My Work :: Part 12: AngstyBishy Light

I have to tell you, I delayed sketching Light this week because I was nervous about how he would turn out. Obata is an amazing artist, and Light's character design intimidates me. But I think he turnes out pretty successful in spite of my fears, so I'm super happy today.

For the references, I used a mix of the manga in our possession and image-googled internet pics. I had done a quick comp sketch of him a couple of months ago, so I took that initial rought sketch and polished it up last night. I scanned him in and as usual, traced my lines in Illustrator with the pen tool.

Cake? No, because his hair took a lot of refining, but not as bad as the Sanzo AB by far. I stressed about his clothes, but since Obata used the beige-grey pants, white shirt, red tie ensemble in a couple of his color illustrations, I figured it would be the best outfit to go with. I was going to add belt loopholes and buckles originally, but they made it too busy so I just did a simple black belt. Same with writing Death Note on the book; just pretend he is holding it with the title facing in. And again, since I just reused parts from Touya and Howl (the entire bottom section and the sleeves, respectively), the rest of him excepting the hair was a cinch.

Man, he looks so cute! Each new one I make becomes my new fave for a time, but I think he will be at the top of my fave list for a long time. And since Light looks a lot like Gackt, any Gackt fans can pretend it is a chibi of him if they want to. (Except for the note being there, of course.) A lot of Gackt photos came up in my image search for some reason; man is that boy china-doll pretty! He's not my type but even I can see why he has a bunch of little fan girls running around.

I finally read up to chapter 104 in Deathnote! I have to wait for Elicia to download more, but MAN is it getting good! Light totally deserves to be an AB, as he's becoming so angsty it is scary. And funny. I don't know why but him losing his composure makes me laugh every time. And I'll try not to spoil anything, but I've heard positive rumors about L, which I so hope to be true! I tried to cheat and search online to find how the series ended, but no luck. I must be using the wrong keywords or something.

Anyway, I'm just glad to be back on a schedule again. Not sure what character I'll do next week, since there are a couple floating around the top of the list; I guess whichever comp sketch I like the best. And as always, requests by others for AB's are much loved.

Loli-Goth makes the Stars Shine Brighter

I decided that I have to mention the gothic Lolita craze, simply because I love its cuteness and bizarreness, and because I've been wanting to talk about it for a long time. I'd say this post has nothing to do with making manga if I could, but of course that's crazy talk. As niche as the gothic Lolita style of dress is, it has permeated the manga culture, so I feel it has great relevance and deserves a mention. Plus, Elicia did a paper on it for her Psychology of Clothing class, and dressed Loli-goth for her presentation, so I think the post is very timely.

I do realize that while Elicia and I are fascinated by Loli-Goth, since we don't live in Japan and don't wear it ourselves we are both posers on the subject. But we are fascinated posers. =)

One of our friends gets the Asian (AZN) network on her cable package. And on it was the funniest movie I have seen in a long time: Shimotsuma Monogatari, or Kamikaze Girls. I had seen gothic lolita pics before on the web and read travel diaries talking about seen girls wearing these clothes on the street, but the movie made me aware of loli-goth's place in the modern Japanese youth culture. Apparently it was originally a novel, then a manga, and now an awesome movie. Elicia bought the DVD at Borders, and it is now one of her most prized possesions I swear. A fun feature on the DVD is that you can run the movie with little facts about the Japanese culture popping up every so often. There are blurbs about the lolita fashion and the Baby store. Speaking of Baby, the Stars Shine Bright: they have the cutest clothes on their site. I think Elicia spent two hours or more there yesterday, just looking.

Elicia's paper has good links about the clothing, the culture, the movie, and Baby. I can't find any of the sites I originally saw the style in, but her sources are really excellent. If I do find those original sites or other good sources I will add them to the end of this post.

Here is Elicia's paper on the topic that she wrote for her class:

::

Lolita Fashion

The Japanese Lolita style merges Victorian and Rococo clothing together in a delicate doll-like look. It is a very specialized sub-culture, and is often looked down on or seen as silly or even ugly by more mainstream Japanese society. Lolita is what’s known as a “street style.” This can be termed as what the youth wear on the weekends as they roam the city streets, seeking a reprieve from the homogeneity of school uniforms and all around conformity lauded by adults.

Around the late 90’s this look really started to emerge and gained a larger following after 2000. Credit for the fashion is often given to Mana, the guitarist of Malice Miser, a popular rock band in Japan. Perhaps it is because this style was started by an androgynous male that it is focused on elegance instead of sexuality, despite the fact that the name has been derived from Nabukov’s novel of the same title. Lolita stays an ultimately innocent look, and is supposed to make the wearer appear dainty as a little girl.

