Lemonade stand for Darfur

Yes, they had a sign saying Save Darfur. Lemonade. One cup at a time. The lemonade was .50 cents. It was pretty good. The cookies were $1. I figured it was for them to earn a few dollars to take a bus ride to the beach, or maybe save up and see a movie. But Darfur? Pretty awesome for kids. I like lemonade stands. I bought 2 cookies and those were pretty good too.  

I never did a lemonade stand, I guess you can say, I went straight to opening a shop, working on a mag, and so on. There's something cool about kids doing a lemonade stand. Taxes don't kick in yet, no heath codes, and so on. It's all based on work, patience, and trust in a neighborly way. Have extra lemons? Make lemonade. Next, maybe they'll sell bags of lemons and packets of sugar in a nice bag too. The sad thing is that if they were to do this too often, they'd get shut down. That's the world we live in. Even a lemonade stand would get taxed and coded.

Scion - Insiders Outsiders and the Middle - the artists

It's already just 2 days from opening night at the Scion space in Culver City. The artists are all now in town and installing. It's great to see them all. Noriko Ashino, Nao Harada, Space Invader, Adrian Johnson, Kami, Ed Trask, Shinya Yamamoto, Zariganiworks are all working harmoniously to get their art up and looking good. It's still early in the game but the cool thing is that everything looks great.

That's Noriko Ashino who designed the GR umbrellas, rooster, and the panda shirt. That's Lucky the dog who roams the grounds. I guess I was wearing IPaths that day.

In progress. Maybe I shouldn't show you this, but it's going to look good. Invader is tearing up LA right now. Keep your eyes open.

Trask to the task. This painting is huge.

Kami is in town. His work is great.

Nao looks like Shinya's work while painting his own.

Mr Trask. Think he can play drums? With arms like that, of course he can. Find him on the beach, he's been going surfing in the early AM. Let him on some waves, locals. He's a great guest.

Amy peeps over the shoulder of the Zariganiworks robot.

Dali Lama cubes

Ex Londonite, Adrian Johnson made it in last, but he got oohs and ahhs when he unrolled his work. He's the nicest guy.

Father's Office looked like a bunk place. Totally filled with people, loud, a bar, and then we ordered a burger for each. Some Yam fries, and regular fries. I'd say, all were skeptical. Yes, all. How can a place that looks like a typical yuppie bar (I guess you can say it is), serve good food? Ah, a Korean dude who's the maestro chef. After the first bite, people tripped out. I heard it in Japanese all over the place. Check out Sakamoto's (Zariganiworks - in red, blue, and white expression. Look at his eyes. Cameras started going up to shoot pics of their burger. 

10 Comic Con moments

Here's some Comic Con shots.

1) That's us in gear at the booth. Standing behind a counter most of the day, you get to take pics from the place where everyone is looking. The booth looked great.

2) Seth Rogen came by, and he reads GR! I tried to hand him a mag, and he said, sorry, already have it. See more pics on Flickr.

3) I remember when I said, I wanted to take their pics, she made sure her boobs were riding high. I guess that's better than low.

4) This is serious.

5) That's Seth. Total nice dude. Ever see a head slap to a stiff straight arm in football? That's what this is... I guess being one of the dudes, and then talking shit is how people have fun. In the end, although it was truncated, I had fun at the beach party. 

6) Details from the Party at the Beach. You had to appreciate the madness of the last 15 minutes. Uh 5-0 all over, yes. 

a) Manager Michelle hold her ground against the pigs. Good. 

b) Having 10 minutes according to 5-0 of fire pit time. Good. 

c) Blasting an entire bottle of lighter fluid, throwing in every piece of wood and log to make a gigantic fire. Good. 

d) Throwing in a towel in a fit of anarchy. Good. Cops coming back. Good. 

e) Argument for nearly 10 minutes, then including hippie Scrappers Morrison acting all weird and wet from the beach. Keeping the fire alive. Good. 

f) Cops waving the white flag and letting everyone go. Good. 

I guess all this isn't as good as a vinyl toy.

7) James Jean signing with a line doing a 360 around the booth.

8) Meeting Usugrow, itokin park, 

9) Saw a Devil Robots T, of the Giant Robot cover, and the art is exactly the same which includes me at the controls. I want one of those.

10) Catching shoplifter on sunday, and seeing him cry, tantrum, and run away into a crowd.

Bird Call - Found this on the street

There was a dead bird in front of GR2, it was stepped on, ant everywhere in front of the Simone Legno signing. I heard a chirp, a few of them, and figured there's a nest and more birds in them. But the chirp echoed weird, and I had a feeling it wasn't from above. I had to figure it out. Behind the storm drain, a bird chirped alone. It didn't stop chirping and was probably looking for mom, which wasn't around. I couldn't believe what I saw, a tiny bird.

We couldn't find the nest or any sign of an active one. Manager Michelle swears she knows how to deal with tiny birds like this, let's hope she knows. I shot out a Twitter and got some responses, we'll see what happens and if this bird can make it okay. It sure doesn't look too happy, but it seemed to have stopped chirping after she picked it up. 

