NHS: Hawaii Pocket Manga Vol # 2!
Katie - 09/15/2006

The second volume of the Ninja High School Hawaii pocket manga is on the way!

I just sent the final revisions to the publisher this weekend, and I've been told that the book should be on the shelves in October. So bug your local bookstore to order it for you!

If you didn't get a chance to pick up a copy of volume one at any of the cons we were at this season, you can order it directly from Antarctic Press.

Anizona 2 Cometh and Go... eth...
Jodon - 06/13/2006

"The time has come," Jodon said.
"To talk of many things:
Of costumes-- and guests-- and shennanigans--
Of plug suits-- and wigs--
And while the funk is thick and hot--
And whether pigs have wings."

This past April, Katie and I were invited to be guests at Anizona 2006, and were more than excited. The previous (which was also the first…) year of the con was by far one of our best con experiences, and we expected much of the same this year. Better yet? We didn’t have a looming NHS deadline over our heads, soaking up every waking minute of our time. We would actually get to enjoy the con.

We left Thursday morning in the hopes of making it to the con before the guest dinner/meet and greet. Also, we had a newcomer to the con circuit with us this year. One of Katie’s apprentices, Keiko, had never been to a con before. We told her about how great Anizona was last year, and she wanted to tag along. And yes, she had a great time.

Anyway, by some amazing feat, we made it with about 15 minutes to spare. After a short bout of “Where’s the dinner?”, we found everyone. We got to meet up with Colleen again, as well as meet Sonny, and hang with last year’s awesome con chair, Anthony. (Not that we don’t love you too, Dave!) Afterwards, we went back to the room to unload the car, and then set up in the Dealer’s Room before they closed… which is a rarity for us.

Friday

Friday it was rise and shine, and then to the opening ceremony. We received a very warm reception from the fans/attendees. The ceremony was also pretty brief (which is always nice). Katie and I totally rocked the awesome Jackalope hats that were given to the guests. ^_^’v

After opening, we went to our table in the Dealer’s Room, where people stopped by to talk about Oasis Destiny, NHS, and, of course, Aesir Corp. Later in the day, Katie had her first panel for the con, “Art for Profit.” There, she basically gave a nitty-gritty look at what it takes to be successful with art financially. Evidentially, the panel went very well; even though, I was not there to witness it. Katie came back to the majesty that was the Dealer’s Room, only this time it was sweltering. In the time she was gone, the temperature of the Dealer’s Room had climbed extremely. It pretty much stayed that way the rest of the night, as excited fan boys and girls clamored for loot.

Katie and Keiko, ready for action!

After the Dealer’s Room closed, Katie, Keiko, and I headed back to our room. It was nice to just chill after a busy day, that was for sure. Keiko was still charged with energy and decided to go to the rave. Katie and I spent the evening running some errands and getting dinner. Returning and remaining conscious for only moments before hitting the sack.

Saturday

Saturday was fairly straight forward. We got up early enough to get hotel provided breakfast. This wasn’t your ‘bagels and toast’ kind of breakfast either. We are talking full spread: an eggs, bacon, and omelet type breakfast. Good times. Then it was on to our spot in the Dealer’s Room.

Katie had a wig panel in the middle of the day that again, as I understand it, went quite well. (What?! Someone had to hold down the fort! I am no good with that wig stuff anyway.) We were just lucky that Keiko was there so she could help Katie with the panel and I could stay. Actually, Katie was also able to divide the class into a basic and intermediate level, so that more experienced people weren’t bored to tears.

Never doubt the might of a pack of Lolitas.

My day at the booth was spent talking to fans and newcomers alike. I got to talk with Dave Beaty from “Bushi Tales” about his work when he stopped by the table. We also swapped publisher stories. Seems that Katie and I aren’t the only ones who have had some trouble with publishing, and decided to self-publish. They also introduced me to Antone Wade who does the comic “Jetta.” Both were awesome to talk to and swap war stories with.

That evening was the big cosplay event. It is no secret that, while I appreciate the cosplay as a hobby, I am not one for watching it. Katie was asked to judge again this year, and had a great time. She thought many of the costumes and wigs were very well done, and the skits entertaining. It was nice to see Randal (‘The Lovable Scamp,’ as Katie calls him), again. He is the head of the Southwest Costumers Guild (If I recall correctly…) and was dressed as Mal from Firefly the first day he was there. If you don’t know who Mal is, or what Firefly is about; shame on you. Go get your hands on it.

