I dont care to comment on this
(17:01:36) 312067175: Hello
(17:01:57) iJ: good day
(17:02:13) 312067175: СОСИ
(17:02:19) iJ: ..?
(17:02:43) 312067175: Fuck of niger
(17:02:59) iJ: Err..
(17:03:17) 312067175: иди нахуй сучка
(17:03:18) iJ: Either you are really confused person who dosent know the definition of word 'niger' or you dont know who you are talking to..
(17:04:24) 312067175: The ugly creature
(17:04:35) iJ: Right. Good bye.
(17:04:44) 312067175: соси
I have username or number in three instant messaging protocols, all managed thru Gaim, a splendid little piece of software.
Of all the protocols I have (AIM, ICQ and MSN, btw) only in ICQ people call me and start bugging.
And this only started after I went over 21. I imagine I went from one group to another, but I have no idea where and is there some change to get back to the "dont bug me" group.
This would be ok, if people would want to talk to me about comics, books, history or some other thing I would actually be interested in, but usually the people who talk to me are girls (or women, as it is) and braindamaged.
Anyway, this is the sort of conversations Im having over it. For context, it should be pointed over that my personal information (available next to my nick in the chat window) had all the information she is asking about, and more besides. Her info only had the name 'veronica' there.
(19:25:07) 263446539: hi
(19:25:39) iJ: evening
(19:26:55) 263446539: where are you from?
(19:27:26) iJ: Hmm
(19:27:32) iJ: Where did you get my number from?
(19:28:07) iJ: I live in Finland, which I have probaply written next to every place where my id is up
(19:28:37) 263446539: age?
(19:28:59) iJ: Who are you?
(19:29:57) iJ: I am not very delighted that someone who hasnt even introduced herself suddenly pops up and starts interrogating me
(19:30:24) iJ: With questions that I have already answered on the page where you found my number
(19:30:48) 263446539: ok bye
(19:30:57) iJ: thank you, and good bye
(19:31:35) 263446539: thank you for what?
(19:31:50) iJ: Sarcasm
(19:32:21) 263446539: you not want to talk with me
(19:32:30) iJ: I would love to talk to you
(19:32:46) iJ: But I have asked two questions from you, and you have not answered me once
(19:32:56) iJ: Thats not dialogue, thats interrogation
(19:33:45) 263446539: you haven't asked nothing
(19:34:25) iJ: Where did you get my number?
(19:34:29) iJ: Who would you be?
(19:35:20) iJ: Listen, I bet you have talked with people via phone?
(19:35:43) iJ: When you call someone, you introduce yourself.
(19:35:51) iJ: And before calling, you find out something about the person you call to.
(19:36:16) iJ: In this case, if you found my number somewhere, you probaply found that the page also had information about me, like my country, age and gender
(19:36:36) iJ: You dont just select random number from phone book and ask "who am I talking to?"
(19:36:45) 263446539: i haven't read nothing about you
(19:36:53) iJ: Where did you get my number then?
(19:38:00) 263446539: i don't remember. here
(19:38:08) iJ: "here"?
(19:38:22) 263446539: yes
(19:38:29) iJ: What would "here" be?
(19:38:42) 263446539: excuse me but i don't speak english very well
(19:38:55) iJ: What was the page where you found my number?
(19:39:08) iJ: "here" isint a location :)
(19:39:37) 263446539: i don't remember
(19:40:58) iJ: Right. Good bye.
Makes you really connect with the human race, dosent it?
Three weeks ago I volunteered to review a newspaper strip-collection. The publisher even sent me a review-copy - so this was "real" review, not one of those where I have to buy my own copy which I will then publish at some forums or on my blog.
It saw the light of day at Kvaak.fi, which is the biggest* comics portal in Finland. The forums are read by all - the publishers, the editors, translators, artists and writers - and so it's not just some "fan project".
The review is in finnish and can be found here. It has been up for four hours now and the page has 70 hits - on Saturday.
