Actually, MegaTokyo's first print volume isn't as into shoujo (comics for girls) as later versions. Instead, we get a funny and charming introduction to Piro and Largo, two hardcore gamers who end up stranded in Japan thanks to their obsession. Engaging and eccentric, our two protagonists lead wild and wacky adventures through the Land of the Rising Sun.

That said, the supporting characters steal the show. Roomies Erika and Kimiko, perky schoolgirl Yuki, polite but peeved Tsubasa and more give Megatokyo a balanced, deep environment that isn't often found in comic art.

Speaking of art, Fred "Piro" Gallagher's pencils are deft and warm, and improve rapidly even within the pages of this volume. Rodney "Largo" Caston's writing is smart and smooth, plotting in sync with Piro for an authentic Japanese feel with American sensibilities.

Good read for the casual reader looking for something different, great for those who really "get it".

Plus, Nanasawa's really cute.

You could not buy it, you could just go to the website. Or you could buy this and have a copy - take it anywhere, fits snuggly in my blazer pocket - doesn't need a dial up or braodband connection, its all in order - you get handy information at the bottom of the pages and a beautiful re-drawn scetch at the back... Now which option sounds nicer to you?

Megatokyo was the first manga i ever read - i'll follow it to the end and so i loved this book. The artwork is as always, beautiful the humour is plentiful and yet the drama and beginning of a plot is enough to satisfy anyone who's ever glanced at one of Freds drawings.

A must for the devoted fan, a worthy buy for the newbie to the genre - all in all it's worth the money (worth the wait and postage if you're abroad) and worth your attention.

BUY IT!

....many certainly do with all the hits this site has. And for good reason. Megatokyo is the most popular doujinshi (online) comic in the land of all gamerz/hak3rz/fr34ks like us. Don't get turned away by all the crazed fanboys out there droowling over it like an episode of Trigun, this comic is good from all points of view.

This volume contains the first 'chapter' of the drama that these beautiful (or beautifully flawed) characters go through (not to mention what Fred and Piro go through). I'm a HUGE fan of MT and all that the guys do to make me happy about 3 times outta the week. When I discovered Megatokyo.com I was, well, hooked like a crazed fan boy drooling over a fansubbed Trigun episode...and I read about 150 or 200 pages in one day....and all the while wishing for more.

Basically, the story is about 2 American teens who get stuck in Japan and have to work together (or against each other, or against 3vil d0minions) to try and find they're way home. With all of Largo's video-game obsessions and all of Piro's romantic throughts over the Shoujo at the local anime store, the two can hardly ever earn any money without blowing it on arcades or renting Rent-A-Zilla's ;)

Where this comic will go in the future, none can tell, and I'm sure the creators are too caught up in pleasing us, the fans, with 3 comics weekly, to know themselves. In the long run, though, I'm sure this series will go down as the biggest American based comic on the net....

For those interested already, for if you're reading this I'm sure you are, please visit [the website] and start from the beginning and get yourself hooked like I did.

So, please, get off Neverwinter Nights, stop looking for your "cool thing" and get your self down to the local m4ng4-st0r3 and check out m3g4tokyo.... you lazy ps2-accessory....

Oh, and...Junpei will return!!!! GAAAAAH!

If you didn't see the show with Alan Cumming, this is the only way to capture it. Buy the CD, get this book, relax, and go to Cabaret. Having seen the show twice, this book is akin to a photo album of a favorite vacation. A must for every theatre fan!

This is the next best thing to seeing Cabaret in studio 54! Pictures of the Roundabout theater production light up this book and tells the story of the revived new musical. This book does not tell the story of the Liza Minelli version, or any of the other Cabaret versions, but of that of the revival. I have seen the new production in person, and can only say that this is the next best thing...and the book even has the whole libretto in it!

This is an extraordinary book that captures a great element of the Roundabout Theater Company's production of "Cabaret." The book, pictures, reviews, and behind the scenes looks at the production are exquisite, and an absolute must-have for anyone who saw the musical and loved it as I did. Reading the text is a great method for reliving the experience, especially while listening to the CD.

