Show Appearance!

Hey everyone!

I'll be doing a comics and collectibles show in Knoxville, Tennessee on Saturday, 5 November. It's at the Days Inn on Merchants Drive. Here's the address if you're in the area and need directions:

5335 Central Ave. Pike
Knoxville, TN 37912

The show will be from 10 AM to 4 PM, so come by and see me! I'll also have my exciting 'impurity bracelets' for $1 each...although if you mention that you're a fan of Incubus Tales or Lamia, I might just toss you one for free. And of course you get one free with every purchase!

I will also be running a second table called Utakata Books, which will sell very inexpensive copies of assorted Japanese-language manga, including Nakayoshi, Trigun, Dragon Ball, and more! Stop by!
I hope to see you there!

Incutales Special!

Everyone! Incutales Special will be starting on 9 October, this Sunday! Be sure to stop by. I've made this special promotional image just for you, in the style of my favourite classic books from my younger days. I hope you like it!

Incutales Special will feature mainly short and self-contained episodes, only a few pages at most, but typically single-page and able to be enjoyed by themselves. Incutales Special will appear every Sunday! It will show the breadth and variety of the Incuverse, the omniverse in which Incubus Tales takes place.


Incubus Tales, the original comic, chronicles the satirical and sexy adventures of Dhiar, an Incubus who owns a shop called Phantasies. It is located at http://www.incubustales.com and updates Tuesday and Friday weekly.

Tumblr and More

Hey everyone!

I do still update this blog, but not as often as my tumblr, which has sort of become my official place for saying things. In any case, please do check my tumblr...it'll be sure to keep you updated! It's at:

http://hushicho.tumblr.com (naturally!)

A new video has been completed, one months in the making, for Incubus Tales. You can take a look here:

http://hushicho.tumblr.com/post/9668386614/if-youve-been-wondering-where-chanas-been-and

I hope you'll enjoy this!

Appearing at Comic Show!

Just to let all of you know, I'll be appearing at the Knoxville Comic and Anime Show on 18 and 19 June, Saturday and Sunday respectively. You can find out more about the show here:

http://www.comiccitytn.com/Convention_Listings.html

As always, I will be doing sketches for you, and naturally I will have all of my art print posters and comics with me! Stop by and say hello!

June Commission Special!

As summer begins, I am still catching up on my rest from all my travel this past month. I'm not that fond of summer altogether, because I can't stand heat.

But my complaints about the heat pale in comparison to my dear friend Hawkye's pain.

Right now, he is suffering from an oral infection that will kill him if it is not treated. He is looking into treatment options, but like many people in this country, he cannot afford insurance, so his options are severely limited.

He has always been a supporter of my work, and always a regular reader of and commenter on Incubus Tales, and so for this month, I decided to do a special!

Any sexy commission order will receive a discount! And what's great is, even if you just get a sexy sketch along with a more involved, formal commission, you get a discount on the whole order. It doesn't have to be outrageous, just...sexy!

My rates start at around $10-15 for the least and quickest thing I can do, which is still lots of fun. Think of it...one less game on Steam, one single time eating out...and someone who needs help will get it. Because I am donating as much of my profits as I can to Hawkye, so that he can have help with his dental issues.

I don't want to lose one of my dearest friends. I love him like a brother. Please help me with this. I'm not asking for handouts, though I always appreciate donations and tips.

But I am suggesting, why not heat up the summer early? Let's do some sexy art! Of course I am also available for non-sexy commissions too, don't worry!

You can contact me at hushicho@gmail.com or send me a message through tumblr. I'm very fast, very professional, and you've seen my quality if you're a regular reader of my tumblr or of Incubus Tales.

I'm happy to provide references and pleased clients if you need any such thing. Just let me know.

Outlantacon!

I’ll be appearing at Outlantacon on 13-15 May. Come see me!

I’ll have books and posters with me, including the fabulous new The Incubus, the omnibus edition first volume of Incubus Tales!

