TV-Circuit ~ A web comic by Robin Edwards.

freetalk.

TV-C has its first online review! You can check it out at Tangents.

9.10.05: Getting back into the swing of things now with a couple of new pieces of art in the multimedia section. I've also been doing character drawings for the upcoming comic, Ganbare! Shimura-san. You can view them at my deviantArt account. Once GSS is underway, I might start to work on more printed issues of TV-C. I'd really like to get the artbook done, too! As for GSS, it still will be uploaded sometime in November. Next week I'm going to put up a new poll and by then I will have decided which day in November it will go up. GSS is a longer story with more comedic elements, and more characters. I came up with it around the same time as TV-C, and it it has a few of the same ideas, however they are presented in a totally different fashion (I hope!). My biggest challenge will be drawing Shimura's cat, Tonbo. I'm not the best at drawing animals, so I'll have to use my own pets as reference! Also, while I was in Japan, I took a ton of pictures of the city we stayed in, as I've decided to use it as the backdrop for GSS. You can view one of the pictures in the TV-C gallery--I've used it as a background for a picture of Kyoko and Akira :D Anyway, that's it for now--more next weekend with info on Ganbare! Shimura-san's launch date!

freetalk for episode 12: The final episode has been uploaded! I've tried to tie up as many loose ends as possible with this one. Bask in the warm glow of the cheesy ending! (I like it, though.) I sincerely hope you guys have enjoyed reading TV-C as much as I have had working on it. There were times when I zoomed through pages, other times when I procrastinated so much I stayed up till the wee hours of the morning (like now!) to finish it, but like Kyoko says, there are good days and bad days. Life *is* pretty good right now. I will be away from Friday, August 19th to September 3rd, because I am getting married and then going on my honeymoon in Japan. While I'm there, I'll be taking reference pictures for my next web comic, Ganbare! Shimura-san. GSS will start in November so I can get ahead of the game and finish a chapter or two, and I'll also take a break to veg. As that project's launch date gets nearer, I'll be talking about it and keeping you guys updated, but I'll also continue to upload stuff here. Fan art, wallpapers, info on printed comics, and other goodies, too. I hope you'll stick around, because you haven't seen the last of Kyoko & Co.!

As always, to make things less confusing, I've kept the names of the characters in Western order (given name, surname). However, signs and other things you may see throughout the comic are written in Japanese, since the story takes place in Tokyo. I will provide translations of the Japanese as I see fit, but if you have any questions or comments, please drop me a line at: genji_kanzaki (at) hotmail dot com. Thanks, and enjoy!

BGM for this episode: The classics: Butch Walker, toad the wet sprocket, Erasure, Weezer, The Killers, Franz Ferdinand, My Chemical Romance, Maroon 5

freetalk for episode 11: It looks as though Kyoko has heeded Akira's advice and gone to the studios to talk to Tatsuki. What they will talk about remains uncertain as of yet . . . Anyone have any ideas?
Crunching so much into these past few pages have been a bit trying--I may have mentioned it before, but I hope they still look decent ^_^; Kyoko's outfit is actually based on a sweater/dress combo I got at Target ^^;
I'm sorry I haven't been getting voting incentives and other goodies up at the same time of the updates; but I usually end up working on the comic after my day job, which is 11 hours long. Sometimes it takes everything just to crank out the comic pages, but after a night's rest I can usually crank out something to post later, which is what I'll be doing this time around. Hope you guys don't mind!

7.30.05: In just a few days, it will be my birthday! I'll have about a week off, which will help me get more of the comic done XD Is everyone enjoying this episode so far? I've been getting a bad case of carpal tunnel so it's been hard toning these past few pages T_T; But hey, it's been uploaded relatively on time this time around! Makes me happy :D Do you think Tatsuki will admit to Kyoko how he found out the information on Kameyama, or do you think he'll cover it up? Feel free to discuss it at the message board.