All three books are pretty good. Charlottes web is the best with a cute little pig named wilbur longing for a friend. Stuart little is also a good book. You get to see the world through the eyes of a mouse. The third book-Trumpet of the swan-is only ok!

Stuart Little is a mouse that is about 2 inches tall. Stuart is part of the family of the Fredrick.C.Littles. He has a friendly but shy manner. He's very smart for a mouse but his size gives him trouble sometimes. His life is an adventure when he sets out on the age of seven,he trys to find his dearest friend,Margalo, a friendly little bird who stayed with the Littles in their Boston Fern.

Stuart Little is an interesting book. I enjoyed reading it beacause it was funny and it had interesting vocabulary. There were some sad parts in the book. This Book got me absorbed into it.

I would recommend this book for children of the ages of 8 to 12. If you like fantasy stories then you would love this book. If you are a person who likes certain kinds of fantasy books then you should probably enjoy Stuart Little because you may get absorbed into the book. Also if you like fantasy books that have animals in it that talk and you like the Author E.B.White then you'll like this book.

The best part of this book was when the sail boat race took place. I liked that part because the policeman fell in the water. Also, I liked being able to see the world through a mouse's eyes. Margalo is a great character in the book because she is smart and she helped Stuart. I am looking forward to reading another book by E.B. White, such as Charlotte's Web and the Trumpet of the Swan.

To parents: Has Alzheimer's touched your family yet? As we baby boomers and our parents age, it's more likely than not to do so. It's difficult enough to watch your own, once proud and independent parent struggle with this horrible illness (I know, I have), but how are you going to explain it to your children? Jake Moon's story is one that perhaps all families can use as a starting point for discussion. Jake's fears, frustrations, anger, and love for and about his grandfather, Skelly, are presented with honesty and a touch of humor in this important and perfect tale...

To the kids: Meet Jake Moon - a regular kid (just like you) who loves his family, but, Boy! They sure can be a pain sometimes (just like yours)! Especially his grandfather, Skelly, who USED to be so great to live with. Now that Skelly is sick, Jake has to babysit him. And Skelly does the most embarassing things all the time! How can Jake get on with being a regular kid with all this going on his life? The Graduation of Jake Moon is funny, truthful, and a story you will remember for a long, long time. Be prepared to root for both Jake and Skelly, because you'll love them both!

Through Barbara Park's wonderful writing, a boy struggles to help and understand his grandfather, Skelly, who is diagnosed with Alzheimers. From the point where Skelly is normal, to the point where he can't remember where his keys are, to the point where he can't do anything for himself.
Along the way, Park invents some delightfully quirky characters! Mrs. Russell, Skelly's nurse, was my favorite...

"'This stupid hat isn't even his, I bet! And even if it was his, there are a million ways it could have gotten to the edge of the water. Like the wind could have blown it. Or a dog might have carried it down there. Or---'
'OR A WHOOPING CRANE COULD HAVE FLOWN IT!' she shrieked.
I stopped jumping and just stood there. I mean, that's the whole trouble with Mrs. Russell. Just when you think that you may have made a connection, she goes and says something so freaky it scares you."
-The Graduation Of Jake Moon, by Barbara Park

One of the great moments! Hilarious and touching. You must read this book.

I had heard of Alzheimer's on the news but never read a novel about it until The Graduation of Jake Moon. When Jake's lively and heroic grandfather Skelly is diagnosed with Alzheimer's, it changes everything, though his mother says she will try to keep his life normal. At first it seems like nothing can harm Skelly, but bit by bit Jake's life is spun around, reversing the roles of grandfather and grandson. This is a read which will make you feel for those who live with Alzheimer's patients and the utter helplessness which accompanies it.

