Remembering Denver-Based Anime Legend Jan Scott-Frazier

Denver's Jan Scott-Frazier, a prominent figure in the anime industry in both the U.S. and Japan, died on December 3 of kidney disease. She was 59.

Anime News Network once called Scott-Frazier "perhaps the most well-known American to ever work in anime." After moving from the U.S. to Japan in 1987, she became the first American animator to work in a Japanese anime studio, signing on as a production assistant for the hallowed Artland. From there, her career escalated, eventually landing her as the president of the American arm of Production I.G, the Japanese studio behind popular multimedia franchises Ghost in the Shell and Blood: The Last Vampire.

While in Japan, Scott-Frazier also established her own production company, TAO Corporation Ltd., and co-founded Genesis Digital Publishing Company, credited with releasing the first digital manga. In the ’90s, she became one of the first openly trans creators in the anime industry.

After moving back to Denver in 2000, Scott-Frazier continued working as a freelancer and consultant. But she always remained active in the Colorado arts community, including starring in a live episode of the Narrators series at Buntport Theater in 2017. A frequent featured guest of honor at anime conventions across the globe, including Colorado's Daku Con, Nan Desu Kan and Animeland Wasabi, Scott-Frazier was as ardent a fan of anime as she was a pioneer. Her mentorship and advocacy of anime creatives spilled over into Voices For, a nonprofit she founded to support voice actors.

In August, Scott-Frazier entered assisted living due to the advancement of the kidney disease she had battled for years. Two months later, she launched a GoFundMe page to assist with housing expenses after being the victim of a robbery.

Scott-Frazier's talents were boundless. In addition to being a producer, animator and executive, she was a writer, director, educator, photographer, translator and musician. She worked in manga and video games as well as anime, and she was an innovator in the fields of computer animation and digital graphic novels. Upon her death, Isaac Sher — science fiction author and former staff writer for Anime Central — posted on Facebook, "Jan was kind, funny, sweet and tolerated absolutely no crap from anyone. She was a warrior through and through, and if there's a Valhalla, then she is surely there."