Welcome to the last Otaku Links of the summer (or winter, if you’re reading this from Australia)! It’s a mix as always, but it’s heavy on some great stories of Western otaku breaking into anime-related industries despite the barriers:

• This American cartoonist doesn’t speak any Japanese, but still managed a very rare feat for a foreigner—tabling at Comiket. “Maybe a quarter of my buyers were Americans abroad or otherwise English-speaking foreigners living in Japan. Otherwise, almost everyone was Japanese,” he wrote.”

• LeSean Thomas is extremely unique among American media producers in that he’s co-produced a successful independent Japanese anime based on his comic, Cannon Busters. Ani-gamers interviewed Thomas about his previous work on the Legend of Korra, his work overseas, and launching an anime off of a Kickstarter.

• I loved US anime-inspired clothing lines, like OMOCAT and Boomslank. The latest to come to my attention is Dendo Apparel. Dendo is Japanese for “electric” and it’s a Boston-based line of shirts with original mecha on them, like the photo at the top.

• Have you been listening to Translator Tea Time on Organization Anti-Social Geniuses? It’s a podcast where manga translators Amanda Haley and Jenny McKeon talk about what goes into translating manga into English.

• In Defense of Inefficient “Hobby-Hustles.” I have tweeted that I have turned all my hobbies into businesses, and while some of them aren’t profitable, I still enjoy them. This article does a good job explaining why.

• Zoe tipped me off to these 9 myths about traveling to Japan. The article claims Tokyo being super crowded is a myth, which I disagree with, but I also didn’t heed this article’s advice not to go during the hectic cherry blossom season.

• Embarrassing fact about me: I was so nervous when I started reviewing anime for ANN two years ago, I begged out of reviewing Tokyo Ghoul because the pilot was giving me major anxiety. I’m glad I am not the only one who had a powerful reaction to this show. Otaku Journalist reader Jackson Wyndow wrote a thought-provoking post about how Tokyo Ghoul shows what it’s like to live with a mental disorder.

• Just for fun, this r/relationships story of nerd love gone wrong cracked me up. Here’s a hint: if your significant other holds a Star Wars themed party and you don’t recognize their costume, you’re probably just less of a fan than them.

Photo via Dendo Apparel