The Wainscott Weasel by Tor Seidler is a marvelous book for children. Any person who enjoys books like The Wind in the Willows, Watership Down, Charlotte's Web, and Winnie-the-Pooh will love this humorous and moving story. It concerns Bagley Brown, Jr. He is the son of a famous, brilliant weasel. Bagley has neither lived up to his family name nor lived down his parents death. To further his troubles, he falls in love...with a fish. Eventually, Bagley must try to save his love and live up to his heritage. This is a humorous and adventurous tale that takes you into another world. Any child should enjoy this.

This book is about a group of weasels that live on Long Island in the Wainscott Woods. The story is about the life of the weasels. The main characters of the book are Bagley Brown, which is famous for his name because his father built the Double-B which is used for transporting eggs from a farm. After his father made the tunnel he was never seen again because a night owl got him, but only Bagley knew. Zeke is a nice weasel and a good dancer. Wendy is a girl from the north fork. The story is about the many adventures of Bagley. It is a great book with super great illustrations, I am a nine year old boy and I loved this book.

Kind of like two storys in one, mainly about three weasels each having a diffrent goal. And different tastes... Wendy Blackish has come to Wainscott woods with her uncle and aunt for the season. She soon falls in love with the famous Bagely Brown jr. Zeke White Belly is quickly falls under Wendy's spell, and he has all sorts of admirers. But for Bagely, his heart has been captured, by a fish! But her pond is being dried up and there is another danger. An osprey. Will Bagley let anything bad happen? What will Zeke do about Wendy? What will Wendy do about Zeke? Read it! Tor Seidler + Fred Macellino = Perfection! That's why I recommend this book! And 'A RAT'S TALE' If you are like me, and like good books, than read a this boook!

My first introduction to Fred Jones was about 8 years ago. I went to his workshop after my first year of teaching. We received his first book, "Positive Classroom Discipline" at that time. During that first year of teaching I was certainly disillusioned and ready to throw in the towel. My credentialing program hadn't sufficiently prepared me to have a well run, productive classroom with good discipline. Using his methods really gave me the tools needed to be an effective and relaxed teacher.

I've now been teaching 9 years and just attended his workshop for the 4th time. Dr. Jones included his new book, "Tools for Teaching," in his workshop. This book is so well organized. The content of the book is almost verbatim what he says in class. It is an easy read and very enjoyable. The illustrations are very purposeful and represent the major points of the book.

If you are a teacher who wants to save yourself from burn-out and actually remember why you went into teaching in the first place, then this book could be your life-line. Dr. Jones knows what he is talking about and is practical in his approach. It is one of the only programs out there that is livable for the entire career of a teacher. I most likely wouldn't be in the profession any longer if it hadn't been for the content of this book. I would highly recommend it!

Fred Jones Tools For Teaching is a practical teaching guide for all prospective and practicing teachers. It is the only methods text that I have used in 31 years of teacher training that is worthwhile for all teachers in today's classroom climate. The text provides classroom management and instruction technology that works in a positive way. Teachers learn how to set limits, teach responsibility and motivate students in a cooperative environment. Teaching and learning improve with explicit classroom instruction methods that help structure lesson planning, enhance partner learning, and actually encourage students to improve learning in order to engage in a preferred learning activity as a reward. Harry Wong's text, The First Days of School, inspires and provides an excellent framework for improved classroom activities. Fred Jones Tools for Teaching takes the next step to provide teachers at any level with proven techniques to improve postive classroom Discipline - Instruction - Motivation.

I stumbled upon this book last summer completely by accident, but I am glad that I did! In three weeks of student teaching I have witnessed both the typical behavior of students described in this book and the failed strategies that most teachers repeatedly use to keep the "lid" on in their classrooms. Having read "Tools for Teaching" I feel confident that I can effectively handle and eventually eliminate the behavior of disruptive students. Although as a student teacher I am not fully able to implement the threefold strategy of limit setting, preferred activity time, and responsibility training I will certainly do so when I have my own classroom. Had I not read this book I would be forced to rely on useless techniques such as "snap and snarl", pheasant posturing, silly talk, and the "sick and tired" look when dealing with classroom management problems. If you are curious to find out what makes the previously mentioned techniques useless you simply need to purchase this book!

