Hello from Kansas

[Heibi]

Hello, my fellow Aging Otaku.

About me:
Some of you may have heard of me from back in the fansubbing days of Amigas and Video Tape. I'm Todd Perkins from Central Anime. I founded Central Anime back in 1992 after arriving in Kansas on my first assignment in the Air Force. We started fansubbing with a special effects keyboard where, after I typing in the script up to a maximum capacity point of the keyboard, I would manually put up and take down the titles. We would get about half the episode done that way and start again with the next half. This process was stopped fairly quickly once I bought my first Amiga 600. Then we started using Turbotitler(TTS). Shortly thereafter we came across JACOsub by accident and became beta testers. Well, long story short, after 20 years of fansubbing I still use JACOsub to time even today. I time the show on the fly while watching the show then transfer it to my PC to convert it for use in Aegisub. At least I caught up with the times a little.

I started watching anime back in the 1970's. I watched Speed Racer, and anything I could find on the limited channels we had in Alaska. I discovered one night at 330am, around 1976 or so, Starblazers on WGN from Chicago. I loved it but, like all the other cartoons of the day, had no idea it was from Japan. I saw it again in College in 1984. I also saw the infamous Robotech( a few episodes) while I was at my Aunt's house in Fullerton, CA. After that I didn't see much anime until a friend of mine at navigator training, in 1990, showed me Macross DYRL(in English), and several more shows. That started the ball rolling and then my collection started to boom. And the rest is history...

Career:
I served 20 years in the Air Force. I was an Instuctor Navigator for the KC-135 Stratotanker. I retired as a Captain 2 1/2 years ago. Thanks to the Air Force I was able to see the world - especially Japan. It took me to the UK, Denmark, France, Spain, Azores, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kenya, Japan, Germany, Turkey, Crete, Alaska(Hey, it was a mission), Hawaii(Got stationed here - tough tour of duty). Most of my time was spent here in Wichita, Kansas. I had a total of 15 years built up here and stayed after I retired. I'm still retired - I don't work and don't need to(yet).

Groups/People I've worked with where we combined the efforts of many fansubbers of Old. Or who may have let me use the scripts they produced. Sorry if I miss anyone who I might have worked with:
A.X.I.S. , RAADORS(Re-doing Arctic Animation's Disgusting Orange Road Scripts), Anime Classic, Operation X, Anime West, NT-Anime, Faceless Minions, Dallas 7G Operator, Sue Shambaugh, Banzai Georg, etc.

Anime we've fansubbed - some recent, some from way back, some never released to the public:
Bastard, Initial D, Nadesico, Touch, Tytania, Cross Game, Okiku Furikabutte, Macross 7, Macross Frontier, Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Gundam X, Gundam Movies, Space Battleship Yamato, Escaflowne, Natsuki Crisis, Bronze, Sekai no Monshou, Sekai no Senki, Heroic Age, Berserk, Full Metal Panic, Gundam 0083, Gundam 0080, Risky Safety, Space Battleship Yamato: Live Action Movie, Fushigi Yuugi, Dominion Crusher Police, DNA2, Video Girl Ai, Reideen the Superior, Gasaraki, Evangelion, Iria, KOR, Stellvia, etc. I'm sure I missed a few.

Professional Subtitling Involvement:
We once worked with TokyoPop on Initial D. Our members' names all appear in the credits for our contribution.

Convention Involvement:
we've recently begun to help the local anime convention, Anime Festival of Wichita. We provide all the anime for the viewing room and run it as well. And I have total control of it - no dubs are shown.

Anime we are currently fansubbing:
Orguss TV, Gigantic Formula(finishing whole show before release), Re-mastering LOGH Gaiden series.

Collection:
1000+ LDs, DVDs may have surpassed that by now. I have pure Japanese only DVDs and US release DVDs. And a house full of anime related "stuff". A true anime fan's house.

