The MAS Monitor – Volume 12
October 15th, 2004

Newsletter main email – masnokaihoo@hotmail.com

Staff
- Jessi Silver – jessi@gonein60fps.net
- Peter – heath_darkness@hotmail.com
- Nastassja Riemermann
- Vu Dang
- Mark McPherson
- Setsuki Korinzu

With special guest columnist Taichiro Endo
-------------------------------------------------
.:Table of Contents

*MAS News
*Features
    -Taichiro's Column
    -Jessi’s Rom Corner
*Reviews
   -Cyborg 009
   -Master Keaton
*Entertainment
   -The Killer and the Ride
   -Riddles
   -Weblinks of the Week
*Industry News
   -DVDRelease Dates
*Comment on this Issue
-------------------------------------------------

MAS News
By Jessi Silver

Well, as you may all know by now, the MAS Halloween Bash of 2004 is swiftly approaching. Lots of cool events are planned as usual, including the cosplay contest, delinquent contest, and raffle. For those of you planning on entering the cosplay contest, send Lori an email at tachikoma01@gmail.com, including with it your name, your character’s name, the show/game/whatever they’re from, and any music you’d like played during your performance.

The party itself will be held in Moos Tower room 2-620, a larger room near the door. Try not to arrive much before 6pm, which is when the party officially starts. The party is free for all paid members, and 2 dollars for non-members. Bring your friends! The schedule for the party is as follows:

6:00- doors officially open
Prince of Tennis, Haunted Racket Episode
The Portrait of Little Cossette
7:00 Taichiro's Presentation
7:30 "Walk like a Delinquent" contest.
8:00 Cosplay and Raffle
9:00 GTO ghost episode
Requiem from the Darkness episode 01
10:00 Everyone goes home.

Everyone be sure to come and have a good time, and bring a friend with you :)

On another note, those of you who have LiveJournal accounts might be interested in joining the mas_at_lj community, run by Nastassja. You can post anything relating to MAS, anime or any topic you feel is related somehow (and I'm sure there are many). Go ahead and try it out, it could use some more members :)

Comment
Top
-------------------------------------------------
Features
-------------------------------------------------

Cosplay
Taichiro Endo

As you know, Cosplay (Costume Play) is dressing up as characters from anime, manga and computer games, or sometimes as people from music bands and live action shows. It is becoming more popular in many countries, especially in Japan and the U.S. However, what cosplayers do looks different on the surface in both countries as was noted in my last column: “At Anime Expo, cosplayers took pictures of each other, but at Comic Market, cameramen keep taking pictures and cosplayers keep having their pictures taken, in many cases.” Though both are big and famous conventions in each country, the style of cosplay is very different. In this column, I will discuss why this difference occurs at Comic Market and at Anime Expo.

We can come up with several ideas to explain this difference. I think the most common idea is the cultural differences, for example, like the idea that the “shy” Japanese don’t communicate with cosplayers they don’t already know. This is the most common and basic idea used in comparing Japanese and American culture. We can also find answers from the area of gender, since many male cameramen come to Comic Market to take pictures of female cosplayers dressing up as pretty characters in Japan. I am not sure whether this “male cameramen – female cosplayers” construct is common in the U.S. or not. Both of these ideas are assuredly parts of reasons behind this difference, and to talk about these aspects must be interesting. However, in this column, I will focus on other aspects: the sense of purpose of cosplayers and the number of cameramen. The sense of purpose of cosplayers makes the difference between each convention, and the number of cameramen changes the sense of purpose. This spiral decides the style of cosplay in conventions.

