”

And recording booths have their dangers, ranging from tricky engineers ready to quick record your most embarrassing moments and play them back to you, and the dreaded, deadly, lingering booth fart. But there can be unexpected rewards. In addition to some of his more famous roles, Patton said he also has numerous credits as “various monsters and demons”, and described a particular gig where he was offered fifty bucks to come in and record belches for monsters in a show. In case you’re wondering, he took the deal.

In addition to attending the convention, Patton was able to take in a bit of the local St. Louis flavor, including getting sun burnt at Six Flags while indulging his fondness for roller coasters. But one local landmark gave him pause. “As big a fan of roller coasters as I am, I’m not comfortable with elevators that take me up a 700 foot arch.” We’re not sure if it’s a matter of claustrophobia, or heights, or maybe the possibility of the even deadlier and more dreaded enclosed elevator Arch fart that worried him. Either way, we’re glad to have hosted him, and hope he comes back again.

Cristina Vee Interview:

While Chris Patton represents an established fan favorite, emerging voice actress Cristina Vee is one of anime’s newest rising stars. Cristina got her start through what has been dubbed the “Fan 2 Pro” route, making the leap from convention-goer to convention special guest after being discovered during a Bang Zoom voice acting panel at Anime Expo. She got the chance to try out the equipment, and audition for the role of Fuu in the hit series, Samurai Champloo. She didn’t get the part, but she did get her foot in the door, and from there, she’s gone on to voice some memorable roles, including Kanaria from Rozen Maiden, and characters from the hit video game, BlazBlue, which hit the #2 spot on Game Stop’s prestigious best seller list.

Vee reflected on her transition from fan to star. “I get to go to more conventions”, she said. “I get to meet a lot of people who I looked up to when I was growing up.” She also admitted to initially being shy about the whole experience. “I honestly feel blessed. It’s kind of a new feeling for me, coming out to cons. It took me a while to get over my shyness.”

A lifelong fan of anime, she didn’t have to think twice when asked who her favorite anime character was. “Sailor Venus!” she said. “She’s going to be a star . . .” The words could just as well be said of Vee herself, but while she was very positive about the whole voice acting experience, she also talked about some of the rigors of the job. Getting her foot in the door was one thing, but it took a lot of hard work “to stay in the building.”

“It’s really hard”, Vee said. “It’s actually really difficult work. It’s fun, but you have to really know how to take care of your body. You have to eat right, work out”, she explained, pointing out that if an actor gets sick, the studio can’t wait for them. She also talked about her apprehensions at working in such an unpredictable business.

“What if I never work again?” Vee asked. “What if I never land another job? You have to learn to manage those what ifs.”

So far, Vee seems to be managing just fine. In addition to her acting career and working at a comic store where she sometimes dresses as Batgirl (no, sir, we don’t have the pictures, so please stop asking), Vee somehow also finds time to act in her university’s theater, play the drums, draw, read, eat pizza, and play video games with her boyfriend.

Vee said she likes the instant gratification of video games, and makes it a point to achieve some degree of proficiency at them. That same enthusiasm comes across in her voice work. “I like roles where I get to scream and yell a lot — where I get to fight or do battle cries or attack my boyfriend.”

If you’d like to find out more about Cristina Vee, she will be appearing at Connecticon which takes place in Hartford, Connecticut from July 31 – August 2. She will be singing covers of popular anime and j-pop tunes such as Caramel Dansen and covers of tunes from Lucky Star and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.

That’s all for this week’s AniMania. Be sure to stay with us in following weeks, where we will be reviewing the Fullmetal Alchemist Premium OVA collection, along with the new box sets for Rozen Maiden Traumend, Slayers, and xxxHolic.

NatsuCon 2009 Photos: