astromonster

A Rake's Progress

2011-11-27T14:06:00.000-06:00

Running late but running to the finish. More photos soon.

Garakutagigas Update

2011-10-01T10:43:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Kirkland at Toybot Studios for the review found here.

Garakutagigas 2nd: Red Mercury — Order Info

2011-09-18T23:14:00.000-05:00

SALES INFORMATION Soft vinyl Monster Garakutagigas 2nd

A very limited number of Garakutagigas toys in RED vinyl have arrived and will be ready to ship in early October. The standard edition is called Red Mercury and will be painted in metallic green, silver, gold and purple. There will be only 15 pieces of the standard edition available, priced at $125 each, one per customer please. In addition, 5 pieces will be painted as one-offs and available by lottery; the price is $250 each.

Size: 8.5 inches vinyl color: Red

Limited production. $125.00 + postage

For the standard edition, please email with "Garakutagigas 2nd" in the subject header. $125.00 + postage

For a chance at one of the 1-offs, please email with "Garakutagigas Lottery" in the subject header. $250.00 + postage. Lottery winners will be drawn Friday, Sept. 23 and notified by email.

Please supply the following in your email:

Name

Address

Country

Telephone number

PayPal address

I will reply with an invoice of total including postage to your location.

Payment by PayPal please.

Orders open Sept. 19, midnight • Payment deadline Sept. 30 • Shipments begin October 15

Toy Karma 3 Garakutagigas Customs

2011-09-15T18:46:00.000-05:00

Once all the Fire and Storm models from the first release were completed I found I had a few strays left over. And since I needed some pieces to put into Toy Karma 3 I got a chance to experiment with some variant color treatments. The Red model below is an advance sample; watch this blog for the announcement of Garakutagigas 2nd to be released in red vinyl. The other pieces are painted head to toe over the the first release gray vinyl. Check the Rotofugi blog to see Atelier G-1 sculptor Shigeki Okuda's two Garakutagigas customs.

Toy Karma 3 at Rotofugi

2011-09-15T18:05:00.000-05:00

Mark Nagata and Yo Miyamoto, together once more with the unstoppable Whitney and Kirby Kerr, the Dynamic Duo that is Rotofugi, have another hit show that will shine as a beacon to vinyl madness. A very limited selection of highlights follow; you can view the entire show here. There were so many amazing pieces ---- my poor camera couldn't do justice to more than a few.

Pico Pico, Mecha School Girl, Custom Painted Resin Figure

Monster Worship Red Rub Greasebat flanked by Earth Altar Beasts

Karz Works / Kazumitsu Akamatsu, Baalzebub, Custom Painted Vinyl Figure

Garakutagigas takes flight!

2011-09-13T11:59:00.001-05:00

All the boxes have been shipped and are on their way to new homes. Garakutagigas is in flight right now from Chicago to New York, Massachusetts, California, Hawaii, Netherlands, Singapore, Taiwan and Japan. There were a number of glitches and delays getting this baby out the door. Thanks to everyone for your patience! I 'm confident that all the challenges that slowed down this first release have been resolved and the future for my little junk monster looks bright...even metallic. Look for the announcement of the release of Garakutagigas 2nd--a new vinyl color and paint colorway---in the next few weeks.

Alex Wald X Atelier G-1: Hyper Hobby interview

2011-08-23T07:27:00.000-05:00

Garakutagigas visits San Diego Comic Con, Wonder Festival

2011-07-27T02:23:00.003-05:00

Geof Darrow holds the two color demos of Astromonster no.1: Garakutagigas.

Itokin Park, Alex Wald meet at SDCC 2011. Photo courtesy Kirkland Jue

Garakutagigas, Atelier G-1 Wonder Festival 2011 release painted by Shigeki Okuda

Garakutagigas in process

2011-07-26T11:42:00.000-05:00

I returned from San Diego Comic Con late Sunday night, totally exhausted. Monday, like clockwork, the shipment of unpainted gray Garakutagigas vinyls landed at Astromonster HQ in Chicago. Painting will proceed this week and continue as orders are filled. There are only 9 vinyls not yet spoken for in this first release---if you've been on the fence about ordering, don't wait! To all of you who ordered Storm or Fire, my sincere thanks! I'm very encouraged by your enthusiastic responses. I will post photos of the paints in progress after the weekend.

Sunday in Japan was Wonder Festival and Atelier G-1 sold a short run of unpainted red Garakutagigas. I've requested an order of red vinyls too and waiting to learn from Mr. Okuda how soon he can fulfill the next order.

Garakutagigas Order Info

2011-07-20T00:46:00.000-05:00

July 20, 2011

Soft Vinyl Monster Garakutagigas SALES INFORMATION

Size: 8 inches Vinyl color: Gray

Limited production. $125.00 + postage

Please email your order to: astromonster@sbcglobal.net

Please give the following info:

(1) Name
(2) Address
(3) Country
(4) Telephone number
(5) Indicate color choice: STORM or FIRE. (Please see photos below)
(6) Your PayPal address

I will reply with an email invoice of total and postage to your location.

Payment will be via PayPal.

Orders open July 20 • Payment deadline August 1 • Shipments begin August 12

Garakutagigas: Fire

2011-07-19T22:47:00.000-05:00

Garakutagigas colorway no. 2 is gray vinyl with red, black, metallic green, silver and gold.

Garakutagigas Orders Open Tonight

2011-07-19T11:07:00.000-05:00

Colorway no. 2 Fire was painted last night. Photos are still in preparation. I will post photos of both colorways and order info tonight at midnight, July 20.

Garakutagigas: Storm

2011-07-16T01:40:00.000-05:00

Garakutagigas colorway no. 1 is"monster green" base with gold, silver, red and black.

Garakutagigas...Countdown to Birth

2011-06-30T23:07:00.000-05:00

The test shots are here. Behold, Garakutagigas—naked came he into our world. Paint planning is in the works. Preorder announcement soon! Astromonster Garakutagigas brings the heat this summer.

Atelier G-1 X Astromonster Garakutagigas — First Color version

2011-06-15T01:07:00.003-05:00

Okuda-san has posted a series of shots of Garakutagigas with a paint job that references the Kaiju Comrades 2 color print that started it all.

Astromonster Series Vol. 1 "Scrap Metal Destruction Monster Garakutagigas"
Sofubi test shot is expected to rise to much this weekend. Color version in early July the first phase pre-sale and if you can think. Sales method works, 7/1 SHOP start at the reservation. The tentative price is ¥9800.

Wonder Festival will be selling different versions of the goggles as in the early illustration.
Is close to the first color illustrations, is now quite flashy colors and usage of airbrush and brush painting. It looks like the parrot that lives in the tropics.

(Top to bottom: First release, Streamline Goggles; middle row: WonderFest release, Original Goggles; bottom row: side view, back

Update from Astromonster:
Preorder announcement coming soon. There will be 10 each of two new color versions this summer from Astromonster. Then in the fall, the alternate eye sculpt will go on sale at Wonder Festival. The Astromonster editions for US sales will always have colorways different than the Atelier G-1 editions. Ballpark price for the US will be $125.