There are a multiple sub-categories of Lolita, but the main two are Gothic and Sweet. But the differences between are based mostly on the palate used. Gothic tends to be darker, with large amounts of black, white, and red. Sweet is more pastel with pinks, blues, and yellows being predominant.

It is interesting though, that a style born for escapism and individuality would enforce a strict code of acceptable dress. There are quite a few guidelines that simply must be followed when dressing Lolita.

- Skirts are worn at mini length to knee length, poofy and usually supported by a crinoline. Pants are never worn.
- Blouses, dresses, etc. should be elegantly ruffled
- Stockings are always worn, fishnet or opaque
- Headdresses are incredibly important, though they can vary from an elaborate hat to simply a large bow
- Shoes can be: Mary Jane’s, platformed shoes, feminine boots. If heels are worn they cannot be stilettos
- A purse is always carried, often times they’re large. It is also common to carry dolls or stuffed animals
- Parasols must be used on sunny days
- Hair should be curled, or worn long and straight
- Complexion should be pale, black and red lipstick and use of eyeliner is common though only for Gothic Lolita. In Sweet Lolita a minimum amount of makeup would be worn
- Gloves and opera length arm warmers are common, but are worn depending on the situation
- Elegance is key

An important factor in establishing and unifying this style in the magazine called “The Gothic and Lolita Bible.” It contains ideas, tips, pictures, patterns, and sometimes even recipes.

Though there are stores that carry this look currently, a lot of the fashion is homemade. A popular place to shop is Marui Young in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The store has four floors filled with Lolita style clothing. Another well-known Lolita store is Baby, the Stars Shine Bright, abbreviated sometimes as BTSSB or simply called “Baby.”
Located in Daikanyama, Tokyo, the label was originally founded in 1988 by Akinori Isobe, who hopes to expand business outside of Japan. Baby carries mostly Sweet Lolita, but also has darker versions available. Prices are around $100 for a blouse and $200 for a dress.

Lolita fashion is spreading slowly outside of Japan. There a few stores in Hong Kong that carry it, and it has popularity among anime fans across the globe thanks to shows like Cardcaptor Sakura, Paradise Kiss, Rozen Maiden, and Tsukuyomi Moon Phase. Another important factor in the international recognition of the Lolita style is the live action film, Kamikaze Girls.

Watching Kamikaze Girls is what made me personally interested in the Lolita style. I’d seen the Lolita dress before in anime and thought it was cute, but it wasn’t until watching this adorable little film, that my I became aware of Lolita as an actual style that I might actually enjoy looking at and maybe even wearing.

Sources:

Hell, Kyshah. “Elegant Gothic Lolita.” Morbid Outlook
http://www.morbidoutlook.com/fashion/articles/2002_07_gothiclolita.html

“Baby, The Stars Shine Bright”
Wikipedia.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby%2C_The_Stars_Shine_Bright

“Gothic Lolita” Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_Lolita

“Lolita Fashion” Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lolita_fashion

“Sweet Lolita” Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_Lolita

Avant Gauche. http://www.avantgauche.co.uk/

Baby, The Stars Shine Bright. http://www.babyssb.co.jp/index.html

Kamikaze Girls. http://www.kamikazegirls.net/story.html

::

Before I finish this post I thought I'd mention what Elicia did to dress Loli-Goth for her presentation. Keep in mind she doesn't dress Lolita but recreated it to give her class an idea of what it looks like.

Since she has a lot of black and red items, she went with the gothic look. First, she had a black lace cap-sleeve shirt with mandarin collar. Over that she put on her black corset (yes, she has a corset, don't ask.) She put on black fishnets and a black calf-length dress with lace trim. Over the corset I helped her tie on a long red sash and bow that she originally made for her Temari cosplay. On her hands she put on opera gloves with long lace at the hands. On her head she first tied a black crochet hair band thing, and over that wore one of our mom's black dress hats with a red bow tied around it. On her feet, she wore these red clog heeled Mary Janes she has, that really tied the outfit together. For makeup she did lots of eyeliner, red lipstick, and powered her face very pale (but like our complexions make that very difficult, really.) For accessories she had a silver cross necklace, an oversized purse and a black kitty stuffed animal. I'm not sure what people will think today when they see her, and I wish I could follow her around and see their faces. Elicia has a male friend who wears a long, almost scots-like black skirt thing to school, and I've heard about him in my department. This costume is like ten times more flamboyant than that. Oh well, Elicia will have to tell me if she got any fun reactions when I see her tonight.

My Work :: Part 11: Uchiha Fan and AngstyBishy Howl

Man, am I really so lazy a person that I never wrote about Howl? (Answer: yes, which means I suck, especially since I forgot I never wrote about him. Oh Howl, you are loved, really and truly!) And I must talk about Uchiha Fan as well.

