def in Japan: a comic diary

I really enjoy reading your Kyoto series, @nahadef . Looking forward to the next sequel!
Appreciated!

I'm really enjoying doing this. It's burning me out working at this rate (a page a day on top of my job), but I'll feel great when it's done and I can print it.

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Nice one, ND! You keep us suspended until next week. :)

Are you planning on releasing them in one volume, a 'Kyoto Anthology'?
 
Are you planning on releasing them in one volume, a 'Kyoto Anthology'?
I think I'll make a little book out of them, maybe 60 pages. Right now, I'm in discussions with two boutique publishers, but this might be an awkward length: units of 48 are best, 48, 96, 144. So I will probably do this one on my own.
 
I did them alternate days this week instead of daily. A guy can rest, right?

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nahadefさん, have you actually done these things? If so, I'd be quite interested in seeing the photos you took, such as of the 3-storey Buddha statue. :3
 
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nahadefさん, have you actually done these things? If so, I'd be quite interested in seeing the photos you took, such as of the 3-storey Buddha statue. :3
Ah, there were hundreds. Maybe after I'm done, I'll post some in the pictures of Japan thread. Really though, if you google things like Arashiyama or Kiyomizudera, you'll get loads of images.

Here's that Buddha though.
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The Daibutsu in Kamakura is quite interesting because of the construction, atmosphere, and weathering. This one looks kind of cheap to me, like it's made of concrete. I don't know what it's called.
 
Ah, there were hundreds. Maybe after I'm done, I'll post some in the pictures of Japan thread. Really though, if you google things like Arashiyama or Kiyomizudera, you'll get loads of images.

Here's that Buddha though.
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The Daibutsu in Kamakura is quite interesting because of the construction, atmosphere, and weathering. This one looks kind of cheap to me, like it's made of concrete. I don't know what it's called.
It does look a bit different compared to the usual golden ones, but I still notice nothing quite strange about this Buddha statue. I still recognize it as a Daibutsu. Interesting. And it looked nothing like what I thought it was, lol.
 
It does look a bit different compared to the usual golden ones, but I still notice nothing quite strange about this Buddha statue. I still recognize it as a Daibutsu. Interesting. And it looked nothing like what I thought it was, lol.

It's not a statue of Buddha. It's 観音菩薩
 
It's not a statue of Buddha. It's 観音菩薩

More Info Here

The head was a dead giveaway it is Kannon and not Buddha, by the way.

You'll find far more representations of Kannon, Jizo, and Fudou Myouou (観音菩薩、地蔵菩薩、不動明王) in Japan than you will of the historical Buddha, by the way. Many representations of Buddha that you will find here are of Amida Buddha (阿弥陀仏), primarily associated with the Pure Land sects. The historical Buddha...ostensible founder of it all, gets amazingly little play in Japanese Buddhism.
 
More Info Here

The head was a dead giveaway it is Kannon and not Buddha, by the way.

You'll find far more representations of Kannon, Jizo, and Fudou Myouou (観音菩薩、地蔵菩薩、不動明王) in Japan than you will of the historical Buddha, by the way. Many representations of Buddha that you will find here are of Amida Buddha (阿弥陀仏), primarily associated with the Pure Land sects. The historical Buddha...ostensible founder of it all, gets amazingly little play in Japanese Buddhism.
Woops.

Interesting. And now that I look at it, it does indeed look far more like Guan Yin than a Buddha. I guess for someone like me, I would randomly guess "Buddha" out of laziness when glancing. I actually have a statue of Kannon right behind me right now, but I don't pay that much attention to it since I'm not really religious. Guess I should pay attention a bit more.

Geographical changes quite indeed make a difference in Japan, I guess.
 
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Two more pages left! Can I stick the landing?
 
Completed! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.

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Nice one, congratulations on being published!

I wish they had a "digital only" option too.
 
Ah, thanks Thomas! There is a digital version available here: 6 mo sub (digital only) from Biguglyrobot Publishing

I will also be digitally selling it individually on my Gumroad page sometime in the future. But first we need to promote the subscription service. The other artists are either Japanese or lifers in the country. It's great company to be in.
 
Yes, indeed, congratulations! I wish you every success with it.
 
I presume you sell these in Japanese stores? Do the local Japanese buy it a lot, considering this is an English publication?
 
I presume you sell these in Japanese stores? Do the local Japanese buy it a lot, considering this is an English publication?
I don't sell this last book at all. A publisher is doing it for me. I have books in English and in Japanese, and the stuff in Japanese sells better, and the stuff with Japanese and English sells better still. Though none of it is going to pay the rent anytime soon.

Generally, most big cities have book stores with large English sections where such stuff could be sold, but it isn't going to be on the top sellers list.
 
Hi, a little update on all this stuff:
I enjoyed the forum while I was active here, but on the whole, I've been happier not to read the posts of some of the more unlikeable members here. I just use forums less on the whole, since they are a magnet to people with pent up frustration (to an extent, myself included!).

I have spent a lot of this year organising promotion the book for Alone in Kyoto. The first print sold out, a second printing is done, and is available at:
The Beguiling Books & Art in Toronto, Ontario
Austin Books & Comics in Austin, Texas
Forbidden Planet NYC in New York, New York and
Chicago Comics in Chicago, Illinois

Plus, it is being sold at different comic events when they occur in Japan, and I plan to be at the Kaigai Manga Fest in Tokyo in November.

As well, it is being distributed by the awesome birdcagebottombooks, able to send all over the place, and still through biguglyrobot in Japan.
I also did a podcast interview about comics and the book for Deconstructing Comics, and it's a little scattershot, since I don't have the chance to speak about comics much, and a lot of info exploded out of me, but it was fun: » #449 Ian M: Comics, Squared- Deconstructing Comics: A podcast about the craft of comics -

I've been doing lots of comics this year, but nothing much connected to Japan, so it seems off topic here, but for example, here is a little drama piece I did recently:
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Eventually, I'll get back to exploring the country again, and post a little more. A lot of the comics I've done this year are about dysfunctional relationships, and this isn't the most appropriate place to share that sort of thing.

Cheers all!
 
Attaboy, it wouldn't have been our Ian to exit without a childishly snarky remark.

The "unlikable members" has for several weeks wondered if you are alive and well, but is glad to see you're just as classy going out as you were when you were active.

Best of luck to you, McM.
 
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