ARTokyo

10 Reasons Why Insecurity Doesn't Totally Suck

noreply@blogger.com (patokon) — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 22:49:00 +0000

There are a lot of us out there who let our insecurities get the best of us. For some it's a matter of dealing with a niggling doubt now and then, for others it's a constant battle with 50-foot colossus of self-loathing. I grew up with it, shared bunk-beds and a toothbrush with it, and did my best to stake that bastard in the heart every chance I got, but recently I had an epiphany. Being isn't insecure isn't all bad. It may have fostered in me a fear of success, but it also made me sensitive to my surroundings and gave me a bend-over-backwards-type personality that makes me really good at pleasing others. Here is my list of ten reasons why insecurity doesn't completely suck. Please love me - I mean - I hope you like it.

1. Insecure people are eager to please - When you need constant love or validation, you tend to go try that much harder. Just like how the pretty people don't "put out," we DO put out - and we put out plenty. We let you skip First, Second, and Third Base and head straight for Home. And we do that thing that you read about but are afraid to try.

2. We are careful not to screw up - Where an over-confident person might jump into a situation thinking they can handle it but instead screw it up beyond the limits of human comprehension, an insecure person will make double-sure and triple-sure (and even then check wikipedia for a fourth opinion) that they know exactly what to do before they even think about mentioning that they might know which wire to cut. This comes from years of practice of trying to avoid lots of laughter and pointing - a situation that happens more often than not in a locker room. Go figure.

3. We know our strengths - Besides having a several-volume alphabetized cross-referenced index of all our weaknesses, what few strengths we have we know very, very well. In my case, when it comes to recognizing B-list guest stars from TV, I'm your guy. "Hey! That's the chick that took her top off in 'Valley Girl' and does the voice for Buttercup on Powerpuff Girls."

4. We always have someone to talk to - Several voices in your head telling you what you can't do, convincing you everyone hates you, or reminding you of past mistakes means you're never completely alone. My voices serenade me in three-part harmony about how worthless I am. I'm hoping to add an alto soon.

5. We know what's wrong with you - Since we've endured years and years of introspection and self-analyzation, we have a special spider-sense that helps us recognized messed-up people. We know who you are, and we know exactly what's wrong with you. And if you want to talk about it, we've got hours and hours to kill. We don't sleep much and we're more than happy to drag you down with us.

6. We're good for the economy pt. 1 - We are great to hire because we 're much more worried about our performance reviews than what financial rewards we get from working hard. One "Great job, Stu!" is worth two raises in salary to the insecure. So not only will we work really hard, we're also cheap to hire. You're welcome, economy.

7. We're good for the economy pt. 2 - Even if you don't completely hate yourself, there's a good chance that generations of marketing geniuses have taught you to hate how you look. A whole industry called 'Health & Beauty' (these two are completely antithetical in many cases) is built entirely on people being insecure about their bodies. They should actually call it 'You're fat and ugly and we can't really help you to change until you decide to change yourself but give us your money anyway & Health'.

8. Insecure insomniacs buy crap at three in the morning - thus we keep informercial actors from doing porn. No further explanation necessary.

9. We don't know how to say 'no' - Due to our fear of rejection, we also find it hard to reject others. If you're so blind that you find us attractive, then we'll do our best to ignore your lisp. And your limp. And hump. Both of them. We, however, are ready for rejection at any turn and will be happy to supply our dumpers any number of good reasons why we should be the dumpees. "It's because I pour the milk before the cereal, isn't it? No? Is it because I pronounce love 'lurve' sometimes? Is it because I like to use your humps as bongoes?"

10. We make great artists - When you live a life filled with pain both real and imagined, you need an outlet. Not all of us can become dentists or high-school counselors, so we become poets, painters, performers, and those guys that write jingles that you've had stuck in your head since before you hit puberty. We feel the pain so you don't have to. Then we focus it, squeeze real hard, and out comes art. Sound easy? Just ask VanGogh about easy.

There you have it. 10 reasons to be proud of your lack of pride. Insecurity makes us sensitive and caring individuals who support the economy and will go the extra mile (or the extra base) asking for little more than to be loved. Or at least noticed. I say we no longer see our lack of confidence as just a burden, but also an asset. I say we scream it from the rooftops! "I'm not good enough, and that makes me great!" Who's with me? You're not sure?
Good for you.