:: AngstyBishy Howl ::
I wanted Howl to look right so very badly, so the sketch took a while to get right. His hair especially, and his wonderful but extremely detailed coat. Luckily for me I had the artbook from Howl's Moving Castle, so I got to use really great, non-pixellated pics to help me out this time. Woo Hoo! His coat gave me the most grief, as I wanted to get the diamond pattern correct. I'm quite proud of it; look closely at it and you will see it matches the original almost perfectly. I was thinking of adding dark-haired Howl (but he's lost his angst by then) or blobby orange-haired Howl, but didn't have time to sketch them out as well. He works so well as a chibi AB that I smile each time I see him. what a prettyboy, neh?

:: Uchiha Fan ::

Elicia was making two costumes for friends going to Anime Expo, and while helping her finish the Sasuke costume I got the idea for this shirt. (I think it was while I was printing out the fan icon as an iron-on, but I'm not positive.) But the idea was/is so cheesy, so anvil-dropping obvious, that I was afraid Elicia would laugh at me for such a stupid t-ahirt idea. But I checked online and couldn't find a similar idea, so I decided to bring the idea up. Her reaction was perfect—she clapped her hand over her mouth and couldn't breathe for several moments as she was laughing too hard—so I took that as a sign that I had struck on a good idea.

Making it was brilliant; normally I would trace the fan shape with the pen tool, but this time I purposely tried to create it in my most Illustrator-savvy method. As you will see, it sounds hard but actually isn't and by using it I was able to create a perfectly symmetrical, linear design to match the look of the Uchiwa.

First, I took a pattern of the fan I found online (http://www.narutouchiha.com/contenido/ClanUchiha/UchihaFan.gif) and placed it in Illustrator. I then made a perfect circle shape with the Ellipse tool by holding down shift key as I drew it, the same size as the circle in the fan. I then made another ellipse, this time squashing it into a long oval shape, and lined the top of my oval shape with the fan's bottom red line, so that the two lines matched perfectly. I then took the scissors tool and snipped of the extra parts of the oval that I didn't need, turning the oval into merely a curved line. I then copied this line by holding down the alt key as I dragged it, and moved my new curved line shape to the top of the white part of the fan. (I found I had to tweak it a little to perfectly match the whote curve, but other than that it was good to go.) I decided to combine these two curved lines in to one shape, for reasons that will be revealed later. So I used the direct-select (or white arrow) tool to select only the right anchor points of the two curved lines. Then I went up to my top menus and selected Object>Path>Join. This created a new line that joins the two points together. I repeated the same step with the left points, and behold! A new shape was made.

Now that I hade made the curved lines into a shape, I could easily punch their shape out of the circle I originally made, and create the two halves of the fan. I did this by selecting both of the shapes, and in the Pathfinder Palette I clicked the "Subtract from shape" (or the second) button, then clicked the Expand button to the right. And voila! Two lovely fan shapes. But the pathfinder palette tends to group the shapes it makes together, which makes it hard to edit each individual shape on its own. Since I wanted to do this to color each shape separately, I went back to the menus and selected Object>Compound Path>Release. Now I could color the top red and the bottom white, yay.

Now for the fan's base. I just drew a rectangle with the polygon tool, selected it and the white fan part atthe same time, and clicked on the "Add to Shape" and Expand buttons in the Pathfinder Palette. Cake.

Then I messed with the strokes of the lines of the text and fan until I liked their thickness. I then outlined the text and paths. So now it can be scaled to any size and the strokes won't change a bit. (The font is the same one I used for AB, if anyone is interested.)

And that is the process I used! Yes there are simpler ways to do it and still have it be perfect shapes, but I wanted to reacquaint myself with as many tools, palettes, and menus as possible. I love my job, but I don't get to do stuff like this nearly as often as I would like. So I had fun and got to feel like I am on top of the Illustrator tricks, at least for a little while. Yay for this blog, since it gives me a permanent place to record how I've done stuff like this!

Anyway, I still think the pun is cheesy, but it does make me laugh so it was worth it.

Leeshee's friends at the Expo are passing around my cards, so I really wanted a new design up at the CafePress site to celebrate that. (They were even the ones who thought up the idea of me making cards and offered to pass them out for me. Someone else willing to do my promotional work? I love you forever! Like I've said before, I'm not good at doing that sort of thing myself.) We printed off 2500 cards. Elicia and I cut out every single one by hand, so they truly are made with tender loving care! Man, the cutting was a lot of work, but even if just one person likes our stuff and buys something, it will so be worth it. And I do realize that at a con with over 40,000 people attending, that 2500 cards is a drop in the ocean. But you have to start somewhere, and that is still a freakin' lot of cards.

