Mt-Maigetsu: Issue No 12
This month's banners brought to you by gaara-no-shukaku
CONTENTS
Mai-chan, what's going on this time?
A/ i/What's New in Minitokyo:
Finally, results from the Wonderland contest!
B/ ii/Ask a Mod Mai-chan's Mail bag!
Mai-chan loves mail!
C/ The Adventures of Popular-chan
Popular has finally conquered the pen tool (sort of), but why isn't her stuff popular?
D/ Anime/Manga Spotlight Special: What are the MT Staff watching?
What series are we watching?
E/ Get to Know Your MT Staff!
Mai-chan interviews fireflywishes!
F/ Featured Member
A double feature! Details and in-depth comment reign!
G/ Staff Picks
Art that needs more love
H/ Competitions and Projects
Are you missing out on the fun? Join in :D
I/ Group Ads
Looking for a new group to join, or to make new friends?
J/ Have your say!
Mai-chan wub wub wubbbles PMs <3
K/ The Usual Stuff
The enlightening links to Minitokyo Zen-dom...
------
A/ i/RECENTLY IN MINITOKYO...
Wintry Wonderland
A WHOA WHOA WHOA! Mai-chan bets all of your poor eyes have been peeled so much like an onion and removing its layers
your eyes are all watery T_T ... or maybe it's the onion ;)
We've finally got the long awaited results of the Wintry Wonderland Competition! Sorry for the long wait, but here they are!
=================================
WALLPAPERS
THIRD PRIZE goes to...... Oh my Goodness... TWO ENTRIES!
Christmas+Lovely Complex=Fun by Sinever
Katamari in the Snow by Tama-Neko
=================================
SECOND PRIZE goes to......
Artificial Road by eternallegend
=================================
AAAAAAND FIRST (ULTIMATE FIRST!) PRIZE goes to......
Where Are You by Erdbeermilch!
Congratulations to all of our winners and participants - Mai-chan WUBBLES your entries :D
=================================
DOUJINSHI
THIRD PRIZE goes to......
The season to be Jolly by kykyopj
=================================
SECOND PRIZE goes to......
Black and White: Waiting for Santa. by shinshinovi
=================================
AAAAAAND FIRST (FUNKY *SPUNKY* FIRST!) PRIZE goes to......
Xmas Greetings by Danielly
Congratulations to all of our winners and participants - Mai-chan ADORES your entries :D
=================================
COMMENDATION goes to... *drumroll*
Candy Canes and Ugg Boots Oh My by MapleRose
=================================
Mai-chan would like to thank all who have participated, voted and basically shown ultimate love for her first ever competition *wipes tear from corner of eye*. You all were awesome, Mai-chan thinks so too (that is thinks she is awesome XD) and would like to extend her greatest gratitude to everyone who has been involved or even remotely interested in the competition! If you are interested in another competition similar to the Wintry Wonderland at the end of 2008-2009, please express your interest in the form of a forum reply on this thread.
Mai-chan loves all! Peace out!
=================================
AWESOME ENTRIES - CHECK THEM OUT!
It's a pity Mai-chan couldn't give her love to everyone because it's so hard to pick just the top winning 3 in each
category! BUT in Mai-chan's eyes, EVERYONE'S A WINNER :D Put your hands together and show these gallery entries some
more support!
Sweet Season by dslassey
Is the water cold? by Danielly
wintry wonderland competition by akira1234
On the cellphone by CosmoStar
Winter by DarthTofu
------
B/ ii/MAI-CHAN'S MAILBAG
Quote by moonelf313I was just wondering if the image size ( 2.04 MB)limit is going to be lifted...I hate having to reduce and resize my scans to get them in the right size...It would be nice if it was increased to 7-10 MB...or even 5mb...
Well, you could always use the "Save For Web" option to conserve quality but lower the file size. Honestly though, 2.04MB should allow for scans big enough to make wallpapers out of. Unless you want to print out the scans poster-size, I don't see why you'd need huge scans on your computer.... Smaller files also makes downloading faster, and less load on the server. But who knows, maybe in the future we may allow for bigger files. Thank you for bringing it up.