Apparently my text wasnt awfully sucky, as I was asked to review some comics for Otaku - which is THE fanzine for anime in Finland*. I'll probaply not get paid, but Ill get more copies for review. As albums aren't that cheap for poor student like me, free stuff is free stuff even if I have to write a review about it. (My dad pointed that it isint free if I have to review it, but as I would probaply write a review anyway, I think this is pretty cool).
Hopefully, in a few years I get my texts up in Sarja-Info, the four-times-a-year magazine published by Finland's Comics Society. That is, if I can keep writing that long. But it would be really great to see my name in print somewhere.
Well, dreams are important, don't shatter them, please.
*OK, so theres only one
*There are others, but this is the only one with regular publishing schedule.
Found this some time ago in Warren Ellis' dirty blog.
At the time I didn't think much of it. I found it disgusting, but that was about it. Today morning I was at shower and thought how much trouble those fucking idiots are going to destroy something so precious. Wouldn't it be much easier all around if these dimwits would just camp outside synagogues and mosques instead of going to the tropic getting eaten by mosquitos that probaply spread all sort of nasty diseases.
And then I thought some more of those "spreaders of word". I remember how they go door to door disturbing all sort of honest folk.
Jews never do that. Whatever you say about jews, they never interrupt you in the middle of your favorite show or bath. Thats a huge plus in My Personal Up and Down List.
I saw Megatokyo first time when I was still at compulsory school. I was fifteen and I had just discovered forums. Some other user pasted few of the comics in the "joke" topic. I thought the comics he put there ( the "does anyone here speak l33t" being one of them) were one of the best I had ever seen. I was idiot back then, so I asked where he got them. He laughed and didn't tell. I don't blame him. It took me few months to finally find the page on my own. I was thrilled. It was the first web comic I found and followed.
And follow it I did, for two years or so. Largo, the script monkey, left and the story got little confusing and the jokes changed. But it was still pretty good. At some point I got tired of waiting three days between each strip, and I started checking the archives every few weeks. And then every few months. And then I started taking only looks on the main page, now and then.
Now, it feels like its of something improper, taking a look at something that used to be so important and isint any more. It makes me feel guilty, to go check what the comic is up to now.
The art is more defined. The contrast between lines and white is more cleaner. Gallagher/Piro has clearly advanced, and the faces dont look so big anymore.
And the jokes are gone. I thought, "maybe its only this one". And I went back, read few earlier installments, and jep, the jokes were still gone.
When Iron Cat published the Megatokyo collection, I bought. It was a riot, very fun, and I like having it in my self even thought Dark Horse later brought out new edition with more pages and better paper. And I bought the Dark Horse volume two. Still some good jokes, but toward then end the evolution that leads up to now is clearly seen. When I bought volume 2, I decided I wouldnt buy number three, realizing that it probaply would be even more romance-like tpb and less of the gamer-comic. Wise choice, now that I look the comic again.
Since then books three and four have come out.. and Gallagher is now writing just for the trade. The pages don't work as single units no more, they dont make any sense. And the readers of the comic - the gamers, the rpg'ers, the anime enthuastics who like the jokes, those loving the mad action - have all gone, being replaced by those who love the manga style, those who love the romance the book now has and the soap opera.
And that's cool. Gallagher does something he loves. Apparently he and Largo (Castron) are still friends. Or at least they arent hating each other. Largo talks in his blog sometimes of Piro, and it dosent feel hateful. And Piro still defends Largo when someone tries to give all the credit of the comic for him.
But somehow Im still sad. I cant feel that Im part of the intended audience of the comic anymore. And I really loved Largo's sense of humour, and the humour Piro tried to impose on the comic after Largo left, before concentrating on the romance.
And I think I realize it only now. Before, the comic at least tried to stay true to its roots. There were jokes. The artstyle, while better, still was pretty close to the orginal one. But there isint it anymore. I could think that this was still the Megatokyo I loved. I cant see it anymore. Its a new comic, with the old name and old characters.
