Erich Schuler Goes To Japan
Erich Schuler, manchild, gamer, career student majoring in art and general ed, has spent a lifetime of planning plans that unfortunately have never come to fruition. Like all of Erich's plans, this latest one involves videogames, a fanboyish preoccupation with Japan, and asking people to give him money or do all the work so that he can finally be successful at making videogames.
The last time Gail saw her son Erich, it was for his college graduation in spring of 2012. Uninvited to the occasion, she had to ask his permission if she could come. Gail abandoned her comfort zone to spend a week with her son, holding strong against her family's harsh criticism, and forgiving him for not hugging her the entire week. Erich went on to join forces with his father in an attempt to tear down her websites, put her only friends in jail, get her fired from her job, and then tried to sue her for defamation. After nearly two years of being cut off, in February 2014 Gail finally received contact from her only son. There was no time for a reconnection, as Erich was in the fragile midst of a once in a lifetime opportunity. He had embarked on an online pilgrimage to ask his disabled, unemployed mother and her food stamps if she would be willing to give him money to live his dream -- his dream of going to Japan to study art, so that he could finally make videogames.
The Damage
At first, it sounds as if Erich is only asking for bare bones travel costs and will not ask volunteers to give him tuition, spending money, pay for his meals, or additional day trips for his personal leisure. Two sentences in, however, and all hope for Erich's manhood is quickly extinguished as he fully expects strangers to pay for a full blown luxury trip. He reminds all viewers that sharing is caring.
Planning The Plan
Known for being a mooch and generally lacking initiative, Erich is nary the stranger to asking others for help achieving his goals. Going on 27 with no degrees related to his career goals and still without relevant experience, skills, or a job, he continues to live with Gail's sister who pays for his trips around the country to videogame conventions, all in an effort to help Erich achieve his dreams of working with videogames.
Like his mother, Erich tends to get very "busy" and has not had the time to learn videogame design nor has he made any simple games in his spare time -- indeed, there are many online resources that are free and would be of no cost on his aunt's part. Although he professes to study videogame art, most of his projects for school still largely subsist of Zelda fanart. Thankfully, this is where a free trip to study art (for two weeks) in Japan would finally get him the professional edge he needs.
Herro From America
Although Erich admits on his Twitter that he does not actually know Japanese (and is presumably using online translation services), he attempted to send unknown relatives in Japan a package written in Japanese. In this package, he introduces himself as a distant relative who would like to visit Japan and learn more about his heritage.
<ZackKnight> I am just picturing this horribly misspelled letter
<ZackKnight> from a relative that nobody knows
<ZackKnight> who is unfortunately white
<ZackKnight> and has a giant ass nose and neanderthal eyes
<ZackKnight> and of course, you know he hit them up for money too
<ZackKnight> "I'm just like you. I love videogames too!"
Indeed, part of Erich's professed desire to go to Japan is that, rather than having to take the time to learn a language on his own initiative, Erich believes that the people of Japan will welcome with open arms the leader of the SPSU Japan Club and teach him everything he needs to know.
The dates Erich is set to "study abroad" in Japan are May 12 through May 30. He will be spending a total of 18 days in Japan. Like his frequent visits to videogame conventions, Erich still insists that this is for his education rather than an all expenses paid vacation.
Booby Prizes
For those planning on supporting Erich in the near future, Erich plans on eventually sending his benefactors special rewards. With an ego reminiscent of Gail's, most of Erich's reward offers center around themes of himself. It is important to note that because of Erich's habitual procrastination and tendency to make promises too early, it is unlikely that, should Erich actually go to Japan, he will make do on any of these rewards.
$25 - For the price of a nice dinner, Erich will send you a postcard while on the overseas vacation you treated him to.
$50 - For the price of a nice dinner with your significant other, Erich will take a picture on his vacation and send it to you. This will surely be a photo meant only for you, and you will have the peace of mind to know that Erich is enjoying himself.
$75 - Erich will buy you a souvenir and ship it overseas at a price that doesn't make it more financially sound to just donate $50 instead.
$100 - For a whopping $100, Erich promises that, under the strict condition that he gets his shit together and learns a new skill, he will take the time out of his busy schedule playing videogames, blogging, going to conventions, and taking exorbitant amounts of time to draw even very simple Zelda art for school, to make special art especially for you using techniques worth 18 days and $6,000.
Link To Erich's GoFundMe Page
Erich's GoFundMe project is currently active and can be vandalized for $5.
Updates will be released as they become available.