Anime Expo® 2008 Announces First U.S. Guest Of Honor

One of the Biggest Talents of Anime and Video Games Comes to Nation's Largest Convention

Anaheim, California (March 20, 2008) ‹ Famed American voice actor and writer David Hayter is the latest addition to the hottest line up of Anime Expo® 2008 Guests of Honor for the highly anticipated 2008 convention July 3-6, 2008 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. More information can be found on the website www.anime-expo.org.

Born in Santa Monica, California, David Hayter spent the first eighteen years of his life traveling around the world with his family while picking up the Japanese and French languages. After graduating from high school in Kobe, Japan, Hayter went on to study all facets of theatre at the prestigious Ryerson Theatre School in Toronto. Mr. Hayter¹s acting credits include the lead in the Anime inspired live action sci-fi film GUYVER DARK HERO, the voice of Captain America on the SPIDERMAN animated series and recurring roles as both Solid Naked and Old Snake in the hugely popular METAL GEAR SOLID video game franchise. Mr. Hayter's anime voice credits include the popular characters of: "Lupin" in LUPIN THE THIRD-THE CASTLE OF CALIGOSTRO; "Tamahome" in the 52-episode series FUSHIGI YUGI: THE MYSTERIOUS PLAY; "Moldiver" in MOLDIVER; "Bernie" in GUNDAM 008: WAR IN THE POCKET. He has also appeared in many other movies and series, including THEY WERE 11, BLACK JACK and YU YU HAKUSHO. Mr. Hayter has also been credited under his pseudonym "Sean Barker" (the name of his character in the live-action, Anime inspired film, "GUYVER DARK HERO).

Mr. Hayter joins legendary POKEMON director Masamitsu Hidaka in Anime Expo® 2008's amazing line up of Guests of Honor.

Attendees, Press and Industry Members are also encouraged to view the video coverage site of the 2007 convention at www.AXBackstage.org.

This year's Red & Black Sponsors are FUNimation and ImaginAsian Television. Gold Sponsor is Digital Manga Publishing. Silver Sponsor is Gaia Online. Patron Sponsors are Central Park Media and COPIC Markers.

About Anime Expo®
Located in Los Angeles, California - Anime Expo®, the nation's largest anime/manga convention, serves to foster trade, commerce and the interests of the general public and animation/ comics industry. This event serves as a key meeting place for the general public to express their interest and explore various aspects of anime/manga, as well as for members of the industry to conduct business. AX 2008 will be held July 3 July 6, 2008 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Southern California. More information can be found at its website (www.anime-expo.org).

About Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation
The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA) is a non-profit organization with a mission to popularize and educate the American public about anime and manga, as well as provide a forum to facilitate communication between professionals and fans. This organization is more popularly known by its entertainment property Anime Expo®. More information can be found at its website (www.spja.org).