Marvel Comics Wobbleheads Captain America & Conan

noreply@blogger.com (patokon) — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 05:02:00 +0000

New Wobblehead papercraft.

Captain America and Conan.
Get Cap here.
Get Conana here.

Spock Wobblehead papercraft

noreply@blogger.com (patokon) — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 10:57:00 +0000

I grok Spock. Actually Scotty will always be my fave.
I promised that I would make some Star Trek papercraft.
I'll probably do some more of these.

You can make Spock, too. Just download the pdf here.

noreply@blogger.com (patokon) — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 06:33:00 +0000

My newest creation - based on Punchkinhead!

I put together a wobblehead based on the book I wrote and edited with illustrations from 30 amazing Japanese artists. The book benefits the Holden's Hope charity for little Holden Underwood who suffers from Leukemia.
Click here for the pdf: http://patokon.com/patobits/wobblehead04.pdf

More info here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Holdens-Hope/152387661445173
I wrote about it here as well: http://patokon.blogspot.com/2010/11/punchkinhead-never-give-up-boy.html

The book is available on createspace and amazon.

Yoda Papercraft

noreply@blogger.com (patokon) — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 06:24:00 +0000

Here's a Yoda for ya. I wonder what I will make next?

He's a little smaller cuz he's small...

Click here to open pdf.

Papercraft Wobblehead Tooth Fairy

noreply@blogger.com (patokon) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 06:05:00 +0000

Been wanting to make some papercraft recently.

This is what I came up with.

Click on pic to download .pdf

Swipe-a-day 05: Black Jack & Pinoko

noreply@blogger.com (patokon) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 15:54:00 +0000

Tezuka is the master of clean clear simplicity. He's the one to study. I'm so unhappy with my attempt to swipe that I vow to practice more Tezuka until I get one I'm happy with.

Swipe-a-day 04: Dizzy

noreply@blogger.com (patokon) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 16:14:00 +0000

This is from the cover of 100 Bullets #30. Awesome series by the way. Hard-boiled heaven. Amazing dialog, gorgeous dames, every page and every panel a noir masterpiece.

Swipe-a-day 03: Kid Goon

noreply@blogger.com (patokon) — Mon, 30 May 2011 22:41:00 +0000

A scene from Goon's origin story from The Goon v3 #1. Ain't he just the cutest thang!

noreply@blogger.com (patokon) — Mon, 30 May 2011 22:39:00 +0000

Swipe-a-day 02: The Goon

From The Goon: Chinatown. The woeful tale of a younger, relatively scar-free Goon. We finally learn why he never wants to talk about Chinatown.

Swipe-a-day #1: Scrooge McDuck

noreply@blogger.com (patokon) — Mon, 30 May 2011 15:13:00 +0000

Swiped from duckbook World of the Dragonlords. I was happy with the pencils, not so much with the inks and less with the colors.

Comic Book Sound Effect Dictionary

noreply@blogger.com (patokon) — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 02:50:00 +0000

KER-WHAMMM!!! Recently started tweeting entries from the Comic Book Sound Effect Dictionary (@ComicBookSndFX). I'm adding new entries and I hope to publish an updated version in the near future! Follow it or...SPA-KOWW!!

Punchkinhead, the Never-Give-Up Boy

noreply@blogger.com (patokon) — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 13:30:00 +0000

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."

by Tomoki Kawada

That line never made that much sense to me until this past year. I've definitely been through some ups and downs in my life but never so far up and so far down and never in periods so close together. Besides going through some severe life changes, early this Fall I lost two very dear relatives. I'm separated from their families by a whole planet, but contact through the internet kept me in the loop. I still felt helpless because I couldn't physically comfort or be comforted by those I love. It was an awful crushing helplessness, the kind that try men's souls.

by Awai

In the midst of all that I had learned that my cousin's little baby boy was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL). Following his progress on Facebook, I learned that he was continually suffering through tests and treatments and I could only imagine how tough things are on him and his family. However, looking at pictures of him, I saw smile after smile after big, goofy, wonderful smile!
Bang!! It hit me like a ton of bricks, if he could go through all that and still have enough smiles to go around, then I could sure as heck get off my lazy whiner butt and do something. Thinking about what I could do, I first looked at what resources I had at my disposal. I create characters, I write stories, and I have a huge network of creative people that I can ask help from. That was the answer, I'll make an artbook/children's book and sell it online! The proceeds would go to the charity Holden's Hope which was set up to help ease the financial burden of leukemia treatment. I did some research and found that self-publishing was the way to go. I was inspired by little smiley himself to create a character that epitomized that never-give-up spirit. I sent out a call for help to all my creative friends and within a month, I had a story, 35 illustrations, and the first draft of Punchkinhead, the Never-Give-Up Boy.