Ａｓｔｒｏｍｏｎｓｔｏｒ　シリーズＶｏｌ，１
「くず鉄破壊大怪獣　ガラクタギガス」
ソフビテストショットは、今週末くらいに上がる予定です。
問題なければ第一期カラー版７月初旬には先行販売出来ると思います。
販売方法は、７月１日に作品ＳＨＯＰにて予約開始します。
先行販売分は３０個で、１～５日までの応募受付で第２週くらいにリリースとします。予価は￥９８００です。
オリジナルだし、いつものような数は読めないのと、今回ご紹介の第一期カラーデコマスが最初なので気合入りすぎて塗装にかなりの手間がかかりそうなので、出来る範囲の数としました。もちろん先行分掃けてくれればよいのですが、予定個数に達しなかった場合は、ＷＦに回します。ＷＦではゴーグル違いの初期イラスト版も販売予定です。
一番最初のイラストカラーに近づけましたが、エアブラシと筆塗りの使い分けでかなり派手な色使いとなりました。熱帯に棲んでいるオウムのようですね。
普段は渋い塗装が多いのですが、こんなんも塗ってて楽しいものです。
ソフビ版もこれに準じた塗装となります。

楽しみにお待ち下さい。

via http://green.ap.teacup.com/g-1okuda/

How to Make a Mechanikong

2011-06-13T11:28:00.000-05:00

Ultra Seven Makes Dreams Come True

2011-06-10T01:25:00.001-05:00

Doctor becomes space superhero / Astronaut Furukawa had childhood dream of emulating Ultra Seven

Tatsuya Kimura / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan—Flying into space like the superhero Ultra Seven. It was a childhood daydream of Satoshi Furukawa, today a 47-year-old surgeon-cum-astronaut. He made this dream come true Wednesday after waiting for 12 years, when the Soyuz spacecraft carrying him and two others was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, bound for the International Space Station.

Family, friends and acquaintances in his hometown and at the launch base cheered at his successful flight and wished him fruitful days at the ISS.

“When he was a child, he always talked about Ultra Seven,” his mother, Hiroko Furukawa, 74, recalled while watching the launch at the base.

“Ultra Seven” is one of Tsuburaya Productions Co.’s famed “Ultra” science fiction TV series. “Ultra Seven” was the third series after “Ultra Q” and “Ultraman.” Ultra Seven, the title character, is a superhero from the imaginary Nebula M-78.

read more at Yomiuri Shimbun illustration found at deroli

Come Together

2011-06-08T23:08:00.000-05:00

These are the wax castings for Garakutagigas which go into the making of iron molds. Molten metal. . .

Alex Wald x Atelier G-1 Collaboration: GARAKUTAGIGAS — Interview by Kirkland Jue

2011-05-04T00:14:00.016-05:00

I've been blown away by the enthusiastic reception for the announcement of my first toy design, a collaboration with premier kaiju sculptor Mr. Okuda Shigeki of Atelier G-1. Kirkland Jue of Toybot Studios did a fine interview with me about what makes Garakutagigas tick; it is reprinted here with his kind permission.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————

One of the toys revealed at Super Festival 56 this weekend that just blew me away is the GARAKUTAGIGAS which is a collaboration between Chicago Artist Alex Wald and Atelier G-1. I first met Alex a couple of years ago at Mark Nagata's Toy Karma 2 Custom Show at Rotofugi. Super nice guy. Obviously super talented as well. We sat down for a virtual interview on his latest venture:

pictures via: Sofubi Blog Kadomiumtank Garamania

TBS: You mentioned Garakutagigas is a Junk Giant, a golem of garbage and industrial waste. What is his relationship to Garamon if any? He looks like a junkyard version of mecha Garamon.

AW: There is a core element of Tilsonite in the composition of Garakutagigas--the element that composed the Garadama meteor that brought the original Garamon to Earth. This rare substance has a number of strange properties; it may house a living intelligence that can exert a creative or organizing force over its surroundings. So when a metal reclamation yard was built over an ancient Tilsonite impact crater... I have enough notes to make a fairly decent story. I started to rough it out, thinking it would be cool to have a mini-comic with the toy but soon realized I didn't have enough time to get one done for the first release. It will happen eventually...

TBS: Is there any social commentary related to your design?

AW: Actually I'm very interested in the relationship between what we call art and what we call junk--dialectically opposite but really it's very much a matter of perspective. The lines are not at all fixed--what one culture considers junk, another calls art. Our society produces and venerates much that we condemn as "junk culture," we may know it's unworthy, mediocre or substandard but we love it just the same. And then there's the issues of salvaging the colossal waste our society produces as an unavoidable byproduct to progress. These concepts came flooding in to me as I drew the earliest pieces that evolved into Garakutagigas. I've been to a few junk yards, there's a pervasive atmosphere of doom to an auto graveyard. And I love the idea that all this waste, this useless garbage, is carefully guarded by men with guns and ferocious dogs.

TBS: Is he related to Hedorah or Smogun in any way?

AW: Yes, I think that (creator of Hedorah) Mr. Banno was prescient in some way; he was inspired by Rachel Carson's landmark book on ecology "Silent Spring." He conceived the pollution monster Hedorah in the early '70s when great debates raged about pollution and ecology. The following years have seen Hedorah resonate even more strongly in society. The collector's world we're familiar with is a tiny niche society with a million fragments--by now there must be nearly as many renditions of Hedorah as there have been of Godzilla. I don't know the statistics...it might be interesting for someone to take a census...

TBS: Was he shiny and brand new like Mecha Godzilla at one point and then fell into disrepair?

AW: Oh no, "baby, he was born this way!"

TBS: If you could pick another one of your illustrations to be made into a vinyl toy, which would it be?

AW: Mr. Okuda and I have discussed the possibility of another design. I'll decline from identifying it at the present out of deference to him. But I have a number of other designs on my astromonster blog and in my Flickr sets. I'd like to get back to sculpting some originals as well---I haven't made sculpture in a very long time....

TBS: Would you like to design more toys in the future?

AW: Oh yeah! That this is happening at all is totally a dream come true---I still can't believe it. In addition to my other drawings and images, I have many designs for specific toys. My sketchbooks have been full of them for years!

TBS: wow..! Thank You Alex... Looking forward to this toy. We can hardly wait. The response has been tremendous.

Alex would like to thank Mark Nagata who helped put the collaboration with Atelier G-1 in place. It also couldn't have happened without the aid of the omnipotent Yo Miyamoto..!

Atelier G-1 x Astromonster = GARAKUTAGIGAS!

2011-04-30T01:29:00.004-05:00

The prototype figure of GARAKUTAGIGAS debuted at Super Festival 56 in Tokyo,
April 29, 2011. Sculpted by Okuda Shigeki for Atelier G-1, design by Alex Wald.
Special thanks to Miyamoto Yo and Mark Nagata! Watch for the official Atelier G-1
release this summer at World Characters Convention in Tokyo!

