Anime nation

If you believe the conventional wisdom that American pop culture tyrannizes the world, consider the pervasive influence of Japanese pop culture, which, during this weekend’s Sac Anime Fest, stuffs Sunrise Mall with a pageant of comics, toys, animated movies and the heavy thrum of a planet-conquering adolescent subculture. Panel discussions (oh yes, this is serious) include an overview of model-building, with demonstrations, by Kit Builder Magazine; “Wig Making for Cos-Play” by wigmaker and Ninja High School writer and artist Katie Bair; and “Coloring for Anime,” by Steve Oliff, the colorist for X-Men, Spider-man, Spawn and Marvel’s adaptation of Akira. There will be a vendors room, of course, with many dozen tables full of action figures, Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh! paraphernalia, DVDs, animation cels, and other covetable loot—some of which may be obtained in hourly shopping-spree giveaways. You won’t believe your wide, gleaming, oversized eyes. More information is at www.sacanime.com.