Let’s start with the history of Cosplay in Japan. We do not have any reliable documents that state the origin of Cosplay in Japan, but it is said that some fans started dressing as anime characters around the middle of the 1960s. However, since those cases were just for individual fun, people did not consider them Cosplay per se. The case that is first assumed to be Cosplay appeared in the early 1970s in some Science Fiction Conventions. Some fans attended these conventions wearing the costumes of Sci-Fi characters. Since the fans of this time already knew that some Americans dressed up as characters at Sci-Fi conventions, Cosplay might have originated in the U.S. and then may have been copied and expanded-upon in Japan. After the Comic Market was founded in 1975, some fans started attending these kinds of Dojin conventions with cosplay, e.g. some salesclerks of Dojin circles. The custom of cosplay was getting spread little by little in Dojin conventions during this age; however, the word ‘Cosplay’ had not been born yet.

The concept of Cosplay first appeared in the media in 1980 by the name “Tominoko-zoku”. Fanroad, a communication magazine for anime and manga fans, was launched this year, featuring an event about Gundam which was held by that magazine in Harajuku (the city in Tokyo). Some fans attended this event wearing costumes of Gundam characters, and were called “Tominoko-zoku” in that magazine. I need to go into a little detail to explain what that means. The first point is that the director of Gundam is Yoshiyuki Tomino. The first part of “Tominoko-zoku” is from his name. The second point is that the group of people called “Takenoko-zoku” took Harajuku by storm at that time. I don’t have enough space to explain it in detail, but it is enough to know that they were a group of people who shared a particular fashion in Harajuku. By combining “Tomino” and “Takenoko-zoku”, the coined term “Tominoko-zoku” was born, implying “the group of people sharing the fashion made by Tomino”. “Tominoko-zoku” was the first term given to people who dressed up as anime and manga characters.

The word “Cosplay” was born in early part of the 1980s. We have no certain documents that explain the origin of this word, including who coined it, but it is generally said that the word Cosplay became famous among anime fans around this time. One of the reasons for this breakthrough was the big hit of “Urusei Yatsura”, called “Lum Urusei Yatsura” or “The return of Lum” in the U.S. Many girls attended the Comic Market wearing Lum costumes, and were featured by the media. Masses of people first knew the word Cosplay and what it meant from that particular situation. This is just an aside; because the police regarded Lum’s cosplay as too lascivious, beginning in 1983, cosplayers from Comic Market were faced with restrictions regarding what types of costumes they could wear in public. From the early part of 1980s, cosplay continued getting popular little by little, and after the hit Sailor Moon, the Comic Market finally made a big space for cosplay called the Cosplay Square.

The next breakthrough for Cosplay was the middle of 1990s, caused by the big boom of Neon Genesis Evangelion. Some anime fan cultures were featured by the media, and Cosplay also got famous among the masses during this time. Several media outlets, including TV stations and magazines, came to Comic Market to feature the Cosplay. Numerous people still believe that the Comic Market is only an event for Cosplay because the media only focused on Cosplay at Comic Market.

From this time, the middle of 1990s, new outlets of cosplay were also born: Cosplay parties and the introduction of commercial capital. A Cosplay party is a gathering of cosplayers with Dance, Karaoke, short dramas by cosplayers, photo sessions, talk shows, etc. Since they could not hold these kinds of parties at Dojinshi Conventions, they independently planned to have these interaction-based cosplay events. Several companies also began Cosplay business at that time. The most notable is the Costuming Company; they sold completed costumes. Though cosplayers had made all the costumes for cosplay by themselves before this time, this buy-and-play style became rapidly popular, and expanded the cosplay population by involving people who may not have been able to create their own costume. This flow continued and the first Cosplay Café was finally born in 1998. Though it was just one booth of a Tokyo Character show, it did good business from the amazement and curiosity of its patrons. The first real Cosplay Café was opened the following year in Akihabara, and a few years later, Cosplay Cafe experienced a big boom after the opening of a Cosplay Café Mary’s (the name was changed to Cafe Mai:lish later) in 2002. Now about 20 Cosplay Cafés and Bars exist even just in the area around Akihabara.