Montague Mad-Rat lives in the sewers of New York City with his family. Every year the rats pay a man not to poison them, but when his nephew takes over, they decide to raise $100,000, instead of the usual $50,000. Montague and his uncle play a huge roll in donating the money, just by selling some tiny shells that Montague had painted. Montague also likes a she-rat, Isabel, who's father is at a high place in the rat-goverment.

Montague is an isolated sewer rat (sewer rats are very unappreciated) who lives with his parents and many rattling siblings. Montague spends his days collecting berries and feathers for his mother. She then creates beautiful rat hats with the supplies. One day, while Montague is gathering his supplies, he stumbles upon the most breath-taking rat he has ever seen. Her name is Isabelle Moberly-Rat. Somehow, she is left behind by her family and does not know how to get home. But not to worry- since Montague is a sewer rat, he can take her home by going through the sewers. The only problem is that Isabelle lives in the Wharfs. The Wharfs is the place where rich rats live. So Montague feels pressured into saying that he too lives in the Wharfs. Impressing Isabelle is not the only dilemma Montague has to face. He also has to try to save all the wharfs from being poisoned by the owners. To stop this action, Montague has to collect one hundred thousand dollars and pay it to the owners. If he doesn't, the whole population of Wharf rats will be doomed. This book is well written and the characters are admirable. The story is Romeo and Juliet rat - style. The author does an impressive job of telling the epic love story between two rats. This book deserves a five star rating because not one part of it is disappointing and it is a fantastic story.

I purchased a copy of the hardcover edition several years ago, and I have loved this book ever since. A Rat's Tale is the charming story of two young New York rats who fall in love, but it's a lot more than that as well. The quality of Tor Seidler's writing really makes one care about the charming characters he writes about, and perhaps it will make you think a moment about these animals that are so often shunned or ignored. The book is sutable for younger readers, with very nice illustrations, but also a wonderful short read for an adult.

If you want to learn how to make money by holding seminars and workshops, I recommend "Marketing And Promoting Your Own Seminars And Workshops" by Fred Gleeck.

Drawing upon his vast experience in holding over 1,300 one-day seminars over the last fifteen years, Gleeck provides a readable introduction to getting started in the seminar business. Even if you have experience hosting seminars or in public speaking, you'll probably find "Marketing And Promoting Your Own Seminars And Workshops" a good read.

Gleeck says the business of providing seminars has the potential to earn an individual several hundred thousand dollars a year or even upwards of a million dollars a year. He says that the seminar business also provides the opportunity to learn new things, meet interesting people, travel, and be an onstage ham, if you want.

Why ham-it-up a bit during a seminar? After surveying thousands of individuals about the characteristics great public speakers have, Gleeck found three dominant results: Great speakers are sincere, knowledgeable, and humorous.

How do you know if you're humorous? Gleeck writes: "It's only funny if they laugh. The definition of funny must come from the people receiving the message. I don't care if you think a joke is funny. I don't care if your family thinks it is funny. It is not funny if people don't laugh."

In addition to liking humor because we know whether or not it's working, Gleeck likes measurable business results. Gleeck discusses setting measurable goals for your events.

Gleeck writes: "I have three goals when I give a seminar. First, I want to get great evaluations. Second, I want to sell a lot of product. Third, I want to achieve both of these goals in such a way that people will enthusiastically want to do business with me again. ...All three of these can be measured"

Gleeck goes on to suggest revenue per person (attending the seminar) per minute (of time invested in presenting the seminar) as a yardstick of a financially successful seminar. Gleeck also discusses price testing of your seminars to maximize profitability.

Gleeck is a strong proponent of the back-end profitability of seminars. Rather than just maximizing the seminar registration revenue, Gleeck suggests that the key to seminar success is maximizing the total revenue that the seminar generates for you.

