I’d also like to take the time to express my delight and gratitude to Carl Horn for the mention in his post script to the volume. Here’s the section in question, you can read the rest when you pick up your copy.

Two more things before we go. While you’re waiting for the new Evangelion anime–not to mention the next volume of the Evangelion manga, which Mr. Sadamoto, on average, finishes at the rate of six chapters per year–I want to strongly recommend you check out the forums at evamonkey.com. With over 800 registered users, it’s the largest English-language discussion board for Neon Genesis Evangelion, and attracts posters from Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America as well as the United States and Canada. Moreover, as moderated by its founder, Aaron Clark (whose Evangelion panels you might have seen at East Coast anime conventions), it’s a thoughtful and informed place to talk about Eva, whether the topic is “who’s hotter, Asuka or Rei?” (the correct answer is “Ritsuko”) or “Gender of Non-Lilim Persons” (an actual topic).

Though not especially recenct news, I’d like to mention that ADV Manga published volume 4 of Angelic Days on March 5th. The remaining two volumes are slated to be published on June 20th and September 19th.

“I closed not my eyes that night. My internal being was in a state of insurrection and turmoil; I felt that order would thence arise, but I had no power to produce it. By degrees, after the morning’s dawn, sleep came. I awoke, and my yesterday’s thoughts were as a dream. There only remained a resolution to return to my ancient studies, and devote myself to a science for which I believed myself to possess a natural talent.”

This passage from Frankenstein really struck a cord with me just now. I have spent many a sleepless night agonizing over this site, wishing that my ability to build it could progress at the speed at which my mind built it within my head. Not to say that I consider this site comparable to Victor Frankenstein’s Monster, but the restlessness he describes in the chapter prior to giving life to the monster really jumped out at me and made me think for a second. He later comments that he must be driven to achieving his vision, so that he can enjoy leisure and good health. I’ll have to see how that turns out for him, though I’m pretty sure I know how it goes.

Given that I really haven’t much in the way of real life associates with the “Eva Bug”, I feel it necessary to continue to use the front of this web page as a sort of soap box. But I promise you, if I do so, I’ll give you something in return for [emphasis]hopefully[/emphasis] reading my inane banter.

And without further ado, I give you manga-ish stuff.

While this is a bit unrelated to Evangelion, it might still prove of interest to Eva fans. Dirty Work is a one shot manga done by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, and his wife, who goes by the pen name “Takaha Mako”. While some may find it “unrealistically dark”, I find it to be quite similar to Sadamoto’s manga interpretation of Evangelion. Fans of Sadamoto and the Eva manga might want to take a look at this to get a better glimpse into Sadamoto’s story-telling. And finally, a warning: while there’s nothing extremely mature or explicit about this, some may find its content a bit unsettling.

Another kernel of Gainax/Sadamoto interest. Route 20, from what I understand, was to be Gainax’s follow-up project to The Wings of Honneamise. For whatever reasons, it never made it to production, and all we are left with is a preliminary work-in-progress trailer, a few Sadamoto illustrations, and a manga adaptation by Sadamoto that never went very far either. Nevertheless, as far as I know, I have available nearly everything from this project. So set aside a moment, and take a look at what might have been

Eva fans consider spin-offs like Iron Maiden 2 (aka Girlfriend of Steel 2) by Fumino Hayashi to be anything from light fare to a defilement upon all that is holy. Nevertheless, it is directly building upon what Anno set forth, and it IS new Evangelion story. Though it is far from its predecessor, it is something to wet one’s appetite in wake of the abundant lack of new Sadamoto Eva manga. The series is (to my knowledge) up to three volumes, and still in production, and who knows if it will ever see an English language version. So for those who have an open mind, and a ravenous hunger for Eva, enjoy!

“I believed that exercise and amusement would then drive away incipient disease; and I promised myself both of these when my creation should be complete.”