From this brief history of Cosplay, we can say that there are 2 types of Cosplay events in Japan: Dojinshi Conventions and Cosplay parties. As you know, Comic Market is included in the Dojinshi Convention category; however, since Comic Market is far larger and more focused on cosplay than other conventions, I will consider Comic Market as one special case. As I mentioned, the characteristic of the Cosplay at Comic Market is that only cameramen take pictures. In contrast, Cosplayers take pictures of each other at Anime Expo. Though there are exceptions, including the case that several Cosplayers take pictures of each other in Comic Market, and there are non-cosplaying cameramen at Anime Expo, this tendency is roughly correct for each convention.

Now I consider Comic Market to be a stage for Cosplayers to show off their Cosplay, and Anime Expo is more of a place of interaction for Cosplayers. Since most cosplayers at Comic Market attend without carrying a camera and do not talk to other cosplayers in many cases, we can say that they attend Comic Market to show off their cosplay. In contrast, we can say that the purpose for cosplayers in Anime Expo is to engage in interaction, based on their behavior. The Cosplay competition at Anime Expo is similar to the former case, and the Cosplay Party is similar to the latter case, too. “Make sure that when we interact with other cosplayers, we also show off our own cosplay.” The show of Cosplay is included in the interaction.

Here, let’s put together the purposes of cosplayers in these 4 cosplay events.
Comic Market: Most people attend to show off. Few people attend for the purposes of interaction.
Cosplay Party: Most people attend for interaction. Few people attend to show.
Anime Expo: Almost all people attend for interaction.
Cosplay Competition: Almost all people attend to show.

Since the photo shoot is one-way in the case of shows, the differences between Comic Market and Anime Expo are highlighted in this way. The style of Cosplayers is decided by the purpose of joining the convention.

In the next step, we will consider the number of non-cosplaying cameramen at each convention. In Comic Market, since the number of non-cosplaying cameramen is far larger than the cosplayers, the aspect of “showing off” is emphasized more. On the other hand, since the number of non-cosplaying cameramen is relatively few at Anime Expo, the aspect of interaction remains. However, we can also say that if the number of non-cosplaying cameramen increased by a large amount, the aspect of Cosplay at Anime Expo could be changed to the “show” style. Assuming that 50 cameramen are there for each cosplayer, they cannot interact any more even if they want interaction. If that situation is going to continue, the purpose of the cosplayers would naturally change to the “show” type. The number of non-cosplay cameramen changes the purpose of the Cosplayers.

What it comes down to is this: We have 2 senses of purpose for attending a Cosplay event. One is to show off cosplay by considering the convention hall as a stage. The other is to interact with other cosplayers by considering the convention hall as a place of interaction. These starting values first decide the aspect of convention: one-way photo shoot or interaction with each-other. In addition to this, the number of non-cosplay cameramen changes the sense of purpose of Cosplayers. Once the non-cosplay cameramen increase by a certain amount, the aspect of “show” is emphasized. In contrast, once the number of non-cosplaying cameramen becomes few, now the aspect of interaction is emphasized. The sense of purpose of the cosplayers makes the differences occur between each convention, and the number of cameramen changes the sense of purpose. This spiral decides the style of cosplay in conventions.

Therefore, the difference of Cosplay in Comic Market and Anime Expo is considered to be both from the difference of purpose, show or interaction, and the number of non-cosplaying cameramen.

Comment
Top
-------------------------------------------------


Jessi’s Rom Corner
Jessi Silver



This week’s unusual specimen is a Japanese game titled “Yume Penguin Monogatari” or “Dream Penguin Tale”. In this game, you’re an overweight penguin who has to lose weight before your girlfriend decides to go out with another guy instead. The premise is unusual and rather humorous, but the game itself is pretty fun, if a little easy.



You start off the game as an extremely fat penguin with little in the way of mobility. To attack foes, you have to leap up clumsily and body slam them. However, once you begin to lose weight, which is accomplished by swallowing diet drinks, your mobility improves quite a bit and you can hop on your enemies or, eventually, you can shoot things from your mouth at them. The enemies just don’t sit there and take it, though. They’re working for your penguin girl’s other suitor, and they’ll try anything to get you to gain weight, including tossing food right at you. Not very conducive to a good diet. Falling in the water will also expand your waistline, so it’s best to avoid that fate.