8.6.05: Episode 11 is almost finished! I may or may not try to update early this coming week. I'll keep you guys posted. Sorry there's no voting incentive art this time around (but you can still vote--he, BuzzComix is back!). There is a new poll, however, which I hope you guys check out. Anyway, it's off to read some Tokyo Babylon . . . XD;

8.12.05: I uploaded the pages a day early for you guys :D TV-C is almost finished! Eeek! It's been about a year, now. It's really flown by. I hope you all will enjoy the final episode next week.

As you can see, there's only one episode left!! When I started the comic several years ago, there were only five parts--since its reincarnation I've expanded it to 12, meaning it would have a run of roughly a year. I decided to post 'the last three episodes' image up there so people wouldn't be taken off guard when the final chapter rolled around. I'm not ending it because I don't like it--I'm ending it because I feel every story needs an end, and for the record, most Japanese dramas last 11-12 episodes, and this is definitely a drama! The ending time coincides with the date of my marriage, actually--it will be a chance for me to take a break and enjoy my honeymoon. But don't fear--I'll have a brand-new web comic coming later in the fall. Until then, enjoy these episodes of TV-C--the climax is close at hand! If you'd like to talk more about this, head on over to the message board.

BGM for this episode: toad the wet sprocket, My Chemical Romance, Butch Walker, O-Zone, Bloc Party, B'z, BUCK-TICK, Kome Kome Club, Gwen Stefani, Tsukiko Amano, Third Eye Blind.

freetalk for episode 10: Episode 10 starts this week and I have to say that page 2 is one of my favorites--I think the sheets and the tones turned out very well in this. Now, I hope modest or younger readers don't get offended by the content. There's nothing explicit, but we have to keep in mind that all the characters in this story are well over the age of consent. It's nothing worse than what you'd see on an episode of Friends. I've listed the comic on some sites as PG-13, but that's mostly due to the language and some other stuff. That said, I wonder if Akira is going to McDonald's, MosBurger, or Lotteria . . . McD's in Japan isn't much of a culture shock--the food tastes exactly the same, but they also have a teriyaki burger that looks like sausage o_o; MosBurger reminds me of sloppy joes, and Lotteria is the Wendy's to the McD's, I guess. This had nothing to do with the comic, but it's made me hungry ^^;

7.2.05: Happy early 4th of July to everyone in the US! I can't believe I'm halfway done with episode 10 already. It's crazy busy right now with wedding planning, yet I still managed to crank this one out in time. I may try to update early next week due to some friends from out-of-town coming to visit on the weekend. You'll notice similarities in the panel placements on these pages and the first three. I did that on purpose--kind of like a . . . 'While this was going on, halfway across town . . . ' type of deal, without having to have that 'halfway~' thing plastered at the top of the page. Make sense? Chalk it up to artistic license :D
As you can see, Tatsuki is NOT okay with how things are turning out. Kyoko's happy, Mayumi has apparently wrote him off, and he's become increasingly irritable at work. Something I wish I could have explored more, but due to time and space constraints, all we get to see is him storming out of a meeting.
(Don't worry--we'll get to see more of his anger coming up!)

7.11.05: I had a busy weekend that didn't allow me to work on my comic since I was away from my computer the whole time. Fortunately, it WILL be updated tomorrow (Tuesday) after 10 PM (EST). Why so late? It's because I have 11-hour workdays! I don't have a laptop so I can't work on it at work, and I don't like to rush. It will be up on Tuesday, just kind of late. I thank you guys for your cooperation during these frantic weeks. Wedding planning + friend's wedding + 40-hour work weeks = not a lot of comic time! I hope you guys understand. Pages 7-9 will be up soon!

7.13.05: All I can say is . . . HOLY CRAP, I'M SORRY! I had no idea it would take me so long to get these pages done. They had gone through two penciling phases--and size pages of Bristol board--before I decided on a layout that I liked. I feel that I rushed through these, though, and I'm still not the best at action sequences, so please bear with me as I go. Looks like Tatsuki might finish what Akira started during the last episode. We'll find out what happens on Saturday--on time, I promise!! (Special thanks to cel3131 from the message board, who gave me a little inspiration to add something to page 7!)

