Editing Megatokyo (section)

== History ==
''Megatokyo'' began publication as a joint project between [[Fred Gallagher (cartoonist)|Fred Gallagher]] and [[Rodney Caston]], along with a few internet acquaintances. Gallagher and Caston later became business partners, as well. According to Gallagher, the comic's first two strips were drawn in reaction to Caston being "convinced that he and I could do [a webcomic] ... [and] bothering me incessantly about it", without any planning or pre-determined storyline.<ref>''Megatokyo'' book one, pg. 6</ref> The comic's title was derived from an [[Domain name|Internet domain]] owned by Caston, which had hosted a short-lived gaming news site maintained by Caston before the comic's creation.<ref name="themushroom">{{cite web | last=Weiser | first=Kevin | date=September 27, 2001 | url=http://www.themushroom.com/20q/megatokyo.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030728181804/http://www.themushroom.com/20q/megatokyo.html | archive-date=2003-07-28 | title=20 Questions with ''Megatokyo'' | access-date=August 19, 2006 }} Interview with Fred Gallagher and Rodney Caston accessed through archive.org</ref> With Caston co-writing the comic's scripts and Gallagher supplying its artwork,<ref name="Start"/> the comic's popularity quickly increased,<ref>{{cite web |last=Reid |first=Calvin | date=February 24, 2003 | title=American Manga Breaks Out | url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/20030224/25586-american-manga-breaks-out-.html | archive-url=https://archive.today/20120914102732/http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/20030224/25586-american-manga-breaks-out-.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=September 14, 2012 |work=[[Publishers Weekly]] | access-date=December 2, 2011}}</ref> eventually reaching levels comparable to those of such popular webcomics as ''[[Penny Arcade]]'' and ''[[PvP (webcomic)|PvP]]''.<ref name="alexa">Alexa traffic rankings for Megatokyo.com,[https://web.archive.org/web/20230409090017/https://www.alexa.com/data/details/main/megatokyo.com?q=www.megatokyo.com] compared to PvPOnline.com [https://web.archive.org/web/20221206133254/https://www.alexa.com/data/details/main/pvponline.com?q=pvponline.com] and Penny-Arcade.com.[https://web.archive.org/web/20221207193545/https://www.alexa.com/data/details/main/penny-arcade.com?q=penny-arcade.com]</ref> According to Gallagher, ''Megatokyo''{{'s}} popularity was not intended, as the project was originally an experiment to help him improve his writing and illustrating skills for his future project, ''[[Fred Gallagher (cartoonist)#Warmth|Warmth]]''.<ref name="popularity">{{cite web |last=Gallagher |first=Fred |author-link=Fred Gallagher (cartoonist) |date=January 2, 2006 |work=Megatokyo |title=comiket dreamin' |url=http://www.megatokyo.com/index.php?strip_id=803 |access-date=June 17, 2006 |archive-date=May 15, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060515161855/http://www.megatokyo.com/index.php?strip_id=803 |url-status=live }} Fred Gallagher comments on ''Megatokyo''{{'s}} originally experimental status, and mentions that the ''Megatokyo'' books have been translated into German, Italian, French and Polish.</ref>

In May 2002, Caston sold his ownership of the title to Gallagher, who has managed the comic on his own since then. In October of the same year, after Gallagher was laid off from his [[day job]] as an architect, he took up producing the comic as a [[Full-time job|full time]] profession.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://megatokyo.com/index.php?strip_id=329|first=Fred|last=Gallagher|date=October 30, 2002|title=full time jitters|work=Megatokyo|access-date=August 16, 2006|archive-date=August 28, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060828145143/http://www.megatokyo.com/index.php?strip_id=329|url-status=live}}A news post by Fred Gallagher in which he mentions that he has been laid off from work, and announces that he is now working on ''Megatokyo'' full-time.</ref> Caston's departure from ''Megatokyo'' was not fully explained at the time. Initially, Gallagher and Caston only briefly mentioned the split, with Gallagher publicly announcing Caston's departure on June 17, 2002.<ref name="gallaghernews" /> On January 15, 2005, Gallagher explained his view of the reasoning behind the split in response to a comment made by Scott Kurtz of ''PvP'', in which he suggested that Gallagher had stolen ownership of ''Megatokyo'' from Caston. Calling Kurtz's claim "mean spirited", Gallagher responded:<ref name="departurerodney">{{cite web|last= Gallagher|first= Fred|date= January 15, 2005|work=Megatokyo | title=more largos?? | url=http://www.megatokyo.com/rant/620 | access-date= August 26, 2005 }} Fred Gallagher's view of Rodney Caston's departure.</ref>

