Peiratikos

First, thanks to everyone who entered. We received many more entries than we expected.

Second, to everybody who entered and didn’t win, or who didn’t enter but wants to read Scott Pilgrim: the Scott Pilgrim web site and Bryan Lee O’Malley’s web site Radiomaru have information purchasing the book from several online merchants, including how to order directly from Bryan.

Finally, the winners…

Ed Cunard wins the Grand Prize of one copy of Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life and one amazing Scott Pilgrim t-shirt for writing a sestina:

I’m not sure exactly how long ago Steve and Rose
offered to give away Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life,
but I approve, despite not having read the book on my own.
In fact, they’ve inspired not one, but two reactions:
This entry, and my meager attempt to appropriate
the idea, giving away a copy of Salmon Doubts.

I know imitation is flattery and the rest—but I have my doubts
that my little attempt at emulation even barely rose
to a level that most would find apt, clever or appropriate—
“Send me something related to fish?” It’s clear I have no life.
That said, judging from the blogosphere’s laudatory reactions
to the book, it’s something I know I simply have to own.

The questions is obvious—why haven’t I bought it of my own
volition? Sadly, the retailers and fans in my region have their doubts
about trying out books outside the big four, and their reactiosn
sadden me, and make it all the more difficult to pick out a rose
from such a sparse garden—-I’m sure I could find a Simple Life
cinemanga, but no Scott Pilgrim at a venue as appropriate

as a direct market shop. No, they feel it far more appropriate
to run with the characters lifelong customers feel they “own,”
blithely ignoring any works with described as slice-of-life.
As long as I’ve talked comics, I’ve had my doubts
that the discourse surrounding the medium has ever rose
to anything more than obsession and gut reactions,

my faith recently renewed by the chain reactions
I’ve seen set off by independent artists who appropriate
the tropes of both manga and mainstream, by bloggers who rose
to the level of the material, prompting a blog all my own.
I feel sad for anyone so myopic that he doubts
that stories told in sequential panels have no life

outside the realm of youth—O’Malley’s art shows life
as beautifully frenetic spasms, and Scott’s reactions
to his unpredictable world, his dreams and his doubts
regarding romance—the theme and visuals seem appropriate
together, each still quite worthy of merit on its own.
Combined, though, to the height of my standards they’ve rose.

Scott Pilgrim’s joys and doubts, given illustrated life,
easily rose to meet my interest, but if another’s reactions
seem more appropriate, I’ll happily purchase it on my own.

Ricardo Suescún López, a.k.a. “Ultra-Hardcore Mal’s Fan,” wins the Special “Comes From A Country Deprived of Scott Pilgrim” Award (there were several entries in this category) of one copy of Scott Pilgrim:

When I was 5 years old I met a wonderful man, his name was Brian and he drew the most amazing characters one could imagine, I remember long ago when he used to draw this great winged reluctant heroin called Misa, I couldn’t help but to wait each day for more adventures, I hated him when he just didn’t draw her anymore, but I couldn’t stay mad at him cause his art kept getting more and more amazing and full of meaning, I followed him through Style and many more adventures with his friends, and every day I came back to the wonderful place that is called Radiomaru just to feast in all the goods, it always filled my heart with something that I can only think is pure pleasure. Then one day I read that Mr. Brian O’ Malley (as I learned was his full name) was going to publish a book, I just couldn’t believe that life was this great!…it was so amazing, and great that I just kept crying tears of joy, this book of wonders was going to be called “Lost at sea” and I asked and pleaded for someone to buy it for me… too bad I’m poor, and so is my family, and my friends are demon hearted bastards, so alas I couldn’t hold it in my hands, and to this days I still haven’t had the chance to, my life has been miserable since that days. Until one day I read again that he was going to put another book on the shelves, I was happy beyond believe, and I said to my self “This one I’m going to get… even if I have to kill to do so” this new treasure was called “Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life” and for all that I could see, was marvellous!!! I worked, and worked my ass off, to get enough money to buy it, I even starved to near death, cause I rather be hungry than lose the opportunity to own this book… when the time came and the book was released I came to my trusty computer and started searching for a place to order it… but I might be cursed as it happens, cause I’m forever stuck in this third world country… COLOMBIA, a place of tribalism, and folklore, where the stylish sense of culture that Mr. O’Malley books present is not really taken into account, and is deprecated as infantile or useless (CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!!!) so no bookstore will import it, and in the internet they charge you a limb to bring it here, so the I was poor, broken-hearted, and stuck in a the heart of forever suffering South America… without any hope of ever getting to feast my eyes in the wonderful art of Mal (as I learned he was called by his friends), I’m now 23 years old, and lead a miserable life, devoid of Mal’s art, and meaningless thereafter.

