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November 30, 2024

Born in 1983 in Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture. Affiliation: Mouvement. She debuted as a voice performer in 2011, and has appeared in numerous works since, including Marriage Story, The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir, The Good Fight, and more. In 2014, she founded “team. Kamofuku,” and as its main supervisor, conducts annual reading dramas, as well as being active as a presenter and narrator. Her first work as a producer was 2022’s Truth: 1 Night, 1 Room, 3 Baddest Bitches (directed by Tsutsumi Yukihiko), which marked her first major role in an ensemble cast live-action film. She has two children. Official bio：https://mouvement.jp/actors/fukumiya/...

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November 30, 2024

Camil Valerio Ristè is currently a Teaching Tutor and a PhD candidate for the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures of Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, specializing in LGBTQ+ representations in Japanese pop media. His research aims to analyse the development and aesthetic or narrative application of “queerness” in the native Japanese context, using comics and animation as the main reference point to aid his study....

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November 10, 2024

Christopher Bolton is chair and professor of Comparative Literature at Williams College in Massachusetts, where he has been teaching Japanese literature and visual culture for over twenty years. He is the author of the book Interpreting Anime (2018) and the co-editor of Robot Ghosts and Wired Dreams: Japanese Science Fiction from Origins to Anime (2007). He also co-edited the first ten volumes of the Mechademia series, for academic work on Japanese anime, manga, and the fan arts (2006-2015). His most recent project was curating Repro Japan, a major museum exhibition devoted to Japanese popular culture at the Williams College Museum of Art (2021-22). You can find out more about him and his work at https://redcocoon.org....

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November 10, 2024

Douglas Schules is an associate professor of media based in Tokyo and serial designer of games that never make it out of beta. His research revolves around the relationships between media, technology and society, with his current work focusing on the indie game industry in Japan. He has interviewed Japanese indie game developers, organized events to showcase their games, and is in the process of putting together an archive so this work will not be lost. His own games, which has been sold at Comiket, will not be included....

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November 10, 2024

Kate Hughes is a producer at Dúlamán Studios, currently working on their debut show, Oribis. With over a decade of experience in the animation industry, Kate has worked in concept design, animation, preproduction, backgrounds, and layout on shows like Cuphead, Peter Rabbit, Lily's Driftwood Bay, Boj, Pete the Cat, Dorg Van Dango, and Give A Mouse a Cookie. She has also illustrated the Under the Bed Monsters book series for preschoolers and the upcoming Disastrous Dad by Gaw Ward. In her free time, Kate helps people edit their spec scripts and pitch bibles, teaches sewing, and is pursuing a master’s degree in psychology....

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October 13, 2024

My name is Melissa Elena, I’m 38 years old, and I am a lifelong gamer. Games have had a profound impact on my life, which is why I started a YouTube gaming channel that also revolves around mental health, specifically living with schizophrenia. I’m a huge fan of the Final Fantasy, Nier, and Silent Hill—games series that have taught me important life lessons. My hope is to help those suffering feel like they’re not alone and there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, the way that games have been there for me. I’m not a professional or anyone from an “important” family, I’m just sharing my life and hoping to reach out to others who feel lost...

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October 13, 2024

Marc, a trilingual Jewish Licensed Mental Health Counselor based in Long Island, NY, combines his passion for geek culture with over a decade of counseling experience in various capacities. Through his private practice, Alchemy Counseling, Marc helps fellow geeks struggling with anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. A longtime fan of Dungeons & Dragons, Marvel, DC, and Star Wars, Marc creates a welcoming space for nerds to explore their mental health. In addition to counseling, Marc is the author of The Alchemy Approach, a guide for clinicians to effectively intervene with patients experiencing suicidal ideation. He’s currently working on his second book, The Geek's Guide to Contentment, aimed at fellow nerds and geeks to find strategies for attaining and maintaining contentment as well as...

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October 13, 2024

Hi! I’m Ciera, a licensed therapist and the founder of Jasmine Dragon Counseling LLC. I specialize in geek therapy and expressive arts, helping people explore their inner worlds and navigate life’s challenges. Through telehealth, I work with adolescents and adults, using an eclectic approach that blends storytelling, creative process, gaming, parts work, and evidence-based practices like DBT, CBT, narrative therapy, and ACT. I support clients dealing with anxiety, depression, trauma, executive functioning issues, and overall functioning difficulties. I’m passionate about merging pop culture, fandom, and mental health, offering a unique approach to therapy that emphasizes creativity and individuality. When I’m not working, you’ll often find me playing Magic the Gathering, crafting intricate tabletop role-playing games, or diving into arts and crafts...

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October 13, 2024

Joleen Blom (Ph.D.) is a university lecturer in the Centre of Excellence in Game Culture Studies at the Tampere University Game Research Lab. She researches the commercialization of game characters and their affective roles in games and transmedia monetization models, with a focus on Japanese popular culture. Currently, she is researching parasocial relationships with game characters and their monetization in East Asian gacha games. She is the author of Video Game Characters and Transmedia Storytelling, which has been published by Amsterdam University Press in 2023. She has published in academic journals such as Mechademia, ToDiGRA, and Replaying Japan, and edited collections like Japanese Role-Playing Games (eds. Pelletier-Gagnon and Hutchison, 2022), Modes of Esports Engagement in Overwatch (eds. Ruotsalainen et al., 2022),...

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October 13, 2024

Boonie Sripom is an archetype enthusiast and artist who fell into psychology. She loves the transformational nature of storytelling and celebrating the unique strengths of fellow geeks and gamers. As an archetype lover, she knows how affirming labels of identity can be, but also the power it takes to break free of the limiting expectations these same labels may do to us. As a burnt-out gifted kid, she believes in education as a lifelong tool for growth. She knows how powerful it can be for that one teacher or mentor to say they believe in you. She also believes in acknowledging the highest responsibility it takes to care for and support vulnerable learners and communities. Boonie is a Personal Development Coach...

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