クロス君とマウちゃん
(Cross-kun to Mau-chan)
Cross and Mau

I don't yet have the story behind this picture. Melissa sent it to me because I'm under a lot of stress due to starting a new job, an she wanted to help me cheer up a little. Thanks, Melissa!

子だくさん？マウ
(Kodakusan? Mau)
Family? Mau

Usually "kodakusan" means a family or a married couple with many children. Melissa put a question mark because the three boys are not her kids. I guess they are just friends. Mau is a normal girl, but likes to wear nekomimi (cat-ears) and a clipped-on tail.

Mau's name is taken from the sound you'd get if you pronounced the initials of Melissa's American name as a word - M.A.W. She is probably Melissa's favorite character.

 Lost Librarian Simushir: Image 1

These next two pictures are sketches of Simushir doing duty as the Lost Library's new official mascot character. Melissa has graciously consented to allow her character to represent the web site. #1 is the image proposed for the site home page, to replace the picture of Kokoro (of Kokoro Toshokan) that I have been using.

I ended up editing out the background images so that I could use the site background color instead.

Lost Librarian Simushir: Image 2

#2 is a picture whose eventual placement hasn't been decided. She'll replace one of the other images on the site, so as to eliminate the use of characters copyrighted by other people.

All of these images need a little photo editing before I use them, to smooth out the uneven coloration left behind by Melissa's only having coloring pencils to work with. All in all, though, she does a good job given the limited material she has to work with.

Lost Librarian Simushir: シムシルのクリスマス
(Shimushiru no Kurisumasu)
Simushir's Christmas

The latest of the Holiday Series of Simushir mascots. A Christmas Holiday version!

Lost Librarian Simushir: さまよう心
(Samayou Kokoro)
A Wandering Mind

This image ended up as decoration for the fan art index page after editing.

Lost Librarian Simushir: Trick or Treat

This is the first of two special projects Melissa promised to make for the site, featuring holiday versions of Simushir for the home page. The second will be a Christmas Simushir. Melissa didn't tell me she was going to do them until this picture was mostly done.

鍋なのかスキヤキなのか
(Nabe nano ka sukiyaki nano ka)
Is It Stew? Or Is It Sukiyaki?

A group of friends eating nabe or sukiyaki. Which is it?

夏祭りっぽく
(Natsu Matsurippoku)
Looks like a Summer Festival

ネコミミ王国の王族
(Nekomimi Oukoku no Ouzoku)
Nekomimi Kingdom's Royal Family

The big guy is the King of the Nekomimi Kingdom, followed by his two sons.

お祝いムード？
(Oiwai Mood?)
Celebratory Mood?

Mau and her friend Maple celebrating something. The guy at Maple's back is Custard. He practically lives there!

Saint Valentine's Day Simushir

Another entry in the Holiday Simushir pictures for the Lost Library's home page.

シムシルの花見
(Shimushiru no hanami)
Simushir Looking at Flowers

The catgirl in the foreground is named Simushir. Simushir is the name of a small island north of Hokkaido, and the word is from the Ainu language. The island is part of the Northern Kuril Islands. Melissa found the island a long time ago when she was looking at a map, and she loved the way the name sounded. So when she created the character, she named her after the island.

The boy with a black top is her big brother, Shikite, which means "fang" in Ainu. The man with silver hair is Raro, and the man in the back laughing at them is Dr. Medico.

シムシルと悪ガキたち
(Shimushiru to aku gaki-tachi)
Simushir and the Bad Kids

Simushir is a genuine catgirl, unlike Mau, who just dresses in Nekomimi mode.

初期設定シムシル＆セレソ
(Shokisettei Shimushiru & Serezo)
Introducing Simushir & Cerezo

Simushir lives with a man called Raro, which means weird or odd or strange in Spanish. And Simushir's best friend is Cerezo, which means cherry tree in Spanish. I am not sure if Cerezo is a man or a woman...!

愉快な鬼才家
(Yukai na Kisai-ke)
Happy Family Kisai

Kisai is the name of this family. They have horns like oni (Japanese ogres), but tails like western devils.