Onmyodo, LLC was officially founded in 2006, however, planning for the company began in 2004. Located in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Onmyodo is not only in an area with a rich history in footwear (most notably Airwalk), it is also located only 40 miles away from the birthplace of Otakon, State College, PA. The current employees of the company have been involved in the study of Japan and Japanese pop culture for quite a number of years, as well as being full-time otaku.

Laura Bossi

My Gallery O' Stuff

Title: President
Current Favorite Albums:

• 23ji no Ongaku - Sakamoto Maaya
• Sazanami - Spitz
• Elton John - Greatest Hits 1970-2002
• Huey Lewis & The News - Greatest Hits
• 0079-0088 feat. Char - Gackt
• Avenue Q Original Broadway Cast

Current Anime: Shounen Onmyouji
Current Manga: Berserk
Current Video Games:

• Smash Bros Brawl
• Wii Fit
• Mario Kart Wii
• Majesty Gold (PC)
  

Claim To Fame: Otakon 2004 – Mistaken for official Bandai cosplayer

Degrees: BA in East Asian Studies – Dickinson College
PDC in Footwear Design – Leicester College, UK
PDC in Footwear CAD/CAM – Leicester College, UK
PDC in Footwear Technology – Leicester College, UK

Founder and President of Onmyodo, LLC, Laura has been an active otaku for over 10 years. She has been involved with the Japanese culture since childhood, spent time living in Japan, and has her Bachelor’s degree from Dickinson College in East Asian studies, specifically in Japanese culture, past and present. Laura grew up as a "daughter of Airwalk," giving her a family history in the footwear industry. Before the company was sold in 1999, her father served as the COO & CFO of Items International Airwalk. Her involvement as a child in the company, as well as her interest in art, design, and Japan, led her to decide on starting her own footwear company in the early spring of 2004. She has since obtained footwear degrees from Leicester College in the United Kingdom.

Besides her job in footwear and being a full-time otaku, she is also a computer technician (PC-base) and served three years at Dickinson College as an elite student technician and head consultant.

Sarah Simmons

My Pictures

My Anime (courtesy of ANN)

Title: Director of Operations
Current Favorite Albums:

• Acid Android - Acid Android
• Depeche Mode – Black Celebration
• Meiko Kaji - Zenkyoku Shu
• Various Artists - The Limitless Potential
• of montreal - The Sunlandic Twins
• Saul Williams - The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!

Current Anime: Mushi-shi
Current Manga: ...still Bleach
Current Video Games:

• Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
• Guitar Hero I and II
• Shadow of the Colossus
• DDR

Claim to Fame: Still Alive

Degrees: BA in Religion – Dickinson College

Director of Operations for Onmyodo, LLC, Sarah is a long-time otaku with a keen interest in Japanese culture and history. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Dickinson College and is well versed in East Asian religion, both past and present. Her graduation thesis centered on female archetypes in anime.

On top of her job with Onmyodo, Sarah is a computer technician (both Mac & PC) and served for several years as an elite student technician and head consultant for Dickinson College.

Akito

Title: Mascot
Nickname: Aki

First conceived in the fall of 2002 in the subway station at Irinaka in Nagoya, Japan, Akito’s character was originally created as the physical manifestation and voice of Laura’s laptop computer (yes, weird…we know). His physical appearance has gone through several manifestations, though his facial features have remained generally the same. In the winter of 2004, he received the silver streak in his hair when a mix-up at a Dell service center resulted in silver panels on the original black laptop. Since that time, Aki has become a character in his own right and a proud member of the Onmyodo family.

Aiko

Title: Mascot
Nickname: Ai

Aiko, the newest member of the Onmyodo team, was created in the fall of 2005, during Laura’s study in England, as a complimentary pairing to Akito, meaning she is, for all intents and purposes, his younger sister (we've had questions). Named after a friend from Laura’s time in Japan, Aiko’s physical design harkens back to some of the original character designs from the early planning stages of the company.

O-Zilla

Title: Logo Mascot
Nickname: Ozi

O-Zilla, or Ozi, is Onmyodo’s formal logo and appears on most of the shirts, hoodies, bags, etc. His design stems from a small sketch that evolved into another small sketch around 5am during an England all-nighter for a footwear project…three solid pots of caffeinated coffee played a major role. His original designs can be seen here.

The evolution of O-Zilla