Art of Akira Exhibit

Art of Akira DragonCon Schedule!

2011-08-30T00:06:00.002-04:00

Hi all,

Here's the schedule for Dragon*Con 2011:

Exhibit:
Main Display in Artists Alley

Booth:
BT22 in Artist’s Alley

Panels:

Fri 1:00PM, Hanover F Room: The Art of Akira - Show & Tell

Sat 5:30PM, Courtland Room: Western Invasion of Anime!

Sat 7:00PM, Hanover CDE Room: Akira Screening +
Commentary + Film & Art Comparison

Please check the DragonCon pocket guide for updates and changes!

Don't Come To Dallas ComicCon This Weekend!

2011-05-17T06:54:00.001-04:00

That's right, you shouldn't come to Dallas ComicCon this weekend, May 21-22! You shouldn't come the the first full exhibit of the Art of Akira Exhibit for 2011! This isn't reverse psychology! There's no reason for you to be there, especially not this brand new cel and background acquisition I got this weekend:

Isn't it awful? That's certainly not the most beautiful background and best piece I have of the throne, and the lighting is just terrible.

You shouldn't let that influence you. Or, any of the other cels and backgrounds I'll be exhibiting, or any of the talks I'll be giving, or pick up one of the two very limited edition Art of Akira prints that will only be available this weekend in Dallas by Tariq Hassan and Tom Feister (images to be revealed this weekend, once the exhibit launches)!

And you most certainly should not say hi! DON'T DO IT! (Especially you, Shawn Kupfer, since you just moved to Dallas! There's no reason for you to actually hang out!)

What It Was Like To Be An Anime Fan In The 80's

2011-03-31T11:13:00.000-04:00

This article over at Fanboy.com is fantastic -- it's a writeup about what it was like to be an anime fan back in the 80's, long before the culture was widespread or even really present in the west.

Check it out, and be transported to a time before TokyoPop and the like were on every bookshelf in every bookstore in the nation.

Akira selected as New York Times' Critics Choice this week

2011-03-29T22:45:00.000-04:00

A.O. Scott discusses Akira on the New York Times' Critics Choice page this week. It's impossible to ignore that this is likely due to the recent catastrophe in Japan. However, any focus and attention Akira gets is good attention. Enjoy!

A Rather Compelling Argument For Keeping The "Japan" in The Live-Action Akira

2011-03-24T10:37:00.000-04:00

While I doubt very highly anyone reading this blog (or any real fan of Akira, the anime and/or the manga) would ever disagree, Racebending has a really good argument against the caucasian-ness of the actor choices for Tetsuo and Kaneda in the upcoming live-action Akira film. Roger Ebert tweeted about it this morning, and I felt compelled to share.

Akira Live-Action Film Apparently Casting All White Boys

2011-03-23T01:41:00.000-04:00

As has been mentioned to me no fewer than 100 times now, the rumor is that the leads (Tetsuo and Kaneda) in the upcoming live-action Akira are being fished out to a bunch of white brunette actors.

I do wonder if they're going to keep with the "Neo-Manhattan" nonsense that was rumored for a while. And I also wonder what Otomo-san thinks about this. Still, it's not above Kodansha to Americanize Akira for a broader appeal. Not many people know this, but I learned from Jerry Beck himself (co-founder of Streamline) that Kodansha actually casted the original dub for the film release of Akira when it came to America.

Anyway, I really, really hope Justin Timberlake is Tetsuo, just so I can see him turn into a pile of goo.

New Cel + A Piece in Japanator

2011-02-14T12:21:00.000-05:00

Some cool new updates for the exhibit today: I scanned in a new piece from the exhibit, from the scene where Tetsuo's arm begins morphing out of control and drops from his cape (click for hi-res view):

Second, Japanator interviewed me about the exhibit! It's a really wonderful bit of exposure for the exhibit, as Japanator is a highly-respected Japanese culture blog, and I've been a fan for years. It was an honor to speak with them and to be mentioned by them. Go check it out!

New Cel Scans - Sewer, Bunny Tripping, and Original Aluminum Press Plate!

2011-02-06T22:57:00.000-05:00

Because the Facebook Fans of Art of Akira came through and recruited 30 new members in a day, I owe them 30 new scans of cels and backgrounds! But I'm going to go one further - I'm going to upload at least one new scan a day for the next 3 months! That's 90 new scans.

