tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62708030787023880052024-02-20T07:10:56.123-05:00Random Access InformationBlogging about the Asian-American pop subculture in New York City.James Leunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09834901742305281224noreply@blogger.comBlogger155125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270803078702388005.post-72540364633786015312011-03-18T02:58:00.010-04:002011-03-18T04:54:08.806-04:00Changes to the Blog and Japanese Earthquake Relief<STRONG>NEW YORK, March 18 –</STRONG> I apologize to my readers about the infrequent blog posts in the last several months. I’ve been dealing with a lot of life changes. I’ve also decided to move the blog over to a private server due to the increasingly prohibitive restrictions of blogger and the personal desire to expand the content on the site. Over the next several months, I will be transitioning slowly over to my own domain name (<A HREF="http://www.raiwebs.com">www.raiwebs.com</A>). Hopefully by July, the entire blog will be fully transferred over to the private hosting server.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><HR SIZE="1" WIDTH="100%"><STRONG>Available on the Amazon Kindle and the Apple iPad</STRONG><br /><br /><CENTER><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/2011changes2.jpg" WIDTH="250"></CENTER><br /><A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004SH1M0I">The blog is now available on the Amazon Kindle</a> for a small fee ($1.99). Before you get upset, I am not responsible for the pricing. <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/">Amazon</A> sets the price for blog distribution. If it were left to me, I would set the price at 99 cents (the lowest possible price point). This will also mean an increase in the number and length of posts. Expect more interviews, artist profiles, reviews, and music. It is also available through the <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=kcp_ipad_mkt_lnd?docId=1000493771">Kindle App</A> on the <A HREF="http://www.apple.com/ipad/">Apple iPad</A> and <A HREF="http://www.android.com/">Android</A>. If you don’t have a portable reading device, the blog will continue to be free through any standard web browser.<br /><br /><HR SIZE="1" WIDTH="100%"><STRONG>Japanese Earthquake Relief</STRONG><br /><br /><CENTER><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/2011changes3.jpg" WIDTH="400"></CENTER><br />Most people know about the ongoing tragedy in Japan. A historic 8.9 magnitude earthquake hit the coast of Japan causing a huge tsunami surge. It devastated large swaths of the country and left the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant on the brink of full meltdown.<br /><br />However, you may not have heard that <A HREF="http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/donations-to-japan-lag-behind-those-for-katrina-haiti-/2011/03/17/ABWzt2n_story.html">donations for Japanese Earthquake relief are severely lagging</A> behind similar humanitarian crises like the Haitian Earthquake and Hurricane Katrina. Please donate to Japanese Earthquake Relief. Here are some creative ways to donate:<br /><br /><HR SIZE="1" WIDTH="100%"><STRONG><A HREF="http://www.filmlinc.com/films/series/shinjuku-outlaw-13-from-takashi-miike">Shinjuku Outlaw: 13 From Takashi Miike</A></STRONG><br /><br /><CENTER><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/2011changes4.jpg" WIDTH="400"></CENTER><br />March 16 - March 21. <A HREF="http://www.filmlinc.com">Film Society, Lincoln Center</A> – New York. The Film Society of Lincoln Center and Subway Cinema are partnering with The Japan Society to donate 10% of the ticket sales to all screenings in the Takashi Miike retrospective, Shinjuku Outlaw: 13 From Takashi Miike, to the Japan Earthquake Relief Fund, to support relief and recovery for the 2011 Tohoku - Pacific Ocean Earthquake.<br /><br /><DD><EM><A HREF="http://www.filmlinc.com/films/series/shinjuku-outlaw-13-from-takashi-miike">For More Details about Shinjuku Outlaw</A></EM></DD><br /><br /><HR SIZE="1" WIDTH="100%"><STRONG><A HREF="http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=202617593099894">Giant Robot Presents: Water Works - Fundraiser for the Devastation in Japan</A></STRONG><br /><br /><CENTER><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/2011changes6.jpg" WIDTH="250"></CENTER><br />Saturday, March 19, 6:30 - 10:00 PM. <A HREF="http://www.giantrobot.com/">Giant Robot</A> 2, Los Angeles. <A HREF="http://www.unicef.org/">The U.S. Fund for UNICEF (USF)</A> is raising funds to help children in Japan impacted by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. This is an unusual decision, as Japan is a donor to UNICEF, not a recipient of its assistance. However, due to the unprecedented nature of the epic disaster and its impact on children, resources are going to be critical in helping provide for the very unique needs of children. These may include health, development, and protection and other needs that may have been compromised or disrupted in the wake of the catastrophe. Giant Robot is proud to join the effort, and have asked many of our talented friends to create water-themed art to raise funds to support the efforts of UNICEF. <br /><br /><DD><EM><A HREF="http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=202617593099894">For More Details about Water Works Fundraiser</A></EM></DD><br /><br /><HR SIZE="1" WIDTH="100%"><STRONG><A HREF="http://www.japansociety.org/event_detail?eid=10a81178">Concert For Japan</A></STRONG><br /><br /><CENTER><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/2011changes7.jpg" WIDTH="250"></CENTER><br />Saturday, April 9, 11 AM — 11 PM. <A HREF="http://www.japansociety.org">Japan Society - New York</A> presents a 12 hour concert benefiting organizations that directly help people affected by the earthquake and tsunamis that struck Japan. With dozens of music acts and performances throughout the day, confirmed performers for the gala blocks, organized by John Zorn, include Philip Glass & Hal Willner; Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson and Zorn; Ryuichi Sakamoto; and Bill Laswell and gigi band.<br /><br /><DD><EM><A HREF="http://www.japansociety.org/event_detail?eid=10a81178">For More Details about Concert for Japan</A></EM></DD><br /><br /><HR SIZE="1" WIDTH="100%"><STRONG><A HREF="http://www.japansociety.org/earthquake">Japan Earthquake Relief Fund</A></STRONG><br /><br /><CENTER><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/2011changes9.gif" WIDTH="250"></CENTER><br />If you only want to donate money, Japan Society has created a disaster relief fund to aid victims of the Tohoku earthquake in Japan. Over the years, Japan Society has partnered with several Japanese and American non-profits working on the frontlines of disaster relief and recovery. 100% of your generous tax-deductible contributions will go to organization(s) that directly help victims recover from the devastating effects of the earthquake and tsunamis that struck Japan on March 11, 2011.<br /><br /><DD><EM><A HREF="http://www.japansociety.org/earthquake">For More Details about the Japan Earthquake Relief Fund</A></EM></DD>James Leunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09834901742305281224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270803078702388005.post-67952732131489155672011-02-17T01:07:00.019-05:002011-02-17T09:58:01.783-05:00Vocaloid Autos in Akihabara<center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/vocaloid-car0.jpg" width="99%" /></center><br /><STRONG>TOKYO, January 3 –</STRONG> While hunting for manga in the <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akihabara">Akihabara district (秋葉原)</A>, we walked down the block from <A HREF="http://www.mandarake.co.jp/">Mandarake</A> and ran right into an impromptu car show. A significant number of otaku parked their <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itasha">Itasha (痛車)</A> (customized cars with anime themes) along one of the district’s side street. The anime car subculture has been around for a few years, but the current crop of vehicles reflects the <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vocaloid">Vocaloid</A> craze. The trend seems to be six months behind the dōjinshi fandom. Maybe next year we will start to see more <A HREF="http://www16.big.or.jp/~zun/">Touhou Project (東方)</A> automobiles.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/vocaloid-car1.jpg" width="99%" /><BR>Vocaloid <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatsune_Miku">Hatsune Miku (初音ミク)</A> drawn in chibi-like fashion decorating a passenger door.</center><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/vocaloid-car2.jpg" width="99%" /><BR>On the hood of a Supra, Sheryl (blonde) and Ranka (green hair) from <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macross_Frontier">Macross Frontier</A> (identification via Gerald and Clarissa).</center><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/vocaloid-car3.jpg" width="99%" /><BR>On the passenger side door of the same Supra.</center><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/vocaloid-car4.jpg" width="99%" /><BR>Vocaloid <A HREF="http://vocaloid.wikia.com/wiki/Neru_Akita">Neru Akita (亞北ネル)</A> over the trunk covering an awesome sound system.</center><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/vocaloid-car5.jpg" width="99%" /><BR>Another Vocaloid Hatsune Miku on the hood of a classic luxury car.</center><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/vocaloid-car6.jpg" width="99%" /><BR>Yet another Vocaloid Hatsune Miku on the back door wearing an alternate outfit.</center><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/vocaloid-car7.jpg" width="99%" /><BR>Some of the cars were also customized on the insides too. This vehicle was wired with seven LCD personal monitors.</center><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/vocaloid-car8.jpg" width="99%" /><BR>Yet another Vocaloid Hatsune Miku on the passenger door.</center><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/vocaloid-car9.jpg" width="99%" /><BR>One of the few non-Vocaloid cars. This one features the visual-book/anime <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen's_Blade">Queen's Blade</A>.</center>James Leunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09834901742305281224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270803078702388005.post-88356690827589496122011-01-30T19:52:00.007-05:002011-01-30T21:10:40.264-05:00New Year's Festival Food in Asakusa<center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/newyears_tokyo0.jpg" width="500" /><BR><FONT SIZE="-2"><EM>New Year's Festival at Asakusa Shrine</EM></FONT></center><br /><STRONG>TOKYO, January 1 –</STRONG> After tossing our coins into the shrine's collection box and saying our prayers, a small group of us headed over to the rows of <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yatai_(retail)">vendor boothes (屋台)</A> near the <A HREF="http://www.asakusajinja.jp/asakusajinja/syaden.html">Asakusa Shrine (浅草神社)</A>. Many of the stalls were selling tradition Japanese festival food ranging from sweets to grilled fish. Here are some festival foods that we enjoyed on New Year's Day:<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/newyears_tokyo1.jpg" width="500" /><BR></center>Grilled Skewered Foot-long Hotdogs (Kushiyaki style).<br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/newyears_tokyo2.jpg" width="500" /></center><BR>One of my favorite Japanese snacks is <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takoyaki">Takoyaki (たこ焼き)</A> (Octopus Balls). They're usually coated with pancake batter and prepared either grilled or fried. I scarfed down almost a dozen of these.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/newyears_tokyo3.jpg" width="500" /></center><BR><A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayu">Ayu (アユ)</A> or Sweet Fish is one of Japan's most unique festival foods. It's salted, skewered, and grilled near an open flame.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/newyears_tokyo4.jpg" width="500" /></center><BR><A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okonomiyaki">Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き)</A> or Japanese stuffed pancakes are massive culinary concoctions of batter, cabbage, pork, yakisoba, seafood, and other tasty ingredients. These are prepared Hiroshima style.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/newyears_tokyo5.jpg" width="500" /></center><BR>Jyaga Bata (じゃがバタ) are baked potatoes with butter soy sauce. They're balls of starch goodness.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/newyears_tokyo6.jpg" width="500" /></center><BR>Choco Banana are chocolate coated bananas with sprinkles. They're the perfect treat for any sweet tooth.James Leunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09834901742305281224noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270803078702388005.post-9162629766993419842010-12-27T10:21:00.003-05:002010-12-27T10:42:12.108-05:00Welcome to the Future of Hong Kong<CENTER><object width="500" height="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9iXcQSrpBW0?