Have you seen Them?

2011-03-31T19:06:00.000-05:00

I never get tired of painting...them. But what do they think about how I make them look?

Tura Satana RIP 1938—2011

2011-02-06T09:03:00.001-06:00

The Hundred Monsters Game

2011-02-02T16:33:00.007-06:00

Mizuki Shigeru's Yokai Hyaku Monogatari (Hundred Monsters) was, like much of his manga work, based on folk stories and traditions involving ghosts, spirits and monsters. Here is a sugoroku ---a paper board-game---depicting less than a hundred weird creatures from Japanese lore. This example may possibly be pre-War as the title across the top reads right to left "Hyaku Monogatari Bakemono." Along with the spider demon, rokuro-kubi and lantern ghost there is also a demon teakettle, a cracked pot and a walking phallus!

Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai (百物語怪談会 -- A Gathering of One Hundred Supernatural Tales) was a popular game during the Edo period. To play the game, one hundred candles were lit in a room at twilight. The players gathered around taking turns telling kaidan (weird tales). After each tale a single candle was extinguished and the room slowly grew darker and darker. The process was believed to summon a supernatural entity.

More Kaiju Rarities

2011-01-23T12:48:00.004-06:00

I tend to accumulate lots of images--from the internet, as well as from print--at a steady rate. This weekend I spent some time arranging my "catch" files and found some pieces that I now no longer remember the source for. If anyone has more info on these--or better yet, copies at a higher resolution--please email me and I'll post them in future updates.

The caption I wrote on this merely says Kaiju Shibuya. The monsters are Drako II and RedKing; the female models are, alas, unknown. The photo looks like it may have been from a magazine spread circa 1966. I'd love to see the rest of this shoot!

This just in! Our San Francisco correspondent August Ragone writes:
"The first photo is sourced from a photo spread, "Monsters & Dates: Ultra Gals", in the April 1967 edition of "Monthly Heibon" (Heibonsha Limited). The girl holding hands with Red King is famous actress-model-singer, Linda Yamamoto (best known to tokusatsu fans as one of the Rider Girls from the original KAMEN RIDER series. Holding Drako's hand is Tomoko Kei, another popular singer-actress-model. Both of these girls are happa."

I'd say the Ultra Dates are not only happa--they're happenin'!

Many thanks, August!

The (partial) kaiju suit shown above is Ghostler from the Captain Ultra series. Eagle-eyed affiliate August Ragone identifies the crew as employees of Ekisu Productions, all of whom worked at Toho under Eiji Tsuburaya; the man standing behind the monster is company chief Masao Yagi.

Above is the contents page from a 1955 copy of Vue magazine courtesy of Brad Warner. Brad believes, and I would agree, that this is very likely the first publication in English about the King of the Monsters! Notice that the monster's name is given as "Gojira"--the name "Godzilla" would not come into common usage for another year when Joseph E. Levine bought the rights to bring the film to the U.S. Hey, Brad! Do you still have copies of this mag? I never got one...

Mystery Kaiju

2010-08-01T13:21:00.000-05:00

Who can identify the mystery kaiju in this old menko card and the name of the film they appeared in?

Hey, you kids! Get off my lawn!

2010-04-24T00:16:00.003-05:00

Langorias Reborn

2010-04-24T00:14:00.013-05:00

Couldn't resist developing this a bit further. Some of the other Kaiju Comrades pieces are scheduled for upgrades too.

Kaiju Comrades 2 video!

2010-03-18T20:22:00.004-05:00

Read all about it here!

Kaiju Comrades 2

2010-03-07T11:40:00.038-06:00

Mark Nagata presents Kaiju Comrades 2 at Design Festa Gallery, East Room #303 Tokyo, Japan from March 12—14, 2010. The opening is only a week away and all my work is finally winging its way over to Harajuku. I'll be sitting this out in Chicago unfortunately. Check out the full lineup of artists and a promo video here and here.

Thanks to Mr. Miyamoto and of course Mr. Nagata for making this all possible! I welcome your feedback on the designs-- I'm ready to start sculpting prototypes of the pieces that generate the most interest.

Ultra Kaiju Menko

2010-01-19T23:16:00.013-06:00

from top, left to right: Hidora, Banilla, Gabura, Dodongo, Prote Seijin, Aron, Mephuilas, Goldon, Tetsujin 28-gou, Spehl Seijin, Zarab Seijin

Nude Date with Baragon

2010-01-17T16:14:00.004-06:00

Gekko Kamen menko

2009-09-17T23:54:00.008-05:00

Swingin' Kaiju No. 963

2009-08-28T18:03:00.003-05:00

Instant Toy Karma's Gonna Get You!

2009-08-27T12:48:00.000-05:00

Coming up in just a few weeks is Toy Karma 2 • Art Inspired by Classic Japanese Toys —— and, thanks to the new trend in alphabetization, I'm at the head of the list! Thanks to Mark Nagata for making me a returning Toy Karmanaut!

Handing the mic to Mr. Kirby Kerr here:

What is Toy Karma? Well, in our case, it’s an art exhibit featuring artists expressing their love for classic Japanese toys. But it’s so much more than that. As Mark Nagata, founder of Max Toy Company and curator of this exhibit explains on his blog, it’s the idea that if you’re honest in your dealings that one toy that you’ve always dreamed of getting will eventually come to you. For many serious toy collectors it’s a guideline, a mantra and yes, even a lifestyle. This exhibit pays homage to the mysterious force and power that toys have over us.

Toy Karma, the exhibit, is held every other year at Rotofugi Gallery, Chicago. The first Toy Karma exhibit was held in September 2007. Toy Karma 2 (aka TKII) will be held at Rotofugi Gallery September 5-20, 2009. We hope you can join us!

Toy Karma 2

Rotofugi Gallery

1955 W Chicago Ave • Chicago, IL

Opening Saturday, September 5 • 7pm-10pm

Music by dep

Exhibit continues through September 20

http://www.toykarma.rotofugi.com/

Alex again...

Here are the preview jpegs of my pieces.

"Tura Satana in Violent Planet" will be available in two editions: the "Classic" design with blue-green sky and a psychedelic, or "Hawaiian" edition featuring heavy doses of yellow, pink and orange. (Sorry, no Glow in Dark available. Maybe next time...) The prints are 13" x 19" giclees on Ultra Premium Matte 100% cotton rag stock. There will be only 25 signed and numbered copies of each edition —— don't miss this! And don't make me use so many exclamation marks!!!

Hope to see you there!

