Platform One first came together in Rhode Island in 1999. Now based out of New York, this band of highly energetic musicians brings together danceable beats, well thought out lyrics, and an appeal that crosses all genres. A combination of pop, gothic and alternative with a side of oontz, Platform One ranges in influence from And One to The Psychedelic Furs, and Peter Gabriel to The Cure. They are currently working on their third full-length album!

Read more about them at their website: http://www.platform-one.com/

The Asterplace is a Japanese anime rock band based in New York City. The group is composed of Steven Lin (Guitar), Luo Qingyun (Bass), Ji Hoon Moon (Keyboard), Kota Mori (Drums), and Kota Tsukimoto (Vocals/Guitar). They perform original rock numbers and your favorite anime cover songs. In June 2011, they released their first full album, entitled [Moon]. The album features a variety of musical themes – from melodic, fast punk to piano love ballads. Tsukimoto-san lends his heartfelt vocals to a combination of melodic guitars, beautiful piano, groovy bass, and a powerful drum beat. The Asterplace has performed at a number of events including Anime Syracuse, Anime SOHO, Tribeca Film Festival, and the DC National Cherry Blossom Festival. They are very much looking forward to performing at Zenkaikon 2012! You can learn more about them on their website: www.asterplace.net.

Excited about Zenkaikon? Don’t forget to pre-register, and stay tuned for more guest announcements soon!

PA Jedi

Have you ever wanted to dress up as a Jedi or Sith and wield a Light Saber? Have you ever dreamt of using the Force? Do you wonder if there are restrictions on what to wear?  Come and explore PA Jedi, a group of performing artists who use light saber stage combat to prepare our members for public performances and charity events as our way of giving back to the community. Equipped with 35,000 years of stories from the Star Wars Universe and your own imagination we are able to assist you in designing your own PA Jedi character. Our members will help you design your own basic character and the costuming that will bring them to the next level!

www.pajedi.com

Kyo Daiko

Kyo Daiko is a community-based group which is the result of a collaboration between Settlement Music School and the Shofuso Japanese House and Garden in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia.  The group is directed by Kristopher Rudzinski, who has previously performed with Taikoza and studied with Taikoza’s founder, Marco Lienhard.  Kyo Daiko regularly performs at school and community events, and has also performed at the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC,  Stanford University in California, and for ESPN’s Monday Night Football.

www.kyodaiko.com

Read more about them here and stay tuned for more announcements coming soon!

Read their introductions after the jump!

Uncle Yo

Psst. Hey, you. Yeah, you! Don’t look away, or they’ll get suspicious. You like stand-up comedy? Don’t nod – they’ll think you’re crazy.Then you should meet Uncle Yo. He’s a geek-specific stand-up comedian who’s already on his fifth straight year touring conventions and talking about anime, video games, Japanese culture, and all those things you talk about that makes your mother think she dropped you on your head.

http://www.uncleyo.com

CJ Henderson

CJ Henderson is the creator of the Piers Knight supernatural investigator series, the Teddy London supernatural detective series, and many more. He has written some 70 books and/or novels, hundreds of short stories and comics, and thousands of non-fiction pieces. He is beloved around the world for his intriguing prose, his precocious wit, and his ability to go to YouTube every single day to watch Batman Dog and laugh just as hard as he did the first time he saw it. CJ will have a number of new things to show of this year (as always), but the one he is most proud of is the book he just finished with his daughter, Erica, The World Bestiary. Hardback, in color, it lists 100 of the world’s most intriguing monsters. He tells us he can not wait to show it off to everyone. He is very excited and eager to meet the attendees of Zenkaikon 2012, both old and new.

http://www.cjhenderson.com

Also, stay tuned for a variety of other guest announcements coming soon!

Policies, cost information, and more registration details are available here.

Good luck to everyone!

The theme for this year is “Retro Sci-Fi,” and artwork should be designed for a black T-shirt.

The winner of the contest will receive a complimentary membership to Zenkaikon 2012, a table in the Artist Alley, and a T-shirt featuring their design.

Think you are up to the challenge? Read the rules and specifications on the Zenkaikon 2012 T-Shirt Contest page. We look forward to seeing what you come up with!

This year, all Zenkaikon memberships will include entry on both days of the convention, and access to all events. Zenkaikon is also happy to offer significantly reduced registration rates for this year. “Not only because it is a two-day event this year,” says Convention Chair Matilda Madden,  “but also as a ‘thank you’ to all our members who have supported us these past six years. We’re truly grateful to all our attendees and fans who make this event possible!”

Through January 15, 2012, Zenkaikon convention attendees can enjoy a “Holiday Special” membership rate of only $20 for the full weekend.

For more details on Zenkaikon registration, visit http://www.zenkaikon.com/registration/

After the tour of the venue, we took some time to check out the hotels and restaurants in the area (including a very tasty option called Max & Erma’s which will surely be included in our upcoming restaurant guide). We also discussed some of the announcements that we know attendees have been eagerly waiting for. (Stay tuned for an announcement about the opening of registration before the holidays. We’ll also have plenty more announcements including artist and vendor registration, panel registration, and even some guests, in the next month or two!)

At the end of the day, we all left feeling very excited about our upcoming convention. We hope you are as well!