Dressed to impress at Anime Fest

Residents from ages eight to 80 attended the second annual East Meadow Public Library Anime Fest last weekend.

While the weather was unseasonably warm, teens voluntarily found themselves at the library that offered numerous activities allowing anime and manga fiends and newbies to chat with accomplished artists, perfect their personal drawings, parade around dressed as favorite characters, attend concerts and movie screenings, compete in gaming contests, watch a martial arts performance (complete with sword and nunchucks) and more.

“We’re pushing the boundaries to make the library relevant,” said Jude Schanzer, director of public relations. Schanzer said that she wants the library to be a place where people of all ages want to come and is helping to create programs around this concept.

The library is progressively become more modern and allowing workers to explore and share their talents with the community. Employee skills range extensively in areas like theater, anime, fine arts, academia, metal work, pottery, filmmaking, archery and more. East Meadow residents are also volunteering their time and knowledge and this weekend was no exception.

Library employee Kelly Gordon, of Uniondale, started organizing Anime Fest six months ago and acquired numerous talented artists, musicians and more to volunteer their time and talents. “It seemed like there was a need for it,” he said.

Gordon, who uses mixed media to create colorful creations, said his interest in art started at a young age. He recalled developing paper doll characters to play with as a child while his mother, a single parent, was working. He was also inspired by high school teachers and later attended the Fashion Institute of Technology and Briarcliffe College. Today he also runs the library’s Anime club with Michael Epstein, a W.T. Clarke High School graduate who became more passionate about anime as a student at Brown University.

Some of the weekend’s most popular anime programs included a discussion of manga versus American-style comics with graphic artist Joe Liotta, Grand Master J. Two Owls Teasley swinging swords and nunchunks on the lawn, Alexandra Honigsberg’s live solo viola anime concert that emphasized the duality between good and evil and the children and young adults skit and costume contest.

“This is your place and here, you're cool,” said Schanzer about the many students who traipsed through the library with blue wings, combat boots and capes.

To learn more about the Anime club, contact Kelly Gordon at KGordon@eastmeadow.info.

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