def in Japan: a comic diary

[nahadef]

Thanks a lot man! I have good feedback on the sites I post at, but the more I hear, the better! Comics are slow, and I realise people pop in and out with their reading, but hearing people are reading makes a big difference. I thought I'd get a lot done in August on summer vacation, but between a trip to Tokyo, Obon in the boonies, and babysitting the rest of the time, I haven't had so much free time. Basically, I have genuine excuses!
I have the next two pages plotted, and that will be the end of part two, basically last May. From there, June to August will be a shorter block, since not as much was going on, actively, but there should be 40 or so pages total when done.

 

[nahadef]

Bad delay getting back to work, but I'm back-ish. I wrote this page over a few days.

This is the end of part two, May. The next pages will be 5-10 pages, June to August, and conclude the story.

 

[marley'sghost]

Thanks for writing and posting these. So disappointing that the end of the saga seems to be heading in the direction of faces saved, rugs swept under and business going back to usual.

 

[nahadef]

Gearing up for printing, another handful of pages left, but the cover has been mostly finalised.

 

[thomas]

Gearing up for printing, another handful of pages left, but the cover has been mostly finalised.

Great news, @nahadef ! Can we get signed copies?

 

[nahadef]

Great news, @nahadef ! Can we get signed copies?

Of course! But I think I'm going to skip the International Manga Festival this year and instead go to Comic Art Tokyo in July... Even if it's devilishly hot!

Still catching up on summer strips. It seems I've just let too much pile up in my life between my jobs... I need to quit something.

 

[scrying]

I really enjoy your work, sir. I've been following the whole Sapporo thing as much as possible (I'm with the union, and hear a lot of the scuttlebutt since I'm on exec committee). Your slice of life stuff is very fun too
Any idea on a print date? If you don't mind, I'd like to plug it to people in the Tokai area.

 

[nahadef]

Thanks a lot! I have the last pages written, some drawn, but have been pretty burnt out, and doing other stuff to boost my motivation. The print should be within the year, and we're working on a translation.

I think you might be disappointed in the last pages though....the union rep ended up being a colossal dick, then the union stopped replying to e-mails (despite me being a paying member), and the last contact I had from them was a horrible haemorrhage style press release, with a quote, and I'm not joking, "This is not a sell to stop you going elsewhere. In fact it would make my life easier". (copy pasted from the e-mail) The people fighting for us said it's cool if we quit, since it makes things easier for them. Unbelievable. As an acquaintance said to me, "What a tosser." They've been terrible, and I'll be quitting soon, most likely, since I don't see them changing their attitude and they're doing literally nothing for me in any other form. I wish they were heroes in the story, but they come off much more like parasites with desires of their own. And I really do wish they were heroes. In this comic, I won't be able to express this disappointment.

I have all the pages planned out, it just was all so totally depressing that I've been putting it off. I quit as the ALT rep to city hall as of last Thursday, and have gotten a little mojo back. As I told the guy I passed it off to, I expected the school board to be stubborn, I expect the ALTs to be lazy or fearful, but I never expected the union to act like babies. How can I help organise people in my city, when the people who are wanting us to organise won't even communicate with us?

The whole situation has been an invitation to avoid standing up for others ever again. And the truth is, I have my own business going on, so the situation of ALTs was only a concern to me since I want ALTs to be professionals and not a working holiday job. I'm not going to become a conservative, but I think I'll be a supporter instead of an activist.

But I've got back on the wagon drawing, and will finish this story this month, because I can't leave it longer!

This month, I've done a daily challenge, and will try to finish off the page in progress tomorrow.

 

[scrying]

I would say by all means express as much disappointment as you feel. While the group has had a number of successes, it is certainly not without its failings too, and honest critiques can really only help long term. I am really sorry that things have been such shite up there (the entire ordeal sounds insane)...activism can definitely suck the marrow from your bones, especially when dealing with organizational bureaucracy and wrongheadedness and I'm glad you have other business picking up to take care of some of the slack. Good luck, and yeah, really looking forward to the print version

 

[nahadef]

FINISHED! Preparing the print version for the next few weeks. Thank you for your patience.

 

[thomas]

At least you're not fighting windmills anymore! Good luck with the final preparations, I am looking forward to seeing your work in print.

Btw, it's "liesurely" in the last panel.

 

[nahadef]

Ah, I can fix it in post editing! Thanks!

 

[nahadef]

New short story

 

[nahadef]

I see that last post with the final ALT pages are dead, so here is a 'live' version.

 

[nahadef]

It's taken a little longer than expected to see print, but it was done with a Risograph printer, allowing for a more boutique feeling than the currently used laser printers. They're available online now at Biguglyrobot Publishing | Home | Online Store Powered by Storenvy and I will be attending Comic Art Tokyo when it's held in the fall.

Back to work!

 

[nahadef]

 

[nahadef]

 

[thomas]

Judging by your last story your daughter has grown into a young lady.

 

[nahadef]

She's a few years older, and interacting with her is changing every day. That's part of the reason to do more diary strips... time is flying by, and I want her to have some memories of us from me for her to read when she's older. Even if the strips are mainly about me.

 

[mdchachi]

I always avoided 「そうね」 because I understood it to sound feminine. But I guess it's not necessarily the case.
女の人が「そうだね」とか「～だ」という言葉を使ったり、男の人が「そ... - Yahoo!知恵袋

 

[nahadef]

Don't look to me for proper Japanese. It's too much work to try to make it native, and most of the time natives don't care. I remember one vender I saw in Okinawa whose sign had terrible English and I asked him if he wanted to know the correct English. He said no way! That sign made so many Americans stop in the street and brought in their business

 

[nahadef]

 

[nahadef]

 

[nahadef]

This page takes way too long to load! Looking forward to the rollover!

 

[nahadef]