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9iXcQSrpBW0?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="400"></embed></object></CENTER><br /><STRONG>HONG KONG, December 24 –</STRONG> Saw a trio of mannequins that freaked me out at the <A HREF="http://hk.science.museum">Hong Kong Museum of Science</A>. They projected video face onto the lifeless humanoid forms and gave them voices in order to narrate the exhibit. It was very trippy.James Leunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09834901742305281224noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270803078702388005.post-75913043039681262212010-12-25T11:06:00.011-05:002011-02-17T10:30:56.892-05:00Christmas Advertising in Hong Kong: Movie Stars, Pop Singers, and Clark Kent<center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/2010HK-Ads-2.jpg" width="500" /><BR><FONT SIZE="-2"><EM>Large Billboard Ad for <A HREF="http://garyblue.pixnet.net/blog">Gary Chaw’s (曹格)</A> Tour. It’s sponsored by <A HREF="http://www.johnniewalker.com">Johnnie Walker</A>.</EM></FONT></center><br /><STRONG>HONG KONG, December 24 –</STRONG> Marketing and advertisements say a lot about a people. They highlight the best values of a culture as well as its shallowness. In Hong Kong, the corporate graffiti is everywhere you look. Your eyes can’t escape a product pitch or a public service announcement. Most Hong Kong denizens do their best to ignore them. I, on the other hand, obsess over their meaning and over-analyze their subtext. I also document them on this blog.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/2010HK-Ads-1.jpg" width="500" /></center><br /><A HREF="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0437580/">Takeshi Kaneshiro (金城 武)</A>, often labeled as the sexiest man in Chinese Cinema, is the current face of the <A HREF="http://www.armani.com/">Giorgio Armani</A> brand in Hong Kong. This massive street ad covers the side of the Armani outlet on Canton Road.<br /><br /><STRONG>Subway Fair</STRONG><br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/2010HK-Ads-3.jpg" width="500" /></center><br /><A HREF="http://www.giantrobot.com/">Giant Robot</A> writer <A HREF="http://www.alivenotdead.com/daniel">Daniel Wu (吳彥祖)</A> continues to push the <A HREF="http://www.seikousa.com/">Seiko</A> watch line. I hear he’s in a few Hong Kong movies too.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/2010HK-Ads-4.jpg" width="500" /></center><br /><a href="http://www.andylau.com">Andy Lau (劉德華)</a>, the ageless Canto-pop star, is the pitchman for <A HREF="http://www.osim.com">Osim’s</a> massage chairs. Osim is a company that specializes in faddish health products like weight loss and massage devices.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/2010HK-Ads-5.jpg" width="500" /></center><br /><A HREF="http://www.jnto.go.jp/">Japan National Tourism Organization</A> has resorted to using super pop idols groups like <A HREF="http://www.j-storm.co.jp/">Arashi (嵐)</A> to promote their country.<br /><br />I couldn’t get a good picture, but the <A HREF="https://www.chocoolate.hk/">Chocoolate</A> boutique clothier is using American comics in their designs. They’ve even created a line of preppie clothing patterned after the mild mannered reporter <A HREF="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdWF7kd1tNo">Clark Kent</A>. Geek chic has made it’s way to Hong Kong at last!<br /><br />>> <A HREF="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12371152@N06/4160047630/">The Clark Kent Look</A>James Leunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09834901742305281224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270803078702388005.post-70035402551887752602010-12-24T15:06:00.004-05:002010-12-24T16:02:56.124-05:00New Adventures in Dim Sum<center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/2010HK-Dimsum-1e.jpg" width="500" /><BR><FONT SIZE="-2"><EM>Glutinous rice and Chinese sausage.</EM></FONT></center><br /><br /><STRONG>HONG KONG, December 23 –</STRONG> When I’m in Hong Kong, I always look for the most creative and tastiest dim sum dishes in town. The competition is extremely intense with the countless number of tea houses and restaurants lining every major thoroughfare. The financial survivals of these establishments are reliant on their ability to innovate, steal, and borrow. Unlike their Western counterparts, the chefs here don’t rely on the same classic favorites like a simple cheong fun (腸粉) or shaomai (燒賣). They keep redefining the notion of dim sum in an effort to constantly improve their menu. Here are some of my favorite little discoveries. <br /><br /><a name='more'></a><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/2010HK-Dimsum-1a.jpg" width="500" /></center><br />A carrot shaped deep fried dumpling filled with minced pork mixture from the <A HREF="http://www.palace-rest.com.hk/">Palace Restaurant</A>. It’s located on the corner of Mong Kok Road and Cheung Wong Road, Mong Kok District. <br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/2010HK-Dimsum-1b.jpg" width="500" /></center><br />Sweetened warm tofu cooked in a coconut. It’s served in several restaurants including the Palace Restaurant and <A HREF="http://www.hochoi.com">Ho Choi</A> Chain of Tea Houses.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/2010HK-Dimsum-1c.jpg" width="500" /></center><br />Every time I go to <A HREF="http://www.kings-lodge.com">King’s Lodge</A>, I always get the steamed pork dumpling which is their signature dish. It’s a small dumpling stuffed with a delicious ground pork filling and soup. If you aren’t careful, your first bite might lead to the spillage of the wonderful soup inside the dim sum. The newly renovated King’s Lodge is located on G/F, Oriental Center, 67-71 Chatham Road South, Tsim Sha Tsui District.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/2010HK-Dimsum-1d.jpg" width="500" /></center><br />Water chestnut cakes. They aren’t really cakes but stiff jello molds with tasty bits suspended inside. I rarely see these cakes in the US, and they were never this good. <br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/2010HK-Dimsum-1f.jpg" width="500" /></center><br />Deep fried cheong fun from Ho Choi. This one is located on UG Floor, Empire Centre, 68 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui District. <br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/2010HK-Dimsum-1g.jpg" width="500" /></center><br />Deep fried dumpling filled with a ground beef meatball also from Ho Choi.James Leunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09834901742305281224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270803078702388005.post-10628550027140677582010-12-22T12:52:00.004-05:002010-12-22T13:11:02.118-05:00Hong Kong's Sidewalk Comics<center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/2010HK-comics.jpg" width="500" /><BR><FONT SIZE="-2"><EM>Hong Kong History Museum Exhibit of a Comic Book Lending Library</EM></FONT></center><br /><STRONG>HONG KONG, December 22 –</STRONG> After the Second World War, Hong Kong children used to spend their free time at the local sidewalk comic book lending library. They paid 5-10 cents to burrow a single comic book. The vendors of the library would also set-up a row of tiny benches to accommodated their pint-sized clientele. These kids were hardcore.James Leunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09834901742305281224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270803078702388005.post-88480669699077286402010-12-07T05:31:00.009-05:002010-12-07T14:15:58.780-05:00Black Dub in Full Force<center><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/BlackDub2010Bowery1.jpg"><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/BlackDub2010Bowery1.jpg" width="500" /></A><br /><FONT SIZE="-2"><em>Left to Right: Brian Blade, Daniel Lanois, Trixie Whitley, and Jim Wilson</em></FONT></center><br /><STRONG>NEW YORK, November 17 –</STRONG> I usually don’t post two similar pieces back-to-back on this blog, but I'm making an exception. After being blown away by <A HREF="http://www.blackdub.net/">Black Dub</A>’s stripped down show at the <A HREF="http://cmj2010.com/">CMJ Music Marathon</A>, I decided to attend their full band performance at the <A HREF="http://www.boweryballroom.com/">Bowery Ballroom</A>.<br /><br />I was eager to see the complete band including Brian Blade and Daryl Johnson. They were a super group jam band therefore the live performance is supposed to be top notch. I was already somewhat familiar with <A HREF="http://www.brianblade.com/">Brian Blade</A>’s solo work, and I always admired his skills behind a drum set. Also Daryl Johnson was pretty amazing on the Black Dub recording. <br /><br /><a name='more'></a><CENTER><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/BlackDub2010Bowery2.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/BlackDub2010Bowery2t.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/BlackDub2010Bowery3.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/BlackDub2010Bowery3t.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/BlackDub2010Bowery4.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/BlackDub2010Bowery4t.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/BlackDub2010Bowery5.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/BlackDub2010Bowery5t.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><BR><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/BlackDub2010Bowery6.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/BlackDub2010Bowery6t.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/BlackDub2010Bowery7.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/BlackDub2010Bowery7t.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/BlackDub2010Bowery8.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/BlackDub2010Bowery8t.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/BlackDub2010Bowery9.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/BlackDub2010Bowery9t.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><BR><FONT SIZE="-2"><EM>Click on the image for higher resolution.</EM></FONT></CENTER><br />After a long video montage, the band walked onto the stage with the noticeable absence of Johnson’s bass. He was replaced by Jim Wilson for this show. I’m didn’t know they were going to use a different touring bassist. Anyway, I settled in and watched them deliver a pretty soulful rock performance.<br /><br />Some of the highlights of the performance were “<EM>Sing</EM>”, “<EM>I’d Rather Go Blind</EM>”, and “<EM>Silverado</EM>”.<br /><br /><CENTER><object width="500" height="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/87ZMRVGAGsk?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/87ZMRVGAGsk?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="400"></embed></object></CENTER><br />The entire band added their own unique flavor to the musical gumbo of rock, blues, jazz, and R&B. <A HREF="http://www.daniellanois.com/">Daniel Lanois’</A> guitar work was sharp and on point. His bluesy riffs were crisps and voice was appropriately gruff. <A HREF="http://www.trixiewhitley.com/">Trixie Whitley</A> brought her trademark soul influenced vocals for most of the numbers. She also displayed her multi-instrumental talents on various songs frequently switching between guitar, drums, and keyboards. However, the star of the night was definitely Brian Blade with his absolutely amazing work behind the drums. His drumming was powerful and jazzy with tasty morsels of beautiful accent fills. His playing seems to flows effortlessly from his body.<br /><br />As part of their encore, Black Dub ended their memorable performance with a particularly soulful rendition of “<EM>Silverado</EM>”. The audience was ecstatic.<br /><br /><CENTER><object width="500" height="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dTz21tpmwlc?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dTz21tpmwlc?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="400"></embed></object></CENTER><br />You can also find more videos of Black Dub's performance at the <A HREF="http://www.youtube.com/user/jamesleung0?feature=mhum#p/u"> Blog's Youtube Channel</A>.<br /><br /><STRONG>Related Links:<UL><LI><A HREF="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-2HVgl4DSA">Holland Tunnel: Black Dub Concert Review</A></UL></STRONG>James Leunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09834901742305281224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270803078702388005.post-32094646670866996162010-11-23T01:36:00.010-05:002010-11-23T02:12:21.453-05:00HUSH is Found<center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/hush2010-5.jpg" width="300" /><BR><FONT SIZE="-2"><EM><U>American Dreamer</U></EM></FONT></center><br /><STRONG>NEW YORK, November 19 –</STRONG> <A HREF="http://www.orensanz.org/index.html">The Angel Orensanz Foundation</A> hosted a brief gallery exhibition for British street artist <A HREF="http://hushstudio.blogspot.com/">HUSH</A>. The current series of paintings is titled “Found”. In the past, the artist has been known to combine elements of graffiti art, anime, manga, and Asian pop culture. <br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/hush2010-4.jpg" width="300" /><BR><FONT SIZE="-2"><EM><U>Found in the City</U></EM></FONT></center><br /><a name='more'></a>In his current exhibition show, he has moved noticeably away from the anime and manga figurative imagery while maintaining an Asian sensibility. The focus of many of his paintings is East Asian females wearing both traditional dresses and contemporary outfits. When I asked about him about his figurative thematic focus, HUSH discussed his desire to find the perfect sensual form arguing that his early manga influenced pieces were a part of the same goal. He mentioned drawing influences from more adult manga genres. However, he feared that the cartoonish look might be misinterpreted by the art establishment as cute and too child-like. This current show seems like a reaction to the impressions of his previous work. This series is all about feminine sensuality without any of the manga-esque visual language.