<blockquote>While things were good at first, over time we found that we were not working well together creatively. There is no fault in this, it happens. I've never blamed Rodney for this creative "falling out" nor do I blame myself. Not all creative relationships click, ours didn't in the long run.</blockquote>

Four days later, Caston posted his view of the development on his website:<ref name="rodneyversion" />

<blockquote>After this he approached me and said either I would sell him my ownership of ''MegaTokyo'' or he would simply stop doing it entirely, and we'd divide up the company's assets and end it all.
This was right before the ''MT'' was to go into print form, and I really wanted to see it make it into print, rather [than] die on the vine.</blockquote>

In May 2011, it was announced that ''Endgames'' (a gameworld existing within ''Megatokyo'') was being revamped in a light novel format, with a story written by webfiction author Thomas Knapp, with four light novels planned. A short story "Behind the Masque" was also announced, and released on Amazon's Kindle Store on June 10, 2011.

=== Production ===
[[File:Fred gallagher 2004 MIT.jpg|thumb|right|Creator Fred Gallagher in 2004]]
''Megatokyo'' is usually hand-drawn in pencil by Fred Gallagher, without any digital or physical "inking". Inking was originally planned, but dropped as Gallagher decided it was unfeasible.<ref name=megatokyobook>''Megatokyo'' book one, pg. 11</ref> ''Megatokyo''{{'s}} first strips were created by roughly sketching on large sheets of paper, followed by [[tracing paper|tracing]], [[Image scanner|scanning]], digital clean-up of the traced comics with [[Adobe Photoshop]], and final touches in [[Adobe Illustrator]] to achieve a finished product.<ref name=megatokyobook2>''Megatokyo'' book one, pg. 148</ref> Gallagher has stated that tracing was necessary because his sketches were not neat enough to use before tracing.<ref name=megatokyobook3>''Megatokyo'' book one, pg. 18</ref> Because of the tracing necessary, these comics regularly took six to eight hours to complete.<ref name="megatokyobook3" /> As the comic progressed, Gallagher became able to draw "cleaner" comics without rough lines and tracing lines, and was able to abandon the tracing step. Gallagher believes "that this eventually led to better looking and more expressive comics".<ref name=megatokyobook4>''Megatokyo'' book one, pg. 42</ref>

''Megatokyo''{{'s}} early strips were laid out in four square panels per strip, in a two-by-two square array – a formatting choice made as a compromise between the horizontal layout of American comic strips and the vertical layout of Japanese comic strips.<ref name="reasonforformat">{{cite web | date=April 18, 2001 | work=Megatokyo | title=Fred Gallagher and Rodney Caston's reasoning for the square panel layout | url=http://www.megatokyo.com/index.php?strip_id=109 | access-date=May 21, 2006 | archive-date=July 1, 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060701221322/http://www.megatokyo.com/index.php?strip_id=109 | url-status=live }}</ref> The limitations of this format became apparent during the first year of ''Megatokyo''{{'s}} publication, and in the spring of 2001, the comic switched to a [[manga]]-style, free-form panel layout. This format allowed for both large, detailed drawings and small, abstract progressions, as based on the needs of the script.<ref name="formatchange">{{cite web | last=Gallagher | first=Fred | date=April 23, 2001 | work=Megatokyo | title=1:1.5 | url=http://www.megatokyo.com/index.php?strip_id=110 | access-date=May 9, 2006 | archive-date=July 1, 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060701221331/http://www.megatokyo.com/index.php?strip_id=110 | url-status=live }} Fred Gallagher details the change of panel layout.</ref> Gallagher has commented that his drawing speed had increased since the comic's beginning, and with four panel comics taking much less time to produce, it "made sense in some sort of twisted, masochistic way, that [he] could use that extra time to draw more for each comic".<ref name=megatokyobook5>''Megatokyo'' book one, pg. 105</ref>