Your level of fitness is shown by a gauge in your menu bar. At the end of each level, you must be up to a certain level of fitness to pass to the next stage. No worries if you don’t make it, though; as far as I can tell, you get unlimited chances to try each stage over again, so you’re bound to get it right eventually.



The game is otherwise a basic run-and-jump platformer, though there are a couple of stages where you find yourself manning a small airplane, so that adds variety. The original concept and cute characters give it a charm, though, which makes it more interesting than many basic NES platformers.



Get the Japanese version of the rom here
Get the English version here

Get an emulator to play the game here

*If you have a suggestion for an NES game to be featured in a future issue, go ahead and email me at jessi@gonein60fps.net, I probably have whatever game you're thinking of :)

Comment
Top
-------------------------------------------------
Reviews
-------------------------------------------------

Cyborg 009
Reviewed by Mark McPherson
Length: 52 episodes
Year Created: 2001
Content: Contains mild violence.

Remember the 60’s? Of course you don’t, you are too young (although if you can recall, you’re probably too old). The 1960’s was when anime series were just beginning to be invented. While mecha, Shoujo and Shounen took center stage, Shotaro Ishinomori's created an entirely new series combining the super hero abilities of expanding technology along with the current political state of the world with Cyborg 009. While the 1964 manga is pretty dated today dealing with such old issues as Vietnam and the Cold War, this 2001 TV series proves that these characters can transcend time.

Taking place right after the creation of 009, Joe Shimamura awakes to discover he is the newest cyborg called 009. He was captured by the evil organization known as Black Ghost, who wants to dominate the world by selling weapons of mass destruction to wealthy nations. Black Ghost’s latest experiment is the creation of cybernetic organisms to be used as weapons. Through a series of encounters with Black Ghost’s military strength, 009 is finally united with the other eight cyborgs. 001, although just a baby, has telekinetic powers. 002 is a cocky American with jets in his boots that allow him to go Mach 2. 003 is a French dancer with the cybernetic ability to see and hear things from long distances. 004 is the perfect war machine equipped with machine gun fingers, knee missiles and blade on the side of his hand. 005 is a Native American with the strength of ten men (well, not quite ten men, but you get the idea). 006 is a Chinese chef with the cybernetic ability to blow fire. 007 is a British actor with the ability to change his cellular structure. 008 is an African with the cybernetic ability to move fluidly underwater. Together, they form an alliance with Doctor Gilmore, one of Black Ghost’s scientists, in order to escape Black Ghost. Of course, this is not a simple task as the team is constantly chased around the globe by the Black Ghost organization. This plucky group of cyborgs from different nations band together to put a stop to international warfare (which is easier said than done).

Obviously, some parts of the original manga had to be changed in order to make the story seem as though it were taking place in the present. The first thing that had to be changed was some of the character’s background story. For instance, 008 was originally sold for slavery in Africa, but captured by Black Ghost after he tried to escape his master. Such a display would cause controversy in this day and age, so 008’s story was changed to him being a member of a military resistance group in Africa which is actually closer to what Africa is like in the present. 002’s background was largely based on the West Side Story stereotypes which is how most of Japan saw America. The story keeps 002 as a gang member, but the ridiculous dancing and war with the Mexicans was cut for obvious reasons. One problem with the characters background was that 001-004 were all captured at a certain point in time that is reflected in the manga. In order to avoid cutting up their backgrounds, the writers decided that 001-004 were frozen for a few years before they could be complete. This allowed some of their key stories to be kept such as 004’s escape from Nazi Germany and 001’s dad giving him away at the same time as the first heart transplant. Thankfully, all the sagas from the original manga have been included in this series

