Despite being known as an "East Coast" convention, Otakon has anounced that next year the annual event will take place at the Disneyland Hotel. When asked if they will encounter the same problems Anime-Expo encountered at the site last year, an Otakon representative said "No. The problems at Anime-Expo 2000 will not be present at Otakon 2001. We are letting Disneyland Hotel officials know ahead of time that anime is just a codeword for 'underground kiddie porn' and that the only reason anyone under 18 comes to an anime convention is because they will sell you porn."
"Exhibitors have already shown interest in the convention. Despite it being nearly a year away we have already received payment from A.D. Vision, Media Blasters, and Vivid."
Once we heard of this development, we called up J-List's Peter Payne to get his view.
Anime News Wire: What do you think of Otakon 2001's location?
Peter Payne: I'm very excited to have a Southern California convention that we are not banned from.
ANW: Do you anticipate some of the same problems at Otakon 2001 that we saw at this year's Anime-Expo?
PP: No, because Otakon understands that "all anime" from Pokemon to Grave of the Fireflies "has an undercurrent of nudity and thrill"
ANW: Have you ever actually seen Grave of the Fireflies?
PP: Hold on, I'm going through a tunnel. sshshshshshshshshsshshshshshshshshshshshshshsshshshshshshshshshshsshshshshsshs, I can't here anything you are saying because I am going through a cave so I cannot respond to your question sshshshshshshshshsshshshshshshshshshshshshshsshshshshshshshshshshsshshsh
hshshsshshshshshsshshshshshshshsshshshshshsshshshshshsshshshshshshshsshshshshsshshshsshshshshshsshshs
ANW: Wait, are you going through a cave or a tunnel?
[Editor's Note: At this point we were disconnected from Peter. We promise we will actually finish an interview one of these days...]