By Yuki

Punchkinhead is a little boy who loves to do little boy things and with his best friend Happy the Cat has all kinds of adventures. He visits the dreams of kids all over the world and shares smiles with those who need them. I wrote the story after I got the art because I didn't want to limit the artists' creativity. The result makes me so proud to have such wonderful and talented friends. And Holden- that brave little boy - his never-give-up spirit makes me proud to be part of his family.

Punchkinhead, the Never-Give-Up Boy, story by Patrik Washburn, art by J.A.M.A.D. is 40 pages with 35 amazing full-color illustrations by some of Japan's most amazing artists. And now it's on sale!! All profits made from every copy sold will go to Holden's Hope and I hope that the book itself will bring a smile to those who come across it.

By Yoshiko

This whole experience has showed me that distance is a trivial thing and that people can really make a difference when they put their hearts and minds behind an idea.
To show my appreciation for the hard work of everyone who contributed, I'm having a page set up so that people can visit the homepages of the artists whose art graces the book. The homepage should go up in a day or two: http://patokon.com/jamad
Since I couldn't credit all the illustrators at once, I decided to make a group name that embodied the spirit of this endeavor - Japan Artists Make A Difference (J.A.M.A.D.). Please show your support for the artists by dropping by their homepages and checking out the fantastic work they do. Also, drop me a line with Punchkinhead in the subject line and tell me how you like the book. And SPREAD the WORD!!

Cheers!

Recent updates

noreply@blogger.com (patokon) — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 14:53:00 +0000

I've set up a blog for the collaboration between me and Yukitoshi Kono, a brilliant, dark, cute, and funny artist. The Sally & Sue blog. Also, the American Comics Exhibition site is updated (thanks Patrick G!)

Also am trying to keep the "check this $#!% out!" blog as updated as possible! The character I created for this blog is now on display at Tokyo Big Site for the Tokyo Gift Show! I'll be there tomorrow all day, Thurs and Friday from about 5.

Here's a load of $#!% just for you!

My DVD is out!!

noreply@blogger.com (patokon) — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:04:00 +0000

I did the voice of Kenneth (in the hat), the kid, and the old man for this original animated DVD. It's a comedy called "The "Why?" Brothers". In the extras, I play the main character in a mock-umentary about a foreigner working in Japan who mistakenly uses extremely dirty language in several situations. I originally got involved when I was asked to translate the script. I got very creative and extremely colorful with my metafers (ie. dirty language). I'll probably become as the go to guy for smut talk now.

Here is a clip from the main deal:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8I_m_039jE

The language is NOT for the kiddies or the faint of heart!

Here is a clip from the special features:

I hope u rush out and buy it!

BTW, if you know some Japanese but aren't familiar with the word "nikubo" it is literally "meat-stick" which is slang for... You figger it out.

Top 10 Sci-fi Westerns Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (patokon) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:14:00 +0000

Continuing the Top 10 Sci-fi Westerns list...

5. Outland (movie) -

Sean Connery must weigh his thankless job against family (good-looking
wife and son who is too dorky-looking to be believable as from Connery's
hallowed loins) and survival. Of course he chooses the option where he
must face down a team of assassins at high-noon on a mining station on 
Io, one of Jupiter's moons). No cowboy hats or six-shooters, but it is
very much a wild west type of scenario where the new Sheriff must deal 
with the land baron's evil henchmen and the townsfolk and deputies won't
lift a finger to help, and there's space heroin and exploding heads...
Okay that last part doesn't happen so much. I still enjoy seeing this one
every once in a while. Connery is always awesome and best slomo head 
explosions ever (other contenders - The Fly II and Scanners)!!

4. The Wild, Wild West (television NOT the movie!) -
  When I was quite the youngun' I would flip the channel on this show
the second the opening finished. The opening was animated, and to change
the channel on animation would have been sacrilege! Then, as a teen, I
accidentally watched a whole episode and I fell in love with the show!
Of course, by that time I had gotten over my fear of westerns, but it 
was all the cool spy stuff, and evil organizations, and techno-gizmos
that stole my heart. AND the fact that the leading dude, James West 
(played by Robert Conrad), was the kind of guy I always wanted to be -
a guy who's tough on the outside, tender on the inside, and knows how 
to work a pair of tight pants. And I always wanted my own train and a
sidekick who's not afraid to dress like a lady (or a pirate, or a corset
salesman).

