{"rewrite":{"id":"r_d4c865c8008af3c5af7340df","clusterId":"c_1bb5bf6472df50c029d688b5","slug":"otakon-to-host-background-art-director-kazuki-higashiji","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Otakon to Host Background Art Director Kazuki Higashiji","summary":"Otakon announced it will host background art director Kazuki Higashiji at its 2026 event. Higashiji has worked on Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Maquia, Angel Beats!, Hanasaku Iroha, and Charlotte. The convention also announced a policy change banning fan art sales in the dealers room, directing dealers to the artist alley instead.","whyItMatters":"Higashiji's background art credits include major P.A. Works titles and Ghost in the Shell, giving fans a chance to learn from a veteran of those series.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eOtakon 2026 will take place July 31-August 2 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Among the guests is background art director Kazuki Higashiji, whose credits include Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and several P.A. Works series. The convention also announced a policy change: fan art sales are no longer allowed in the dealers room, with dealers directed to the artist alley instead.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Otakon will host background art director Kazuki Higashiji at its 2026 event. He worked on Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and P.A. Works titles. The convention also bans fan art sales in dealers room.","twitterPost":"Otakon will host background art director Kazuki Higashiji at its 2026 event. He worked on Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and P.A. Works titles. The convention also bans fan art sales in dealers room.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"Otakon announced background art director Kazuki Higashiji as a guest for 2026. He has worked on Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and multiple P.A. Works series. The convention also changed its fan art policy.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Anime News Network\",\"url\":\"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-07-14/otakon-hosts-background-art-director-kazuki-higashiji/.239592\",\"title\":\"Otakon Hosts Background Art Director Kazuki Higashiji\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":3969,"outputTokens":2690,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1784049816,"createdAt":"2026-07-14T17:18:44.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-07-14T17:22:28.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-14T17:18:44.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_1bb5bf6472df50c029d688b5","canonicalTitle":"News\nOtakon Hosts Background Art Director Kazuki Higashiji","representativeArticleId":"a_e36583ce1e99275f3a8accbb","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[\"Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex\"],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[\"Kazuki Higashiji\"],\"type\":\"event\",\"domain\":\"anime\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-07-14T16:00:00.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-07-14T16:00:00.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-14T17:22:29.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Anime News Network","url":"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-07-14/otakon-hosts-background-art-director-kazuki-higashiji/.239592","title":"News\nOtakon Hosts Background Art Director Kazuki Higashiji"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":["Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex"],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":[],"studios":[],"people":["Kazuki Higashiji"],"type":"event","domain":"anime","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":null}