Here's how I found the little "dude". Shocked me quite a bit!

Angry Comic-Con

Angryasianman, Comicon Recap. I'll be doing the same shortly, but look at the t-shirt I was wearing. It's a nutty shirt from the Philippines. It didn't quite go with our Asian booth theme, but it's funny. I put up the peace sign, I think that makes things more confusing.

link to AAM.



From the LA Weekly our booth is made of pretty.

SCION and Giant Robot Art Show This saturday

In conjunction with Giant Robot, Scion presents Insiders, Outsiders & The Middle at its 4,500 square foot Installation L.A. Gallery. At Giant Robot, the definition of art ranges from straight contemporary painting to sculpted figures (which were considered action figures just a few years ago). This exhibition celebrates not the disparate mediums, but the divergent mindsets of artists--as well as the gray areas.

Insiders are artists who work so hard in front of their computers that they don’t leave their chairs long enough to hang their pieces on walls. More often, their art is found onscreen, in print, and on T-shirts. Adrian Johnson is an example from the U.K., with a retro drawing style inspired by children's books. The other Insiders are from Japan. Noriko Ashino runs the A Piece of Design firm, and specializes in a variety of disciplines including character design and graphics. Sometimes known as ZariganiWorks, the duo of Taro Mukasa and Yoshitane Sakamoto are responsible for the infamous Suicide Bomb Button, have created the Kore Janai Robo (which has gone from handmade wood figurines to vinyl characters with a TV show), and freelance design toys, characters, and products.

Outsiders include Space Invader, a street artist from Paris who makes his mark on walls around the world and calls each tiled piece an “invasion.” He painstakingly documents each one before it gets ripped down—either by city workers or collectors—and publishes his work in books and maps. Kami is revered as a graffiti legend in Tokyo and has successfully transitioned from the streets to art galleries. His pieces often resemble flowing water.

And then there's The Middle. The original work of Kyoto-based Shinya Yamamoto has been found in many exhibitions as well as the drum set of Sonic Youth’s Steve Shelley. Part Basquiat and part left-brain madness, his style is free flowing and dreamy. Nao Harada, proprietor of the Wrecks clothing line, sketches, draws, and paints with no regard to the meaning of art. He rides around on his BMX leaving stickers and tags around Tokyo. The lone American in the group, Ed Trask, is from Virginia. He tours constantly as the drummer for the veteran punk band Avail. Through painting, he recalls and reinterprets the slices of Americana that he sees on the road.

Although there is no obvious correlation between the artists, they form a powerful cross-section of creative forces that are physically active with their art. They belie the image of the stationary artist and pose the question of how they will co-exist in a restrained gallery setting.

The opening reception takes place August 2, 7:00 P.M. – 10:00 P.M. at the Scion Installation L.A. Gallery, 3521 Helms Ave. (at National), Culver City, CA 90232. The show will run until August 23.

Dedicated to fostering independent artistic expression, the Scion Installation L.A. Gallery is a space that allows artists to explore their creative visions. The Scion Installation Gallery hosts art shows and art-related events for cutting-edge artists from across the globe. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM and by appointment - 310.815.8840. For more information, visit www.scion.com/space.

Simone Legno at GR2 Tomorrow, Wed, the 30th.

He's signing soccerballs, and perhaps other ephemera. The artist behind Tokidoki will be in the house from 6-8pm following his Comic Con insane signing endeavors. Good with the fans and friends, Simone is a very giving and nice guy. Meet him if you have the time.

Bonfire party antics then the cops came

Souther Salazar signing

Chow Dong, for here or to go...?

James jean at giant robot comic con!

Comicon day 2

Darth Vader and the iSaber! This Vader is about 6'6" and probably weighs near 300 lbs. A large man for sure. He's gigantic and his outfit lights up. The iSaber though, is probably the best thing for the iPhone that's free.

Check out our security secretly watching. Can you tell who he is?

Mr Le Merde getting his gr exclusive Kami Robo on!

Comic con booth! 1729

Comic-Con Twitters

If any of you are into any updates from me on Twitter and or Facebook, join up. It's easy. I'll try and update what's going on at Comic-Con at least from where we stand at our booth. I'll even try and do some photo blogging and updates as well.
I guess that's about it, we're heading down shortly.

Twitter.com/giantrobot1 and facebook eric nakamura

Giant Robot Comic Con booth special

Giant Robot Have a Rice Day Eco Friendly bag. There's a 4" gusset so you can carry Red Books, vegetables, tea, ginseng, lotus, rice, or a Giant Robot magazine.

We got a bunch made and we'll feature them at our booth. A perfect addition to our theme, in case you haven't figured it out.

SD Comicon Con Location

We're right near Buenaventura Press. I had no idea. That's really great. They're in Green, we're in Red, and Top Shelf across at 1721! See you there.

Comic-con Exclusives - Giant Robot Booth 1729 San Diego Comic Con

People always ask about our exclusives at the San Diego Comic Book Convention. Comic-Con! What are they? This year, it's going to be:

1) KAMI ROBO toys - we're the only ones to have them. These are the production line that's not coming out for a while, so get them while you can. Check out the video below. You can get a couple and fight them. Of course, learning how might help, although you can just make it all up on the fly. They're jointed everywhere, and articulate well.

