Daily archives: July 24, 2004


Under the Olympic Stadium

I’ve spent the last three days re-reading Akira. I think it’s the first time I’ve worked through all six albums back to back. I may be suffering from speed line overdose. I’m going to round out the whole experience by watching the film again.

I don’t know how long the original Japanese version took to be published, but the planning must have been meticulous, because there are incidents in the first volume that are only fully explained right at the end. I also noticed the decompression more this time. The story could be told in half the pages, but it wouldn’t be any where near as good. Destruction on the level depicted needs to be shown from several viewpoints to let it all sink in.

Akira Volume One, Volume Two, Volume Three, Volume Four, Volume Five, Volume Six. Akira Ultimate Collection DVD


Two Wheels Good

Got a good thirty miles or so of cycling done yesterday. It’s quite a good mood stabiliser- for me anyway- I was beginning to feel a bit crap after a week of small disappointments.

I went out to Harpurhey, Crumpsall and Heaton Park, but I could only find the Crumpsall cow. Ickle has managed to get a picture of Freda, the Harpurhey bovine, maybe I’ll just nick it from him. I also found Veera the Volunteera, who isn’t listed on the Cow Map.

Then I went off for a potter with Damian in the evening, discovering hidden parts of Manchester along a cycle path laid along old railway lines. Given that this city is the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution and criss-crossed by these wonderful routes. We came up with a plan for a sort of Top Gear for cycling, which I shall expand upon later.