DPL Teens

Look What We’ve got at the Fairmount St. Library now:  Otaku USA Magazine!

If you’re an Anime/Manga fan then you’re in for a treat.  You can now check out one of the hottest magazines around from the Fairmount St. Library.  And if it’s not on the shelf when you go looking, you can always place a reserve on it and we’ll notify you when it comes in.  Pretty simple.  Pretty cool.  Want to know more about Otaku USA?  Check out the following details pulled from their website:

Otaku USA Magazine
Otaku USA is a thick, full-color magazine featuring comprehensive yet ultra-creative coverage of manga, anime, videogames and Japanese pop culture written from an American point of view. Published by Sovereign Media, the people who launched SCI FI, the official magazine of the Sci Fi channel, Otaku USA calls on Sovereign’s knowledge of the passionate nich media marrketplace. Each issue of Otaku USA will be filled with coverage of the hottest new Manga, Anime releases, computer and board games, along with all the latest pop culture trnds and happenings right now in Japan.

Otaku USA also publishes 32 pages of the hottest manga previews and sample chapters from the top publishers, plus a full color, 2-sided oversize poster. Plus, every issue comes with an online entry code allowing you to access 2-3 full-length anime episodes, plus anime and game trailers, game demos, previews, and more! Each issue is over 150 pages, oversized at 9″ x 10 7/8″, glossy, big, brash, and colorful!

Because Otaku USA is an independant US magazine, not a licensed product owned by those with an vested interest in a particular line of comics, anime, manga, games or movies, it presents the American with objective coverage. Otaku USA has the freedom to publish what’s hot in America regardless of the publisher or producer.

Web Otaku
WEB OTAKU USA (http://www.webotakuusa.com) is the online component of Otaku USA magazine, and is the perfect compliment to the magazine.

WEB OTAKU provides in-depth coverage by expanding on stories in the magazine, along with daily updates of what’s hot in Japanese pop culture, additional manga chapters, game coverage, interviews with artists and writers too extensive to fit in print pages, writing contests, drawing contests, web-only reviews and tips, reader forums and an online community program, bringing an immediacy to the market that has never before been seen.

Otaku USA is a true hybrid, an entity larger than any one medium.

***Also, DPL’s Anime Club is tomorrow night at the Fairmount St. Library starting at 5:30.  Last month we made furry gloves.  This time around it’s ears and tails!  Don’t miss it.

-Christie

Do you? 

Do you really? 

Really??

Really, really? 

Well, if you really, really, really do then I expect to see you at Anime Club tomorrow night!  Anime Club takes place at the Fairmount St. Library from 5:30-7:30.  We plan to have a mini-cosplay workshop and preview another new DVD called Mushi-shi from Funimation.  Here’s the title description pulled from their website: 

Neither good nor evil. They are life in its purest form. Vulgar and strange, they have inspired fear in humans since the dawn of time and have over the ages come over to be known as “mushi”.

The essence of the natural world is personified by ancient, natural forces called “mushi” that influence the lives of people for reasons yet unknown. Ginko, a traveling Mushi-Shi or “Mushi Master” who seeks rare mushi sightings, uses his shaman-like knowledge of the mushi to help the affected people come to terms with their mushi afflictions.

At the 2006 Japanese Media Arts Festival, both the Mushi-Shi anime and manga were ranked in the top 10 anime and manga series of all time.

For more about the characters and the show, go to www.funimation.com/mushishi/

 -Christie

Anime Club is tonight @ 5:30 at the Fairmount St. Library.  Tonight we will be playing Anime Trivia!  Also, we will be previewing a new DVD from Operation Anime called Ghost Hunt.  Check out this description from their website:

The dead have something to say…

The appeal of the unknown is undeniable and freshman Mai Taniyama is hooked. This fact, coupled with her burgeoning psychic powers, leads Mai to join the ranks of the Shibuya Psychic Research team. Led by enigmatic Kazuya “Naru” Shibuya, she works alongside a spirit medium and a shrine maiden, an exorcist and a monk to uncover the darkest mysteries of the unseen. Using state of the art technology and their respective spiritual gifts, evil is confronted and vanquished time and again.

Death is temporary and far worse fates await those which meet a harsh end. From the trembling walls of a haunted school to the bottom of a well that beckons to dead children, the horrors of reality unfold.

For more about the characters and the show, go to www.funimation.com/ghosthunt

Hope you can make it! 

