The Ninja Consultant Podcast

Show #45 - James Interview Part 2: Japanese Prison
Show #045 Direct Download:

OP and ED: "Don't Make Me Wild Like You" remixed by Yoko Ishida, theme from Ranma 1/2, remixed for the Para Para Max US Mix volume 3, also available on amazon for $8

"Doing Time" is a manga available from Ponet Mon/Fanfare that won a lot of awards. It's also a movie.

Things that are illegal in Japan:
- Guns
- Large pocket knives
- Assisted Suicide
- Marijuana mailed to you from "Bob Marley, NY"

Upside to Japanese prison: Significantly less shanking, sodomy.
Downside: Controlled head turning, nudity.

Promo: Dragon Radio

- Erica runs Yuricon, and was at Comiket with a table.
- We're really looking forward to the all-adult Providence convention
- Otakon 1998 was the Army of the 12 Otaku T-shirt (photos?) [Actually, it was 1996]
- It was the only 4-day Otakon [Actually 1995 was the four day Otakon]
- There was a Golddigger Cosplayer

Promo: Randomization Podcast

- Otakon 1999
- First year with girls
- First year at the Baltimore Convention Center
- The place was freaking empty, not like 2006

- Otakon 2000
- Big shift in gender and age
- Tokyopop's Authentic Manga Line begins
- Borders and Barnes & Noble start carrying manga

Photos: Otakon 1999 vs. 2002 vs. 2006

The comic book bubble was in the 1990's, wherein people bought collectors edition covers thinking that the books would be worth money someday, which they weren't.

Thanks to that idiocy the comic market closed, and there were no new comics readers until Tokyopop brought girls back into the mix. More recently comics have undergone a resurgence, because graphic novels can be found in bookstores, and also because of Marvel's big Hollywood movies based on comics that get comic readers back into comic book shops. (Noteably; Spiderman, V for Vendetta, X-Men, and even Ghost World and American Splendor, all sold thousands more books than would've sold otherwise.)

- James has 1st edition Ranma 1/2 comics