Gleeck expresses this as: TR = SR + PS + CB, which says that the total revenue generated by a seminar is the sum of the seminar registration fees plus the product sales generated during the seminar plus the consulting business generated by the seminar. (In fact, Gleeck point out that seminars are a great way to generate business if you are a consultant)

To be able to maximize seminar profitability, Gleeck suggests calculating the lifetime value of your seminar customers. Then, you know how much you can spend on marketing to acquire new customers.

Gleeck also says that you should record your seminars. In addition to allowing you to critique your performance, Gleeck writes: "... you may capture a 'magic moment' on tape. What is a magic moment? This is where you do or say something to your audience that brings the house down. They either laugh or cry or explode with applause and adulation. You want to have this on tape. Take all of the magic moments and cut them together and you will have a phenomenal demo video or audio that you can use to promote yourself as a speaker and seminar leader."

Gleeck is also a strong supporter of recording your seminars to sell audio tapes to people who want to hear the seminar but were not be able to attend. At $197 a pop, it's easy to see how selling seminar tapes can add to the bottom line. Gleeck says successful seminar promoters often generate 50% or more of their profits from the sales of tapes, videos, books, and other products.

What about people who don't want to sell products at their seminars? Gleeck tells them to get over it. He says selling products is too profitable to pass up. Gleeck suggests creating products at many different price points and upselling to generate more revenue. Gleeck says leave your books at home--they just aren't profitable enough.

Gleeck also says that your seminar products must not only be good, they must be great (and, of course, he has a way to measure this--rates of return and rates of customer repeat business). Gleeck also points out that withholding valuable information in an attempt to upsell customers to higher-priced products is a failing strategy. Rather, Gleeck argues that you want to make your information so useful that customers want more.

"Marketing And Promoting Your Own Seminars And Workshops" also provides some great advice about marketing seminars (in particular, writing direct mail promotions for your seminars), hotel coffee, psyching yourself up for a speech or seminar, keeping audience attention, hiring other presenters, 1-800 numbers, and many other topics.

Overall, if you are thinking of getting into the seminar business, Fred Gleeck's book, Marketing And Promoting Your Own Seminars And Workshops, represents a tremendous value...

Fred Gleeck isn't big on theoretical concepts. This book is full of specific information and how-to taken from his experience profitably promoting more than 1300 seminars.

You will find useful ideas all through the book as Fred tells how to create and plan the event, prepare and present your seminar, market effectively, create profitable products for back of the room sales, and follow-up with customers after the seminar. Any randomly-selected page probably has a tidbit of information that will show you how to make (or save) thousands of dollars.

You want theory? There are lots of books out there that will give you that. You want to make money with your seminars? Buy, read and use this book.

Whether you're just getting started doing seminars or a seasoned pro, Fred Gleeck has packed this book with a ton of useful information that can make your seminars very profitable!

With 15 years personally in the seminar industry myself, I've made an incredible income, but have lost a lot as well. Using Fred's seminar system I've learned how "He has never lost money on a seminar he promoted".

Plus he covers:
Designing and creating your seminar
The seminar success formula TR=SR+PS+CB
Key ways to promote and getting others to promote you
The best days/months and cities to do seminars
Delivering content rich seminars
How to develop and sell your backend product line
And a great resource list with names and contact info

Don't even consider doing a seminar without first reading this book, it will save you time and prevent you from making costly mistakes. This is the best investment you'll ever make as you enter or continue doing seminars. I highly recommend it too anyone looking to make money in the seminar business.

I have Mark Cross' number. The narrator of Brad Whittington's fine novel, "Welcome to Fred," gets a 999 for turning the sadness - and evil - he confronts topsy-turvy or every-which-way, but never loose. Mark is a Preacher's Kid desperate for an attitude. We get to look over his shoulder as he struggles to find an attitude he's comfortable with. You've never read a better rendering of a what-I-did-on-my-summer-vaction story than Mark's ode to Southern Baptists and the art of Galaxy maintenance that graces the last quarter of "Welcome to Fred."