Ultra ジグソーパズル

2009-01-07T18:47:00.004-06:00

These jigsaw puzzles were the very first Ultraman items in my
collection--I've had them since 1969. They came in little boxes
marked "20 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle." No manufacturer name or other
information, just a simple "Made in Japan" notice on the bottom.
I believe the art was very likely originally intended for menko
cards--possibly the larger variety as they are quite detailed.
Something that viewing these images on a monitor can't convey is
that they are 5 color prints--all have metallic gold borders
and pictorial areas. I've collected many more Ultraman pieces
since then and yet these remain some of my most treasured pieces.
O-tanoshimi ni.

Ultraman tai Kaiju Gabora

I have a small sized menko with the same image that I found
around the same time. Though the monsters were the main
attraction for me back in '69 (it was some years before I'd
learn the word "kaiju") I became fascinated by the humanoid
figure. Who was that glowing-eyed being with the mysterious grin?

Bemlar • Gavadon O-abare!!

Hassha! Baltan • Antlar o Taose!!

Ultraman tai Kaiju Gyango

Magma Taishi • Kaiju Aron • Kaiju Gappa (Mama Gappa!)

Batman and Robin! Kairyu Daikessen!

For most American fans, this final card is the mind-blower of
the set. Batman's costume colors are definitely "off-model" and
Robin has a pistol! I didn't realize that the helmeted shooters
were Ultraman's Science Patrol team members until I became
more steeped in Ultra Lore.

Better be Better

2008-12-31T19:55:00.001-06:00

Forrest J Ackerman 1916—2008

2008-12-06T07:23:00.003-06:00

Defender of Democracy vs Kaiju Kong

2008-11-06T11:57:00.007-06:00

I suppose it's appropriate in this election week that my friend Mark Nagata posted a new painting on his Toy Karma blog of Founding Father George Washington combatting the evil Eyezon. I was not hitherto aware of this battle from the dawn of our democracy! How many know that nearly 200 years later there was another great confrontation between an icon of Truth, Justice and the American Way and a malevolent creature from the unknown? Witness now the clash of titans when Lady Liberty battled the Mammoth Kong!

Mammoth Kong rises from the sea!

Population in terror! Mammoth Kong attacks!

Here come the jets--and Lady Liberty!

Lady Liberty! Defeat Mammoth Kong!

The Lost Films of Tura Satana

2008-10-15T07:52:00.012-05:00

As I've written previously, I've been invited to show in "Tura! Tura! Tura!" a group happening celebrating the legendary screen icon, Tura Satana! Exhibit curated by Mitch O'Connell, Beth Cisco and Casey Sass, the opening is Thursday, October 30th from 7 to 11pm at the Tattoo Factory Gallery, 4443 N. Broadway in Chicago.

Just completed are two rare Japanese posters from Tura's lost and, up to now, unknown films from the late 1960s!

Tura reprises her role as exotic, tassell-twirling Suzette Wong in a sequel to "Irma La Douce" directed by Billy Wilder —— "The World of Suzette Wong." Filmed in Parisian and Far East locations, this time Suzette's penchant for gambling and gamblers brings her afoul of the law and the local Yakuza-gumi in Japan's port city of Kobe. Havoc ensues when the sizzling Suzette catches the eye of the Big Boss (Shin Kishida) in a riotous dice-rolling rumble!

While filming on the Daiei Studio sets during "Suzette," Tura was introduced to studio chief Masaichi Nagata. An enterprising connoisseur of international cinema, Mr. Nagata praised Tura on her then-recent US blockbuster, "Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kil!" Over many cups of green tea, a plan was made. Teamed with director Kenji Misumi (Zatoichi series, Nemuri Kyoshiro series, DaiMajin series), Tura would power up her dynamic Varla character for a voyage to another world! Shooting under the working title "Varla's Outer Space Adventure" (Varla no Uchuu Dai Boken) began in July of 1968. As work progressed the title was changed to "Violent Planet" and tested Tura's endurance to the summer heat and on-set pyrotechnics. A climactic battle with Varla wielding only a shoto (short sword) against twin Guillon monsters was planned and possibly filmed. Unfortunately no footage has survived and we can only yearn for this lost jewel through the film's poster art.

Astromonster Fine Arts is the exclusive publisher of these rare treasures from the mod world of '60s cinema. Write to astromonster(at)sbcglobal(dot)net for details and ordering info.

SUPERDOGunderdog Video!

2008-10-03T08:33:00.002-05:00

The Chicago Tribune website has an interview with me, Tony Akins, Gene Ha and Jeff Zwirek, that lovable cast of rogues otherwise known as The SUPERDOGunderdog Show. Go to Comics as Art for the video!

Ten Minutes of Terror!

2008-09-30T12:06:00.003-05:00

Can you take it?

WildClaw Theatre is putting on Deathscribe: Ten Minutes of Terror Radio Play Festival at the Music Box Theater on October 6th. Join us for an evening of short horror stories done radio style with live foley and music by some of the best actors and directors in Chicago.

Tony Akins is on the jury at Deathscribe to help select the Best of Festival entry.

Event: Deathscribe
Date: Monday, Oct. 6 at 8PM
Place: The Music Box Theater, 3733 N. Southport, Chicago
Cost: $15 in advance, go to the WildClaw website

Tura! Tura! Tura!

2008-09-19T07:56:00.006-05:00

Just as we're catching our breath and getting to work on new art for the Miami Kaiju Monster Invasion show, another fantastic group show in Chicago looms near.

Mitch O'Connell, Beth Cisco and Casey Sass are curating a show devoted to new art celebrating the amazing icon Tura Satana!

Tura started exotic dancing at the age of 13. She became a burlesque sensation earning the title Miss Japan Beautiful. From there her talents lead her to guest appearances on many top television shows of the 60s including Hawaiian Eye, Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Burkes Law. Movie roles followed in Our Man Flint, Irma la Douce and The Astro Zombies, but her greatest cinematic superstar achievement was as the baddest badass Varla, the leader of 3 thrill seeking strippers in Russ Meyer's legendary masterpiece,"Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!"

The show will be at the Tattoo Factory Gallery here in Tura's home town, Chicago. The opening will be Thursday, October 30th from 7pm to 11pm. Gallery owner Paul Collurafici (and owner of the adjacent Tattoo Factory) is kindly donating the space and will not be taking a commission, so all profits earned hosting the event will go to Apna Ghar, a domestic violence shelter serving Asian women and children.

The Tattoo Factory
4443 N. Broadway St.
Chicago, Il. 60640

Exciting news! The amazing Chicago burlesque troupe The Flaming Dames have just been added to the Tattoo Factory Gallery opening night and willl be performing 2 exotic, erotic and energized acts during the festivities!!!

Plus! This just in! The poster for the Music Box screening of "Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!" by local heartthrob Mitch O'Connell.

My thanks to Mitch for the invitation to show! Below is a teaser, the back cover of the Estrus Supersnazz record-plus-comic set I drew back in 1995. I'm doing a few brand new pieces honoring Tura. I hope you'll all come out for the opening——Miss Tura Satana is scheduled to attend. This may be a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet a legend——don't miss this one!