7.16.05: I admit, I had to cram a LOT into these last few pages to keep the page counts the same as the other episodes. I hope the art quality didn't suffer TOO much, as I have been using new pens and better paper--but next time, I'll take more care with panel layouts and word-bubble placement. You live and learn, I guess! Check back soon for the start of episode 11--will Kyoko actually go and talk to Tatsuki, or will she ignore Akira's advice? Voice your opinions at the message board.

As you can see from the main page image, there are only three episodes left in this series. When I started the comic several years ago, there were only five parts--since its reincarnation I've expanded it to 12, meaning it would have a run of roughly a year. I decided to post 'the last three episodes' image up there so people wouldn't be taken off guard when the final chapter rolled around. I'm not ending it because I don't like it--I'm ending it because I feel every story needs an end, and for the record, most Japanese dramas last 11-12 episodes, and this is definitely a drama! The ending time coincides with the date of my marriage, actually--it will be a chance for me to take a break and enjoy my honeymoon. But don't fear--I'll have a brand-new web comic coming later in the fall. Until then, enjoy these episodes of TV-C--the climax is close at hand! If you'd like to talk more about this, head on over to the message board.

BGM for this episode: The Best of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Gwen Stefani, Weezer, System of a Down, Butch Walker, O-Zone, Bloc Party, Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance, CASCADE, Josh Groban, Marron 5, Franz Ferdinand, The Killers.

freetalk for episode 9: We open up this episode with Kyoko finishing up her job at the radio station. Her hair is styled a bit differently this time around--even though it's just a variation on a ponytail, I had a lot of fun inking her hair and did lots of gradients on it in the first couple of pages to play up the details. As a side note, you'll notice she's dressed a bit more playfully in that tunic, while Mayumi seems to be dressed a bit more conservatively (blouse and skirt). Seems like they switched wardrobes, perhaps?
This week I also changed the left-hand side of this page, putting the new episode up at the top so it will be easier for returning readers to access the pages. Special thanks to Gina from Red String, who added a banner ad for TV-C on the main page of her comic.. I really appreciate it! I hope some of the folks who stopped by this week to check it out return in the future.

6.4.05: These three pages seem to be rather pivotal. While there hasn't been a LOT of physical evidence of a real relationship between Mayumi and Tatsuki, it's been implied since Kyoko left the show. Now we get to hear more of what's been going on since she left. I guess Mayumi can't be perky and ditzy all the time . . .

6.11.05: Wow. RivalPro had three days full of down time due to hardware failure! Eeek! I'm hoping things have been officially fixed now. Due to that and my workload, these pages seem a bit rushed in the background department. I apologize for that ^^;; I did have fun inking hair this time around, though! But whose hand is that on Asano's shoulder?? Mayumi's? Akira's? Tatsuki, even? You'll have to wait until next week to find out, but feel free to discuss your ideas at the message board.

6.18.05: Sorry for the delay in uploading the comic! Work and other obligations kept me from drawing a lot this week. I hope seeing page 10 makes up for it! (I thoroughly enjoyed drawing that last panel!) Episode 10 starts next week. I hope that one's worth the wait, too :D
As you can see from the main page image, there are only three episodes left in this series. When I started the comic several years ago, there were only five parts--since its reincarnation I've expanded it to 12, meaning it would have a run of roughly a year. I decided to post 'the last three episodes' image up there so people wouldn't be taken off guard when the final chapter rolled around. I'm not ending it because I don't like it--I'm ending it because I feel every story needs an end, and for the record, most Japanese dramas last 11-12 episodes, and this is definitely a drama! The ending time coincides with the date of my marriage, actually--it will be a chance for me to take a break and enjoy my honeymoon. But don't fear--I'll have a brand-new web comic coming later in the fall. Until then, enjoy these episodes of TV-C--the climax is close at hand! If you'd like to talk more about this, head on over to the message board.

page 4 notes: They seem to be in a rather traditional Japanese restaurant, here. The person in the background is most likely the owner. Have you noticed that whenever I draw people in establishments like this, there are never any other customers?? I either forget or don't feel the need for one--but this time, someone WAS supposed to be sitting in the booth across from them . . . . but I erased the pencil by mistake. Oops ^^;

page 9 notes: In the first panel, the building says 'Ei Kaiwa,' or an English school. You'll see a lot of English-language courses like these all over urban areas in Japan, providing tools for people of all ages to learn English.

