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Another long semester has come and gone, and my summer vacation can officially begin. The first thing I am attempting to do is catch up on sleep. I never seem to get enough during the school year, and when I have an extended period of time off, the exhaustion comes crashing down on me. Hopefully I will recover in a couple of days and be fit as a fiddle.

That being said, I have a very heavy summer travel schedule, including visits to the parents and the in-laws, two conventions (Chicago and Charlotte), and a July work-related trip to Eastern Europe.

I hope you enjoy today's strip. It's the first one, to my knowledge, that ties into something real-life--the release of fourth edition D&D later this spring. Not that I game any more, but I certainly remember the reactions of fans to 2nd and 3rd edition announcements--they were far from positive in a lot of circles. I suspect this one is fairly similar.

Today is the last day for final exams. I give two today, one at 8:00 am and one at 10:45 am. About 45 tests in all. The hopes are to get them all graded today, report my grades this afternoon, and be done. Graduation is tomorrow morning, and then, just maybe, I can begin the process of getting caught up on sleep. Every year at this time I end up being so tired, so exhausted, that I can hardy see straight, and I end up taking a few days to do nothing but rest and catch up on television.

I also have a lot of house cleaning and/or improvements that I want to do this summer. I need new living room furniture, I need to get part of the house painted, and I desperately need a new carpet in my office/study.

But I'll worry about that later. One more day of 'nose to the grindstone' and then I can exhale for a while. At least until the traveling kicks in!

I'm back from Pittsburgh after a long drive, made longer by (a) bad weather; (b) several accidents due to said bad weather; and (c) gridlock in Washington DC. Nevertheless, I'm home safe and sound.

The show itself was a mixed bag for me. Sales were poor, for the most part. I made my table back, but just barely. And it sounds like it wasn't just me. Most of the small press guys mentioned that things were a bit off this year. Whether it's a result of the proximity to NYCC, the political intrigue surrounding the Pittsburgh con, or the increase in travel costs, the show seemed to take a hit this year. Attendance seemed down as well, and there were a not of no-show guests.

On the positive side, however, Pittsburgh is a wonderful networking show. There are lots of opportunities to swap business cards and books, to catch up with old friends, and to make new ones. I was supposed to share a booth with Erica Hesse, but she broke her ankle a few weeks ago and so I flew solo. Fortunately Danielle Corsetto was right behind me, so we were able to entertain each other through the slow times. I also got eight (!) new sketches for my Girls with Guns sketchbook. I'll be sure to post them on ComicSpace and ComicSketchGallery soon, I promise. And maybe a few Pittsburgh pictures to boot.

After a crazy long day on Saturday, I finally make it home from Japan. I'm still a little jetlagged, but am sleeping pretty well as a side effect, so I guess it balances out well. Overall, though, the trip gets a solid 10 out of 10, and I'm already anticipating the next trip out that way. Incidentally, I'll be spending a couple of weeks in Eastern Europe later this summer. We'll see how that compares.

This is also the last week of classes, with final exam week next week and graduation on May 2. It seems like it finishes earlier and earlier every year. But I'm ready for the summer and definitely need to recharge my academic batteries.

Pittsburgh Comic Con is this weekend--I have my own table (I was originally going to share with Erica Hesse, but her broken ankle has put a crimp in her plans). I need to put together some minis of the strip that I will try to sell at the show, along with the other stuff I usually try to hock. I don't know the table number yet, but regardless, come say hello if you happen to be there.

The trip is winding down, and I return to the states tomorrow. I leave Tokyo around 6:30 pm and arrive in Chicago 4:30-ish the same day--that's what happens when you gain fourteen hours in flight. After a 2 1/2 hour layover, it's two more hours to Raleigh-Durham, then another two-hour drive home. Needless to say, I'll be beat by the time I get home. Thank goodness I will have Sunday to rest at home, and summer vacation is only two weeks away. Plus Pittsburgh is next weekend.

I'm trying to get a few more things seen and done during my last few days in Tokyo. I took a tour of the Japanese parliament (the Diet), visited a couple of other notable neighborhoods like Shinjuku, and have visited a couple of more delegations, both at Yokohama University and Waseda University. The last visit is today, at Hosei University. Then tonight there are plans to go out with a bang. Maybe a little shabu-shabu, a few beers, and other assorted fun. The plan is to stay out fairly late so I can get a little sleep on the plane. We'll see how well that goes.