Max Toy Kaiju Bromide Project

2008-09-13T13:28:00.010-05:00

The Kaiju Boom (roughly 1966—1975) penetrated every level of popular media in Japan; film and TV were ground zero but the shockwaves spread to include sofubi, games, puzzles, records, clothing and more. The demand for pure images was nowhere better expressed than in the multitude of collectable cards known in Japan as "bromides."

An emulsion of silver bromide makes possible the printing of photographic images. In Japan, the loan word "bromide" (ブロマイド) had come to signify a vast array of pictorial reproductions, regardless of whether bromide paper was used. Since the early 1900s bromides were distributed to idolize celebrities— geisha and sports stars, singers, actors and actresses. In the latter half of the 20th century, the kaiju became the new celebrity of the post-Atomic Age.

It was Yo Miyamoto who suggested to Kaiju and Ultraman super-collector Mark Nagata "an awesome idea" —— to put together a set of Kaiju Bromide cards to be included with a release of a MaxToy Battle Pack sofubi set for WonderFest 2008 in Japan. The concept would have Mark's Captain Maxx, Eyezon and Alien Xam mix it up with Target Earth's kaiju Gumos and Gameldon.

Mark put out the call for entries to a select cadre of kaiju creators: Bob Conge, Ralph Cosentino, Steve Forde, Nawoki Karasawa, Naritada Shintani and myself. I'm honored to be a part of this crew. There are 15 cards, 11 originals and 4 doubles. Mark's own contributions include spot on, period-authentic "zukan" (cutaway anatomies) of the Target Earth kaiju.

Courtesy of Target Earth's Miyamoto-san, here's what little we know about these new and terrifying kaiju:

GUMOS — Capture animals and humans with his six arms and eat them from the heads.
Tear up irons easily with his claws.
Spit out green poison fluid.
GAMELDON — Eat humans.
Very brutal.
Has very small brain.

My entry, "Golden Gate Splashdown," is set in Mark's home base of San Francisco and shows Captain Maxx putting the hurt on Alien Xam while big Eyezon wades in for a stare fest. And damn--why didn't I do another card with the Target Earth kaiju as well? Well, time was of the essence to get this one in by the deadline. Maybe I'll get a chance to work with these characters again.

But don't expect me to give them all up here! I urge you to mouse over to the Max Toy Company's store and order your set now!

Alex Wald Invades Miami!

2008-09-12T21:58:00.005-05:00

Miami braces for all-out Kaiju Attack this December!

Astromonster Alex Wald joins the battle!

Harold Golen, founder of Miami’s Harold Golen Gallery will host "Kaiju Monster Invasion," a special December exhibition during Art Basel 2008. Mr. Golen’s gallery focuses on Lowbrow/ Pop-Surrealist Art and has been featured in the New York Times and Architectural Digest.

Kaiju Creator Alex Wald awoke from a millennial slumber to note with dismay that his name did not appear on the roster of teratological talent in the show's ad. Taking matters into hand, Alex contacted Mr. Golen and threatened him with gastric emulsification if he were not extended an invitation to show with the other assembled mutants. Amazingly, the ploy worked!

What is a Kaiju? The meaning of the Japanese word is “Strange Beast,” or simply --- “Monster.” During the 1960s in Japan, toy vinyl figures of popular Japanese characters like Godzilla and Gamera became popular collectables. Over the next four decades Kaiju spread throughout the world of popular culture, their influence seen in the emerging “art toy” movement, modern couture and in the artworks of lowbrow artists from around the world.

The concept of the Kaiju show at the art center will be to bring the most exciting and subversive artists from Japan and the United States in a single exhibition that will showcase the various interpretations of the Kaiju in both Eastern and Western cultures. This exciting exhibition aims to break new ground in the Kaiju art form while at the same time honoring the rich Kaiju history.

December 3rd, 2008 Through Jan 2009
Kaiju Monster Invasion at South Florida Art Center

Featured Artists

Ron English
Coop
Glenn Barr
Mark Nagata
Carlos Enriquez Gonzalez (Venezuela)
Gargamel (Japan; Koji Harmon and Kiyoka Ikeda)
Mitch O'Connell
Jim Woodring
Anthony Ausgang
Niagara
...and many more!

Crazy for Coin

2008-08-27T11:54:00.005-05:00

Kikai? KANEGON ni natteshimatta shonen!

Wonderfully Strange? The Boy that Became KANEGON!

"Kaneo Kaneda was a boy who loved money very much." Japanese youth gets his Aesop-like comeuppance pursuing the capitalist dream. My favorite of all the Ultra Q episodes.

SUPERDOG(underdog) revisited

2008-08-24T08:19:00.007-05:00

Went by the gallery yesterday with Bill on the way to buy 20 pounds of coffee, an average week's supply for Mr. G. Please enjoy these additional photos until we get copies of the good ones from the opening night.

The Great Wall of Wald. Note the red dots on the labels. We like red dots...

新大怪獣ゴッコゴルゴン

Jeez...I've gotta work on my gut. Photo by Mister Bill.

Here's gallery owner Diane Tanios herself with yet another superdog.

Lake Magazine shutter ace Bruce Bevers lines up the usual suspects for a photo feature.

SUPERDOG(underdog)

2008-08-14T10:02:00.005-05:00

Today is 14 days since the sweltering opening night soiree that is "SUPERDOG/underdog Knuckle-Opera for the Socially Challenged" at the Diane Tanios Gallery. I should have photos soon by shutter ace Christopher Santiago who tirelessly documented every sweat-drenched moment of this historic event.

Thanks to Caitlin McKay and Tony Akins for the photo below,"Genuflecting Gaijin Generates Giant Gorgonoid Graphic."

Read all about it here from Reuters.

All in the Family

2008-08-03T08:10:00.003-05:00

In our efforts to serve business clients throughout Chicago and beyond, we must mention the first in a series of ads done for world famous Best Vacuum, your Emporium Extraordinaire for Preeminent Purifiers and winner of two Consumer’s Digest “Best Buy” awards. Paul Teven is the Best proprietor (as well as the best brother-in-law) and approached me about creating something unique for a promotional campaign. You can read more at Paul's blog and a gosh-wow real business trade article here.

Anyone in possession of printed copies of the issue of PAWS in which the ad appears are encouraged to contact me —— all the vendors in our area were out of stock as soon as the ad appeared! Has this ad become an instant collectible? An urban artifact coveted by cognoscenti and perspicacious pet owners? Let the power of my adwork get results for YOU.

SDCC 2008 recovery phase

2008-08-01T09:29:00.005-05:00

After a 15 hour wait for a standby ticket at Ohare I finally got to San Diego on Thursday night. Fuller report to follow. For now, the photos below will have to suffice.

Billed out and bound to go. After I got to the airport I was informed only TWO pieces of carry-on were allowed. Small piece went into big piece--not without damage.

Hordes line up to witness Alex lose the Eisner Award.

The stage at the awards ceremony prior to the event getting underway. I was too intimidated to keep shooting. I'll learn...

