Filler Posts

A Founder’s Thoughts with D.J. Lewis: Naruto 220…

Aside D&A Anime Blog Anime, Anime Conventions, Blog Updates, Filler Posts

Time. It’s the one thing we don’t get enough of, and the one thing we always wish we had more of. For many of us we feel like if we had more time to do the things we like, we would feel a greater sense of joy and less stress in our daily lives. However life can throw you a curveball when you least expect it, and now you have to make adjustments in the time you spend to those things you like to do. There’s one other thing about time that secretly scares many of us; it always moves forward. This post isn’t really about time, but its more like…its time to move on.

If you’ve noticed by the title, I indeed do have a Naruto episode reference that talks about the 220th episode of the first half of the series. That is the series finale where Naruto leaves the Hidden Leaf with Jiraiya for about 2 years and 6 months. Well…as for me and D&A, let’s just say I’m on that ‘Naruto 220 Type Beat’.

In 2016 Aaron and I made the decision to go on this crazy ride, to become one of the best anime blog/websites out there in the U.S. and the world. Our first anime convention was Animore in Baltimore, MD during its first year on January 11, 2016. From there we would go to various other conventions; such as Zenkaikon, Otakon (our original convention), SaikuCon, and Thy Geekdom Con. Just this year we made appearances at Stellar Con, PuchiCon, and Ocean City Comic Con. Around January 2020 we were receiving reports of the first few cases of coronavirus in the U.S., however it didn’t really start hitting close to home until March of that year. We spent the next two years with no in-person conventions, so we made a podcast on Youtube called “Nerdz of the Decade”, to help us keep our sanity while also nerding out about anime and video games.

It was also around this time that we wanted to take what we do seriously, and start a business. I’ll admit, at first I was a bit confused due to the fact that when we started this, we really didn’t have any intention of it going as far as it did. So adjustments were made and we backed away from the convention circuit until Fall 2023; when we made our return to cons through Stellar Con, PuchiCon, and Ocean City Comic Con. Even though a part of me was happy being back on the circuit…it didn’t really feel the same. Although I was among cosplayers and other anime fans, the ambiance was a little different. Maybe it could be with conventions marketing and targeting a younger demographic, old heads like myself have either stopped going to those “family-friendly” cons, or just went to some of the afterparties held offsite from some of the semi-major/major cons.

Maybe that’s where I’m at. Maybe its time to chill from the con circuit for awhile. Maybe its time to acknowledge that fact that I’m having a “Naruto 220” moment, and depart for a new chapter in my life as an anime nerd. If it means I gotta peace out from D&A, then that’s what I’ll have to do. I know last time was really a hiatus to get my head together, but this time is much different. Aaron and I are still friends, and he’ll always have my back no matter where I go or end up on this new chapter. The blog and business will still be here, it’ll just be under new management. For those who want to become contributors, you can still hit up our “Contact Us” page.

From the bottom of my heart, I thank each and every one of you guys for making this journey with D&A a fun one. Perhaps somewhere down the line we may cross paths again. I may be out the door, but make sure you support Aaron as he goes on his new venture in making D&A one of the best businesses out there. This is D.J. Lewis on his “Naruto 220” saying thank you, and stay nerdy!

Convention Reviews with D.J. Lewis: Ocean City Comic-Con!

Aside D&A Anime Blog Anime Conventions, Con Appearances, D&A Studios, Filler Posts

In the fifteen years that I’ve been attending anime and gaming conventions; a lot has changed in terms of demographic, atmosphere, quality, and structure. I think about the time I went to Otakon in 2008, and how much the convention scene has changed since then. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy that there are more conventions now than ever that fans can go to; thanks to anime being among the mainstream ranks (even to the point where we now have Luffy alongside Goku, in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade). However a part of me misses those ‘grass roots’ fundamentals that conventions used to have; where there was a greater emphasis on the art, passion, fandom, and creativity found in the medium itself. Basically, a part of me misses the days when conventions used to be about the ‘Art’, and less about the ‘Celebrity’!