The only real complaint I have had about my trip is the weather--it's rained at some point I think six days out of the ten I have been here, and the sun has only been out two or three days tops.

Okay, okay. This hasn't been a daily update as promised. Every other day seems to be what this is looking like.

Sunday was a rest day. After a berserk Saturday, my feet were killing me, and I needed to give them a rest. So other than a little shopping, I stayed in the room and healed my wounds. I also tried to catch up on a little rest, as I have been waking up around 5:15 or so every morning. By the time I adjust, I will be back home.

Monday saw me take a morning trip to Roppongi, another posh shopping area in Japan. My main reason for going was to get my wife a Hard Rock Cafe t-shirt, which she collects. I couldn't find it at first, and the website directions weren't terribly helpful. After wandering around, I finally went into the Tokyo Ritz-Carlton to ask for directions. The LOBBY of the hotel ended up being on the 45th floor. But they helped, and printed out a map for me. So I bought the shirt, had lunch, and went to a local bookstore that supposedly carried a lot of English stuff. That was a lie.

Anyway, I get back to the subway station and realize I don't have my Hard Rock shirt. I had left it somewhere. So I assume I left it where I had lunch and head back. I was mistaken. Frustrated, I go back to the Hard Rock and buy another shirt, assuming it was lost. Then, heading back, I remember I had used a public restroom on the way to the bookstore. So I go there and sure enough, the package is still sitting there. I now have two Hard Rock shirts. So I go back to the cafe for a THIRD time and trade one of them for another size, to serve as a gift for a friend of mine. Problem solved, but quite the adventure.

Today, Tuesday, My first day of real business began. My delegation headed to the University of Tokyo in Kashiwa, about an hour north of Tokyo proper. It was a promising visit, and future negotiations undoubtedly will continue. I'm off to Yokohama tomorrow with hopefully similar results.

Hihi! I hope things are going well at home. Yesterday was a long day, and I actually, for the first time, slept in for a little. And, as usual, I woke up five minutes before my alarm was set to go off at 9:00 am.

Let's see...I had breakfast at a bakery in the Shinjuku subway station, which has a gigantic shopping area attached to it. Plus there are about 1,741 separate train lines, both below and above ground, that run through the place.

I decided to go both to Harajuku to see the teeny-bopper culture and fashion, and the neighborhood of Aoyama, which is a pretty trendy neighborhood with all of the high fashion stores, like Ralph Lauren, Cartier, etc. I saw the national sumo stadium, the Olympic Stadium (home base for the 1964 Olympics) and Jingu stadium, home to Yakult Swallows, Tokyo's second baseball team. Lots and lots of walking, to say the least, and my feet are killing me today as a result.

It was then time to start heading to Tokyo Dome for the ballgame between Yakult Swallows and the home team Yorimuri Giants. It was a short subway ride, then about a 10-minute walk to where I needed to go. The Dome is adjacent to an entertainment center, complete with amusement park and tons of shopping. I got there a couple of hours early to ensure that I didn't have to fight pedestrian traffic.

The ballgame itself was amazing--the fans sung pretty much the entire time. The road fans sang when the road team was batting, and the home fans sang when the home team was batting. And it went on from the first pitch to the last pitch. I took a couple of short videos, so you can see them when I get home. There were a lot of things that you won't see at a US game, like cheerleaders. And all of the vendors were young women--not a male to be seen. The beer vendors had essentially backpacks holding small bladders of beer and dispensed it like a keg. No cans or bottles, like you'd see in the U.S.

After the game, I headed back to the Shinjuku station (I'm getting pretty good at navigating the subway now) and met up with one of my colleagues on the trip, Ryan, who had met up with an old friend of his, Miyoko, who he had known when he lived here. We ended up eating at a tiny little hole in the wall and then went to a karaoke box. There are entire buildings dedicated to karaoke in Japan--we're talking 10 story buildings here. It's HUGE in Japan. Anyway, the three of us ended up staying there like four hours, and the tongues got looser the more beer we drunk. Even I ripped off a song or three ;)

I didn't get back to the hotel until 3am, but it definitely was a fun day and night. Today and tomorrow are free days, then the work starts on Tuesday. But, it also looks like our schedules will be pretty light those days as well, so there should be plenty of time to play then too.