The cards turned out nicer that I initially thought they would. I wanted them to be clean like the rest of our work for ello, and I couldn't decide on just one design and there was no time to make something fancy, so I got the idea to do different variations of the same card. All the contact info on the front is the same, but there are 10 different backs, each with a different AB or shirt design that we've done. Collect them all! Not really. But I actually like them a lot.

Writing Manga :: Part 3: Wilder Wisdom is Wiser Wisdom

Writing manga, I firmly believe, is essentially the same as writing in any medium in which the story is told through static or moving pictures: the script used to tell the story is paramount to the success of the story.

Elicia argues sometimes that the pictures are the most important element, but I disagree: The pictures are the hook that entices the reader in, I think, but ultimately it is the story that keeps them there at the end. I have read a lot of online comics or manga in which the pictures were wonderful but the stories didn't grab me—usually because they were too slow or too confusing or simply bored me. Am I still following those stories? No. I might save the pretty images for further reference, but other than that I am done. To contrast that, there are stories—mostly online—where the art wasn't so great but it is funny and/or wonderfully written. And those are the ones I find myself returning to over and over again. And often, the creator's art skills caught up with the writing part eventually—isn't it funny how that so if often happens in online comics?—and then the true brilliance of the creator bursts forth unhindered.

Which gets to my final point: we can argue 'till on our deathbeds about which part of the story—the visuals or the words—are the most important, but the truth of the matter is this: when both come together seamlessly and beautifully, true magic happens. And a story is made that will end up thrilling and inspiring audiences and artists for generations to come. And that is what we all should in our own creative endeavors be aiming for.

Now back to the writing part:

In order to write great scripts, it is important to learn from the masters. And one of the very best screenwriters ever was the writing god that is Billy Wilder. His knack for storytelling, especially comedy, is practically unparallelled—Some Like it Hot is by far the best example. And I think there are few people out there who would disagree with me.

So the fact that NPR did a segment on Wilder's rules for good storytelling made me want to squee in delight; a genius openly revealing his knowledge, secrets, and tricks always piques my interest. So here they are below, straighforward rules for writing and filmmaking that are surprisingly elusive in our day and age to replicate. Here's hoping that the stories Elicia and I are currently dreaming up can accomplish even half of these rules for our audience—if so it will be a job (pretty) well done.

Again, I feel that rules of writing extend to every similar genre. So TV, movies, books, manga, comics—all are potential beneficiaries from Wilder's solid advice, if they so choose. Enjoy.

::

Billy Wilder's Rules of Good Filmmaking
by Nihar Patel
Day to Day, June 22, 2006, NPR

Writer and director Billy Wilder was the man behind some of Hollywood's most beloved films—Sunset Boulevard, Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, Double Indemnity and many more. He wrote or directed more than 50 films, winning six Oscars and numerous other awards.

In a modern Hollywood where big-budget formula films often command the box office, many filmmakers still look to Wilder —who would have turned 100 this month—as an example of how to make movies that matter. And his formula for success—from hard-boiled thrillers to daffy romantic comedies—is still available. It's distilled into a basic set of 11 rules.

Some are obvious: be on time to the set, work on schedule—in short, be reliable. But he codified some of his on-set knowledge, as well.

"Some of these rules are straightforward," says writer-director Cameron Crowe, who conducted a series of interviews with Wilder before the great director's death in 2002. "Rule two is 'grab 'em by the throat and never let go.' He means grab us, the audience, with great plots, winning dialogue and big Hollywood stars like Marilyn Monroe."

Another of Wilder's rules is to let the audience figure out key plot points. "Don't underestimate the intelligence of the audience," says film producer Tom Jacobson, another Wilder acolyte. "Treat your audience intelligently. What movies can do, at their best, is let us in— they show us things, they don't tell us."

Wilder's most important rule is also the simplest: Don't be boring.

Keep these rules in mind this summer, when a Hollywood blockbuster is insulting the audience's intelligence or taking up too much valuable time. And hope whoever made the movie has watched his share of Wilder, too.

Billy Wilder's Screenwriting Tips

As told to Cameron Crowe:

1. The audience is fickle.

2. Grab 'em by the throat and never let 'em go.

3. Develop a clean line of action for your leading character.

4. Know where you’re going.

5. The more subtle and elegant you are in hiding your plot points, the better you are as a writer.

6. If you have a problem with the third act, the real problem is in the first act.

7. A tip from Lubitsch: Let the audience add up two plus two. They'll love you forever.

8. In doing voice-overs, be careful not to describe what the audience already sees. Add to what they’'e seeing.

9. The event that occurs at the second act curtain triggers the end of the movie.

10. The third act must build, build, build in tempo and action until the last event, and then—that's it. Don’t hang around.