If you’re going to come, though, please don’t fly. Don’t fly to the United States, don’t fly from the United States, don’t fly with a stop in the United States. I will not have my friends, fans, and readers raped and molested by creeps and scum such as are currently employed in US airports and defying our fundamental rights every day.

You can still order my work online, and I’m happy to communicate with all of you through the wonderful medium of the internet! I might be fun to hang out with in person, but no-one is fun enough to justify the degradation currently perpetrated upon people in US airports.

I hope to see some of you at Outlantacon, though! It’ll be a great GLBT-oriented show, and there will be a lot of fun to be had! It’s also in Atlanta, so there’s plenty to do even when you’re not at the show! I intend to party hard!

See you there! I’ll be in the dealers’ room!

Haters Gonna Hate

I don’t want to get very political, but I have something to say regarding the recent controversy over attempting to extend the so-called ‘Defence of Marriage Act’.

Basically this is an act of war. It’s a war declared on citizens who depend on these people for government and protection, for rights afforded to arbitrarily-chosen other citizens, but not them. It is an act of discrimination. It is an act of evil.

Does that sound too extreme? Maybe it does. But have you ever lived somewhere you were regarded as less than human? If not, try it sometime and see how you like it.

Spoiler: you won’t.

To all of you politicians trying to defend it, trying to extend and promote it:

You are no representative of the people. You are distracting from the real issues and solving no problems. In this time of economic crisis, you are doing nothing to remedy the problems and, instead, are focussing your efforts on denying American citizens rights.

That’s what this is all about: denying Americans rights and freedoms that are afforded to other Americans. It is an inalienable right that all are created equal under the law. That isn’t something you can just cherry-pick out of the history of this country. Admittedly, the United States has had plenty of time to be unfair to social groups. It’s called bigotry, and it’s ugly no matter who is the target.

It also doesn’t belong in politics. Especially when politics are being mixed with religion, which seems to happen far too often these days. Church and State are legally separated in the US.

To you politicians attempting to keep things unequal, to waste our time and money with furthering inequality for citizens who pay your exorbitant salary, I have this to say: you will be defeated. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not the next election, but you will lose your jobs. It won’t be a costumed hero who punches you out, even though you’re an over-the-top villain who is difficult to take seriously. It will be the ballot. The voice of the American people who, last I checked, were all entitled to representation and basic rights…not just the rich, or the light of skin, or the heterosexual.

You will be remembered in history as relics, frauds, and charlatans, obsolete and outdated, tools of hate and tools of bigotry and intolerance. People will look back, in history classes, and wonder how it could be possible for some people to hate other people so much, and for something so ridiculous. And they will laugh at you. Some of them will hate you. And that is how you will live in history, if anyone even remembers your name.

You are not martyrs, or heroes, or champions of any people. You are just sad individuals who prosper from the suffering of others. And you do so out of fear. And you should be afraid, because time marches on and waits for no man. Time marches on, societies and cultures evolve and mature, and people move past their differences because they have to, in order to prosper.

Non-heterosexuals have had extensive rights in many societies long before the United States, and they will continue to have them long after. It’s not even a matter of stepping into the twenty-first century. It’s a matter of stepping into the real world and seeing the real people around you, not some sort of twisted caricature of humanity that merely echoes your own intolerance. Ancient Egypt had prominent status for gay couples. Even the Norse, widely thought to be the epitome of masculinity, also did the same. The Celts were, likewise, what would be thought today to be ‘progressive’ in their lifestyles. Because you know what?

A person’s sexuality doesn’t have any bearing on whether they can contribute to society. If they could see this thousands of years ago, why is that so difficult to see to people now? We have the internet, for god’s sake. You can learn anything you want to with five seconds of typing and a click.

To the citizens who are so sadly deluded as to think that this act is worth defending: you are ignorant. You are misguided. It will not impact your life even slightly if you don’t personally know anyone who is not heterosexual. And if you do, it’s not your life to begin with. It’s not your choice to make, who someone else marries. And if it bothers you that much to see your acquaintances being able to be joined in a union, if you are convinced that it will affect your life and your relationship that much, then I think it’s time you look at this life and this relationship and understand that something is wrong.