Thursday

We got into Tokyo right at 3:00 PM, which is 2:00 AM Thursday your time. We got through customs and immigration pretty quickly and efficiently. It's a long flight, and I got a grand total of maybe an hour or an hour and a half sleep altogether. I did get to watch both National Treasure 2 and Persepolis, so at least there were some good movies on the plane. Persepolis is excellent, as I expected it would be.

It took about two hours to get from the airport to the hotel. We hit town at the beginning of rush hour, plus the weather was wet and nasty. The hotel is very nice--I am on the 29th floor.and have a wonderful view of Shinjuku, the neighborhood we are in.

I decided to go out and explore a little in preparation for the week. We got a couple of beers and some sushi at a little hole in the wall in the neighborhood, then took the subway to the Shinjuku stop and walked around a little, buying breakfast for tomorrow. The Subway appears to be really easy to use, if not crowded. I can already tell, however, that I really am going to enjoy my time here.

I thought the hotel internet access would be free, but it's like $17 a day, which is fucking rediculous. I'll look for a nearby internet cafe and hope for the best.

I woke up at 5:20 this (Friday) morning. I'm sure that's a little due to the timechange, but I still got six hours sleep. The room is nice, but is $325 a night, so it damn well ought to be. The restaurants in the hotel are terribly expensive as well, but so far I have found a lot of pretty inexpensive alternatives for all meals. Today I went to the Akihabara area, which is noted for its electronics shops and the fanboy (otaku) shops as well--tons of manga, anime, DVD shops, video arcades, Maid Cafes, and stuff like that. I picked up a couple of things there--some Japanese dance music, and a goofy japanese girl figurine for my wife (inside joke). I spent a pretty full day there browsing, shopping, and people watching. Had breakfast in Akihabara--sweet bean-filled roll, cheese hot-dog-ish thing, and a roll stuffed with chicken and mushrooms. Went to a "Victorian pub" for lunch and had fish and chips. Spent like $22 for both, including a beer. So money is good so far. And the sushi is excellent. Had it twice already. Baseball tomorrow--looking forward to that one as well. Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Today and tomorrow are going to be two looong days. Today, I'll drive two hours to Raleigh, where I'll stay at an airport hotel. I'll set out early Wednesday morning, two hours before departure. Then it's a two-hour flight to Chicago, a two hour layover, and then thirteen hours to Tokyo. Thirteen hours! Then it's probably a 90-minute or so shuttle to the hotel from Tokyo airport. When you combine that with a fourteen hour time change, that means my journey, which will start like 7am tomorrow, ends roughly 6 pm Tokyo time the next day! Needless to say, I'll be tired. But hopefully adrenaline will get me through.

I have a lot of fun activities planned, including some stuff that should definitely help with the strip. (Anyone ever been to Akihabara?)

Updates, unless for some reason I have no internet access, will continue as normal.

Good news! I'm going to Tokyo, from April 9-19. It's a city that's been on the top of my list for a long time, and an opportunity has fallen in my lap that I would have been a fool to say no to. So Japan, here I come! For those of you worried about no updates, fear not. I'll have everything on my laptop, which I am taking with me, so updates should go up as scheduled. And hopefully, the otaku culture of Japan will give me LOTS more material to work with.

And keep voting for our strip. Every day if you can. Again, the higher up the ranking ladders we can go, the more hits we get, which means more views, more fans, more advertising revenue, and more longevity for SubCulture. I know, it sounds like I'm preaching. And, well, I am, a little. :)

I've finally figured out how to put together a crude RSS feed. So, assuming it works, you can subscribe to it and automatically receive updates whenever there is a new SubCulture strip to be had.

The number of hits is picking up considerably. Some of it has to do with our increased advertising on Project Wonderful. Here's hoping that many of the people who click on our ad like what they see and decide to stay on.

It looks like a trade for the original SubCulture mini-series is going to come out in September. I'm thinking of doing it in a manga-sized digest format. Less weight, less cost. I have a little time to think about it, at least.