So if you think that rescue my life from the dumpster is worth sending such a marvellous treasure to this barren land of bananas and coffee, please hear my pledge as this is my last chance, and if a fail I will resign to fate and continue my meaningless life in the shadows…forever.

So, that’s why I think I will love Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life, cause I have forever loved Mal, and want to have his babies, but I can’t get any of his works in here, I’ve really tried, but it’s either really expensive of awfully impossible. I know the time line in my letter doesn’t check at the end, but I was so cute at 5, and I thought that would move your hearts and made you award it to me, I hope you make the right decision.

By the way, I don’t know if the postal system of my country really works, but I think it does…and COLOMBIA ROCKS!!! It just tends to be a little too South American though.

Jog, He of the Blog, wins the Special “Giving Into Peer Pressure” Award of one copy of Scott Pilgrim:

I would like to read “Scott Pilgrim” because my good friend The Internet told me it would be swell. Oh, sure, I disagreed with The Internet a few times. I????????d be standing in the comics store and The Internet would be saying “Hey, how about that “Scott Pilgrim” title? And “Fallen Angel” too?” and I????????d just laugh it off and suggest we hit the cola machine.

But soon the laughs stopped.

Earlier this very day I was taking an afternoon nap to recover from my strenuous Election 2004 activities when I head a rapping at my window.

The Internet!

I gasped as The Internet smashed the glass with a mighty blow, a crazed and manic look in its eyes as it entered my apartment.

“Why haven????????t you read “Scott Pilgrim” yet?” The Internet demanded.

“I… I don????????t know…” I stammered, “I think they might have put it in with all the manga…”

“FOOL!” roared The Internet! “How can you let the market-driven sensibilities of format classification trump your concern for the value of delightful reading!”

“Oh! Oh, I am a fool! Ah! Murder!” I exclaimed, but it was too late. The Internet had thrown me right out the window.

I fortunately landed in a pile of garbage; the garbage is soft in the waning days of Autumn, like the hues of the forest.

I ran away and The Internet gave chase. I was certain that I????????d be finished unless I could trap The Internet in the old windmill up on Huckleberry Hill, thus capturing its attention for months. Windmills are The Internet????????s secret fancy, you know. All I had to do was make it across town, jump a few fences, traverse a cornfield maze, and defeat Farmer Jimmy’s prize stallion Obsolescence at hopscotch.

But luckily I didn????????t have to resort to such horseplay; the large cross-walk at the center of town was clogged with political activists, with Kerry supporters waving huge Kerry signs and Bush supporters behind a huge Bush sign, and everybody urging passing cars to beep their horns, no doubt to affirm everybody’s faith in the democratic process. However, since each group was on a different side of the street, it seemed that all of the cars on the left side were beeping for Kerry, and all the cars on right were beeping for Bush. It was a richly symbolic and meaningful scene and both myself and The Internet shared a hearty laugh and we were friends again.

The moral of the story is that I????????d like to read “Scott Pilgrim” because a lot of good people online are saying nice things about it and for some reason I can????????t find it in any shops. Also, windmills are powerful houses of enchantment.

Shane Bailey wins the Special Art Appreciation Award of one copy of Scott Pilgrim and one original watercolor by Bryan Lee O’Malley:

Maybe I should win because I look just like him?

The resemblance is uncanny.