April 4, 2011
News for PortConMaine 2011:
Bizarre magic, voice actors, and Mandalorians to appear at PortConMaine 2011
SOUTH PORTLAND, MAINE, April 1, 2011 - PortConMaine, Maine's largest convention for geek culture, is pleased to announce its second round of guests. Appearing as guests of honor at the convention for the first time will be bizarre magician and Internet personality Brian Brushwood, voice actor and ADR director Christopher Ayres, voice actor J. Michael Tatum, and Star Wars costumers, The Mandalorian Mercs.
After 10 years and over one thousand college performances, Brian Brushwood is bringing his twisted one-man variety show to PortConMaine 2011. But be warned: this is no ordinary magic show. With its fake blood, ghosts, mind reading and more, Teller (of magicians Penn and Teller) says: "Brian Brushwood just kills me. He's funny, dangerous, and brilliantly original..."
Brian has appeared on over two dozen national TV shows, including multiple appearances on The Tonight Show. He has hosted over 150 episodes of Scam School, which has been featured in iTunes as a Top Video Podcast of 2008 and 2009. In 2009, Brian joined Leo Laporte's TWiT network, co-hosting NSFW along with Justin Robert Young. Each episode of NSFW focuses on late-night internet culture, bizarre games, and interviews with A-list Internet celebrities.
When you come to his show at PortConMaine, make sure you bring your cell phone, as Brian will be performing "EVP", an absolutely revolutionary interactive experience where Brian makes a ghost appear on the cell phone of every single person in the audience. It's like nothing else, and it will happen on your cell phone. Brian promises, "You will scream!"
You can learn more about Brian on his website at shwood.com and follow his adventures performing around the country at twitter.com/shwood.
Christopher Ayres has been working professionally in theatre, television and film since the age of 6. His work has been seen regionally, nationally, and on Broadway. He currently works as a voice actor for ADV Films and FUNimation Entertainment. Chris is also an ADR director for ADV Films and Amusement Park Media. As an ADR director, his credits include the hit anime musical comedy The Nerima Daikon Brothers, Xenosaga: The Animation, Magikano, Mermaid Melody Pitchi Pitchi Pitch, and co-director with Matt Greenfield on The Wallflower.
Some of the roles as a voice actor Chris is best known for are Kei Kourono in Gantz, Suitengu in Speed Grapher, Von Kampher in Trinity Blood, Hayashimizu in Full Metal Panic? Fummofu, Nakamaru in Maburaho, Yaminami in Peacemaker, DJ Plugman in Air Gear, Johnny in One Piece, Sid in Devil May Cry, Sawadust in A Tree of Palme, Oshodani in Pappuwa, and Woogy in Michel. His voice can also be heard in Elfin Lied, Claymore, Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Godanner, Ouran High School Host Club, Diamond Daydreams, and Desert Punk to name a few. Chris can also be heard as Wagram in the Square Enix game The Last Remnant.
Most recently Chris has been heard as the voice of Frieza in Dragonball Z Kai and Covenant Commander and various other roles in Halo: Legends. Chris will also soon be heard as Arthur in Tears to Tiara, Prince Soma in Black Butler, and Takada Shingin in Son Goku Basura. Chris is also one of the anime industry voice actors who sings on Voices for Peace. He is very proud to be a part of the "Voices For..." organization. Chris also works as a professional fight director and has enjoyed bringing his workshop "Mock Combat for Cosplay" to many conventions. You can learn more about Chris by visiting his website at www.christopherayres-va.com.
J. Michael Tatum was discovered by FUNimation warhorse and visionary ADR director Christopher Bevins who cast him as Rikichi in 2005's Samurai 7, Tatum's inexplicable luck has held long enough to see his flag hoisted on a slew of dream roles, most notably Kyoya Otori in the hit English language dub of Ouran High School Host Club and suave, demonic Sebastian Michaelis in Black Butler.
Other characters the he has played include: Doumeki in XXXHolic, Jiro Mochizuki in Black Blood Brothers, Isaac Dian in Baccano!, both God Eneru and Dalton in the new dub of One Piece, Komui Lee in D-Gray Man, Dororo in Sgt. Frog, the titular lovable savage of Heroic Age, Ryosuke Takahashi in Initial D, Lawrence Kraft in Spice and Wolf, Zarbon in Dragon Ball Z Kai, and Scar in Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood.
The Mandalorian Mercs are an international Star Wars costuming organization dedicated to raising money for charities and families in need. Founded in 2007, the Mercs have grown to include over 40 chapters stretching from North and South America to Europe, Indonesia, and Australia. Their costumes are built by hand and they have an active online community to help newcomers learn the skills they will need to fabricate their own armor. Maine has it's own chapter, Wampa Clan, and they will be appearing at PortConMaine.
Brian Brushwood, Christopher Ayres, J. Michael Tatum, and The Mandalorian Mercs will join previously announced guests, including anime anthropologist Charles Dunbar, science fiction authors Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, game creator Luke "McMasters" Morgan, costumers Elizabeth O'Malley and Robert "Sketch" Scholz, and the creators of Ragged Isle, The Entertainment Experiment.
About PortConMaine
First held in 2002 and celebrating its tenth convention this year, PortConMaine is New England's largest and longest running geek culture convention covering anime, gaming, science fiction, costuming, fantasy, comics, video gaming, boffer combat, steampunk, and more. Over 2000 fans attended the convention in 2010 and the convention is expected to be even more popular in 2011. PortConMaine 2011 will be held at the Wyndham Portland Airport Hotel in South Portland, Maine from June 23rd through 26th, 2011. More information about PortConMaine can be found at its official web site, www.portconmaine.com.
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