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/hush2010-2.jpg" width="500" /><BR><FONT SIZE="-2"><EM><U>If I Was Today</U></EM></FONT></center><br />Despite the sharp change in figurative visual language, the artist still maintains the same exciting elements in his past work. One of his trademarks is the use of visual density. His under-paintings are so detailed and intricate that they could probably serve a separate works in their own right. HUSH layers his primary painting directly over the highly finished under-painting with the same eye for detail thereby creating a very dense visual field. The artist said that he finds it difficult to paint on a blank canvas. Therefore he prefers to build the world around the painting before developing a central theme. The other key feature is the heavy Asian pop cultural influences. In addition to using the Asian female form, he also incorporates Japanese design elements like manga screen tones and traditional Japanese textile patterns. Furthermore, he frequently uses hiragana and kanji in his graffiti tags which directly connect his work to his primary influences.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/hush2010-2a.jpg" ALIGN="top" width="240" /><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/hush2010-2b.jpg" ALIGN="top" width="240" /><BR><FONT SIZE="-2"><EM>Detail of <U>If I Was Today</U></EM></FONT></center><br />At the date of this blog post, the exhibition is scheduled to close. It was only planned for a short three day run. <br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/hush2010-1.jpg" width="500" /></center><br /><STRONG>Related Links:<UL><LI><A HREF="http://www.artslant.com/ny/artists/rackroom/6607">ArtSlant - Hush Rackroom</A></UL></STRONG>James Leunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09834901742305281224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270803078702388005.post-14256472147141685882010-11-20T00:44:00.016-05:002010-11-20T05:31:05.522-05:00Black Dub: Stripped Down and Devastating<center><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/BlackDubCMJ2010-1.jpg"><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/BlackDubCMJ2010-1a.jpg" width="500" /></A><br /><FONT SIZE="-2"><em>Left to Right: Daniel Lanois and Trixie Whitley</em></FONT></center><br /><STRONG>NEW YORK, October 23 –</STRONG> While I was attending the <A HREF="http://cmj2010.com/">CMJ Music Marathon</A> to see other indie acts, I checked their overall schedule of performances and noticed <A HREF="http://www.blackdub.net/">Black Dub</A> was set to play on Saturday evening. Black Dub is the current incarnation of <A HREF="http://www.daniellanois.com/">Daniel Lanois’</A> super group with a rotating roster of rock/jazz/blues virtuosos. If you don’t know Lanois’ name, he has produced some of the biggest landmark rock albums such as <A HREF="http://www.u2.com/">U2’s</A> <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Unforgettable_Fire"><EM>The Unforgettable Fire</EM></A>, U2’s <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achtung_Baby"><EM>Achtung Baby</EM></A>, <A HREF="http://www.petergabriel.com/">Peter Gabriel’s</A> <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/So_(album)"><EM>So</EM></A>, and <A HREF="http://www.bobdylan.com/">Bob Dylan’s</A> <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_Out_of_Mind"><EM>Time Out of Mind</EM></A>. He is also an absolutely brilliant musician.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a>The current roster of Black Dub consists of Daniel Lanois (guitar), <A HREF="http://www.trixiewhitley.com/">Trixie Whitley</A> (lead vocals), <A HREF="http://www.brianblade.com/">Brian Blade</A> (drums), and <A HREF="">Daryl Johnson</A> (bass).<br /><br /><CENTER><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/BlackDubCMJ2010-2.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/BlackDubCMJ2010-2a.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/BlackDubCMJ2010-3.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/BlackDubCMJ2010-3a.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/BlackDubCMJ2010-4.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/BlackDubCMJ2010-4a.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/BlackDubCMJ2010-5.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/BlackDubCMJ2010-5a.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><BR><FONT SIZE="-2"><EM>Click on the image for higher resolution.</EM></FONT></CENTER><br />Trixie Whitley, daughter of the late bluesman <A HREF="http://www.chriswhitley.com/">Chris Whitley</A>, is the latest addition to the band. She is a multi-instrument talent with the voice of an old soul. Every time I hear her voice, I am so befuddled. I keep asking myself, “How can such a smoky soulful voice be bellowing from this slight twenty-three year old blonde?” Moreover, Whitley’s voice possesses an amazing depth of emotional resonance. It breaks and strains perfectly on the crescendo of her songs causing a heartbreaking sound.<br /><br />When I walked into the <A HREF="http://www.rockwoodmusichall.com/">Rockwood Music Hall</A>, it was packed with folks including a number of press people. I squeezed my way to the front of the stage when everyone else was getting drinks from the bar. I was going to save my drinking for later and want to get front row with this super group.<br /><br /><CENTER><object width="500" height="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2ZeHFwIazW0?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2ZeHFwIazW0?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="400"></embed></object></CENTER><br />I couldn’t believe the band was going to squeeze onto the small stage. Then I was surprised when only Lanois and Whitley took the stage. Instead of a full band, the duo was going to perform without any drums or bass.<br /><br />Despite the rhythm section being absent, the duo performed a thirty minute stripped down set of devastating R&B. Lanois proved to be a highly polished guitarist with a razor sharp edge to his playing. He was absolutely awe-inspiring to witness. As for Whitley, her voice seemed a little harsher than the studio recordings. Lanois mentioned that the duo has been traveling non-stop and Whitley’s voice has been a little strained. I didn’t mind, and I loved hearing the subtle differences. Her performance was still pretty amazing.<br /><br />Some of the highlights of the performance were “<EM>Surely</EM>”, “<EM>I Believe in You</EM>”, and “<EM>I’d Rather Go Blind</EM>”.<br /><br /><CENTER><object width="500" height="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_OSe2dO0lnw?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_OSe2dO0lnw?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="400"></embed></object></CENTER><br />Overall, it was an awesome performance regardless of the lack of Brian Blade’s drums and Daryl Johnson’s bass.<br /><br /><STRONG>Related Links:<UL><LI><A HREF="http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/34338/daniel-lanois%E2%80%99-black-dub-at-rockwood-music-hall/">Daniel Lanois’ Black Dub at Rockwood Music Hall | Death and Taxes</A></UL></STRONG>James Leunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09834901742305281224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270803078702388005.post-22617689912712169872010-11-17T01:43:00.028-05:002010-11-19T13:31:55.598-05:00Family, Friends, and Grand Hallway at the CMJ Music Marathon<center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/CMJ2010-Grand-Hallway1.jpg" width="500" /></center><br /><STRONG>NEW YORK, October 22 –</STRONG> Based on another recommendation, I went to check out the Seattle-based <A HREF="http://www.grandhallway.com/">Grand Hallway</A> at the <A HREF="http://cmj2010.com/">CMJ Music Marathon</A>. They’re a sizable band with quite a few players including violinists, woodwinds, piano, and others. Playing at the small <A HREF="http://www.rockwoodmusichall.com/">Rockwood Music Hall</A>, the band squeezed themselves into the corner stage. <br /><br /><a name='more'></a>Oddly the atmosphere was kind of warm like a family gathering. I was uneasy and felt like a stranger in someone’s house. Tomo Nakayama, the lead vocalist, said that many of the band members were originally from the north-east, and their friends and families were in attendance. I guess it was more of a family reunion than a piano bar concert. I overheard several people gushing over band members as if they were proud parents bragging about their children. Noting their drink orders of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, I have a strong feeling that they aren’t the hard drinking rock and roll types.<br /><br /><CENTER><object width="500" height="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/O6hkoqeCmeY?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/O6hkoqeCmeY?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="400"></embed></object></CENTER><br />According to some of their press, the band has been classified and tagged as chamber pop. Their sound is very layered and multi-textured due to the various instruments interacting. At several points during the performance, there was a real pop orchestral sound. Moreover, Nakayama’s guitar playing had a twangy country folk feel, and the tone of his vocals were very soft. The drumming provided by David Ulrich was also very powerful. His playing style has an infectious rolling rhythm that created an awesome effect. Most of the other band members weaved in-and-out of the songs with graceful ease. They added layers of melody and harmony to very delicate pop compositions.<br /><br />The highlights of their performance were "<EM>Blessed Be, Honey Bee</EM>", "<EM>Little Sister</EM>", and "<EM>Sirens</EM>".<br /><br />You can also find more videos of Grand Hallway's performance at the <A HREF="http://www.youtube.com/user/jamesleung0?feature=mhum#p/u"> Blog's Youtube Channel</A>.James Leunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09834901742305281224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270803078702388005.post-21156180613073551092010-11-10T22:17:00.009-05:002010-11-10T22:54:19.551-05:00Paul Weller's Night in Harlem<center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/weller2010-1.jpg" width="500" /><br /><span ><FONT SIZE="-2"><em>Crowd waiting to enter the Apollo Theater.</em></FONT></span></center><br /><STRONG>NEW YORK, November 6 –</STRONG> As I rolled up from the A train onto the Harlem streets, I eagerly made my way down the block to the see the amazing <A HREF="http://www.paulweller.com/">Paul Weller</A> at the <A HREF="http://www.apollotheater.org/">Apollo Theater</A>. There was no wind that night, but the air was a bit chilly. I pulled up the collar on my coat and soldiered on. The brisk November couldn’t deter me from this potentially awesome performance. <br /><br />When I reached the legendary venue, I noticed a massive line of people. I quickly asked the last man in line about the crowd. He responded with a nod and assured me that this is the line to get into the theater. I was astonished at the large number of concert goers for Weller’s show. I took my place in the back of the line and waited in the cold with my fellow music enthusiasts.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a>After I was seated and the opening act finished, Weller walked onto the stage and proceeded to assault the audience with two straight hours of soul and mod music. This included two extended encores. Armed with a set list of new songs and old classics, he unloaded the tunes with his special brand of attitude and passion. <br /><br />The second song of Weller's set was a long rendition of <EM>“Into Tomorrow”</EM>. Instead of playing it straight, he jammed through the tune with long improvisational breaks. His playing straddled between psychedelic rock and pop jazz. It was completely groovy.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/weller2010-2.jpg" width="400" /></center><br />When Weller started playing the opening chords to <EM>“Shout to the Top”</EM>, the entire theater seemed to stand up all at once. I would venture to say that there were quite a number of <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Style_Council">Style Council</A> fans in the audience. They were dancing in the aisles and singing along with Weller. Some fans were leaning over the balcony going nuts. Did all the Style Council fans have a pre-concert meeting and decided to freak out at the same exact time? I guess I missed that inter-office memo.