Friday, August 1st
The following is the schedule for Friday’s convention panels.
Panels will be held on both the Main floor and Dungeon level.

1:00pm - Cosplay 101
              Presented by Gren
              • Panel Room (Main Floor)

2:00pm - The Making of the Anime Industry in North America
              Presented by Carl Macek
              • Panel Room (Main Floor)

              Mahjong: Game of the Winds
              Presented by Jessi Duffour
              • Classroom (Dungeon level)

3:00pm - Cosplay for the "Mature" Fan
              Presented by John Parker
              • Classroom (Dungeon Level)

3:30pm - Fansubbing, Downloading, the Industry and YOU
              Presented by Greg Ayres
              • Panel Room (Main Floor)

4:00pm - All Your Own: An Introduction to Fully Customizable Asian Ball-joint Dolls
              Presented by Jeanne Richard
              • Classroom (Dungeon Level)

5:00pm - Pop Culture and the Tokugawa Shogunate
              Presented by Dominique Ducote
              • Classroom (Dungeon level)

6:00pm - Online vs. Table-top Gaming
              Presented by Addy Masling & David Giles
              • Classroom (Dungeon level)

8:00pm - Ballroom Dancing
              Presented by Ai no Shinobi, Becca Hillburn & Michelle Luquette
              • Panel Room (Main Floor)

9:30pm - Anime Bloopers (18+ only)
              Presented with behind-the-scenes commentary by Mary Elizabeth McGlynn
              • Panel Room (Main Floor)

Saturday, August 2nd
The following is the schedule for Saturday’s convention panels.
Panels will be held on both the Main floor and Dungeon level.

10:00am - How to Make an Anime Club
              Presented by Patrick Duhe & Jonathan Hidalgo
              • Panel Room (Main Floor)

              Versus a Leo V: Surprise!
              Presented by Blair Gee & Brian Hill
              • Main Events Room

11:00am – Convention Safety
              Presented by Greg Ayres
              • Panel Room (Main Floor)

              State / Future of the RPG Industry
              Presented by John Chambers
              • Classroom (Dungeon level)

12:00pm - Cowboy Bebop 10th Anniversary Event
              Q&A and signing
              with Steve Blum, Beau Billingslea, & Mary Elizabeth McGlynn
              • Main Event Room (Main floor)

1:00pm - 15 Years of Sailor Moon
              Presented by Ai no Shinobi
              • Panel Room (Main floor)

              Comic and Manga Production
              Presented by Tommy Yune
              • Classroom (Dungeon level)

2:00pm - So You Want to be a Voice Actor?
              Presented by Greg Ayres
              • Panel Room (Main floor)

              How to Make Plushies
              Presented by Misty Lopez
              • Classroom (Dungeon level)

2:30pm - Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence
              Presented by Mary Elizabeth McGlynn
              • Main Event Room (Main floor)

4:00pm - Robotech: Past, Present and Future
              Presented by Tommy Yune & Carl Macek
              • Panel Room (Main floor)

              Connections Between Tabletop Gaming and Anime
              Presented by John Chambers
              • Classroom (Dungeon level)

4:30pm - Cosplay Presentation: Strutting Your Stuff
              Presented by Jessi Duffour
              • Angelle Hall (open to Cosplay Participants only)

Sunday, August 3rd
The following is the schedule for Sunday’s convention panels.
Panels will be held on both the Main floor and Dungeon level.

10:00am - Robotech: Unplugged
              Presented by Tommy Yune
              • Panel Room (Main floor)

              Cosplay Kyokutan
              Presented by Jessi Duffour
              • Classroom (Dungeon level)

11:00am - Ghost in the Shell, Q&A and signing
              With Mary Elizabeth McGlynn & Ilaria Graziano
              • Main Event Room (Main floor)

              So, You Want to Get into the Tabletop Gaming Industry?
              Presented by John Chambers
              • Classroom (Dungeon level)

12:00pm – Cowboy Bebop signing
              with Steve Blum & Beau Billingslea
              • Panel Room (Main floor)

              Wig Styling and Constructing
              Presented by Gren
              • Classroom (Dungeon level)

2:00pm – Pleased to be Blogging and Photoshopping
              with Becca Hillburn and Ashley Payne
              • Panel Room (Main floor)

3:00pm - History of Anime
              Presented by Blair Gee & Brian Hill
              • Panel Room (Main floor)

5:00pm - Convention floors close
              (all areas)


Below you can find out a little more about some of the panels that you will be able to enjoy at MechaCon IV.

Cosplay 101

For people still new to the cosplay hobby, this panel will help new costumers get on their feet. Not sure what fabrics photograph best? Not sure what a pattern is or where you’re supposed to get one? Ever wonder what to expect when you enter a cosplay competition? What’s the name of those little metal thingies shoelaces go through, and how do you put them in? Bring your questions, and we’ll be ready to help you on your way.

Presented by Gren

The Making of the Anime Industry in North America

Pioneering industry veteran Carl Macek has seen it all – from the early days of anime bringing over classics such as Robotech, Akira, and Totoro to his more recent work on the hit Bleach series. Get a rare glimpse into what makes the industry tick from an insider's point of view.

Presented by Carl Macek

Mahjong: Game of the Winds

An ages-old and classic game based on the legends of the Four Winds and the mystical Dragon. This fun panel will allow participants to learn a little of the story and history, the Chinese version rules, and also how to play it on real authentic Chinese sets.

Presented by Jessi Duffour

Cosplaying For The Mature Fan

This panel will explore the world of cosplay from the adult perspective. Besides explaining the basic facts of cosplaying, doubts and questions which keep the “mature” fan from cosplaying will also be addressed.

