Well, i think i did the smart thing and trashed the first blog/rant that i wrote for this entry tonight. It felt good to write it, but it said a lot of things about me and my past that i don’t really think anyone needs to know. It was just a venting that wouldn’t really serve any purpose except to clear my head. It might have made an important point, but i didn’t really want to say that much about myself and my past to make it. So, into the oblivion of unsaved data you go. 
What was it about? Well, it was about how intolerant a lot of people seem to be about piro’s self worth issues and his self effacing behavior. A lot of people get it, and understand it, and even identify with it. Many others don’t understand it and feel compelled to get irritated by it. With a leveler head i find it interesting how people who understand or identify with Piro have no problem with Largo and his bizarre behavior, but people with identify more with Largo or Erika or Miho or other more ‘interesting’ characters simply will not tolerate much of the Piro storyline. I have three comics in a row of Kimiko/Piro conversation, a difficult one because it there are so many things coming together for them from today and the nature of these two makes it tricky to pull it all together… and people are bitching about the “months” of the whiny piro storyline and how i need to start moving things along, because its getting boring.
Months? People, its been 3 comics for conversation on the train.
I suppose its just part of the problem with writing a thought out story, and having a variety of different types of characters to portray. Some are going to be more ‘interesting’ than others. Largo’s relationship with Erika is a hella lot more explosive than Piro’s is with Kimiko right now. I can’t believe that there are people out there who think Piro just needs to haul off and drag the girl to a love hotel and stop the angsty bullshit. Sure, it might alleviate your irritation with him, but would that be good story writing? I don’t think so. I’ve been striving for a balance in this story, and balance is a funny thing - it requires weight on both sides in order to get it.
It also points out why i am starting to get frustrated with the webcomic medium - it is so hard to pull off a story that advances page by page every other day in a way that makes it tolerable and interesting to readers on the web, as well as when all the pages are read in sequence. Most of the shit i get from people has to do with the difficulties in maintaining this balance.
The most amusing thing is that, Just like piro, i have a lot inside to say but didn’t have the gumption to say it. Just like him, i can never really find the voice. I think that’s why people like him and I turn to art, it’s our way of saying things we can’t really just come out and say. Maybe i am just asking for a little fucking tolerance as i try to make some points in the midst of entertaining you. Is that too much to ask?
Enough grumbling. I think i get too introspective sometimes. Kinda like piro, i gotta cut it out, stop being so boring, and start trying to be interesting again.
- pirotunes: Nigel Ayers & Randy Greif - Paradoxicon - Oedipus Brain Foil - Build a Poison Fire -
Well, Fred, I have to say those that are whining, really don’t understand the real depth you’re trying to bring to your characters. Personally, I love all your characters. They all have their own personality and a real story teller has to explore all characters and that’s what you’re trying to do with Piro at the current moment. If someone doesn’t understand that, they are stupid. Screw them, you’re doing an excellent job. Keep it up. There are those of us who appreciate your work.
-Mag
…guess there’s precious little I can add that hasn’t already been said in the 50-odd comments above. Like they said: it’s YOUR comic, make it the way it feels right to YOU, not the outspoken few who don’t like annoying little things like “character development” and scenes without explosions and zombies.
As for me, I’m just happy being able to get hold of three MT strips a week (even if it does take nearly an hour to download each one on the cr@p ship’s connection). The quality you’ve put into each one makes it worth the time spent, without exception (well, maybe except for SGD days, but that’s a topic for another rant). Bravo!
[OT] Oh, and greetings from Guam, by the way; didn’t get another chance to post before we left Hong Kong. To any locals: just look for the short, pale guy wearing a Ninj4 t-shirt and jeans. If you do spot me, don’t walk; run, very far away…disaster follows in my footsteps. My roommate, too. [/OT]
To me I think of all the people who offer critisizm(my god how do you spell that?!) of `this is lame because there is no acton`, then I realize that not only on the web but amongst my own friends, those are the poeple I tend not to ask for critisizm. I think the story is wonderfull my only lament is that it is not yet an anime as well….In my mind it sits somewhere between FuriKuri and Chobits as far as the audience it would reach AND in how much fame I think it would gain.