------
C/ THE ADVENTURES OF POPULAR-CHAN
What Not to Do in MT
Disclaimer: This was written purely for entertainment purposes, no offense is intended in any way. This is a work of fiction; any resemblance to real actual persons, places, or events is purely coincidental.
Part XII: Why isn't my stuff popular?
After losing your last battle with the pen tool, you decide to try again. After all, if you tried hard enough, things will always go your way, right? Of course it will; it always does in anime!
You go back to read some tutorials again. Argh, this is complicated! But you tell yourself not to give up. After a few tries and lots of experimentation, you start to feel that you're getting the hang of it. Hmm, not bad. The colours are a bit out of the line here and there, and the lines look a bit stiff (you couldn't figure out how to make the lines tapered like some vectors you see, oh well) but overall, it doesn't look too bad. Looks like it just takes some patience after all. Haha, you have conquered the pen tool, through sheer will!
You glance at the clock, wow, it's been 2 hours? And you've only just finished the head... You're getting tired, might as well go to sleep.
That night, you dreamt of yourself battling with the evil pen tool. It tried to hit you with a Confusion Beam, but ha, you dodged. You attack back with your own beam, and defeat it with your sheer determination and will! ...
The next day, as it was Sunday, as soon as you woke up, you go to your computer to finish your vector. It took you the whole morning, but you're finally done! You're so proud of yourself!
After posting it on MT, you wait eagerly for people to add it to their favourites. Five minutes passes, and nothing has changed. No faves yet. Ten minutes passes, you refresh the page over and over again. Still nothing.
Argh, what's taking them so long? Can't they recognize a masterpiece when they see it! You heave a sigh, maybe you should get away for a bit and come back to be surprised...
That night, when you check your messages again, you're very disappointed to see that only 4 people have added your vector to their faves. Well, it's more faves than you've ever gotten before, but still, only 4?!
This calls for drastic measures, you decided. So you copy the link of your wallpaper, and paste it in the group guestbooks of all the groups you've joined, relevant to the vector or not, telling people to come look at it. After that, you decided to go to your friends' guestbooks and tell them that you have made a new vector. There, that should get more people to fave it.
And indeed, the next day, you see that your vector has 10 faves now, and even a few comments praising your progress. You feel so proud of yourself. This feeling is awesome! You need to make more vectors and wallpapers!
But 10 faves is still not a lot... Maybe it's because your vector was just of some random girl? Hmm, what if you vectored something more popular? Like C.C. from Code Geass? You see a lot of vectors and wallpapers of her in MT, so a lot of people must like her, right?
Your third vector is completed a few days later. This one features C.C. from Code Geass. Her body was too complicated and time-consuming to do, so you decided to just vector her face, which should be enough. There, this vector should be more popular, right?
Five days after you submitted it, it received 20 faves and a handful of comments. Well, 20 is more than the 10 you got on your other vector, but still... it's not the 100 faves you dreamed of getting....
You're not sure what to do now. You've tried everything, even vectoring a really popular character. Maybe you need to make a wallpaper after all, because people seem to like wallpapers more.
But you still don't know how to create backgrounds. You take a look in the gallery, some of those wallpaper backgrounds are amazing. And some have 100 or even 200 faves! You feel a slight tinge of jealousy. How do those people do it?
Hmm... those people can do it... What if... what if you pretend that you made them... If you take the signature out, they'll never know, right? Then people can marvel at your wonderful walling skills and great improvement, and give you 100 faves! You'll be the most popular artist on MT! Yeah, that's a great idea!
So you download one of the wallpapers with 100+ faves (that isn't too recent, in case someone notices), import it into Photoshop. When the clone tool, you quickly erase the signature, and put your own signature on top.
You submit the wallpaper to MT, and in the description, you make up some stats to make it seem like you made it. There, that should do it. By tomorrow, you should have at least 50 faves. It's not like anybody's gonna know you didn't make that, right?
To be continued...
Article written by MapleRose
------
D/ ANIME/MANGA SPOTLIGHT: SPECIAL
Since Mai-chan hasn't received any requests for the anime/manga spotlight T_T we're doing a special feature this month
on what your MT Staff are watching/reading!
