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SMASH! (convention)
Encyclopedia
SMASH! Sydney Manga and Anime Show (typically abbreviated to SMASH!) is an annual anime and manga convention held in Sydney, Australia and organised by SMASH Inc, a non-profit volunteer-run association. The convention has been run annually since 2007.
SMASH! began as an art-focused event but has broadened its scope to include all areas of Japanese popular culture
. It was the first Australian anime convention to host a Japanese seiyu
, the first to hold a maid cafe
and the first to hold the national final for the Bandai Action Kit Universal Cup. It is the second anime convention to be held in Sydney, the other being Animania
.
SMASH! will be held at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre
on 16 July 2011.
and her blog, she was contacted by a number of other people interested in providing assistance to organise such an event. Meetings were held informally in parks and online, before a more formal structure was developed.
The event was originally called ComicWorld Sydney and was more closely modelled on the Comic World
events held in Singapore
, Hong Kong
and Taiwan
. As the number of people involved in organising the event increased, the focus broadened and the name was changed to SMASH! Sydney Manga and Anime Show.
. Ticket prices were $9 for preregistered attendees, and $12 at the door. The convention ran from 10am until 6pm and attracted a total attendance of 1435
The convention featured the Australian premiere of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and Death Note
(licensed by Madman Entertainment
) as well as the first maid cafe and host club to be held at an anime convention in Australia.
There were 10 hours of panels covering a range of topics, including self publishing, animation and the gaming industry, tutorials on concept art and digital colouring. Special guests included W Chew Chan (storyboard artist for Happy Feet and Superman Returns), Queenie Chan (local Tokyopop
manga artist) and Gregor Whiley (Vice President of the Australian gaming company Strategic Studies Group). A doodling competition was sponsored by Wacom
, as well as digital, traditional and 4-panel comic competition.
The convention also played host to a musical performance by the 2002 Triple J Unearthed winner Yunyu
.
with Guest of Honour Hidenobu Kiuchi
. The appearance of Kiuchi made SMASH! the first Australian convention to host a Japanese seiyū
. The number of people attending the event totalled 2295.
A number of events were held throughout the day, including numerous stage events, competitions, panels and workshops, karaoke, cosplay and game events. In addition there was special live dubbing from Hidenobu Kiuchi, workshops and digital art demonstrations by international artist Kidchan, screenings of anime, including Gunslinger Girls and Darker than Black.
As in previous years, the convention featured numerous stage events, competitions, panels and workshops, maid cafe, karaoke, cosplay and game events. It was attended by video game publisher Ubisoft
.
and was the first SMASH! to sell out. It featured five international guests, including Yūko Miyamura and Tiffany Grant
, the Japanese and English seiyū respectively for the character of Asuka Langley Soryū
in the series Neon Genesis Evangelion
, Matt Greenfield
, the founder of ADV Films and renowned artists and illustrators Shaun Healey and Mikiko Ponczcek.
In conjunction with Hobbyco and Namco Bandai
, it held the first ever Australian final for the Bandai Action Kit Universal Cup with the junior and senior winners receiving invitations to attend the grand final in Hong Kong.
The convention held stage events, competitions, panels and workshops, maid cafe, karaoke, cosplay and game events. It was the first year SMASH! was held at a venue other than the Roundhouse at the University of New South Wales. It was attended by 2,810 people.
, Martin Billany (famous as LittleKuriboh), Hiroki Kikuta, Kenji Ito and Mari Yoshida.
SMASH! 2011 was followed by a concert featuring Eminence
. The concert was held in the same location but was a separately ticketed event.
SMASH! began as an art-focused event but has broadened its scope to include all areas of Japanese popular culture
Japanese popular culture
Japanese popular culture not only reflects the attitudes and concerns of the present but also provides a link to the past. Japanese cinema, cuisine, television programs, manga, and music all developed from older artistic and literary traditions, and many of their themes and styles of presentation...
. It was the first Australian anime convention to host a Japanese seiyu
Seiyu
Voice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
, the first to hold a maid cafe
Maid cafe
Maid cafés are a subcategory of cosplay restaurants found predominantly in Japan. In these cafés, waitresses dressed in maid costumes act as servants, and treat customers as masters in a private home, rather than as café patrons...
and the first to hold the national final for the Bandai Action Kit Universal Cup. It is the second anime convention to be held in Sydney, the other being Animania
Animania
Animania is an annual anime convention that has been held in Sydney, Australia since 2002. It is Sydney's first dedicated anime and manga event...
