Author: admin

I couldn’t really say anything before (they make you sign an NDA when you leave the country) but this is what Japan is really like. People are freaking out for Pocky, all the live-long day. Dancing, singing, losing their mind. It’s like an anime convention.

It’s alright for the first few weeks but by the end it’s like that Porky Pig cartoon where by the end he’d kill and eat his own mother just to get out of those dancing shoes. Like “I just need to go to the Lawson to get fried chicken and beer, I don’t have time for an elaborate dance number right now.”

Still, Japan’s pretty great.

– Chris (via)

The Daily Beast has an article by Torontonian John Ortved about his new book, The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History, and the massive amounts of trouble that Fox and show producer James L. Brooks threw in the author’s way as he tried to write it. It’s pretty brutal:

“Something I gleaned early from this experience is that Hollywood publicists are so used to journalists kowtowing to their every request that they no longer understand what journalism actually is. We’re talking about cartoon characters here, not Watergate, but the light subject matter doesn’t exclude the possibility of doing real research and telling interesting stories. They actually thought that we were all on the same team, trying to get their client the maximum exposure, using our words and outlets only to extend their message. Vanity Fair and other magazines are complicit in the lionization of celebrities that has led to this imbalance of power, but the editors at Vanity Fair understand that at the end of the day they’re very much a journalistic entity, and pursue stories accordingly.” – John Ortved, The Daily Beast

The full article is outstanding, and I recommend you check it out: http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-10-13/when-homer-wont-take-your-call/full/. And hey, the book is out and in stores now.

How about that, entertainment reporting doesn’t have to be vapid and toothless pr-fanning after all!

– Chris

Shigeru Mizuki is the creator of the classic manga GeGeGe No Kitaro, about a very strange little boy who was part of both the human and Yokai world. Yokai are traditional Japanese forest spirits, kinda like morally ambivalent demons and spirits, and Mizuki-san did tons to catalogue and perhaps even invent them in his manga. Now according to Japananator, Mizuki has created a new field guide for these demons called Yokai Daizukai.

I don’t think I saw this in Japan, else I would’ve bought it. But wow, it’s AWESOME. Hopefully it’s a candidate for a North American release. Lots more pictures at: http://www.japanator.com/ever-wanted-to-dissect-a-japanese-folk-monster–11736.phtml

– Chris

Anyone headed to Japan wanna pick this up for me? Medicom is producing these “Dr. Romanelli X Hello Kitty” Anatomy dolls in two different colourways, contemporary and classic. Niiiice. I imagine they’ll show up on this side of the world eventually.

http://www.tokyomango.com/tokyo_mango/2009/10/hello-kittys-internal-organs-revealed.html

http://www.highsnobiety.com/news/2009/10/13/dr-romanelli-x-hello-kitty-anatomy-release/

– Chris

Check it out, it’s the trailer for Jim Rugg and Brian Marruca’s AFRODISIAC, coming as a complete collection from Adhouse Books this December. Spinning out of the awesome STREET ANGEL (now back in print from SLG!), it collects every previous Afrodisiac appearance and a ton of new stuff, full colour, totally awesome. 96 pages, hardcover, 15 bucks, ITEM CODE OCT09 0658 in the current Previews! PREORDER A COPY WITH YOUR LOCAL RETAILER TODAY!!!

– Chris

Though it’s had a hell of a spotty publishing history here in North America, with multiple editions and formats all abortively released to market, I know there’s still a die-hard fanbase for the post-apocalyptic, ultra-violent, masochistic fight manga FIST OF THE NORTH STAR (known in Japan as Hokuto No Ken). Well in 2010, PS3 and X-Box 360 owners (in Japan only… so far…) will be able to get in on the carnage and take up the role of Kenshiro and punch badguys so hard they explode.

Check out more screenshots and some game-play video at http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2009/10/14/hokuto-musou-bloody-guro-fest/.

Awwwwesome.

– Christopher

I’ve got 750 unread messages in my feed reader, you’re getting all of the cool stuff I come across. Enjoy!

– Chris

The nice thing about the daily DORK comics–well other than how fortunate I am to be sharing this great work with all of you, seriously, thanks Evan–is that it serves as a visual reminder of how fucking lazy I’ve been about updating the blog. Aaaaaarrrrrggggh.

Ah well. In case you missed me and want to get a concentrated dose of me this afternoon, I’ll be on the radio.

Robin McConnell of the INKSTUDS podcast e-mailed me with an idea about doing a show based on retailing comics, and how small pressers and artists can work with retailers. It seemed like a neat idea and so I agreed! And it’s TONIGHT! Tune in to hear myself and Mr. Dustin Harbin of Heroes Aren’t Hard To Find / HeroesCon in North Carolina talk shop about retailing. I’m sure it’ll be more fun than it sounds. You can listen to us live starting at 5PM EST at http://www.citr.ca/, and the show will be archived later tonight at http://inkstuds.com/.

I have so much to write about too, but finding the time and inclination is a little tough right now. Here’s some of the stuff that’s been rattling around in my head, if you want discussion starters. Hopefully I’ll get to all of them shortly:

1. The graphic novel Stitches was nominated for a National Book Award. This is controversial because it was nominated in a children’s category, when it really should have been controversial because Stitches is a very bad graphic novel.

2. Kodansha Comics may be the single worst launch of a new company I’ve ever seen, right down to re-releasing the original censored version of Ghost In The Shell Dark Horse published 14 years ago, for 2 bucks more than Dark Horse charged AND on a crappier paper stock.

3. A friend of mine is going to Brussels next week and I’m incredibly jealous. I didn’t even know I wanted to go to Brussels until he told me about it. Look at this building, you can go in this building:

It is “The Atomium” and it is awesome. Picture stolen from http://equator.eftours.com/2009/06/focus-atomium.html. The Atomium website is here: http://www.atomium.be/Main.aspx?lang=en.

I have such a bug to travel right now. Air Canada’s got a seat sale right now, I can get to Japan for under a grand. :-/

– Chris