Orlando, FL � Voice actor stars of Dragon Ball Z will be among international celebrities at the 7th annual MegaCon, the #1 comic book and science fiction convention of the Southeast, being held at Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, March 2 to 4, announced FUNimation Productions Ltd., licensors and producers of Dragon Ball Z.

Sean Schemmel, voice of Goku, one of the most popular characters on Dragon Ball Z, will be at Booths 505 to 507. Dragon Ball Z is #1 on the Cartoon Network�s famed Toonami Block, #1 on Lycos Top 50, and #1 Best Selling Video of The Hollywood Reporter�s Top 10.

Gen Fukunaga, President of FUNimation and producer and licensor of Dragon Ball Z, said the company will also preview its next two Japanese anime introductions, Yu Yu Hakusho and Blue Gender, for visitors to MegaCon.

Sean Schemmel will be among the Convention�s star attractions, especially since MegaCon will host an anime festival with continuous anime running throughout the event. Dragon Ball Z is the #1 anime show on the Cartoon Network, set #1 records in Japan and is a top favorite of anime fans worldwide. Other celebrities at MegaCon are from other hit shows including Buffy The Vampire Slayer, the movie Dungeons and Dragons, Star Trek: Voyager, Mr. Holland�s Opus, Lost In Space, Star Wars, Babylon 5, and others.

Fukunaga, President of FUNimation and Executive Producer of the hit TV show, said, �Dragon Ball Z is experiencing tremendous popularity. Among products sought by Dragon Ball Z fans are Irwin Toy�s actions figures and vehicles that capture the essence of the Dragon Ball Z sagas. More than 70 licensees we have appointed for Dragon Ball Z.�

Sean Schemmel said, �It�s fabulous to see fans of the show and to answer the questions they have about Dragon Ball Z. At MegaCon I get to talk with the people who hear my voice and enjoy the show. It�s a great experience for me to be out of the studio and hearing first hand the reaction of Dragon Ball Z fans.�

Fukunaga noted, �With more than $3 billion at wholesale worldwide, Dragon Ball Z has taken its place among the premiere properties in history and its popularity is ever-expanding.�

FUNimation produces and licenses Dragon Ball Z in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Fukunaga said, �The Dragon Ball Z action figures and other products are extremely popular. Dragon Ball Z videos set sales records and are a cornerstone of FUNimation�s strategic initiatives for the property. Dragon Ball Z DVDs, with duel soundtracks in English and Japanese, sell out to fans of the TV show specifically and anime generally.�

Cindy Fukunaga, Vice President, said, �The quality of Dragon Ball Z products is excellent and we are very pleased with the expanding product programs being created by companies we have appointed as licensees.�

With strong marketing support, Infogrames/GT Interactive, a global publisher of interactive entertainment software, will launch the highly sought after Dragon Ball Z videogames in various formats and will soon announce details of the multiple platforms it has planned for Dragon Ball Z. Score�s Collectible Card Games are also extremely popular with fans and a variety of other products abound, including recently launched Brach�s Confectionary�s Dragon Ball Z Fruit Snacks.

With a tremendous following on the Internet, Dragon Ball Z is a global success and the characters of the series are pop icons. The www.dragonballz.com website averages more than 2.7 million hits a day as membership in Club Z surpassed 400,000 fans.

Of the next anime series to be introduced, FUNimation noted that in Japan, the popularity of the Yu Yu Hakusho television series rivaled the success of the record-breaking Dragon Ball Z. FUNimation brought DBZ to America and selected other countries, where the show has become a phenomenal success. Similarly, FUNimation will now produce the vast backlog of Yu Yu Hakusho television episodes that have aired in Japan, to be televised in the United States and Canada.

Fukanaga said, �Yu Yu Hakusho epitomizes the best of Japanese anime. The sagas are intricately woven tales with compelling storylines and fascinating character development. In addition to the show being a smash hit in Japan, Yu Yu Hakusho has a massive fan following on the Internet.� He described the sagas of Yu Yu Hakusho as a �mystical story of mythical proportions� centered on young teens.

He added that in Japan, the popularity of the Blue Gender among teens is as legendary as the series� famed director, Takahashi Ryousuke (Gasaraki and Armored Trooper Votoms). Known for exploring the human condition, Ryousuke delves into the complex Blue Gender plotlines to yield a remarkably entertaining series of episodes. Blue Gender is a captivating tale in which several teenages face making tremendous sacrifices and need to draw strength and courage from deep within to reclaim earth and save its inhabitants from a diabolical force.

FUNimation Productions Ltd., based in Fort Worth, Texas, was founded in 1994 to introduce the DBZ TV series to America. A full service production, licensing, Internet and home video distribution company, FUNimation focuses on quality entertainment properties. In addition to DBZ, Yu Yu Hakusho and Blue Gender, FUNimation represents other properties including Chuck E. Cheese.