Zoom: Composers Close Up: Raymond Scott Orchestrette will be hosted by Irwin Chusid, archivist of the Raymond Scott collection. In the 1930s Raymond Scott's unique novelty pieces -- a blend of jazz and classical sounds -- were an overnight sensation. Tough-to-classify but highly infectious, Scott's music became immortalized when Warner Bros. music director Carl Stalling adapted it for the animated hi-jinks of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. The Raymond Scott Orchestrette brings Scott's controlled lunacy to Merkin Hall and while the impishness and daredevil colors of the compositions remain, the arrangements don't sound like 1938 anymore. Beginning at 8:00 pm, the event will take place at the Merkin Concert Hall, 129 West 67th Street. For more information, visit tel.: (212) 501-3303, e-mail: info@kaufman-center.org or Web: www.kaufman-center.org.

Zlin Festival is one of the oldest festivals dedicated to films for children and youth. Films compete in six sections - film for children, for youth, animated film, European debuts, student films and films from Visegrad countries. The project is supported by the Czech Parliament and Ministry of Culture, the EU Media Programme and the International Visegrad Fund. Festival is held under the auspices the Czech UNESCO Commission and the Czech UNICEF Commission. For more information, visit www.zlinfest.cz.

Zenkaikon is the Philadelphia-area anime and scifi con that formed out of a merger between Kosaikon and Zentrancon. In 2007 (its second year as a merged event), it offers a plethora of events such as panels, guests, anime and sci-fi showings, concerts,video games, cosplay, AMV contests, vendors and artists and much more.

ZEITGIEST is a unique and ambitious multimedia, musical event by P.J. Merola. This event is free and not for profit. It runs from May 29 - June 3, 2007 at 8:00-9:30 pm.

ZEITGEIST is an abstract, aesthetic exploration of personal belief and social myth -- told through a multimedia work of live solo percussion, stereo video displays and electronic music. Using animation, live performance, drama, humor, and narrative, ZEITGEIST attempts to bring its audience to a place that most likely counters what they believe as true.

Please visit http://www.zeitgeistnyc.com for a video preview and to make reservations.

Through never-before exhibited art and objects culled from private and institutional collections, "ZAP! POW! BAM! The Superhero: The Golden Age of Comic Books, 1938-1950," now at the Skirball Cultural Center, explores the genesis of cultural icons such as Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman, and Captain America. In the midst of the economic and political turmoil of the 1930s and 1940s, comic books offered America champions who shaped the values of an entire generation. "ZAP! POW! BAM!" examines the creative processes and influences that drove young Jewish artists to express their talents through the storylines and art of comic books. The exhibition features rare vintage artwork and books, 1940s Hollywood movie serials, and colorful interactive displays including a drawing studio, a newsstand, a vintage Batmobile ride, and stations that allow children to dress up as Superheroes or transform themselves via a quick costume change in a telephone booth. Guest curator Jerry Robinson brings a long history as a comic book industry insider to the exhibition. Working with Batman co-creators Bob Kane and Bill Finger, Robinson named Robin, Batman's young protege. Robinson also co-created The Joker, Batman's nemesis and one of the first super villains. Included with Skirball Museum admission (tickets at the door): $10 General; $7 Seniors and Full-Time Students; $5 Children 2-12; Free to Members and Children under 2; Free to all on Thursdays.

Zagreb: 18th World Festival of Animated Films is an ASIFA sanctioned competitive festival. The festival was formed in 1969 to encouraging creativity, which eschews pre-set patterns and ideas/notions/conceptions, and finds new ways of exploring the possibilities of film animation. Awards with cash prizes will be given as follows: grand prize, best first production, best student film, plus five special prizes and three special distinctions.

Deadline for films made in 2004 and 2005 is Dec. 15 2005. Deadline for films finished in January 2006 is Feb. 15, 2006. For more information, visit www.animafest.hr.

