MegaTokyo 1

Megatokyo Volume 1 by Rodney Caston (story & co-creator) & Fred Gallagher (story & art) (Dark Horse) ISBN: 978-1-593-07163-9

 Plot Summary

Megatokyo started life as a webcomic but was eventually collected and compiled into a series of paperbacks.  Volume 1 follows Piro and Largo as they are rebuffed in their attempts to get into E3 (the video game industry conference), get drunk, and fly to Japan.  The rest of the volume is dedicated to their antics in Japan as they attempt to raise enough money to get home.  Piro and Largo spend most of their time playing video games, wasting money on games and beer, and wearing out their welcome with Piro's friend Tsubasa who puts them up in his apartment.  The volume also details Piro losing his backpack (and his sketchpad) and exploring his attraction to Kimiko -- a waitress at Anna Miller's -- and 15 year old Yuki.  Largo begins following a darkly mysterious woman who wears intricate hair ribbons (Largo believes she controls an army of the undead -- though it seems very clear that he is hallucinating or exaggerating).

Critical Evaluation

The work is slow moving.  It begins as a series of four-panel strips, with a set-up/punchline structure typical of newspaper comics.  The entries continue to feel episodic throughout (probably due to the nature of a webcomic being published periodically).  However, as the plot slowly emerges the work becomes highly absorbing in an addictive reading way.  The story is simple, Piro loses his sketchpad and struggles to earn money, but the major characters are so charming that readers become invested in their minor dramas.

Reader’s Annotation

Unable to get into E3, Piro and Largo fly to Japan.  Now they need to raise the money to get home, but can they stop playing video games long enough to get jobs?

Information about the author

From the Meagtokyo webpage:

Back in 2000, Rodney Caston, known online as Largo, convinced Fred Gallager, known online as Piro, to start a webcomic with him. They started off with two strips that they posted in May to Rodney’s website. When a link from Penny Arcade sent some viewers their way, they decided to continue on, and relaunched the site in August with a three per week update schedule. As time went by, characters were added and storylines developed.  In May of 2001, the existing strips were declared “Chapter 0” and the storylines started moving forward. Due to creative differences with Fred, Rodney’s input into the comic waned and the partnership was officially dissolved in June 2002.  MegaTokyo entered the print world with the release of the first book in January 2003 by Studio IronCat, it later changed publishers to Dark Horse Comics in August 2003 and then again to CMX (an imprint of DC Comics) in February 2006.  MegaTokyo merchandise moved from CaféPress to ThinkGeek in late 2002, then Fred and his wife Sarah opened MegaGear in July 2004 in order to sell their merchandise themselves. In the fall of 2008, MegaGear acquired a direct-to-garment printer that allowed Fred to begin on-demand tshirt printing with high quality color images. (Gallagher, 2013).

Genre

Webcomic; Graphic Novel. 

Curriculum Ties

The work might not link perfectly to school curriculum, but it's depictions of Japan are carefully crafted and, as they are focalized through the American characters, can perhaps give some insights into the culture.  Also, it serial nature and addictive qualities may be useful for encouraging reluctant readers.  Finally, the book or webcomic could be used to encourage students to write and draw.

Booktalking Ideas

1. Focus on the video games.
2. Talk about the nature of webcomics, and discuss how anyone can start their own comic.

Reading Level/Interest Age

8th grade and up.

Challenge Issues

Alcohol; two characters frequently brandish guns (though they don't fire them); Piro's attraction to a 15 year old may be objectionable; some parents may object to the unmotivated nature of the main characters and their constant videogaming.

I would openly greet any patron who presented a challenge to the work, giving them ample time to detail their complaint.  I would listen attentively.  To respond to these challenges I would have some reviews of the work on hand.   I would be prepared to explain that as a public institution libraries "cannot limit access on the basis of age or other characteristics" (ALA, 1999).  I would have copies of the library's collection policy on hand.  I would be prepared to politely discuss that parents can control what their children are exposed to by coming to the library with them and examining books they check out.  If the Teen Advisory Group had written reviews of the work I'd have them handy.  While it may be of little comfort to certain parents, I would also be prepared to discuss my staunch support of intellectual freedom and abhorrence of censorship.  As a last resort, I would be sure to keep copies or a reconsideration form on hand.

Why did you include this book in the titles you selected?

Popular webcomic that's run for over a decade.  I'm also intrigued by the fact that while the comic has been published in book form, it is still available free online.  This is an interesting model.

References

American Library Association. (1999). Strategies and tips for dealing with challenges to library materials. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/challengeslibrarymaterials/copingwithchallenges/strategiestips 


Gallagher, F. (2013). MegaTokyo-FAQ. Retrieved from http://megatokyo.com/faq