3. Star Trek: The Next Generation "Fistful of Datas" (television) - 
   If you've never seen Star Trek:TNG because you were born wrong (too 
early or late), or because a hardcore fan tried to convince you to watch
it and that crazy gleam in their eyes gave you the willies, you are not
alone. There are people out there who are essentially afraid of Sci-fi 
and Trek in particular. I've watched peoples' eyes glaze over as I tried 
to explain how it's a show about people and not just about pointy ears,
blue antennae, and lobster heads. The show began in 1987 and ran for
seven seasons. It got off to a shaky start and I admit that I had no
interest in the show until I started watching the fifth season (another
story for another time). From the third season on, the show grew by leaps
and bounds and so did the characters. This show is about growth. And over
seven seasons you get to see the android Data become more human, you see
Troi become more independent, Riker double his waist size, Worf grow some
cool hair, Wesley grow some pubes, and Captain Picard become more human.
Actually, the story of Worf is probably my favorite as he does the most
growing. He has to learn to deal with being a stranger in a strange land
(much like Spock in the original series), has to question his own beliefs,
has to learn how to braid his hair, and has to learn how to be a father.
In "Fistful of Datas" Worf takes his son on a holodeck adventure to the
wild west. Worf and son Alexander are the new Sheriff and his deputy and
joining them is Deanna Troi as the mysterious stranger. When something
goes wrong with the program, they must defeat Data's programming or be
shot in the street like dogs (see Westworld above). This is a fun episode
without too much moralizing, but also has some tender father/son moments
as well. Troi as a rifle-toting bad-ass is my favorite part and it's also
the photo I had her autograph when I saw her in Seattle. Oop! I see that
your eyes are glazing over. Next!!

2. The Dark Tower series (novels) -
 "The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed." 
One of my favorite first lines of a novel ever. Thus begins the saga of
Roland and his ka-tet (group bound by destiny) who must travel across 
the world which has "moved on". This series is Stephen King's life work
and one which I thought he would never finish after the third book. I 
sure did wait long enough. But finally he came out with the fourth and 
after a few years came out with five, six, and seven in quick succession,
finally bringing the saga to a close 30 years after the first book 
appeared on stands. This is probably my favorite fantasy series (it is 
so much more, sci-fi, western, fantasy, and horror as well) but has 
plenty of western elements and sci-fi elements to make this list. If you
are a King fan, then you'll love how this series ties in with so many of
his other books. He even brings back some characters from some of his 
earliest works. The first cross-over I noticed was Flagg, the Dark Man
from "The Stand" (still King's best book and definitely his scariest
villain), who showed up in "The Eyes of the Dragon" and who is also the 
man in black from the first line of the Dark Tower series.
   There are just so many wonderful moments in the series and it's also
some of the most satisfying and scariest work King has ever done. It
also happens to be illustrated by Michael Whelan, who is one of my 
favorite cover artists ever (and who I finally met in 2007). I haven't
yet, but I plan to pick up the comic series based on the Dark Tower
saga and I hope I can convince some of you to pick up the first book in
the series and see where it takes you.

1. Firefly/Serenity (TV/movie) - 
   Hands down one of the best SF shows ever. Former browncoat
(basically, the losers in an inter-galactic civil war) now smuggler
Mal, captains the Serenity, a firefly class transport with no weapons.
His crew are a ragtag bunch of unique individuals, each adding their
own wonderful piece to the glorious whole that is the show Firefly.
Smart and funny with fun action, the best dialogue ever on television,
and some excellent drama. The show was so good that the brainiacs at
Fox network pulled the plug on the show before it could find its 
audience. All 14 episodes (only some of which were aired) are
available on the hit DVD, the success of which paved the way for the
Serenity movie (also excellent). Besides featuring the only main
character with the name Washburn(e) in TV history, this show is just
one great show after another. Mal (Nathan Fillion) does Han Solo as he
should be - no namby-pamby "Greedo shot first" crap. He knows, just like
Tetsuro, that space is a cold, hard place and if you want to survive,
you have to adjust. The challenge is to keep your humanity intact. Fans
(aka Browncoats) still celebrate the show with websites and annual
conventions and I completely understand why. I rewatch the whole series
every once in a while savoring every line, every scene. Did I mention
that the actress that plays Inara is the culmination of every "woman of
my dreams" that I ever imagined since I first fell in love with 
Battlestar Galactica's Jane Seymour in 1978. Wash is full of snarky
goodness, Jayne is refreshingly honest on his pursuit of wine, women,
and wealth, Book is wise, River is creepily sexy and vulnerable, and
Kaylee is spunky cuteness done right (meaning in a way that doesn't
make you wanna blow chunks). This show ended way too early. I hope they
do another flick. Again, deeper analysis will require another blog entry.
 
