Sundogs #10

Sundogs #10

via Blackguard on 4/22/10

[36 pages, digest size, 300 Yen or trade, free to prisoners --- Adam Pasion, 1-42 Namiuchi-cho, Kita-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 462-0041, JAPAN +++ biguglyrobot at gmail dot com +++ sundogscomix.blogspot.com ]
One of my favourite comics right here. Depressingly, however, in the introduction Adam admits that he doesn't know if there will be another print issue after this one. He and Ami have just had a second kid, plus he's got an ever increasing workload. And he's putting his diary comics up on his blog now. Still, it would be really depressing to know there ain't gonna be no more real paper Sundogs comics coming out any more. ... Adam! Listen here! You simply MUST find a way to continue with the print edition! I says so!
In this issue, Adam gives us a cultural lesson about cursing. See, in Japan they don't have curse words like we do in the West. There is one, 'Kuso!' meaning 'Shit!' but it has little impact, so it's OK for kids to say it to teachers, or people on TV to use it. To curse in Japanese you must show disrespect. Respect is so important in Japanese culture, and there are more than seven words for "you", each in varying degrees of politeness. So the worst word you can call someone is literally "you" or "this guy".
Always fascinating, strange or bizarre hi-jinks going on in these comics, for example Adam and his friend Shigeki eat raw liver at a Korean joint. Then at a Jamaican restaurant Adam eats some 'jerk chicken'. What the hell is 'jerk chicken'? See, that's one way I can tell I'm reading a great comix or zine - I keep jumping up to Google stuff.
Later, at another restaurant, Adam eats dolphin meat and blubber. That may upset some Flipper fans, but as Adam points out, "If you're gonna eat one type of animal, you may as well try the others."
For Halloween, Adam wears an Obama mask to his kids class but the kids are terrified by the mask and totally freeze up, petrified!
On a more serious and romantic note, a dead cat found in their neighbourhood triggers a memory from early in Adam and Ami's relationship when they travelled around Vietnam. Ami's reaction when they found a dead kitten is heartbreaking. It's not easy to get strong emotion across in a comic, but here it is.
This issue wraps up with a few big events, the main one being the birth of their second kid (Nowa), a girl this time. So now Nimo has a little sister. Then it's Christmas and everywhere in Japan (or at least Nagoya) the most popular Christmas song is Wham's 'Last Christmas'.
Sundogs is so great. Did I tell you it was great? Well, it sure is wonderful and great, and such a pleasure to read.
Adam, for the love of jerk chicken please don't discontinue the print version.