And here’s the big reveal for the posters Marumaru has created to advertise the cricket club’s twin attractions for the cultural festival. For the haunted house he’s started out with clip art, as he had planned, but he added the picture of Mopey as an overlay. The result is much spookier than the clip art alone would have been, but not as utterly terrifying as the picture of Mopey alone would have been. Hooray for compromises. The naming choice for the team’s mascot remains problematic, perhaps particularly in this context…

The poster for the maid (and miko) cafe centers around the theme of ‘invitation’, and the Bratessor conveys that spirit very nicely and authentically. Snuka conveys the same spirit just as nicely, if a whole lot less authentically – but the bowing position allows him to hide his facial expression, so the viewer can’t see how little invitation is conveyed by it.

Despite the fact that these are not wanted-dead-or-alive posters, one of them gets torn down by a shadowy figure. So while this is likely not a ruthless bounty hunter having just decided on his next target, it’s just as likely not somebody harboring a great deal of positive feelings for our friends. For what other purpose could the shadowiness serve, if not to imply that? It certainly doesn’t serve to disguise the figure’s identity, given how characteristic the shape and size is. And the ‘harumph’, come to think of it.

That’s the problem if your plot features only a single height-restricted British Army colonel – you will have a hard time creating ambiguity. So don’t make the mistake I made and always include two height-restricted British Army colonels in any plot you make up. >_>

More on Monday.