Check out the site.



2) David Horvath Drawings original drawings. These are nice. We'll have them in a portfolio. Ask to see them.


3) Souther Salazar print new 12.5 x 20 (no photo yet). Signing Friday and Saturday 4pm. We'll also be carrying his zine, Monsters that Ate the Stars from Blue Q


4) James Jean signing Friday 2pm. We'll be selling some of his special prints and he'll be signing Giant Robot 54.

5) Mark Todd and Esther Pearl Watson Signing Saturday 2pm and Sunday 2pm. Signing their zines from Blue Q.

Comic-con Preview Time

That's Jenny, and she's working the Giant Robot Comic-Con San Diego booth. This photo is merely a preview. Lanterns, Chinese dress, a metal apparatus, it's going to be interesting. I'm not sure if people know that we've been doing Comic-Con SD for perhaps over a dozen years, and I've been to each one. 

This is the banner for the booth. Can you guess what it's going to look like? We've never worked this hard on a booth design before. It should be fun and memorable, at least for us.

swap meet scores

FeFiFoFum! I think that's from Jack and the Beanstock... but that's what I think when I see this. The cyclops giant comes with a club. It's so weird that these were from the 70s. Blue hair even on it's chest. Where did it comes from? It's made in Japan, but over all it's just a strange item. $4! I'm digging these mid 70s banks made out of ceramic, and they're made in Japan.


Glass cups with sailboats drifting by. $20 for the set of 8 including the caddy. I don't know if I even like sailboats.


Antoni is the designer of these plates. His drawing looks like a Geoff McFetridge images don't you think? It's a plate that you hang on your wall, if you try to use it, it's pretty useless since it's heavy and small. $5.


Karate aftershave! I didn't buy it, but it was $20 and in the box. Weird how a brand was named after a martial art. I wonder if someone would bust an aftershave called, "ground and pound" or MMA. This is how cool Karate was back in the day. Even Elvis did it.


That's my new puzzle collection. Rubik's, fakes, and some great puzzles. Some of this stuff, I've never seen before. I used to do the cube in about a minute. The triangle took even less time. $12 for the whole box of puzzles.

Venice Obon

Obon season is on. It's the celebration for us to remember those who aren't with us anymore. These photos are from the Venice obon. It's a smaller local event, and I'm glad to have stepped into the Venice Buddhist Temple to see it all. West LA does this too, and it went from being decent / small, to in my opinion at least from the last time I saw it, a raging and great event. The bad thing is that Comicon is on the same days, which is next week and I feel like I miss the event every year.

They even have a book sale, games, and other fun things like a bake sale! In WLA, they even allow outside vendors to have a booth.



Had to have it. Shave Ice, the magic coolant on a hot day.

Served

Getting a ticket. It's not that he's getting a ticket for parking in a handicapped spot which might be a couple hundred dollars, but he's in the gr/eats lot getting served by the parking enforcement but he was eating at Furaibo. I'm not sure how people think 1) parking in a lot that's not Furaibo's parking lot, and 2) in a handicapped spot, is alright. But 3), why didn't car next to him who parked within the blue lines of the handicapped spot didn't get a ticket? We've towed cars of seniors, deaf, and pregnant, but this might be the best deterrent. I'm not sure why some people park illegally and expect that they'll get away with it over and over, and I don't understand why some people are adamant about being jerks when they're wrong. Is it a defense mechanism?

Formula One F1 Robot

New GR shirts alert. Yes, finally got the Formula One F1 Robot done. It took a lot of design, experimenting, and even a failure to get it right. There's a couple of other shirts that just got done, and more on the way. I'm making efforts to design a few more shirts. I draw in Illustrator with no mouse or Wacom. I'm using the track pad and my index finger, and usually I do this stuff while I'm watching TV - preferably Law and Order Criminal Intent or SVU.

That's Jordan Fu who works at GR holding up the shirt. Will any females buy this shirt? I didn't think so...

This is Abby wearing the new brown cap with yellow robot. It's SD Padres-ish, forgive me Dodger fans.

Suburbia by Richard Linklater

Does anyone like Suburbia by Richard Linklater as much as me? 1996, I think the word to describe a generation of kids coming of age was Slacker which was ironically, Richard Linklater's break out film title. Usually rating a 6 or a 7, a 55% on Rotten Tomatoes, and that's about it. It's a two hour film, which I keep hoping is going to come out on DVD, but it hasn't. I found a torrent and got to rewatch this again and again. I think the work is genius.