Time to be an adult and face the fact that if there is a problem with your relationship, it isn’t because of someone else’s relationship. However much you might like this to be true, it isn’t; if there is a problem in a relationship between two people, the problem lies with them, not with two people who aren’t in a relationship with them.

At least fifty per cent of all marriages end in divorce. And this is heterosexual marriage I’m talking about, heterosexual unions recognised under the law. There are ‘reality’ shows and contests to marry people. Las Vegas has drive-through chapels where people can get married, with no fuss and no reverence whatsoever.

Taking a step towards equality by getting rid of an act that should never have been passed in the first place is not going to harm marriage.

I would say that the statistics fairly clearly show that the largest harm to marriage has been done. The sanctity of this union has long been absent. There is no need to defend it.

There are people I know who have been together for decades, heterosexual couples. It can work. But you know…the overwhelming majority clearly cannot handle marriage. Why are they still allowed it?

To them, it is something they take for granted. To non-heterosexuals, it is almost a luxury. It is something some people would give everything they have, to be able to do. And people have cheapened it, made it worthless, so that it has become a cheap trinket to auction off on a game show.

Why are we wasting time with this act? Why are we wasting money defending this act? Why is attention being taken from examining the economic problems of the country, and the world, and perhaps putting some of the corporate ‘masters’ in their places, taking away their monopolies and their other evil little toys, and actually fixing things for the people who are suffering, while politicians sit in their mansions, well-paid and supplemented by the people who hire them out like hookers.

There are more problems in the world than we could ever hope to solve. However, trying to deny citizens the rights they deserve and promoting laws that deny people rights they would otherwise have is not helping anyone. It isn’t solving any problems. It isn’t protecting anything. It isn’t helping marriage, it isn’t helping the economy, and most of all, it isn’t doing jack squat for America.

So I guess I just want to say…fuck DOMA. And fuck the idiots who think it’s a good thing. Fuck the people who made it happen, and fuck the ones who want it to keep going.

And if you think that’s too harsh language, you haven’t lived as less than human. What I’ve said was mild and gentle. And it was moreso than this joke of legislative idiocy deserves.

tumblr!

I have a tumblr now! I'm very new to all this, but it's located here:

http://hushicho.tumblr.com

Enjoy! :)

Heroes

This is a bit of a personal post, so I don't blame you if you become disinterested and opt to read something else. But I thought it would be interesting, at least, to write about this, and I thought it was something that needed to be expressed.

When I was quite young, barely 7 years old, I remember meeting a hero of mine. He was an actor named Jon Pertwee. For those of you who don't know him, he was an incredibly popular actor, and one of his best-known roles was as the Doctor, the third one, in Doctor Who. He was renowned, and appropriately, for being larger than life in his appearances.

I remember being a bit starstruck by just seeing him. There he was, the magnificent man who was a hero of mine, a childhood hero, right there before me. When I met him, he was just as heroic and magnificent as I had seen him be on the screen. In retrospect, I realise now that it could have easily turned out differently. He could have just been presenting a certain facade on-screen that he wasn't able to maintain in person. He could have been terribly rude and disappointing in person. But he was none of those things; he was magnificent and magnanimous, and he maintained my image of him as an amazing superhero. I will never forget meeting him.

The opposite experience was when I contacted Dynamic Pro, the studio founded by Nagai Gou, who was one of my inspirations when I started making comics. Nagai Gou was responsible for pioneering series, controversial series such as Harenchi Gakuen, Devilman, and Mazinger Z. But in recent years, basically since 1990, his work has been far out of the popular eye. Most of the work he's done in the past 20 years has been short bursts, flashes in the pan, and although his work has its fans, most of the time it's under the radar of the mainstream. The manga never last too long. The anime based off them tend to operate on the premise that once upon a time, the title or character was popular. It's sad, but I started to understand when I contacted them.

