That’s right, more workshops. This time we are announcing some of the Craft Workshops we have at SMASH! this year.

Gundam figurines aren’t the only cool things you can make at SMASH! We have clay workshops, jewellery workshops and more still to come!

Be quick because places are limited. Click Here to register a spot now!

Here at the SMASH! HQ we’re lucky to have a bunch of talented designers and developers working on the design and development of our web site. As a consequence, I don’t think it’s wrong to say we’ve got one of the best-looking anime convention sites on the net. Of course we do it for you, dear potential attendee, but I thought it was worth writing a little post here to let you know that this kind of thing doesn’t come without a lot of sweat and tears (mostly tears).

As I write this it is 1:31 am in the morning. I have just finished getting the new splash page operating correctly after our ace web developer Rob got it to within an inch of being perfect. Try as he could Rob couldn’t quite work out what was wrong. Since I was partly responsible for the original design that became the 2009 site (and since he had to go to bed), Rob passed it over for me to look at. After reading the tutorial that comes with the plugin a couple of dozen times and removing a great deal of the remaining hair on my head I was about to throw in the towel when I thought, ‘Why not see if we’re running the latest version of jQuery?’

And now the site works perfectly.

Ace developer, my ass.

Check out all the gaming competitions that are running at SMASH! this year! It’s going to be so big we got an extra room on Saturday just for MORE gaming! We have Rock Band, Super Smash Brothers Brawl, Classic Mario Kart 64 and Street Fighter 4 Competitions.

We will be announcing more very soon so keep tuned.

While we’d like to pretend SMASH! is all you need to sate your anime appetite every 12 months we all know that isn’t true. There’s plenty of other conventions you can go to of course but what do you do if you want a more cerebral experience?

If you’re like me you wear a beret. If you’re not like me you go to university! The University of Sydney to be precise. There you can go and listen to Roland Kelts and Professor Susan Napier. Wait, the same Roland Kelts that wrote Japanamerica? And the same Susan Napier that wrote Anime from Akira to Howl’s Moving Castle? The very same!

The talk is on Friday 17 July and the best part is that it’s free! More details are available at the Japan Foundation website.

I would like to point out that I’m insanely jealous that Animania’s Amanda Setiadi gets to be on the panel, too. I HAVE A BERET, JAPAN FOUNDATION. A BERET!!!

We’ve been keeping it under wraps for a little while, but it’s time for us to introduce our special guests. This year we have not one, but two very talented international artists! Whether you’re an artist, an art fan or a regular attendee, there’s a wealth of insights and entertainment to be had at SMASH! 2009

Travelling all the way from the U.S.A is comic and concept artist Shaun “Endling” Healey. Having recently been working as a concept artist for videogame studio Spidermonk Entertainment, previously he dabbled in freelance work ranging from editing comics to T-shirt designs. Creator of well-known webcomic Everafter, Shaun’s art is at times whimsical, wicked, and always full of character.

Hot on the heels is Hong Kong professional illustrator Cuson Lo. As an illustrator in the advertising industry for over a decade, Cuson has made great achievements in both digital and traditional drawing. His passion for art in both work and leisure has given rise to a colourful and expansive gallery full of his signature twisted, comical and sometimes haunting figures.

Our international artists will be be taking part in a number of demonstrations and events over the weekend, so keep your eyes peeled for our panel and schedule updates.

This year we’re also delighted to welcome back Brisbane artist Ms. Rósek. A first quarter winner in the international Illustrators of the Future competition, Rósek will be mesmerising us with her ink work in the Traditional Art Demo, and her creative partner Darisha will be sharing her writing insights in the Storytelling Panel

There’s no time for proper English, people! SMASH! tickets are on sale which means you should be hunting for that credit card! Or the cheque book! Or learning how to use BPAY!

That’s right, this year SMASH! joins the illustrious ranks of AGL, the City of Sydney Council, and (I guess) Telstra by allowing you to pay for your tickets using BPAY.

What’s BPAY? BPAY is kind of like EFT but better. Whereas with EFT you have to try to squeeze all your details into that stupid tiny little message box with BPAY all you have to do is put in our biller code (115865) and the magical receipt number you got in your email. That’s it!

Is that too much? Credit card or PayPal payments are still available and of course it’s always nice to have an excuse to receive a cheque (or even just write the word cheque).

Did I mention there is ONE MONTH TO GO? Get to the Ticket Purchase form and get in early. You get in faster AND you save money. What’s not to like?

Updated: Thanks Melissa!

The registration for the Cosplay Competition is now OPEN! Spread the word and register now as the deadline for applications is August 1st. This year registration will be online only so there is no need to wait in line on the day!

If you want to be a part of our fantastic cosplay competition then click here to register! Please remember to read the rules to find out all info you need to know about the competition.

We know you’re coming to SMASH! (you are coming, right?) but, more importantly, who is coming that you can buy stuff from? Check out our newly updated art supplies, clubs & community groups, food & drink, gaming, and merchandise vendor pages to see who we’ve got lined up for this year.

We’re still doing our best to squeeze in some last minute people so keep your eyes peeled for more announcements in the next week or so!

This year at SMASH! we are proud to introduce the Hobbyco Gundam Workshop. As some of you may or may not know, 2009 is the 30th anniversary of Gundam. To celebrate, for the first time at SMASH! we will be holding a Gundam Workshop with the help of our friends at Hobbyco and Bandai.

For more information please visit the Hobbyco Gundam Workshop Page.
Discuss this event here!

Hot on the heels of my post about clubs and community groups, applications for our vendor spots have now closed too! We’re really excited about the vendor lineup we have for you this year, with a few still to announce. Keep your eyes peeled for announcements in the next week or so

If you were interested in coming to SMASH! and you missed out same story as with clubs and community groups: join our newsletter though and as soon as we announce next year you’ll be able to get in straightaway!