| About Us |
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 The owners, Peter and Amber Zimmer, turned a dream into reality February, 2009. We started the business at Anime Milwaukee 2009 and haven't looked back since. While our initial goal was to open a brick and mortar store, business plans never go exactly as planned. Over the course of 2009, we traveled from one end of the country to the other, attending as many anime cons as we could. We ended up attending 22 anime cons our first year and it was quite the experience. So much was learned, new experiences and new friendships made. In March, 2010, Anime Fan Zone opened its first brick and mortar store in Milwaukee, WI. It was a dream come true, even if it took a couple years longer than expected. Peter Zimmer (Background) Having lived in Milwaukee most of my life, and with a drive for entreprenuership, it was only natural I would end up with my own store here someday. I've been an anime fan for many years and playing video games most of my life. It was a very natural fit for me in this business. Currently, when I'm not in the store working, I'll be on my Playstation 3, watching movies or spending time with my wife. I also enjoy table top gaming (Catan, Risk, Puerto Rico and tons more). I've yet to fall into the trap of playing Magic the Gathering or World of Warcraft. Maybe someday I'll find the time for those and always welcome suggestions for new games and types of entertainment. Arcade Repair & Service Previously worked for Namco Cybertainment Inc. Was a manager for both a store location (Aladdin's Castle) and a Route Manager (Chicago & Wisconsin). Over the years I learned a lot about arcade operations and repairs. I take great pride in having the best games around. My track record with Namco is proof of that, as I was able to increase revenue in all my locations, backed by solid operations and a strong work ethic. Anime Background For 5 years I was President of Vision of Anime, a local independant anime club in Milwaukee. During my time with the club, attendance and membership increased to their highest numbers, the club funding and budget was never higher and overall it was a wonderful experience. I've also been attending anime cons for years and staffed cons including Anime Milwaukee, Anime Sound & Vision and Anime Central. Needless to say, I've been very much involved with the anime community over the years and have no intension of slowing down anytime soon. Its always been a driving passion of mine to be part of the anime community, especially here in Milwaukee. Doing my part in helping it grow and become the best it can be. One of the greatest rewards is seeing so much joy and happiness in a person's face and it reminds me why I've dedicated so much time and effort into something. Peter Zimmer Peter@animefanzone.com Amber Zimmer (Background) I grew up in the suburbs of When I’m not working at the store, being the smiling face you see more often than not, I’m a house wife. I love to cook and play hostess (and hopefully now that I don’t have arcade games in our apartment, I can actually do that!). But when I have time to myself, I love playing my Nintendo DS, reading books, writing, or watching something with my husband and the cats. I’ve been watching anime for many years now, since I was about 7 or so, before I even knew Sailor Moon was anime. It wasn’t until I was about 12 did I realize that anime was something really different compared to American cartoons. Something about the stories and the art style were so much more appealing to me. After getting more exposed thanks to a middle school friend, I was hooked. I didn’t have access to an anime club or conventions when I was young, but I watched what I could get my hands on. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I was able to get to an anime convention, let alone help out in the anime community. But since then, I’ve helped with conventions (Anime Sound & Vision, Anime Central, and Anime Milwaukee), helped run an anime club (Vision of Anime), and now run an anime store. It’s surreal to think I have come this far, just being a fan. But I do my best to try to be a good leader of the anime community. My goal is to reach out to other anime fans and let them know they are accepted and to have a place where anime fans feel welcome. Amber ZimmerAmber@animefanzone.com |
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