Ignore the last two epilogues, the #2 doesn't apply and #3 was an error.

Subject: Re: life of HAYES3
Date: Wed, 24 Jul 1996 23:05:57 -0700
From: "Harold C.Hayes" <hayesman@webspan.net>
To: Daigakusei no Ranma series <DNR@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>
References: <1.5.4.16.19960722180327.1197e966@qlink.queensu.ca>

Now where was I... oh-yeah, "IT"!

This particular Monday, I got to the arcade early to have some pizza in
the cafeteria for dinner.  I made sure all the other members were there
so that we wouldn't have to forfeit.  Many of the leadership skills I
acuired in Boy Scouts were coming to fruition at this point.  It took a
lot of effort to get these guys to work as a team.

I went to do some pre-match training ( playing "Lethal Enforcer") while
the more experienced sharpshooters on the team (including Chris) were
playing "X-men".  Not the tournament fighting game, the old two-screen
action game where you had to save Kitty Pyde.  < Note: back then, Chris
had a crush on Kitty Pryde the way I had a crush on Shampoo.  In time,
both our crushed faded.>  If you remmember, there was a large, flat panel
where the multiple controllers were.  When I got there, after running out
of quarters, Chris told me that he had something for me.  Chris had
bought every new title on the Manga shelf at Funny Books.  He brought
them all with him for me to read.  The Manga shelf had since been
expanded thanks to my constant nagging on Steve Conte.  The books
included an issue of the Guyver, Maison Ikkoku, Lycanthrope Leo #6 (this
was before they gave LL a "Mature Readers" label) and Ninja High School
#41.  I started reading them on the "X-men" machine.  I didn't finish
Ninja High School before we had to head for home, so Chris lent me the
books.  (by the way, We won second place in the finals)

I took the books home and read them all thouroughly.  My favorite was
Ninja High School.  This issue seemed to be a gender bender.  I love
gender benders.  It was a great comic but, there was one thing that
bothered me: the story took place in a town called "Quagmire".  This
seemed like a pretty strange name for a Japanese suburb.  Eventually, I
looked at the credits... "Whoa! This comic wasn't translated!  This was
drawn by an American!  Hey! This was DRAWN! Hey! Maybe I could draw this
stuff too!".

They it is folks.  My theophany.  My life was forever changed.  Yes, "IT"
was Ninja High School No.41.

Flashback:

I had tried many times to make a comic book.  When I was in fifth grade
some neighborhood kids tried to put together a comic, but that never went
anywhere.

Later, the Trio tried to put together our own little comic book company.
We had a kids' super hero story; "The Young Adventurers".  We actually
wrote an entire first issue, but in the end, no one had the determination
to see it through.  I actually animated half the first episode on "Mario
Paint".  But, It sucked.

In Seventh grade, I actually wrote and penciled my own comic named
"Taroshi-ei".  It was a fantasy thing.  Female wandering warrior, blah,
blah, blah.  It sucked. (this was before-manga-after-D&D)

I tried to do my own comic about a super-powered kid with cat-like
abilities.  It sucked.

Do you see a pattern here?

After Ranma and Ninja High School, though, everything changed!  Sure, the
art still sucked, but I had a reason to keep on training!  My mind was
freed!  No more super-hero crap!  I could write a GOOD story!

While at that last year a summer camp, before Laser-storm, I had come up
with a great idea for a Ranma- like story.  The story played out in my
head, but I had no intention of putting it down on paper until "IT".

I started drawing and laying out stories non-stop! I wound up with an
ashcan comic that was forty-five pages long.  It was called "Ninja
Troop".

 The story follows a Senior Troop leader of a pack of "Boy Troopers" (
not affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America, so don't sue me!) that
just happen to also study martial arts.  The leader, "Tom Walsh" (named
after "Mikey Walsh" from "The Goonies", my favorite non-anime movie) is
incredibly nervous around girls!  And wouldn't you know it?  An
increadibly sexy fairy princess from another dimension falls in love with
him and wants to jump his bones!  Unfortunatly, monster's from the girls
home world follow her and the Ninja trooper have to have to do some mondo
martial arts to save the damsel in destress.

It was good, exept for some week plotting and bad art.  Still, my old
buddy, Steve Conte put 3 of my comics on the Manga shelf and sold them.
Most other copies were given of to the members of my Boy Scout Troop or
sold by me.

Before the comic was released, I managed to sell two copies in advance
for a discounted price of $0.50.  I combined the four quarters and got a
change of a dollar.  That dallar now hangs on my wall as the first dallor
I made as a comic book artist.

I sent a copy of the book to ANTARCTIC PRESS in San Antonio, Texas with
my updated artwork and plans for the series.  It got rejected.  The
rejection note now hangs on my wall as the first rejection note I
recieved as a comic book artist.

Almost Two years have passed since I did the origanal "Ninja Troop".  I
have finally brought my art up to a professional looking level.  I quikly
inked the first 6 pages of "Ninja Troop #1 revised" and resubmitted it to
ANTARCTIC PRESS.  I should here back any day now.

Epilogue #1:
After Junoir high school, The Trio split up.  Ladd went to public high
school and Chris and I went to different private schools.  High school is
where Chris fell in with the "wrong crowd".  But that's another story.
Lett's just say he decided not to join the vampire cult because he was a
day person and very paranoid about blood deseases.

Epilogue #2

How did I get into DnR?  Well, I started watching The Sci-Fi Channel's
anime fest.  During the cammercials, I saw an ad for the "Antigravity
Room".  Its a show that reveiws comics.  It is now my favorite show on
TV.  I got onto their website, and from there to the Anime Web Turnpike,
from there to the Ranma 1/2 Universe, from there to the fanfic guide, and
Here I am!

Epilogue #3:

Are you wondering why I had a Lauren #1?  Well Lauren Number 2 I met in
High school.  She was a terrible flirt and I eventually got a crush on
her.  Alas, she only goes for the "rebel" types and I'm a goody-two-shoes
Boy Scout.  *sigh*

Anyway, we're still friends.  She still flirts with me, only now I flirt
back just to keep her on her toes!