What a whirlwind!

AnimeFest 2003 was, for us, a big success. We premiered our new trailer to a standing ovation, spoke to a documentary filmaker about our project and anime fan culture in general, met two outstanding composers and an amazing artist who we hope to involve in our film, held a "how to" panel on the making of non-studio animation, and as always enjoyed long talks with the fans on the philosophy, meaning and art behind our story.

This weekend was also a milestone for us personally, as it marked the 2-year anniversary of the birth of "The Nine". We are very proud of what we've been able to do in that time.

You will also notice the website has been redesigned. Over the course of this next week we will activate more links, so bear with us as it takes shape. (As of this moment, it is 3:26 a.m.) The new site will be over 3 times as big as the old, with much more art. We will also have an on-line store where you can finally buy our comics, posters, t-shirts, and a few other things.

Speaking of comics, after we sold out of our first two ashcans at A-Kon we have since gone to our second printing. Fan response has been very positive, especially on "Goodnight, Sara", in which Ray experiences the bittersweet joy of watching his granddaughter grow old - while he does not. In "Trust Me", Masuko must learn that even those who cannot be hurt can still be manipulated, while the man she believes in teaches a lesson of a different sort.

Within the next 2 months we will release books #3 and #4: a look at suicide through the eyes on an immortal as Kat meets a young girl on the edge in "To Die For", and a first-ever look into the mysterious world of The Aztec as a small group of explorers discover his jungle home in "Boundries".

We are also restructuring our fan club and its website, and are expanding the sections for fan art, fiction and music. We welcome your submissions!

For more information, contact us at info@whoarethenine.com