Hey look around today, everything don't need to be the same

Ok. Another couple of months, another issue of OUSA…and here is sexy ISSUE 6 to smack you upside the head cha-la with hot fierce fighting. “Why duh Dragon Ball Z on da cover?” the dullards moan and groan. Well, it’s only the best selling anime in the USA and I knew that Daryl “Super Saiyan” Surat and Joseph “Broly Again” Luster were born to team up, power up, and destroy the world with their combined Toriyama-taunting prowess.

Also inside, Dave Merrill delivers THE Speed Racer retrospective of our times, while Masaya Honda and myself interview Tatsunoko honcho Ippei Kuri about inventing and directing Speed all those years ago. Question: Is anyone else out there likely to interview Ippei Kuri aside from OUSA? Answer: no! There’s also our legendary manga coverage overseen by Jason Thompson and Ed Chavez and contribs from the usual cast of characters including Clarissa Graffeo, Paul Thomas Chapman, Mike Dent, Shaenon Garrity, August Ragone, Dave Riley, and so on. And we also welcome all new contributors Gilles Poitras, (we got him at a fire sale) and zany Zac Bentz of Japanator.com. Also in this issue: maids, maids, maids, and the return of wildarmsheero and his all-moe, all the time hug pillows!

Don’t delay, buy it today!

Comments

[Althalus]

Well, maybe you can answer my question here (which wasn't answered on the Otaku USA forums, at least not completely): was this issue ever solicited to comic shops through Diamond and if so when and with what order code and when will it ship through Diamond? Because right now everything looks like you or Diamond simply "forgot" this issue and jumped from April to August with the soliciations. It should have been in the February Previews, but it wasn't.

As someone who doesn't want a subscription and can only buy the magazine at an import comic shop that relies on Diamond (since I'm outside the US): where do I get #6 now?

[Patrick Macias]

I don't know about all the details with Diamond and such, but this issue is indeed in the stores and is available for purchase.

[Althalus]

Thanks for the swift reply.

The problem still remains, though: if you did, in fact, not solicit that issue through Diamond, then it will definitely *not* be "in store" in 95+% of all comic shops that stock english language comics (not only in the US, but all around the globe), because none of them even would have had a chance to order issue 6. And I, for once, do not currently have access to any alternative outlets that carry Otaku USA (and I'm probably not the only one).

So, could you please look into this further (or at least get this into the right hands)?

Thanks in advance.

[Patrick Macias]

Hate to sound like a commercial, but why not subscribe? The new issue is being mailed out to folks as we speak...

As far as the answer to your question goes, it sounds like Diamond goofed, but they don't handle the bulk of our distribution anyways.

[Matt Gray]

Bleeeeeding!

[Althalus]

Okay, thanks again for checking. I'll just have to try and get the issue elsewhere then. Or is it possible to order single issues directly, yet?

And as to your suggestion: I actually did consider subscribing once, but the international mail service does have its own separate set of uncertainties and dangers... not the least of them being our local mailman ^^;

[wildarmsheero]

Oh god, oh god. Now millions of unsuspecting people will see the horror that is my bedroom, coupled with my crazy otaku rantings. How wonderful.

I notice Clarissa got the Shuffle! review. I am oh so envious.

(oh yeah, I shouldn't be using the internet right now. oops. gotta focus. finals week)

[Althalus]

Update: I think I solved the riddle. Diamond didn't just goof once, but three times in a row. I originally thought that #3 was listed two times and #6 was missing, but as it turns out issues 4-6 were all "disguised" as 3-5 in the solicitations. So, no missing solicitations and I'll probably receive the copy I ordered, even though I ordered it as "#5" instead of "#6" (more details on the OUSA forums).

So, sorry for the confusion, but it was all Diamond's fault... ^^;

[Patrick Macias]

Is it any wonder why comic shops are closing down by the dozens in the USA?

Not that I mind too much. I just nabbed a handful of superhero graphic novels for peanuts when the Things From Another World here in SF bit the dust last week.