The winners of Katie's "Judge's Award." Grats guys! (or gals)

After the Cosplay, Katie, Keiko, and I met up with Anthony (last year’s con chair) for an evening out and about with Coleen and Sonny to go stargazing. First, we grabbed a bite to eat at the sorta local outdoor mall. By sorta, I mean a good 15 minute drive. If you live in California long enough, this measurement of time is considered ‘local.’ The food was damn tasty, I must say. After that, we ventured out as far as we could from town to get a good stargazing spot. The best part was getting to this desert location in the middle of nowhere. We had to klunk over some rocks, and battle a tree of bats, but we made it. Unfortunately, the stars were not with us. Well, I guess what I should really say was, the moon was not with us. The moon was so bright that all the stars were drowned out.

The eternal question finally answered: "What would Pikachu been like renaissance?" (And an absolutely awesome costume!)

We returned to our room and got to bed at a reasonable hour.

Sunday

Sunday was the day I was nervous about. The biggest reason for this was that I was going to be debuting my panel entitled, “You Are Not Your Anime Character.” It was basically a down-to-earth, honest look at the current state of Otakudom, and how it needs to be reflected upon and improved. It is a touchy subject, because it brings into the crosshairs people’s personal behavior and ideals. My point wasn’t to tell them how to enjoy their con experience, just to make them aware of the behaviors that affect the whole community negatively; everyone from attendees, to guests, to the con staff.

Anyway, the morning was straight forward: Food, booth, and talking. Many people were back for their final round in the dealer’s room. Looking to snatch up some last minute deals and make sure they didn’t leave the con with a cent to their name. ^_^

The lovely and talented judging panel from the cosplay.

The time drew near for my panel. I went over the powerpoint that I had put together as an outline, more for myself than anything. Checking and double checking the flow and organization. I wanted it to be both precise and entertaining. I closed the laptop, and made my way to the panel room. Katie would join me as moral support, and make sure that “The Ruse” (my ranty, cynical alter-ego) stayed in check. No sense in offending anyone.

For all the build up in my mind of how people would receive this panel, I don’t think I was even close. I was prepared for confrontation. I was prepared to have to stand my ground on possibly irrational circumstances. What I got was cheers and laughs as I recounted anecdotal tales, and the hard truths about Otakudom. Many people shook my hand afterwards. One attendee even commented, “This is something that should be mandatory for all con attendees.” With that in mind, I think I can consider the mission a success. Thanks to everyone who came, and to those of you who offered support and praise.

The rest of the day went by quickly. After the panel, there wasn’t much time left for the Dealer’s Room to be open. People continued to trickle by, and talk/buy things. We totally sold out of our books and gave away all of our Aesir Corp promos by the end of the day. We hope that those of you who bought one have enjoyed them!

The last order of business for the day was the closing ceremonies. We love going to Anizona so much, that this was almost a downer for us. Of course, we were prompted by the con chair/guest coordinator if we wanted to come back next year, and we jumped at the opportunity! While there is nothing official yet, we have made the verbal commitment to attend.

Gainax Boy gets his Snape costume into the holiday spirit!

The night was again spent with Anthony and other staffers (Dano and Jason) in the Phoenix area. It is always fun just to hang out and shoot the breeze.

So, that about does it for this year’s Anizona. We had a blast, as always. I would like to take a moment to thank some people (in no particular order).

Keiko – Thanks for tagging along and helping at the table! It’s also nice that you had a great time at your first con.

Dave – You did a fine job as con chair this year and thanks for having us.

Anthony – For taking care of our needs (no matter how small) and showing us a great time in Phoenix.

Jason – For extending the invitation, and having us as Guests of Honor this year. Also, for helping to get us squared away in the Dealer’s Room.

Rachel – Awesome Easter baskets (you got me Orangina!), and Jackelope hats!

The Dude in the Red Baseball Cap – Sorry I can’t remember your name! You watched the table for me while the girls were away so I could use the restroom.

-Jodon

We're at AniZona!
Jodon - 04/14/2006

I have sucessfully infiltrated the secret network communications infastructure at the hotel, and am broadcasting to you on a priate signal! (Read: The hotel has free wireless in the lobby, and I am able to hit it from our location in the dealer's room)

If you are here, or planning to be here, please stop on by! Katie and I are having a great time, and would love to talk with you!

