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AniZona

Overview

AniZona was an annual anime con held over the Easter Weekend. It was founded by Anthony Grutta, David Hungerford and Jason Bustard.

From 2005 to 2007 it was run by AniZona Anime Conventions Inc. but that organisation was dissolved in 2007. WesternSFA (westernsfa.org) hosted the last AniZona in 2009.

As other anime cons started to join the scene, it advertised itself as 'Arizona's FIRST Anime Convention'.

Most Recent Program Book Covers

Click on the images below to open larger versions.

History

Chronology of Arizona Conventions | Index of Program Books

# Date Location Chair Guests Book Web

1 2005
25 Mar
27 Mar Embassy Suites Phoenix North
Phoenix Anthony Grutta see below
43 MB 1

2 2006
14 Apr
16 Apr Embassy Suites Phoenix North
Phoenix David M. Hungerford III see below
35 MB 2

3 2007
5 Apr
8 Apr Mesa Convention Center
Mesa Shane Bryner see below
39 MB 3

4 2008
21 Mar
23 Mar Wigwam Resort
Litchfield Park see below 4

5 2009
9 Apr
12 Apr Embassy Suites Phoenix North
Phoenix Bob LaPierre Toybox
19 MB 5

#	Date	Location	Chair	Guests	Book	Web
1	2005 25 Mar 27 Mar	Embassy Suites Phoenix North Phoenix	Anthony Grutta	see below	43 MB	1
2	2006 14 Apr 16 Apr	Embassy Suites Phoenix North Phoenix	David M. Hungerford III	see below	35 MB	2
3	2007 5 Apr 8 Apr	Mesa Convention Center Mesa	Shane Bryner	see below	39 MB	3
4	2008 21 Mar 23 Mar	Wigwam Resort Litchfield Park		see below		4
5	2009 9 Apr 12 Apr	Embassy Suites Phoenix North Phoenix	Bob LaPierre	Toybox	19 MB	5

Notes

Attendance for AniZona 1 was capped at 850 with ~950 warm bodies.

Attendance for AniZona 2 was capped at 1,000 with ~1,200 warm bodies.

Attendance for AniZona 3 was capped at 1,600 with ~1,900 warm bodies.

AniZona 4 was cancelled. The board dissolved AniZona Anime Convention Inc. in 2007 and donated all funds and assets to the WesternSFA with the wish that AniZona continue.

Attendance for AniZona 5 was capped at 1,000 with ~1,200 warm bodies.

Guests

Anizona had too many guests to list in the table above. Here are the guests announced for each event:

2005: Yoshitaka Amano, Colleen Clinkenbeard, Travis Willingham, Aaron Dismuke, Yaya Han, Katie Bair, Hide-san, Nicole Gibson and Charles Dee Rice.

2006: Colleen Clinkenbeard, Sonny Strait, Michael McConnohie, Melodee M. Spevack, Katie Bair, David Beaty and Jodon Bellofatto.

2007: Wendee Lee, Haruka Miyabi, Kenyth Mogan, Yoko Molotov, Amanda T, Michael McConnohie, Melodee M. Spevack, Greg Ayres, Geoff Pinckney, Kevin Tye, David Beaty, Jodon Bellofatto and Katie Bair.

2009: Richard Epcar, Chris Hazelton, Trish Ledoux, Natz, Ellyn Stern, Amanda Tomasch, Toybox, David Vincent and Toshifumi Yoshida.

Other Documents

Index of Ephemera

AniZona 2005

Flyer (2 MB)

AniZona 2009

Bookmark (1 MB)

Program Book Covers

Click on the images below to open larger versions.

Last update: 25th June, 2023