Military Comic Books Not So Novel

A comic book created by the US Navy to educate Japanese teens and young adults about one of it’s nuclear powered aircraft carriers is ready for distribution in Yokosuka. The city is home to the Yokosuka Naval Base US installation. The USS George Washington is scheduled to arrive in August 2008, to replace the 47-year-old non-nuclear propelled USS Kitty Hawk.

Stars and Stripes reports 30,000 copies of the 200-page Japanese language manga have been published. The comic book, titled “CVN-73″ follows sailor Jack Ohara , an American of Japanese descent, as he gets into all kinds of comic situations all over the ship. He’s mentored by Petty Officer 1st Class Elly Benton. full story

update june 10, 2008: The Navy released the comic June 8. Stars and Stripes reports sailors handed out about 800 copies of “CVN 73″ in three hours in the manga’s first day of distribution. full story. Free download of “CVN 73” in English and Japanese.

The Japan Ministry of Defense published it’s 2007 Ballistic Missile Defense White Paper in a manga version in addition to a standard text document. Read the MOD comic in Japanese about Japan’s Anti-Ballistic Missile capability, or download the MOD pdf version of the manga.

Pickles The Military Mascot

“Prince Pickles is our image character because he’s very endearing, which is what Japan’s military stands for,” said Shotaro Yanagi, a Japan Defense Agency official. “He’s our mascot and appears in our pamphlets and stationery.” full story: AP/IHT

Download the Prince Pickles series from the Japan Ministry of Defense.

Pentagon Uses Its Spidey Sense For the Troops

US psychological operations comic book in the southern Philippines: “Barbargsa — Blood of the Honorable.”

Psychological comic operations

“Sports Injuries Around the World” MAD Magazine #490, June 2008

Write Novel Like Real Author

Pretend to be a writer and these inns will also have a lady bring a snack to your room and inquire about the progress of your manuscript. The Arima hot spring resort was a favorite place of inspiration for writers. Now, accommodation in the area is offering would-be authors three writing-stay plans.

Targeting baby-boomers, the writer plans are available at 26 hotels and ryokan at the resort. The cost of accommodation is additional.

Lodgers may request a writing desk, writing pad, and a tanzen jacket. And you can ask for the late-night visit from that female muse – she’ll encourage you and address you as “sensei”.

Rates:
3 days: learn how to write a story, 15,000 yen
5 days: write a digest version of a story, 15,000 yen
7 days: a story you’ve already written will be proofread and prepared for publication, 30,000 yen

Is Former 1960’s TV Cartoon Character Sento-kun?

Alien and former TV star The Great Gazoo seems to have been the inspiration for Nara city’s new mascot Sento-kun.

Gazoo appeared as himself in a minor role on the popular American TV cartoon The Flintstones final season in 1965. Except for the occasional cameo in recent years, Gazoo has shunned media attention.

The Sento-kun character was revealed in February this year. Sento-kun was created for the 1,300th anniversary of the Nara Heijo-kyo capital. The mascot was widely criticized as being “not cute”.

But the negative response has resulted in extensive free publicity. The value of the free coverage is estimated at 13 million yen, according to a report from Osaka Prefectural University’s School of Economics.

other mascots in the news

A suspect in a crime is identified by name, and employer or occupation, but other people arrested for similar crimes are called only “company employees”( whatever that means.)

In Japan, it seems the employer and occupation are revealed for anyone in a media-related occupation, who is caught driving while intoxicated, or peeping under skirts, or for similar crimes, while the employers of others (excluding celebrities or well-known figures) are not.

Nihon Shinbun Kyokai Canon of Journalism states in part:

Member newspapers should pay utmost respect to the dignity of human beings, put a high value on individuals’ honor and give serious consideration to their right to privacy.

Media outlets in Japan are quick to point out crimes allegedly committed by employees of competing media outlets.

In my opinion, the occupation or employer of people alleged to have committed a crime, should not be reported, unless there is a direct connection to the alleged crime, such as someone accused of embezzlement. In most cases, naming the employer or the occupation of a person who has allegedly committed a crime, is irrelevant.

Some examples for comparison (from English-language media)

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