Zagreb: 17th World Festival of Animated Films is an ASIFA sanctioned competitive festival. The festival was formed in 1969 to encouraging creativity, which eschews pre-set patterns and ideas/notions/conceptions, and finds new ways of exploring the possibilities of film animation. Awards with cash prizes will be given as follows: grand prize, best first production, best student film, plus five special prizes and three special distinctions. For more information, visit www.animafest.hr.

Zagreb is perhaps the hidden gem that has survived through some terribly tough times and blows. Borivoj "Bordo" Dovnikovic supplies us with a history and look at Zagreb today. Click here!

Zagreb: 16th World Festival of Animated Films is an ASIFA sanctioned competitive festival. The festival was formed in 1969 to encouraging creativity, which eschews pre-set patterns and ideas/notions/conceptions, and finds new ways of exploring the possibilities of film animation. It is accepting all animation works completed in 2002 or after. Awards with cash prizes will be given as follows: grand prize, best first production, best student film, plus five special prizes and three special distinctions. For more information, visit http://www.animafest.hr.

Zagreb is perhaps the hidden gem that has survived through some terribly tough times and blows. Borivoj "Bordo" Dovnikovic supplies us with a history and look at Zagreb today. >Click here!

Corus Entertainment's YTV's interactive, entertainment-filled summer road show WOW! will be heading out for another exciting summer tour. Now in its 11th year, WOW! will be travelling to communities across the country, visiting major festivals and attractions from June 4 until Labour Day. This year the summer tour includes HASBRO's Camp NERF DART TAG Capture the Flag! After months of training to become NERF Operatives at CampNERF.ca, YTV viewers can now put their online skills into real-life action, when they get to test NERF DART TAG products in a live game of Capture the Flag. On site, the WOW! crew will be distributing collectible prizes from NERF to all NERF Operatives-in-Training. WOW! will also gets kids up and moving with action-packed Dunkaroos Slam Dunkers All Stars. This inflatable zone is the ultimate basketball experience as kids can practice dunks, shoot hoops and play three on three with their friends. New to the tour this year, is Dunks Bump, where kids must make their shots to stay in the game -- last one standing wins a Dunkaroos prize. Kids can also check out Dunkaroos Dish, Drive and Dunk at www.ytv.com/wow where kids can battle it out online in their own basketball tournaments. Travelling from coast to coast, the unmistakable WOW! vehicles don't go anywhere without the high energy road crew, who travel from event to event, interacting with Canadian kids along the way. WOW! vehicles feature the latest in multimedia technology including a massive 95" screen, giving kids and their families a sneak peek of upcoming YTV programming. WOW!'s first stop is on June 4 at the Clearmeadow School Fair in Newmarket, Ontario. For further information, including video blogs, tour dates and locations for WOW!, visit www.ytv.com/wow.

Yaoi-Con is the only Western fan convention dedicated solely to the yaoi genre of Japanese anime and manga. The event will take place at the Marriott San Mateo-San Francisco Airport hotel in the South San Francisco Bay area. Created primarily by women for a largely female audience, yaoi is unique in its exploration of deep platonic bonds and romantic relationships between male characters. The intense and highly idealized examples of love and romance commonly found in yaoi works are a major factor in the genre's soaring popularity outside Japan, including the U.S. In its country of origin, many popular mainstream mangaka or manga artists had their start in the genre. Since its inception, Yaoi-Con has been committed to the promotion and celebration of this unique genre, inviting guests who represent the broad spectrum of art and stories available. This year, the convention welcomes veteran illustrator Mamiya Oki and novelist Tsubasa Kawahara as our guests of honor. These two have collaborated on the PLATONIC DANCE and JADOU novel series (the latter of which has also appeared in manga format). Oki is a celebrated illustrator whose work can also be seen in the LOCUS OF BLUE and RECORD OF THE DELFINIAN WAR novels. These two will be attending focus panels and autograph sessions during the convention. Yaoi-Con would also like to welcome several guests who will be appearing at the convention courtesy of their publishers. Digital Manga Press has invited manga artist Hinako Takanaga, author of the popular title LITTLE BUTTERFLIES, while Yaoi Press will be bringing the Italian duo Dany & Dany (Daniela Serri and Daniela Orr