-Jodon

News from the front!
Jodon - 03/31/2006

***The scene opens. Jodon is wielding a machete. Swinging wildly at the wig hair as it attempts to ensnare him. Keeping him from delivering wholesome honest news!***

Exciting, eh?

I wanted to give you all an update on the... well... update situation. Simply, I refer you to this thread on Katie's Wig Forums. Excuses aside, we are making every effort that we can to deliver to you all as soon as possible. Of course, while the news is bittersweet in this regard, I have finally secured a new 'real' job. The good news is that I won't be poh no moh. The 'bad' news is that it is a 7-6 job (including travel) that eats into potential time.

Katie just got back from SakuraCon and had a great time. She said she had a great time talking with people, and if you are new to the site after SakuraCon, welcome!

Some other good news... The NHS:Hawaii pocket manga is now out for you to get your hands on. While you do not need to read NHS to understand the happenings of Aesir Corp, it does provide some insight into the series that might interest you. The best comparison I can make is with the Firefly movie. You didn't need to watch the show to enjoy the movie, but if you had watched the show, you enjoyed it that much more.¹ Does that make sense? Anyway, should you get your hands on it, Katie and I hope you enjoy it.

Lastly, I want to ask you all a question. Katie is the artist of this little comic of ours, and with her time monopolized, we were throwing around an idea to keep some content, if not in the graphic sense. You may recall some mention in the past of my work with FFXI Warcry as a satire columnist. Katie and I were thinking about bringing that here. An additional 'news' section if you will. Here I would write articles pertaining to the events happening in the background in the celestial nations. Better than that, how mortal realm events effect the celestial nations.

Example:
OTG faith was hit hard yesterday as the part of the mortal realm know as the "United States of America" (the majority share holder for the OTG) was severely damaged by a powerful weather event. Many of the mortals in the effected areas lost their lives and homes as the storm moved through. Our operatives in the field reported cries of, "Why God?! Why?" and "How can God let this happen?" This region in particular of the "United States" was affectionately known as the "Bible Belt," signifying that a majority of the mortals’ faith inhabiting the region is handled by the 'Christianity' division of the OTG Collective.

An OTG representative, Archangel Michael, was quick to point out that they "received many strong praises from the mortals as well." He continued, "Many mortals were quick to acknowledge that they were still living. They sat in respectful prayer and told us, ‘Thank you, God. Thank you for giving me another day.’” Unfortunately, numbers show that the loss of faith far exceeded the minimal gain.

Today, however, OTGs stock rebounded well as its ‘Muslim’ division reported “strong prayers of praise and thanks for the punishment delivered to the infidels.” As most of our readers are well aware, this sort of behavior in OTG stock is not uncommon and is the central point of a Taoist Consulting investigation and multi-national lawsuit against the OTG concerning unethical faith management, anticompetitive business practices, and multiple infractions pertaining to the treatment of their mortal followers. Freya, the current Chief Operating Deity of Aesir Corp, was quoted as saying, “The numbers concerning OTG’s faith today only strengthens our case that their business practices are anticompetitive and they pit their mortal believers against one another to line their accounts.” She continued, “It is really is quite despicable.”

The OTG has maintained a defense that their competitors would rather litigate than innovate their business models. They maintain that their business operates well within the confines of the Celestial Nation Proclamation, and the case is a shameless attempt to hamper their business practices. It should be known that this statement carries some merit as many of the nations still continue to cling on to traditions that many mortals find “tired and dated.”

-David Postscript

As you can see, here is a prime example of a real life event and its effect on the celestial realm. Please feel free to comment on this idea in this article’s forum post.

That’s about it for now. Anizona is rapidly approaching, and Katie and I are very excited about attending. We’ll be sure to give you all the info as soon as we have it. ^_^

We want to thank you all again, for being so patient.
-Jodon

¹ If you haven’t seen Firefly, do yourself a favor and run, do not walk, to the nearest video retail/rental store and watch the TV series. After that? Get the movie, Serenity, and watch that too. They are both awesome.