Animation wise, Cyborg 009 is top notch in both frame-rate and color. In addition, most of the original character designs have been kept intact. The only character design that seems to have changed from the manga was 008 and that is understandable considering they made him look like a monkey with big lips. The music is by far the series biggest strength with an epic orchestra score and catchy techno opening and closings. As far as recreating old anime TV series, Cyborg 009 has received the star treatment. The only downside is that storyline shows its age in most episodes and while that isn’t a bad thing for fans of the original series, it may turn off newcomers. The story is fairly simple as the cyborgs try to fight for world piece which is always out of grasp. Back in the 1960’s, Cyborg 009 was the thinking man’s superhero show, but in today media market with so many complex stories, Cyborg 009’s premise is a bit dated. Still, the show has an equal balance of physical comedy and action that can please just about anyone. While the opening episodes are pretty straight forwards with their mission to destroy Black Ghost, a lot of the later episodes deal with more serious issues such as man’s destruction of mother nature and how humans will always create war.

While Cyborg 009 isn’t a very complex story and may not have your typical anime character designs, it serves as an entertaining piece of both nostalgia and action. If you are looking for a series with a light (but not devoid of) story and plenty of action with a good soundtrack, Cyborg 009 is a series I would recommend. It won’t become the next Cowboy Bebop or Evangelion, but it is entertaining and fun to follow and I am content with the show being nothing more or less than that.

Factoid: Shotaro Ishinomori sadly passed away in the production of this show.

Pros: Excellent animation; good action; fun to compare with the original manga; original character designs.

Cons: Story may be too light for today’s edgier anime.

Grade: B+

Comment
Top
-------------------------------------------------

Master Keaton
Reviewed by Mark McPherson
Length: 39 episodes
Year Created: 1998
Content: Contains mild violence.

One of the many elements I love about anime is the massive audience appeal. Anime is not geared towards one crowd as there are many series and movies that target children, teenagers and adults of all ages. Master Keaton happens to be a favorite series of mine as it appeals to a smaller fraction of the anime demographic: a sophisticated adult.

Originally adapted from Hokusei Katsushika and Naoki Urasawa’s 1988 manga, Master Keaton tells the story of Taichi Hiraga Keaton. Keaton is a half-English, half-Japanese ex-SAS instructor. He now works as a university teacher, insurance investigator for Lloyds of London and an archeologist. He is divorced from his wife, but still has a stable relationship with his daughter, Yuriko. Keaton’s past seems very complex already, but the series itself contains more facts about Keaton’s past. His missions and adventures take him around the globe from his home in Japan to the streets of the UK. Each episode Keaton could be involved in anything from negotiating with terrorists to lecturing a class of students. No matter what Keaton is involved in on his journeys, it is always extremely interesting and entertaining. Along the way, Keaton manages to meet some interesting people such as a group of German bounty hunters; a descendant of Russia’s Nicholas the Second and even some old friends and mentors from his past. In addition to the stand alone episodes that slowly reveal Keaton’s past, there is also a continuing story of Keaton trying to discover a lost civilization through his archeology adventures.

Master Keaton has this uncommon warmth. The plot is pretty serious most of the time, but the series has a very equal balance of light humor. Some episodes will seem very tense like an episode in which Keaton teams up with a bounty hunting group to rescue to a kidnapped terrorist seeking asylum, yet the mood is very light. Even in an episode where Keaton is protecting a man called Semionov from the Russian mafia, Semionov takes the grave situation very lightly as he believes to truly live you have to experience all life has to offer. I guess you could say that is the overall tone of the show. There is plenty one can accomplish in a lifetime and Keaton is doing just that. Each episode also has a bit of theme. In an episode in which Keaton is discovering a lost civilization in Roman ruins, his college friends tell him of how her mother defeated a Nazi tank with her own two hands. This comes into play later on as they use the same tactic to defeat a group of bulldozers coming to destroy the ruins. There are also some rather interesting examinations of history such as trying to deceiver who built the pyramids and what really happen to Nicholas the Second’s treasure during the war.

