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Behind the Scenes: Issue #38

06/07/2008

Um, did I say "stay tuned next week"? Oops. Obviously, I meant "next month". ;)

First, let me give you an update on the goings-on here at the website, and then I'll get to this weeks Behind the Scenes look. Okie-day?
Spring Term 2008 is finally almost over. I am actually walking in Spring Commencement next Saturday June 14th, at the Rose Garden Arena. This day has been a looooooong time coming, let me tell you. I can honestly say that I always pictured myself graduating well before I turned 30. But, since I plan on living till I'm 130, it's not that bad. ;)
With Finals week next week, Michael and I are planning on getting together in the next 2 weeks to set up a game plan for getting the comic back on track. At this point, there are 3 scripts completed and ready for art. A 4th is already partially completed. At this meeting we will be talking about several things, including story direction, art direction, new website, the Otaku Refuge Project, and several other things, not to mention just some plain old hanging out. I haven't seen Michael since his birthday party in mid-April. And, I'm not even sure when the last time we actually talked to each other... early May? late April? Much too long at any rate. Now that I only have 1 term of college left, I'm hoping that we will be able to hang out more going forward.

Behind the Scenes: Issue #38
This issue is rather obviously shaped around my favorite Heroes character, Hiro Nakamura. For those of you not familiar with the show (and shame on you if you're not), Hiro has the ability to manipulate the space/time continuum. Meaning, he can go forward, backward, and even stop time, as well as travel instantaneously through space (meaning he can go anywhere on Earth he wants in an instant).
Ariake's "I did it!" is the American translation of the "Yatta!" that Hiro shouts when he arrives in Times Square during the first episode. Then, all of the side comments and the last panel are all about making fun of Ariake and his mistaken presumption that he has the same power. The issue was originally much longer, but time constraints and Michael's getting used to the new full page format forced the issue to be much shorter.
While this is arguably one of the weaker issues of 4komatose, the geek in both Michael and myself essentially took the comic hostage for this issue and forced us to shower praise on one of our favorite TV shows.
Let me make one quick comment on the scenery for this issue. This is, perhaps, one of the most detailed scenery issues we've ever done. The setting is supposed to be evocative of China (even though our characters and the issue premise is Japanese-based). The reason for this is that Chinatown is a staple in most major cities in the USA. I've never been to, nor do I know of, the existence of a Japantown, though I'm sure they exist. Many Chinatowns out here on the west coast, specifically Portland and Seattle, have very similar imagery to that shown in this issue. Thus, it is only natural that both Rose City and Emerald City have very similar imagery as well.

I won't promise a new Behind the Scenes next week, but I will promise another one... at some point.
Like I said above, we're going to be refocusing on the site in the coming weeks. Look forward to more 4komatose VERY soon. :D

Look! Up in the Sky!

08/26/2008

...and all this time I thought they got the idea from Nietzche.