What is Spystreak watching?
Azumanga Daioh: The Animation
I began watching this show out of pure curiosity mixed with a little boredom. I can honestly say I was hooked from the
very start. Right from the beginning the randomness just begins. This series is just full of so many random and
hilarious moments. I thought Excel Saga was random, but this one definitely takes that title. It does have a nice plot,
yes it does have a plot. The character interactions are just fantastic and not to mention quite funny at times. It is a
humorous anime, but at the same time it is a story about the day in and outs of normal high school students. I've
watched the entire series and plan on getting it on DVD. Really highly recommend this series.
Rozen Maiden
My initial pursuit of this anime actually was founded on an animated avy I found mimicking the Azumanga Daioh intro. I
found this anime quite refreshing from a lot of the series I've watched lately. First off no ecchi, I found it very
refreshing to watch something that didn't involve ecchi humor. There are a lot of mysteries and questions that arise
though after watching the first few episodes. However, as the series progresses, many of these questions are answered to
a degree at least. There are quite a few humorous moments which help break of the seriousness of the series. I haven't
finished this series yet having stopped at about half way through the second series.
What is MapleRose watching?
Code Geass R2
Lelouch and crew returns, as he tries to recreate the world and destroy Britannia. However, there are still many
obstacles to overcome, as his former best friend Suzaku has joined Britannia's top team the Knight of Rounds. And then
there's the Chinese Federation who are getting involved as well. In the mean time, we discover more about the Geass, its
origin, and that there's something big going on...
Like season one, the pace is pretty good, with lots of plot twists and turns, and it's always entertaining to see how Lelouch plans to get out of his stick situations. I'm looking forward to uncovering the secret of the Geass, and what's the connection between C.C. and Lelouch (why she chose him). The latest episode though seemed kinda like filler, focusing more on the school and the relationship between Lelouch and Shirley. It ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, and I want to see more :D
Starship Operators
When the Kingdom declares war against the warship Amaterasu's crew's home planet Kibi, and the government surrendered
without a struggle, the cadets aboard decide to fight back by taking over the Amaterasu. To get funding and supplies,
they signed a contract with a galactic news network, which broadcasts their adventures galaxy-wide in a reality
show.
Thoughts: I've somehow become a fan of intergalactic spaceship war type series, ever since I watched Gundam SEED. It is very entertaining to watch the cunningness of the crew of the Amaterasu outmaneuver experienced Kingdom veterans (I guess I love cheering for the underdog XD). The series has a good pace, filled with action and drama. I'd recommend it to any sci-fi anime fans.
What is fireflywishes reading?
Alive: The Final Evolution
One day a strange virus starts making people commit suicide. Taisuke Kanou and his two friends Hirose and Megumi are a
few of the survivors. However, after witnessing one of the suicides Taisuke is gifted with strange powers and later
finds out that Hirose has left school and Megumi has been kidnapped. As we follow Taisuke on his quest to find his
friends, we meet others with strange powers and the mystery surrounding the virus unfolds.
Picked this one up on a whim b/c I've caught up on almost all of the series that I am currently following. I was hooked by the idea of a "Suicide Virus" and the storyline has only gotten better from there. If you're a fan of slightly more serious manga with a supernatural aspect, then this one is HIGHLY recommended.
What is bromithia watching?
Honey & Clover
Honey & Clover is about 5 strangers who meet at a popular art school, where they encounter different and unique
challenges - whether it be getting a job, to falling in love with one another.
This could be described as a "slice-of-life" anime, so if you're into extremely exciting and quick shows, then
this definitely isn't for you. It is a keeper in my eyes, though. :B Candy-chan was telling me about how great this was,
and I didn't get to watching it until she disappeared! Haha. Oh well.
------
E/ GET TO KNOW YOUR MT STAFF!
Hello, hello faithful readers! This month, we have a special interview. Mai-chan wanted to know more about our dear doujinshi Mod fireflywishes, who has been conducting interviews for previous issues, so Mai-chan decided to conduct the interview this issue herself :)
M = Mai-chan
F = Fireflywishes
-----------------------------------
M: So, what brought you to MT?
