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Strip 526, Volume 4, Page 9

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< Piro >

Yay! release date for Clannad!

"the fanboy inside"

Monday - February 23, 2004

[Piro] - 17:20:00 - [link here]

At least I'm getting better with getting comics up more or less when they are supposed to. Now I just gotta get up to speed with the rants. ^^;; Then, I need to get better at updating Fredart, answering email, working on the missing parts of the website, cutting back on the coffee intake...

In a perfect world, right?

First off, I'd like to thank everyone who emailed Sarah and I congratulating us on our nuptials. Sarah and I are quite happy together, and it kinda surprised me how nice it felt to get so many people wishing us well. Thank you, it meant a lot to us.

As a side note, there are so many things we take for granted in this world. For instance, the fact that there were no legal or political obstacles that Sarah and I had to overcome to get married. It is so hard to find your partner in this life that it really bothers me when people feel the need to tell you can't do something because your relationship doesn't fit into "their world". I'm sorry, but when people feel the need to restrict the rights of others because it is some kind of obtuse threat to "their way of life," it really bothers me. Most of the world's woes can be attributed to this kind of ignorance based logic. That's all I'll say on the matter.

[actually, I guess I need to clarify, just a little. My point above is not to slam anyone or any group, but to merely point out that restricting the rights of others based on the logic of your own belief system is 'ignorance based logic' (which doesn't make me right, of course).]

I hope you've either enjoyed or tolerated my little segue with Grand Theft Colo - Otaku City (yes, "segue" not "segway" -- a "segue" is changing to a side story, a "segway" is a little scooter that tosses presidents). Doing things like this can be a refreshing break, and it's a harmless way to mess with people's minds. I am sorry if anything in these comics offended anyone. It is a delicate balance to push the envelope a bit without going too far. While it's true that you can pretty much do anything you want on the internet, the MT reader base is a very broad demographic, and I feel that a certain amount of responsibility on my part is wise. Also, I think that having edges to push against is a challenge that makes things better. Also, Piro the Homicidal Web Comic Artist wanted some screen time, so who am I to argue with him? (with many many apologies to Mr. Jhonen Vasquez and his delightful, touching work, Johnny the Homicidal Maniac :P)

Speaking of comics, I really wish I had been able to go to APE this year, but oh well, there really was no way. Obviously, I got a real kick out of Johnny the Homocidal Maniac, but there are a few other Slave Labor Graphics titles I really like as well, including Nightmares and Fairytales (which I've mentioned before) and a new one that I really enjoyed - Serenity Rose by Aaron A. I was only able to find Issue #2, so I need to hunt down the first issue, but there was something really fun about it. I dunno if it's the art style, or the subtle writing (you really have to read it carefully to follow it) but it really amused the hell out of me. That puni style is something I'm not very good at, I wish I was. Sweet little comic, it really is. Need to find #1 and get #3...

Another comic that I picked up a second volume of was Legends of Darkwood. It's definitely going to take a few comics before the story really falls into place, but I like John Kantz's artwork (some of it seems rushed, but like I'm one to talk), and I think that once this title matures it could be really nice. Besides, the covers to #1 and #2 are awesome :)

Also, I had mentioned another comic I particularly liked called Mia It seems that Enrico Casarosa is also experimenting with the serialized webcomic format with a storystory called Haiku 5-7-5. Worth checking out, Enrico has a neat artistic style.

Yeee, I'm so not talking about the things I'm supposed to be talking about, like part 2 and part 3 of my japan trip, or our trip to Katsucon (which was great, and without the snow this year - tho there was an Anthrax scare at the show which resulted in Seraphim and I getting separated for a short period of time... that was NOT fun).

Oh, one of the things that we'll be doing this year is shooting video footage at the cons we will be going to. Since so much energy will be spent this year at conventions and stuff, we felt that it might be kinda fun to record some of it and share it with readers who never make it to cons. I might try to put together some footage from Katsu just for fun in a short clip. Anyways, I'll keep you posted as to what we end up doing with it.

Oh, and I just sorta have to mention this... allow me to let my inner fanboy mode take over for a bit. Clannad, the new visual novel game by Key (the makers of Kanon and Air) finally has a release date! April 28th! yay! Finally. I must see what I can do to get a copy lined up. I also must look into lining up some minions to gather some of the two-sided promo posters that are going up in stores 5 weeks before the game release. You can't buy them. Minions must find alternative means... must take more drastic steps to get them. Yes, must have... it has nothing to do with the kitty ears (each of the girls has a different set of animal ears... ok, I know, that's kinda weird, im in fanboy mode, it doesn't bother me, so sue me). No, I can't... no... mustn't... yes...

(rattles himself out of fanboy mode)

Oh, and my apologies to all the wonderful Applecare techs out there for the little dig in todays comic, but I couldn't resist. :P I wish I had an Ipod. I need to make someone give me one. yeah. That's what I need to do...

hee hee. :)

< Dom >

Oop ack!

"Ashes and Rain"

Wednesday - February 25, 2004

[Dom] - 16:00:00 - [link here]

Well, my day started just right. I woke up an hour early to see some pouring rain outside my window, waded across a nearly-flooded street to get to the train station, and showed up soaking wet at the office.

Glorious. And I mean that. Because it's Ash Wednesday.

See, I grew up with a good 13 years of Catholic school. And among other things they teach you in Catholic school, it's that one Wednesday a year is dedicated to the mantra "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return."

But of the many traditions of Catholicism, Lent is the one I observe strictly, even after learning philosophy from a Jesuit taught me to question and reject parts of my religion I couldn't reconcile. Because as I learned it, Lent is a time of year where you try to strip away what's unimportant and do some serious thinking about your life, without the whole "going into the desert and eating nothing but locusts and honey" part of the old-school religious experiences.

What am I doing for Lent this year? I'm giving up H games, at a friend's suggestion. And it's probably a good thing, because Japanese PC games have taken over more than half of my video gaming lately-which, admittedly, isn't saying much, maybe 2 hours a week tops. But still--H games are bad for me, because with the exception of Comic Party, which is just plain funny, I play H games that are actual games. If you remember me talking about Baldr Force, I spent a lot of time in the game's mecha combat engine, and not very much time looking at porn (in fact, given the rather nature of that game, I had to turn off the speakers and look away fairly often). Or Daibanchou, which has taken over my strategy gaming.

And the thing is, beyond a few, most H games are really bad games, which have a game engine tacked on to provide a way to break up the monotony of porn. And I still play them, largely because my standards for what makes an H game playable are much lower than for other games. Why? I dunno. But it's bad for me, as a writer. I can't be applying lower standards to these things just because they're made with a different audience in mind, one that isn't so big on gaming.

Well, okay, I admit it, I'm giving up these games because someone dared me to. But everything I said before still applies.

I think. Damn, it's hard to write coherently when you're fasting.

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