I ask fwooshmembers questions.
They answer them.
Hiro Nogano " No, but they will contribute"
Is there a story behind "Hiro Nogano"?
Nothing cool. It’s just a name I came up with for a character I was writing a short story about. I have played role playing games for years, and a friend of mine wanted me to come up with a character for him that he could use as a foil for the party he was GMing for. So I created an honorable assassin named Hiro. Then he wanted me to create a back story for him. So I wrote a short story about the character, how he got where he was in life, and why he held the beliefs that he did. I had to give him a last name, so I took it from the city the Olympics were held in (Nagano) and just changed one letter. It wasn’t all that great of a story, but it got the ideas across.
He loved the character, and asked me to join his game as Hiro. (I never did get to kill the party, though.) I just got attached to him after that, and started using the name online. As far as I know, I am still the only Hiro Nogano on the web, so if you see me on another forum, say hi!
Where do you live?
San Diego, CA
Where do you work?
I’m a PC tech for a credit union.
Can you go into your computer at work and change it so
I have money and credit and stuff without me having to do anything?
Like cheating in school in a bad movie?
Uhmmmm, no. No, no, no no. Uh-uh. No. (See Star Wars: A Lost Hope for the reference.)
Do you think credit default swaps will be the downfall of
America?
THE downfall? No, but they will contribute.
Who is in you family?
My son, his 3 little brothers, my ex-wife, and some close friends.
Do you try to keep your son out of comic/fantasy entertainment?
Not at all. I just try to limit how deeply he gets into it. He has gone to SDCC with me for the last 2 years, and he has played Neverwinter Nights and City of Heroes (and Villains) on my PC for some time. I don’t let him read my Monster Manuals or anything with major nudity. (Some is ok as far as I am concerned. As long as it’s not pornographic.)
When you divorced was there residual animosity for comic type stuff you had wasted time and money on from your ex wife?
No. In fact, for my 30th birthday (well after the the divorce) she threw me a surprise party, and bought me a the replica Sword of the Daywalker from Blade. She also got me a framed autographed poster from Blade for X-mas that year. She still occasionally scouts figs for me too.
What are your future plans?
The same as last night, Pinky. To try and take over the world!
Do you customize?
Nothing more complex than a head-swap so far. I know my limitations, and right now I don’t have the time to dedicate to the craft.
Do you cook?
Occasionally. At the request of the SDFD, I have cut back considerably.
What is in your collection?
Ho-boy! Lots of Marvel Legends, some Guyver figs and models, a lot of the old (and updated) Super Robots like Getter Robo and Gaiking, and a growing collection of Bowen mini-busts.
You collect Bowen statues?
Mini-busts mostly.
What is that like?
Expensive. Very cool, though. I love the look that they have. I wish I could afford more of his full-size statues. (I only have 1 right now.)
Are they hard to find?
Depends on the statue/bust. Some are easy as pie, but most go quickly these days. And at anywhere from $60 to $120 per bust, it gets pricey. Fortunately, my LCS takes care of me. And when they can’t, there’s e-bay.
Do you have to take extra care in displaying them?
No, but a wise man does. I live in San Diego, so I try to protect against earthquakes and such. Otherwise, just keep them out of direct sunlight for extended periods.
Could you describe the Bowen statue experience?
Nothing else looks as good, but it’s an expensive habit to have. (And less sexy that cocaine!) It’s also very cool the way he takes care of his fans. I respect that.
What are some of your favorite comics?
Iron Man, Nova, the Annihilation series, Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor, Green Lantern, and the R.A. Salvatore Drizz’t adaptations to name a few. My favorite character is Jim Rhodes (War Machine), however.
When and how did you start reading them?
I started reading Marvel Comics when I was 6. I picked up my first comic books at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport when I was flying to Phoenix to spend the summer with my dad. Picked up 2 issues of Marvel’s Godzilla series. I’ve been a comic-nerd ever since.
I’m primarily a Marvel guy. I do like Green Lantern, Captain Marvel/Shazam, and a few other DC characters. I love the Frank Frazetta stuff that’s been coming out lately too.
I always like the Jim Rhodes character when he was just a supporting cast member of Iron Man. I liked him even more after he filled in as Iron Man during the "Demon in a Bottle" storyline. As WM, he has been both fleshed out more fully and alternately relegated to C-list status depending on the writer.
Why so much love for War Machine?
The War Machine armor was what got me back into reading Iron Man. I had taken a break from the comic during the ’90s when the artwork was horrible and some of the stories were too painful to read. Iron Man had gone from a sleek, form-fitting armor to some anime-parody styled blocky thing, and was generally painful to look at. Then one day I was at my LCS, and saw Iron Man 281 with War Machine on the cover. I looked at it and was hooked again instantly! THIS was Iron Man as I had always wanted him to be – tough, strong, armed and armored to the hilt, and kicking a$$! And then the armor was given to Jim Rhodes again. It just couldn’t get any better than that for me.
I still love Iron Man but the War Machine armor and Jim Rhodes have remained my favorites ever since.
What music do you like to listen to while cleaning?
Usually glam/hair metal or prog stuff like Symphony-X, Dream Theater, or Pagan’s Mind. I reserve the heavier stuff for when I’m gaming.
Where do you vacation? Where would you like to vacation?
I haven’t taken an out-of-town vacation in 13 years. I live in San Diego! If I could go anywhere, however, I’d go to Japan and northern Europe (Sweden, Belgium, Finland, etc.).
What other sites do you visit?
Evil Avatar (gaming news), Newsarama, and lots of tech sites.
What do you spend your money on?
Toys (for myself AND the boys), food, and my son.
What is wrong with you?
You don’t have that kind of time. (Just ask my ex-wife!) In all seriousness, however, I’m a sarcastic ass. Those who know me know to take anything I say with a pound of salt. On the web however, I sometimes forget that people may take me seriously.
Have you met an fwooshers in real life?
Yes, I have met SDComics, Raydaimon, killa4nia, and Matthew K. I am also good friends with ActionFigureRule
What did you do at SDCC?
I spent too much money, hooked up some Fwooshers with some loot, and had fun with my kids.
How much money did you spend?
$500-$600
What did you get at SDCC?
4 Ka-Zar sets, 2 FFF sets, (1 of each for me, the rest for Fwooshers) a few Stargate SG-1 figs, and some trades for myself. A lot of Halo figs for my boys.
Will fanboys ever be satisfied?
I doubt it. If they were, they wouldn’t be fanboys.
Is it just human nature to want to better yourself and then say fanboys have a unique way of doing things?
Hmmm. Good question. I’d like to think that the desire to improve yourself is a part of human nature, but a good portion of the population seems to lack that desire, so I don’t really know.
As to the fanboy thing, while the term has become derogatory in most cases, I don’t think it has to be. A fanboy is someone who embraces a concept so completely that it becomes iconic to them. The concept becomes something to strive for or believe in. Some take it too far, of course, and become obsessive about it, but for most it’s just an ideal that holds some special meaning. Does that mean that they have a special way of doing things? Sometimes. I would imagine that it would depend on what the fanboy (or girl) has latched onto. Some may use it as a means to escape what they don’t like about their lives, but I think most just keep it near to their hearts as an ideal, and go on with their lives. I honestly think that its those few who obsess over something so much that give fanboy its derogatory connotations. Not that this makes those few any less annoying.
Thanks Hiro!
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