AKIRA Creator and Director Katsuhiro Otomo Announced as Anime Expo 2019 Guest of Honor

Anime Expo is just around the corner, with only a month to go and they dropped a huge Guest of Honor announcement today! Katsuhiro Otomo, the legend behind AKIRA and more, will be attending Anime Expo 2019!

Both a manga artist and a film director, Katsuhiro Otomo previously appeared at AnimeCon 1991, the convention that would eventually become Anime Expo, and this new appearance comes with a special panel to be held on July 4th that will see him announcing a new project!

​More details on both this panel and Katsuhiro Otomo himself can be found below!

Event Information:
Panel Name: Legend, Katsuhiro Otomo New Projects Announcement
Date: Thursday, July 4
Time:  5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Room: Live Programming 2 / JW Marriott Platinum Ballroom

About Katsuhiro Otomo:
Katsuhiro Otomo is a legendary Manga Artist and Film Director, born in Miyagi 1954. He debuted with Gun Report in 1973 as Manga Artist and was a warded Nihon SF Taisho with “DOMU” in 1983. Otomo directed AKIRA in 1988 based on his own manga works, which shocked people worldwide with its detailed drawing work and dynamic visual delivery. Throughout his career, he has received many awards including the “Medal with Purple Ribbon” from the Japanese Government in 2013, the award to "individuals who have contributed to academic and artistic developments, improvements and accomplishments." He also received a  Medal of Arts and Culture Chevalier and Ofishie in 2005 and 2014 by French Government as well as the Winsor McCay Award at Annie in 2014.

Other notable works include Steam Boy, MEMORIES, and Combustible from Short Piece.