<br /><br />As part of the encore, Weller performed a stirring cover of <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvin_Gaye">Marvin Gaye’s</A> <EM>“How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)”</EM>. It was interesting to hear him sing a <A HREF="http://www.motown.com/">Motown</A> classic at the Apollo. It seems appropriate for a musician who has a deep grounding in classic R&B. It was definitely a pleasant surprise.<br /><br />Although there were plenty of amazing moments, the highlights of the performance were “Into Tomorrow”, “From the Floorboards Up”, and “Sea Spray”.<br /><br />During the show, I noticed a middle-aged bald guy dancing in front of the stage. Wearing a white dress shirt and tie, he was rocking out like a manic and gyrating his hand like <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Curtis">Ian Curtis</A>. I don’t think he sat down once during the entire performance. I guess he was just feeding off of the band’s energy.<br /><br />In conclusion, Paul Weller was amazing with seemingly limitless energy. He rocked out with several bizarre musical tangents throughout the night. I enjoyed each exploration and stayed for the entire two hour ride. I left the Apollo Theater in total exhaustion and excitement. <br /><br /><STRONG>Related Links:<UL><LI><A HREF="http://www.spinner.com/2010/11/07/paul-weller-honors-soul-heroes-at-new-yorks-apollo-theater/">Paul Weller Honors Soul Heroes at New York's Apollo Theater - Spinner</A><LI><A HREF="http://www.showbiz411.com/2010/11/08/james-francos-big-weekend-paul-weller-jams-up-the-apollo">James Franco’s Big Weekend; Paul Weller Jams Up the Apollo | Showbiz411</A><LI><A HREF="http://paulwellernews.blogspot.com/2010/11/paul-weller-at-apollo-by-james-from.html">Paul Weller News: Paul Weller At The Apollo! By: James From The Freethinking Movement</A></UL></STRONG>James Leunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09834901742305281224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270803078702388005.post-38221949730413171052010-11-09T12:42:00.026-05:002010-11-17T13:22:15.878-05:00Kaiju Heroes: Men in Rubber Suits<center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/nakajima1.jpg" width="300" /><br /><span ><FONT SIZE="-2"><em>Haruo Nakajima taking a break between takes.</em></FONT></span></center><br /><STRONG>NEW YORK, November 9 –</STRONG> In Japanese <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaiju">kaiju (怪獣) films</A>, the faces of the most memorable players are never seen on the silver screen. They are the kaiju actors who breathe life into fantastic monsters like <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godzilla">Godzilla (ゴジラ)</A> and <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamera">Gamera (ガメラ)</A>. Suffering underneath thick layers of latex rubber, they lumbered around complex miniature cityscapes in order to create movie magic. They are literally where “the rubber meets the road.”<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><STRONG>Haruo Nakajima</STRONG><br /><br /><CENTER><object width="500" height="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GE6WpMQS6I8?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GE6WpMQS6I8?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="400"></embed></object></CENTER><br />In addition to some bit roles in <A HREF="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000041/">Akira Kurosawa’s (黒澤 明)</A> films, <A HREF="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0620032/">Haruo Nakajima</A> has worn the honored mantle of Godzilla in several major Toho movies including the original <A HREF="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047034/"><EM>Godzilla</EM></A> film (along with <A HREF="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0856801/">Katsumi Tezuka</A>), <A HREF="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056142/"><EM>King Kong vs. Godzilla</EM></A>, <A HREF="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068371/"><EM>Godzilla vs. Gigan</EM></A>, and others. Nakajima is perhaps one of the most memorable kaiju actors in the history of Japanese cinema credited with over forty films. Beyond the Godzilla franchaise, some of his best roles feature other bizarre monsters like <A HREF="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051512/">Baran</A>, <A HREF="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065776/">Gezora</A>, and <A HREF="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060440/">Gaira</A>.<br /><br />Working closely with special effects genius <A HREF="http://www.eiji-tsuburaya.gr.jp/">Eiji Tsuburaya (円谷 英一)</A>, Nakajima helped to pioneer a new form of physical acting called suit acting. The broad physical miming gestures used by him came to define the entire genre. <br /><br /><STRONG>Teruo Aragaki</STRONG><br /><br /><CENTER><object width="500" height="306"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6JS1y991ngQ?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6JS1y991ngQ?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="306"></embed></object></CENTER><br />Despite being uncredited on the original <A HREF="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059080/">Gamera film</A>, <A HREF="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2760419/">Teruo Aragaki (荒垣輝雄)</A> would continue to portrayed the giant flying bipedal tortoise in three additional sequels. His role as Gamera was physically demanding with elaborate action sequences and intense fighting scenes. In addition to the Showa era Gamera films, Aragaki was also featured in several episodes of the <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultraman"><EM>Ultraman</EM></A> television show.<br /><br /><STRONG>Akira Ohashi</STRONG><br /><br /><CENTER><object width="500" height="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/e_Lm0sn0wog?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/e_Lm0sn0wog?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="400"></embed></object></CENTER><br />In the more recent Heisei era, <A HREF="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0989728/">Akira Ohashi (大橋明)</A> has several outstanding performances underneath the latex rubber. He played major roles in both Gamera and Godzilla franchises. His most notable role was Gamera in <A HREF="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116390/"><EM>Gamera 2: Attack of Legion</EM></A>. He was also featured in the Godzilla franchise as the three headed space dragon named <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Ghidorah">King Ghidorah (キングギドラ)</A> in <A HREF="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0279112/"><EM>Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack</EM></A>. On the small screen, Ohashi is credited for a couple of seasons of the <A HREF="http://www.kamenridertv.com/"><EM>Kamen Rider</EM></A> television series.<br /><br /><STRONG>Tsutomu Kitagawa</STRONG><br /><br /><CENTER><object width="500" height="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ut1XbND_IPA?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ut1XbND_IPA?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="400"></embed></object></CENTER><br />The current inheritor of the Godzilla title is <A HREF="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0457511/">Tsutomu Kitagawa (喜多川務)</A>. Kitagawa has played the role of the giant atomic dinosaur in the last five films including <A HREF="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0188640/"><EM>Godzilla 2000</EM></A> and <A HREF="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0399102/"><EM>Godzilla: Final Wars</EM></A>. As a highly trained stuntman, he brings a new energetic physicality to the role. His suit acting has to match the intensity of the new computer generated visuals of the heisei era films.<br /><br />For more kaiju cinema, check out <A HREF="http://augustragone.blogspot.com/">August Ragone's The Good, The Bad, and Godzilla 続・夕陽の呉爾羅</A> and <A HREF="http://www.tohokingdom.com/">Toho Kingdom</A>.<br /><br />This blog post is a part of <A HREF="http://wildgrounds.com/index.php/japanese-film-blogathon-2010/">the Japanese Film Blogathon 2010</A>.James Leunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09834901742305281224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270803078702388005.post-23498354817855706022010-11-02T01:09:00.022-04:002010-11-03T12:04:48.415-04:00Jane Lui Double Taps New York<center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/janelui2010-1.jpg" width="500" /></center><br /><STRONG>NEW YORK, October 22 –</STRONG> Based on a recommendation, I went to see <A HREF="http://www.janelui.com/">Jane Lui’s</A> performance at the <A HREF="http://www.rockwoodmusichall.com/">Rockwood Music Hall</A>. Lui, a recent internet phenom, has been known as one of the more notable independent musical acts in the San Francisco scene. Unlike past generations of musicians, her career was born out of the internet and takes full advantage of powerful marketing tools like <A HREF="http://www.youtube.com/user/LuieLand">youtube</A> and social media networks. Through a spirited digital DIY campaign, she has carefully garnered a pretty loyal following making her <A HREF="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=internet%20famous">internet famous</A>.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a>Despite her Hong Kong upbringing, Lui’s sound is a very big departure from the highly produced <A HREF="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIiWR8E1SZs">Canto-pop</A> songs that she used to admired as a child. Moreover, she has a very straight forward approach to melody and an honest tone in her lyrics. I especially enjoyed her percussive piano playing style and smokey vocals. It’s a particularly dangerous bluesy-folk musical mixture. Her sound is reminiscent of other singer-songwriters like <A HREF="http://toriamos.com/">Tori Amos</A> or <A HREF="http://jonimitchell.com/">Joni Mitchell</A>. <br /><br /><CENTER><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/wOciR21WUyI?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wOciR21WUyI?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></CENTER><br />At Lui’s first New York gig, I arrived in the middle of her short set and only caught the last two songs. My tardiness was due to being unintentionally trapped in a subway car. It’s one of the problems living in a large metropolitan city that is heavily reliant on mass transportation. When I arrived at the tiny piano bar, the place was packed with an unusual grouping of people. I was having trouble finding a place to stand. In the strangeness of that Monday night, there was even one guy dressed in a <A HREF="http://www.startrek.com/">Star Trek</A> uniform. Jane Lui and <A HREF="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Z9VSOq0nqU">trekkies</A>? I didn’t get the connection between his cosplay and her indie music. Someone’s gotta fill me in…<br /><br />Because I missed most of her first performance, I was lucky enough to catch Lui’s second performance as a part of the <A HREF="http://cmj2010.com/">CMJ Music Marathon</A>. It was held at the same venue on the following Friday. However, this time she had the opportunity to play on the larger second stage. The acoustics were definitely better in the larger setting. The crowd was a bit smaller for her mid afternoon performance, but this might be due to the short notice and the last minute nature of the booking. <br /><br />Some of the highlights of the performance were “<EM>Firefly</EM>”, “<EM>Pigeon Woman</EM>”, and “<EM>Illusionist Boy</EM>”.<br /><br /><CENTER><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/r0C7oNJ2t1k?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/r0C7oNJ2t1k?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></CENTER><br />If you want to listen to Jane Lui’s latest recordings, check out <A HREF="http://www.janelui.com/">her website for a free mp3 album download</A>. You can also find more videos of Jane Lui's performance at the <A HREF="http://www.youtube.com/user/jamesleung0?feature=mhum#p/u"> Blog's Youtube Channel</A>.James Leunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09834901742305281224noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270803078702388005.post-66040452316679684902010-10-27T01:20:00.013-04:002010-11-10T23:09:15.080-05:00Shonen Knife at Asia Society<center><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/shonenknife2010-01.jpg"><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/shonenknife2010-01t.jpg" width="500" /></A><br /><span ><FONT SIZE="-2"><em>Emi Morimoto standing on her drums and Ritsuko Taneda rocking out.</em></FONT></span></center><br /><strong>New York, September 25 –</strong> As a part of their extravagant <A HREF="http://sites.asiasociety.org/yoshitomonara/">Yoshitomo Nara (奈良 美智) exhibition</A>, <A HREF="http://asiasociety.org/">Asia Society</A> hosted a concert by <A HREF="http://www.shonenknife.com/">Shonen Knife (少年ナイフ)</A>. Nara is a big fan of the band and designed some of their album covers including <EM>Happy Hour</EM>. In a larger sense, he has also credited punk music as being a major influence in his artwork.