Imagine a group of kids from Burnfield, USA where ever that is, who hang out in front of 7-11. They drink, hang out, and goof around. There's the ex military dude who was the local high school's star quarterback now a drunk, the goof ball played by Steve Zahn, the cerebral over analyzer Giovanni Ribisi, his girlfriend the upbeat but crappy "artist" who plans to go to art school and move to the big city, the local girl who seems to have nothing special going for her, but a drinking problem, and the young South Asian couple who own the 7-11. The night is young and they're waiting for their once friend from Burnfield now rock star, Pony to come visit them. He shows up with Parker Posey and that's when the drama begins. He rides up in a limo, checks out Ribisi's girlfriend, pisses off Ribisi, since he's the big star artist and he's not, meanwhile, almost everyone makes fun of the convenience store owner because he's South Asian. Then as the film goes, you realize the South Asian guy has a point as he often gets pissed off at his peers who have it all and have nothing, while he has to struggle. Meanwhile, the kids point is that they're being spoon fed everything, but can't make anything with it. As the film continues you find how you value each person, and you don't quite know who's right or wrong if there is such a thing here. Each makes their points.

Why isn't it on DVD?
Frontal nudity by Giovanni Ribisi?

Supposedly it's Warner Brothers and they don't license their films to Criterion. Linklater wants the film to be a Criterion edition. However in an interview in 2007, he mentions that it's coming out in september (2007). But it never came out...

So I downloaded the torrent that's formatted for TV. Better than nothing.

12 Free iPhone Apps Store Items

The new iPhone applications are actually, pretty fun. I haven't paid for one yet, but the freebies work decent.

a) First I'm going to guess that the new iPhone software helps battery conservation. I swear the power is lasting longer now. I used to leave the wifi on and boof, the phone is dead. But now it seems to give me some more juice.

b) You can't help but check out the app store button every so often. I used to surf for web apps on computer, but now I don't have to. Hit that button and see what you get for free or on the cheap.

c) The GPS works great. I've already pulled over (yes, we have hands free law in California) many times to see where I'm at and to find where I'm going. It's bailed me out a few times now. I still do it caveman style, I'll map myself, then I'll just look around for the streets I'm trying to find, I'm sure typing it is easier, but I always think I'm faster doing it my way. 

d) The new software update actually prolonged me needing to get the new 3G version. The old one seems fine.

Here's the 12 Apps Store items.

1) AIM, enough said, that's going to work, and it's probably better than meebo. It loads faster too. You still can't get multiple chats going in one open window, and it would be nice if it could stay up while you check email since sometimes that's what chatting is about. You chat, send an email, chat, send another email, etc. Links too for that matter. We all need to get Rickrolled on the iPhone.
2) Remote control your iTunes if you're on a network. Great if you're into music and your laptop is going to be your jukebox.
3) Jott, what was this for? It's some kind of recording software for sound. I tried it and there has to be a better one.
4) Facebook. Yes, this works great. It loads what you and your friends are doing. It optimized just right. 
5) NY Times. Want the news? This loads quick and looks better than the LA Times optimized version. Get on it, my people! 
6) Twitterific. Twitter of course, works great and better. Slowly the iPhone, Twitter, and Facebook are going to bring more people together just by those hourly updates. Will Twitter survive, now that Facebook's little updater is becoming used so much?
7) Ebay. Follow them auctions and again, it loads quick and easy to use. It's no frills.
8) Where - Whrrl - etc. Which one is going to win and become the "social networking" Yelp for Iphone. Or is one of the regulars like Yelp going to step up and take it all away.
9) Aol Radio. When in need, you got radio and lots of it on the iphone. The thing is where can I tune into Jim Rome?
10) Google. Duh.
11) Shazam - haven't tried it yet, but you're supposed to be able to put the phone near a music source, and it'll ID it for you. So when you're in a mall and the muzak sounds great. Raise that iPhone.
12) Phone Saber - yes, turns the phone into a light saber. It sounds like a light saber, looks like one, swing it around and it sounds like one. When you get angry, pull out the saber and slice the padawans down. This is the one I use most.

Estevan Oriol and studio

I met with Mr Revelli of Upper Playground at a studio in downtown. It's not anything ordinary, it's the studio of artist / tattoo artist Mr Cartoon and photographer Estevan Oriol. Conventional wisdom says that it's dangerous there, but no, Estevan is the nicest guy around, and didn't hesitate to show me a cross section of his work including some folks who are no longer with us. He even photographed the portrait for the poster. I'm sure he freaked out the two big stars, since Estevan isn't an ordinary photographer. Part of what you get is his raw style and eye. The weird thing is that a part of his youth was spent very close to my house. His day lived 4 or 5 blocks up, while he lived in Santa Monica. He said, the kids of the old school gangs are back.

See his site and his works.

Here, he shows me what camera he likes to use. It's a simple Canon. He was showing me other cameras too. His first one that he liked using was an old Polaroid. 

That's a Mr Cartoon thing.

Yeah he hates being photographed. The more you hate it, the better it is. This is what a CEO looks like.

The cars... a bunch of them. The studio is like a car shop.

Evidently, Mr Cartoon was in their shop tattooing Amare Stoudemire of the Phoenix Suns. The high profile may happen in their new shop on Skid Row. There's an Upper Playground there too.

Money Mark back from the Jack Johnson tour now at Goodwill

Money Mark at the Goodwill. Yeah, that's not the best sounding thing ever, meeting at a Goodwill. Me looking for weird crap, Mark looking at an old piano he wants for a special sound. He took a seat and caught up on what was going on amidst junk. Mark was funny showing me how cool this piano was with ivory keys (yeah, that's bad), and ebony keys. Does ivory sound better? 