One thing I’ve noticed since the pandemic ended (sort of), is the rise of more traditional anime and comic conventions. Back in 2022 I had the opportunity to attend Stellar Con in Bel-Air, MD. It reminded me so much of comic conventions back in the early 2000’s; with a more chill out and laxed vibe compared to modern conventions. I returned again in 2023 alongside my D&A partner, Aaron Goldman, and with a little bit of networking, I suddenly found myself on the road to another convention located in Ocean City, Maryland. This…was Ocean City Comic Con.

Ocean City Comic Con 2023

The last time I was here in Ocean City, “Who Let The Dogs Out?!” was the hit of the Summer! I had a small feeling that if there was a small population of nerds in the Eastern Shore, they would probably be in Ocean City. (And somehow I was right!) We were able to make our first appearance as Press for this convention thanks to being invited by the convention chair/owner, and I gotta say, we had an amazing time! It really felt like Baltimore Comic-Con with a bit of a modern-retro twist; meaning that there was a mixture of old school and new school fans across all fandoms.

Of course when it comes to conventions being held at convention centers, one of the biggest gripes fans have is ‘Line-Con’. This ‘convention’ comes with the territory so there’s no way of absolutely avoiding it (unless you’re Press or VIP), but with OCCC (Ocean City Comic Con) they really had the line structure well put together. I wish there was a better way to explain that, but let’s just say they did a great job keeping the line moving, while making sure everyone got in safely.

There were vendors, guests, and artists galore! There really wasn’t a dull moment found inside this con at all. In fact I’d say that I got the same feeling from this convention, as I did when I attended Stellar Con – only magnified! Fans from all ages and fandoms were in attendance (with anime rep only coming in second to Marvel and DC), as the staff was really cool and laid back.ย 

So, What Else About Ocean City Comic-Con?

After touring through the Dealer’s Room/Artist Alley, we found ourselves in a couple of panels. The programming of the panels was actually pretty good and had variety, so whether you were a Star Wars geek or an anime nerd, there was always something going on for you to check out. If there was one gripe I have about Ocean City Comic Con, I wish it was longer than just one day, but it looks like my prayers have been answered, because 2024’s convention will now be 2 days long!

I never really thought about Maryland’s Eastern Shore being a nerd culture destination, but with Ocean City having both an anime convention (as well as its very own comic-con), it allows ‘The Bay’ to wave its own flag and embrace its nerdy side. I’m a bit excited to see where this convention goes now that its growing into a two-day venture, and somewhere in the mix we hope to be a part of that journey.

All in all, this is a convention that you’re going to love!

Until next post, stay nerdy! ๐Ÿ˜‰ย  ย 

D&A’s Checkpoint Check-In (November 30, 2024)!

Aside D&A Anime Blog Anime Conventions, Blog Updates, Blogging, Con Appearances, Filler Posts, Uncategorized

Well, December starts tomorrow; meaning that there’s only 31 days of 2023 left. Here we are in between holidays once again like we were last year…and the many, many years before. Next week will be our last convention of 2023; Ocean City Comic-Con in Ocean City, Maryland, and we’re hopeful that we’ll be able to stack con appearances for 2024 while meeting a few con runners there. Lately we’ve been doing our best to remain transparent about our needs in regards to the future of D&A, and where we want to go from here as a nerd multimedia brand. Somewhere down the line we’ll be making D&A Studios Entertainment as our primary brand, and having D&A Anime Blog as well as our Nerdz of the Decade Youtube podcast, as subsidiaries. (Since BASSMODE: Nerdz Nite Out is an independent event promotion, that’s financially powered by D&A Studios Entertainment, it will not be considered as a subsidiary.)

We’re looking for new ways for this project to make revenue in order to keep operating, of course due to the after effects of the pandemic, its been a slow climb. We’re thankful that we got the opportunity to return to the con circuit after a three-year hiatus, however with where we are on the financial side of things, we’ve decided to stay local; in terms of the anime and gaming conventions that we make appearances at. You probably won’t see us at your Anime Expo’s or Galaxycon’s or any of the major cons right now (not say we won’t attend in the future), but if you live in DMV (D.C., Maryland, Pennsylvania), then you’ll run into us at those cons.

If we haven’t said it before, we want to thank all of our fans and fellow anibloggers, for all of your support you’ve given us over the years since the start of this project. We’re hoping we can continue to grow our brand, and be the best version of ourselves in the process.