    What do you think? Are there any I missed? Feel free to comment about
your own top 10.

PS. Honorable mention: I haven't read "Cowboys and Aliens", but it looks
pretty good and the movie adaptation is gonna be awesome with Jon Favreau
directing and Daniel Craig starring!

Top 10 Sci-fi Westerns Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (patokon) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 07:40:00 +0000

Of the genre combinations, this is not one that readily comes to mind 
(such as the ever popular Slasher/Romantic Comedy crossover). My favorite 
crossover might be Horror/Comedy with SF/Horror a close second, but 
some really great SF just happens to have Western themes.

Check out my top ten. It was originally five, but then I remembered 5 more:

10. Westworld (movie) -
About a theme park that uses A.I. androids to show 
guests "a good time" in different worlds created to 
simulate space travel, ancient Rome, the Age of Chivalry, 
and the wild west. Unfortunately, a good time means being
massacred by androids. Some great moments in this flick 
and Yul Brynner is the baddest android gunslinger badass 
ever, but takes too long to get going. This could use a 
remake, but avoid the sequel like the Black Death if you 
know what's good for ya'. Look for the late Majel Barrett 
Roddenberry in one of her few non-Trek roles.

9. Star Trek: The Original Series "Spectre of the Gun" (television) -

Kirk, McCoy, that logical guy - what's his name? Spork or something, 
Chekov, and Scotty (woohoo!) [from now until the end of time, Scotty 
always gets a "woohoo" in my blog] beam down to make contact with the 
Melkotians, but in interfering with the strict "no sales" policy (even 
though there was a clear sign next to the door and everything!) they must
face a punishment sucked from Kirk's mind. Was it the Stay-Puft 
Marshmallow Man? No it was the Gunfight at the OK Corral. You know, the 
one where the Clanton gang says "let's have a gunfight and the Earps say 
"OK". Since the details were sketchy in Kirk's mind, it gave the show an 
excuse to use almost no money in making the sets. Fast thinking! Of all 
the crew in a 'somewhat familiar, but not really' setting episodes, this 
is my least favorite except for the Ancient Greece one, the Nazi one 
being my favorite, and the gangster one in second. Check it out for the 
express purpose of preparing you for the Futurama Trek episode. Actually, 
you'll have to watch the whole series to fully get that gem.

8. Galaxy Express 999 (manga/anime) -

Tetsuro is on his way to the Andromeda galaxy to get a mechanical body 
for free. His transport is a steam-locomotive refitted for space travel. 
[Hey! If you can buy a WWII battleship that can zoom through hyperspace 
(Yamato), you can buy this!] On his way, he stops by Titan where there 
are NO RULES!! Yay!!! Or so you'd think. Since people can do anything 
they want, they can also KILL YOU and take your stuff. Utopia, right? 
This is where Tetsuro learns some hard lessons about survival in space

and picks up a gun called a Cosmo Dragoon designed by Tochiro who has 
died and who's essence has been transferred into a pirate ship refitted 
for space travel. Are you beginning to sense a pattern? I thought this  
series would be my least favorite Leiji Matsumoto creation -  
especially since the main character looks like a pod person from the  
Dark Crystal - but it's definitely his best work. I'll talk more about  
it in a future blog entry.

7. Back to the Future III (movie) -

This movie seemed a lot better than it actually was because BttF II
was such a piece of crap. Saying that, there were some good performances,
some funny moments, and it tied the whole trilogy together (a feat that has
rarely been repeated - you listening, older George Lucas?). Most amazing feat
is convincing the audience that Doc Brown can still procreate.