::

Nice, huh? I don't really envy Crowe his Rolling Stones stint, but I do envy him having multiple conversations with such a great artist. Meh. But now I have a new book for my summer reading list: Crowe's compilation of his interviews with Wilder. Some interesting articles about the book can be found here, here, here, and here. (Yes, a lot of "here's," but all are interesting links. Man, I'm such a crazy film junkie; stuff like this totally makes my day. Ah well, to each his own.)

Woo Hoo! Death Note Slays Competition.

How thrilling to check out my movie news this morning, and learn that Death Note was #1 at the box office last weekend! (Article is also posted below.) And to hear that they are definitely developing an anime of it and a second live-action movie for fall makes my day!

Kudos to Yahoo! and Reuters, I didn't even know they cared about stuff like this. Though they imply in the article that Tsugumi Oba was the main draw, when for a lot of fans it was the gorgeous drawings by Obata that drew them (and me!) in. But oh well, I'm just happy that Americans are actually writing about the manga; it's a good start anyways.

I'm hoping this bodes well for a limited release of it subtitled in the US, so I have a chance to see it on the big screen. I just hope that Hollywood doesn't try to capitalize on it like they have with Japanese horror films, and do a silly version of it here. I just know that they would try to Americanize it, and change what was good about it, and if they ruined L, I would. . . well, the horrors that that would ensue for me are too great. Hollywood, here is my unsolicited advice: freakin' leave it alone!

If anyone knows where I can find the movie online, you would be my savior and I would send you cookies and apples. =) I'm just too impatient, and who knows how long it will take them to figure out what to do with its possible American theater and/or DVD release, if that even happens. (Thought they did release Kamikaze Girls here on DVD, so anything is possible.) But you bet that I would see it in theaters even if I'd already watched it 100 times at home. I would do anything to personally see a larger-than-life L, Light, Riku, and Misa on the big screen. Short of hopping on a plane to Tokyo, of course. =)

I've already posted links to the main movie site and other stuff in a previous post, but this time I will include a link to a Japanese movie site in English and IMDB's page about the Death Note movie (or rather, "Desu Noto.")

Interesting to learn that Dani California from the Chili Peppers is the movie's theme song; I saw a link to them at the main movie site and didn't get why theye were featured there. Makes sense now. Good to know they are manga fans too. =)

::

"Death" stills "Da Vinci" at Japanese box office
Thursday June 22 2:51 AM ET

A homegrown hit adapted from a manga comic has knocked "The Da Vinci Code" off the top spot at the Japanese box office.

"Death Note," which opened Saturday, grossed 475 million yen ($4.13 million) in its first two days and attracted audiences of more than 306,000 -- many of whom are fans of the manga that spawned the live-action film.

Starring Tatsuya Fujiwara ("Battle Royale"), a second movie in the series is scheduled to be released in November.


"One big reason for its success so far is because so many people who have enjoyed the manga are going to see the movie, although we were surprised to replace 'The Da Vinci Code' in the rankings," a representative for Warner Entertainment Japan KK said.

"We hope to build on this early success and appeal to perhaps more people who are not so familiar with the comic," she added.

The manga has generated a cult following since it first appeared in the December 2003 edition of Shukan Shonen Jump. Eleven books that bring together the 108 episodes have sold more than 11 million copies.

"Death Note" tells the story of a boy genius named Raito Yagami, who has the ability to kill anyone he wants simply by writing their name in a notebook.

The son of a police inspector, Yagami starts to kill death row inmates and other criminals he believes have gotten off lightly. The Japanese police and the FBI are called in to determine how the killings are taking place, and the story develops into a battle of wills between the lead investigator and Yagami.

The tale has attracted attention in manga-mad Japan because it was the debut work of a writer called Tsugumi Oba, whose true identity has been kept secret. It is not even known if the author is a man or a woman as Tsugumi can be used for either sex.

Nippon Television Network plans to make an animated version of the title for television, while Konica Minolta Digital Entertainment is prepping a video game to be released at the end of the year.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

::

I might pull AB out of a hat this week—this was the final week of a major work project that I've been working on for months, hence the craziness. But next week will definitely be back on schedule. I think in honor of Death Note's success I will move Light to the top of the list, so look for him soon.

In other news, my cat returned! He got out when I was watering plants, I think, and I was worried about him. Last time he walked all the way back to my mother's house across town, where he was living before we moved to my new place, so I thought he would do the same this time. But two nights ago, I heard a familiar meow and there he was on my front lawn! So he's completely adjusted to the condo and knows now it is home, thank goodness. Brat, making me worry about him like that. But I'm more relieved than upset.