Something I really miss is Largo's sense of humour. I would love to see him write something again. But apparently he is content in being programmer in the Unix-environment, as told on his homepage. Maybe he does something in the future.
But I doubt it.
I follow several comics, and have followed several in the past. The things I love about webcomics is that they are so free - you cant imagine seeing anything like this outside some freakish underground comics (and most of that is just as filthy shit as most of webcomics, but you have to pay to find this out. Also, if you find something great, that dosent mean you will find the next issues).
The problem with "what webcomics do you think are great?" topics at forum is that people list lots of comics that arent of interest to anyone. For recomendations to be any good, should the person who recommends and the person who takes the recommendations be on the same brain wave, as far as interests and sensitivity go. It's all jolly and good if you are both game fans and also bit geeky - but if the other one dosen't like sex- and gore-jokes, mixed with game- and geek-references, its all out. I wrote part of this list at my homepage, but here it is again, with some additions and more comments.
So, at the moment (it changes) my two favorite comics are:
Something Positive. It should update daily, but usually it does about two to three strips per week. But it has a large archive going back six years, so one should manage pretty ok. The comic is about Davan, an actor from Boston and his extended circle of friends. I guess it is kinda like Nemi in some of its jokes -- lots of them are of dark humour. In the latest strip a geek pays for doctor to convince that his bimbo-friend has ruined her good looks, probaply to make her "easy pray". The artist has gone thru several styles while making the comic. His current style seems pretty minimalistic, and at earlier times it was too cartoony at times.. but all in all, it is well drawn. Professional quality.
Penny Arcade. Is the grandfather of every "two gamers talk about popular culture" webcomic in the net. At best, it is very hilarious, but some storylines leave me cold. Both the writer and artist are of the top of the game. Apparently both creators are living off their product, at the moment, having enough income to not only fund their lives but also to hire people to handle deals, money, cons, merchantise etc.
This might be wise as they have sold the rights to their comic off TWICE, without knowing what they were doing.
Anyway. The creators are living the American Dream. And they deserve it, because this comic is GOLDEN.
Sinfest is a cast of characters involving not-so-good playboy, teen-slut, the Devil, a nerd, Dragon, dog and cat, God, fanboys (one for God and one for Devil), a pig, two annoying kerubis etc etc. Hilarious best, tiresome at times. The writer/artist takes regular unannounced vacations that may last as long as a month.
El Goonish Shive sees the writer/artist develope during it's run. The comic starts very modestly, art-vise, and developes into well skilled, but pretty lifeless panels. I enjoyed this comic greatly, and even sent email to the creator telling him so.
The comic deals with two teenagers Ted (a girlish looking scientist-geek) and Elliot (who does karate or kungfu or something) and what happens to them. This involves sex-changes, people who turn into animals, alternative dimensions, clones, aliens etc.
For the above mentioned reasons, this comic was also The Link of the Day at Something Awful.
But I liked it. Three times a week.. maybe?
Penny and Aggie is about two beatiful girls at high school. While Penny is only interested in herself, and keeping herself the boss of her group and the most desirable girl in school, Aggie is interested in saving the world and is therefore social outcast. The girls consider each other more or less rivals, for reasons known to no one, not probaply even by themselves. Well written and the art is very good indeed. It looks french with japanese touch. Four times a week.
Shortpacked! is a department store, the main characters work, under the faschist rule of of store owner Galasso. here's the cast page. I like this comic because its very, very comic-geeky and because I can see an aspect of myself in most of the employees. Exellent comic. Almost daily, I think.
Perry Bible Fellowship is very exellent. Cool colours, and very, very twisted and sick sense of humour. I like it very much. You will probaply too, if you arent too sensitive person. Once a week.
So, do you have any personal favorites that you would like to tell me about?