Funnyara had this amazing original painting for a 1970s tokusatsu hero LP spread by an unknown artist. Please keep sending me work so I can afford stuff like this. Thank you.

Diddley Diddley Diddley Diddley Daddy

2008-06-02T16:21:00.002-05:00

December 30, 1928 —— June 2, 2008

That time of year again

2008-05-20T15:53:00.003-05:00

Someone is turning 48 this year, May 25th to be exact. No, not me, I'm way past that...This particular birthday boy is quite the connoisseur and, though he excels in many disciplines, may in fact have missed his true calling as a sushi chef. The things he can do with a little vinegar! Not to mention all those flabs and sedgements. But watch out merry celebrants, don't leave your treats untended. Let no bully pass!

Vote Early and Vote Often

2008-05-12T08:11:00.004-05:00

That's our credo in Chicago. Maybe that's why we're "the city that works." But now is the time for all good comics men and comics women to come to the polls and vote for your "Bests" in the Eisner Awards. Voting has never been easier--just click through here.

The nomination for Best Colorist has me among some heavy competitors--Richard Isanove and Ronda Pattison have both impressed me time and again. And then there's Dave Stewart, the hardest working man in the color business. I'm sure these estimable folks wouldn't mind you voting for someone else for a change. The award ceremony, believe it or not, falls on my birthday. Wouldn't it be nice...?

An Eisner Nomination for Coloring! Sugoi~ne!

2008-04-15T17:35:00.008-05:00

You could have knocked me over with an archaeopteryx feather when Spencer Lamm phoned last week to tell me that I'd been nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Colorist on Shaolin Cowboy numero 7. So when Mr.Geof Darrow phoned the following day I thought he was calling to offer his congrats as well. Turns out he didn't yet know and was just calling to shmooze about Ultraman and Yakuza flicks (which we proceeded to do at length). Once again I must thank Geof for the incredible opportunity to color his book. Everyone knows Geof's drawings are amazingly detailed: every building in the Monster City, from skyscraper to construction shack, has windows. And window sashes and shutters and awnings... If you look very closely at that opening page, somewhere about a thousand blocks back, you'll see a stratospheric tower laced with tiny windows, and me sitting up at my Mac and grinning from ear to ear.

Thanks too to everyone who wrote me with their best wishes. Don't forget to "vote early and vote often," folks!

Hello, 4706!

2008-02-07T13:02:00.002-06:00

The oldest and most important festival in China is called the Spring Festival. Many people call it the Chinese New Year. No matter what you call it, it is a time of celebration and renewal all over the world.

The Spring Festival celebrates the Earth coming back to life and the beginning of plowing and planting. Because the Chinese use a lunar calendar, the date of the Spring Festival changes each year -- this year it corresponds to February 7, 2008 on the Western calendar. The traditional Chinese calendar did not use continuously numbered years, but many people consider the new year starting in 2008 to be 4706. In celebration we say, "Gung Hay Fat Choy," which means "Best wishes and Congratulations. Have a prosperous and good year."

Life may seem calmer during this Earth year. That could be deceptive, however, as the Rat never stops moving -- especially when it comes to mental activity.

Unfortunately, Earth has a destructive relationship with the Rat's fixed element, Water. This is not disastrous, but it does mean you should not rely too much on luck this year.

Lowest Common Denominator

2007-10-11T16:09:00.000-05:00

The Best of LCD, The Art and Writing of WFMU-FM has arrived in bookstores. The always weird and wonderful WFMU is the country's premier freeform radio station, playing virtually everything audio and specializing in the most obscure underground music imaginable. If the sounds of Rodd Keith, Lucia Pamela and the Shaggs are music to your ears, you will find them all within the vaults of WFMU. Whether your groove is Exene, Esquerita or Esquivel, the little Jersey station is the heartbeat of a universe that remains hidden to the packaged pop of the 21st century.

Published by Princeton Architectural Press, the book features the best writing and artwork drawn from 25 strange and fascinating issues of this now defunct, sorely missed zine. The contributor list is a virtual who's who of underground and alternative artists like Charles Burns, Justin Green, Kaz, R. Sikoryak and Jim Woodring——heady company indeed. Also present are old friends Dan Clowes, Gary Lieb, Terry LaBan, Jay Lynch and Harvey Pekar. I'm honored to be part of this bunch, represented with my Rudy Vallee and Phil Spector bio-comics and the one-off "Neanderthal Nancy" shown below. Thanks to Rex Doane and Ken Freedman for originally bringing me into the fold and to Dave "the Spazz" Abramson for including me in the collection.

Toy Karma at Rotofugi

2007-10-10T11:08:00.000-05:00

This past month has flown by for me as I've been fortunately swamped with various freelance work. So it's with some chagrin and more than a little cold sweat that I'm just getting around to posting about the incredible Toy Karma show at Rotofugi Gallery.

Lesson learned, always bring a camera! I wish I had recorded for myself the many amazing figures, paintings, and alien artists who had gathered for the evening. Instead, I've had to "depend on the kindness of strangers," for the images in this post. It was a real treat to meet husband and wife art partners Zakka and Rae Huo, whose good grace and fiery flash provided the photo below. That's me getting anxious about spies from Chaiyo trying to co-opt my Ultraman painting. Check out more of Rae's photo work here.

First on the scene (if not first in line for the exclusive toys) was the Omni-Monster himself, Geozilla, who snapped this terribly flattering shot of me struggling to keep my eyes open. No matter, it was the M-1go vinyl Matango pendant I was wearing that George was after. That's Julie in the background—she and Deborah are pretending they wouldn't be caught dead in the company of a man who considers a pink vinyl mushroom monster a fashion accessory.

The joint was packed, Jack. Whitney and Kirby are to be applauded for this historic event bringing the Urban Vinylists tail to toe with the Kaiju Kollectors. Security was necessary to monitor the legal occupancy for the cozy gallery space. Next photo is courtesy of Main Man Mark Nagata and gives a hint of the congestion during the opening. Shown au derrierre are, left to right, Ms Julie in hoops and ponytail, Princess Deborah (at least her platinum mane), Ms Denise and Ms Kathy. Respectable citizens all, hardly the types to cozy up to scaly denizens of the void except for the occasional slice of nigirizushi. You know, collectors often remark upon a piece of "tasty vinyl."

For more coverage, please check out Geozilla's Flickr page and Kirkland Jue's page on his Toybot blog. Thanks again to Rae, George, Mark and Kirkland for the offer of their photos!

I exhibited the original acrylic paintings for Better Homes and Robots, Tokyo Throwdown: Ultra Kaiju Daikessen, and Kaiju no Kamisama: Eiji Tsuburaya.

Also from the vaults were the "Turbo Ultraman" series of plastic figures that were made by a Hong Kong toymaker from my designs.

Mark is busy this week with his second show in as many months, the Beyond Ultraman exhibit at the Los Angeles Toy, Doll and Amusements Museum. Once things settle down for Mark we can start bugging him to get planning on Toy Karma 2: Invasion of Japan!