Other good news: I finally figured out the name for one of my manga series! And Elicia greenlighted it, so it is good to go I think.

Blogger (or Vlogger? or Viral Video-er?) Makes it Big: Go Brookers!

I have been tracking this Cinderella story for a while now, and it amazes me every time.

A twenty-year-old Massachusetts girl has hit it big: she put up videos at YouTube of herself talking, singing, or dancing to the camera, and because of those vids she now has a deal with Carson Daly to help make creative videos and things. Impressive, huh? I know some people think she is a talentless, mentally unstable woman who is just incredibly lucky, but I say they are probably just jealous; it's okay to admit it, I am a little bit too!

Here's why I think she deserves the fame and the subsequent deal: her enthusiasm, her expressiveness, and her inventiveness. The enthusiasm is in the energy and emotion she puts into each video, which is refreshing in an age of cynicism and boredom; her expressiveness is in the way her face and body language perfectly match the song or the situation; and the inventiveness is in the approach, however grassroots it may be, to say whatever it is she wants to say. She is obviously 100% commited to each video she makes and is just doing it for the sake of doing it, devoid of the stink of desperation that people who grasp at fame seem to have. And since she is fully aware of the exposure she is submitting herself to, we can laugh with her and not at her, unlike the Star Wars Kid videos, which I loved but stopped watching after I learned how traumatized they made their sweet, unsuspecting star. She is the master of the joke instead of being the joke, which is a lot less mean-spirited and much easier to swallow. (As a bonus, I also love her bedspread and trying to read all the words on it.) And that sums up why I like her videos.

Her farewell video to her fans, which has a good clip show of some of the videos she's done, is below:



Here's whitney's post about it at the Candy, with really great links to interviews with Brooke herself and talking about the craze. I especially like this one.

I read throught my new Entertainment Weekly at lunch (EW, my fave Entertainment mag since US went slutty a few years ago,) and it so happens that this week's issue has a whole section devoted to viral videos, blogs, vlogs, you name it. Here is their article discussing the viral video phenomenon and the journey of their own, actually humorously-written foray into making a popular YouTube video (how lucky were they to have the story about Brooke break halfway through prepering for the article? Talk about serendipitously tapping into the Zeitgeist.)

And here are other fun EW links to said EW video, some popular viral videos throughout the years, and their own blogger's post on the Brooke deal.

While these articles list most of the famous viral vids I already knew about (Hasn't everyone seen and loved "Ask a Ninja" by now?), there are some I love but aren't mentioned. Maybe I'll post my own fave list of viral vids someday, so at leat I will be able to easily find their links. Yeah, that sounds like a plan.

::

And yes, no AB today, I totally suck. I will post two next week or something to make up for it, I swear.

Web Design at its Crack-iest Best

First, the "crack" part of this post because it is driving me nuts:

:: Livly Island ::

Can anyone explain to me what this site does exactly? I stumbled onto it a couple of days ago, and while it is the cutest Japanese site I've seen thus far (even Sanrio's doesn't compare, gasp!), I can't read the kanji and thus am desperately confused. Is it for a game, a new amusement park, a tv show, or simply a dream conjured from the slumbering ghosts of the internet? My brain needs to know. Cute animals, though. =)

Now onto the "best" part, some of my fave places to find the best sites:

:: Webby Awards ::

The definitive place to find a celebration of all useful, beautiful, and interesting web sites. This link will take you to the hefty list of this year's choices for the Webby Awards—that's hours of fun browsing right there.

:: Favourite Web Site Awards ::

One of my design friends told me about this site, and I have loved and been beholden to her ever since. A great, great compilation of all the best Flash sites out there (for all you web novices, them's the sites with the movin' pictures); provides equal flashes of inspiration and envy in this humble web designer.

:: Flashkit ::

One of the best places to find Flash help on the web. When I run into problems with Actionscript code I always turn here first. Short of a personal programmer (man, that would be nice!), this is the place to go.

::

That's all for now. I haven't even started scanning in AB this week—I might post a comp today, but no promises. (It's crunch time at work and after work this week, sorry! I am but a humble slave to the work gods, who do not stand neglect. And I can't do it after work today either. How does Fred and Pseudome do this thrice and once a week, respectively? Answer: they are gods. Yes, that explains it. =))

::

Last comment: Is everyone excited for "Nacho Libre" this weekend? I know I am. I saw "Cars" last week and was blown away, and expect good things from Nacho too. And is it bad that I want to see "Thrice Fast Thrice Furious," or whatever it is really callled—even thought I know the lack of plot/dialogue/rounded chatacters will make me want to stab myself—just because it is set in Tokyo and because the racing looks so cool? Yes, it is bad. I shame myself and all my ancestors with my poisonous thoughts. I still plan to catch it eventually, though, on the big screen because if I'm gonna see such an awful movie I'd better at least get an awesome view of the races.

