Sunday, March 09, 2008

SPRING CLEANING AND A RETURN TO SAME HATTERY


This is a new record for me, in a bad way. Nearly a month since I last posted? Damn, it's definitely time to show Same Hat some love. In the past few weeks, I've managed to pile up a decent list of OH SHIT, I GOTTA TELL FOLKS ABOUT THAT and DUDE, I HAVE TO POST DETAILS AND GET THE REST FILLED IN BY YOU GUYS. My plan is to finish off a few more things tomorrow and be back in earnest starting this week. So, before that here's a big update on the what's what in Ryantown, if anyone cares (and hey, it's my fucking blog so I'm gonna post it):

+SAME HAT'S 3 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
Holy crap, it's been a long time since I first posted back in February of 2005, with the overly-earnest idea to blog about gag manga and translate some of my favorite strips by a basically unknown Sensha. It's now less scanlations, more manga news and musings, but hopefully it's still cool for you guys.

+THE SECRET PROJECT
We're in crunch time with the deadline looming, but the book is turning out really fantastic. I've lined up blurbs, we've finalized the cover and I'm hammering out final edits to the pages. I can't wait to be able to talk more about the book, and for you guys to be able to read it later this year.


+I'M GOING TO JAPAN
I'm talking a 12 day vacation in April with my GF! The plan includes 5 nights in Tokyo, 5 nights in Kyoto and a night in Osaka. Not much is set in stone yet (Except a Takarazuka Revue show I snagged tickets to..) but we have our eyes on Fushimi Inari Shrine, Ueno park swap meets, riding bikes around Kyoto, butler cafe in Akihabara, MOS Burger, drunken sakura hanami, and SO SO SO much manga buying (Taco Che and Mandarake, here we come). It's my first time back since 2004, and we're totally geeked. I am hoping to bring back tons of photos, new manga to report on and some omiyage to send folks (I'm thinking it's time for some sort of SH contest... any ideas?)

On top of all that, my secret plan is to meet Kazuo Umezu. No seriously, I am gonna make this happen, somehow. And them my brain will explode and I can die happy.

+UPCOMING CONS, FESTS AND EXPOS
As we're coming out of winter, I'm trying to figure out which cons to try to check out. Has anyone made specific plans yet? I wanted to go to Stumptown but it's too soon after my vacation... If all goes well, I'll definitely be at MoCCA in New York, SDCC, then SPX and APE.


This is a shitload of travel, but I think 2008 is the year to do it-- to keep meeting folks and get to hang out with comic and manga nerds. And like APE has taught us, there's nothing like a con to get our asses in gear and finish a goddamn project.


+ELECTRIC ANT ISSUE #1
The zine was put on hold for the aforementioned SECRET PROJECT. But it's back in business and going to the printer next month. The plan is to have it back by June, and then on sale via our site and at COMIC-CON... We'll also have it to sell in person at SPX and our table at APE. Just today I was looking over a new comic by Fart Party's Julia Wertz and transcribing my interview with Fred Schodt. Can't wait to finally get this thing released (and start on issue #2)!

+OTHER ODDITIES

I tried to learn how to draw by posting daily sketches on Thing-a-Day. Much more artistic success was had by Sophia, Hellen, Ryan G and Calvin.


I helped manga editor Jason Thompson (ex-Viz editor of Drifting Classroom, Pulp, Uzumaki etc and author of Manga: The Ultimate Guide) with this manga tasting article, along with Jake Forbes (ex-Tokyopop editor, author of Return to Labyrinth). I don't really know what else to say about it... Check it out and prepare to be beaten into submission by our sheer dorkiness. Happily, we managed to work some Maruo and Umezz into the article's photographs.


I talked over email Vice's editor-in-chief Jesse. Although he was put off by some of my anti-Vice rhetoric, he is a nice guy and into the blog. He made a really generous offer-- sending us some copies of the Shintaro Kago issue to give out to SH readers! If you have tried to get a copy and haven't managed yet I'll see if I can mail one out to you. First dibs to folks that have been commenting on SH for a while and/or live in a city/country that's hard to track Vice down in.... Drop me an email if that's you and I'll try to get one to you when they arrive (of course, depending on how many we get!)

MORE, MORE, MORE COMING SOON.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

oh DUDE save me a copy!

MissUrine said...

i'd love a copy!!!!!!

bryan reynolds said...

very excited for Electric Ant, the secret project, and the manga suggestions to come
SH 08 is apparently gonna be awesome
all so, a copy of the Vice would be pretty cool

That Girl said...

;-; copy for this far-away NJ girl, please!

zytroop said...

When will you announce what the secret project is? At least the publisher?

I'm guessing it'll be something by either Sensha (hopefully), Kago or Maruo (hopefully not). Or maybe – a shot in the dark super duper wild guess that's totally uncalled for – Robin Nishi's "Mind Game".

Ryan S said...

@hellen, missurine, gizmogal: I've got you down on the list and will let you know when the bundle (mediamail!) arrives!

