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Details: Arizona Renaissance Festival

When

02/03/24 - 03/31/24    

10:00 am - 6:00 pm

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Where

Arizona Renaissance Festival
12601 E. U.S. 60, Gold Canyon, Arizona, 85118

Event Type

• Fantasy
• Festivals
• Market

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Jan. 19 – 7 p.m. – Sci-Friday Book Discussion Group – Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin.  Poisoned Pen, Scottsdale (in person and virtual)

Feb. 5 – 7 p.m. – Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah: Chain Gang All Stars: A Novel – Changing Hands, Phoenix – Registration via Eventbrite. 

Feb. 5 – Fourteen Days with Douglas Preston and Diana Gabaldon.  – Poisoned Pen bookstore.  Ticketed event at The Scottsdale United Methodist Church, 4140 North Miller Road, Scottsdale, Arizona 

Award winning author Ted Chiang with multiple events:

Feb. 14 – 6:20 pm – Ted Chiang in Conversation with Barbara VanDenburgh – Changing Hands Phoenix.

Feb. 15 – 5:30 p.m. – ASU Event: Exhalation and Other Worlds with Ted Chiang in conversation with Matt Bell – Humanities Institute Distinguished Lecture, ARM101, Armstrong Hall, 1100 S McAllister Ave Tempe AZ 85281

Feb. 16 –  6 p.m. – ARRIVAL screening with author Ted Chiang, Majestic Tempe 7 Theater, 1140 E. Baseline Rd Tempe AZ 85283

Feb. 16 – 7 p.m. – Sci-Friday Book Discussion Group – 11/22/63 vy Stephen King.  Poisoned Pen, Scottsdale (in person and virtual)

Feb. 22 – 6 p.m. – Coinneach MacLeod discusses The Hebridean Baker At Home Hosted by Diana Gabaldon!  – Poisoned Pen bookstore.  Ticketed event at The Scottsdale United Methodist Church, 4140 North Miller Road, Scottsdale, Arizona United States

March 9-10 – Tucson Festival of Books, U of A campus, Tucson– Genre Authors include Olivie Blake, Ryan Britt, Roseanne A. Brown, Isabel Cañas, Seth Dickinson, Cherie Dimaline, Cory Doctorow, Constance Fay, Kim Harrison, Liz Kerin, TJ Klune, Jonathan Maberry, Melissa Marr, Lisa McMann, Matt McMann, Marissa Meyer, Axie Oh, Suyi Davies Okungbowa, Moses Ose Utomi, Adam Rex, Kristen Simmons, Jasmine Skye, David R. Slayton, R. L. Stine, Misa Sugiura, Emma Törzs , Gene Luen Yang, Amélie Wen Zhao

Feb 2024

Mar 2024

Apr 2024

Game On Expo in Phoenix, will be revisiting the valley sooner than years past with new dates occurring March 15-17, 2024.

This could make for the perfect gift for the gamer in your life, as full-event badges (access to all three days of the convention) are temporarily discounted to $50. All that’s needed is using the coupon code “gameon24” when purchasing from the Game On Expo site (this discount also applies to higher tier full-event badges as well).

Game On Expo has announced Roger Craig Smith (voice of Sonic, Ezio Auditore), Patricia Summersett (voice of Princess Zelda), Roger Clark (voice of Arthur Morgan from Red Dead Redemption II), and a mini GTAV voice actor reunion of sorts as part of their guest lineup for next year. To see more of what the convention has on offer, see our coverage of previos performers and offerings.

Game On Expo 2024

When

03/15/24 - 03/17/24    

All Day

Add To Calendar

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Where

Phoenix Convention Center
100 N. Third St., Phoenix, Arizona, 85004

Event Type

• Conventions
• Gaming

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Free Comic Book Day 2024 titles announced

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Seen at Colorado Springs Comic Con: Mega Man 2 LEGO creations

Howl’s Moving Castle back in theaters in September for Studio Ghibli Fest 2023

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Singer-songwriter Shihori discusses music, mutation, and ‘borderless’ style

Photos: Game On Expo 2023

“Every year, we strive to bring fans a memorable Free Comic Book Day experience! We know comic book retailers are looking forward to treating their communities to a day of fun and discovery, and we think this year’s comic book selection really reflects that!” said Ashton Greenwood, Free Comic Book Day spokesperson. “The variety of this year’s comic book selection is really exciting! There’s something for every kind of fan, from long-time readers to the comic book curious.”

