Wasabi Anime


Wasabi Anime is a company that produces events and programming for anime conventions in North America along with their own stand alone conventions. Started in 2001 the group started as an anime club before evolving into an LLC in 2007 and then a corporation in 2010. As of July 2012, Wasabi Anime has hosted events in California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, and Las Vegas.

History

Wasabi Anime was started by Tom Croom with a group of motivated anime fans shortly after the completion of Anime Festival Orlando II in Kissimmee, Florida. The group felt that dedicating help to one single convention and club didn't serve the purpose of helping all of fandom, so Wasabi Anime began networking pre-existing anime clubs and helping support new anime clubs. Wasabi Anime club members had access to photo I.D. cards that granted discounts a local anime and comic stores in Florida. Clubs in the Wasabi Anime network included:
Occasionally, the core group running Wasabi Anime would host stand alone events to try and gather the clubs together. This included the Wasabi Anime Halloween Cosplay Parties in 2001 and 2003.
Around 2004, Wasabi Anime began to step away from networking clubs and started focusing more on designing events for anime and fan conventions. These included themed panels, game shows, dances, and stage shows

Appearances

Wasabi Anime has designed entertainment and programming for a number of anime and fan conventions since starting in 2001.
California
Florida
Georgia
Indiana
Nevada
In 2007, Wasabi Anime began producing their own fan conventions. Since some of these productions were not anime-centric, they often operated under the corporate names
Convention NameThemeDatesLocationAttendanceGuests
ASSIMILATION
'		Science FictionSeptember 29–30, 2007Radisson Worldgate Resort Orlando
Kissimmee, FL		160 attendees
Ethan Phillips, Glenda Finkelstein, Michael A. Stackpole, Richard Horvitz, Rooster Teeth Productions, & Tracy Scoggins
MuggleCon
'		Harry PotterNovember 21–22, 2008Ramada Orlando Celebration Resort & Convention Center
Kissimmee, FL		TBDThe House of Black & Witherwings
InvaderCONInvader ZIMMarch 26–27, 2011Marriott Century Center
Atlanta, GA		TBDAndy Berman, Eric Trueheart, Melissa Fahn, Richard Horvitz, & Rikki Simons
Florida Anime Experience 2011AnimeMay 27–29, 2011Ramada Orlando Celebration Resort
Kissimmee, FL		1931 attendees
Anime World Order, Brett Weaver, Brittney Karbowski, Daric "Jingoro" Jackson, & Steve Blum
Florida Anime Experience 2012AnimeMay 25–27, 2012International Palms Resort & Convention Center
Orlando, FL		2167 attendees
Anime Addict Anonymous, Dan Woren, Darrel Guilbeau, Daric "Jingoro" Jackson, & Terri Hawkes
Project Anime 2012
Anime ConventionsJune 27–28, 2012Westin Bonaventure
Los Angeles, CA		33 uniqueN/A
InvaderCON II: DOOMCONInvader ZIMJuly 28–29, 2012Torrance Marriott South Bay
Torrance, CA		TBDAaron Alexovich, Eric Trueheart, Jason Stiff, Jhonen Vasquez, Melissa Fahn, Richard Horvitz, Rikki Simons, Rodger Bumpass, & Wally Wingert
PinUpaloozaPin-Up, Burlesque, & RockabillyOctober 6, 2012International Palms Resort & Convention Center
Orlando, FL		TBDTBD
WasabiConGeek CultureOctober 27–28, 2012Jacksonville Marriott
Jacksonville, FL		TBDTBD
Florida Anime Experience 2013AnimeMay 24–26, 2013International Palms Resort & Convention Center
Orlando, FL		TBDTBD