BGM for this episode: O-Zone, Gwen Stefani, Weezer, Butch Walker.

freetalk for episode 8: Welcome to episode 8! We open with a shot rather similar to one in episode 1 . . . . Mayumi seems the perfect fit for the show, but Tatsuki's puzzle is falling apart. I tried something a bit different with the cover page this time. Tatsuki's hair is darker in this image--I used a gradient instead of a tone--giving him--I guess--a bit more of an Asian appearance. I'm quite happy with the results! If any of you feel like discussing the comic so far, check out the message board. I'd love to hear your opinions! The image gallery hasn't been updated in awhile, so I will try to put up some more stuff later this week. Stay tuned!

4.30.05: We've already seen some flashbacks from Kyoko's perspective; now it's Tatsuki's turn. Seems like he's always been business-oriented . . . but there's more to it. Unfortunately, you have to wait until next weekend to read it! XD;;

5.7.05: Tatsuki dives back into his memories once again for this update. Could he be feeling regret for not paying more attention to Kyoko? (That would be Mayumi on page 9, by the way, before a haircut.)
I've also included a link to another site of mine, Cardboard Angel, which showcases the latest comic I did for Strawberry Comics' Fractured Kisses #4. I'd appreciate it if you guys could check it out--a familiar face makes a cameo on the first page!

5.14.05: Good grief, I never thought it would take so long to get the comic updated! Lately, my work load has increased (as well as my hours at my job), and my computer has started to get little slower than usual at times. Couple that up with some previous engagements I had this week and that equals one delayed comic update! I still met the Saturday deadline, but I'm still sorry I wasn't able to get it up earlier.
As I said on the top of this page, I'll be taking another hiatus from the comic--this time to clean up my PC a bit and to pick up some more art supplies. I'll still update the voting incentive next weekend, but episode 9 won't go up until May 28th. I'll see you guys there! *Special thanks to My Chemical Romance, who provided the background music while I worked on these pages. I've had the album a day and I know every word by heart.*

page 8 notes: The letter Tatsuki was hand-written by me. I tried to get the grammar down as best as I could, but I apologize for any errors.

page 10 notes: The letter translation was abbreviated in the bottom panel. The fan introduces herself as Taeko Uehara (age 17). After she asks Kyoko why she left the show, she asks Kyoko a question about a boy she likes in her class (She wants to tell him she likes him, but has no confidence and wants Kyoko's advice). I wonder if Kyoko will ever see these . . . . ?!

page 12 notes: The box reads "Kyoko's letters."

BGM for this episode: L'Arc~en~Ciel, Gin Blossoms, Dave Matthews Band, The Cult, LUNA SEA, various drama theme songs, ROUAGE, Erasure, My Chemical Romance.

freetalk for episode 7: Yahoo! Episode 7 is here! I hope it was worth the wait. We've skipped ahead a few weeks. When Haruka (new hairstyle!) and her brother come to pay Kyoko a visit, they notice she's not doing too well o_o; And who's the guy in the plaid shirt?! You'll just have to wait until next week to find out! :D

4.2.05: Ack! Looks like you might have to wait even longer to catch a glimpse of the 'guy in the plaid shirt.' Sorry about that, folks ^_^; Originally, Haruka was going to fight with Kyoko over the blanket some more, but I wanted to keep things at a faster pace and I didn't want it to fall into something too comical. I hope you enjoy the pages. Haruka's brother, Kei, will get his own profile image and info up this week.

