NeoRamen is the caustic wacky misadventures of a guy stuck in retail mall hell, and his cyberpunk forays(obsession) with playing on virtual battle server networks. The main character Jazz, likes to see how much game time he can get away with at work. He also has developed a rather unambiguous crush on a female player named Soroko who seems to like to challenge him a lot. Jazz also has found himself quickly becoming friends with a rather mouthy, paranoid purple wombat named Foobly who sees conspiracy theories at every corner. Food and retro gaming seem to always be on the mind of Jazz, as well as certainly oddball observations. The gameworld inside NeoRamen sometimes almost seems more "real" than the real world.

The online virtual battle server in the NeoRamen universe is an explosive panoramic virtual battlefield where people from all over compete on this massive server. Or, in a more Kubrickian sense; being the adventures of a young cyberpunk whose principle interests are retro gaming, noodles, and battling giant mecha robots. Armed with his trusty crayon cannon, Jazz along with his fellow squishy cohorts battle legions of cybernetic ninja squids, lobstroids, rhinoborgs, and the occational errant mecha-penguin. That may be a bit over simplifying it tho. You got the happy go lucky reluctant hero Jazz, embracing futuristic weaponry and gadgets but obsessed with 80's retro gaming. The spunky riot-tech girl who would just as much squee with delight over something cute and Japanese as completely destroy a mech tank. And her trusty sidekick, Hoshii the ninja cat. Somehow she seems to be very versed in the cliche of giant guns and even bigger cannons. Then there is the big lug, AR.D-509, the cybernetic penguin. That is just one of many clans, as they battle other clans and various super villains. Together they fight the armies of end boss Buren, as well as his underling level minibosses like Squidnobi(the samurai cephalapod) Originally it was going to be called Commander Udon: Or How I learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Noodle...but I felt that was too long.

I pencil and ink each comic, then scan and color/letter/add effects. I haven't quite graduated to any sort of vector, flash or WACOM sensibilities(nor do I think I shall any time soon) The inspiration for NeoRamen
came many years ago, as far as the "online" part. I saw how popular properties like Digimon, Megaman .EXE, etc. was and wanted to spoof how addictive people had become to MMORPG's. I also always have had a love of stuff like TMNT, The Tick, the work of Jhonen Vasquez, and so forth. The "real world" part was inspired by working in the mall a few years ago as a stockboy. Some of the weird observations and inspiration in the comic comes from real life conversations or thoughts I've had.

Jazz

Jazz is your not so average slave stockboy working retail hell at the local mall. He often finds himself hiding amongst crates and boxes upstairs in the stockroom, blasting away on doujinshin vertical shooters or online battle servers. Food seems to always be on his mind, or at least finds its way into his every day encounters. He has quite a knack for strange and seemingly mundane observational minutia, and finds an epic grand time in the most unexpected of places. He has a secret crush on Soroko, but will fight to keep it a secret.
Jazz is asian(err, half white/asian); but seems oblivious to such classifications.
Online Jazz: On the sprawling virtual battlefields comes a new kind of cyberpunk commando hero. Armed with his trusty crayon cannon 3000, Jazz brings the 8-bit retro gaming attitude into the future. It's all out zany warfare; from flying fortresses and mecha tanks in the sand to taking on hordes of cyborg ninjas...nothing can stop Jazz and the waffle brigade. (That is except his boss catching him logging on during company hours!)
AKA: The scion of waffles, wafflecommando, wafflemancer
quote: "No waffle left unsyruped!"
special move: crayon cannon assault(U U D D L R L R B A START)

Soroko

Soroko seems to be as much of a gamer/online addict as Jazz. When she's not ordering custom outfits, she's
blasting the latest mechanical aural assaults from her favorite industrial bands. Just as snarky as she is online, Soroko shows the kind of leadership and street smarts that Jazz sometimes seems to lack.
In comparison to Jazz, Soroko is white who at times thinks she's asian.
Online Soroko: With a love of all things tech, geek chic, and fashionably future; Soroko is able to balance her ability to accessorize with the ability to destroy anyone on the digital warfare front. Mech tanks, robots and cannons are her specialty, as well as a stingingly snarky comments. With calibrated goggles and stompy new rock boots in motion, Soroko likes to create widespread online ownage with extreme prejudice(Usually whilst rocking out to her EBM 00ntz mix) Her only mortal enemy is bad cable hair extention days.
AKA: Neko Mecho, StompyGirl, The Thing What Sneaks
quote: "I let my mech do the talking for me"
special move: mecha-penguin attack(QCF X+Y+A)

