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Kamen Writer

The online home of Matt Kamen. Will write stuff for food.

In an interview with Anime News Network, Square-Enix Senior Sales Manager and National Manager of Merchandise, Kanji Tashiro said:

FFVII holds a special place in the development team’s heart, so they want to revisit it as much as possible. Right now that same team is working on Final Fantasy XIII and Kingdom Hearts. Once they’re done with those projects, they’re probably going to revisit Final Fantasy VII.

Now, as his job title implies, Tashiro deals predominantly with merchandise related to Square-Enix’s numerous properties and the “revisit” he mentions could merely refer to (another) new wave of Final Fantasy VII merchandise. Perhaps they could include a new hat for each character this time, or a cross-promoted line of Final Fantasy Transformers - Cloud Strife shifting into Fenrir bike mode, anyone?

Regardless, a revamp of the original game appearing at some point should come as no surprise, with the notorious tech demo for Playstation 3 exhibiting movement in that direction at least three years ago. Given the sustained popularity of the game, even 11 years on from its release, a PS3-exclusive release of an FF7 remake would almost certainly be a system seller. Although, if the recent announcement of Final Fantasy XIII coming to Xbox 360 bears financial fruit, would Square-Enix want such a guaranteed hit to remain purely within the domain of PS3?

Another long delay between posts/updates but I’m back and pleased to present the full length, unedited interview with Johnny Yong Bosch. Yup, full-length - two months out from its publication in NEO, there’s little to worry about in terms of undermining the print version, so you, lucky readers, reap the benefits of my seemingly perpetual distraction from updating the site!

To anyone who grew up in the ’90s, Johnny Yong Bosch is instantly recognisable as the face of Adam Park, the second Black Ranger on Saban’s all-conquering kid’s show, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Replacing the original Black Ranger, Zack (played by Walter Emmanuel Jones), Adam soon became a fan favourite character and earned Johnny a following of devoted fans. Since leaving the show, Johnny has become one of the most prominent voice actors working in anime today, starring in the likes of Eureka Seven and Akira, and gaining musical acclaim with his band Eyeshine. For those missing seeing him in front of the camera, Johnny is also hard at work writing, producing, directing and starring in a number of independent movies. The following interview was conducted at the London MCM Expo, where we spoke of his career to date and what’s next for him.

Please note – portions of this interview can be seen in issue #46 the British print magazine NEO.
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Well, New York is, simply put, frikkin’ amazing. So amazing, in fact, that it’s taken me almost two months to kick myself out of the melancholic funk I fell into upon returning to dreary ol’ Blighty (a term which now seems far more appropriate than it used to). OK, in all honesty I’ve not been wallowing in a post-travel pit of despair, I’ve just been unimaginably busy since my return. However, the previously promised coverage of the New York Comic Con? Can’t do it, sorry. Well, I kind of can but not here. You’ll have to pony up a total of seven hundred and ninety-eight pence for NEO #46 & 47 to read it. The simple matter is that when my work is commissioned for a print magazine, it kind of negates it by putting it online first, y’know?

On the other hand, the current issue of NEO (#45, on sale now) features an appropriately swift retrospective on Speed Racer and a look at the franchise’s new video game and, in my possibly biased opinion, a rather excellent interview with Johnny Yong Bosch. However, some of the interview had to be omitted due to space concerns, so I’ll be posting a longer version here when the next issue of NEO hits. You’ll have to read both to get the proverbial full monty though. NEO #45 also sports a lengthy look at the Haruhi Suzumiya phenomenon by Lesley Smith - well worth checking out.

More stuff to come soon, including new comic work and a VERY cool fan reaction to a strip in Legion of Stupid Heroes.

Twenty-four hours from now, I will be in New York. Before that though, comes whatever sleep I can force myself into having, an insultingly early departure for the airport and a seven-hour flight.

It will be worth it.

I will be posting news and coverage from the event when I return, or earlier depending on my connection options in New York. Any editors wishing to commission coverage of the event, please email me through the link on the Contact Me page and I will respond as soon as I can.