4.9.05: Ah, Akira shows his face in this installment. I modeled him after Akira from the band SIDE-ONE. I'll try to get up some pictures sometime of him, so you can compare :D If you look in the multimedia section and take a look at the TV-C painting, you'll see a man in light blue--that is the original version of Akira. I gave him a haircut and have changed his image in other ways since that painting was done (several years ago!!). His personality and name stayed the same, though. (He had the name Akira before I decided to use SIDE-ONE's vocalist as a model.) I had a hard time getting the inside of the radio studio down. The background is supposed to look like soundproofing insulation, since I didn't have the time (and didn't want to risk messing it up!) to draw it out myself. Don't forget to check back next week to see the end of episode seven!

4.16.05: Episode 7 draws to a close with a bit of a cliffhanger. You didn't think you had seen the last of Asano, did you?? Not by a long shot, it seems XD It seems like there might be some sparks between Akira and Kyoko as well (if anyone didn't see THAT one coming . . . har har ^_^;;;). What will Tatsuki think of all this? Check back next week to find out!

page 2 notes: You may not be able to see it, but the box on Kyoko's counter says 'Snack.' Also, for you Red String fans, take a look at what Kyoko is watching ^_~

page 10 notes: The sign outside in the first panel says 'Special! Coffee 80yen' and the window says 'Heather Earth Coffee & Snack.' Heather is actually the name of a friend of mine who loves coffee XD Akira's shirt has two meanings--if anyone has read my comic 'If the Jacket Fits', they'll note that part of the saying is the same as what was printed on Eriko's jacket. The second part, 'Bakayasu,' is for all the Peach Girl fans out there.

BGM for this episode: Oomori Yohei, ICEMAN, GUNN, Ishii Tatsuya, Access, Cherry Filter, Erasure, Shinhwa, L'Arc~en~Ciel.

freetalk for episode 6: TV-C is going strong at episode 6! Kyoko has just left Tatsuki and TV-C, and now she has to go out and find a new job. Will she be successful? Only time will tell . . . This time, you get to take a peek inside Kyoko's apartment. It's kind of modest; she doesn't spend her money on condos or anything. You'll get to see more of it as the story progresses.

2.26.05: The update was a couple of hours later than usual this time around--sorry about that, guys! I've been having Internet connection problems on and off for the past few days, and my computer had been acting pretty wonky, so it put me off from working on the comic like I should have XD; Everything's fine for now, though, but I may need a new computer, someday. I apologize for the lack of quality in these pages. Layouts were a pain T_T; But enough of my complaining! Enjoy them!

3.5.05: You may notice that I've changed the poll from weekly to monthly. I think it's better this way--more people can vote, and I don't have to come up with a new poll every week XD I hope you enjoy these new pages, too! I think my layouts have gotten a bit more original.

3.12.05: Episode 6 draws to a close with a bang, don't you think? Looks like Mayumi is filling in for Kyoko in more ways than one . . . . and it's only been a couple of days! All will be explained in due time . . . . so I hope you check back on March 26th for the beginning of episode 7! See you then!

page 6 notes: The magazine Kyoko is holding could be considered a magazine made for people in the entertainment business. I know they have them here (like the Screen Actors' Guild newsletters), and I wouldn't be surprised if they have them in Japan. She was supposed to be holding a newspaper, but my pen made a magazine . . . o_O; The Japanese reads 'Studio.'

page 8 notes: The Japanese on the TV screen says 'File' (as in file footage). I'm sure most of you know what 'WTF' means . . . ^^; NOTE: I've noticed that I mistyped 'file' in Japanese in the panel. I'll try to fix that in the coming weeks.

page 11 notes: The TV in panel three says '8:30 Start' and 'Eien no kotoba' (or 'Forever's Words'). Just something I made up. We'll say it's a drama that's about to come on ^_^;

BGM for this episode: ICEMAN, Jeff Buckley, Oikawa Mitsuhiro, Maroon 5, Franz Ferdinand, The Killers, LUNA SEA, Kids Alive, Kome Kome Club.