You know the problem you describe is really common. I’ve actually argued with my brother about your comic about the “interesting” characters. I side with Piro and Kimiko, he’s on Largo (I assume for th3 l33t sp34k or for the b33r.)
I love how much you go into detail not only in your art, but your script writing.
(PS - When are you coming back to Sakura Con? Lonni can’t give me a definate answer! ><; )
Ummmm ok this is random and off topic i know but, well i’ve never been on any forums and wouldn’t have a clue about them…i read megatokyo and am a great fan but i’m not on the computer enough to go onto forums or anything… but i think congratulations are in order to Fred.
Some of you are wondering why…well its because I was wondering around the Queensland Art Gallery (that’s in Austraila) with my girlfriend and they have this store there full of art books etc…and low and behold between a book on Keith Haring and a book of Jackson Pollock’s work i found the third volume of Megatokyo there…So Fred…your work has now been sold in an Art Gallery hehehe
Congrats!
(i have the receipt n everything proving it)
Although this could just be old news to you, i thought it was an interesting thing from the other side of the globe that might amuse and give all you and your fans a warm fuzzy feeling.
I was quite shocked and obviously bought it and was a very happy person because finding Megatokyo isn’t exactly easy in Brisbane. (And now i have all four books YAY!) and my sister and i mused on the fact that the one place in brisbane i found megatokyo was in the State Art Gallery.
oh… my, god… why do i even bother.
See Mr. Fred,
There are lots of people that support you.
Don’t let a few people get you down, for their are a million other people right there to back and pick you up. ^__^
And if we are the only fans u’ll have, so be it…we’ll support you. Like others said, those types of people shouldn’t be reading MT or sending you emails like that. They don’t have the L33t skills that you have so their jeaulous, kekeke. ^_____^
Hay, i relate to Piro and have no proplems with any other chars i find Largo as funny as the next and i like thes past comics it give you a more connetion to Piro and how he feels and shows you alittle of info on Kimiko and Piros past soo dont lission to the other bad moth i for one think you doing a wonderful job
I say that if the critics don’t like it, they can go shove it! I know how hard it is to just to get a drawing to fit the picture in your head, much less work with a story. I haven’t quite worked through the archives yet, but still. If they dont like it, they can find some other comic to read.I, for one, think Megatokyo (and Fred!) have been kickin’ ass. Keep up the great work!
I personally LOVE the Piro storyline. I think it would be really interesting to find out why Piro always doubts himself. I wonder if something happened…
I guess I identify the most with Kimiko. The fact that she stuck with Erika and stayed friends with her, even after what she did. I actually went into a similar situation a while back…She’s also sorta shy, like me.
Hey! I wanna know something! How old are all the characters in Megatokyo? Early 20’s I’m guessing.
Dude, I stumbled onto Megatokyo six months ago when I was bored surfing the net. I read that day’s comic, then the one before it…then the one before that…then I went to the beginning and read the whole thing. You have created a deep and interesting world with real, human characters populating it. I personally identify with Piro and his self-loathing and self-deprecating ways so I have no problem with several comics dealing with just his dialogue with Kimiko: I can see myself in his shoes saying all those things.
My only problem with MT is that there are only three comics a week. Why? Not because I think you are lazy in your approach to creating the comic…but because I am so interested in what happens to these people that I want to read more everyday. …I wonder if all the other people who feel this way realize that soap operas were made for them and to create this feeling.
I admire you for sticking with this as much as you have and I will never become so intolerant as to bitch about your approach to making MT…because, despite the fact that you create this world to share with US, your readers, it is still YOUR world; it will develop at your pace and how you see fit.
Keep up the amazing work.