Presented by John Parker

Fansubbing, Downloading, the Industry and YOU

As new technology unfolds, the face of fandom changes as well. Come and discuss the pros and cons of torrents, fansubbing, scanlations, and downloading and how it affects the state of anime industry today.

Presented by Greg Ayres

All Your Own: An Introduction to fully customizable Asian ball-joint dolls

An introduction to the hobby of finding and customizing your own personal friend and co-cosplayer.

Presented by Jeanne Richard

Pop Culture and the Tokugawa Shogunate

This Panel will focus on how several modern mediums treat the Tokugawa era of Japan. How has manga such as Blade of the Immortal, anime such as Samurai Champloo, and other pop-culture items affected their audience's perspective on this period of Japan's history?

Presented by Dominique Ducote

Online vs. Table-top Gaming

A discussion on online and table-top role-playing, addressing differences – including group size, moderation/GM-ing, and female role-players -- and searching for similarities between the two types of gaming.

Presented by Addy Masling & David Giles

Ballroom Dancing

If you're planning to attend the Formal Cosplay-optional Ball, here's your last chance to brush up on your ballroom dancing skills and etiquette. Whether you're an old pro at waltzing, or you've never danced before, this panel will give tips and help you practice your moves, so you can be light on your feet for the upcoming ball.

Presented by Ai no Shinobi, Becca Hillburn & Michelle Luquette

How to Make an Anime Club

This panel will discuss and take questions about how to make an anime club at both the high school and college levels. Topics include how to start a club, manage a club, publicity, attendance and what shows to watch.

Presented by Patrick Duhe & Jonathan Hidalgo

Versus a Leo V: Surprise!

Two grown men talking nonsense about giant robots.

Presented by Blair Gee & Brian Hill

Cosplay 102

Intended for cosplayers of intermediate to expert skill level, this panel discusses some of the more complex aspects of costuming. From French seams to sergers and boot covers to buster swords, this panel will help get your bigger projects off the drawing board.

Presented by Gren

Convention Safety

A badge-less event for parents and kids alike. Veteran convention goer Greg Ayres discusses convention safety in an open forum. Bring your questions and concerns to this family friendly discussion of all things “Con”. Your input and participation are totally encouraged.

Presented by Greg Ayres

15 Years of Sailor Moon

A decade and a half ago, Naoko Takeuchi and Toei Animation made anime history with the debut of Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon. A classic tale of love, friendship, sacrifice, and silliness, Sailor Moon captivated the heart of Japan and not long after, the rest of the world.

Experience in-depth discussions, silly trivia, music samplings, and all things Sailor Moon! From the manga to the musical, come see why Sailor Moon will still be one of the best loved franchises in history.

Presented by Ai no Shinobi

Comic and Manga Production

Join Tommy Yune, a veteran of comic series such as Robotech, Speed Racer, Racer X, and Danger Girl, as he covers modern production techniques of the industry and new options available to hopeful comic creators through digital print-on-demand.

Presented by Tommy Yune

So You Want to be a Voice Actor?

Join in on a discussion about the realities of working as an actor in the anime industry. From auditions to recording, come learn what it’s really like to make a living working in the anime industry.

Presented by Greg Ayres

How to Make Plushies

TThis panel covers making plushies, patterns, materials, thread, etc.; with examples of different stages of plushies. Also, we'll discuss differences between bootlegs and authentic plushies as well as tips on how others can start a personal plush-making business.

Presented by Misty Lopez

ROBOTECH: Past, Present and Future

Carl Macek, producer of the original Robotech television series and Tommy Yune, director of Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles, cover the making of the animated series that introduced a generation to anime, and the science fiction franchise that it launched.

Presented by Carl Macek & Tommy Yune

Cosplay Presentation: Strutting Your Stuff

You might know how to make it, but can you really show it? Live and on-stage will be a special panel before the competition for the cosplayers who want to learn tricks for posing, walking the stage, and even how to give the audience the best for their camera. For groups, there is the art of using a stage, acting tricks, and those subtle things that turn a good skit into a class act. (This panel is for Cosplay Contest Participants only)

Presented by Jessi Duffour

Robotech: Unplugged

Harmony Gold creative director Tommy Yune opens the floor to fans in a town hall-style discussion about new upcoming projects on the horizon such as the Robotech live action film.

Presented by Tommy Yune

Cosplay Kyokutan

What is Cosplay Kyokutan? Extreme Cosplay! We will be giving away a treasure trove of secrets for cosplayers from beginners to advanced. From armor, to sewing, to wig tricks, to make-up, a spectrum of techniques will be shared from budget-with-a-bang methods, to doing those advanced special effects that look right out of a movie or video game. Prop safety, weapon craft, and a Q&A session will also be a part of this fun panel, so don't hesitate to drop by!

Presented by Jessi Duffour

Wig Styling & Constructing

This is an all-levels panel on wigs, and their styling. From picking out the wig to suit your needs (and budget!) to building one from scratch, to getting it to JUST the right shade of magenta, we’ll be talking about and demonstrating how to get your coif of hair looking its best.

Presented by Gren

Pleased to be Blogging and Photoshopping: Writing about Cartoons for Fun and... FUN!

It’s time to tread the NEW and EXCITING frontier known as the internet and apply your fandom like never before. Learn how to start up your own anime-related “Dear Diary”, apply amusing captions to screen caps using the latest technology, make your blog easy on the eye, find hosting, and actually write a sentence or two for it.

Presented by Becca Hillburn & Ashley Payne

History of Anime

Discussion of the history and evolution of anime and manga.

Presented by Blair Gee & Brian Hill

(Note: Gaming Panels are also mentioned on the Gaming Page.)