Okay, that's really all I promise!

Soapbox 3 :: Wapanese: If you cut them, do they not bleed?

Just when I think I have a solid foundation on the Japan crazes and slang, something comes along to remind me I am but a mere Grasshopper. I accidentally stumbled onto the word “Wapanese” at The Urban Dictionary, and had a hilarious, eye-opening read to be sure.

Wapanese, or wannabe/white Japanese, according to Urban, are those people who esteem the Japanese culture highly and adopt certain aspects of it, to the point of minimizing their pride and involvement in their own nationality or ethnicity. (Well, that’s the short, nice version anyway; some posters weren’t nearly as polite.)

I took a couple of the “definitions” as kindly, self-deprecating jabs at a very unique, very proud cultural subgroup. But it is obvious that more than a few of the definitions in Urban were written by people who wanted an easy, no-stakes slam at an easy target. Personally, I think some were a tad too harsh and judgmental—using stereotypical, underhanded, smear-tactical words such as “dateless,” “virgins,” “posers,” and “unemployed” in their descriptions. Not cool. Some otaku—which is the term I best know them by—are slackers or perverts of course. But most of the otaku that I have met thru my sis are basically hardworking, nice, funny, healthy, ordinary people; they just happen to have this tiny little obsession with all things Japan.

Yes, some people get a little too obsessed in their habits and lifestyle, but this is true of everyone. Take sports nuts for example. I recently bought my dad’s father’s day present at one of those sports-team stores, so I should know. Sports fans buy the craziest stuff, if their merch stores are to be believed. The world is not ready for team-affiliated placemats, yet there they were, mocking me with their hideousness. And the worst part of it is that I just know someone out there is seeing those right now and is buying them, not as a prank but because they honestly think they are cool. Further proof that all of us, including the jocks, are nerdy in some way, because man those things were fugly.

Another example of crazy obsessiveness: those girls (and yes, you and I both know them) who think that Sex and the City is, like, the best show ever, and have convinced themselves that such an over-the-top, extravagant, cosmpolitan lifestyle is the ideal, the norm and not the exception. So they buy their little Manolos and sip their little cosmopolitans to somehow capture the spirit of the show in their own lives. A little fun and partying and indulging and romance is great, of course, but these girls do it in such a cookie-cutter, immature way that I question how much fun they really think they are having.

(Of course, perhaps I never related much to that show because our versions of NYC are so very different. The time and energies I spend when I go to NYC are focused in a much different place. MOMA, Broadway, Grey’s Papaya, and Zakka’s? Check. Clubbing and cocktails? Not so much.)

I also watched with fascination shows such as “Daisy Does America” and that PBS show that went in depth about people that enter cat and cattle shows. Shows such as these highlight the small niche groups that are utterly “unique,” but love their lives and wouldn’t have it any other way.

And as for the poser slams, every stereotypical cultural group will have its wannabes. The jocks, the punks, the goths, the emo, the rockers, the cultural elitists, the preps, the granolas, the princesses, the brainiacs: all groups have that sublayer of the envious who can’t quite fit into the club but desperately want to. And actually, I would say that wapanese have created their own hybrid culture separate from either Japan or the west, so in actuality they are a distinct culture in and of themselves, with little otaku posers of their own. And once the posers have posers, they are not longer wannabes but their own unique group, so to call them posers is highly inaccurate.

(Does that even make sense? Sorry, that might be a little too mind-bending, even for me, but I thought the idea merited a mention.)

Getting back to the subject: what really determines if someone is wapanese or not? Is there a quiz or something I can take to figure out how wapanese I really am? Because if wapanese is merely the adopting of Japanese attributes, then people such as the French impressionists and Frank Lloyd Wright should be branded wapanese. And as an artist, that’s mighty pleasant company to be hanging out with; no shame there.

I will use myself as an example. I love the Japanese culture—the minimalistic yet energizing designs, patterns, and architecture; the lush yet restrained gardens; the cultural rituals and practices; the exquisite and healthy food; and yes, manga, anime, and music—but I also am equally obsessed with American, Swiss, and German things. I like some Japanese words, of course, because they express relationships or emotions in a way that the English language can’t—“aware” anyone? Yet German words are the same way; I will use those when appropriate just as I would Japanese. (I think that the Urban posters were unfair about criticizing the otaku’s lavish sprinkling of Japanese words into everyday language—it can be overdone, but common German/Italian/French/Spanish/European words have simply had more success in creeping into our own vocab than the asian words have, is all. That will change over time.) And I’m a pretty well-balanced person, for the most part—I love Japanese shows and cartoons, but I also love American and international art, music, film, poetry, sports—things that are very removed from the far east. I love the Japanese culture and arts but not all the frickin’ time, 24/7. Nor do I think that manga/anime is the highest art form there is, unlike my sis who sneers at American TV and movies. (Except I’ve gotten her addicted to Lost and Veronica Mars against her will, hah! Point goes to me!) So I basically straddle this weird plane where I am more wapanese than the average person, but not wapanese enough to be comfortable in that constant mode of otaku attitude and behavior.

