SacAnime returned to Sacramento for its annual winter show Jan. 2-4, drawing over a thousand fans, artists and creators to Northern California’s largest pop culture convention and transformed the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center into a hub for anime, animation and video game enthusiasts from across the country.
SacAnime is known for its expansive exhibitor and artist alley, free video game, arcade and board gaming rooms, celebrity guests, panels, workshops and cosplay masquerades. Designed as a family-friendly event, the convention also serves as an important platform for independent creators to share their work and connect with new audiences.
Among the many artists showcased this year were Jerome Lottie and Akorede Fasuyi, two Sacramento-based creators whose work reflects both their love of anime and their commitment to community storytelling. For Lottie and Fasuyi, the convention marked a milestone: it was their second time attending SacAnime, but their first time presenting a completed publication.
The pair met several years ago while working with youth at the Roberts Family Development Center. While there, they discovered a shared passion for anime and storytelling. They also quickly realized that their skills complemented one another.
“When I met him, he had a lot of art and I had a lot of ideas,” Fasuyi recalled.
Lottie had been drawing since age 3, sketching superheroes and characters inspired by the anime he grew up watching. Fasuyi, a writer with a background in music and performance, had spent years developing stories and engaging audiences at fairs and community events.
Their collaboration led to the creation of “Samurai Security Guard,” an anime-inspired comic book that blends action, humor and lived experience. Lottie, who once worked as a security guard, incorporated that experience into the visuals, while Fasuyi shaped the narrative.
The pair first attended SacAnime in 2023 as emerging creators, selling posters and 3D prints while testing the waters of the convention circuit. This year, they returned with “Samurai Security Guard” in hand, officially debuting their published work to fans and fellow artists.
When Lottie thinks about the anime community and why he continues to be active in it, he said it’s because they are “a family.”
“These are our people and it’s awesome how welcoming they can be,” Lottie said.
Beyond the comic itself, the duo sees their work as a teaching tool. Through their animation studio, they aim to show young people, particularly Black youth, that creative pursuits can coexist with business knowledge, investment and personal growth.
“We were already creative and we already had a mission of working with the kids,” Lottie said. “So this was an avenue for us to do that on a grander scale.”
SacAnime returns for its spring show April 24-26.