To start, here's a few new additions to my collection. First, the monster bunny that Kiyoko becomes to fight Tetsuo, tripping over the blanket with toys and junk strewn all over the floor (full key setup + douga):

Next, the rebels (including Kaneda and Kay) sneaking through the sewers during the infiltration of the government building (full key setup):

And lastly, one of my absolute favorite pieces: an original aluminum press plate used in the printing of the original Akira series! It's from volume 5, pages 140 and 149! Look in your Dark Horse collections (or original japanese collections) to see them! The Dark Horse collections are page-for-page recreations of the original Japanese collections, so you'll find it there. If you have the Marvel / Epic editions, look in issue 26, pages 22 and 33 (there's no page numbers -- count from the first illustrated page

You can see these and all the other pieces at the Flickr stream for Art of Akira!

New Year, New Art of Akira Stuff!

2011-01-25T11:48:00.000-05:00

It's 2011, and I've been working with various conventions and museums to lay out our 2011 schedule. We're very excited -- there's a tentative 12 exhibits / shows this year, starting from Canada, through the US and into Paris and possibly Japan!

There's also quite a lot going on behind the scenes with the site. I'm revamping some of the portfolio and finally getting solid work done on the step-by-step frame scans for the animation detail / layering app. It'll be probably a few months before it's ready to go, but it's in progress!

Finally, Akira fan Jason Erickson sent this over, and I think it's pretty awesome since I love both ThinkGeek and Akira:

Private Art of Akira Exhibit for You / Your Company

2010-12-07T06:30:00.002-05:00

I don't offer this often (actually, I've never offered it for a price) but for the 2010 holiday season, I am offering, among other things, a private Art of Akira exhibit/showing to you or your company/friends. Check it out!

I Am Such A Moron (Art of Akira at DragonCon)

2010-09-01T08:36:00.002-04:00

I have been running around like a chicken with his head cut off trying to finalize everything for DragonCon this weekend. In case you've been actively ignoring me, I'll summarize: The Art of Akira Exhibit is a pretty big deal there this year, and we're doing quite a lot with the con.

To help people keep track of all that's going on, I had some "infocards" printed up -- 2,000 of them -- to hand out and pass around the con. The point was to create a high quality keepsake that people could take with them from the con to remember the exhibit, which served a dual purpose of informing everyone about the events I'm involved in.

Here's the art:

Front:

Back:

Here's the card:

Here's the problem: I got the time on the Sunday panel, Is Digital Killing Analog Art, wrong. It's actually 11:30 AM Sunday morning.

So my options are to a) reprint and lose a BUNCH of money, due to sunk costs plus overnight shipping on the new cards, b) write all over this keepsake in sharpie informing about the misprint, or c) just suck it up and deal with it.

I guess the bright side is that, if this is the worst thing that goes wrong all weekend, I'll have one hell of a great weekend. But the dark side is that it could end up being a sign of things to come.

At any rate, hope to see you at Con.

Art of Akira at Toonseum -- The Full Exhibit

2010-08-19T14:19:00.000-04:00

Finally, I've uploaded the full exhibit from Toonseum to Flickr! Now you can experience some of the pieces I've not shown on the site until now!

This full exhibit will combine with the travelling exhibit at DragonCon to form a massive, 120-140 piece showing of original Akira production art. If you can get to DragonCon, do so!

Can't see the images? Click here

Enjoy!

Art of Akira at DragonCon - Program Update

2010-07-30T20:57:00.002-04:00

Check it out - The new DragonCon progress report is out! And right on the cover, our show! To read the full writeup, check out page 42 (or look here on the DragonCon website)! I really hope to see you all there! Also, I know that there's been a lack of updates lately - expect that to change. A LOT of work is done on the digital gallery. Look for new stuff to show up soon!

Art of Akira at GenCon in Indianapolis, IN Aug 7 at 6:00PM

2010-07-19T21:12:00.002-04:00

Hey all, I've just confirmed that I'm giving an Art of Akira talk and show-and-tell at Gencon in Indianapolis, IN on August 7 at 6:00PM! Come on out - I'll bring some new, never before seen pieces! And I'll talk about the Pixar visit! And maybe even wear that one shirt my wife says matches my eyes!