F: The same things as I'm sure many other members... the lovely wallpapers and
scans. :)
M: What's your favourite part of being a doujinshi mod?
F: So many things! I love seeing all of the gorgeous new submissions from both
new and veteran members. I also enjoy watching members' progression and improvement. We really have some of the most
talented artists here!
M: Yup, we sure do!
M: What are some common mistakes people make regarding doujinshi?
F: Hrm... well, since a lot of the doujinshi seen in real life are fan-made
magazines some people think that it doesn't include fanart.
M: Yeah, that's true
F: As far as the gallery mistakes... we have members who submit pencil drawn
pieces/lineart and then submit a colored version, which is not allowed. (Instead of uploading two, they should just
update the existing piece.)
M: You've been working with MT-Maigetsu since the beginning, what's your
favourite thing about MTM?
F: Oh, everything! Always something new and exciting to read. XD Though, I would
have to say my favorite part would be reading the comments posted by the members!
M: Yes, Mai-chan likes reading the comments too ^^
-----
M: Now for the random questions =3
F: :D yay!
M: What is the series that got you into anime?
F: LOL. Yet again, probably one that brought a lot of others into the anime
fandom-- Rurouni Kenshin. Oh, how I loved Sano~ XP
M: What's your current obsession?
F: Anime related? Or in general?
M: Both :D
F: Anime related: Well, I haven't REALLY watched any anime for awhile (newer
stuff just hasn't seemed interesting to me.), but I have become addicted to quite a number of manga... most recently
Alive: The Final Evolution and Fairy Tail (on recommendation from a friend).
F: In general: Coffee flavored soymilk (Kikkoman Pearl ftw!) and hair
accessories... My wallet cries every time I go shopping...
M: XD
M: Favourite flavour of Pocky!
F: Almond crush!
M: Favourite day of the week?
F: Hrm, I would have to say either Wednesday, Friday, or Sunday because those are
days I have off of work. ;)
M: Teehee
M: What did you want to be when you grew up? (What was your childhood dream?)
F: I started out wanting to be a Landscape Architect, but those dreams were
dashed when my dad told me to go for a higher paying/more in-demand job. So what am I now striving towards? Elementary
School Teacher. ^_^'
M: If you could be an animal, what would you be?
F: Ooooo, tough one... I'd normally say crab or lobster cuz they're my favorites,
but then there's a high probability I'd end up in someone's stomach!
M: Hehe yeah, Mai-chan loves crab and lobster XD
M: Do you love Mai-chan?
F: Of course!
M: Finally, do you have any last comments?
F: Support doujinshi and read! Both of them are good for you! :D
-----------------------------
That concludes this month's "Get to Know Your MT Staff!" Remember, if you
have a Mod that you'd like to know more about, or would like to submit a question you'd like to ask a Mod, send it to
(fireflywishes) via PM.
------
F/ FEATURED MEMBER
In celebration of Mai-chan's first birthday we will be featuring 2 members in this month's issue!
If you haven't been checking out the Doujinshi category lately, you've really been missing out on one of our many talented artists here at MT-- laverinne. Initially coming here because of the scan gallery, she started submitting her artwork to the gallery in order to gain more credits. Boy are we glad that she did! Her art is truly amazing. From the colors to the detail work, it is obvious how she was able to obtain 5 highlights in only 44 weeks at MT. In addition to being the resident detail genius of the doujinshi gallery, she's also an incredibly friendly and modest person. She always seeks to help people, even if they're not her friends and critiques other member's art in a very gentle way. As both a member and artist, laverinne is a valuable asset and we at MT are proud to have her as a member.
Nominated by Sakura-Dust
---------------
Our next featured member is aozoraskies. This particular member hasn't contributed by submitting many wallpapers, scans, or reviews. However, she has contributed greatly to the people of MT through her responses to artists regarding their work. She fully analyzes their works and gives thoughtful, in-depth feedback on whatever piece she comments on. Her reason? Beautiful art inspires her to comment and let the artist know just how impressed she was with their work. As an artist herself, she understands the value of comments. In her words, "Just faving is easy; click and go! But conveying what I really feel is more profound."