The character designs I found to be very interesting. There is some realism to the characters, yet they are able to convey a wide range of emotion without venturing outside their original design. This type of design fits perfectly as Keaton is 35 and most of the characters he meets are middle-aged. There is also a very distinct style to the animation. There are mostly light colors used and when we see a character in sunlight, there is an almost white glistening to the skin. The soundtrack is a rather odd mix of Celtic and assorted orchestra music. The opening and closings are a bit odd. The opening features a mix of bagpipe, accordion and flute while the animation is of Keaton’s family getting in touch with nature. The closing animation is mostly still shots with a bit of guitar thrown in. Aside from the rather odd opening and closings, the soundtrack adds more sophistication to the series. This brings me to another point: Master Keaton is a series with a solid foot in reality. There is no magic or mecha. Only pure human emotion and intrigue make up this series. That is why I always refer to Master Keaton as the thinking man’s anime. Sadly, this is the series’ biggest fault. Since the characters aren’t attractive young adults and the story doesn’t contain any fantasy elements, Master Keaton will fly off of most anime fan’s radar and it is such a shame.

Right from the start, Master Keaton is an extremely interesting and entertaining show that quickly grows on you. What intrigues me the most about this series is there is a good mixture of light comedy, intrigue, intelligence, emotion and tension and none of it feels out of place or thrown in for balance. In an anime market overflowing with giant robots and fantasy elements, Master Keaton is a welcome change of pace. The series won’t have mass-market appeal, but it will remain one of the most underrated anime series ever made.

Pros: Excellent storytelling; an involving plot; interesting characters; a great anime for adults.

Cons: The bright colors may be too much for some; little appeal to the typical anime crowd.

Grade: A

Comment
Top
-------------------------------------------------
Entertainment
-------------------------------------------------

The Killer and the Ride
By Vu Dang

“Police have discovered yet a fifth body in the rash of highway murders in connection with the Clayton Killer...”

David Fletcher switched off the radio. It was times like these he wanted more to be someone else than ever. He wished he could steal the faces of those who passed him by, just rip them off and slap them over his own like a Halloween mask. About now, anyone’s face would do. Like the gas station attendant earlier that morning. Or the guy on the lawn mower with the peaceful look on his face.

Better yet, one of his own victims.

He supposed that’s why he kept their clothes, not only because it was soft, light, and feathery like the feathers of a bird. But that to wear them, one became as they. Birds light and soft; birds floating effortlessly in the breeze. If he had his way, he would drive forever on that back road stretch, with the windows down and the cold air washing over the pink bikini top strewn over his hairy chest.

A trooper, however, had pulled him over.

“What’s the problem, officer?” Dave said.

“None but a seatbelt regulation just came into effect a week ago.”

“Oh?”

The trooper took out his pen and booklet. “Yep. According to the new law, I can bust you if you don’t have your seatbelt on. No other violations necessary.”

“Sheesh.”

“You mind stepping out of the car?”

Dave did as he was told. The trooper looked at him without word, though the smacks of the trooper’s bubble gum seemed to say it all: the hell kind of bet you lose, boy?

“What’s this all about, officer?” Dave said.

“Hope you don’t mind if I have a look through the back seat.”

“Why?”

“As you may or may not know, there’s a killer on the loose. Does most of his killing round backwoods roads like these.”

“The Clayton killer?”

“That’s the one.”

“I assure you, officer, I’m no killer.”

The trooper opened the back door of his car. “Like as not, it’s captain’s orders.”

He started rummaging through the piles of women’s clothes, which spilled from the foot wells like so many clearance items at the k-mart dollar bin. Beneath the piles he found a machete without its sleeve, which he held up with an inquisitive eye.

Dave was quick to explain: “I was on my way to grandma’s to help with the yard brush.”