<br /><br />In addition to the art exhibit, the performance was part of a new American tour that served as a coming out party for Shonen Knife's new drummer Emi Morimoto. She seemed to fit the band extremely well. Her drumming was exciting and filled with gusto.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a>The highlights of the performance were: <EM>Banana Chips</EM>, <EM>Super Group</EM>, and <EM>It's a New Find</EM>.<br /><br /><CENTER><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/shonenknife2010-02.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/shonenknife2010-02t.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/shonenknife2010-03.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/shonenknife2010-03t.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/shonenknife2010-04.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/shonenknife2010-04t.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/shonenknife2010-05.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/shonenknife2010-05t.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><BR><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/shonenknife2010-06.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/shonenknife2010-06t.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/shonenknife2010-07.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/shonenknife2010-07t.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/shonenknife2010-08.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/shonenknife2010-08t.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/shonenknife2010-09.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/shonenknife2010-09t.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><BR><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/shonenknife2010-10.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/shonenknife2010-10t.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/shonenknife2010-11.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/shonenknife2010-11t.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/shonenknife2010-13.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/shonenknife2010-13t.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/shonenknife2010-14.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/shonenknife2010-14t.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><BR><FONT SIZE="-2"><EM>Click on the image for higher resolution.</EM></FONT></CENTER><br />The theater is pretty spacious, but one thing bothered me. The acoustics were really weird. I'm used to seeing Shonen Knife in small clubs with the amps blazing. However, the sound was reverberating off the wooden auditorium in a strange way. I can't really describe it. It sounds kinda like a rock band playing a school auditorium. The wood-paneled venue was built specifically for speakers and oration, and I'm pretty sure j-rock music was not a consideration in its design.<br /><br />Despite the strange acoustics, the band rocked pretty hard and entertained the audience with their special brand of punk-pop music. <br /><br /><center><TABLE CELLSPACING="0" CELLPADDING="0" BORDER="0" WIDTH="300"><TR><TD><center><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/shonenknife2010-12.jpg"><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/shonenknife2010-12t.jpg" width="295" /></A><br /><span ><FONT SIZE="-2"><em>Yoshitomo Nara watching the signing from the stairs.</em></FONT></span></center></TD></TABLE></center><br />After the performance, the band did a lengthy autograph session and met with the audience. They are always very gracious to their fans. I also noticed Nara watching the signing event with camera in hand. He was just another music fan at the rock show.<br /><br /><STRONG>Related Links:<UL><LI><A HREF="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z90K4L_NxAA">Youtube: Asia Society: Rocking Out with Shonen Knife</A><LI><A HREF="http://www.shonenknife.net/blog/archives/5462">Shonen Knife Blog » September 25th New York, NY</A><br /></UL></STRONG>James Leunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09834901742305281224noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270803078702388005.post-88451670715672303142010-10-25T01:23:00.010-04:002010-10-25T02:20:20.532-04:00AWA 2010: Shinji Aramaki and Friends<center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/AWA2010-01.jpg" width="500" /><br /><span ><FONT SIZE="-2"><em>Con Attendees</em></FONT></span></center><br /><strong>Atlanta, September 18 –</strong> Being sandwiched between the summer anime convention season and <A HREF="http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/">New York Comic Con</A>, I was initially hesitant about attending <A HREF="http://www.awa-con.com">Anime Weekend Atlanta 2010</A>. The two big draws for me were hanging out with some friends and meeting anime director <A HREF="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0032925/">Shinji Aramaki (荒牧 伸志)</A>.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/AWA2010-02.jpg" width="500" /><br /><span ><FONT SIZE="-2"><em>Everyone is a Critic Panel (Left to Right): Paul Chapman (<A HREF="http://gooberzilla.wordpress.com/">The Greatest Movie EVER! Podcast</A>), Gerald Rathkolb (<A HREF="http://www.awopodcast.com/">AWO</A>), and Daryl Surat (<A HREF="http://www.awopodcast.com/">AWO</A>)</em></FONT></span></center><br />The great majority of the convention was spent hang out with friends. Since AWA is more low key than other larger conventions, I actually got the chance to talk to people. I also had the opportunity to attend some interesting panels like <EM>Everyone is a Critic</EM> and the <EM>Podcaster's Roundtable</EM>. <br /><br /><a name='more'></a><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/AWA2010-04.jpg" width="300" /><br /><span ><FONT SIZE="-2"><em>Shinji Aramaki with a Deunan Knute cosplayer</em></FONT></span></center><br />The other major reason I went to AWA was Shinji Aramaki. I attended his panel and his signing event. After the signing, I had a great interview with the master mech designer and veteran anime director for <A HREF="http://www.giantrobot.com/">Giant Robot Magazine</A>. He is a fascinating storyteller with tons of industry experience.James Leunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09834901742305281224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270803078702388005.post-86749020422658135842010-10-21T02:05:00.026-04:002010-10-21T02:43:46.650-04:00NYCC 2010: Everyday is Like GR Sunday<center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/nycc2010-4-00.jpg" width="500" /><br /><span ><FONT SIZE="-2"><em>Giant Robot Invades</em></FONT></span></center><br /><strong>New York, October 10 –</strong> The last day at <A HREF="http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/">New York Comic Con</A> was much calmer, and I saw more children in the crowd. My game plan for most of the day was booth duty. I spent most of the day answering questions and promoting <A HREF="http://www.giantrobot.com/">Giant Robot Magazine</A>.<br /><br /><center><TABLE CELLSPACING="0" CELLPADDING="0" BORDER="0" width="255"><TR><TD><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/nycc2010-3-02.jpg" width="250" /><BR><FONT SIZE="-2"><em>Sho'nuff visits the Giant Robot Booth</em></FONT></center></TD></TABLE></center><br />The booth had many different visitors. Most of the visitors to our booth were young artists looking to get involved with Giant Robot. I had long running conversations about <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superflat">Superflat</A>, street graffiti, and the current art scene. I even ran into a few <A HREF="http://www.davidchoe.com/">David Choe</A> fans. They were hoping that Dave was going to be at the booth. Unfortunately I had to give them the bad news. On the other hand, younger booth visitors were looking for recommendation about everything. I was dispensing recommendations for anime, manga, Asian cinema, J-rock, and other related topics. <br /><br /><a name='more'></a>I also provided some reassurance to Giant Robot fans and readers. Many were concerned about the closing of the <A HREF="http://grny.net/">Giant Robot New York Store</A>. I was sincerely grateful at the strong loyalty of GR readers. They were awesome.<br /><br /><STRONG>The Last Panels Standing</STRONG><br /><br />After I finished manning the booth, I hastily made my way to some the late panels on the NYAF side.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/nycc2010-3-03.jpg" width="500" /><br /><span ><FONT SIZE="-2"><em>Evan Minto, Faces of Anime Panel</em></FONT></span></center><br />Evan Minto (<A HREF="">Ani Gamers</A>) conducted a interesting panel on character designs in Anime. His presentation had depth and insight on some of the significant characters designs from <A HREF="http://tezukaosamu.net/">Osamu Tezuka (手塚 治虫)</A> to <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moe_(slang)">Moe (萌え)</A>. If you want to listen to the panel, check out <A HREF="http://eeeperschoice.com/nyaf-2010-panel-audio-the-changing-faces-of-anime">NYAF 2010 Panel Audio – The Changing Faces of Anime « Eeeper's Choice Podcast</A>.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/nycc2010-3-04.jpg" width="500" /><br /><span ><FONT SIZE="-2"><em>Kate and Alain, Anime Recruitment</em></FONT></span></center><br />At roughly the same time, Alain and Kate from <A HREF="http://reversethieves.com/">Reverse Thieves</A> hosted a panel on the introduction of anime to non-fans. Their panel was packed with a huge crowd. The give-and-take between the crowd and the panelists was lively especially the Q&A portion.James Leunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09834901742305281224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270803078702388005.post-62732039591370259372010-10-18T03:43:00.006-04:002011-01-21T13:50:55.139-05:00NYCC 2010: Saturday Funnies<center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/nycc2010-2-01.jpg" width="500" /><br /><span ><FONT SIZE="-2"><em>Ultraman (ウルトラマン) Cosplayer</em></FONT></span></center><br /><strong>New York, October 9 –</strong> Saturday is probably the busiest day during the <A HREF="http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/">New York Comic Con</A>. I arrived early for many of the interesting panels including the Spotlight on <A HREF="http://www.harpercollins.com/">Harper Collins</A>, <A HREF="http://raiwebs.blogspot.com/2010/10/nycc-2010-digital-revolution-will-not.html">Digital Comics & Distribution</A>, and <A HREF="http://www.sushi-typhoon.com/">Sushi Typhoon</A>.<br /><br /><STRONG>Vampires, Witches, and Zombies. Oh my...</STRONG><br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/nycc2010-2-02.jpg" width="500" /><br /><span ><FONT SIZE="-2"><em>Spotlight on Harper Collins. Seated (Left to Right): Erika Tsang (editor), Margaret Ronald (author), Jeaniene Frost (author), and Pamela Palmer (author).</em></FONT></span></center><br />I popped into this panel to check out the announcements and support my cousin Erika Tsang. She is an Executive Editor at <A HREF="http://www.avonromance.com/">Avon Romance</A>. The panel announced several supernatural romance fiction titles such as <A HREF="http://www.marjoriemliu.com/">Majorie Liu's</A> <em>In the Dark of Dreams</em>, <A HREF="http://jeanienefrost.com/">Jeaniene Frost's</A> <em>Side of the Grave</Em>, and <A HREF="http://www.kerrelynsparks.com/">Kerrelyn Sparks'</A> <em>Vampire Mine</EM>. Despite the romance nature of the imprint, the line was filled with sexy vampires, powerful witches, and zombies invasions. The trend in romance fiction is leaning towards the supernatural with the popularity of book series like <A HREF="http://thetwilightsaga.com/"><EM>The Twilight Saga</EM></A> and <A HREF="http://www.charlaineharris.com/"><EM>The Southern Vampire Mysteries (True Blood)</EM></A>.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a>The panel also addressed the re-branding of the <A HREF="http://www.harpercollins.com/imprints/index.aspx?imprintid=518005">EOS</A> imprint to <A HREF="http://www.harpercollins.co.uk/about-harpercollins/Imprints/voyager/Pages/Voyager.aspx">Harper Collins Voyager</A>.<br /><br />I crossed the walkway to the Digital Comics & Distribution panel. The panel was slow to start. Read the post here: <A HREF="http://raiwebs.blogspot.com/2010/10/nycc-2010-digital-revolution-will-not.html">Digital Revolution Will Not Be Televised</A>.<br /><br /><STRONG>Sushi Typhoon: The Best in Japanese Gore Flicks</STRONG><br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/nycc2010-2-04.jpg" width="500" /><br /><span ><FONT SIZE="-2"><em>Marc Walkow (Overseas Marketing for Sushi Typhoon)</em></FONT></span></center><br />After the Digital Comics & Distribution panel, I raced down the convention center to the New York Anime Festival (NYAF) side. I didn't want to miss the Sushi Typhoon panel. <br /><br />When I got to the panel room, I had a short chat with <A HREF="http://outcastcinema.blogspot.com/">Marc Walkow</A> from <A HREF="http://www.sushi-typhoon.com/">Sushi Typhoon</A> and <A HREF="http://www.subwaycinema.com/">Subway Cinema</A>. We talked about his involvement with Sushi Typhoon and the <A HREF="http://ameblo.jp/tokyodolores/">Tokyo Dolores (トーキョードロレス)</A> pole dancing team. The sexy <A HREF="http://ameblo.jp/cay663">Cay Izumi (泉カイ)</A>, actress in <A HREF="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1590796/">Mutant Girls Squad</A> and <A HREF="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1381512/">RoboGeisha (ロボゲイシャ)</A>, is a featured dancer on the team.