Thanks to everyone who votes for SubCulture on all of the webstrip sites. We're climbing up the list. I'd love to be in the top 100 of most of these before long. We'll just see. We're slowly seeing increases in the number of hits per day. Here's hoping it sustains itself and the growth continues

It's been a long week for me, with lots of staring at the computer. My eyes hurt, and I need to sleep in. Maybe this weekend.

Both of my alma maters lost in the first round of the NCAA tourney. Baylor decided not to show up in a loss to Purdue, and Vanderbilt made me hide under the covers and cry like a four-year old by losing to a school named after a crayon, Siena, 81-60. 81-60! Have they no shame? Well, at least now I can welcome with open arms baseball season. Of course, being a Rays fan, that will change very quicky.

This is way off topic, I realize, but this is my favorite time of the year for sports. Not only is baseball season about to start, but soccer season is starting to wind down and relegation and promotion battles are heating up, and, of course, the annual college basketball tournament--arguably the greatest annual event in sport--has arrived. I love it when the cinderellas win, except when it's my team that's playing, of course.

So if you have a kind shred in your soul and/or heart and root for Vandy as we play the Siena Saints tonight. You know it's the right thing to do ;)

SubCulture now has ad space available, via Project Wonderful, for anyone who would like to promote their stuff, whatever it might be, with us. We've got our fingers crossed that this will generate a little income and help us to keep the strip going for as long as possible.

Stan and I also completed our first full-color strip for ComicsNOW! Magazine. Look for it in Issue 3, which is solicited in this month's Previews.

We're trying to get more hits for the webstrip and make more people aware of it being around. One of the things I did was register SubCulture with a bunch of the Webstrip circles and sites on the internet.

If you're bored, and have nothing else to do, go to the links below the blog and click on them. Give SubCulture a vote, or add it to your favorites if you are so inclined. It will move SubCulture up the list, and hopefully result in even more its and even (dare I say it) advertisements at some point.

Thanks again, and we're glad you're enjoying the strip.

I'm back from Aruba and back to work again. I definitely could have used another few days, but hopefully I'm recharged enough to get me through the rest of the semester. I highly recommend Aruba as a place where you can do very little, and still feel satisfied.

On an unrelated note, it doesn't look like either of us are going to make New York ComicCon. However, Stan has added the Stumptown Comics Fest in Portland to his schedule. I'll be in Pittsburgh that same weekend.

Heading home tomorrow, but I really don't want to think about that right now. Spring Break has been great, and my batteries are recharged to (hopefully) get me through the rest of the school year. Enjoy today's strip, and please, tell Stan and I whether or not you are enjoying them.

I'm in beautiful Aruba this week for Spring Break. But never fear. Today's and Friday's new strips will go up without fail. So sit back and enjoy!

Judging by the number of hits we got on Tuesday, there certainly does seem to be some interest in the goings-on amongst Jason, Arthur, Noel, and the gang. Here's hoping momentum continues, hits continue to rise, and we can sustain the strip indefinitely. We've already gotten a nice writeup from the friendly folks at comicrelated.com. SubCulture also was featured on the comixtreme podcast, Episode 57. Give it a listen! It's about two-thirds of the way into the podcast, in their featured picks.

Stan and I have been talking about this for a while--turning SubCulture from a traditional comic to a full-time webstrip. We both believed that the subject material would translate well into this format, and there certainly are tons of untold stories that are begging to see the light of day. So, with the blessing of our friends at Ape Entertainment, today marks the official launch of the SubCulture webstrip.

We've decided to start the strip out at twice a week. This is enough for us to have regular updates, but not too much so we can have time to do other things as well. Should demand warrant more, and, should the strip start to generate a little revenue, we'll discuss increasing the frequency with which we create this. Twice a week is enough for us also to gauge whether or not it will be popular enough for us to keep things going for a while. So much of this depends on you, our current and future fans.

We do have plans to print these strips on paper, whether it be through a regular floppy or a more infrequent book format. We love working on SubCulture, and hope you all will enjoy the ride with us.