SDCC Late Breaking News

2007-08-13T09:43:00.000-05:00

According to the official Uglydolls site, "Wedgehead understands you." So how come he wouldn't stop when I told him not to grab my butt? Thanks to Charlie for the photo.

New Newsarama News

2007-08-10T07:09:00.001-05:00

This morning's blog auto-searchbot brings a pickup from a local Pioneer Press article by Michael Bonesteel that features Charlie and myself. The comics industry equivalent of Daily Variety, Newsarama has an excerpt from the Pioneer Press item and displays my Guitar Wolf piece. Thanks, Newsarama.

SDCC OMG! U2? OK!

2007-08-04T09:23:00.000-05:00

This year's San Diego Comic-Con was my first in a long time--way too long! Everything was amplified beyond previous levels. More artists, more fans, more mileage within the convention center, than I've ever experienced before. It took almost as much time to navigate the convention center as the entire flight from Chicago to San Diego!

I was HQd at the Rolling Thunder booth through the extraordinary courtesy of Denise and Dave Dorman, for the debut of The Devil's Candy Store. Computer Art Pioneer Charlie Athanas, also a principal in TDCS and tireless Entrepreneur Esquire, helms the bridge and stays the course. "If anyone asks you..." "Concept Art!" we exclaim. We're all about Concept Art and we will rock your world. Me, I get to do Art Direction. I've known and worked with Charlie, Dave Dorman and Tom Baxa since back in the First days--and they still put up with me! I was thrilled to meet Devil-Folk Chris Moeller, John Van Fleet, Scott Hampton, Craig Elliott and Durwin Talon.

Here's the always gracious Olivia deBerardinis, our generation's Vargas. Once upon a time, I was art director at First Comics and we produced Olivia's earliest calendars. The pinup she painted of a tattooed yakuza maid for the Lone Wolf and Cub Collected Edition is still one of my favorites.

Charlie shops for Cool Rockets. "How much for the whole flotilla?"

Mark Nagata, kaiju comrade and fellow illustrator, at his booth, Max Toy Company. Mark turns out to be real person after years knowing him only as a disembodied voice on the phone! Mark introduced me to his lovely wife Anna, their son Max (who looks exactly like the company logo!), the legendary Mark Suggs, Justin Kovalsky, Mr. Ikeda Kiyoka and the whole Gargamel Gang. Thanks, Mark!

I had a special reunion with Nexus Main Man, Steve Rude, who I hadn't seen since Mezz was a pup. I'll try to get a photo of this historic congress; if not, look for it in the upcoming Nexus #100.

Thanks also to Randy Stradley at Dark Horse and Shelly Bond at Vertigo for taking time out of their hectic schedules to meet with me. Shout-outs to Howard Chaykin, Steven Grant, Brom, Becky Cloonan, Dean Haglund, Kevin Anderson, Dan Brereton, Peter Kuper and Ice Bat, homeboys Tony Akins, Mitch O'Connell, Bill Reinhold, Jill Thompson, Gary Gianni and Big Boss Geof Darrow.

Congratulations to Peter and Ania on their engagement!

Extra special thanks to Kathy Tanaka for an astounding auto adventure and getting me to the airport alive!

He Cooks Up Monsters

2007-06-04T14:41:00.001-05:00

Bill Gudmundson, Chicago’s own Resin Chef, connoisseur of transglobal teratoids, in a rare moment of mirth in the midst of a hellish conflagration. How many “flabs and sedge-ments" in a Monster Island recipe? The Resin Chef knows!

Saddle Up, Buckaroos!

2007-06-04T13:15:00.001-05:00

After much perspiration and holding-of-breath, I am proud to debut a peek at my latest comic coloring work.

So finish up that fried iguana sandwich and pony on up to your local Gummint Funnybook Emporium where you can trade your wampum for a shiny new Shaolin Cowboy number 7, written and drawed by the estimable Mr. Geof Darrow and colored by yours truly. The fine folks at Burlyman Entertainment will thank you, and I thank you.

It is a great honor for me to work alongside Geof Darrow and Spencer Lamm on this wildly popular, Eisner Award-winning series. I look forward to feedback — drop me a line here at the blog or in person at the conventions I’ll be attending this year, San Diego Comic-Con in July and Chicago’s Wizard World in August.

I Am Not a Comedian

2007-04-17T19:41:00.000-05:00

This is a quick one on Lenny Bruce for Roctober Magazine. Thanks to Charlie for the critique. It's better now!

Guitar Wolf!

2007-02-23T22:58:00.000-06:00

Any day of the week you can watch vapid celebrity TV interviews until your eyes bleed. Last night, we even saw celebrities interview each other. "Are you going to have a baby?" "Will you stop!?" Boring! Bucking the trend is Chicago cable access show Chic-a-Go-Go, where true legends of rock ‘n’ roll, punk, R&B and the avant-garde are interviewed by puppets. Yes, puppets. Roctober magazine will celebrate Chic-a-Go-Go’s 500th episode with a THOUSAND illustrations of past guests in comic format. My contribution is future Hall of Dynamic Greatness inductee, Japan’s electro-shock wild thing, Seiji of Guitar Wolf. For those outside the Channel 19 area, the little rodent shown here is Ratso, created by Chic-a-Go-Go guru and lead Goblin gargler, Jake Austen.

Mutant Cyclops Lucky Cat

2007-01-20T14:55:00.000-06:00

The familiar ceramic sculpture of the Maneki Neko (招き猫, literally "Beckoning Cat," also known as Money Cat) seen in every sushi restaurant and noodle shop is one of the first folk icons I became acquainted with when I began studying Japanese culture in the '70s. The raised left paw is to bring customers, a raised right paw brings wealth and good luck. Unless it’s the other way around. This cyclopean spin on the traditional image is the product of the Real Head studio in Japan and is overwhelmingly cool! Supposedly only 25 vinyl pieces were produced. Come on! Every home needs one! Thanks to the good folks at Real Head and to SkullBrain for bringing this to light.

Link to Real Head; Link to SkullBrain

Shun the Frumious Bandersnatch

2007-01-20T10:14:00.000-06:00

--or ‘The Things One Finds in a Hole.” For the benefit of Cephalophiles everywhere.

The Catcher Was a Spy

2007-01-18T12:16:00.000-06:00

I’ve recently completed a set of illustrations for "The Double Life of Moe Berg," a feature documentary movie on Boston Red Sox catcher and Atomic Spy, Moe Berg. “Professor” Berg was a real character, a graduate of Princeton and Harvard who preferred playing baseball to practicing law. He claimed to speak 9 (or was it 13?) languages and was a popular guest on the radio quiz show "Information Please." The illustrations will appear within the context of old newspaper coverage on his exploits and will be intercut with archival photos, rare footage and interviews with Berg’s contemporaries. I’ll update when more is known about the film’s release.