6. Captain Ken (manga) -

One of Osamu Tezuka's lesser known works about a human boy (Ken) who 
endeavors to save the Native American-like Martians from the cowboy-
like Earthers. Ken's design makes him one of my favorite Tezuka characters. 
Something about the combination of "hinomaru" (Japanese flag sun symbol) 
headband and cowboy hat that drew me to this character. 
The story is seemingly simplistic, but there are some interesting twists
and the ending leaves me in tears every time. Don't expect it to be 
translated anytime soon, so hurry up and learn Japanese so we can talk 
about it. I can wait. Waiting....

To be continued...

Dixie's new trick: Put it in my hand

noreply@blogger.com (patokon) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 04:41:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaSQWr0IhPo

Before there was GON, there was FLASH

noreply@blogger.com (patokon) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 15:18:00 +0000

Hello, Nipponophiles!
Yes, that's what they used to call us back in the day. Which "day" are you talking about, you might ask. I'm talking about when anime fans were such a minority that Prisoner fans used to give us a hard time. Nowadays, most Japan-o-fans are happy to be called "otaku". Well here on ARTokyo, I've decided to talk about what it was like to be an old-school otaku. Well, I used to be old-school, but now I'm just old. I guess that makes me an "ota-oji", as in "oji-san" as in old dude.
Now this old dude is gonna tell you about a favorite manga of mine by Masashi Tanaka. Learn all about him in this informative wiki article. Tanaka is best known for GON, a comic masterpiece about a little dinosaur, which was one of the first manga to successfully crossover to the Western world if only because it didn't need any translation. There were no words! Console gamers might know Gon from his appearance in Tekken 3, but that's not what I'm here to talk about!
Before Gon brought Tanaka mainstream success, he created a different kind of comic for a totally different audience. "FLASH" was serialized from 1985 in Kodansha's Morning comic magazine and was collected in 3 deluxe-sized collections starting in 1986. It was labeled as an X-Western which is pretty accurate since it combines every Western cliche in the book with lots of sexy sexy sex. As far as I know, all the pre-Gon comics he did were set in the past and feature zeppelins, classic auto-mobiles, biplanes and such, but "FLASH" is definitely the most inspired of them all. FLASH is the name of the main character, a quick draw gunslinger who only fights when there's money to made, never says "no" to a roll in the hay, and just can't seem to die. He does get shot. A lot. The best way for him to heal seems to be to have sex with as many women at one time as possible. Did I mention that he's also a money-lovin' cheapskate and will dive into a hail of bullets for a dropped coin. Any coin. Not even a gold one.

The action in this thing is hot and heavy and has awesome fights, bad-ass villains, and more bullets than all the Tarantino and R. Rodriguez flicks put together (also has a lot more boobs, yippee!). If you liked El Mariachi and Desperado, because of the ridiculous weapons or even more ridiculous action, then you will totally lurve FLASH. Compared to Gon, the penwork is quite rough, which means it's AWESOME and somewhat reminiscent of Kamui creator Sanpei Shirato's later work.
['Scuse me while I switch inta ol' Western-like mode fer a bit. If'n ya don't mind, read the rest of the blog with the voice of Pat Buttram inside yer noggin'.] Now if this kinda comic isn't your thing, but you love dinos like Tanaka's more famous character - li'l lizards who are kinda ugly-cute and aren't into vocalizin', then at least take a look at the third collection which features "Junior", a bad-ass mini-dino who looks like he could be Gon's wayward older bruther. The biggest difference is Junior is all green-like and has some horns. Other'n 'at, they look alike.

Now the bad news: FLASH is out of print along with any other Tanaka title except for GON. I've been a-keepin' my eyes out for his books at any used-book store I happen to pass by, but no luck so far. I need to replace my FLASH #1 as it's fallin' apart. I did find a site that lets you flip through a few pages of each title if you download a reader. I ain't heard'a nuttin' he's done lately, though I did hear a rumor he was trying to pitch an Ultraman comic series. I also heard it got shot down. Poor feller. It's not too late for him to go back to X-Westerns, though. We can always keep our fingers crossed.
I'd like to do some more reviews of lesser known comics, and throw 'em up here ever' once in a while. All you gots to do is drop me some words of encouragement here and there so I know I'm doin' some good for the world. You all have a good rest and I'll meetcha back here at the meetin' place at that same ol' meetin' time. Cheers!! and all that cal.