Until next post, stay nerdy! ๐Ÿ˜‰

A Founder’s Thoughts with D.J. Lewis: 2024!

Aside D&A Anime Blog Anime Conventions, Blog Updates, Blogging, Con Appearances, Filler Posts

November is here if you haven’t already noticed, and with that comes two of the biggest holidays that involve food and money; Thanksgiving, and Christmas. During this final quarter of 2023, we had the opportunity to go to two conventions with a third on the way; Stellar Con in Bel Air, MD, and PuchiCon in Tannersville, PA. I’m just happy that after three years we’re finally back on the con circuit, although a lot has changed within the convention scene since our last convention in January of 2020. So with 2024 approaching, what will Aaron and I be doing with this project going forward?

Us at PuchiCon 2023

You guys should already be familiar with the story; we started back in January 2016 and made our convention debut at AniMore, then went to other cons in 2017 while meeting and chatting with voice actors, then spent the next three years building our brand and reputation in the anime community. Suddenly Covid hit and sidelined us for about 2 1/2 years, we created a podcast called “Nerdz of the Decade”, had voice actors and content creators on the show to build our rep even more, and finally returned to the con circuit this year.

With all of that said, what’s next for D&A? While I’m still cautiously optimistic about the future of this project, I’m still very much involved with D&A; despite the fact that I quit due to the outside stress of life, only to come back three months later. As far as what conventions we’ll be making appearances at, we’re most likely going to stay local and just attend the ones in Maryland and Pennsylvania. (Maybe New York and New Jersey, but we’ll see.) Although its still in its infancy as a brand, BASSMODE: Nerdz Nite Out is starting to pick up a little steam. If you don’t know what BASSMODE is, allow me to tell you.

BASSMODE: Nerdz Nite Out is a promotion that celebrates anime, cosplay, gaming, music, and nerd culture through ‘afterparty’ social events. I am both the founder and head promoter of it. It is an event promotion that promotes positivity throughout the nerd community, as well as the culture that its apart of. We kick off our debut event on March 30th next year, and hope to bring BASSMODE events to conventions. I also see this promotion as a way to help DJs gain experience playing in front of crowds, because I’ve noticed that a lot of them became ‘Bedroom DJs’ during the pandemic. (I did too!)

Like I said before, I’m still cautiously optimistic about the future of D&A, but I believe we’re taking steps in the right direction in terms of our growth, and connections we’ve made along the way. Never would I thought that in the 7-going-on-8 years we’ve been active, that we would reach this point with D&A. With enough time, patience, and grinding, we can be one of the best anime blog/multimedia brands out there. For me, if you have a dream and a passion to do something, don’t sit at the window and think about it – DO IT! We never thought we’d get this far, but we kept at it. I don’t know what the next few years are going to be like when it comes to this project, but we’re making great progress, and that’s all that matters to me now.

Until next post.

D&A’s D.J. Lewis Returns to YouTube For D&A’s “Spooktober” Event!

Aside D&A Anime Blog Anime Conventions, Blog Updates, Channel Updates, Con Appearances, D&A Studios, Filler Posts, Halloween

We’re three-and-a-half weeks away from “spooky season”, so we’re proud to announce that the ‘Big Guy’ himself, D.J. Lewis, is making special occasional appearances on Youtube in an October special called “Nerdz of the Decade: Spooktober Edition”. Also during the month of October, we’ll be traveling to Pocono Mountains, PA for PuchiCon on October 21-22. If you live in PA and want to see us live, check out the convention and drop by to say ‘hi’. With that said, here are the days you’ll find both D&A founders on Youtube for the ‘Spooktober’ special:

October 4, 2023 – Nerdz of the Decade: Spooktober Edition Episode

October 13, 2023 – Nerdz of the Decade: PuchiCon 2023 Pre-Convention Special

October 18, 2023 – Nerdz of the Decade: Spooktober Edition Episode

October 25, 2023 – Nerdz of the Decade: PuchiCon 2023 Post-Convention Recap

It’ll be exciting to have both founders back on the road to anime conventions, as well as on Youtube! That will do it for this special announcement, so until next post, stay nerdy! ๐Ÿ˜‰