freetalk for episode 5: Wow, already at episode five! I'm surprised it's gone by so fast! I had a challenge with these pages as I am still using paper too big for my scanner ^_^; I've tried to touch them up as much as possible. I can't say much about this chapter yet, since it's just started . . . but let's just say it's a doozie XD

1.29.05: Anybody get the feeling Tatsuki is a bit hard-pressed to find some reasons for Kyoko to stay? Oh, the drama! XD . . . . Left it at a bit of a tight place, huh? Sorry about that! We'll all get to see what Kyoko is about to say next week. Feel free to stop by the message board to voice your thoughts! With the start of episode 6, I will be revamping the episode links on the left, making it easier to navigate. I'll also have the comic pages open up in a new window.

2.5.05: New fan art contest! Winners get their art on the main page of TV as well as a copy of the first TV-C comic, and an original sketch of their choosing. Good times! . . . . . There's an overabundance of text in these new pages. Sorry about it looking a bit cramped--I miscalculated my word bubbles!

2.12.05: Ah, the trials and tribulations of a comic artist. Page 10 went through three transformations to get it to what it is now. I just couldn't make a good layout! And even after I did, I bungled a few things with the inking and the page sizing. It's all good now, but it's just further instilled the importance of doing thumbnails on scrap paper to avoid situations like this XD;; At any rate, I hope you like how it's turned out. Next week brings episode six and the cleaned-up episode links!

page 2 notes: The 'newspaper' Tatsuki is holding is supposed to be a knock-off of the popular tabloid magazine in Japan, FRIDAY. I've named it 'Tuesday' XD The top headline says 'Kyoko-chan's broken heart!' The magazine article is implying that Tatsuki and Kyoko's relationship is on the rocks. The right side of the page says 'Big Shock!' and the left side says 'Tuesday News Magazine, 480yen.' Underneath Kyoko's photo, it says 'Has TV CIRCUIT's Kyoko Mishima left?!' and the article starts off with 'Sources say Tatsuki Ishida and Kyoko Mishima's love is in question after Kyoko was spotted running out of a restaurant last night.' Extra special thanks to my friend Meredith, who translated that phrase a few years ago when I was working on the original version of the comic.

BGM for this episode: Interpol, Franz Ferdinand, The Smiths, Les Miserables, Maroon 5, Hyde, Ben Folds Five, Josh Groban, PIERROT.

freetalk for episode 4: Episode 4 has started! Regular visitors to my web site may notice a familiar-looking band in the first couple of pages--my 'rock band,' Rakuen, is playing at the bar Kyoko goes in to. Rakuen has their own story and a mini-comic available to read at their web site. I'm seriously considering turning it into a regularly-updated web comic, too.

You'll get to dive into Kyoko's mind a little bit in this chapter. During the making of this one I've been drawing on regular Bristol board since I ran out of comic book paper small enough to fit the scanner I've been using. I hope that it hasn't compromised the quality! Computer problems almost prevented me from updating this weekend o_o; Bunches of thanks go to Todd (my fianc�) for letting me use his computer and creating the holiday flash animation for me, Ken and Sam for computer advice, Brittaney for the calming phone call, Gina for listening to my PC ramblings, Heather for letting me use her scanner when mine went kaput, and Patrick for letting me have his old scanner. Thanks again!

12.18.04: Hi, guys! How are you liking this episode so far? You get to take a peek into Kyoko's past and how she met Tatsuki, here. Kyoko's hair hasn't changed much, but look at Tatsuki's! It's short! He looks so young . . . well, it was five years prior to this comic's setting . . . Oh, and feel free to drop by the message board here or at the Strawberry Comics' forum to discuss the latest in TV-C! Also, the fan art contest is almost over! If you still plan on entering, the deadline is December 26th!

1.8.05: A new year brings new updates. I hope these pages were worth the wait! This episode continues to deal with Kyoko and Tatsuki's backstory. These pages were almost not even written! I was originally planning a side story to show how Kyoko met Tatsuki, but when I was writing the new scripts, I decided to add a little bit of it into the main storyline to fill things out.

