-‘weebs’ can expect interactions with dozens of creatives, plenty surprises

GUYANA’S largest anime and comic convention, Merch Anime Rave Spectacle (MARS) is set to make a grand return on August 19.

With a much bigger location and even more local vendors onboard, the organisers, Marissa Ramnauth, George Jacobs and Shomari Williams, are adamant that this year’s event will be much more invigorating than the one held last year.

The trio of Sozos Art and entertainment – an online art business, r ecently sat down with the Buzz and shared the plans for year’s event.

According to them, it will not only feature the anime, K Drama and comic fanatics, but will see an exhilarating rave party for Guyanese of all ages.

Williams explained that last year a pilot programme was conducted to determine if Guyana was ready for this type of event.

He said that based on the data collected and the feedback, they now know what they need to do to improve the event.

“One of the things that we realised is that if you’re going to be throwing these types of events, you cannot think you know what the people want, the people have to tell you what they want,” Williams said.

He added, “In terms of structure, there was a whole lot of stuff that we weren’t able to do last year, we are definitely going to do this year, specifically because of our community.”

The event this year will be held at the Marriot Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown, and will feature several creatives, varying from designers to makeup artists.

“One of things that we have been discussing for a very long time is about how these types of events, ours in particular, make sure that people within our space have the opportunity to showcase their talents. We are not just talking about designers, we are talking about graphic artists, we are talking about video editors, even the vendors. We want to make sure that we bring these things that our community want.”

The event was the brainchild of Ramnauth, who told the Buzz that this year’s activity will feature an array of surprises, all of which are aimed at satisfying the needs and request of the community.

Additionally, as the clock winds down, MARS will be hosting a series of pop-up events for comic and anime weebs across the country. Weeb is an internet slang that is often used to describe a person who is very interested in the Japanese culture.

“I do a lot of mini-pops. We have already been to Linden and I’m planning for Berbice. I have some work in the making for Bartica and Essequibo. It’s not just a pop, but I think vendors, I gave them the opportunity to explore and just bring the excitement to every location,” she said.

HIGHLIGHTING THE COMMUNITY

Japanese animation, commonly referred to as anime, has earned a strong foothold in the American entertainment industry over the last few decades.

Anime is known by many to be a more mature option for animation fans since Western animation was typically known to be “kid-friendly”.

In Guyana, anime has become more mainstream. However, Williams noted that he was concerned about Guyana’s readiness for an event like MARS.

Anime conventions have been hosted worldwide to celebrate Japanese animation and related pop culture (anime, manga, and games).

The scope of these events has broadened beyond the world of just anime and now includes comics, videos games, cosplaying and so much more.

“For a long time, this community has been underserved and we have so much talent that needs be expressed and that’s what MARS is about,” Williams said.
He noted that the first event highlighted the need for the community to be recognised and given a space to celebrate.

“When we first threw the pilot, it wasn’t meant to be a big grand event, it was meant for close associates and it end up being 700 plus at the event”, he said adding, “It’s expression in its highest form, with anime there are so many stories to be told and for MARS it’s not just anime, it’s comics, it’s marvel, it’s DC, it’s video games.”

THE EVOLUTION

The history of anime began just after World War II, and in its earliest days was profoundly influenced by the work of western animators. Some of the best-known anime series were created during and after the 1960s coinciding with television becoming a more common fixture in households.

More recently, with the advent of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, anime became even more popular, not just across the world, but also in Guyana.

Jacobs, a self-proclaimed expert shared that many persons here in Guyana indulge in the art form, but aren’t aware of the genre.

“With regards to anime, back then it was not that mainstream as it is now. A lot of people then didn’t know about it. A lot of people used to watch anime but they just didn’t know it by that name. They watched Naruto, Pokémon all of those are animes,” he said.

According to him, the pandemic awoke a new interest in many, and MARS is now here to celebrate that and promote the community in all of its glory.

“When I saw the turnout [in 2022], it was crazy. We did not expect such a huge turnout. When I saw the turnout I literally took 15- 10 minutes to just stand and take in a lot of it. Everyone was interacting. There were people that I know that are extremely shy, they were talking their heads off to people that they don’t even know [and] that is really what we wanted. We wanted to see the community physically out here and from that point onwards I spoke to Shomari and Marissa and I was like you know, we really need to ensure that we do something for the community.”

Persons who are interested in learning more about this year’s event can reach out to the organisers via the following social media platforms: Facebook, Tik Tok and Instagram @sozos_enterprise.