#18: Get Well Soon, Buddha — January 18, 2013 The Manga University Buddha has been feeling a bit sluggish this week. He's spent a lot of time outdoors, and we think he may be catching a cold. So we bought him inside and sat him in front of a buddha-sized bottle of Hi-C. He's probably going to need a straw.

  #17: Buddha Power — January 17, 2013 Some people sense a powerful source of positive energy emanating from the Manga University Daibutsu.  We're not quite certain how to explain it. Maybe it's his devotion. Perhaps it's his electric personality. Or even his rugged handsomeness.  All we know is that he makes us feel all tingly inside.

  #16: Down-Home Buddha — January 16, 2013 It's been a busy couple of weeks for the Manga University Daibutsu, so we figured it was time to give him a little break. He's now enjoying some "me time" at his countryside estate, but still managed to strike a pose for us.  Any similarities to American Gothic are purely intentional.

  #15: Buddha's Benevolent Bots — January 15, 2013 Everyone seems to think that giant robots from Japan will someday take over the world. Actually, the giant robots are already here. But humans have nothing to fear. These aren't bad robots. They're benevolent.  Just like the Manga University Daibutsu taught them to be.

#14: Snowbound Buddha — January 14, 2013 We experienced our first severe weather of the year today, with 5 inches of snow blanketing the campus over a 12-hour period. That's a blizzard by Tokyo standards. The storm provided a perfect opportunity for us to introduce the Manga University Daibutsu to the joys of extreme winter sports.  Ski jumping. Snowboarding. Biathlon. Building a snowman.