Final Farewell from Anime News Nina Creator

Dear Readers,

When I first started "Anime News Nina," my original intentions were no deeper than "I want to make a fun web comic in-between my efforts to jump start a career." My brother suggested anime as a thematic starting point, and in the following six years, Nina has indeed seen me through jump-starting my career, moving cross-country, getting married, buying my first home, and finally, taking my own "Nerd Trip of Dreams" to Japan. Nina has essentially been a presence throughout my entire young adulthood. With that level of ubiquity in my life (coupled with my intense sentimentality), it hopefully isn't too embarrassing to admit that simply describing aloud the outline of the final comic gave me a sizable lump in my throat, and actually sending off the final finished strips to Zac led to some tears. Maybe a few of you feel the same way, but Nina and the gang feel like old friends at this point (even when I mildly resented them. "I can't hang out, I have to work on the comic," was a near-weekly catch phrase of mine).

But this is all a bit heavy for a goofy, squishy little comic about the media we all love. Thank you for reading, enjoying, and discussing Nina over the years. It was really fun to express all the things we love, hate, or find ludicrous about our favorite hobby and laugh at them. More thanks go to my brother, Justin, who fielded many flustered brainstorming phone calls and was always willing to help with Japanese language or industry knowledge. Thanks to Zac and Chris for allowing Nina to blossom in the first place, giving me creative freedom, and for dealing with my many hiatuses or other assorted hysteria. A special thanks to my husband who, in addition to helping draw the really cool "Redline" parody strip, was Nina's and my biggest supporter throughout all of this. Thanks to the fans out there in Russia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and anywhere else I may have missed who translated Nina into other languages for more fans world-wide to enjoy. I can't say thank you enough to all of the readers again - I really couldn't have done this comic without you.
I hope some of you will support my upcoming efforts to publish a printed book collection of "Anime News Nina." Stay tuned to ANN or some of the sites listed below for further news on that. Thanks for your time- I hope you had fun.

Many years of good anime seasons and pooped candy your way,
-Robin Sevakis

A Trade Caucus of three corporate Reps, Japan sells its people out

A trade caucus, in favor for the corporations and against the people, are these traitors that the people voted:

Rep. David Reichhert (R-WA)

Rep. Charles Boustany (R-LA)

Rep. Ron Kind (D-WN)

Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY)

Senators Baucus and Hatch have called for a bipartisan renewal of the dreaded Fast Track Trade Promotion Authority that would take away the constitutional power of Congress to approve or reject trade agreements under the Commerce clause. Only to approve by an up-down vote and debate is only limited to 20 hours. However, any new version of the TPA could just do that and make secretive trade agreements (like ACTA) go into force without approval.

What's worse Japan has sold its people out:

Kyodo News reports that Japan calls for stronger (and even more extensive) intellectual property protection on anime series and anime characters. Ken Akamatsu in 2011 warned that the trade agreement would destroy doujinshi. Artist Kazuhiko Hachiya warned that cosplay would also fall under TPP. This would not only harm the manga and American comic industries, but also conventions. DeviantArt would have to remove the fan art category from their site and update copyright policy and Terms of Service.

TPP would create a dress police in Japan and America  A innocent child drawing Mickey Mouse or SpongeBob would put an entire family in prison under the trade agreement. Even the intellectual property chapter could include anti-circumvention DRM brain implants, an old April fools joke that may not be April fools anymore.

Let me say this again for those in Japan who learns fluent English need to translate:

Article 4.1 make web browsing a crime of copyright infringement if the language "authorize or" was struck out.

Japanese protesters warned that signing unto the TPP would allow Monsanto's Frankenfood into their country. Environmentalists would not be able to stop the Keystone XL pipeline and the EPA would have more trouble with foreign companies because of the investment clause. Credit unions would be shuttered

Malaysian lawmakers have warned that signing unto the TPP would block or restrict access to affordable medicine including generic medicines that treats HIV/AIDS and also it would allow tobacco companies to sue foreign governmenst under an appointed investment tribunal of 3 corporate judges.

Emi Nakada and Citron178 had launched a music video on Youtube calling everyone to Stop the TPP.

Please write to your Senator and Representative right now to stop the TPP and vote against Fast Track.

This is the End for Anime News Nina

That's the end for Anime News Nina. Enjoy the final four strips.