<br /><br />As the panel started, Marc had a few technical difficulties but recovered quickly. He showed trailers to upcoming Sushi Typhoon films such as <A HREF="http://blog.livedoor.jp/iguchinoboru/">Noboru Iguchi's (井口昇)</A> <A HREF="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1645048/">Karate Robo Zaborgar</A>, <A HREF="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1056120/">Tak Sakaguchi's (坂口拓)</A> <A HREF="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1669604/">Yakuza Weapon</A>, and <A HREF="http://blog.livedoor.jp/ni4yo4/">Yoshihiro Nishimura’s</A> <A HREF="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1653913/">Helldriver</A>. He also talked about a possible <A HREF="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0586281/">Takashi Miike (三池 崇史)</A> film in the works and plans to make <A HREF="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0945369/">Yudai Yamaguchi's (山口 雄大)</A> Deadball. <br /><br /><STRONG>Exhibition and Artist Alley</STRONG><br /><br />In the mid-afternoon, I had the chance to wander around the exhibition floor and enjoy some of the booths. After I got around the madness that was the <A HREF="http://www.square-enix.com/na/">Square Enix (株式会社スクウェア・エニックス・ホールディングス)</A> booth, I ran into a familiar sight.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/nycc2010-2-E1.jpg" width="500" /></center><br />I was glad to see <A HREF="http://uglydolls.com/">Uglydoll</A> peeps who are good friends of <A HREF="http://www.giantrobot.com/">Giant Robot Magazine</A>. They were super busy selling their toys and promoting their brand. <br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/nycc2010-2-E2.jpg" width="500" /></center><br />As I made my way deeper into the fray, I found several glass display case filled with Special Master Grade <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunpla">Gunpla (ガンプラ)</A>. I must be in the <A HREF="http://www.bandai-ent.com/Bandai_Entertainment/Welcome.html">Bandai (株式会社バンダイ)</A> booth. The detailed modeling in the Gunpla was pretty sweet.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/nycc2010-2-E5.jpg" width="500" /></center><br />I crossed over into the Small Press section to find the folks at the <a href="http://www.vertical-inc.com/">Vertical Inc</A> booth. Mister Ed Chavez, Market Director, was enjoying a delicious overpriced breakfast burrito from the food court. Ioannis Mentzas, Editorial Director/Executive Vice President, was fingering his Tec-9 in case someone wanted to start some static with <A HREF="http://www.vertical-inc.com/chi/index.html">Chi (チー)</A>. <br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/nycc2010-2-E3.jpg" width="230" ALIGN="top" /><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/nycc2010-2-E4.jpg" width="230" ALIGN="top" /></center><br />On th opposite side of the same exhibition hall, they had the Artist Alley. NYCC always has an Artist Alley packed with professionals and quality amateurs. I walked directly over to <A HREF="http://whilceportacio.net/">Whilce Portacio's</A> table. He was very influential to my drawing style in the early 90s. I was particularly fond of his magnificent run in <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-Factor_(comics)">X-Factor</A> (#63-69). He seemed shy and didn't talk to any fans. I just hung out and watched him sketch some doodles.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/nycc2010-2-E6.jpg" width="500" /></center><br />Around the corner, I found another great comic book artist named <A HREF="http://www.marktexeira.com/">Mark Texeira</A>. Texeira, a New Yorker, made some brilliant runs in both the <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolverine_(comics)">Wolverine</A> and <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_Rider_(comics)">Ghost Rider</A> series. He was busy with a commission.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/nycc2010-2-E7.jpg" width="500" /></center><br />Further down the aisle, I ran into <A HREF="http://www.cliffchiang.com/">Cliff Chiang</A>. He's currently kicking ass on the <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Arrow_and_Black_Canary">Green Arrow and Black Canary</A> series. He's a very cool illustrator.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/nycc2010-2-E8.jpg" width="500" /></center><br />I doubled back around and return to the main exhibition floor to visit the Giant Robot booth. I found a <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Pirate_Captain_Harlock">Space Pirate Captain Harlock</A> cosplayer checking out the booth too. The booth was a joint promotional effort between <A HREF="http://www.scion.com/">Scion Motors</A> and Giant Robot Magazine. Scion assigned a marketing person to run the booth, so I decided to give her hand. I spent the rest of the afternoon answering questions about Giant Robot Magazine and GR sponsored events like the <A HREF="http://doyouwanttc.com/installation/">Scion 6 Installation</A>.<br /><br />Towards the evening, I once again made my way over to the NYAF side for some late night panels.<br /><br /><STRONG>Vertical Inc: Tezuka and Beyond</STRONG><br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/nycc2010-2-10.jpg" width="500" /><BR><FONT SIZE="-2"><EM>Left to Right: Ed Chavez (Market Director) and Ioannis Mentzas (Editorial Director/Executive Vice President)</EM></FONT></center><br />Vertical began the panel with the highly successful <A HREF="http://www.vertical-inc.com/chi/index.html"><EM>Chi's Sweet Home (チーズスイートホーム)</EM></A> series. Chavez discuss various marketing and licensing opportunities including a US Chi Web Portal and Wall Posters. They also talked about other established titles like <A HREF="http://www.vertical-inc.com/twinspica/index.html"><EM>Twin Spica (ふたつのスピカ)</EM></A>. <!-- When trying to describe <EM>Twin Spica</EM>, Mentzas said, "When you think of girls in sci-fi, you think of Bikini Armor. This is the opposite of that." --><br /><br />In addition, Vertical announced several new licenses. They acquired two new titles from the <A HREF="http://tezukainenglish.com/">Osamu Tezuka (手塚 治虫)</A> collection. The first is <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayako_(manga)"><EM>Ayako (奇子)</EM></A> which is slated for release on November 30, 2010. The second Tezuka title is <A HREF="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/manga.php?id=10296"><EM>The Book of Human Insects (人間昆虫記)</EM></A> which is scheduled for a July 26, 2011 releaese. In an effort to stretch the scope of their catalog, Vertical has added several seinen and gekiga titles. They announced the acquisition of two works by <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usamaru_Furuya">Usamaru Furuya (古屋兎丸)</A>. The first Furuya license is the <A HREF="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/manga.php?id=9554"><EM>Lychee Light Club (ライチ☆光クラブ)</EM></A> that is currently scheduled for a spring release. The other one is <A HREF="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/manga.php?id=10624"><EM>No Longer Human (人間失格)</EM></A>. In a <A HREF="http://www.vertical-inc.com/news/2010/10/14/no-longer-human-announcement-premature/">recent press release</A>, Vertical has stated that the NYAF announcement of the <EM>No Longer Human</EM> license was "pre-mature". For more details on the Vertical licenses, please check <A HREF="http://manga.about.com/b/2010/10/14/vertical-no-longer-human-manga-announcement-premature.htm">About.com: Manga: NYAF 2010: Vertical Adds New Tezuka, Furuya Manga to 2011 Line-up</A>.<br /><br />After the <EM>Vertical</EM> panel, I quickly headed over to the <EM>Gay for You? Yaoi and Yuri Manga for GBLTQ Readers</EM> panel. Read the transcript here: <A HREF="http://manga.about.com/b/2010/10/20/nyaf-2010-gay-for-you-yuri-yaoi-manga-for-gblt-readers.htm">About.com: Manga: NYAF 2010: "Gay for You?" Yuri & Yaoi Manga for GBLT Readers</A><!-- <A HREF="http://raiwebs.blogspot.com/2010/10/nycc-2010-queer-manga.html">Queer Manga for GBLTQ Readers</A> --><br /><br /><STRONG>Unusual Manga</STRONG><br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/nycc2010-2-12.jpg" width="500" /><BR><FONT SIZE="-2"><EM>Left to Right: Erin Finnegan, Noah Fulmor, and Ed Chavez.</EM></FONT></center><br />The very last panel of the day was hosted by Erin Finnegan (<A HREF="http://www.otakuusamagazine.com/Main/Home.aspx">Otaku USA</A> and <A HREF="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/shelf-life/">ANN's Shelf Life</A>). Erin was joined by Noah Fulmor (husband) and Vertical's Ed Chavez. They discussed the bizarre array of manga releassed in Japan including religious manga, salary man manga, curling manga, and others. For more information check out the <A HREF="http://ninjaconsultant.livejournal.com/">Ninja Consultants Podcast</A>.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/nycc2010-2-13.jpg" width="500" /><BR><FONT SIZE="-2"><EM>Left to Right: Noah Fulmor and Ed Chavez.</EM></FONT></center>James Leunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09834901742305281224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270803078702388005.post-31011344439929728882010-10-14T13:34:00.011-04:002010-10-14T23:51:21.012-04:00NYCC 2010: Digital Revolution Will Not Be Televised... It Will Be Loaded into Your iPad<center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/nycc2010-2-03.jpg" width="500" /><br /><FONT SIZE="-2"><em>Digital Comics & Distribution. Seated (Left to Right): Ira Rubenstein (Marvel), David Steinberger (Comixology), Jim Lee (DC), and Micah Baldwin (Graphic.ly).</em></FONT></center><br /><strong>New York, October 9 –</strong> Lately much of the news from many comic book publishers are focused on their huge push into digital distribution. Due to the portability and high resolution of print, the publishing industry enjoyed a brief respite from the onslaught of digitization and piracy of their media. However, the proliferation of piracy on file sharing torrent networks and dropping revenues from unit sales have forced publishers to adopt a more aggressive approach towards digital distribution.<br /><br />The panel included: Ira Rubenstein (<A HREF="http://marvel.com/">Marvel's</A>), David Steinberger (<A HREF="http://www.comixology.com/">comiXology</A>), Jim Lee (<A HREF="http://www.dccomics.com/dccomics/">DC Comics</a>), and Micah Baldwin (<A HREF="http://graphic.ly/">Graphic.ly</A>)<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><STRONG>The Good, The Bad, and The Geeky</STRONG><br /><br /><table align="right" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/nycc2010-2-03c.jpg" width="200" /><br /><span ><FONT SIZE="-2"><em>Micah Baldwin (Graphic.ly)</em></FONT></span></center></td></table>The panel addressed the advantages and disadvantages involved with digital distribution of comics. <br /><br />Micah Baldwin, Chief Community Caretaker at <A HREF="http://graphic.ly/">Graphic.ly</A>, argues that the digital age of comics will enhance the comic book experience. He said that technology should not be limiting factor, and it should follow the imagination of the creators. He discussed enhancements like <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_comic">motion comics (animated panels)</A> and hyperlink zooming features.<br /><br /><br />David Steinberger, CEO of <A HREF="http://www.comixology.com/">comiXology</A>, agreed with Baldwin's assessment on the storytelling potential of digital media. However, he argues that digital comics are still in its infancy. The technology is still experimental. Furthermore, the comic industry needs a standardized file format that works seamlessly across all platforms. There still isn't one.<br /><br />Ira Rubenstein, Executive Vice President of <A HREF="http://marvel.com/">Marvel's</A> Global Digital Media Group, expressed a cautious optimism about digital comics. Rubenstein states that he supports advances in digital comic book storytelling, but projects like motion comics are not profitable ventures. In the context of overall revenue generated by comics publishers, Rubenstein states that digital content make up only a small percentage of the companies' income. Revenue is further hampered by the hefty 30% cut that the <A HREF="http://www.apple.com/itunes/">Apple iTunes store</A> charges content providers. As a result, most comic book publishers see digital distribution as little more than a promotional tool for the hard copy sales.