(But maybe that’s just me in general, miss middle-of-the-road. My political affiliations lean to the middle as well; I’m so moderate that I probably drive both parties up the wall. Hmmm, maybe I should look into this pattern of behavior more, make sure I am truly okay. Or not.)

Anyway, there is hope for the offended: I looked up Wapanese at Wikipedia and, as always, they have a more balanced and helpful description of the term. They directed me to the term “Japanophile,” and have a pretty accurate definition there. Yay for the Wiki.

So basically, Urban’s definition of wapanese is good for a laugh—I have met people who fit those descriptions perfectly—but not to be taken too seriously. Because I think in spite of the naysayers, our country is slowly becoming more asianified or whatever day by day anyway, wapanese in our midst or not. We have as a nation adopted many of their health practices, their ways of thinking, and yes, even their artistic styles (as are glaringly obvious in our films and other modes of entertainment.) And they, of course, have adopted many of ours in turn. (Manga and anime styles were inspired originally by Disney; the Loli-goth fashions by Victorian England. Etc. etc. etc.) It is only a matter of time before the others wake up to just how wapanified we all have slowly become. And I for one view that as something to celebrate, not sneer at. And I plan to revere—and kindly poke fun at when necessary—the Japanese culture for many years to come.

Here’s a great article on how what’s cool in Japan has a worldwide influence. Makes me want to hum “Big in Japan” as I read it. =)

My Work :: Part 10: AngstyBishy Wolverine and "Ai Heart Love" unleashed

Well, last week was a productive albeit stressful week, for both my day job and creative hobbies. I got a new AB and a t-shirt design up! Woo hoo.

:: Wolverine ::

As mentioned at DeviantArt, my friend really wanted me to do a version of Ultimate Wolverine, since she likes the AB's but is not a huge anime/manga fan (Her prefs are in the Star Trek and X-Men vein.) So I was happy to oblige.

Wolverine was done over Memorial Day Weekend. I printed of as many of the useful Ultimate pics as I could, and compiled them in my sketch. But I also did a version of Wolverine in his original costume, just for fun. It turned out okay, but the Ultimate costume is more like Hugh Jackman, and shows off the hair and face, therefore in my girlie mind is a MUCH better outfit. =) Mmmm, Hugh. Anyway, because we had gone away for the weekend, my sketches got misplaced in fracas, hence I did not get Wolverine done on time. (because of work and other involvements/distractions, I like to scan in the AB by Wed and start working on it then or Thursday, leaving final tweaks andd the uploading of the image for Friday. But the hols threw off my sched. Grrr. This week too even; I was planning to do Wolfram, but might push Howl up in the line since I already have a comp sketch of him done. Somewhere. (Sigh.) It's not laziness but disorganization, I swear. I will do my best to get Howl or Wolfram up tomorrow, but may have to push it to Sat. Next week will be back to normal.

As a bonus: because I pored over the Ultimate costume, like, a hundred times, I totally got the X-Men III movie's inside joke of Beast wearing Wolverine's ultimate costume. I never would have goten that otherwise, so yay for doing the AB! I felt so smart during the rest of the film. And, yes, I stayed 'till after the credits. What the? My brain is concocting reasons for how the ending even works, but I doubt I am correct. Oh well, I'm not gonna spoil it for anyone so enough said.

:: Ai Heart Love ::

Yay for this being up! I love it on the pink tees, but the white, while very boring, makes it look so clean and crisp. Here's what I wrote about it at DeviantArt:

::

The play on words came to me one night at a friend's house. It's a takeoff of the "I love New York" campaign by Milton Glaser, of course, but with a twist. I have such a wierd sense of humor that I don't know if anyone else will like it, but at least my sis and I enjoyed it.

I wanted it to look super clean and simple, thus the text only. I found two suitable fonts, one for the heart and one for the text, and outlined/colored those in Illustrator. My fastest and easiest t-shirt design by far.

I have the design on t-shirts and merch at my online shop, at Cafepress; click [link] to see them 'cause they turned out really nice."

::

And here's the description at CafePress:

::

"Let everyone know that you love love, Japanese, and a good sense of humor with your very own "Ai Heart Love" t-shirt."

::

That's all for now. Look for AB tomorrow! Sorry this AB description is late!