.
SMASH! will be held at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre
Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre
The Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, is located in Sydney's Darling Harbour near the Central Business District. The building is adjacent to Cockle Bay, Tumbalong Park and the Harbourside shopping centre....
on 16 July 2011.
History
SMASH! was conceived by Katie Huang, an artist and illustrator living and working in Sydney. After posting the idea to DeviantArtDeviantArt
deviantART is an online community showcasing various forms of user-made artwork. It was first launched on August 7, 2000 by Scott Jarkoff, Matthew Stephens, Angelo Sotira and others. deviantArt, Inc...
and her blog, she was contacted by a number of other people interested in providing assistance to organise such an event. Meetings were held informally in parks and online, before a more formal structure was developed.
The event was originally called ComicWorld Sydney and was more closely modelled on the Comic World
Comic World
Comic World is an anime-oriented festival that is held in South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.-South Korea:Because there are few amateur circle conventions in Korea, this convention is considered to be not only the biggest anime convention, but also the Comiket of Korea. Along with ACA festival, it...
events held in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. As the number of people involved in organising the event increased, the focus broadened and the name was changed to SMASH! Sydney Manga and Anime Show.
Organisation
SMASH! is run by SMASH Inc, a non-profit association incorporated in New South Wales. SMASH Inc is controlled by a board elected each year by the members of the association. The board in turn selects a management team responsible for the planning and day-to-day conduct of the convention as well as a staff of volunteers organised into various departments. The board, management and staff total more than 50 people.Mascots
The convention features two mascots, a boy, Cyrus, and a girl, Skadi. The mascots were designed in 2007 by Wipawee Nitivoranant and have been drawn by numerous artists, including guests of the convention, Kidchan, Ms Rosek and Shaun Healey.SMASH! 2007
The first SMASH! was held on 18 August 2007. It was located at the Roundhouse, a venue on the campus of the University of New South WalesUniversity of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. Ticket prices were $9 for preregistered attendees, and $12 at the door. The convention ran from 10am until 6pm and attracted a total attendance of 1435
The convention featured the Australian premiere of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and Death Note
Death Note
is a manga created by writer Tsugumi Ohba and manga artist Takeshi Obata. The main character is Light Yagami, a high school student who discovers a supernatural notebook, the "Death Note", dropped on Earth by a god of death, or a shinigami, named Ryuk...
(licensed by Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment is an Australian company that distributes international films as well as Japanese anime and manga in Australia and New Zealand. The company is owned by Funtastic Limited and is one of the major entertainment companies in Australia. It employs 130 people and has an annual...
) as well as the first maid cafe and host club to be held at an anime convention in Australia.
There were 10 hours of panels covering a range of topics, including self publishing, animation and the gaming industry, tutorials on concept art and digital colouring. Special guests included W Chew Chan (storyboard artist for Happy Feet and Superman Returns), Queenie Chan (local Tokyopop
Tokyopop
Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...
manga artist) and Gregor Whiley (Vice President of the Australian gaming company Strategic Studies Group). A doodling competition was sponsored by Wacom
Wacom
in Krefeld, Germany. Wacom is a Japanese portmanteau: Wa for "harmony" or "circle", and Komu for "computer". Wacom tablets are notable for their use of a patented cordless, battery-free, and pressure-sensitive stylus or digital pen...
, as well as digital, traditional and 4-panel comic competition.
The convention also played host to a musical performance by the 2002 Triple J Unearthed winner Yunyu
Yunyu
Yunyu is an Australian musician originally from Singapore, now living in New South Wales. Her music is mostly played on keyboards and pianoforte...
.
SMASH! 2008
SMASH! 2008 was held at the Roundhouse, on the campus of the University of New South WalesUniversity of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
with Guest of Honour Hidenobu Kiuchi
Hidenobu Kiuchi
is a Japanese voice actor.-TV Anime:1996*Rurouni Kenshin as Shiro1999*One Piece as Nero2001*Ask Dr. Rin! as Eddy Tsukioka*The Prince of Tennis as Yūshi Oshitari; Kimiyoshi Fukawa 2003...