Stan and Kevin have been working hard on new strips, and they are tickled to announce that the first new strip will launch February 26th, and new strips will follow every Tuesday and Friday. In preparation, the first six promotional strips, done last summer, will be rerun and serve as the first in what we hope to be a long, continuous streak of new material. Hope you join us!

Beginning with issue 3 of ComicsNow! Magazine, SubCulture will be a regular strip. Stan and I are hashing out the details..in particular, do we want the strip to be in color? I would love to get everyone's take on this--should we go with the norm and have the strip in black and white as the comic series, or should we do something a little different and have the strip in color, similar to what Danielle Corsetto is doing with Girls With Slingshots? Keep up with all the action at www.iwantmycomicsnow.com.

The good folks over at ComicFanatic.com have given SubCulture one of their year-end Fanny awards as Best Indie Series of 2007. To quote the site: "One of the best stories I have read in years, SubCulture is a book like no other. No super-powered superheroes. No horror or sci-fi. Writer Kevin Freeman and artist Stan Yan's SubCulture is just a book about the all-too-real life of the comic book geek. Think "Clerks" for the comic book set, or "The Breakfast Club" for the comic book bunch. If you can't honestly see something of yourself somewhere in SubCulture, you must not be a true Comic Fanatic." See it for yourself here.

Stan and Kevin have agreed in kind to continue SubCulture as an ongoing, twice-a-week webstrip. This frequency could increase, depending on the ultimate popularity of the strip and sales, via advertising or merchandise, that is generated as a result. Stay tuned for a site update. Look for strips beginning the first quarter of 2008!

At last, the dramatic conclusion is available in our online store, and available in stores December 12. As a special offer to celebrate the release of all four issues, we're happy to offer, for a limited time, all four issues--the complete mini-series--for only $12.

Over at www.dimestoreproductions.com, SubCulture was a winner for for best Romance Title for the month of November on the Pop Chart! Check it out!

Guttergeek.com has given a very flattering review for the first three issues of SubCulture.

With the release of issue 2, Stan and Kevin spent some time with the nice folks at Fanboy Faceoff. Check out the interview here. It starts around the 58:00 minute mark. Enjoy!

Kevin has returned from Wizard World Chicago, and has reported that sales on SubCulture, including the hot-off-the-press Issue 2 (In Stores August 22) were brisk. A number of fans approached the Ape booth and expressed their satisfaction with the direction that the book has gone to this point. Issue 3 is in the process of going to press early next week--expect it in stores in mid-September. Hopefully it will be available at our next convention appearance, Baltimore Comic Con!

Stan and Kevin will both be at San Diego Comic-Con (July 25-29) to meet fans, plug the book, and sign autographs. Kevin can be found all weekend at the Ape Entertainment booth (Booth 2105) while Stan will be floating between the Ape Booth and the Squid Works booth (Booth K14). We will have t-shirts, buttons, a limited-edition print, and copies of SubCulture #1 (both covers) and (hopefully) issue #2. See you then!

SubCulture is featured prominently in a recent podcast by the fine fellas at Fanboy Face-Off. Check it out here--it's Episode 3, and SubCulture is featured at approximately the 1:40 mark.

Hey kids! Now's your chance to order SubCulture #3--the Convention Issue! It's on page 233 of this month's Previews. The order code is JUL07 3274. Remember, the best thing you can do for small press publishers and books is to pre-order your books from your LCS. That way, you can guarantee that your store will order it.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

At last, SubCulture #1 is available today in fine comic stores everywhere. Be sure to pick it up and give it a shot. We know it's a few weeks late (not our fault, we promise), but we think it's worth the wait.

With the imminent release of SubCulture #1 (June 27th), the SubCulture Shop is now open for business. Currently we have both covers of issue #1, a nifty pin set, and two t-shirts for sale, with more goodies to come soon. Check it out!

This one is from Chris B. at 215Ink.com Be sure to read it on the Press and Reviews page.

This one is from Blake Petit at ComiXtreme.com. Be sure to read it on the Press and Reviews page.

The reviews for the first issue of SubCulture are starting to trickle in. Be sure to read them in the Press and Reviews page.

Steven Saunders of SilverBulletComics' All The Rage has provided a nice review of the first issue of SubCulture. He rates it a 9 out of 10. Read the full review here.

