I’m Famous in Japan! – Page 10
A new year, and a new page for I’m Famous in Japan! This time round, we jump over to a joke focusing on Daniel.
This page is a bit of a mixed basket. It had turned out the way I wanted with panels that I really liked, but at the same time, there are bits that kind of annoyed me, because I probably could have drawn them better. Alas, that is how it usually is with me as I’m a bit of a perfectionist. So to cope, I usually call these imperfections ‘Paper-based Karma’, which work to balance out the good bits I like.
And it’s the good bits I’m going to talk a little bit about. The top panel is yet another pre-loaded Manga Studio Wire-frame, which I then screen-toned. I had wanted to go for a hotel entrance here, but an office-front seems to work too. I had promised myself to cut down on using these wire-frames, and so I have. In the run-up to this page I did some photo studies of Tokyo (ala Google Image search, since I’ve never been there) and produced the dark ‘dawn’ picture you see the middle left panel. That was done completely by hand, using an evening photo of Tokyo’s cleverly named ‘Ching-Ching’ tram line, as a reference. The line of vending machines in the next panel is also based on a Tokyo photo. Alas, it was a daytime photo, so despite my efforts I feel that I have screwed up the twilight effect I was going for. Thankfully, I think at least the angle worked out right. Finally, we have Daniel’s Prayer. This worked out a little better than I thought it would. The ‘dreamy’ screen-tome helps set the mood, and Daniel does seem to be swept up by the emotion of it all.
Land of the Vending Sun
The main theme of this joke is something we’ve mentioned earlier. The Japanese love vending machines, so much so, that you can purchase nearly everything from them in most cities. Food, drink….and yes…even clothing. I’m not going to mention the ‘used underwear’ again, but one thing we may find odd is the availability of Beer vending machines in Japan. We don’t normally see these in the Western world, for the simple reason that minors would easily purchase booze from these things. The only requirement being that he/she has enough coins to make the purchase. This actually had been a problem in Japan in recent years, and from 2000 the Japanese Government ordered the machines to be phased out. However, I think they still exist to this day.
On that note, I finish this entry….dreaming about a can of beer from a vending machine….and hoping it doesn’t explode in my face due to it being shook up.
Until next time.
-RAWR!