Origin

From Strays Wiki

So how did we stop whining and learned to satisfy ourselves, you ask?

Well, some months ago (early 2006 if memory serves), I was wandering around the interwebz, desolately looking for Vagabond scanlations past volume 20. As you might know, there were none to be found, but I lucked out and stumbled upon some other people who also wanted them, mainly NeoShweaty from KO-Scans. Soon enough, zindryr started translating the newest chapters, and this is how I was reborn as a fanatical groupie/supporter. Scanlations were coming around slow due to lack of people, so one day I wondered: but what can I do to help these nice people? Sure enough, there was plenty I could do, so I got off my ass and started learning to typeset (still haven't seen the end of this one, by the way).

Soon enough, KO-Scans was merrily releasing Vagabond chapters, and due to some influx of new blood, we had caught up with the 20 volumes already released. By far the most important person of this new generation was Devin (Devin Lane who doesn't like usernames or doesn't have anything to hide or both). Devin started by ganking one of zindryr's translations and making his own scanlation, which made us see red at first, but then we thought: Hey, this might be an opportunity in disguise.

Here's an approximate rendition of our first encounter:

Siedhr: hey, since you're a fan of Vagabond, don't you wanna join us and help us release faster and better scanlations?

Devin: omg, sure, though I don't know much about scanlating

Siedhr: yay

Devin: I'm a serious person that can be counted upon. I'm also willing to learn everything I don't know

Siedhr: yayay

Devin: by the way, I'm also learning how to clean

Siedhr: yayayay

Devin: I can work hard, long hours and stay awake until the release is out

Siedhr: yayayayay

Devin: do you guys want some server space and bandwidth? also, I know how to make websites

Siedhr: Santa, is that you?

Devin quickly became essential to the Vagabond project, and soon we were spending long hours chatting and trudging along, releasing stuff.

Let's back up a bit now. I've read some insane amounts of manga, most of them largely unknown. And unfortunately, many of these projects have been abandoned half way, mostly for lack of staff, cause everyone in the universe seems to be translating and scanlating Naruto. Also, there is plenty of very good manga out there, that no one except the Japanese have heard of. This was a major frustration of mine that was shared by Devin and zindryr both.

There were a lot of conversations going along back and forth the three of us for about a month (August).

Abridged summary:

zindryr: I found some manga no one is doing and I'd like to translate it and I'll give it to you guys to scanlate

Siedhr&Devin: omg, cool

Since we worked so well together, Devin and I talked about branching out, maybe making our own group (KO-Scans mainly does mainly sports manga and we wanted to do seinen). We came up with a name and a list of projects we'd like to do and the rest is history, as they say.

What does the name of the group mean?

Our flagship manga is Vagabond. From Vagabond, comes Stray with a plural because it's a group. That's basically the story. Also we do rather unknown manga, which strays from the mainstream. ;)

Bottom line is that Strays was born and bred in the bowels of Mangahelpers (Gold Knight is like our godfather), more from necessity than anything else, the necessity to scanlate some manga nobody else was doing.

You've all seen the unhappy leechers whining around here and there. However the majority of them don't seem to realize that the only way to see their beloved manga released is to actually get off their butts and work on it.

So what can you learn from our story:

1. We started literally from scratch, with just a copy of Photoshop, some basic knowledge of how to work with it and a handful of tutorials. Most importantly we had the desire to actually do something instead of waiting around for others to do it for us.

2. If you're a wannabe scanlator, instead of wasting your time and doing the umpteenth fast scanlation for Naruto, Bleach or One Piece, think about either joining another group (all groups suffer from lack of people), or if that doesn't work for you, make your own. Ok, you can do fast scanlations too, since there's a demand for it. But don't stop there.

3. Instead of whining, just Do It.

**By Siedhr**