Anthologize Me

2007-01-18T12:07:00.000-06:00

I’m honored to have a couple of my comics reprinted in The Best of LCD coming in 2007 from Princeton Architectural Press. The book will feature writing and artwork drawn from 25 strange and fascinating issues of WFMU's in-house zine LCD(Lowest Common Denominator). Thanks to Dave "the Spazz" Abramson for the inclusion. One story, “I, Rebel—The Phil Spector Story” was eerily prophetic, portraying Spector as a “rock ’n’ roll psychopath.” Spector is presently on trial for the gruesome and tragic murder of B-movie starlet Lana Clarkson, a case that continues to develop.

Giant "Blob" Is Largest Thing in Universe

2007-01-18T11:57:00.001-06:00

Not 'blog,' it's a GIANT BLOB. You thought I was kidding...well, it's not just kaiju freaks who contemplate the astromonsters waiting out there in the dark. I wonder if I can interest Gargamel into making a vinyl figure of this...

“Japanese astronomers have discovered what they call the largest object in the universe: a colossal structure 200 million light-years wide that resembles a swarm of giant green jellyfish.”

All right, maybe it's not so green.

Forecast: Partly Cloudy with Astromonsters

2006-09-03T03:42:00.001-05:00

Astromonster Dogora appears over the Chicago skyline. This extraterrestrial medusa is known to descend from the stratosphere and extrude its tentacles to Earth's surface. It will ingest any and all carbon polymorph materials. Lock up your diamonds!

Study this exotic creature at Bill's Kitchen.

Happiness is a Pink Tentacle

2006-09-01T09:43:00.000-05:00

There are so many wonderful posts on Pink Tentacle that parallel our own special interests! The highest compliment I can pay: I wish I had posted them myself. In recent days there have been excellent entries on Mermaid Mummies

and the discovery of a Kappa-related antiquity.

The T Zone

2006-08-26T16:16:00.001-05:00

The Studio Astromonster store, Emporio Astromonster, opened on July 25 under the aegis of Charlie Athanas' newest venture, the Burning City Webstore. I'm honored to be the first guest artist represented in the store; other notables to be joining soon. In addition to Charlie's own work featuring Ralph the Punk and theater posters for Clive Barker and William Gibson stage adaptations, my initial three designs are available as well. Choose from a variety of apparel—tee shirts, jerseys and such, babydolls, camisoles and spaghetti tees for the ladies. I'm already working away at new pieces for future releases. Featured now are "Astrobrain," "Super Giant," and the "Bat Lady," about whom, more will be posted soon.

Proceeds from the sales of Astromonster merchandise go to support the Foundation for Interspecies Affairs, United Planets Federation.

Make Mine Estrus

2006-08-26T11:16:00.000-05:00

Dave Crider, head head-hunter at Estrus Records is having a big blowout sale on select 7 inch titles. These are 45 rpm vinyl records, folks, the kind they don’t hardly make no more. The illustration and packaging for Estrus releases are always a treat for the eye. Many are by the often imitated, never duplicated Mr. Art Chantry, his signature look essentially defining the Estrus Esthetique. There are however, a select few that were designed and executed by yours truly—absolutely the most fun I’ve ever had on any assignment, anywhere, anytime. I've loaded a few of the images below. Stock up on now on the last remaining copies of Flaming Sideburns “Jaguar Girls,” Galaxy Trio, both “Cocktails with Gravity Girl” and “Sheriff Boy-Ar-Dee,” Sugar Shack’s “Don’t Mean Shit to Me,” Supersnazz “Gotta Go Now” with cool 8 page comic insert, The Mants “I Smell Woman,” Switch Trout’s “Psychodestruct,” and the piece de resistance, Southern Culture on the Skids’ “Santo Swings,” a super-deluxe double 7” with full color insert cards of the band, luchadores El Santo, Blue Demon and Mil Mascaras, and six sinister Mexican Movie Monsters. I’ve seen these go for $35 to $50 on eBay! Order now from Estrus at a much better price.

Meet the Shmendrik

2006-08-25T12:37:00.002-05:00

Here's the last Mojizu character I posted before knuckling down to WizardWorld preparations. Newly colored like an accident in the jams and jellies aisle and sporting a romantic bouquet, the Shmendrik hopes for the best but expects the worst; a homely but practical fellow. I had an older inked and Pantoned version of this creature sitting in my files for years. The original sketch version was part of the fallout from my long ago mini-comic “Muddy Buddy,” fondly remembered by nobody except Raf. Kaijumaniacs and otaku will note a certain resemblance to Olde Sludgie himself, Hedorah.

But going even further back, here’s a look at the inspiration for the Muddy Buddy cover, a tiny coloring book I picked up on Wentworth Street one New Years day in February while shopping for Moon Cakes.

Got my Moji working

2006-07-08T08:51:00.002-05:00

I discovered Mojizu by way of an ad on the Drawn blog. Mojizu declares itself to be "a contemporary character design community," which, I suppose, is a fancy way of saying "crazy critter farm for artists." I couldn't find any explanation of how they came up with the name "mojizu" on their "About" page though my guess would be they had in mind the Japanese word "moji" which means character (actually in the sense of an alphabetical character; a letter) plus "zu" meaning a drawing, illustration or diagram, thus equaling "character drawing." Is it possible the powers that be at Mojizu concocted a Japanese neologism or is my reverse translation just a wishful propinquity?

At any rate this seemed like an ideal networking op as well as a place to showcase the multitude of loony lifeforms that inhabit Chez Astromonster. I'm registered as "ultralex," which is my character name for — me. I've posted one new critter, sorry, "moji," in each of the last three days. I have a couple more waiting in the wings that should be up soon. I know Charlie wants me to get back to more serious work too so I'll be updating that soon on this space.

Go check out Mojizu for hundreds of characters from designers and artists all over the world. See below for a peek at my new characters.

This is a kappa, a cute one at that — kappa these days are invariably cute. For the lowdown on the dark nature and possible origins of the kappa, go to the entry on Mark Schumacher's excellent Japanese Buddhist Statuary site.

Booska! It's surprising how little official Booska info there is on the net. Until I find something better this Wikipedia item will have to do. By the way, though Booska is a "kaiju," according to the kanji he's not a "mysterious beast," but rather a "delightful beast." Scholars, take note.

This critter, newly named "IcthyIck," was excerpted from a cover I did for the dear departed Bimbobs', "You Snooze, You Lose" CD.

Tales of Fireworks and Rain

2006-07-03T07:09:00.000-05:00

Fireworks displays always seem to get chased away
by the steamy early July rain.
But does the sudden influx of gunpowder and nitrites
into the atmosphere precipitate the rain?

Or does the Great Water-Calling Dragon of the Sky--

try to vanquish the Great Fire-Spitting Toad of the Earth?

Of course I love the smell of gunpowder in the evening.
It makes us feel...different. Don't tell me you don't inhale.

BIRDS DO IT...

2006-06-30T14:17:00.000-05:00

...bees do it. Even educated fleas do it. Let's do it--let's start a blog!