The piano shuts down like a box. Mark's been on tour with Jack Johnson. He just got back and is now going to produce some music - for which this piano will work well. If you don't know mark use Google. He keyboarded for the Beastie Boys, wrote many of their best songs with them too, has solo albums, and some cool music videos.

This is neat, he's recording the sound with his cell phone to find out if the tuning is okay. He also said that if you punch in 123456789 - it's a C scale. Is that true?

Yeah, it's his now. After seeing him, we vowed to keep in better touch. 

GRNY show time Le Merde Snaggs and Scrappers

Hard to give this justice until you see it, but the magic of Le Merde, Snaggs, and Scrappers are pretty awesome at GRNY. I have no idea how he makes these and they look effortless and just right. They fit the style, even though they may not be perfectly molded. There's stuff inside them, and he makes that work too. When the world is caught up on manufacturing toys, this dude, Le Merde makes his own.

We decided the guy on the left in back with the racket is the best. 

That's work by Scrappers. He looks like a woodsman and his work is woody looking too.

Finally, this is the work of Snaggs. She incorporates pop culture perfect into her work. It's felt, but it's imagery and certainly means more than what you might think. The kids from Portland are all right.

NY Times and Chinese architecture GR54.

Architecture in China is changing. There's a tiny bit about it in the latest GR54. After looking through the article, it's a great feeling to have just been there and checked all this out and know the scale and grandeur of each of the things they talk about. But actually there's a bit more, and maybe you'll see that in the latest GR. I'll post some photos of my own adventures to these spots really soon. Check out the link.You'll see clearer photos. Mine are pretty good too and I walked right up to the top photo building while in construction!

Jerky Cupcakes Cheese and Doughnuts

Hanging out with artist David Choe leads you to eat food everywhere. First stop after breakfast. Ling Kee Beef Jerky. We know what beef jerky is in the USA. It's a Slim Jim or that super dry stuff at liquor stores. But Chinese do it best. It's soft and more like a dried BBQ meat. I'd suggest the spicy pork, it's amazing. David Choe told me a story about him being on an airplane. He pulled out the jerky and the woman next to him who was sleeping, woke up. She then asked the stewardess for some beef jerky. Duh. I actually saved a piece for the plane ride home from NY today. It was great. Here's a Yelp link to them. Would you really think they'd have a site?! 42 Canal Street.

More Lower East Side cupcakes Sugar Sweet Sunshine. 126 Rivington Street

What looks like a coffee house, is now a cupcake spot.


I like chocolate. I haven't eaten anything like this in a while. It was quite great. Chocolate on chocolate. Just when I thought cupcakes were ending, it's still growing. 

From my seat inside, I saw a kid outside trying to solve a Rubik's Cube. I don't know why, but I thought that was cool.

In the Essex Street Market is Saxelby Cheesemongers. 120 Essex street
It's a small one person walk up counter where you can get cheese. All kinds. I don't eat this, but David likes cheese that spells like fart. The cool thing is that the cheese have signs and tells you exactly where it's from. Most are from the East Coast, and the written signs which have great explanations make you want to buy everything even when you dislike cheese. What a great idea. 

She had a great sense of humor. It's her shop and knows her craft.

Doughnut Plant is in the Lower East Side as well. It's a great spot and has 10 shops in Japan! I like the square shaped doughnuts. See the one in the middle with the square sign? I got that one and ate it today. On the plane. These doughnuts are among the best I've had. I think it was in a GR issue way back in the day. Even the woman at the counter is Japanese. I remember over a decade ago, this area was so different. Now, hipster Japanese girls come here and eat doughnuts. Dean and DeLuca still sells these as well. 379 Grand Street

I guess I won't be eating for a week.

I forgot to add, we also ate some fried chicken at this Asian place. Supposedly it's healthy. Then there was a BBQ complete with shrimp, burgers, and more at Dave's place in Chinatown. This is a photo from outside of the market. I think the twin towers would have been in this photo. The sad thing is that I'm not sure.

Katz Deli NYC

A blast from the past, that's Clifford Son who was a filmmaker and appeared in a weird way in an old, old Giant Robot magazine. Haven't seen him in years, and has been living in NYC. I see him sitting in Katz Deli and I think whoa... He was with a huge pack of Asian folks from Cali... I'm not sure if the last time I saw him in LA was a great time for him, but he looks good and healthy in NYC. That's cool and one day, I'll see him doing the film thing again I'm sure.


Meanwhile, back to Katz. This is one of the most famous deli's around. I almost got a turkey, but pastrami is the thing to get while you're there. I think the dudes working at the counter look almost bummed out when you get a turkey, so get a pastrami. Look at the meat. It's thick. They'll even let you try it first. It's an insane sandwich.



That's Sheldon and Clint, they're on the crew of the video interviews. We knocked out a bunch more, and this time, it was a mix of indie kids with shorts to a few feature filmmakers. It's fun trying to do these interviews even with limited exposure to the films, since it's forcing me to see and feel what they deem as important. You'll be seeing the videos in a few weeks at the same place, same channel. directorschairsite.com The cool thing about the shoots is hanging out with the crew afterwards. 

