User:Markus
From Animepedia
About Markus
Markus, also known on the 'net as "AnimeNiac" (one of many) is a big fan of Japanese Animation since he was a child. The first animes that Markus was introduced to were "Speed Racer" and "Battle Of The Planets" (originally "Mach 5 Go!" and "Gatchaman" respectfully), later to be followed by "Star Blazers", "Robotech" and the Voltron stories. As a kid, Markus didn't know that these were animations created in Japan and dubbed into English (with many being rewritten and heavily edited for American audiences), he just knew that he loved the stories and especially the design of the characters. The "Anime Style" of animation was always his favorite.
After most of those series either went off the air or moved to other stations, it would be some time before Markus would be reintroduced to Anime through a series originally targeted to young teenage girls. That series would be "Sailor Moon". Recognizing this show to be of the same type of animation style that was his favorite while growing up, and that he had access to the new form of communication known as The Internet, Markus began researching Sailor Moon to find out about this animated series. It was through this online investigation into this show that he was introduced to the Wide World of Anime. He then began to research his old favorite programs to find out that they too were Anime. With his quest to find out more about Japanese animation, his eyes were opened to the plethora of Anime titles that were out there.
The seeds of The AnimeNiac were beginning to bear fruit. His thirst for more anime began to rise, and American television wasn't providing enough to quench it. It was around that time that he had encountered a convention called "AnimeNEXT" - taking place in a hotel where he had taken his parents for a brunch in the hotel's restaurant. Upon gathering more information from the con-goers and simultaneously being introduced to the phenomenon known as "cosplay", Markus set out to find more information about these conventions. The next year, Markus attended the first of many Anime conventions to follow. A great experience that introduced him to the next level of his addiction - the dealer room. It is here where much of this man's hard-earned money went into purchasing Anime DVDs, wall scrolls, t-shirts, and other trinkets. It is through these conventions where he familiarized himself with such titles as "Akira", "Gundam Wing", "Outlaw Star", "Bubblegum Crisis", "Cowboy Bebop", "Ranma 1/2", "Dragonball Z", "Ghost In The Shell" and many others.
Markus was hooked! No more would he settle for the simple, toddler-centered American animation, when so many great works of Japanese imagination were available. A whole new world of animated possibilities became available to him.
Today, Markus enjoys watching anime on "Toonami" and "Adult Swim" on Cartoon Network, as well as the various animes on the SciFi Channel's "Ani-Monday" program. He also enjoys reading Manga books and talking with others about Anime & Manga. Markus is also a fan of JPop/JRock music - collecting from such artists as Hamasaki Ayumi, Aikawa Nanase, Ishida Yoko, and bands like Two-Mix (of Gundam Wing fame), Shazna and Larc~en~ciel.