A Founder’s Thoughts with D.J. Lewis: Since I’ve Been Gone…

Aside D&A Anime Blog Anime Conventions, Blog Updates, Channel Updates, Con Appearances, Filler Posts, Uncategorized

Alright. So from last week’s post, you guys are aware that I made my return to our Youtube channel, as well as the blog itself. The only major change was that fact that I would only be posting occasionally, as well as making occasional appearances on Youtube. That’s great news, right? Well yes, and no. Since making my “seemingly” farewell post on March 31st; thanking all of our fans and followers for making D&A Anime Blog what it is, it left me with time to think about the future of this project. I don’t think I’ll ever grow bored or tired of anime, because if I did, this project would’ve ended a long time ago.

I think now in the seven (going on eight) years that we’ve been active in the anime community, as well as the convention circuit, there are functioning aspects about D&A that I fear will put us on the path to a slow death. I’m not trying to scare you guys into thinking that D&A won’t be able to function at 100% capacity, now that I’ve pulled back on consistency. However at this stage of the game I got to be honest; we really need help!ย 

Yep…we need help.

Growing a business also comes with growing pains, and in our case, D&A is growing at a rate that we might not be able to keep up in the long term. So what exactly do we need help with? Well, I’m gonna tell you.

#1. Writers and Contributors

Since stepping away, the rate of content that we produce for the blog has declined over recent months. At the time, I was the only writer producing articles and reviews just to keep the consistent flow of content going. However it was only accelerating my burnout, which in turn led to making a post about needing more writers and contributors to help produce content for us. From first glance I get that we ‘look’ like a high profile article print/publishing company, but that’s only on the outside. We are nothing but a staff of two guys who really love anime, Japanese culture, Marvel, and DC comics, and want to talk about it whenever we want. Our only problem now is the fact that for many writers, you have to pay them. (They do a lot of work, so they should be paid.) Which leads us into our second biggest issue.

#2. Revenue

There are so many ways you can make money as a blogger despite it being only passive income. We tried generating enough content and promotion to help land us 1,000 subs and 4,000 watch hours. (The subs we got, but the watch hours…not so much.) So we looked into other ways to try and make some revenue for this project, in order to cover operational costs and upgrades to on-site equipment for press coverage of conventions. Recently we’ve finally opened up our own merch store and got a couple new affiliates to try and generate enough revenue to keep us operating, but that’s just it – it’s only enough to keep us operating.

We want to make more revenue to provide compensation for our writers and contributors as a way to thank them, plus there are some other projects that we want to work on to help expand our brand’s presence within the community, and to other conventions everywhere. We’re really limited in the things we want to do, so if you guys want to see more quality content (and even exclusive content), you can send us a donation on the D&A Donations page, or by so merch from our store. Every little bit helps.

#3. Convention Content

Cons are expensive, there’s no other way I can say it. Because of the pandemic, a lot of our local cons have either dissolved or moved to other states. The average con goer is probably looking at $750-$1000 at best to go to a 3-day convention in 2023; depending where that convention is located, the hotel that they’re staying in, badge cost, etc. Its gotten harder for us to try and provide convention content for you guys due to the rise of prices, and lack of revenue. So we’ve been working on trying to get guest bookings in hopes of elevating half, or all of the cost of getting to these conventions. This will not only help us produce more convention content, but also expand our brand as a whole.

To close this out; D&A has become something special to both me and Aaron, and although many people have stated that we have so much potential, we’re also in dire need of help to reach our full potential. So if you’re out there and you like blogging about nerdy stuff, or want to become a part of our project, subscribe to our blog and social media platforms, and even send us a donation or by some merch.

Stay nerdy my friends.ย ย 

D&A Anime Blog: We Have A Merch Store!!

Aside D&A Anime Blog Blog Updates, D&A Segments, D&A Studios, Filler Posts

Fans, we know you’ve been waiting, and you’re gonna get your fill! We’ve made the announcement on our social media pages, but now we’re gonna let you know right here on the blog itself; we have our own MERCH STORE!! Now you can become a part of us by buying official merch from the D&A Merch Store; the official merchandise store of D&A Anime Blog, and D&A Studios Entertainment! T-shirts and coffee mugs won’t be the only type of merch available, as new merch will be hitting our digital store shelves in the coming weeks! Click on our unified brand logo below, and check out what we’ve got in our store. That’s our announcement for now, until next post, stay nerdy my friends! ๐Ÿ˜‰

The Anarchy Sisters Are BACK!!

