UPDATED: Wed, Jul 13, 04:50PM
It's one thing to cosplay at a con and draw fan art, but how can you turn your passion for manga, anime, and cosplay into a real career? Get the real deal on what it takes to make the leap from fan to pro from people who know what it takes to succeed, as well as the common pitfalls to avoid. Lillian Diaz-Pryzbyl (head of comics, Sparkler Monthly), Christopher Butcher (director, Toronto Comic Arts Festival), Mark DeVera (publishing sales manager, VIZ Media), Misaki C. Kido (marketing director, Kodansha Advanced Media), Mari Morimoto (translator, Naruto), Marlene First (editor, VIZ Media), Maria Victoria Robado (artist/letterer/ colorist, Jem) and possibly a surprise guest or two talk about how they turned their passion for manga, anime, and cosplay into a career and what they look for when they're hiring artists, writers, and editors. Discussion will be followed by a Q&A session moderated by Deb Aoki (Publishers Weekly, Anime News Network).