The NEW MUSEUM

The New Museum in downtown is a cool building. Designed by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, this looks like a stack of block or books, and it stands out strong as it's own special space for people to remember. The hell yes by Ugo Rondinone is iconic. I think they could have got Stephen Powers instead, but oh well. The outside today was a solid performer against the blue sky and clouds.

This is a chair. It feels good for a bit to sit on it. I joked it could double as a toilet... It was on the observation deck.

Jeffrey Inaba doing his thing. Part art and part journalism.

From the rooftop, this is what I saw. This roof was strange and made me uncomfortable as if many crimes have been committed up there.

Do you see the pubic hair?  This was an installation of found objects. Look closely, and you'll see what I'm talking about. I won't give you a zoomed up version, but it was obvious when looking at it. It too may have been a found object.

Theodore Kaczynski's house - the Unabomber. I don't know why he wasn't called the Unibomber since he was bombing universities.


Ei Arakawa is one of the artists in the show, he was doing some dance project that seemed like it was aiming to be a joke. He's voice was distinctly Japanese accented, and it seemed like he was just messing with the people there.

Finally, there were interesting pieces there, but I managed to fire off just a few photos when security was looking the other way. Although the second floor was still being installed, the overall vibe of the New Museum felt fun and kept the vibe light. I'll be back another time when the shows change up.

Terry Richardson

Terry Richardson book in a plastic bag at Uniqlo. It's probably old news, but this guy has amazing reach for a mess of a dude. He takes pics in a raw style, and might be one of the most popular photographers that the young folks know about. It might be because of his many associations with pop culture and street wear brands. The book is 19.90 I think, and I was going to purchase it, but it's all photos of people wearing Uniqlo Ts. Didn't work for me because it was missing his raw style that's made him a star. 

It's cool that Terry Richardson has his own little section at Uniqlo.

NYC Asian American International Film Festival AAIFF

That's Jodi Long and the great legend of filmmaking, Christine Choy. The latter, Christine Choy made the Vincent Chin documentary, "Who Killed Vincent Chin?" She also made the documentary about the kid Hattori, who was killed trick or treating. For this festival, they were there for a film called, Long Story Short, which is about Long's parents who were on the Ed Sullivan show way back in the day. The funniest thing was Choy looks all nice and sweet, but she's a wild one and talked about porno right off the bat. Hmm.

That's Jojo from Jojo NYC - a TV show.

That's the Matrix, even did an interview in there.

The AAIFF runs something like the other film festivals. It's amazing that you'd think thousands of Asians would just show up, but where are they? Either way, it's a great effort in NYC. They treat cinema well. Wayne Wang's Princess of Nebraska was the opener. I think I did over 10 interviews today, and finished at 1am.

Hot Doggery - Gray's Papaya

Open 24 hours. Gray's Papaya... It's a trip that it's Filipino dudes who run this place, but late, it's the perfect cheapo snack. The red stuff is onion, and you get 2 dogs and a drink for 3.50. The hot dog isn't bad. It's just a snack and I wouldn't bet it's the best or anything like that. The drink... why not try the papaya juice, there's signs everywhere saying it'll help you digest. Papaya supposedly has some special enzyme that helps you break down your food. That's what there's "papaya pills" to aid in digestion.

It gets sketchy late at 37 and 8th. There's a porno video store, a bar, and dudes in doo-rags walking around and they're not eating hotdogs.

Asian Cinevision ACV

The NY version of the Asian American International Film Festivals is set to start this thursday in New York City. Me being a westcoaster and actually have a feature film in it (yeah, it's forgotten), in 1997 or was it 1998 is long past. Wayne Wang is back in the saddle again with the opening night film, Princess of Nebraska - which somehow reminds me of the U2 song title, Angel of Harlem. I guess it's similar in an SAT test sort of way. 



For you NY'ers, I'll be out there in full force maybe as part of the Directors Chair site. I'll be interviewing filmmakers and such for the site, and I'll be around thurs and friday and maybe saturday. If you see me around, please say hello. Meanwhile if you want, see me interview a bunch of filmmakers, producers, and actors. Click on that link above.

In Chinatown LA

Entrepreneurs are all over the place. While walking in Chinatown LA, south of Broadway which gets really interesting, with the weird malls and shops. It feels like it's all illegal for some reason. On the corner, I saw a dude at his pickup truck bed doing something, I had no idea. Then I got closer and realized he was making fresh OJ! For $2, you can get a big cup of fresh juice. I heard an Asian lady who was getting a few cups for herself and her kids say, "did all these come from your own tree?" I'm sure this dude either did that, and picked his own, got them super cheap, and figured that making juice would be a quick way to make some bucks with oranges, which is right. While I stood there for a couple minutes, he sold 7 cups, one being to me. 

The juice was really great, refreshing, and all that. He put in a tiny piece of ice that was just right. When's the last time you had fresh orange juice? Sometimes supporting a dude hustling feels better than supporting a store who pays taxes, rent, employees, and so forth.

GR54 - Calico Cafe - extra photos!