 GOLD SPONSOR TITLES

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Miyazaki’s 2001 masterpiece features the English voice talents of Suzanne Pleshette, Daveigh Chase, David Ogden Stiers and Michael Chiklis.

Spirited Away’s original Japanese version with English subtitles will screen on Oct. 28 (3 p.m. local time) and 31 (7 p.m.). An English dub will screen on Oct. 29 (4 and 7 p.m.), 30 (7 p.m.) and Nov. 1 (7 p.m.). featuring the English voice talents of Suzanne Pleshette, Daveigh Chase, David Ogden Stiers and Michael Chiklis.

(You should always check your local listings, as showtimes and availability may vary.)

Get more information and specific dubbed and subbed showtimes at www.ghiblifest.com.

Tickets and Festival Passes for the 2023 Peoria Film Fest, part of the Phoenix Film Festival and presented by the city of Peoria, are now on sale and can be purchased either at the festival’s website at www.peoriafilmfest.com or calling the film festival office at 480-513-3195. 

Single tickets for each show are $10, and the full festival pass is $30. The tickets for the classic sports films are $5, and family friendly films showing at the festival are free. Peoria residents can get an exclusive discount.

Juno Films’ action/drama release of Gold Run has been announced as the opening night film, with the Arizona premiere taking place 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19, at Harkins Arrowhead Fountains.

In April 1940, German soldiers descend upon Oslo with three targets: the King, the government and Norway’s gold reserves. Within only a few hours, parliamentary secretary Fredrik Haslund brings together an unlikely team, including his sister, a veteran of the Spanish Civil War, truck drivers, and a famous poet.

Their mission is to move 40 tons of gold across the country to reach an Allied shipping convoy, outsmarting and evading the approaching Nazi forces.

Included in the ticket for Gold Run, guests will also receive a complimentary beverage (beer, wine, soft drink or water), a free medium popcorn, a VIP bag and an additional surprise or two.

Classic sports films for $5 each

The Peoria Film Fest also will be showing four classic sports genre films this year. Guests can get the chance to view for the first time, or a repeated viewing, the following sporty films on the big screen for only $5 a ticket:

Free, family-friendly films

Also at Peoria Film Fest will be free showings of family-friendly programs including Sparkle: A Unicorn Tale and the Family Short Films Program.

When 15-year-old Annabelle runs away from an orphanage with two other kids to rescue the animals on her family’s farm, they discover a magical unicorn has taken up residence.

Free showings of Sparkle: A Unicorn Tale will be 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 21, and 1:45 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22.

The Family Short Films Program includes 10 family-friendly short films, which includes a combination of animated, live action, and live action documentary short films. Free showings of the Family Short Films Program will be 1:45 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21, and 11:35 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 22.

I went into full “interviewer mode” as I asked them about their creative processes. I didn’t take notes, but based on chatting with both of them, I highly recommend their work.

But the real thrill came when I met a LEGO club and saw the coolest MOC ever. 

As a huge fan of the Mega Man franchise (especially Mega Man 2), I was delighted to find a gigantic diorama based on Wiley’s Skull Castle from the game. But looking closer, each individual compartment contains a micro version of every stage. The Quick Man stage with all of its crazy beings, keep man stage, Woodman’s forest, and even metal Man stage are all present in the model. I asked the guy who made it how long it took to build and design. He responded that it required approximately a year of steady work and over 30,000 bricks to create this masterpiece. He used Bricklink’s LEGO modeling software for proof of concept and initial design. He gave permission to take a picture, which I’m sharing with you now:

The coolest thing about this construction is how detailed it is. Although I wasn’t able to take a bunch of pictures, you can see that throughout the construct, you’ll find details of various stages from the game. Here’s one from the Quick Man stage. Fans of the game will recognize this immediately: 

Here’s Wood Man and Heat Man’s stages:

He also recreated one of the Boss characters (Gutsman) in exceptional detail:

For me, the LEGO club was the highlight of the comic-con. But I had fun buying a ton of TMNT comics, some books, and checking out a lot of the performers that were out there. If you get the chance to attend one, I absolutely recommend it. There’s something for everybody and you never know what you’ll find along the way.

