My internet connect keeps dropping. Hopefully I was able to upload the b/w version of the comic without any problems.

… so the comic might not go up as scheduled? Depends on how quickly it comes back up. Anyway, bear with us!

I really like the idea of a middle class Batman.

“The idea is that this is a Middle Class Batman. Its still Bruce, and his parents were still murdered, but they were never rich, and he still ended up becoming Batman…but with a bit of a budget.” - MIKE MITCHELL

I’m tempted to draw Batman now…

I was in NYC this weekend to visit family, so I decided, what the hell, I’ll check out the New York Anime Festival to see if it’s a show we could “officially” do in years to come, and I think the verdict is a tentative no. Turnout seemed to be lukewarm, with the biggest traffic spike on Saturday, but the general complaint from congoers and some exhibitors seemed to be that the convention was just a “glorified dealer’s room”. In that sense, it was run more like an industry con than your usual anime conventions - you have a dealer’s room, a couple of panel rooms and a big presentation area (in this case, the area behind the dealer’s room that had been separated off with a curtain), which is standard fare for a comics convention, but an anime convention? Not so. (There was mention from some people of a video game room, but I never got to check it out - I heard it inelegantly described as a closet, which sounded unfortunate). Speaking from a consumer’s perspective, the $55 for a full 3-day pass would be better spent at another convention, where you have your dealer’s room, artist alley + auction, panel rooms, video rooms, video game rooms, concert/dance rooms, and so on. Additionally, this convention essentially ran from 10 to 7 PM, which is far short of the usual closing times of most anime cons.

There were three personal highlights to this convention for me, presented now in no particular order. The first is not to the credit of the convention per se - I got to see Mookie (Dominic Deegan) again - it is always a joy to see him, and I’m glad we had time to spend Friday and a small part of Saturday night catching up.

The second highlight was Rym and Scott (of Geeknights) doing their panels. I sadly missed their Gekiga panel this time, but I caught and participated in their Anime Match Game panel, which always gets the crowd - and celebrity guests - laughing, screaming, howling, and - well, laughing. They have a good grip on presentation style and theatrics, and a good finger on the pulse of their demographic - they are able to adapt the panel at will based on the kind of people they see in the audience, and this is because they are no strangers to advance preparation. If you are a congoer and see that they are doing this panel, go to it. You have my highest possible personal recommendation. If you are a convention organizer, get these guys to do some panels for you - people love them. It is a measure of fun that both the audience and the celebrity guest panelists always have an equally good time. So kudos to NYAF to have the insight to bring these guys on board and provide them with the right guests for the panel - it was a smashing success.

The third highlight of the convention was actually getting to meet Peter Fernandez and Corinne Orr, the original voices of Speed Racer and Trixie. Younger voice actors are a staple of anime conventions, but it was very very cool to see some of the veterans come out and take the stage. Peter Fernandez has the coolest voice. It was a first for me, and NYAF certainly deserves the credit for getting those guests.

If you’re still reading, that’s about it! It was nice to spend some time with family and friends and in NYC. I’m not a native, but I really love the city.

Is it just me, or does the new Punisher (in this picture) looks like Steven Seagal?

We were sharing baby pictures at work. I thought would share mine with you guys as well.

Good luck Jess on your final exams (she’s graduating yay!) and anyone else with finals!