http://noneedforbushido.com/livestream/

Assuming it’s not much of a hassle, I’ll probably make this a nightly thing. Once NN4B comes back, I intend this to continue to be a regular thing.

Hey everyone, I just wanted to briefly let you all know what exactly it is I’ve been doing for the past several months. I’m currently being paid to work on another webcomic called ‘Hoopfighter’, tied to Shaquille O’neal. The comic is only part of a bigger franchise, which will include an online animated miniseries and a game for mobile devices. I think it’s safe to say I’m feeling pretty darn good about getting paid to draw a scifi martial arts series! The comic is 100 pages long, so I’ll be working on it probably into May. I’m going to start posting pages here in the mean time, although I’m already close to 20 pages into the story. You can read the archive on the Hoopfighter website and like it on Facebook, if you’re in to that sort of thing.

There are a couple reasons why this project is good for NN4B in the long run. First is that Hoopfighter has me producing three comic pages a week. I’ve definitely found a rhythm with fast page production that I’d like to carry back over to NN4B in the hopes of increasing its update schedule to, if not three, then at least two pages a week. Second, working on someone else’s webcomic is having the effect of making me want to get back to working on my own! Still, that’s not going to be possible until the Hoopfighter project is completed. It just coincidentally happens to end at approximately the same time I’d intended to finish my NN4B comic hiatus.

Just to clarify, I had no hand in writing of creating the Hoopfighter story, I’m solely the artist in this project.

My friends, perhaps you have heard of or in the past downloaded the Metroid 25th Anniversary tribute album, Harmony of a Hunter. If you haven’t done this and you are any sort of Metroid fan, then feel free to correct your heinous error!

Now, having said that, Harmony of a Hunter is getting a follow up album, Harmony of a Hunter: 101% Run. I’m so psyched for this since the original compilation has been many times played through on my iPod. November is it’s release date, same website as the previous link! Mark it on your calendars, why not! This is a thing I have certainly done.

Holy flipping shnikies! Honestly, here I was, thinking Metal Gear Solid had become overwrought with plot and Kojima just needed to move on to another series, perhaps a spiritual sequel of some sort. But after this trailer, I’m excited for the franchise all over again! I still have trepidations, though. My fear is that this game’s story will not only be inaccessible to franchise outsiders, but to MGS veterans who haven’t gotten around to playing all those handheld side games for the PSP. Big Boss’s plot line has become as convoluted as Solid Snake’s, and at this point I don’t think even the most die hard Metal Gear fan can explain the series’ overarching plot without a flow chart and week of free time, and even then the logic of it all breaks down into a pile of bubbling nonsense.

Now I say this as a huge MGS fan who used to spend hours of his free time speculating on the series’ many conspiracies, but even I’ve become burnt out on the Snake’s incomprehensible back story. So, PLEASE, Kojima! Keep it relatively simple and easily digestible this time! We don’t need another MGS4, as much as I loved how that game wrapped up the Solid Snake plotline.

Also, if Ground Zeroes is truly a prelude to MGS5, let us hope that MGS5 turns out to be the remake/retcon of the original Famicom that I think every Metal Gear fan has been secretly hoping for ever since MGS3 made the leap back in time. Now that’s something I could seriously go fanboy nuts over!

Hello, my fellow internet addicts! We’ve survived our seventh year at Matsuricon and I have to admit that already I can’t wait until next year! I certainly had a few favorite moments from the con, namely co-hosting a Legend of Korra panel with Mindy, co-hosting a Rurouni Kenshin panel with Micah Solusod, and talking politics with Cathy Wesluck at Buca di Beppo. A big thanks to everyone who attended our panels, it was a blast! I also got Scott Mcneil to sign a drawing of Gundam Wing’s Duo Maxwell and Cathy to sign a drawing of My Little Pony’s Spike. Sure, we could’ve auctioned them off for charity, but they’re MINE. (note: I am not a brony, for serious!)

I may be jumping the gun, but it does not appear the Kickstarter will make its set goal. After consideration, the monetary goal may have been more than was reasonable to ask, although the original intention was to see how much income the comic could generate and whether turning it into a full time job would be feasible. $16000 is certainly nothing to scoff at and I’m overjoyed and incredibly grateful to all the contributors! And a special shout out to the $600 contributors! To know you’re willing to invest so much in our work is what makes me want to produce the best comic possible.

Worry not! Just because the kickstarter didn’t reach its goal does not mean NN4B is dead! The comic was always going to survive, but we’re reevaluating what our ultimate goals with the Bushido are; is the focus to produce the nicest looking comic we can, or tell the story in a reasonable time frame? What can we do to generate more readership and revenue? What steps can I take to improve artistically? What can Joe do to avoid writing the comic into a plot corner?? These are the kinds of questions Joe and I will be talking and thinking about during the hiatus. When NN4B does return, it may be a radically different comic (although it’ll be continuing the same story).

I want to reiterate that this hiatus is indefinite mostly to regulate my own stress level. I don’t want to give a specific return time and then miss it, and there’s also the possibility that I may feel really good about continuing the comic sooner than I initially expected. The intended length of the comic hiatus is approximately a year. I’d like to make some minicomics, as well as publish a ‘How to Draw’ book, since I have a publishing connection that could get my foot in the door for future work involving published books. I don’t intend to take time off from art, just from the comic that’s consumed the majority of my artistic drive for a decade! As always, feel free to post any thoughts on the comic hiatus. I’ll certainly be glad to hear your opinions.

The kickstarter’s at $12000!! I’m pleased as punch, a huge thanks to all who’ve contributed! You’re all my favorite fan, you know. Anyway, here’s an illustration of Yori and Ina in 1920’s get-ups, because the 1920’s was fashion at its classiest!

So here they are, in all their glory. Please download them, link them, and spread the word!

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Hello, the stalwart readership! I  wanted to post a sketch of the NN4B volume 2 cover! We’re still mulling over a Volume 2 title, and I’m open to suggestions. NN4B is far from forgotten! I assure you it is always on my mind, although I admit the break is doing wonders for restoring my artistic interest in it. When it comes back, it’ll be in a big way, I assure you.

Don’t forget about the NN4B kickstarter! Watching the numbers go up makes me feel warm inside. Thanks to all contributors!