Nominated by chubbykitty
---------------
Remember, if you think there's a member who deserves to be featured, please PM Mai-chan with the subject heading
"Featured member nomination". See you next month!
Articles written by fireflywishes, Sakura-Dust, and chubbykitty
------
G/ STAFF PICKS
Senshi of Death
and Rebirth by zephryn:
A welcome return for zephryn. The high quality shading gives the piece depth and the sepia tone gives the piece a dramatic, almost melancholy feel. It's a shame that this piece hasn't gotten the love it deserves. Full view is highly recommended. Chosen by fireflywishes
Bleeding Love- We
can start over, no? by Kitten:
A simple yet beautifully crafted scenic wallpaper. Kitten did another amazing job with her original character; the combination of neat vectors, soft painting and blur effect worked really well. It is so pure and harmonious with vivid colours. Chosen by gaara-no-shukaku
Welcome to
Paradise by Popisan
Popisan shows off his love for beach girls in this great summertime wallpaper of the anime Clannad. The vector is what makes this one memorable - as it clearly shows how plenty of effort has gone into this piece, and it'd be a shame for it not receive the attention it truly deserves. Make sure to go leave a comment if you haven't done so already! Chosen by bromithia
Melodies of the
Urban by Anaxa
Like the name suggests, this wallpaper is sleek and modern. Lovely vector work, especially using gradients to make the objects look 3D. The use of greyscale with tints of red makes it look bold and funky. Chosen by MapleRose
------
H/ COMPETITIONS AND PROJECTS
(in alphabetical order)
KyoAni-Fans Summer Wallpaper Contest
KyoAni-Fans is holding it's first-ever contest!
Entering is simple; you just have to make a summer-themed wallpaper featuring one or more of the KyoAni series.
Announcement thread:
KyoAni-Fans
Summer Wallpaper Contest!
"Vacation... it's all we ever wanted"
Project for Doujinshi-Support-Club:
Draw your original/favorite characters on summer vacation! Only requirement is that submissions be recognizable as a
summertime doujin. Limit is 2 entries per participant and the deadline is negotiable. (Must be a member to
participate.)
Announcement thread: "Vacation... it's all we ever wanted"- CONTEST
Remember if you don't tell us it's on, we can't tell everyone else. ;)
------
I/ GROUP ADS
- Do you draw
with pen, pencil, crayons, tablet or other media? Do you want to improve your skills or share your own talents with
other people? Or do you just plain love doujinshi? Then this group is for you!
-
Love vectoring? Then, join this group! It features high-quality wallpapers and vectors, as well as tutorials for you to
learn.
- A misc group for art and discussion.
- An art group for
vectoring and wallpapering. We're having the "What I Did for My Summer Vacation" project.
- A misc group for member over 18 and out of highschool to interact.
- A group for Kaleido Star fans to gather.
------
J/ HAVE YOUR SAY!
Want to see your group advertised, we now request you send in your group as well as a short summary of it's purpose or current highlights. This will of course become far more useful that an icon alone. Also if you feel there is a group or a member worthy of nomination in the MTM again please PM it. Questions, comments, whatever, simply PM the MTM with the subject MYVOICE.
Remember the MTM is determined by you! ^^
Below are banners: featured member, featured group, a MTM writer and I <3 MTM banner (free for use by everyone).
Feel free to use these banners anywhere you want- signature, group page, userpage or even personal blog/ site! Please
click them to get the hosting link.
Can't wait to get mail from you guys!
From Mai-chan, with love <3
------
K/ THE USUAL STUFF
All
about the Mt-Maigetsu: requests, ads and features --> To know how to advertise and nominate your group or member
you would like to see on the MTM!
The Policy --> A must read!
The Userguide
--> For day to day living!
Forum
guidelines --> Keeping it clean!
Common problems and
their solutions --> Got you covered!
Visit HeadQuarters for more juicy goodness or contact your nearest friendly moderator.
Links compiled by LittleJonny100
==--== ==--==
(c) Mt-Maigetsu 2007-2008; any part of the Mt-Maigetsu or in its entirety cannot be
reproduced in other publications without prior permission from the author(s). If you wish to share the Mt-Maigetsu,
simply share the url- thank you.