“That’s some mighty wild yard brush she’s got.”

“She lives in the boonies.”

The trooper gave a low grunt, than set about digging further. In time, he uncovered a bowie knife, three bottles of poison caplets, a hacksaw, a katana blade, a chainsaw, and the April issue of Home & Garden magazine.

“The weapons belong to grandma.”

“The better to kill you with, my dear?”

Dave let out an uneasy laugh. The trooper wasn’t laughing. He turned back to dig further. Dave began edging toward the trooper, whose gun stuck out of his hip like a golf club in a caddy sack. The trooper wouldn’t see it coming, occupied as he was with the evidence in the backseat.

And with the trooper dead, nobody would know about the Home & Garden.

Dave was within two paces of him when the trooper ducked out of the back seat with several jars of pickle juice in his hand. “These for your grandma too?”

“Yes sir.”

The trooper unscrewed one of them and sniffed. “Smells fresh.”

“Only the best for her.”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to come with me.”

“But it’s just--”

The trooper threw Dave against the car and handcuffed him.

“I swear to you, officer, I didn’t kill no one.”

“Sure. And those jars of pickle juice just materialized out of the blue.”

Once Dave was secured in the back seat of the trooper’s car, the trooper called in for evidence collection, than drove Dave to a side road-- presumably a shortcut to the station.

They pulled to a stop.

“Where am I?” Dave said.

“Oh, just a little place I like to go to drain the lizard’s neck, if you catch my, meanin.”

The trooper got out, popped open the trunk, and withdrew what looked like rope and a knife.

“What? What’s happening?” Dave said.

“I’m giving you a dose of retribution for those pickle jars you stole. Imagine all those poor women...”

“Listen. I’m not the killer. I swear to you. I’ll admit, I stole those pickle jars and clothes, but I didn’t kill anyone!”

“Oh. I believe you.”

The trooper opened the door, rope in hand. Then Dave realized all too late. “You’re him. You’re the Clayton Killer!”

“Yessss.” The grin on the trooper’s eyes and the glean on his mouth were as evil as the day was bright.

As the trooper’s poison gas filled the air, Dave’s last vision was that of the trooper’s radio. It was a Kregg Model 10 portable with dedicated noise decoupling. It wasn’t the standard model. He noticed something else-- the paint job on the trooper’s car was service 112, which was outdated. And the registration number was missing from the car. Plus, the trooper had too many buttons on his uniform. And the gun was nonstandard issue 9mm Beretta with hollow-tipped bullets laced with cyanide.

It could all mean only one thing: grandma was not going to be having her yard brush cleared that day. And what will his friends think of him after his death? When they discover the Home & Garden?

To be continued...

Comment
Top
-------------------------------------------------

Riddles
Compiled by Jessi Silver

1. A coin collector was in very high spirits. He’d just made what he considered to be the purchase of a lifetime – an extremely rare coin made in the era of the Ancient Greeks. It was dated B.C. 314, quite an old specimen. All he had to do was to go get it officially appraised, and he was headed to the local museum to do that just then.

When he got there, he presented the coin, placed in a decorative box lined with velvet and a silk handkerchief, to the appraiser, and waited for the good news.

The appraiser took one look at it, handed it back, and announced that it was a fake. How did he know?

2. Cathy has six pairs of black gloves and six pairs of brown gloves in her drawer. In complete darkness, how many gloves must she take from the drawer in order to be sure to get a pair that match?

3. Before Mount Everest was discovered, what was the tallest mountain in the world?

If you think you know the answers, leave a comment. People with correct answers will get their name listed in the next issue.

Comment
Top
-------------------------------------------------

Weblinks of the Week
By Jessi Silver

If you want a time-waster that will drive you absolutely insane, then try out the fun-copter game. Just hold your left mouse button to make the helicopter go up, release it for the helicopter to drop. Avoid the obstacles to get as far as you can.