1.15.05: Episode 4 has drawn to a close with a cliffhanger of sorts. I had fun inking the last two pages in this because I was able to pick up some new pens--the old ones were used so much the nibs were splitting! I use Sakura Microns when I ink the web comic and any art for it. I usually use dipping pens for my published work, however, since I'm able to use a lot bigger paper for it. However, the Microns are great for 'cranking' out stuff since I don't have to worry about excess ink getting everywhere!

page 2 notes: In the second panel, the folding sign says: "BAR ICE STORM Live Band Rakuen, 7:00 Start, 1500 yen."

BGM for this episode: Taiko Drum Master soundtrack . . . and more Off Kilter! Our Lady Peace, Franz Ferdinand, Phantom of the Opera, B'z, Jeff Buckley, Interpol, DEEN.

freetalk for episode 3: Woo-hoo! Episode 3 has started! I hope you enjoy it. It's a pivotal point in the story, but that's all I can say . . . . I'm trying my best to incorporate more backgrounds into this chapter. They're not perfect, but, hey, I'm trying! :D As this episode unfurls, I may post a couple of pages from the original version of this, which was actually in episode 1, back in the day (see previous freetalks for more info on that).

11.20.04: If you've voted, you'll notice that there's a special voting incentive picture--Kyoko at age 15!! How does this figure into the story? Well, you'll just have to wait until episode 4 to find out . . . *grins*

11.27.04: Whew! I wasn't sure if I would be able to get the comic updated on time due to scanner issues. A big thanks goes out to my friend Heather who let me use her scanner. This weekend I thought I'd show you the old version of this week's story arc. Originally in the first part of TV-C (See previous freetalks for more info), Kyoko and Tatsuki's dinner seemed a lot shorter. Despite the lack of tones, I think I did fairly decently on these pages (except for the backgrounds ^^;; . . . ) I really enjoyed inking Kyoko's hair back then.

Click here to see old-school TV-C!!

page 2 notes: The Japanese on the window says 'Furansu Ryouri-ten,' or French food(cooking) restaurant(place). If the French I added on there is wrong, let's just chalk it up to 'Engrish'! XD (Just kidding! Let me know if it's not spelled right!)

page 3 notes: The Japanese in the back (2nd panel) translates to 'coat check.' I'm not 100% sure if that is correct, so once again, if there is an actual Japanese phrase for it, let me know. Also, in that panel, you'll notice Eriko and Kouichi from the SfaQ series. Just a little blow-in! (I added three people into episode 2, in just one panel! I wonder if you can find them . . . If you're a fan of Gina's work, then you might be able to spot one of her characters from a previous issue of Fractured Kisses!)

page 4 notes: In the third panel, the small text reads 'And with such an ugly girl, too.' I realized too late that the print was too small after I resized the image. Oops! (Tatsuki is brutal . . .)

page 11 notes: The window in the second panel reads 'BAR The Ice Storm.' It's a tiny nod to a Japanese drama (Koori no Sekai, or The Inanimate World) that I love. One of the characters works at a bar called ICE STORM.

BGM for this episode: Mitsuhiro Oikawa, Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack, various Japanese drama songs, Green Day, The Killers, Franz Ferdinand, B'z, Kim Kyung-Ho.

freetalk for episode 2:

Hi! Welcome, and thanks for stopping by! Episode Two: No More Pigs is full of action! If this is your first time here, make sure you check out the first episode first.
I had a lot of fun working on this episode since it starts to flesh out the characters a bit more. It was
originally episode one, back when I first did the story in 2000. I'm glad that I added more to the beginning when I rewrote it. Next week when I update, I will show you guys a page or two of the original, and you can compare the differences. It might be amusing to see my old art ^^;
Special thanks to Amy from genkigirl.com for helping me with a background tone search on page 2.

10.23.04--Here it is! Two of the original pages of TV-C. These correspond with pages 2 and 3 of episode two. The art and dialog have changed, but a few elements have stayed the same. Let me know what you think of it on the message board! Special thanks to Karissa from warpedcomics.com, who supplied
the comic pages for me (I lost them when my hard drive died ;_;).

