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
James
Otakons… They’re all a blur now. My bad.
Great episode, but I’m interested in Otakon, and also was sort of getting out of comic books and into manga at that time when the bubble was bursting.
1995 was before my time at Otakon, but I went to last year’s Anime Expo, which I think has always been 4 days, and it is very nice to have more “full days,” though it does throw off one’s internal con rhythm clock.
I didn’t hear you mention it, but I also read this blog about Japanese prison, which seems really alarming. Most sources that hold the Japanese legal system up as an example of low incarceration rates neglect to mention the ridiculously high conviction rate, which is what scares me.
J- The angry Otaku
That’s one hell of a story. Though I guess that’s Japanese “jail” since there was no trial or sentencing or whatever. …cooking the books always helps the crime rate though, either in New York or Tokyo.
– Otakon 1998 was the Army of the 12 Otaku T-shirt (photos?) [Actually, it was 1996]
I actually have one of these (1996) original shirts, size XL, in mint never-worn condition. Doing a google search to try to establish it’s value, all i’ve found is the podcast transcript above. Does no one truly remember these?
Perhaps no one does, except our friend The Angry Otaku who has gone to every Otakon and has shirts from all of them.
Seriously though, are you selling yours? Will you send us a photo?
ah, foo.
I’m kind of torn on selling; it’s not a shirt i’d ever feel comfortable wearing, just with what it is. Given the right price, i might just send it off to a better home; to someone who will treasure it more than i.
I can post a photo of it tonight.