I love the way the story is going. IMO, the Piro/Kimiko storyline is more similar to people’s lives than the Largo/Erika line. For instance, me… I’d be considered close to a Piro… except I have no Kimiko
Anyway, keep up the amazing work. While listening to your audience is good, you don’t necessarily need to change. So far, you’ve had a formula that works and that people enjoy.
If it ain’t broke… don’t bother trying to fix.. or tweak… you might be like Largo and break it
I, like all of the other commenters (??) on fredart.com, love MT. What makes it such a good webcomic, in my pov, IS Piro, Kimiko, and their problems with themselves. Personally, I think most people like MT because they can relate to your deeper characters, because a lot of the nervousness and uncertainty that they feel is exactly what we feel every day. Largo and Erika are just people we want to be, the really “interesting” people who often only exist in manga. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is to keep up the great work, Fred!
-luvyourcomics
Look at all of these people who care enough to post these comments about your webmanga. They know perfectly well it is a manga and enjoy the seriousness and deepness. Everyone here loves your characters and can identify with them. All of them want you to keep going doing what your doing. This isnt even 70 of your fans. Think of all the others who don’t read the blog here. I think we all know what they would say. So Fred for all of us keep it the way it is. You didn’t notice us as much as the ones wanting action till now did you? Well by stopping it anywhere soon you will disappointing all the other.
Eek. I guess with something as popular as Megatokyo, you get some potent e-mails or comments. Quite honestly, I love how it’s coming along. Like you said, some people relate with Piro. And wtf? All the characters are interesting, even innocent bystanders.
Considering there’s over sixty comments posted already, you’ve heard all of this already, but it’s YOUR comic. You can do what you want with it, and what you’ve done is great, so who cares what some vapid people think?
Maybe the multitudes of fans who are enjoying the comic as much as I am, who appreciate the thickening plot, should write more fanmail to cancel out the vapid mail. ^.^
^ Ditto.
Thank you, Fred Gallagher.
Your story and style of writing gives the kind of effect and emotion that I desire to put into mine. I hope that what I absorb from read MT will filter into and improve my own creative efforts.
*reading >< I hate to leave typos without corrections.
screw what people say, I love Piro, he just seems like a normal person, who ever goes against them must have grown up as rich snobs. I mean, yeah Largo is my hero, but Piro rocks to, if you ever see the people you put you down with the Piro thing, either flick ‘em off, or just yell “Fuck you!”
I think piros relationship is fine, hes what I like to call a realistic charecter. I do not like how Largo has gotten more unreal as the story goes. I feel like he was a lot deeper at the begining of the story, when he acted like a real person. You are fine with Piro, thats how he has been throught all the story if people dont like him, have someone kill them.
Piro - I think the format you are doing Megatokyo in is the best format for you to be working in. It allows flexibility up to a point (you can skip days when you need to) but it also pressures you to work (you seem to get more done when there’s a deadline and people clamoring for the material) and it gets you immediate feedback (which also seems to help more than it hurts, though it does both).
Because look at warmth. You were trying to work on it and you haven’t got anywhere. If you’ve read the book The Plague by Albert Camus, there’s a character in it who’s writing a novel. He has a great opening sentence. That’s all he has. He keeps editing it and polishing it. That opening sentence just gets better and better, but it still isn’t the perfect opening sentence. He keeps working on it. But he never gets to sentence number 2. Reminds me of you and warmth.
So the format of Megatokyo lets you put out imperfect, but excellent, work and get it done and make a living off it. Keep the format.
You’re not boring. Your characters aren’t boring. The storyline isn’t boring. The format is fine. Some people are idiots and winge when something doesn’t go their way.
In a way there is something of all your characters in us. I feel like I can identify with them all.
Thankyou for such great entertainment. My friends and I in Australia will always be avid readers. X3
Mr. Fred
I know this means next to nothing coming from me, but your comics are the best I’ve ever read. The depth alone is enough to hook someone like me. Not only have you put care and consideration into the story, your art helps to further convey the mood of the strip. To be blunt, I love Megatokyo the way it is and I think other people do as well, indicated by the dozens of other commentators.