Foobly

Where do we start with Foobly? Foobly has, to put it mildly...a very unique perspective on the world. Purple, furry, and Jewish; Foobly is as unique as they come. As the resident "paranoid wombat of the mall underbelly", Foobly sees conspiracies everywhere. Funny thing is, it *might* just not be in his imagination. He's convinced a powerful shadowy cabal controls every aspect of finance, war, terror, and fast food chain eatery to bring us all into a one world government might be strange to some...but he tempers it with a penchant for cheering Jazz up and is always down for retro gaming.
quote: "What, me paranoid?"
special move: False Flag Black Ops Surprise(hit the reset button)

AR.D-509

A code cracking ninja penguin from who knows where with a liking for katana swords, squishy hugs, and tofu.(Yet with an equally strong dislike for 1028 bit encryption firewalls) While his fondness for games like Strider, Shinobi, and Ninja Gaiden borders on obsession, he balances it all out with his mad skillz in the virtual world. The squeezably fun loving cannon fodder Artie can usually be seen creating wide spread 0wnage on PockyBot along side Jazz and Soroko. Enigmatic, Puzzlerific, and prolifically undefinable, Artie is at the penacle of penguin paramillitary perfection.(yet is quite squishibly squeezably hugable)
quote: "Breeeppp"
special move: Code Crack Katana Melee(B, F, B, F A+B+C

Hoshi The Ninja Cat

Sidekick to Soroko, Hoshi the ninja cat is a trusty furry commando always ready to provide logistical support and extra attack power...be it through the sky, desert, or jungle battlefield. With a penchant for catnip and katana blades, Hoshi has perfected ninja destruction...as well as cuddly cuteness!
AKA: Furicide Commando, Ninja Neko
quote: "Mrrowww!"
special move: Katana Paw Flurry(random button mash)

Buren

Buren is quite literally, the end boss of NeoRamen and head of the noodle crime syndicate of the virtual battlefield. So just how did the giant animatronic head of 8th American president Martin van Buren become the endboss of NeoRamen? That's a puzzling existential question for the ages. But with his penchant for mid 19th century meets urban gangsta jargon, Buren is quite the end boss to be reckoned with.
AKA: The Big Kahuna, Aroostook Kingpin, Notorious BRN
quote: "What a captial idea!...world domination hath cometh!"
special move: gold spoon oration (F, F, F, F, A+B+C)

Squidnobi

Commander of the cyborg ninja army, Squidnobi Hysaushi is one bad ass cybernetic celphalopod. A sworn enemey of Jazz and the waffle brigade, desert battle warfare is his specialty. The multi tentacled mini boss is feared the NeoRamen battlfield over.
AKA: Samuari CephelapodRobotentacle
quote: "Error 404, I am error!"
special move: celphaloyuken(F, F, D, F L&R)

Cactoob

The existential musings of a wandering Southern accented inflatable cacti with a sombrero...and boy does he have some tall tales to tell!
quote: "Best place to be is nowhere in particular"
special move: tumbleweed fury(P, P, P, P, P, P)

Archibald Strudelbaker

He is the global dictator...ov zee entire vurl'd, yaw.
quote: "Yaw, ok, zeet eese not a tumor!"
special move: burgernator(QCB P+K)

Awww! You've made it down this far. Nifty. Anyhoo, I am the creator of this here webcomic, Cory You. I call Northern California home(and LOVE San Francisco whenever I get to go there), but tis my dream to someday visit Japan. In addition to NeoRamen, I also compose music and sing for my EBM industrial band Xenocanon. I also hope to finally get moving on independent filmmaking later this year. I am a native of Northern California, and have been passionate about all sorts of creative artsiness for some time. I have a deep love of creative writing, all things cyberpunk, retro gaming and the DS, big mecha anime, making outfits, literature, anything Muppets, and planning for eventual global dominance. Waffles and hugs for all.