A Legion of Stupid Heroes has finally arrived! Laura and I were getting more than a little concerned about the shipment actually turning up before our departure for the New York Comic Con but it’s made it in by deadline and we’ll be able to pimp ourselves show off our product at the convention. Relief, thy tender touch is most sweet.

In other news, I’m getting the chance to meet Stan Lee. My reaction to this opportunity, simply put? Squeeeeee!

Busy, busy, busy. In fact, I can’t remember a time when I’ve ever been so full-to-bursting with stuff to do and be done.

First, as soon as I finish work on one issue of NEO - issue 44, on sale now with another fine batch of Asian-inspired entertainment and news, including an extensive look at the madcap anime FLCL by myself - it’s onto the next batch of features. None of which I can talk about yet but all of which are, of course, amazing.

Next, I’m pleased to announce that A Legion of Stupid Heroes is, as I type, jetting its merry way to my waiting clutches. Hopefully, the shipment will make it here from Florida just in time for me to take a batch all the way back across the Atlantic to show off at the New York Comic Con.

Yup, New York Comic Con. The NYCC - which almost sounds like it should be the acronymous title of another of those tepid criminal investigation shows that seemingly the entire western world is inexplicably fascinated by. Instead, it’s building a reputation as the new geek Mecca, one slightly more accessible from Europe than the benchmark San Diego Comic Con or, well, most of the other big American shows. So from the 16th to the 21st April, I’ll be bouncing around the big, nerdy apple and, while I’ve been to Boston before, New York promises to be a very different affair - if rumours of its urban insomnia are to be believed, I expect a far more energised experience than the comparative tranquility of ol’ Beantown.

Right now though, it’s back to work for me, before any of my commissioning editors find I’ve escaped from my dungeon confines before deadlines are finished…

Ignoring the hyperbolicious entry name, I’m nineteen different kinds of excited to see Noboru Igushi’s upcoming comedy gore-fest, Machine Girl:

Yakuza ninja. Finger-food sushi. Machine gun limbs. Evil Dead references. DRILL BRAS. Is there any way on Earth this won’t be amazingly entertaining trash cinema? Media Blasters will be releasing this gem on DVD in the US on 03/06. I, for one, already have the junk food piled high in anticipation of an epic movie night.

I have a dream. A dream of a world where a person is judged on their own merits and afforded the same liberties, rights and responsibilities irrespective of their race, creed, orientation or gender. Judging by the spam email I’ve just received, it seems that online hucksters feel the same way. After years of subtly emasculating messages implying that the male of the species is uniformly ill-equipped to pleasure the fairer sex, I’ve just received word that only two pills per day will give me “luscious full white breasts!”

Of course, I have no idea whether this means that said chemically-enhanced bosoms would themselves be luscious and full, somehow full of lusciousness, or fully white. I cannot help but feel that better grammar may enhance the seller’s sales potential - after all, a confused customer base is less likely to support your product. Then again, maybe the hucksters aren’t quite so universal in their thinking. After all, surely non-caucasian ladies might want lusciously full or fully luscious breasts as well?

Clearly the equal rights movement still has some way to go.

It’s done. It’s finally done. A Legion of Stupid Heroes is finally, as they say, in the can. If the can were a printer service. And the printer were in Florida. That’s where it is. There’s been some hiccups along the way but overall, I’m pleased with the content produced for it. Special kudos goes to my co-editor, Laura Howell, who took on the wearisome task of actually turning everyone’s submitted work into, y’know, an actual comic. We should have the physical copies in the next few weeks. In the meantime, here’s a look at Bethnote, written by myself and masterfully brought to life by the, quite frankly, disgustingly talented Faye Yong. With that done, I’m intending to sleep now. For a month.

The next panel to be smuggled under the cover of night to your waiting internet connections comes from Tony McGee’s Gimp on a Bus. Not that that’s a particularly unusual sight to behold on public transport…