• I’d been curious about these illustrations of cat-ear headphones. It turns out they are a real product, but the drawings came first before the artist’s friend engineered a prototype that turned the “ears” into speakers.

• Why can’t we be friends? 8 ways bronies are just like anime fans. Just… don’t read the comments.

• First her own show, and now her own comic book! Yaya Han has come a long way. Like a lot of east coast locals I’ve been a fan for years and it’s been really cool to watch her become a bigger and bigger cosplay star.

• Do you think Anitwitter, that garbled Internet space where our self deprecating otaku jokes go to die, needs a wiki? Some Twitter denizens did, and then didn’t, and Moritheil documented the whole short-lived venture.

• It’s so awesome how I see more and more women at every Magic: The Gathering event I go to. Could it have anything to do with the fact that it’s no longer OK to be a jerk or a bully? Nah, that must be a coincidence.

• My friend Patrick recently introduced me to We Are Tomodachi, an annual English language newsletter from Japan, all about Japan. A really good mix of travel tips and Jeopardy worthy Japan trivia.

• Finally, the latest Geeks Next Door comic speaks to me. Crowdfunding is a great tool and some of my friends use it wisely, but no I don’t want to pay thousands for you to go to Otakon if you live two hours away and have a job.

Illustration via Axent Wear