<br /><br />Furthermore, Rubenstein talked about the protection of intellectual property (IP) and <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_rights_management">Digital Rights Management (DRM)</A>. He cites examples from <A HREF="http://www.sony.com/index.php">Sony's</A> multi-million dollar attempts to use software encryption to protect their IP. Most of the security software was quickly hacked and circumvented by hackers within a few months of implementation. He said that hackers "have more time than money" and are technologically capable. Rubenstein believes that IP and DRM issues need to be addressed before digital comics can be a viable business.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/nycc2010-2-03d.jpg" width="500" /><br /><span ><FONT SIZE="-2"><em>Left to Right: Ira Rubenstein (Marvel) and David Steinberger (Comixology).</em></FONT></span></center><br />As an artist, Jim Lee (Co-Publisher of <A HREF="http://www.dccomics.com/dccomics/">DC Comics</a>) was concerned about some of the image manipulation features of digital comics that might distort the work. For example, zooming into a small panel might create an undesirable moiré effect or blur fine lines. Lee expressed adamant opposition to any technological enhancements that weakens the creator's control of the visual experience. <br /><br />In addition, Lee discussed the impact of digital comics on the storytelling aspects. He states that digital devices have shorten attention spans and created the demand for shorter stories. Using examples from his own life, Lee states that he has a short attention span in front of a computer because of e-mail and other programs. His attention span is even shorter on mobile devices like smart phones and tablets causing him to spend less time on content. This phenomenon will lead to shorter comics. Rather than the standard 22 page narrative, Lee argued that most digital comics will probably be shortened to around 18 pages.<br /><br /><STRONG>Apple iTunes and Boobs</STRONG><br /><br />During the Question and Answer portion of the panel, the issue of censorship was raised by a con attendee. He cited several <A HREF="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-05-07/developer/30-percent-of-kodansha-manga-rejected-by-itunes">reported instances of Apple iTune's censorship efforts. One of the more infamous cases involved a comic showing nude female breasts.</A><br /><br />In his reply, Baldwin expressed an openness regarding content. Except for grossly objectionable content like child pornography or blatant racism, Graphic.ly will work with any creator or comic book property. He believes that creating "community driven standards" from the ground-up is the better approach to managing content.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/nycc2010-2-03a.jpg" width="500" /><br /><span ><FONT SIZE="-2"><em>Left to Right: David Steinberger (Comixology) and Jim Lee (DC).</em></FONT></span></center><br />Steinberger added that the Apple iTunes store has been tweaking their censorship policies to accommodate the readers' taste. The overly aggressive censorship will be made more flexible and reasonable.<br /><br />Interestingly Lee ended the discussion by saying, "We will get beyond 'boobs are bad'."James Leunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09834901742305281224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270803078702388005.post-6033266384223055032010-10-12T21:24:00.011-04:002010-10-15T02:12:38.454-04:00NYCC 2010: The Brave and The Geeky<center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/nycc2010-1-01.jpg" width="500" /><br /><span ><FONT SIZE="-2"><em>Cosplaying Couple posing as Superman and Wonder Woman.</em></FONT></span></center><br /><strong>New York, October 8 –</strong> Due to a late night pre-con party, I arrived to the <A HREF="http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/">New York Comic Con</A> 2010 late on the Friday afternoon. There weren't too many interesting panels except the <A HREF="http://aniplexusa.com/">Aniplex</A> one. I had a difficult time finding the press office to pick-up my badge, and the volunteers at registration had no clue. I wandered a bit and eventually got my badge. I headed over to the Aniplex panel.<br /><br /><STRONG>Aniplex of America</STRONG><br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/nycc2010-1-02.jpg" width="500" /><br /><span ><FONT SIZE="-2"><em>Aniplex PR team. Hiroe Tsukamoto (right).</em></FONT></span></center><br />As I was waiting for the panel to begin, <A HREF="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/">Anime News Network (ANN)</A> Editor Chris Macdonald sat right in front of me. I've run into him at other conventions over the summer. I greeted him, and we were trading war stories about this year's anime con season.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a>Interestingly Aniplex is one of the few Japanese companies trying to approach the US market in a hybrid fashion. They are simultaneously licensing shows for local DVD distributors, forming partnership for streaming rights, and releasing titles on their own. It's an interestingly aggressive strategy directly addressing some of the issues with the downturn in the US anime market.<br /><br />As the panel started, Aniplex announced a combination of streaming titles and DVD releases. Chris was in attendance to help promote their partnership with Aniplex. ANN is schedule to stream both <A HREF="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=11512"><EM>Oreimo (俺の妹がこんなに可愛いわけがない)</EM></A> and <A HREF="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=11371"><EM>Bloody Curs (咎狗の血)</EM></A> for the upcoming anime season. They also announced their DVD boxset releases of <A HREF="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=10947"><EM>Durarara!! (デュラララ!!)</EM></A> and <A HREF="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=1989"><EM>Read or Die (リード・オア・ダイ)</EM></A>.<br /><br />The retail prices of their DVD releases gave me a little sticker shock. Nine episodes of <EM>Durarara!!</EM> was going for $49.95, therefore the entire season was going to cost approximately $150. They are definitely going for the small collector's market. I hope they are planning to release a full season thin-pak for the more casual anime consumer and general audience types. If Aniplex thinks people are going to spend $150 for one series, they are making the same mistake a lot of other Japanese companies did in the 90s. <br /><br />Towards the end of the panel, they discussed some of their current projects such as <A HREF="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=11338"><EM>Mardock Scramble (マルドゥック・スクランブル)</EM></a> and <A HREF="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=11607"><EM>Star Driver (STAR DRIVER 輝きのタクト)</EM></a>.<br /><br /><STRONG>Chance Encounters</STRONG><br /><br /><center><img src="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/nycc2010-1-03.jpg" width="500" /><br /><span ><FONT SIZE="-2"><em>Grady Hendrix introducing Mutant Girls Squad.</em></FONT></span></center><br />I left the Aniplex panel early and peeked into the <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vocaloid">Vocaloid</A> panel. It was packed into a medium sized panel room. The event should have been scheduled for a bigger venue. There were con attendees sitting along the aisles and people lining the walls.<br /><br />I turned around and ran directly into <A HREF="http://www.gradyhendrix.com">Grady Hendrix</A> of <A HREF="http://www.subwaycinema.com/">Subway Cinema</A>. He is one of the most knowledgeable film journalists working today. We talked a bit about movies and the film industry. I accompanied Grady to the screening of <A HREF="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1590796/"><Em>Mutant Girls Squad</EM></A> because he was doing the introduction. <br /><br />After the introduction, we talked a bit. I turned in early and went home.James Leunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09834901742305281224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270803078702388005.post-7020867239307015592010-10-09T01:34:00.003-04:002010-10-10T23:38:32.980-04:00Best American Comics 2010 Book Launch with Neil Gaiman, Bryan Lee O'Malley and Gabrielle Bell<CENTER><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/gac-release07.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/gac-release07.jpg" WIDTH="500"></A><br><FONT SIZE="-2"><EM>Left to Right: Neil Gaiman, Bryan Lee O'Malley and Gabrielle Bell.</EM></FONT></CENTER><br /><STRONG>New York, October 7 –</STRONG> <A HREF="http://www.barnesandnoble.com">Barnes and Noble</A> Union Square hosted a book launching event for the <A HREF="http://hmhbooks.com/catalog/titledetail.cfm?titleNumber=1099065"><EM>Best American Comics 2010</EM></A>. The new anthology is a collection of the year’s best comics from professional, indie, graphic novel, and the web. The event was cleverly scheduled to coincide with the start of the <A HREF="http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com">New York Comic Con</A> and tapped into the comic geek audience. The large event space was packed with fans.<br /><br />The panelists for the event included: <A HREF="http://www.jessicaabel.com/">Jessica Abel</A> (editor), <A HREF="http://www.mattmadden.com/">Matt Madden</A> (editor), <A HREF="http://www.neilgaiman.com/">Neil Gaiman</A> (guest editor), <A HREF="http://gabriellebell.com/">Gabrielle Bell</A> (contributor), and <A HREF="http://radiomaru.com/">Bryan Lee O'Malley</A> (contributor).<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><STRONG>Traveling Editor</STRONG><br /><br />The anthology is mainly edited by Jessica Abel and Matt Madden. They added the contributions of Neil Gaiman as a guest editor. <br /><br />Gaiman, a prolific comic book writer, said that he eagerly accepted the offer despite his busy schedule. He recounted stories of traveling across the world and receiving large boxes of comics from Madden. Gaiman tried to read as much as possible and send the used copies back. Sometimes he would accidently misplace a comic, and others would remind him of it.<br /><br />I immediate think of the scene from <EM>Hansel and Gretel</EM>. Instead of a trail of breadcrumbs, Gaiman was leaving a trail of comic books and graphic novels. I wonder if there is an adventurous comic geek who can retrace Gaiman’s globetrotting through his lost comics.<br /><br /><STRONG>Digital Publication</STRONG><br /><br /><CENTER><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/gac-release06.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/gac-release06.jpg" WIDTH="500"></A><br><FONT SIZE="-2"><EM>Left to Right: Neil Gaiman and Bryan Lee O'Malley</EM></FONT></CENTER><br />During the <U>New York Comic Con</U>, the hot topic is the transition to digital platforms. This event was not an exception. The anthology included contribution from web comics in addition to traditionally published work. Each of the panelists provided interesting points of view on the topic.<br /><br />Bell has published a lot of web comics on <A HREF="http://gabriellebell.com/">her blog</A>. She talked about the speed and quickness of the internet as a medium. She states that, “I have a lot of instant feedback and encouragement. It’s gets out there a little more. I actually still prefer to read books. [Digital comics] has its problems, but it has great advantages too.” She added, “It’s a lot more intensive especially because I do journalistic and autobiographically things. So I can have an experience on Monday. Do a comic about it on Tuesday. Post it on the internet on Wednesday. Get some feedback on Thursday and start all over again.” Despite her advocacy of the digital medium, she strongly believes that there is still a place for physical media in comics.<br /><br />O’Malley discussed his early experiences with publishing web comics. He also talked about <A HREF="http://radiomaru.com/comics/short/bca/">Bear Creek Apartments</A> which was a joint project with <A HREF="http://hopelarson.com/">Hope Larson</A> (his wife). He expressed the positive qualities about web publishing. However, he was cautious about being overly enthusiastic about it. He argued that, “The thing about the web is everyone is on it. So, there are tons of comics. There are an unimaginable number of comics. Some of them are extremely terrible. It’s unavoidable. You just have to find someone to curate it for you.”<br /><br /><CENTER><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/gac-release13.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/gac-release13.jpg" WIDTH="500"></A><br><FONT SIZE="-2"><EM>Left to Right: Neil Gaiman, Bryan Lee O'Malley, Gabrielle Bell and Jessica Abel.</EM></FONT></CENTER><br />Gaiman was initially against the whole concept of digital publication, but he had a change of heart. He told a story about his difficulty with reading comic books. He thought it was caused by boredom. In a strange twist, he decided to buy some reading glasses from a drug store and tried reading it again. This time he was really engaged in reading them. He believes that the image enhancement abilities of digital devices could improve the entertainment value of comics. Noting the ability to zoom in and out of a frame, Gaiman was impressed in the implementation of comic books on digital device like the <A HREF="http://www.apple.com/ipad/">iPad</A>.<br /><br />Overall, the panel expressed a cautious optimism about web comics and the future of digital distribution.