Great article on PopBunker.net!

2010-07-15T23:34:00.002-04:00

The very great PopBunker.net did a great write up on Art of Akira - check it out!

io9 Writes Up Art of Akira (Again, But Bigger This Time)

2010-07-07T05:44:00.000-04:00

What an honor it is to be written up in io9! I'm a huge fan of the blog, and to make the pages not once but twice is such a thrill. I was glad to sit down with them and talk about the history of the artwork, acquiring cels, and overall just geeking out with Cyriaque! Hope you enjoy!

Geekadelphia visits Art of Akira at Toonseum

2010-07-06T05:43:00.002-04:00

Geekadelphia.com just posted a fantastic writeup of their visit to the Art of Akira Exhibit at ToonSeum last Saturday!

Art of Akira at Pixar - Pics!

2010-06-22T18:50:00.001-04:00

I still can't believe it, but last Friday, I was invited to Pixar to give a talk about the Art of Akira Exhibit and show some of the art. It was AMAZING. I have been blabbering ever since about it, mostly because it's the exact sort of thing I dreamed about when I was cooking up this little exhibit. My intent was to share this art with animators, artists, illustrators and film people. It's a piece of film history, and it's important that everyone and anyone with a background or interest in the medium get to see it.

Anyway, here's some photos from the whole shebang.

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Art of Akira at Pixar

2010-06-17T23:07:00.001-04:00

Holy. Crap.

That's all I can really say at this point. Well, that and the rest of this blog post. But I figured I'd start with that because it's what I said when I got the email inviting me to come to Pixar tomorrow morning (Friday) at 11:30 to talk about Art of Akira to the animators.

This is a huge milestone for me, because these guys are exactly the type of people I was hoping would be interested in the Art of Akira Exhibit -- industry pros who want to see the behind-the-scenes aspects of what made Akira tick. From what I understand, there will be people in attendance tomorrow who have never done handmade animation - they've used a computer their entire careers. It's for them that I put this thing together in the first place.

I feel it's incredibly vital that we as a society hold on to our ability to make things with our hands. I use a computer daily; I love my computer. It speeds things up tremendously and gives me a quality of output I can't achieve with handwritten or hand designed things. But the physical has something very magical about it... Especially when it's something as astonishing and groundbreaking as Akira.

That said, for the very first time since I started talking about Akira, I'm nervous. As I tweeted earlier today, I feel like me picking out things that the pros at Pixar would want to see is like a guy who plays Golden Tee all day at a bar telling Tiger Woods what clubs to use at Augusta. But I'm going to do my best to get stuff that isn't just "OH COOL THE BIKE!" or "NEAT EXPLOSION BRO!" I'm going to pick things that really show the heart behind the art - the sketches, the layouts, the painted backgrounds. I'm bringing two sets that have never ever seen the light of day just for the Pixar guys.

Wish me luck.

I'll try to Ustream the talk - no guarantees, but if it happens, it'll be on the Art of Akira blog.

Excellent Opening Weekend!

2010-05-11T23:15:00.000-04:00

Just a quick post to say how fantastic opening weekend for Art of Akira Exhibit was! Here's the note from Joe Wos, director of ToonSeum:

Can a little bitty museum be an actual attraction?

The ToonSeum opened it’s newest exhibit “The Art of AKIRA” this past weekend. Visitors traveled in from around the country just for the opening of the show!

Toronto, San Francisco, New York, Columbus, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Dayton, Connecticut and lots more.

A quick search on the web will show the buzz building for this exhibit and tweets and blog post like “anyone want to come with me to Pittsburgh to see the Art of AKIRA?”

The exhibit was picked up by I09.com, AOL News, Time Out New York, and tons of animation, technology and geek blogs. Not to mention local press including the Trib and City Paper.

The ToonSeum has already been featured nationally in the New York Times, Airtran Magazine, and West Wood One Radio to name a few.

It’s all about a fan based culture that surrounds the cartoon arts. AKIRA is a great example of the type of fan base who appreciate the art and drive buzz. It’s a secret San Diego Comic-Con, George Lucas, and Hollywood have known about for years, fan based culture can drive success!