Fun Copter

Along the same lines, this game, called “Defend your Castle” involves you picking up little stick men and tossing them around until they die, so they don’t bust up your castle. It cracks me up

Defend Your Castle

Comment
Top
-------------------------------------------------
Industry News
-------------------------------------------------

DVD Release Dates brought to you by www.animeondvd.com.

10-19-2004

BASToF Syndrome Vol. #5 (of 6) ADV Films
Dragonball Z TV #66: Cell Games: Awakening (of 0) FUNimation Productions
Geisters: Fractions of the Earth Vol. #2 (of 6) Anime Crash
Get Backers Vol. #02 (of 10) ADV Films
Heroic Legend of Arislan Set (of 1) Central Park Media
Kiddy Grade Vol. #7 (of 0) FUNimation Productions
Megaman: NT Warrior Vol. #02 (of 0) Viz, LLC
Mezzo Vol. #1 (also w/box) (of 3) ADV Films
Night Walker Set (of 1) Central Park Media
Parasite Dolls (of 1) ADV Films
Shaman King Vol. #01 (of 22) FUNimation Productions
Shaman King Vol. #02 (of 22) FUNimation Productions
Shootfighter Tekken Vol. #2 (of 3) Central Park Media
Sister Princess Vol. #1 (also w/box) (of 7) ADV Films
Texhnolyze Vol. #4 (of 6) Geneon Entertainment (USA), Inc.
Xpress Train (of 0) Anime 18
Yu Yu Hakusho: The Dark Tournament Box Set 2 (of 0) FUNimation Productions
YuGiOh (Uncut) Vol. #01: The Shadow Games (of 0) FUNimation Productions
YuGiOh (Uncut) Vol. #02: The Insector Combo (of 0) FUNimation Productions

10-26-2004

.hack//SIGN Complete Collection (of 1) Bandai Entertainment
Angel Tales Vol. #3 (of 4) Bandai Entertainment
Aquarian Age Vol. #2 (of 3) ADV Films
Bubblegum Crisis 2040 Essential Anime Vol. #1 (of 3) ADV Films
Chu2 Vol. #1 (of 1) NuTech Digital, Inc.
Dream Hazard (of 1) NuTech Digital, Inc.
Escaflowne Perfect Collection (of 1) Bandai Entertainment
Flame of Recca Vol. #01 (of 0) Viz, LLC.
Gad Guard Vol. #3 (of 7) Geneon Entertainment (USA), Inc.
Geneshaft Complete Collection (of 1) Bandai Entertainment
Giant Robo Vol. #1 (also w/Special Model Box) (of 4) Media Blasters
Gravitation Vol. #4 (of 4) Right Stuf International, Inc
Inu Yasha Vol. #23 (of 0) Viz, LLC.
Kaleido Star Vol. #5 (of 6) ADV Films
Maiden of Deliverance (of 1) Kitty Media
Marmalade Boy Collection 2 (of 4) TOKYOPOP
Miami Guns Vol. #4 (of 4) AN Entertainment
MoMone (of 1) NuTech Digital, Inc.
Paranoia Agent Vol. #1 (also w/box) (of 4) Geneon Entertainment (USA), Inc.
Pianist (of 1) NuTech Digital, Inc.
Pokemon: Master Quest Vol. #01 (of 1) Viz, LLC.
Project Arms Vol. #11 (of 0) Viz, LLC
R.O.D. the TV Vol. #3 (of 7) Geneon Entertainment (USA), Inc.
Sakura Taisen: Sumire (of 0) FUNimation Productions
Sakura Wars OVA Essential Anime (of 1) ADV Films
Stratos 4 Vol. #3 (of 4) Bandai Entertainment
Super Atragon Essential Anime (of 1) ADV Films
Twelve Kingdoms Vol. #08 (of 0) Media Blasters
Vanilla Series: Hooligan (of 0) Critical Mass Video
Witch Hunter Robin Complete Collection (of 1) Bandai Entertainment

Top