OH, MY GOD, IT STILL EXISTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I mean, I worried about it, because it was a monthly magazine, and most everything is digital these days. but it's STILL HERE!!! Arizona Highways - The photo / state-interest magazine (with worldwide subscribers) that I'm convinced that Studio Orange must have subscribed to or used for research because of the concept-art for Trigun Stampede and some of the subsequent landscape-work. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if Nightow, himself, subscribed when he was first doing the manga. (I have no idea. I guess if I ever see him at an anime convention, I am going to have to make that my question to him for the Q & A). Note to self - in the absence of other questions... THAT is an excellent question to ask regarding research-process! (I seriously want to compliment the guy on his desert-landscape art. His world is much drier, actually, than the one I grew up in - the Sonoran Desert actually has a lot of interesting life, but the rock formations and hardpan is so spot-on that I think he must have done some serious research on the American Southwest). I had a gift-subscription from my parents to remind me of home after I moved to Pennsylania for about a year, but I didn't want to spend the money to keep up with it and it was making me too homesick. (I grew up in Arizona, as I like to remind fellow Trigun fans because I enjoy telling people about my inspirations for my fanfic writing and telling other fanfic writers when they get something like a dust storm accurate). Heh, I found a little profile of a favorite artist from that. Larry Toschick did the most magnificent wildlife paintings. Rest in Peace, bro.