''Megatokyo''{{'s}} earliest strips were drawn entirely on single sheets of paper. Following these, Gallagher began drawing the comic's panels separately and assembling them in Adobe Illustrator, allowing him to draw more detailed frames. This changed during ''Megatokyo''{{'s}} eighth chapter, with Gallagher returning to drawing entire comics on single sheets of paper.<ref name=fullpage2>{{cite web | last=Gallagher | first=Fred | date=October 3, 2006 | url=http://www.megatokyo.com/index.php?strip_id=913 | title=full page, part 2 | access-date=November 3, 2006 | archive-date=October 18, 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061018222842/http://www.megatokyo.com/index.php?strip_id=913 | url-status=live }}</ref> Gallagher stated that this change allowed for more differentiated layouts,<ref name=fullpage>{{cite web | last=Gallagher | first=Fred | date=October 1, 2006 | url=http://www.megatokyo.com/index.php?strip_id=912 | title=full page | access-date=November 3, 2006 | archive-date=November 7, 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061107062025/http://www.megatokyo.com/index.php?strip_id=912 | url-status=live }}</ref> in addition to allowing him a better sense of momentum during comic creation.<ref name="fullpage2" />

The strip is currently drawn on inkjet paper in pencil, the text and speech being added later with Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator. In March 2009, he began Fredarting, a streaming live video feed of the comic being drawn.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://megatokyo.com/fredarting_faq |title=Fredarting FAQ |publisher=Megatokyo.com |access-date=2010-11-23}}</ref>

Gallagher occasionally has guest artists participate in the production of the comic.<ref>{{cite web |author=Piro |url=http://megatokyo.com/rant/836 |title=Off to other side of the world |work=MegaTokyo |date=May 27, 2007 |access-date=2009-07-03 |archive-date=August 27, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080827234338/http://www.megatokyo.com/rant/836 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Revenue ===
''Megatokyo'' has had several sources of funding during its production. In its early years, it was largely funded by Gallagher and Caston's full time jobs, with the additional support of banner advertisements. A store connected to [[ThinkGeek]] was launched during October 2000 in order to sell ''Megatokyo'' merchandise, and, in turn, help fund the comic.<ref name="firstmegatokyostore">{{cite web |last=Gallagher |first=Fred |date=October 21, 2000 |work=Megatokyo |title=we have t-shirts... |url=http://www.megatokyo.com/index.php?strip_id=31 |access-date=May 21, 2006 |archive-date=June 15, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060615003359/http://www.megatokyo.com/index.php?strip_id=31 |url-status=live }} Fred Gallagher announces first ''Megatokyo'' store.</ref> On August 1, 2004,<ref name="MegaGear">{{cite web|last=Gallagher|first=Fred|date=August 1, 2004|work=Megatokyo|title=learning to fly|url=http://www.megatokyo.com/index.php?strip_id=589|access-date=August 5, 2005|archive-date=October 29, 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051029110341/http://www.megatokyo.com/index.php?strip_id=589|url-status=live}} Fred Gallagher comments about Megagear's launch status.</ref> this store was replaced by "Megagear", an independent online store created by Fred Gallagher and his wife, Sarah, to be used by ''Megatokyo'', although it later offered ''Applegeeks'' and ''Angerdog'' merchandise as well.

Gallagher emphasized in 2004 that ''Megatokyo'' will remain on the Internet free of charge, and that releasing it in book form is simply another way for the comic to reach readers,<ref name="megatokyopanel">{{cite web|date=April 26, 2004 |title=''Megatokyo'' goes to Tokyo – interview with Fred Gallagher |url=http://anime-tourist.com/article.php?sid=701#book2 |access-date=June 4, 2006 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041028191317/http://anime-tourist.com/article.php?sid=701 |archive-date=October 28, 2004 }}</ref> as opposed to replacing its webcomic counterpart entirely.<ref name="fredinterview">{{cite web | last= Curzon|first= Joe|date= January 28, 2004 | title= Interview with Fred Gallagher | url=http://www.digital.anime.org.uk/talkingtopiro1.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040813123907/http://www.digital.anime.org.uk/talkingtopiro1.html | archive-date=2004-08-13 | access-date= June 4, 2006 }}</ref>