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11.5.04: There is a new fan art contest being held this winter at Strawberry Comics! Be sure to check it out! Read on for more info . . . .

**The Holiday Season is here, and so is your chance to show us your creative side with the winter romance fan art contest! We have several categories to choose from,
and any and all media can be used. Just make sure you don't copy any existing art! The contest deadline is Midnight, December 26th, 2004. Click here for details!**

page 3 notes: In the lower left-hand panel, there is a small bubble that says 'Hey, I'm not ready!' I realized a little too late it may be hard for some people to read. I'll add it to my list of changes ^_^; (Thanks to Gina for telling me!)

page 7 notes: In the top right-hand corner of the print out Mr. Takeuchi is holding, it says 'Page 1/3.'
The banner obscured by his hand is a shameless plug for Wil Wheaton's web site. An animated gif image, in full it would say: '50,000 Monkeys at 50,000 Typewriters Can't Be Wrong!'
The headline is pronounced: 'Dai Nyu-su!' Kameyama Shuuichirou no Michi naranu Koi?!' 'Michi naranu' literally means 'immoral,' and 'koi' is used for 'love.' At the bottom of the print out, there is a picture of a rock band, and the headlines next to it read 'ALANA's world tour . . .' ALANA is a band that my friend Meredith and I made up, and are a part of the Rakuen story.

page 9 notes: The background in the first panel was taken from one of my trips to Japan. Kyoko and her friend are walking around in Shibuya, and the video screen they are looking at really exists! (I decided to draw it myself rather than rely on photos, though. Gotta get beefed up in the background department!)
The screen is saying 'TV CIRCUIT's Kyoko Mishima . . .'

page 10 notes: The kana on the drink machine reads 'Itoe.' It's similar to an actual vending machine company's name in Japan. The poster on the column reads 'Eien ni . . . ' or 'Forever.' The image is actually of Eriko and Kouichi from the SfaK stories. On the back wall, the poster reads 'Atarashii!' or 'brand new.'

I've tried my best to recreate the train stations and the trains themselves. I've actually only been in the Shibuya train station once, so I apologize for any inconsistencies. Also, the multimedia gallery is looking a bit wonky these days! My tables got a bit screwed up, but I should be able to fix them soon. Thanks for your patience!

As a final note, don't forget to check out Red String by Gina Biggs :D

--robin.

BGM for this episode: REM, Here is Greenwood soundtracks, Off Kilter

freetalk for episode 1:
Hi, guys! I hope you're enjoying the first episode of my web comic, TV-CIRCUIT. It may start out a little slow, but by the time the last few pages of this episode are uploaded, things will start to get very interesting.

A little bit about the story: I originally wrote this story around 2000~2001, and posted two-and-a-half chapters of it online at my old web site. It was only five parts back then--not very long and it had a few kinks in it. I'm still very proud of my old work, however, and in the coming weeks I'll showcase some of the older version so you can compare and contrast it with the newer pages.

A note about Japanese: To make things less confusing, I've kept the names of the characters in Western order (given name, surname). However, signs and other things you may see throughout the comic are written in Japanese, since the story takes place in Tokyo. I will provide translations of the Japanese as I see fit, but if you have any questions or comments, please drop me a line at: genji_kanzaki (at) hotmail dot com. Thanks, and enjoy!

Page 2 notes: The teleprompter in panel 2 is saying 'TV news' in Japanese.

Page 3 notes: The teleprompter in panel 1 is saying 'Yuuho and Yuki's children's . . .' Meaning it's in the process of showing the lines on the screen. At this point I had forgotten how to transfer Japanese into Photoshop so I had to write it by hand, meaning not all of Kyoko's lines could fit! I may go back and rectify it later.

Page 7 notes: In the first panel, the sign in the background says 'Studio 1 & 2.'
--robin.

BGM for this episode: Jeff Buckley, SIDE-ONE, Phil Collins (!)