Although Mark's life in Fred, Texas is full of hoots,hollers and happenstance - both happy and sad - Whittington sets the real power of the story in Middletown, Ohio and in L.A. Remember the name Pauline. She will lodge in your memory along with the most memorable people you've ever met between the covers of a book. And you'll be glad she's there and thank Whittington for that.

This is a book you pick up and just keep reading and reading when you have other things you really need to do. Brad Whittington takes the fish-out-of-water, coming-of-age story and spins it like a top. Great characters, great dialogue, warm story, very true to life.

Brad Whittington's book "Welcome to Fred" confirms what we knew all along, namely, that a fine talent for story-telling lay dormant in the heart and soul of our son. Though the book is largely autobiographical, we know which is fact and which is fiction. In either case, the narrative moves with a satisfying pace, incorporating mystery, humor, spiritual reflection, and real life. It invites you to walk along with Brad through his adolescence. But you don't have to be a family member to enjoy his very positive perspective of growing up. Did we enjoy it?
You betcha! "Welcome to Fred" is indeed a good read.

THE KING WHO RAINED is a humorous collection of a young girl's mental illustrations when she hears various homonyms. The book, written by the late Fred Gwynne, introduces children to the exciting, fun, and sometimes confusing world of the English language. This book is one of three books Gwynne wrote about homonyms and when you put all three together you have a nice trilogy. Children love reading these books and they work well as a springboard into other fun and witty word games. A delight.

Most people over the age of, say, 28 will remember Fred Gwynne most for his role as the flat-headed, bolt-necked Herman Munster on the TV show, "The Munsters." He also starred in a number of miscellaneous movies and "Car 54, Where Are You?" However, many people do not know that he is a gifted and very humorous author of children's picture books. "The King who Rained" is but one of his fine works for children that plays with language, especially homophones.

Homophones are words that sound alike but are spelled differently or have multiple meanings, and this book is full of 'em!! A little girl explains all the odd things she hears her family say, like "Daddy says he has a mole on his nose". The accompanying illustration has a tall, thin man (who looks profoundly like Mr. Gwynne himself) with a small, brown, furry subterranean mammal perched on his nose. Similarly, the girl's mother is "a little horse" sometimes and asks for the throat spray ("when I bring it to her, she calls me a little deer"). The title of the book itself is a wonderful play on words as well.

Mr. G. has written and illustrated three books of homophones, "The King Who Rained" as well as "A Chocolate Mouse for Dinner" and "A Little Pigeon Toad". He's also written a beautiful and very funny book about a girl taking her mutt dog to a dog show, "Easy to See Why."

All these books by Mr. Gwynne are easy to read and lavishly illustrated with large pictures. They're perfect choices to bring into any classroom to illustrate English homonyms and idiom. When I use them in class, I encourage students to create their own (of course, I also love to tell them a bit about Mr. Gwynne the actor, too!!). This and other works by Mr. G. come highly recommended!!

"The King Who Rained"" written & illustrated by Fred Gwynne, Aladdin Paperbacks, / Simon & Schuster 1970

Homonym is the term for words which sound alike but mean different things. Because of its historical roots in both the Germanic and Latin branches of the Indo-European language family, the English language is rich in homonyms. Fred Gwynne, the noted TV actor, plays upon "reign", (from Latin/French roots, and meaning to rule), and the word "rain", from the Old Anglo-Saxon, and meaning "water dropping from the heavens". His front cover shows a king in ermine robes contentedly raining on the countryside, while a young girl, with an umbrella, gazes up at the ruler. This kind of thing continues through the book, making every page funny and interesting.

The illustrations are colorfully done in what appears to be pastel chalks, and Fred Gwynne has probably included some autobiographical drawings as, for example, the Daddy with the mole on his nose is easily recognizable as the TV actor. This book is nicely illustrated and will provide many hours of reading enjoyment and learning.

Personally, I found that the child-reader has to be in the first or second grade, or at least fairly well exposed to the nuances of the English language, or else the play on words, using homonyms, will be lost. The younger children appeared to be interested in the illustrations alone, which are stand-alone funny.