@bryan: thanks dude, glad to still see you around these parts. I've got you down on the Vice list too :)

@zytroop & a tree: Oooh, I like the beginning of speculation :) I think we can give details on it later this month, but I have to check with the publisher on the official announcement timing. I can't say any more, except that it's not a mangaka that's been published in English before. ;)

Unknown said...

Hey, can I get in on this Vice action? 8D I'm from Bumblefeck, IA and I've never even seen an issue available anywhere in this STATE, so you'd definitely be doing me a solid (esp since I <3 Kago!)

Cal said...

Hey, I want one too!!!! Provided you get enuff copies of course.

Anonymous said...

I would love to get my hands on a copy of that vice magazine, if I can (as I haven't posted a comment on here in a long time now >.< ).

Also heres an idea for a contest for you. A horror manga wallpaper contest, to see who can make the better horror manga wallper (as there really arn't many out there...at all). Seems like a contest were the fans all win (who doesnt was an awesome Umezz series or even Umezz himself, wallpaper up on their computer screen).

JE said...

Is it ok for a first-time commenter, but one living real far away?

I would like a copy so that I can see the illustration rendered on paper...

In any case, there are a lot of excellent manga mentions here, and I was actually excited to see an old post featuring Museum Of Terror (picked that up on a whim since someone gave me Uzumaki Vol. 1 as a gift). Although boo for MoT not going beyond Vol. 3 though.

Thanks, and hopefully more manga recommendations to look forward to.

Ryan S said...

@amber, cal, je:
I've got you guys all down on the list! Lots of folks seem interested, so I'm hoping it's a parcel of like over a dozen copies, but it might just be like 5. We'llll see! But regardless, thanks for checking out the blog as always :) I'll try to keep up my end of the bargain and keep this blog fresh and weird.

@arngrim:
That's a pretty good idea for a contest! I'll definitely give the proper attribution if I steal the idea when I get back from Japan (and I'll send you some good stuff too, naturally)

Ryan S said...

@arngrim:
It's still a good idea for a contest, but I wanted to let you know they ARE official Umezu wallpapers on his japanese site...! Check them out here:
http://umezz.com/download/page2.html

That doesn't mean the world doesn't need more, though!

John T said...

Dang, you will be arriving in Japan just as I am leaving. We'll have to compare photos (I'll be in Kansai the whole time).

Anonymous said...

Wait your going to be in Japan in April?? Maybe we'll cross paths in the classic manga section of Mandarake...

Anonymous said...

Unless you have a huge line of people in like Zambia begging for an issue, I'd like a copy, please.

Speaking of magazines, I have an awesome interview with Kazuo Umezu from Kera magazine I've been meaning to send you. It's from this article they did on room decor- I could scan it for you if you're interested

Anonymous said...

I'm glad Mind Game was mentioned on this comment page. I know that that's not what Ryan's workin' on, but I've never even seen the manga and would love a chance to view it. I fucking LOVE THE MOVIE

myrto said...

I haven't been commenting much on the blog but I have been reading religiously for more than two years now. I really adore kago, so if you have an extra vice, I promise to cherish it, hug it and treat it all kind of nice things. Plus I live in a far, far away country and i promise to pay the postal costs ^^.

Anyway keep up the good work, I missed your posts the last few days. I am really looking forward for the sectret project and the electric ant!

bittermelon said...

awww, giving back to the people. you were conversing with vice jesse?! what was that all about? i must get the 411 offline. also, congrats on the three year anniversary. i love that same hat comic. i don't need a copy of that that vice cuz the household already got one. das right!

Ryan S said...

@john t: oh bummer we'll miss you! I plan on canvasing the internet with dozens of photos. Can't wait to see yours too!

@ed : Oh dude, I'll keep you posted on the specifics. We're doing a mix of romantic toursity getaway stuff with nerddy buying and exploring deep cuts. Actually, tokyo is more touristy for us, and Kyoto/Osaka (my old haunt) is more personal faves. Maybe we can break into Umezu's studio together?

@ minerva: Sure, I'd love to check out that KERA interview with the man :) Let us know if you scan it up and put it on rapidshare, etc.
I've got you on the list, but i'm still not sure how many copies we're getting-- pretty sure more folks wanting copies than magazines to give but I'll do my best to disperse them fairly :) thanks!

@ hellen: OHHHH, that's the movie we watched the beginning of on your laptop? Dude, I still want to see the rest of it... looked so tight. I'll see if i can get my hands on a copy of the manga for you somtime :)

@ myrto: aw, thanks for reading. 2008 should be a pretty fun year for manga nerds :) I'll see what i can do about the vice thingy. i hope they're still on their way :)

@jenn: thanks dude! I can tell you more offline-- nothing too exciting except that I learned that sometimes folks you don't think are reading your blog actually are. Not that it changes what we'd post, but you know...

Anonymous said...

I must beg, beeeeeg for a copy D: I
have social anxiety disorder and leaving the house is very difficult for me
and going into the big Boston city and all those trendy, hipster shops where
Vice can (maybe) be found sounds extremely traumatic to me orz.

my email is t.d.linger@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

Too late to obtain a copy?