Defender of Democracy vs Kaiju Kong

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!

Max Toy Kaiju Bromide Project

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!

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!

He Cooks Up Monsters

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!

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

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

Guitar Wolf!

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.

Forecast: Partly Cloudy with Astromonsters

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.

The T Zone

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

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.