My fansubbing style:
Unlike today's flashy fansubs, where current groups think that if you karaoke and a "bouncing ball" you are great fansubbers, I aim for basic subtitles(with a little flash where needed), good timing, and first and foremost an accurate translation. We try not to over-westernize our scripts. I tried karaoke once and in that case someone else did it for me. Added 1200 lines to each script. Yellow subs are king in my old otaku world. Yellow: Primary dialog, White: Thinking, Cyan: Radio and Echoing Flashbacks or Echoing voices in the mind, and with the advent of Aegisub I'm able to add colors for signs and such. I try to keep the screen as clean as possible as well. No big notes appearing at the top of the screen for 2 seconds blocking out the sun.

Philosophy on fansubbing:
I always try to own the DVD(LD in the past) of the anime I'm fansubbing. I don't release anime that has been licensed in the US. I tend to aim for older shows that will never be picked up.

Philosophy on digital downloads:
Shady area of course. I tend to buy the shows I've watched once the company puts them out on DVD. Assuming I really liked the show. The company isn't losing any money from my way of digital downloads. I wish other current digital downloaders had the same philosophy of purchasing what you watch once it's available here in the USA. Companies probably wouldn't have such a heartache about it since they would make more money. I torrent shows obviously, you just have to search for Central Anime on places like Nyaatorrents and such. I remove the links once a company licenses the show - I even contacted one of them to tell them that.

Hobbies - other than Fansubs:
I build resin kits when I have time. Here is the link to some pictures of my work: http://heibi.deviantart.com/
I play online video games, Guild Wars, Lord of the Ring Online, and EQ(in the past). I play D&D - have since 1980.

Club Activities:
We hold weekly meetings every Saturday in Wichita, Kansas. We start at around 2pm and go to about midnight and it's free. We sit and watch new and old anime. We order or make food at some time during the meeting. If anyone is in the area or close enough to Wichita come see us. I always have room on the floor or couch to rack out for the night.

Well, I'm still fansubbing today obviously and I still enjoy it.

Oh, anyone live in Japan or are going to be there around the end of March? I'll be there with a friend of mine doing some sightseeing and LOTS of shopping.

So, a big hello from me - Heibi.

[Daniel]

Todd,

It's really quite an honor to have you here. Not only have you been a fan since the old days, you've also been fansubbing for something like 20 years now, and you're still going strong on both counts -- what an impressive background that must have a history full of good memories.

Welcome to the board. Please make yourself right at home.
Daniel

[Heibi]

Thanks,

Pictures to follow of the Otaku Cave.

[Heero]

Welcome!
I must say, I'm impressed that not only did you fansub, not only are you still fansubbing today, BUT you also have a WEEKLY anime showing/meeting that runs from 2pm-midnight. THAT is exceptional and incredibly rare nowadays AFAIK. Kudos to you sir.

[davemerrill]

We started fansubbing with a special effects keyboard where, after I typing in the script up to a maximum capacity point of the keyboard, I would manually put up and take down the titles. We would get about half the episode done that way and start again with the next half.

I think Matt Murray (Corn Pone Flicks) did way too many fansubs with this process. WAY too many.

Welcome to the board and THANK YOU for all your hard work over the years!!

-Dave M.

[Heibi]

Oh, here are two photos of mine taken many years apart. About 15 years apart. I didn't get much taller in between.

[greg]

Welcome! I am certainly familiar with your fansubbing group. Any group that focuses on the classics gets my appreciation!

I wish other current digital downloaders had the same philosophy of purchasing what you watch once it's available here in the USA. Companies probably wouldn't have such a heartache about it since they would make more money.

I am the same way. Actually, I have increased my library as the result of fansubs. Through fansubs, I was introduced to many great series, such as Patlabor and Captain Tylor (my wife's favorite). I'm just that way, I guess. Heck, even though I've downloaded albums legally on emusic.com from bands like Camera Obscura, The Brother Kite, and Mahogany, I end up often buying the CD, even though I've already paid for the download.

[Daniel]

Got any pictures of old fansubbing equipment?

[Heibi]

Here are my fansubbing devices.

[kndy]

Hey Todd!!! KNDY from California....hope you are well! Haven't spoken to you, Brain or Hiroaki in awhile but I hope all is going well!!!!

Remember this...



Todd was my source for fan subbed anime back in the day and Hiroaki fed my hunger towards Japanese entertainment.