Ishikawa Ken, Nagai sensei's partner in Dynamic Pro, passed away a few years ago. Since then, Nagai himself has been more or less retired, barely doing any real manga work. I don't blame him. After contacting Dynamic Pro, I can understand why; I contacted them after doing some very strong comic work in Japan and thought that, since internet-based work was gaining popularity at the time, perhaps I could speak to someone and do something for them with some minor characters that were scarcely used even in their own series, and never appeared since. It wouldn't be a great amount of extra work for me, and it would bring Dynamic Pro more acclaim and attention, even if only because it would be an international collaboration. Those are always good for attention.

The response I got was unbelievably rude. I don't remember the man's name who replied to me, although I feel sure I've seen his name somewhere or another. He was incredibly rude and could barely communicate in English, but insisted upon writing in it, despite the fact that I had written him in Japanese. I'm sure he probably thought I didn't understand how rude he was being, since he assumed I hadn't had much experience in communicating in Japanese due to my American email address, but he was very wrong.

It was humiliating and depressing, chiefly because he seemed to think that Dynamic Pro were on a level with Disney, and apparently he had no idea that Dynamic Pro had barely any output to speak of in the past entire decade. As a former fan, it made me feel embarrassed and ashamed for the studio that Nagai Gou had founded, because that was his name, and it was being dragged through the dirt in this way.

Even a cursory flick through web searches makes it perfectly clear how outre Dynamic Pro has become in the Japanese mind, to say nothing of the rest of the world; other than Italy, Nagai sensei's work is all but unknown, and even there it is only embraced in the form of the 70s. I used to wonder why this was so, but now I think I understand: it is the incredible arrogance and egotism of Dynamic Pro's dealing with people. Now that Nagai sensei is mostly retired, Dynamic Pro mainly rides on his coattails. Ishikawa sensei passed away with a respectable following and series of successes, but that and Nagai sensei's past work cannot sustain a studio that feels no need to continue or to innovate.

I used to be an avid fan of Nagai sensei's, but I see no reason to support Dynamic Pro further. They are not Nagai sensei, merely his assistants and embellishers, and it's also clear that they have never really applied their abilities in order to uphold his good name. Is there any reason to maintain a studio if they fail to produce anything at all, and above all that they fail to maintain the respectability of the name of their founder?

So there you have it, my two widely varying experiences with childhood heroes. Jon Pertwee will forever remain a godlike figure amongst men, an unforgettable encounter with stars in my eyes that stayed there, affixed like a cosmic firmament. Dynamic Pro will forever be a disappointment, tinting my respect for Nagai Gou, who formerly occupied a position of great respect and heroism, and who now merely maintains one of pity.

There are many different ways to address fans, whether in a professional capacity or otherwise. And it makes all the difference in the world.

I just thought I might share this with you, as it's important to me and something that tends to come to mind. I'm sure many have had similar experiences. Above all, I hope that it can be informative and interesting to you, and perhaps educational too, in the way you comport yourself when dealing with your own fans and those who regard you highly.

Guruguru GRAVITY Lyrics and English Translation

Another translation of lyrics from the wonderful game Beautiful Katamari.

This was a quick translation, but I tried to get the sentiment across. I hope you'll enjoy the song, and I'm sure you'll be able to sing along better now!

As always, I would appreciate a link back if you use these lyrics.

Enjoy!

ぐるぐるグラビティ


何か足りない気分
ありふれた色だよ

もしキミといるなら
We can roll it up!
いますぐに

いつもと同じ空
たいくつな色だよ

もしキミとみるなら
Gonna make a star!
ふたりきり

ねぇ今日もまた逢えないのかな
七色の奇跡探しに行こう

世界中で僕らは笑う ah
ミラーボールは僕らをてらす
今、回りだしたら
HEAVENLY.
I wish I were a witch tonight. ah
SHOOTING STAR.
I'll take you to the milky way
届くかもね

ステキなキミのGRAVITY

何かに追われてる
落ち着かないセカイ

キミと一緒なら
make the Katamari
思い切り

ねぇ今日はどこで逢えるのかな
足りてない欠片(ピース)
探しに行こう Let's Go!