Aside D&A Anime Blog Anime, Anime Reviews, Filler Posts

Last year during Anime Expo, Studio Trigger confirmed that a second season of Panty & Stocking was in the works. While AX is still happening right now, Studio Trigger dropped a lil’ promotional video about the next season. If you wanna know what they got cookin’ for the Anarchy sisters, then check this out!

Repent Motherf*ckers!!!

13 years…that’s how long its been since we’ve seen the infamous post-credits scene. To many fans it was also the day GAINAX ruined Christmas. For 13 years fans of the Anarchy sisters wondered if we were ever going to get a second season. In 2016 we saw a post from Gainax West teasing a return of the fallen angels, which only turned out to be a Panty & Stocking themed cafรฉ. It was at this moment fans started to realize that their favorite rotten angels were only going to get a one-season run, and that would be the end of it. Or, so we thought…

Last year at Anime Expo, Studio Trigger dropped a bomb on the fanbase telling them that they officially own the rights to both Panty & Stocking, as well as Gurren Lagann. This reignited the otherwise ‘seemingly dead’ fandom, and now that the promotional trailer has dropped, it has hyped up the return of the Anarchy sisters even more. With a brand new season finally on the way, fans have started to speculate what will happen with this new season entitled “NEW Panty & Stocking”.

And we’re no exception to this ourselves, so here we go!

Final Boss Stocking

If you stop the promotional video right at 0:50 seconds, you’ll be greeted to a ghost that looks a bit like…Stocking?! Okay, around 2011 fans saw a promotional picture with Scanty, Kneesocks, Brief, and Garterbelt. They also saw Panty in the background fighting what appears to be a ghost-like Stocking. Based on the promo video alone, it looks like she’ll be the final boss of season two. It’ll be interesting to see what Trigger does with this storyline.

Final Boss Stocking Anarchy

Panty & Brief’s Character Development

Throughout the first season Brief has basically been the butt of all jokes thanks to the Anarchy sisters, and the only time we see any genuine interaction between Panty and Brief, is near the end of the 12th episode of the first season. At her most vulnerable point, Panty felt the embrace of Brief and decided to make him not just her 1000th lay, but also her first time. We could see more moments like this in the next season, so it’ll be fun to see what direction Studio Trigger goes in regards to their character development.

The DUB will be Legendary

We all know the DUB of the first season is the most definitive way to watch this series, so if the same dub crew returns (with the exception of Chris Sabat, Joel McDonald, and the late Chris Aryes), and Jamie Marchi is behind the writing, they have a lot more comedic and lowbrow material to work with. The first season didn’t pull any punches, so it’ll be interesting to see what the dub cast will come up with for the second season.ย ย 

There is so much to be hyped for now that the promotional trailer has dropped. Panty & Stocking was a game-changing anime in the 2010’s in terms of style, experimental creativity, and outlandish randomness. A lot has changed in the 13 years since its heyday; with political correctness and hyper sensitivity being at an all-time high, many fans were also worried about the show due to its controversial nature. Ironically, that’s what made the show a hit, and as long as Studio Trigger doesn’t read into it that much and goes ‘balls out’ like they did in 2010, Panty & Stocking will be seen as one of the most unconventional, experimental breakout anime titles of all time.

That’s it from us, stay nerdy! ๐Ÿ˜‰

Breaking News From D.J. Lewis: I’m Back! (Sort of…)

Aside D&A Anime Blog Anime, Anime Conventions, Anime Reviews, Blog Updates, Con Appearances, Filler Posts

Let’s see…how do I put this…

I’m back…but on a occasional basis. It’s been almost a year since my last appearance on our Youtube channel and podcast. A lot of things have happened IRL; some of which is too sad to talk about, while the rest is just me reprioritizing certain aspects of my life. As for where I am right now, I’m not fully where I want to be just yet, but I’m doing much better mentally and emotionally than I was seven months ago. Although I’m back on occasion, I didn’t come empty-handed. I came with some awesome announcements to share with you guys about what’s going on for the remainder of 2023, and possibly 2024. So, here we go.ย 

We’re Back on the Road to Conventions as D&A Studios Entertainment!!