Calico Cafe is in Giant Robot 54. Here's some extra pics from the cafe which is in Kichijoji, Tokyo. It's a great little spot that's relaxing and away from the crazy days of Tokyo. It's place to decompress. Take a look at the photos, read the article in GR54.

That's Michelle and Pryor checking out the kitties!
Here's the link to the photos! I hope you enjoy them!

GR54 Geisai photos

If you read through GR54, you'll see some images from Geisai Museum 2, which is the art fair that Takashi Murakami puts on. It's a vast event, that's more than just art, it's also a concert, and a place to hang out. Gladly, I have a press and guest pass which gives me all access, so maybe some of these pics might be a little better? I'm not quite sure. Tell me what you think or if you like any of the art. I held on to these pics until the issue 54 came out, so here they are. More photos to come.

Take a look at the flickr set.

Here's some pop fans. They're great with the glow sticks.

The bedroom of artist Mr. That's a reproduction of his room. 

GR54 James Jean outtake photos

James Jean outtakes from Giant Robot 54. I took the pics while at his house. I forgot his cat's name. I think it had something to do with it's color... I think. The house is a great spot in Santa Monica. I took photos the day after the interview. It's strange to take pics right after an interview for some reason. It feels a lot better to come back the next day, but usually, it doesn't work that way.

Take a look at the photo set.

Jack Long video Convolvere

Got the Jack Long video done. Took a lot longer and I put more effort into this, but part of the problem is that there was over 25 minutes of footage to be cut into 4 minutes! It's hard to capture Jack, there's so much more to say, but nonetheless, hacking down footage is almost like editing an article. Below: that's Lisa Ling and her husband. That dude is tall.

Lisa made a comment that Jack's art looks Russian. He was puzzled and was sort of surprised to hear that. Then a couple minutes later, he realized that one of his pieces has a building that he copied from a Russian church!

Jack Long video below

Dirty Hands World Premier Q and A video - Harry Kim and David Choe Los Angeles Film Festival - The Crest

Of course it's on our Youtube page if you care to see the other videos that have recently gone up. I shot this from my seat, and after the Q and A, there's a little extra with David Choe's parents. Hear what mom has to say about her son. Man, I'm evil, but her answer was telling. They were proud. The dad was all smiles, and he also went to each of the three screenings. That's a proud dad. Check out our Youtube page here. There's some art exhibition video to see as well. Thanks much and Happy 4th.

Shepard Fairey

When Shepard Fairey met Obama, he showed him the now infamous design that you see on the poster. Obama said something to the effect of, "I like that image, how did you spread it so fast?" That's a great first question back. He could have said, can I have a poster? But instead I'd like to think Obama understood that the image was powerful and out there en masse much like an Obey sticker, and realized the power behind "street art", youth, and a true indie/punk rock grassroots movement using the power of blogs. Think Obama's competition knows this?

Meeting up with Shepard always bums me out since he makes me feel dwarfed. What did I do to deserve that today? 

We're the same age, and I remember his work from the day we started out. We've been through some of the same lumps, and he's at year 19! For some reason, he reminds me of Yoshitomo Nara. It's their face, their laugh, and musical tastes.

Shep's always complimentary about GR since it's a mag he reads. He even said a big part of his world ends with GR and Juxtapoz. It's great to see him rock at his own studio/gallery/meeting place in Echo Park. 

Guess what he likes to drink?

Palisadian Post - I, Giant Robot

PHOTO REMOVED by request of the PHOTOGRAPHER.

Whoa there, that's a funny pic by Rich Schmitt. David Horvath, the Uglydoll man, wrote me to say, "you have a good head on your shoulders." This is the article that's in the Palisadian Post newspaper which I told you about before. I used to take photos for them back in 90 or maybe 91. I forgot now, and it's sort of a blur. They featured me in the lifestyles section which is an honor. We've had articles about Giant Robot in different places including big ones like the New York Times, LA Times, LA Weekly, Orange County Register, and many others, but for some reason being featured in a local paper where I partially grew up is a great honor. I had to look up the Rick Caruso reference, I'll have to admit, and he's a developer in LA. If writer Michael Aushenker said, 'Magic Johnson,' I would have understood that one easier.

One quote that stands out a bit weird is this one. 'He's good at English,' Nakamura says. 'That fits my shortcomings. He's less of a business person, but he knows how to write a magazine. And he loves film.'

I suck at English, yes, I'm Mr Verbal 400 on the SAT. Martin's great at English. "Less of a business person" - part sounds weird, since I do know juggling finances with a baby and house remodeling takes business sense, if you didn't have any, the baby would be bumming, but maybe "less of a business person at GR" might make a bit more sense to me.

There's quotes by Lisa Strouss, Adrian Tomine, and Bill Bear Poon! Thanks much.

I also forgot to mention The Rock. Not the actor, but there was this white rock on Temescal Canyon that would be a gathering spot. Sometimes, you'd see 100 kids there at night. And the Jack in the Box part, was totally real, that's one of the only fast food places in the area. There's no Burger King, McDonald's, or anything like that there and it was the only thing open late. They do advertise in GR now, and well, maybe that's payback for those late nights of meeting up there.