The second issue of SubCulture is solicited in the May issue of Previews, which hit shelves on April 25. The Order Code is MAY07 3187! Ask your LCS to order copies!

Stan and I recently did an interview with JENNIFER CONTINO about the upcoming release of issue #1 of SubCulture. You can read it here. Enjoy!

Stan and myself, along with a number of other Ape Entertainment teams, were interviewed by the ComicGeekSpeak team in the most recent podcast! Take a listen here and learn more about the book.

The sixth and final weekly webstrips for SubCulture is online! If you like the webstrips, send us an email saying as such. Don't forget to ask your LCS to order SubCulture #1!

The fifth of six weekly webstrips for SubCulture is online! If you like the webstrips, send us an email saying as such. Don't forget to ask your LCS to order SubCulture #1!

The fourth of six weekly webstrips for SubCulture is online! If you like the webstrips, send us an email saying as such. Don't forget to ask your LCS to order SubCulture #1!

The third of six weekly webstrips for SubCulture is online! If you like the webstrips, send us an email saying as such. Don't forget to ask your LCS to order SubCulture #1!

The second of six weekly webstrips for SubCulture is online! If you like the webstrips, send us an email saying as such. Don't forget to ask your LCS to order SubCulture #1!

The first of six weekly webstrips for SubCulture is online! If you like the webstrips, send us an email saying as such. Don't forget to ask your LCS to order SubCulture #1!

The first issue of SubCulture will be solicited in the March issue of Previews, which hits shelves on February 21. The Order Code is MAR07 3139! Ask your LCS to order copies!

Good golly Miss Molly! Follow the hijinks of Kevin as he rambles incessantly about the comics industry. Fun for the whole family. The mayhem begins here.

SubCulture now is present and accounted for on the brand-spanking-new ComicSpace.com. Click here for a link to our site. Kevin and Stan (via SquidWorks) also have their own sites on ComicSpace.com as well.

Wizard World Texas, November 10-12, will be your first opportunity to get your hands on the first issue of SubCulutre, as a Convention-Exclusive cover will be available at the Ape Entertainment booth 716. Writer Kevin Freeman will be there to sign your copies. Come one, come all!

We're received our first review from the friendly folks at comicsworthreading.com. While it's just of the eight-page preview, we're encouraged by the reception to this point. Read the review here.

The art and story is complete for the first issue of SubCulture! We are still waiting for two pinups, but other than that, the book is ready to go! We're proud to announce that the cover to issue 1 will be done by none other than Jim Mahfood (Clerks, Stupid Comics, Grrl Scouts). It's completed, and looks great. The first issue also features pinups by Brent Schoonover (Horrorwood) and Rob Ullman (Grand Gestures). We also have a tentative shelf-date for the book--late March-early April! However, we will have special Wizard World exclusive copies of the first issue at Wizard World Texas in November. Yee haw!

WWC 2006 is over, and Stan and I were pleased with both the turnout and the reception that SubCulture received. We brought 150 limited-edition eight-page previews of SubCulture #1 to the show, and only have a few left. The feedback has been overwhelmingly receptive so far. So thanks to everyone who stopped by! You can also hear a podcast of Kevin, Stan, and the rest of the Ape Crew done on Friday, August 4 by the Around Comics crew at http://www.aroundcomics.com. Look for Episode 37!

We now have a compete eight-page preview for you to view here. All told, Stan currently has 17 pages of issue 1 complete, and is diligently working on the cover as we speak. We're still on track for a late fall 2006 release!

Previews of pages 1-4 are now available on the previews page. Check it out and leave your comments. The book is progressing well. We hope for the first issue to be available either at SPX in October or Wizard World Texas in November. Stay tuned!

We've added some lettering to the three preview pages. Enjoy! New art to come soon!

Slowly but surely this webpage is coming together. We've added a new logo, preview pages, a SubCulture forum, and a SubCulture Banner.

Ape Entertainment proudly announces the development of a new title to their lineup of quality books: SubCulture!

SubCulture is a humorous and touching romp through the lives of fanboys--and fangirls--as they deal with work, relationships, and the thing they love most--comics.

SubCulture is a 4-issue, bi-monthly mini-series, coming to you this Fall from Ape Entertainment!