We even got an email from someone in Spain who is flying in for the exhibit next month! He said it best when we told him we were a very small venue, “I’m not coming to see a big building, I am coming to see the art.”

So can a tiny museum dedicated to the cartoon arts be a draw?

You bet we can.

Joe

Photos and a full writeup, including media links, coming tomorrow. For now, I need some sleep!

Opening Weekend is Here!

2010-05-06T20:49:00.000-04:00

It's finally here - the opening weekend of The Art of Akira Exhibit.

First, I've redesigned the Art of Akira site - go check it out (you're likely seeing it right this second, in fact).

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Herald covered our opening weekend, and it's one heck of a great write-up. I read it this morning and I am not ashamed to admit, a tear came to my eye (okay, fine, more than one). This has been a long time coming. I've been actively working to make this upcoming weekend happen for more than three years now, and it's finally here.

AOLNews also let me cover my own event - and I'm so honored they did.

It's my hope that everyone in the comics, animation, art and film industries sees these articles and gets interested. I hope everyone with an interest in the field gets to check out the exhibit. So help me spread the word!

Disney Copy + Paste

2010-04-14T14:42:00.000-04:00

If you've ever wondered why Akira is considered the greatest animation of all time, take a quick look at this clever video highlighting Disney's use of model sheets depicting the same sequences across multiple movies.

I found this fascinating, and I love sharing it with people.

Art of Akira Opening Night VIP event - May 7

2010-04-14T13:42:00.000-04:00

From the ToonSeum newsletter today:

For serious fans and aficionados, the ToonSeum will be hosting a ticketed VIP opening of the Art of Akira. The event will feature an exclusive first look at the exhibit, presentation by curator/collector Joe Peacock, behind-the-scenes display of unframed pieces, prizes, food, refreshments, a silent auction of original art, and more.

Tickets are $25 and are available for purchase at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/108375

There is no other film like Katsuhiro Otomo's AKIRA, and there probably never will be again. An obsessively detailed dystopian vision of a post-apocalyptic Japan, AKIRA single-handedly saved the Japanese film industry and changed the way the world viewed animation art forever. Now visitors of the ToonSeum of Pittsburgh will have a one of a kind opportunity to view the largest collection of AKIRA production art ever displayed to the public. Culled from over 10,000 pieces or original production art from the private collection of guest curator Joe Peacock, The Art Of AKIRA promises to be an amazing experience for fanboys and first-timers alike.

The historic and artistic significance of AKIRA cannot be denied; it was the pinnacle of cel animation. Complete with a definitive orchestral score and professional voice actors, AKIRA was the most expensive animated film ever made when it was released in 1988. The film is a document of many animation firsts but is especially noteworthy for being one of the last completely hand-drawn cel-animated features produced before the rise of digital technology. A collaboration of thousands of artists and thirteen Japanese production companies, this staggering adaptation has become one of the most universally praised films of all time and has inspired a revolution in animation still apparent over 20 years after its release. The Art Of AKIRA celebrates these incredible achievements by giving viewers a fascinating tour of the making of this landmark film.

“Many animated films still incorporate hand-rendered art, but the cost of producing a feature using only cel animation and painted backgrounds has guaranteed that something as complex as AKIRA may never be made by a major studio again,” said ToonSeum executive director Joe Wos. “Digital technology is still trying to catch up to AKIRA. In the end nothing can replace the artistry of that human touch and the focus to detail of the human eye. This is a labor of almost fanatical love.”

Comprised of over 350,000 pieces of original artwork, the stunning details of Otomo's world can be seen throughout the exhibit in rare production sketches, notes, cels, and incomparably elaborate backgrounds, several rendered by Otomo himself. Visitors will see minute details of key scenes by exploring the building blocks and complex layering techniques, from storyboard to dramatic cels with details so fine you might want to bring a magnifying glass.

“Otomo and his staff obsessed over this artwork,” said Peacock. “Scenes that flash by in half a second are comprised of details so fine they could only have been produced with single-hair brushes. Even if you have no interest in anime, this artwork will still leave you speechless.”

The Art Of Akira IS GO!

2010-03-22T06:47:00.002-04:00

I'm sitting at my kitchen island, enjoying a nice early morning breakfast and watching the hilarity unfold on Fox News over the Healthcare Reform Bill that passed this weekend (an event so rare and momentous, it actually has me watching Fox News to giggle at the reaction). The only reason I'm even up this early is because of the work that must be done today - today's the day my selections from my collection of Akira animation cels and backgrounds ships up to Toonseum.