The 2004 film merges magic and technology to express filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki’s fierce opposition to the Iraq War.

Screenings on Sept. 23 (3 p.m. local time), 24 (4 and 7 p.m.) and 26 (7 p.m.) will feature the original Japanese version with English subtitles. The English voice cast that includes Jean Simmons, Emily Mortimer, Lauren Bacall, Christian Bale, Josh Hutcherson and Billy Crystal will be featured in a dub that screens Sept. 25 and 27 (7 p.m.).

Wrapping up Studio Ghibli Fest 2023, the Academy Award-winning Spirited Away will screen on Oct. 28 (3 p.m.) and 31 (7 p.m.) in Japanese with English subtitles. An English dub will screen on Oct. 29 (4 and 7 p.m.), 30 (7 p.m.) and Nov. 1 (7 p.m.). featuring the English voice talents of Suzanne Pleshette, Daveigh Chase, David Ogden Stiers and Michael Chiklis.

Get more information and specific dubbed and subbed showtimes at www.ghiblifest.com.

Flagstaff anime convention Kikori Con has shifted its 2024 event to March 8-10 to avoid taking place the same weekend as Game On Expo in Phoenix, which just last weekend announced its 2024 dates would occupy the March 15-17 slot after years as a summer event.

“Recognizing the potential conflict this presents for our shared community, including attendees, vendors, and artists, we believe it is not in the best interests of our collective audience to be forced to choose between these two gatherings,” Monkey Paw Entertainment’s Kikori advisory board announced Thursday.

“While we regret any inconvenience this may cause, please understand this decision was made with the utmost consideration for our community’s best interests. We thank you for your continued support and understanding and look forward to welcoming you in 2024.”

So, Kikori Con will be one week earlier next year, March 8-10, at the Little America Hotel, 2515 E. Butler Ave., Flagstaff.

Kikori Con 2024

When

03/08/24 - 03/10/24    

All Day

Add To Calendar

Download ICS Google Calendar iCalendar Office 365 Outlook Live

Where

Little America Hotel Flagstaff
2515 E. Butler Ave., Flagstaff, Arizona, 86004, Coconino County

Event Type

• Anime
• Conventions

Game On Expo 2024

When

03/15/24 - 03/17/24    

All Day

Add To Calendar

Download ICS Google Calendar iCalendar Office 365 Outlook Live

Where

Phoenix Convention Center
100 N. Third St., Phoenix, Arizona, 85004

Event Type

• Conventions
• Gaming

Game On Expo badges go on discount for December

Game On Expo’s shift prompts earlier Kikori Con in 2024

Sergio Elisondo talks pushing boundaries of retro video game technology with music

Singer-songwriter Shihori discusses music, mutation, and ‘borderless’ style

Photos: Game On Expo 2023

Game On Expo 2024 moves to new place and time

Christopher Judge announced as guest for Game On Expo

Game On Expo won’t return until at least 2022

Game On Mega Drive In slotted into Game On Expo 2020 weekend

Game On Expo pushes event to 2021

PHOTOS: Game On Expo 2019

Carolina Ravassa discusses Sombra, being part of the ‘Overwatch’ family

More events coverage from Nerdvana:

Arizona Renaissance Festival warns of more freeway closures

New Year, new Arizona events

Game On Expo badges go on discount for December

Free Comic Book Day 2024 titles announced

Spirited Away back to theaters for Studio Ghibli Fest 2023 finale

Tickets, times and more: How to attend the 2023 World Series

Peoria Film Fest: Thriller premieres, classic sports movies and free, family-friendly flicks

Seen at Colorado Springs Comic Con: Mega Man 2 LEGO creations

Howl’s Moving Castle back in theaters in September for Studio Ghibli Fest 2023

Game On Expo’s shift prompts earlier Kikori Con in 2024

Singer-songwriter Shihori discusses music, mutation, and ‘borderless’ style

Photos: Game On Expo 2023

Shihori is a prolific singer, songwriter, and composer with hundreds of credits to her name. She has written numerous songs for artists such as Momoiro Clover Z and Nana Mizuki, as well as for anime series Fairy Tale, Princess Connect! Re: Dive, Tomodachi Game and many more. She performed at the 2023 Game On Expo over the weekend in downtown Phoenix.