<br /><br />After the panel discussion, there was a signing with panelists. All of the panelists were gracious enough to sign thousands of books for their fans. <br /><br /><CENTER><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/gac-release02.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/gac-release02t.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/gac-release04.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/gac-release04t.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/gac-release05.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/gac-release05t.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/gac-release08.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/gac-release08t.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><BR><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/gac-release09.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/gac-release09t.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/gac-release10.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/gac-release10t.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/gac-release11.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/gac-release11t.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/gac-release12.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/gac-release12t.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><BR><FONT SIZE="-2"><EM>Click on the image for higher resolution.</EM></FONT></CENTER> <br /><STRONG>Related Links:<UL><LI><A HREF="http://neighborhoodnyc.com/blog/neighborhood-highlights-union-square-the-best-american-comics-2010/">Neighborhood Highlights: Union Square: The Best American Comics 2010 : Neighborhood NYC</A><LI><A HREF="http://www.tor.com/blogs/2010/10/neil-gaiman-talks-comics-in-union-square">Neil Gaiman Talks Comics in Union Square | Tor.com | Science fiction and fantasy | Blog posts</A></UL></STRONG>James Leunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09834901742305281224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270803078702388005.post-10670701101250922132010-10-07T01:28:00.007-04:002010-10-07T01:59:06.240-04:00Accidently on 34th Street<CENTER><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/kaagny2010-1.jpg"></CENTER><br /><STRONG>New York, October 2 –</STRONG> It was a beautiful Saturday morning, and the television weather forecast promised an idyllic day. I couldn’t waste it, so I head over to Bryant Park to do some manga shopping at the local Japanese bookstores. <br /><br />As I walk up to Herald Square, I was overwhelmed by a sea of Koreans with flags and Hanbok dresses. I found myself in the middle of <A HREF="http://www.nykorean.org/">Korean American Association of Greater New York’s (KAAGNY)</A> autumn parade. I totally forgot about this parade, but it was a pleasant surprise. This kind of thing that only happens in New York City. The rich multi-ethnic culture and the pedestrian nature of the city leads to some amazing experiences.<br /><br /><CENTER><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/kaagny2010-2.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/kaagny2010-2t.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/kaagny2010-3.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/kaagny2010-3t.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/kaagny2010-5.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/kaagny2010-5t.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/kaagny2010-6.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/kaagny2010-6t.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><BR><FONT SIZE="-2"><EM>Click on the image for higher resolution.</EM></FONT><br /></CENTER><br /><br />Since it was the 30th anniversary, the parade seemed exceptionally grand with huge floats and tons of spectators. It stretched from Harold Square (Koreatown) to Bryant Park.James Leunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09834901742305281224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270803078702388005.post-84073106893601790142010-09-22T22:39:00.007-04:002010-09-22T23:24:24.283-04:00You Can Have Your Moon Cake and Eat It Too<CENTER><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/MoonCake2010-1.jpg"></CENTER><br /><STRONG>New York, September 22</STRONG> – The <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Autumn_Festival">Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋節)</A> (a.k.a. Moon Festival or Lantern Festival) is one of the most widely celebrated holidays across Asia. It marks the end of summer and honors the immortal moon goddess named <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chang%27e">Chang'e (嫦娥)</A>. The day is usually celebrated with building paper lanterns and eating moon cake. I didn't build too many lanterns as a child, but I did partake in the consumption of some cake. It's perhaps the only time I actually eat the sweet pastry.<br /><br />While shopping in Chinatown, I couldn't find our traditional brand of moon cake in any of the stores or bakeries. So, I tried a new brand of moon cake imported from Hong Kong. The packaging was very beautiful. Each cake was individually packaged in a small painted tin box within a case. The bottom of the case was lined with a golden silky cloth. <br /><br /><CENTER><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/MoonCake2010-2.jpg"></CENTER>James Leunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09834901742305281224noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270803078702388005.post-79485323454982242602010-09-15T13:15:00.016-04:002010-09-15T16:21:24.223-04:00Farewell to Giant Robot New York with Goh Nakamura<CENTER><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/goh-grny2010-0.jpg"><BR><FONT SIZE="-2"><EM>Right to Left: Goh Nakamura and Gary Wang</EM></FONT></CENTER><br /><STRONG>New York, September 12</STRONG> – Devoted <A HREF="http://www.giantrobot.com/">Giant Robot</A> fans braved the harsh rain to attend a farewell event at the <A HREF="http://www.grny.net/">Giant Robot New York</A> store. The store is scheduled to close on September 23. The farewell event began with a signing by <A HREF="http://www.davidchoe.com/">David Choe</A> and ended with a set by <A HREF="http://gohnakamura.com/">Goh Nakamura</A>.<br /><br />I rushed over to the East Village to attend the double headliner event. The delayed subway trains and the heavy rain slowed my progress. So, I arrived pretty late. I walked into the small store front and encountered Goh’s acoustic guitar. Neither Dave nor Goh were present. I overheard people saying that they went to some barbecue joint down the block. I probably just missed them and decided to hang out.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><CENTER><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/goh-grny2010-4.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/goh-grny2010-4a.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/goh-grny2010-5.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/goh-grny2010-5a.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/goh-grny2010-6.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/goh-grny2010-6a.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><A HREF="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/goh-grny2010-8.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/goh-grny2010-8a.jpg" ALIGN="top" WIDTH="110"></A><BR><FONT SIZE="-2"><EM>Click on the image for higher resolution.</EM></FONT><br /></CENTER><br />At around 5:45 PM, a wet Goh Nakamura made his appearance. As he was setting up his rig, he was joined by <A HREF="http://www.myspace.com/garywangmusic">Gary Wang</A> on electric bass. The San Francisco based singer-songwriter proceeded to create some bizarre acoustic guitar alchemy. He ran his ¾ acoustic axe through multiple effects pedals including chorus, reverb, phase shifters, and etc. The resulting sound was mixture of traditional acoustic folk guitar and experimental rock. On some of his songs, Goh would sing into the sound hole of his guitar and run his vocals through the various effects pedals. It was a pretty cool set. <br /><br />Some of the highlights of his performance were <A HREF="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2gQwtuLmQI">“Somewhere”</A>, <A HREF="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3CCi_OpvyQ">“Surrogate Valentine”</A>, and a <A HREF="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdn0ARwxCjA">cover of “Just like Heaven”</A>.<br /><br />At various times during Goh’s performance, David Choe would occasionally peek through the store window to watch. Goh was completely unaware of Dave’s haunting presence until someone mentioned it. Goh replied, “Awesome… sweet.”<br /><br />He finished his set with a cover of <A HREF="http://www.theinvisiblecities.com/">The Invisible Cities'</A> "Shooting Star". However, Goh didn’t know the lyrics except for the chorus. He improvised the rest with some funny lines like, “I will be your curly fries.”<br /><br /><CENTER><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/L2gQwtuLmQI?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/L2gQwtuLmQI?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></CENTER><br />You can find more videos of Goh Nakamura's performance at the <A HREF="http://www.youtube.com/user/jamesleung0?feature=mhum#p/u"> Blog's Youtube Channel</A>.<br /><br /><STRONG>Related Links:<UL><LI><A HREF="http://gohnakamura.tumblr.com/post/1113975763/played-a-set-of-rainy-day-music-at-grny-with-gary?ref=nf">Played a set of rainy day music at GRNY with Gary...</A><br /></UL></STRONG>James Leunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09834901742305281224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270803078702388005.post-9166030017205740052010-09-12T07:28:00.009-04:002010-10-15T00:55:09.873-04:00Otakon 2010: 5 Pounds Per Second<CENTER><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/otakon2010-7.jpg"><BR><FONT SIZE="-2"><EM>Press Conference with the creative team behind Welcome to the Space Show. (Right to Left) Masashi Ishihama, Koji Masunari, and Tomonori Ochikoshi</EM></FONT></CENTER><br /><STRONG>Baltimore, August 1</STRONG> – The centerpiece for <A HREF="http://www.otakon.com/">Otakon</A> 2010 was the US premiere of <A HREF="http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=9174"><EM>Welcome to the Space Show (宇宙ショーへようこそ)</EM></A>. It was an original animated feature film by <A HREF="http://www.a1p.jp/">A-1 Pictures Inc</A>. I attended the movie screening with a bunch of friends including bloggers, podcasters, and press. I will probably write a full review of the movie for the next issue of <A HREF="http://www.giantrobot.com/">Giant Robot Magazine</A>.<br /><br />At the screening, I sat a couple of seat away from Gerald Rathkolb (<A HREF="http://www.awopodcast.com/">Anime World Order</A>). He had recently purchased five pounds of fudge. <A HREF="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zv8yEMRDe_w">I was befuddled by his culinary decision</A>. I don't know what possesses a man to buy so much fudge. <A HREF="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNyl6gXLMLQ">Was he trying break some competitive eating record?</A> He repeatedly insisted that he got a great deal.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a>Gerald, who is incapable of ingesting so much <A HREF="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYwfRjS9rn4">sugar</A>, proceeded to give away large chunks of the chocolate confection. Some people didn't want any part of <A HREF="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4cQ3BoHFas">his madness</A>. They either refused outright or tried to hand their piece of fudge to me. I didn't want to be inhospitable, so I had a small piece.<br /><br /><CENTER><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/otakon2010-6.jpg"><BR><FONT SIZE="-2"><EM>1 Pound of Fudge</EM></FONT></CENTER><br /><STRONG>Cosplay</STRONG><br /><br />The convention also featured some very creative and elaborate cosplay outfits. Here are some of my favorites:<br /><br /><CENTER><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/otakon2010-c1.jpg"><BR><FONT SIZE="-2"><EM>Bahamut from <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Fantasy">Final Fantasy (ファイナルファンタジー)</A></EM></FONT></CENTER><br /><br /><CENTER><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/otakon2010-c2.jpg"><BR><FONT SIZE="-2"><EM><A HREF="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090728/">Big Trouble in Little China</A> cosplay group.</EM></FONT></CENTER><br /><br /><CENTER><IMG SRC="http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb118/jamesrai/otakon2010-c4.jpg"><BR><FONT SIZE="-2"><EM>This is a complete guess: Vocaloid Cosplay?</EM></FONT></CENTER><br /><br /><STRONG>Related Links:</STRONG><UL><LI><A HREF="http://ogiuemaniax.wordpress.com/2010/08/02/otakon-2010-i-dont-believe-it-thats-unbelievable/">Otakon 2010: I Don’t Believe It. That’s Unbelievable. « OGIUE MANIAX</A><LI><A HREF="http://www.awopodcast.com/2010/08/anime-world-order-show-87-welcome-to-the-otakon-show.html">Anime World Order Show # 87 – Welcome to the Otakon Show</A><br /></UL>James Leunghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09834901742305281224noreply@blogger.com0