. The appearance of Kiuchi made SMASH! the first Australian convention to host a Japanese seiyū
Seiyu
Voice acting in Japan has far greater prominence than in most other countries. Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world; as a result, Japanese voice actors, or , are able to achieve fame on a national and international level.Besides acting as narrators and...
. The number of people attending the event totalled 2295.
A number of events were held throughout the day, including numerous stage events, competitions, panels and workshops, karaoke, cosplay and game events. In addition there was special live dubbing from Hidenobu Kiuchi, workshops and digital art demonstrations by international artist Kidchan, screenings of anime, including Gunslinger Girls and Darker than Black.
SMASH! 2009
SMASH! 2009 was held for a third year at the Roundhouse, on the campus of the University of New South Wales but expanded to two days. Renowned artist Shaun Healey (known online by the pseudonym Endling) was the Guest of Honour before being forced to pull out due to scheduling difficulties. The event's guests were Cuson Lo and Ms Rosek. It was attended by 2,709 people across both days.As in previous years, the convention featured numerous stage events, competitions, panels and workshops, maid cafe, karaoke, cosplay and game events. It was attended by video game publisher Ubisoft
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
.
SMASH! 2010
SMASH! 2010 was held on 7 August 2010 at the Sydney Town HallSydney Town Hall
The Sydney Town Hall is a landmark sandstone building located in the heart of Sydney. It stands opposite the Queen Victoria Building and alongside St Andrew's Cathedral...
and was the first SMASH! to sell out. It featured five international guests, including Yūko Miyamura and Tiffany Grant
Tiffany Grant
Tiffany Lynn Grant is an American voice actress and script writer who is known for her English-dubbing work with the former ADV Films on such anime films and television series as Neon Genesis Evangelion, in which she voiced the character Asuka Langley Soryu...
, the Japanese and English seiyū respectively for the character of Asuka Langley Soryū
Asuka Langley Soryu
is a 14-year old fictional character from the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise. Within the series, she is designated as the Second Child and the pilot of the Evangelion Unit 02...
in the series Neon Genesis Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelion
, commonly referred to as Evangelion, is a commercially and critically successful Japanese anime series that began airing in October 1995. The series was highly influential, and launched the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise. It garnered several major animation awards...
, Matt Greenfield
Matt Greenfield
Matt Greenfield is the American co-founder of the now-defunct ADV Films. Originally an avid fan who ran an anime club in Houston, Texas with John Ledford , he and Ledford founded ADV Films in 1992. ADV Films began as an importer of anime, marketing primarily to the existing network of anime fans...
, the founder of ADV Films and renowned artists and illustrators Shaun Healey and Mikiko Ponczcek.
In conjunction with Hobbyco and Namco Bandai
Namco Bandai
, also known as the Bandai Namco Group, is a Japanese holding company formed from the merger of Namco and Bandai. It has interests in toys, video games and arcades, anime, and amusement parks. The new entity was founded on September 29, 2005...
, it held the first ever Australian final for the Bandai Action Kit Universal Cup with the junior and senior winners receiving invitations to attend the grand final in Hong Kong.
The convention held stage events, competitions, panels and workshops, maid cafe, karaoke, cosplay and game events. It was the first year SMASH! was held at a venue other than the Roundhouse at the University of New South Wales. It was attended by 2,810 people.
SMASH! 2011
At SMASH! 2010, it was announced that SMASH! 2011 would be held on 16 July 2011 at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre in Darling Harbour. It will be the first pop culture convention to be held at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre since 1998 and features Shinichi WatanabeShinichi Watanabe
is a Japanese anime director and seiyu. He is best known for his over-the-top adaptation of Rikdo Koshi's Excel Saga, in which he appears as the character Nabeshin....
, Martin Billany (famous as LittleKuriboh), Hiroki Kikuta, Kenji Ito and Mari Yoshida.
SMASH! 2011 was followed by a concert featuring Eminence
Eminence
-Anatomy:In anatomy, eminence implies a protuberance, and may refer to a variety of structures:*Collateral eminence, alongside the hippocampus in the brain*Cruciform eminence, in the occipital bone of the skull...
. The concert was held in the same location but was a separately ticketed event.