-Christie

Okay, so we haven’t had all that much snow yet…but…in the event that we get a good dumping or two, you can bet I’ll have the Anime Club creating snow sculptures of their favorite characters like this one: 

In the meantime, join us for some indoor fun at DPL’s Anime Club.  The next meeting is tomorrow night!  It sure is nice, cozy, warm, and usually dry inside the Fairmount Library, especially next to the fireplace.  If you get here early you can always grab a graphic novel and thaw out library-style.  Anime Club starts at 5:30.  This time around we’ll have all the fixings for more Shrinky Dink adventures.  Oh, and here are a few cool key chains and magnets that the teens created at last month’s meeting:

-Christie

Yeah, we’ll probably talk about cool anime films.  Yeah, we’ll probably recap the Teen Anime Fest.  Yeah, we’ll probably discuss your favorite graphic novels.  Yeah, I’m probably going to make you participate in one of those dorky/superfun icebreaker games.  Yeah, we’ll probably watch a couple of episodes of a popular anime series.  Yeah, it’s probably gonna be the same old stuff and the same people. 

Oh wait.

We’re going to make awesome key chains with your favorite anime characters on them!  That’s right!  How could I forget?  Just exactly how are we going to do that, you ask?  Well, you’ll have to come and find out for yourself.  The action begins around 5:30 at the Fairmount St. Library.  Hope you can make it to Anime Club tomorrow night!

-Christie

This week we’re featuring Marcus because he’s ‘Da Man.  Seriously.  Marcus is our most dedicated teen patron.  He is an active participant at nearly every teen program.  Whether it’s Anime Club, Get Your Game On, Teen Tech Lab, or any of the summer programs…Marcus is there.  He was the only one who showed up for the Teen Read-In this year and had no problem immersing himself in a graphic novel while chillin’ in the YA section of the library.  We can always always count on him to give us good programming advice and great suggestions for our circulating collection.  Marcus is a curious guy who’s not afraid to try new things.  When last year’s Film Fest came around he gave it a go, even though it was a completely new endeavor for him.  He ended up with a cool little film and even won best director.  That’s pretty impressive considering the group of 5 teens that started the project with him bailed out early on.  But he stuck to it and pulled it off.  We’ll definitely want to check in on Marcus in 20 years and see where all his drive and dedication has taken him.

His dream job:  “A mixture of a professional viola player and a chef.  Maybe a graphic novelist.”   

Favorite videogames:  “Hmmmmm, I got two, Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 3 and Naruto Ultimate Ninja 3.”

Favorite read:  “Right now, it’s Rosario + Vampire.”

Words of wisdom for the week:  “If you like anime, like really really much, check out manga.com  You can watch episodes or catch up on series you missed.  And check out the newest graphic novels that’ll be coming out and where you can find them.  It’s cool.”

Favorite thing about the library:  “The teens and graphic novels and the librarians.”

What he would change about the library:  “The teen space…make it like bigger…and more like where only teens can come in…more graphic novels and maybe add a computer for teen use, only where you don’t even need a library card to use it.”

A huge thanks to Marcus for coming to the library so much and contributing to all the good times.  Everyone always says Marcus is really quiet and shy, yet, at the library we don’t see that side of him.  Does this look like a quiet shy guy to you???

It’s time to feature the cosplay portion of last Saturday’s Teen Anime Fest which was hosted by the Quad City Public Libraries and the Figge Art Museum.  First up we have cosplay designer and workshop instructor, Jenna.  She was kind enough to offer up her experience and fascinating expertise when it comes to all things cosplay.  Jenna provided her audience with great instructions on mask making, sewing skills, costume design, and practical tips for cosplaying in general.  A huge thank you goes out to Jenna for her enthusiastic presentation, as well as bringing in some of her spectacular creations to pass around.  Jenna attends high school in Bettendorf and got started making masks thanks to a knowledgeable and inspiring art teacher. 

After the cosplay workshop, supplies such as furry material, foam sheets, felt, socks, gloves, buttons and glue guns were provided for teens to go wild with.  A few made furry gloves with claws and this next picture shows a teen participant who was able to finish his creation in time to parade it through the cosplay fashion show.  Nice work.

After the cosplay fashion show it was time to choose the winners.  Yet, it wasn’t as easy as you might think.  With over 30 teens participating in the cosplay event we ended up seeing more than a few stellar ensembles.  In order to determine the winner of the Teens’ Choice Award we decided that it would be best to let the audience clap for their favorites and whoever received the loudest applause would win.  Well, we narrowed it down to two finalists and had to have a clap-off to try and determine the real winner.  Turns out that even the tie breaker was too close to call.  So, instead of giving out a Teens’ Choice Award and a Librarians’ Choice Award, we spontaneously went with two Teens’ Choice Awards.  Too fun!  Enjoy these pics of the winners who each received $25 gift cards to Hobby Lobby.  Thanks to everyone for participating.

In the top picture, one award winner is the teen on the left with the freshly dyed green hair.  Mello Peterson did a spot on cosplay of Saria from Legend of Zelda.  In the bottom picture, the other award winner is the girl crouching in front.  She left before we could get her name  Congratulations to the winners!!