First Anime Music Video Creator James Kaposztas Has Passed Away

James Kaposztas, a pioneer of the anime fandom, is no longer with us, as the news of his passing was recently announced. Kaposztas worked as staff for Otakon and created Yamato AMV using two VCRs.

James Kaposztas, a pioneer of the anime fandom, passed away recently, according to news reports. Michael Pinto, a friend, and co-founder of Anime.com said on Twitter that James, also known as Jim, was instrumental in fostering early anime fandom gatherings in New York City and Philadelphia and is credited with producing the first known anime music video (AMV) in 1982.

Kaposztas revealed in a 2007 interview with Patrick Macias for The Japan Times that he first experimented with making an AMV to gain experience in editing and as a means to promote his hobby. In order to create a delightfully dissonant contrast between the song's lyrics and the violent actions on film, he connected two VCRs at the age of 21 and combined video from Star Blazers—the localized version of the Space Battleship Yamato anime—with the Beatles song "All You Need is Love."

Kaposztas, a communications major at the time, explained to The Japan Times that he regarded making AMVs as a means to share his hobby and learn editing. In the 1980s and 1990s, not many fans made the effort to utilize VCRs to make anime music videos, but that changed in the early 2000s with the expansion of Japanese popular culture in the U.S. and the shift to digitally produced AMVs. AMV competitions and screenings have become popular at American anime conventions.

According to the information provided on Kaposztas' LinkedIn profile, he spent more than 20 years working at Otakon in a variety of capacities, ranging from video operations and technical operations to info desk and exhibitions.

Disney Has A Completed 10-Episode ALIEN VS. PREDATOR Anime Series That's Unlikely To Ever Be Released
Related:

Disney Has A Completed 10-Episode ALIEN VS. PREDATOR Anime Series That's Unlikely To Ever Be Released

Exclusive Interview With JUSTICE LEAGUE x RWBY: SUPER HEROES & HUNTSMEN Star And Superman Actor Chandler Riggs
Recommended For You:

Exclusive Interview With JUSTICE LEAGUE x RWBY: SUPER HEROES & HUNTSMEN Star And Superman Actor Chandler Riggs

DISCLAIMER: This post was submitted by a user who has agreed to our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. As a user-generated content platform, AnimeMojo.com and Best Little Sites LLC is protected under the DMCA... [MORE]
Disney Has A Completed 10-Episode ALIEN VS. PREDATOR Anime Series That's Unlikely To Ever Be Released
The live-action movies may not have been particularly good, but we can't help but mourn for a 10-episode Alien vs. Predator anime series that, thanks to Disney, is unlikely to ever see the light of day...
Exclusive Interview With JUSTICE LEAGUE x RWBY: SUPER HEROES & HUNTSMEN Star And Superman Actor Chandler Riggs
The Walking Dead star Chandler Riggs talks about playing Superman in Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen, revealing what it was like to bring the Man of Steel into the anime world of RWBY.
Exclusive Interview With JUSTICE LEAGUE x RWBY: SUPER HEROES & HUNTSMEN Writer Meghan Fitzmartin
Writer Meghan Fitzmartin (Justice Society: World War II) talks to us about penning the script for Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen, an epic new crossover from DC and Rooster Teeth.
First Anime Music Video Creator James Kaposztas Has Passed Away
James Kaposztas, a pioneer of the anime fandom, is no longer with us, as the news of his passing was recently announced. Kaposztas worked as staff for Otakon and created Yamato AMV using two VCRs.
William Ruzicka, Storyboard Artist And Animation Director, Has Passed Away
Monday, a GoFundMe page said that storyboard artist and animation director William Ruzicka (High Guardian Spice, Onyx Equinox) died on February 1.

The Best Little Sites Network (BLS)

Action Movie and TV News - AnimeMojo.com
Anime News, Trailers & More - AnimeMojo.com
Superhero News, Videos, Rumors & More - ComicBookMovie.com
Horror News - FearHQ.com
Video Game News, Reviews, Trailers & More - GameFragger.com
Sci-Fi and Fantasy News, Videos, Rumors & More - SFFGazette.com
Cartoon and Animated Film News, Videos, Rumors & More - Toonado.com
Professional Wrestling News, Videos, Rumors & More - TheRingReport.com