世界中で僕らは回る ah
エイトビートは僕らのリズム
今、踊りだしたら
HEAVENLY.
I wish I were a witch tonight. ah
SHOOTING STAR.
I'll take you to the milky way
届くかもね

不思議なキミのGRAVITY

ねぇ今日もまた逢えないのかな
七色の奇跡探しに行こう

(行こう!)
世界中で僕らは笑う ah
ミラーボールは僕らをてらす
今、回りだしたら
HEAVENLY.
I wish I were a witch tonight. ah
SHOOTING STAR.
I'll take you to the milky way
届くかもね

ステキなキミのGRAVITY


Guruguru GRAVITY

Nani ka tarinai kibun
Arifureta iro da yo

Moshi KIMI to iru nara
We can roll it up!
Ima sugu ni

Itsumo to onaji sora
Taikutsu na iro da yo

Moshi KIMI to miru nara
Gonna make a star!
Futarikiri

Nee kyou mo mata aenai no ka na
Nanairo no kiseki sagashi ni yukou

Sekaijuu de bokura wa warau ah
MIRAABOORU wa bokura wo terasu
Ima, mawari dashitara
HEAVENLY.
I wish I were a witch tonight. Ah
SHOOTING STAR
I'll take you to the milky way
Todoku kamo ne

SUTEKI na KIMI no GRAVITY

Nani ka ni owareteru
Ochitsukanai SEKAI

KIMI to issho nara
Make the Katamari
Omoikiri

Nee kyou wa doko de aeru no ka na
Taritenai kakera (PIISU)
Sagashi ni yukou Let's Go!

Sekaijuu de bokura wa mawaru ah
EITOBIITO wa bokura no RIZUMU
Ima, odoridashitara
HEAVENLY.
I wish I were a witch tonight. Ah
SHOOTING STAR
I'll take you to the milky way
Todoku kamo ne

Fushigi na KIMI no GRAVITY

Nee kyou mo mata aenai no ka na
Nanairo no kiseki sagashi ni yukou

(Yukou!)
Sekaijuu de bokura wa warau ah
MIRAABOORU wa bokura wo terasu
Ima, mawari dashitara
HEAVENLY.
I wish I were a witch tonight. Ah
SHOOTING STAR
I'll take you to the milky way
Todoku kamo ne

SUTEKI na KIMI no GRAVITY


Guruguru GRAVITY
GRAVITY Turning Round and Round

Feeling like nothing is good enough
It's a plain colour

But if you're here
We can roll it up!
Right away

The same old sky
It's a boring colour

But if I see you
Gonna make a star!
Just the two of us

So can't we meet again today, eh?
Let's go searching for a rainbow-coloured miracle

We laugh all over the world ah
The mirrorball shines on us
Now, spin it around
HEAVENLY.
I wish I were a witch tonight. ah
SHOOTING STAR.
I'll take you to the milky way
I think we're gonna make it

Your awesome GRAVITY

Running after something
A world that never settles down

If I'm with you
make the Katamari
With all my heart

Hey, why don't we meet somewhere today?
Not enough pieces
Let's go searching Let's Go!

Spinning all over the world ah
Eight beat is our rhythm
Now, let's go out dancing
HEAVENLY.
I wish I were a witch tonight. ah
SHOOTING STAR.
I'll take you to the milky way
I think we're gonna make it

Your wonderful GRAVITY

So can't we meet again today, eh?
Let's go searching for a rainbow-coloured miracle

(Let's go!)
We laugh all over the world ah
The mirrorball shines on us
Now, spin it around
HEAVENLY.
I wish I were a witch tonight. ah
SHOOTING STAR.
I'll take you to the milky way
I think we're gonna make it

Your awesome GRAVITY

New Sketch Blog!

I opened a new sketch blog a few days ago. I hope you'll stop by and enjoy what I have to show!

It is located at:

http://hushisketch.blogspot.com

Enjoy!