Make Love Not Warcraft: Probably everything that we would write after this line is just marginalia. A mere end note to that particular episode of South Park about the monstrous MMORPG (massively multi-player online role-playing game) philosophy…

… but also about the emotional bonding of father and son as gamers and clan-members. Now this issue of the Romanian Otaku magazine is not the usual pageant to the multi-bilion gaming industry, hyped by fans and full of saucy reviews. Its not about victories decided by scores only, or just about familiar insomniac life styles. It is more about deliberate playfulness – the readiness to play with everything that is given to you, be it characters, ideas, issues, hardware, puppets, bento food boxes, microchip sounds or pixelated designs. It is about those who enjoy toying around with cultural icons of the gaming universe. Nothing is left untouched or unchanged, transgressing the limits of a fairly conservative milieu. We will get to meet Sado Masio (Mario) or LEGO Stimpy. Some of the best representatives are probably pixel megacity planners like EbOY from Berlin, real modular maniacs and an inspiration for many. On the sound spectrum Blip Festival from NY gathers some of the best 8bit-, microchip-, chiptune-, microtune-, gameboy musicians up to date. Costume playing is also a precision game – tailoring the right stance, posture and attitude. Well, some have come incredibly close to mastering their own favorites – they’ve become characters!

As for the manga section, I let you decide and no spoilers :)

Facts & Figures
Mission Statement: Otaku Magazine is an independent platform that promote the visual art, from national and international artists, an opportunity for them to manifest in various areas (graphic, comic strips, illustration, painting, design, fashion, video, toys and accessories), under the influences of the Japanese entertainment (manga, anime, music, movie, new media, new technologies, etc.) and other artistic currents. The Otaku Magazine project has become reality because of the need of an alternative to the today Romanian environment, like an answer to the growing interest of the young people to cultural diversity and experimentation and the need to express, without any restraints, their own visions and/or works. Otaku Magazine is put together by a team of specialized people, in various domains (project coordinators, designers, DTP graphic specialists, web developers, editors, translators, artists, independent curators, distributors, promoters…). Everything is made out of passion and out of the desire to promote and sustain the cultural diversity around the world.
Founded: October 2006; by Otaku Entertainment
Based in: Brasov, Romania
Editors / Designers: Bogdan Gorganeanu (web designer), Veronica Solomon (art director), Ruxandra Tarca (Editor-In-Chief)
Periodicity: Bi-Annual
Language: English
Format: 4C/BW, 140 x 210 mm, 128 pages
Circulation: 1000
Price: SONDERANGEBOT / SPECIAL OFFER 6 €
Web: Otaku
Contact: otakumag (at) gmail.com

Look inside!

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