[597] unexploded ordnance

"unexploded ordnance" August 18th, 2004 [597]

Panel 1:
Largo:
You placed me in charge of defending a highly sensitive target and didn't properly inform me??
Masamichi:
Your job was not to defend Hayasaka Erika. Your job was to deal with unscheduled events before they drew unwarranted attention to this sector. Your inability to do this has put her at risk.
Also shown:
Ninamori
Panel 2:
Characters shown:
Junko, Largo
Panel 3:
Largo:
Why is this "ex-idol" in so much danger?
Also shown:
Junko
Panel 4:
Masamichi:
People who have the ability to affect the masses on an emotive level are enormously powerful. A country is not controlled by tanks and plasma weapons, but by the use of people who can directly affect the emotions of society.
Panel 5:
Masamichi:
When coordinated and deployed properly, idols, stars, and celebrities can keep a society content, happy and occupied. Idols have limited usable life spans, and are retired once their effectiveness drops below predetermined levels. Ex-idols are like unexploded ordnance. Once their useful lives are over, most are duds and cannot cause problems. Others are like nuclear warheads and can be dangerous if not handled properly.
Also shown:
Erika
Panel 6:
Masamichi:
Improper handling of a former idol can lead to the degradation of his or her residual presence and much of the good they did can be undone, usually with disastrous consequences. Hayasaka Erika removed herself from the field at the height of her career and popularity. If her capacity to move the masses were to fall into the wrong hands, it could sway the balance of power and industry in this country.
Also shown:
Largo, Ninamori
Panel 7:
Masamichi:
The subsequent power shifts would create a chaos unlike anything Tokyo has ever seen.
student:
<Junko, I'm totally lost. What is he saying? Junko?>
Also shown:
Junko

console

< Piro >

"coloring quickly"

Thursday - August 12, 2004

Whew.

Well, the past month sure has been, uh, interesting. Seraphim and I have seen so little of our apartment that we think the cats are forgetting who we are and have started to develop the behavioral patterns of abandoned kitties. The level of rampant devastation is such that we are going to have to mount a reconstruction campaign this weekend. At least now we might actually have time to do it, as things have finally settled down a little and the biggest crunch of the year is (hopefully) behind us.

As most of you are aware, the new MegaGear store is up and running and we would like to thank everyone who has shopped with us. :) Aside from problems with the website software (which i will touch on in another rant) everything has been going fine. Lotsa store stuff to talk about, but i'm trying to keep this particular rant short -- i gotta get to work on friday's comic. :) Oh, yeah, must do a little shameless pimping: Please go buy stuff or kimiko will cry. You don't want that on your conscience, do you?

Aside from the store, there were three other things that had been looming over me. There was San Diego Comic Con, which went really well (I haven't yet had a chance to rant about that either. Sheesh, i need to rant more), then Tim from Dark Horse gave me the wonderful news last month that I needed to have the cover artwork for book 3 done by August 8th... a week after the store was scheduled to open. Gee, thanks Tim :P Actually, not Tim's fault, It HAD to be done by the 8th, or they would not be able to release the book in January. So... after recovering from SDCC, rolling into the logistics and brute panic of getting the store off the ground and running smoothly, i had to turn around and produce the cover art for book 3 in less than two days.

It actually didn't come out too bad :) I've posted the artwork over on Fredart, and a mockup of the cover you can look at here. There are some problems with it, but it will do. There had been some speculation as to who would be on the cover of book 3, well, now you know :P

I had planned out the cover sequence for MT books last year, and so far, i think the set is starting to look nice. Book 3 should be pretty cool - it contains some of my best work so far on MT (IMHO) and i'd really like to do something special for the omake this time... we'll see what i can come up with.

The last project I have had to deal with, and the one that is currently slated to take up a chunk of my time this month is a poster for the American Library Association. The ALA has asked me to do a poster for its series of posters and bookmarks for libraries. You know those READ posters you see in the library? Yeah, stuff like that :) They seemed to really like the concept sarah and I pulled together on monday, so hopefully i will be able to finish it by the deadline at the end of the month. All proceeds from sales of this poster will go to support programs and initiatives of the American Library Association, including literacy programs, etc. Sarah and I feel honored to have been asked to do this, so i hope i can do a decent poster for them.

Need to get cracking on the next comic. I wasn't really happy with the art for the last comic, so i'm gonna try to focus more - still a lot to do in this chapter.

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< Seraphim >

"green grass"

Wednesday - August 18, 2004

[Seraphim] - 00:18:00 - [link here]

I remember August in my childhood being hot. It was the dog days of summer and in Michigan it was hot and humid and nights were spent flipping the pillow to find the 'cool' side. There was running through the sprinklers, going to the pool everyday, drinking ice cold lemonade and getting a brain freeze, being too hot to run after the ice cream truck, or just sitting around waiting for a storm to cool things off.

I walked outside last night and it was cold enough to see my breath. That is the universal kid sign for WINTER. Over at Weather Underground it says Ann Arbor, MI is 49 degrees. Something is wrong. This 'summer' (if you can even call it that) has been overly wet and unseasonably cold. My flowers are leggy from no sun and the blooms are stunted and rot before they open. They look like Audrey II from the "Little Shop of Horrors".

Weather Underground lets you look up the history either monthly or weekly and compare across years. In July 2002 there were 15 days that were 90 degrees or above - this year we had one whole day above 90 degrees and Piro and I weren't even in the state. I live for summer and warmth. May only had 7 days without rain. That was also the month that lightening hit nearby and blew the phone off the receiver. I haven't even recovered from last winter's seasonal affective disorder. The weather is very strange for southern Michigan this time of year.

And get this, just get this - - - the grass is actually GREEN. No - that is seriously wrong. In August in Michigan the lawns are supposed to be brown and parched and should have been scorched since July. Listen you Oregonians and Washingtonites - take your lousy Pacific Northwest weather back!

And good luck to all in Florida and anyone with family down there!!! I see the victims on the news and the majority of them could be my grandparents down there. If you can spare a few bucks check out the American Red Cross donation page. Charities rely on the many making small donations and not a few making giant endowments. Thanks!