Show Manager Lance Fensterman writes to tell us that early bird pricing for the next New York Anime Festival (8-10 October) ends on 15 May. After that day, the price goes up. Currently, Weekend Passes are $45 (increasing to $50 after Saturday). Friday or Sunday passes are $25 now (increasing to $30), while Saturday passes are $30, increasing to $40. To purchase tickets online, see this page.
Fensterman also tells us that the contest to design the official mascot for NYAF 2010 ends 20 May. He says “Some of the brilliant icons we’ve seen grace NYAF swag of the past have been a pint-sized Statue of Liberty (by Shi Yuan Kuang), a kawaii kaiju (from Quarteni) and a bishounen taxi driver (by Mel)—we can’t wait to see what’s next.
“The contest, run by Del Rey Manga, theOtaku.com, Kinokuniya Bookstore, and the New York Anime Festival is on until May 20th so get going! We want all of you anime fans—artists and imaginative doodlers alike—to use “Anime,” “New York City,” and “Halloween” (an awesome perk of being in October) as your inspiration to create an original character to be the face of the show.
“Apart from the celebrity you’ll gain from showing off your artwork in front of 20,000 anime fans, the winner will also get a copy of all the NYAF gear with the mascot on it (T-shirts, posters…), 10 weekend passes to the show, and a jaw-dropping 50 volumes of manga. The top nine finalists will also receive a pair weekend passes and a volume of manga.” Full rules and details on the contest are available here.
The New York Anime Festival, combined with the New York Comic Con, will be held in New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center the weekend of 8-10 October 2010. The show is open to the public 1-7PM on Friday, 10AMPM on Saturday, and 10AM-5PM on Sunday.