I talked with Michael A. for about 2 hours at a Starbucks in the center of the Palisades. He does it with no tape recorder! How do you do it?! My "stones" are too small to rock articles that way. While we sat, I saw familiar faces around from a decade ago walk by including a Palisades Post staffer who was there when I was working there. It turns out there's a bunch who are still there. Some for well over 20 years. It's great that a community paper is run by a community of employees. That's amazing, and on it's own a great story. I didn't go to my reunions, I can't say high school was this time that I want to remember that bad, but for this instant and this article, it made me reflect on it a lot. There's still little I miss honestly. My friends from time, where did they all go? I have no idea. But the neighborhood, I miss that more.

Read the article here at the Post.

A good discussion on people, changes, and their world

Anonymous said:
It is also said, besides the greediness, there is a lack of trust between the Japanese-Americans. Supposedly it is a problem that stems for the internment camp experience. I hear a lot about Chinese and Korean business people who bring their money together and help new businesses out, but I don't hear about Japanese Americans doing that.

And then there is also the problem of the Japanese and Japanese-Americans not seeing eye to eye.
The Little Tokyo Business Association was started and run by Japanese Americans, but they never invite the new Japanese businesses to their meetings. So the Japanese businesses have their own organization. Who knows, maybe the Japanese businesses wouldn't go even if they were invited. But it is just another frustating factor, that I'm sure looks like it doesn't make sense from the outside.


At this moment, I'd have to say, I can't necessarily blindly trust Japanese Americans either. I'm not sure if it's prudent to blindly trust anyone, but I'd say, JA's won't hesitate to burn another JA. There's nothing special about being a JA, that makes people be better to you, or not. And as far as the JA vs Japanese national, yeah, definitely there's little going on in the handshaking. It's two separate worlds.

1:05 PM
Comment said...
Trying to place blame among an ethnic enclave is just plain arrogant and ignorant and smacks of elitistim. This outlook simply fails at basic business sense.

They should look around. Perhaps their drop in business relates directly to the drop in the Japanese American population.

From the 1990 to the 2000 census those identified themselves as Japanese dropped by 6%. That was the only Asian ethnic group to be in decline. This trend looks like it will continue as less Japanese immigration and more mixed-Japanese couples continue to grow.

Another factor may be that there are more 4th and 5th generation Americans of Japanese ethnicity that view themselves as fully acclimated into American society. This demographic may see little social need nor business sense to brand themselves within an ethnic enclave. Particularly within one that is literally dying off each day.

For comparison, in LA county you can look at the drop in the black population and black businesses compared to latino and asian populations and businesses.

There are 50% more asians in LA than blacks and that separation is growing. Along with that growth is competition for land/businesses.

This next census will also have a built-in real estate 'fraud-bubble' as well as soaring energy costs. In a sprawling city/county like LA how much premium was there and will there be for living closer to work? How much will this commute-cost further change ethnocentric enclaves?

How much of an effect will these gas prices have on housing/businesses near our rail system? J-Town will soon have its own gold-line extension. What new opportunies will follow?


I don't how elitism comes into play, but beyond that, I agree on a lot of points there, except for the fact that I've made every effort to do things, and I often get burned by other Japanese Americans. I've put up the money and the mouth, and at the same time, it's not green or loud enough. I'd say that how things are changing makes clear and clean business sense from my point of view. What do you do when someone comes and offers to buy out a failing business for a lot of money and the second best offer is a far distant second place? You'll go with the higher one regardless of who it is and what they intend to do. But what if, the second place is very close or the same with the promise of keeping up the neighborhood, or area? You'd think no brainer go with the second one that's close, but that doesn't necessarily happen, and I don't know why. Is it back to the first comment that there's a lack of trust between JAs? It's true that JA's are often 5th generation or more, and they move to the suburbs and disappear, especially after marriage, etc. That's why I do think in this case, especially Little Tokyo and even Sawtelle, it's just where the money's at. If it's Korean markets etc, then that's how it goes. There's no fault, it's just how the economy is changing. Is it sad? Yes, but until people put up the money and support the businesses that are there, it won't work.


12:12 PM
Anonymous said...
I didn't know this was going on - thanks for the heads up. It's great that you don't shy away from the controversial topics on your blog and I actually expected a little more noise on the comments. :-)

2:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Not to be a smart ass or insensitive, but could one reason be that 3rd, 4th, 5th generations of Japanese Americans are marrying outside their race. The Japanese-American identity may be disappearing or being diluted much in the same way Little Tokyo is. America has been a melting pot for decades so this not anything new. How many 4th or 5th generation 100% Irish or Polish Americans do you know?

This could be true as well. Does this mean that Koreatown in LA will shrink away in about 50 years? It's hard to fathom, but if we're to believe what you're saying, then that'll happen as well. Or will LA become one big Korea town first before this can happen. I think for that to happen, we'll need more immigrants and that'll have to not change. We'll need tons more first generation Koreans in the next 50 years for all of the businesses to keep on going. That's a lot of businesses and it follows the census pattern mentioned above. Asians are on a rise. I assume that includes Koreans.