Born with deafness in one ear, a form of dwarfism, and Asperger’s Syndrome, Shihori is no stranger to overcoming adversity and personal struggles. Her music conveys messages of self-acceptance and inner strength within a pop genre, especially in her latest album Mutation. She has recently collaborated with artists such as Zaid Tabani and performed at the Evolution tournament series this year.

Shihori sat down with Nerdvana over the weekend to discuss her career, challenges, and hopes for her future as a music artist.

(The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.)

Nerdvana: If someone were to approach you today, how would you describe yourself to them?

Shihori: I’m a singer/songwriter from Japan. I’ve written many anime songs, game songs, idol songs, and music. I came to the U.S. in 2018. New York first, then moved to LA about three years ago.

Nerdvana: What prompted you to move? [from Japan]

Shihori: There are so many reasons. First of all, I have Asperger’s Syndrome, so I couldn’t get along with other people and was really kind of a difficult child for everyone. So I was bullied. It was really hard to get along with people. But my mom used to tell me that “You’ll probably be more successful in America.” So I started to think maybe I wanted to move to the U.S. some day, when I was little, but I wanted to be successful in Japan.

I succeeded certainly as a songwriter, but it was always somehow very hard for me to succeed as an artist for very, very long years. That was really frustrating. Although I was really happy that people appreciated my talent as a songwriter, but I wasn’t satisfied because my focus was always to be a singer.

Nerdvana: So you went to New York first, now you’re in Los Angeles. Why did you go from one coast to another? Was it just a need for a change?

Shihori: Well at first I didn’t know anything about America, so I didn’t even know where New York was! (laughs) But I had this image from Glee when the characters say “Oh let’s go to New York, let’s aim for New York.” and thought “Oh my god, that sounds really nice!” I went there, but it was very tough and most of the time I was there, it was [during] COVID.

Nerdvana: How was that? Being away from your original home and in some place entirely new to you?

Shihori: Yeah it was really scary! It was really bad. Also I was in a very bad relationship at the time unfortunately. So I lost all my confidence at some point and I’d almost given up my career. I lost all my energy. Somehow I left there, still during COVID times, and started to work with people online.

I found out that people, music producers or people in the pop market industry are all in Los Angeles. I couldn’t find friends, like artist friends, with similar styles to me in New York. I found out my genre was very different. So no pop people, or very few, just Broadway or jazz or hip-hop or classical. So it was hard to find friends. I moved [to LA] and now have many friends there!

Nerdvana: With your latest song “Savior,” it seems like there’s a little bit of influence from COVID times: the downtime and finding your inner strength. To push and keep going. Is that what you’re trying to communicate in your music?

Shihori: Yes! Because through my experience, I really learned the importance of self-acceptance. I found out actually that many people, or everybody, is struggling to love themselves. So [I thought] “Wow! This is really universal everywhere. Japan, America, everywhere!” I think I was born to spread this message. This is a mission to me, so I’ve been telling this message over and over in different ways.

Nerdvana: In your last album Mutation, there are a lot of genres across the songs. In comparison to your previous work, was this a way for you to feel out things and experiment?

Shihori: I had a plan, but it didn’t go as I planned right? (laughs) I didn’t expect this trouble and didn’t think it wouldn’t go well. So I needed to find my way. A “Shihori” style, borderless. I think you could see how I mutated from like a pure Japanese version, to Americanizing, but a “Shihori” version. So that’s what Mutation means.

Nerdvana: You’ve had a lot of success as a songwriter. Do you feel like you will reach a point of success where you’re satisfied or do you always want to keep fighting and pushing?

Shihori: Definitely want to keep fighting. I’m gonna keep changing, keep evolving, or mutating! (laughs) I think that’s one of the purposes for all human beings. You want to sleep, you want to eat, you want to have sex. I think you want to grow. If you don’t do that, you will kind of diminish. It’s really important to take risks and change yourself.

Shihori is preparing for a new single to release this year. Her current music works may be found on Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, or her YouTube channel.