While I was away for half-a-year (Youtube-wise), I was still reaching out to anime conventions in hopes that we would at least be picked up to do press work for them. Most of them haven’t responded back yet, but one convention reached out to us almost immediately! October 21-22 we’ll be making our FIRST convention appearance (as Press) since Animore 2020, at PuchiCon at the Camelback Resort in Pocono Mountiains, PA! They also have a second convention in Atlantic City, NJ so we might even get booked there in 2024. After three years of no conventions for ya’ boyz, D&A is back on the road again!

Avidd Minddset has a New Event Coming Spring 2024 Powered By D&A Studios Entertainment!

So this came to me in a vision I had last week; although we don’t have enough resources to produce our own convention just yet, I want to create something that brings together all of the entertainment attributes that makes anime/gaming conventions fun. So I decided to create a brand social ‘afterparty’ type event called BASSMODE: Nerdz Nite Out. This event is a celebration of the love, respect, and passion we have for not just anime as a medium, but the anime/gaming community and nerd culture as a whole. The inspiration for the theme of this event stemmed from other nerd entertainment brands such as NYC’s Senpai Project, and Otakus With Attitude (OWA). Could this event become something major down the road? Ya never know! ๐Ÿ˜‰

Occasional Posts, Reviews & Articles!

Since I’ll only be around occasionally (both on Youtube and the blog), I’ll also be occasionally posting articles and reviews on anime, and other current events happening within the industry. You won’t see me on a consistent basis, but when new announcements drop, you’ll see a post or article about it. I may occasionally do a One-2-One on anime characters like ‘days of old’, or even a Top 10. You never know what might pop up, but yes, I’m back…but on an occasional basis.

That will do it for me, so until next post, stay nerdy! ๐Ÿ˜‰ย ย 

A Founder’s Thoughts with D.J. Lewis: D&A’s Status

Aside D&A Anime Blog Anime, Blog Updates, Blogging, Filler Posts

Hey guys, how’ve ya been? So, where do I go with this…?ย 

Its been quite a while since my last post; which was just a ‘check-in’ post to let you know how we’ve been doing this past month, or so. We’ve been managing to keep up with posting articles thanks to our contributors, as well as upload new videos on our youtube channel. With that said, there are some things that we’ll be bringing to your attention in regards to where we as D&A, will go from here.

D.J. Lewis’ Involvement with D&A

Normally you’d see me on youtube with A. Goldman talking about our favorite shows, most loved/hated anime characters, and even have voice actor guests on our podcast. Lately however, I’ve been taking more of a ‘backseat’ role due to a major shift in circumstances that really demand a LOT of my attention. I know a lot of you have been wondering if or even when I may decide to come back, but I don’t have a definitive answer as to when or if that may happen. Thanks to our blogging contributors, it has really taken a lot of the stress of posting reviews and articles on a weekly basis. So for now, I’m taking on an administrative role than an executive one.

D&A’s Future with Convention Appearances

I know many of you have been hoping that we would make an appearance at anime conventions; at the very least, the ones you plan on attending. While we’ve been on the scene since 2016, our convention tenure has fallen off a bit thanks to the pandemic. (Though that’s pretty much with everyone.) As much as we want to see you guys in person at a con, we don’t have a definitive answer as to when we’ll return.

Finally…

D&A to me is more than just an anime blog, or even a youtube channel; it represents a journey into what you can accomplish when you set your mind to it. Never in my wildest dreams would we have gotten the chance to meet our childhood hero Steve Blum had we not founded D&A; or even meet other awesome voice actors like Crispin Freeman, Monica Rial, Tia Ballard, Joshua Seth, Josh Martin, and so many others. While our external activity may have flatlined at the moment, I don’t have any regrets in making D&A into what it is today; thanks to A. Goldman. While I don’t know where my level of interest for D&A will be in the near future, I can’t complain about how far we’ve gotten in the span of seven years. I cherish all of the moments and memories that I’ve had because of starting the blog, and perhaps…maybe, I’ll have future moments as well.

Until next time, stay nerdy!