We are about three weeks away from an exhibit I've been dreaming about for 10 years and working toward for nearly three, and it's very, very exciting. I'd say I'm almost more excited about this exhibit than I was about the release of either of my books (but if we're talking "nervous", then yeah, the books absolutely beat this exhibit).

So, in honor of this, I thought I'd share a few more pics of the cels and backgrounds that will be on exhibit. This is the Flickr slideshow of some of the items headed to Pittsburgh today - enjoy!

If you're in the Pittsburgh area the weekend of April 9-11 May 7-9, please let me know - I'd love to have you out for a VIP view of the exhibit's opening weekend. (The opening weekend is now May 7th - 9th - please update your calendars).

Official Press Release - Help Spread The Word!

2010-02-11T12:29:00.000-05:00

ToonSeum has sent out the official press release for the Art of Akira exhibit - and it's already hit Anime News Network! If you'd like to help us spread the word about this huge undertaking, please feel free to push forward the press release on your blog, facebook or twitter accounts!

Here's the release:

ToonSeum Takes Fundraising to the Fans with the Art of Akira

Feb 10th 2010

Pittsburgh--In spring of 2010, the ToonSeum will present an exhibition of original art from the anime masterpiece Akira, a groundbreaking and widely influential work that revolutionized animation. Katsuhiro Otomo's epic film revitalized the Japanese film industry and inspired a new generation of international artists and fervent fandom.

In a unique approach to increasing the scope of the Akira exhibition, the ToonSeum is reaching out directly to this devout fan-base for assistance. In an attempt to raise the funds needed to ensure the exhibit's success, the ToonSeum is askingAkira enthusiasts to pledge sponsorship through Kickstarter.com, a new website that raises funding for unique projects.

“The comic and cartoon arts are a unique pop art form with extremely dedicated and knowledgable fans,” said ToonSeum Executive Director Joe Wos. “There are entire clubs and conventions built around Anime, comics, and more. Akira is revered within this community as a true masterpiece.”

“This is a rare opportunity for that fanbase to directly be a part of what will be one of the largest exhibitions of the art ofAkira. We're very excited about what an organization like Kickstarter can do for a small museum like the ToonSeum.”

Akira was an epic collaboration and full of animation firsts. Upon its release in 1988, Akira was the most expensive animated feature ever made, pooling resources from several of Japan's largest entertainment companies to complete the production. An elaborate symphonic score was written for the film and all voice actors where recorded before principle animation began for authentic lip syncing. The stunningly fluid and detailed animation required up to nine separate cel layers, demanding over 160,000 hand-produced cels and almost as many backgrounds.

“There is a lot about Akira that reinforces the egalitarian appeal of cartoons,” said John Mattie, ToonSeum gallery manager. “Over 15 Japanese companies contributed to the making of the film employing hundreds of artists, each insisting that Otomo's vision be realized. Our thinking in utilizing Kickstarter.com for this project is that all of these fans can show their love and support of the film and help spread the awareness of the cartoon arts. Cartoon fan or cineast, this film is essential.”

In 2010, the historical and artistic significance of Akira cannot be understated. As the popularity and influence of animation continues to expand, the Akira Exhibit gives audiences the unique opportunity to take a deeper look into this achievement in filmmaking. Each item in the exhibit has been hand selected by Akira expert Joe Peacock from his unrivaled collection of more than 10,000 authenticated pieces. Visitors will be given access to never-before-seen aspects of the film, from fully-displayed backgrounds, sketches and production development layouts, to the layers of cels that made up some of the most astounding scenes in the film.

The Akira Exhibit promises to captivate any fan of animation and graphic storytelling, from anime enthusiast to those witnessing Otomo's grand vision for the fist time.

For information on sponsorships and other opportunities
Please visit:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/toonseum/toonseum-presents-the-akira-exhibit

Contact: Joe Wos, executive director
Tel: 412-232-0199
Email: joe@toonseum.com
Website:
theartofakira.com
and
www.toonseum.org

The Art of Akira
When: April through June, 2010
Where: The ToonSeum,
945 Liberty Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15222