About the delays
Jodon - 02/22/2006

Katie and I are trying to resolve how to best handle that given some extenuating circumstances with Katie's Wig business. Believe me; if I even had an ounce of Katie's artistic talents I would be doing something, even if it's filler to keep the updates fresh. As it stands, she's stretched a little thin at the moment and Aesir Corp has unfortunately taken a bit of a backseat.

This is NOT, I repeat NOT to say that Katie and I have given up on, or otherwise have lost interest in AC. This is not the case at all. In fact, there isn't a "comic night" that goes by unfilled that doesn't have some level of guilt or disappointment at not being able to update. The last thing we want to become is one of those "unreliable" webcomics. Katie and I don't like to be unreliable IRL, and that extends into our digital lifestyles as well.

-Jodon

Sac Anime, and cons to come.
Jodon - 02/22/2006

Katie and I made a successful excursion to the great North that is Sacramento. Well, that’s not particularly 'great' per se, but it is north all the same! As always, the con chair for SacAnime, Dan Houck, put on a small yet jammed-packed anime con. While smaller than most cons, SacAnime does have all you need: Solid discussion panels, Dealer’s Room, Cosplay, and anime viewing rooms. The con was only one day, but Katie and I were able to talk to lots of people, and if they are reading this, welcome!

For a rainy day, many people showed up to Sacramento’s only anime con. Most seemed to spend their time in the dealer’s room looking at all the merchandise the dealers had to offer. Katie and I were also in the dealer’s room with the other guests talking with the passersby. While we were there I spent a good deal of my time buried behind the laptop working on NHS revisions, so I am sorry if you didn’t get to talk to/with me. ^_^’v

At some point I decided to take a break, and pulled out my Nintendo DS loaded with the latest in great games, Mario Kart DS. I played a couple of solo tracks, and then got an itch. I was at a con, the game was new… I wonder. I switched over to multiplayer mode (which is wireless) and to my surprise, there were others playing Mario Kart at the con! I hopped in on a couple of matches and had a blast. I had spotted where the other players were from the ruckus and cheering across the room, but did not want to leave the table. If you happened to be there, and playing… ‘The Ruse’ says, “Hi.”

Katie was scheduled for one panel while we were there, and it was a wig workshop. It was a modest turnout, and Katie helped some of the budding and even experienced cosplayers with some wig tips and tricks.

The con slowly wound down in preparation for the Cosplay. The dealers and guests packed up, and the room was instead filled with anxious cosplayers and attendees interested to see what they had to offer. Katie was asked to judge with 3 others, scoring and voting the best of the cosplayers into categories. It was a unique experience to say the least. For many, this was their first cosplay. There was plenty of laughing to be had when the judges rushed the stage to wrestle for control of the mic. Me? I was rounding the last bend on Koopa Troopa Beach, vying for the lead. I’ll be the first to admit that cosplay isn’t my thing. I think it is damn impressive what those cosplayers can do, but watching the cosplay doesn’t do much for me.

After the cosplay was over, Katie and I thanked Dan for his hospitality and general awesomeness, and headed back to the hotel. We’ll be back at the next SacAnime, which is on July 15th, and we eagerly look forward to it.

On the horizon are a couple of larger cons that Katie and/or I will be attending. First up is SakuraCon on March 24-26 in Seattle, Washington. Unfortunately, this will be a solo venture for Katie. I can’t get the time off work to attend, and there are other cons that I want to be sure to attend. Not to say that going to SakuraCon doesn’t interest me. ^_^’v

After that, it is off to Anizona, where they put on a hella good show last year. Katie and I will be running a couple of panels we hope that you all will be interested in. We don’t have dates or times yet, but as soon as we do, I’ll be sure to pass it along.

We are also slated to appear at Otakon and Anime Expo, but the details aren’t nailed down yet. Again, I’ll let you know as soon as I hear something solid.

That about wraps this update up…

Asta la pasta. -Jodon

Aesir Corp Deploys Propaganda Reps to SacAnime Show
Jodon - 01/11/2006

Katie and I will be heading to the SacAnime Show in... well... Sacramento! During this time updates may be sporadic as we get prepared to drive up there. Also, Katie and I are piecing together the first edition of the NHS pocket manga to turn in by next Friday, which will further impact the Aesir Corp release schedule. Until then, we apologize. We'll be back on track once this stuff passes by! Thanks for your continued readership and support! -Jodon

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