| The convention chair, Josh, has decided not to have any Anime Voice Actors or other Industry Professional guests at the 2011 event. |
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Matt Frank
(Artist: Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters; Godzilla: Legends; Beast Wars Sourcebook; Transformers Animated: Rise of Safeguard; Vasteel Heart)
Best known for his rampages through the world of giant monster art, Matt Frank began working in the industry about halfway through college at the University of Texas in Austin. First working with Blue Water Productions, he provided covers for the Ray Harryhausen Presents series, culminating with his first one-shot, Wrath of the Titans: Cyclops, which he co-wrote and illustrated both the cover and the interior pencils. He capped his graduation in 2008 with both a Studio Art degree and his first work with IDW, providing character illustrations for the Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook. Frank then moved on to work on the over-200-page graphic novel, Vasteel Heart, with Gleaming Scythe Productions. He finally got his true "big break" working with his lifelong love, the Godzilla franchise, by providing covers for Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters and Godzilla: Gangsters and Goliaths in 2011, starting as the lead artist on the "Store-Stomping" issue 1 promotion. |
Born in San Antonio in 1985, Frank has long held an admiration of comics, games and movies, and has dabbled in all three. In addition to his sequential work, he has created demon concepts for the indie film Transcendence, as well as extensive story-boarding art for Chaotic Moon Studios. He recently began wrapping up work on Dungeon in a Deck, a fantasy card game/role playing game, with Games By Gamers.
Frank's work will be featured again in the upcoming first issue of Godzilla: Legends, which he co-wrote, as well as provided the cover and interiors.
Frank became popular online thanks to his long-running fan art series, "Godzilla Neo," and his style is heavily influenced by William Stout, Arthur Adams, Ricardo Delgado and Joe Madureira. He continues to have big plans for his work with the Godzilla series, and is also currently developing a new comic with writer and animation veteran Jeff Prezenkowski titled Giant Monster Zak!
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| BanzaiKon will not have any Gaming Guests this year. Enjoy the game room! |
Chief Instructor for the Southern Institute of Aikido Sensei Edward V. Contreras began his Aikido training when he was 20 yeras old. He brought Aikido to the Rio Grande Valley in 1990. With over 40 years of Aikido experience, he has taught U.S. Military personnel, law enforcement, and has also taught special needs students. He has Aikido self-defense, health and well-being programs for senior citizens, children, teens and adults. He learned under Sensei Bill Sosa and Sensei Rod Kobayashi.
He holds a 3rd degree black belt within Seidokan and a 5th degree black belt under Sensei Obide Rodriguedz within the Southern Aikido Institute. He is the chief instructor of the Southern Institute of Aikido. His Dojo of Aikido is located on 419 South Texas Blvde in Weslaco, Texas. He served 25+ years in the U.S. Army Calvary, and is now retired. |
Sensei Contreras
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