Homepage Renewal

noreply@blogger.com (patokon) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 18:04:00 +0000

Finally the new home page (patokon.com) is up!
It's been optimized for Firefox. Hopefully I'll be able to test it for other platforms soon.
I really like the idea of a side scrolling page. There may be a few bugs to work out, but it's basically good to go. Check it out!

Tokyo Gift Show

noreply@blogger.com (patokon) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 21:37:00 +0000

Finished! Made a lot of great contacts.
Revamping homepage now.
Will be contacting possibles throughout the week.

American Comics Art Exhibition

noreply@blogger.com (patokon) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 06:38:00 +0000

American Comics Exhibition 2009 ~Superheroes~

This is it! My first produced group show!
If you're in Tokyo, please stop by!

Dates: Sept. 27 (Sun) to Oct 3rd (Sat) 2009 (closed Tuesday the 29th)

Times: 11am to 7pm

Place: Gallery Kopis (http://www.g-kopis.com/) located less than a minute from Kiyosumi-Shirakawa St. exit A3.

Address: 1-2-12 1F Shirakawa Etoh-ku Tokyo 135-0021

Phone: 03-5639-2381

Artists:

Tom Clouseau
Patrick Gannon
Mulele Jarvis
JOE
Yukitoshi Kono
Hiroyuki Maeda
Hiromi Nagano
Tomoko Oikawa
Jim Reddy
SONIC
Namiko Sonobe
Kazuyuki Tsuyuki
Patrik Washburn
Akira Yamaguchi

Official HP: http://patokon.com/amecomi09.htm

I'm working on a Spider Woman piece.
Here are some sketches:

Dream Exhibition 2009!

noreply@blogger.com (patokon) — Fri, 15 May 2009 08:17:00 +0000

Yes, friends I've been lax in keeping this sucker up-to-date, but it's because I've been busy moving! I'm no longer in Tokyo proper, but the suburb Saitama. Where I live it's a bit more sub than urb if you know what I mean. But it's nice and quiet with babbling brooks and birds singing and a view of the mountains!
And now, the first art pieces I've created in the new place will go on view from this Saturday the 16th (2009) to the following Saturday. I'll be at the Kopis Gallery on Sunday with postcards for sale. To get to the gallery, it's 20 mins from either Shibuya (Hanzomon line) or Shinjuku (Oedo line). Get out at exit A3 at the top of the stairs turn left and then take a quick left through a walkway. When you hit the street, take a right and it's on the next right corner. If you go to the dog cafe, Jolly Job, you've gone too far. The phone # of the gallery is 03-5639-2381.

I hope people can stop by on Sunday while I'm there, but if not please drop by on any other day but Mon or Tues when they are closed.

I'll have more news up soon!

Cheers!

podcast, music videos, underwear and zen

noreply@blogger.com (patokon) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 02:03:00 +0000

*It's a Marvel Geekout!
New podcast over at Tim Young's Deconstructing Comics.
We discuss Marvel's latest crossover Dark Reign and deal with some general goofiness.
Other good podcasts here as well with Tim and guests.

*Been animating music videos for acoustic group Kirazuki. Good stuff.

here is a frame from "Elmore" by Kirazuki

*Been designing undies with a retro SF motif. Funfunfun. More on this later.

*Had a booth at the Tokyo Animation Fair with my Artist Army buds.

*Fresh off of two art exhibitions in Ginza and Tokyo City Hall.

*And I'm about to move to the country. Well, out of the city anyway.
Fresh mountain air, plenty of room, and we're gonna get a doggie!

*The good part about being so busy is that I'm getting more work. The bad part is that I haven't done any kind of promotion! Grrrrr! My next show isn't until May, so I should be settled in by then. I'll have my promotion plan put together by then as well. Maybe I'll even have a web comic started!

LOVE WINTER TOKYO 2009 exhibition

noreply@blogger.com (patokon) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 11:57:00 +0000

Hello to all my peeps out there! All seven of ya!

From tomorrow I'll be in an another art show in Ginza. Doing group shows is always a good experience as I always learn something from other artists. It's also good to see your work among others'. It's humbling. I remember at one show where after I put up my work I was thinking, "hey, my junk is the best junk on the wall!" Then one last artist comes moseying in a bit late and throws this gorgeous detailed work on the wall blowing my work out of the water. Oh, well. You can't win 'em all. What's that you say? Art is about self expression and communication and touching something deeper in the soul and shouldn't be cheapened or made into some kind of contest? You're right. I'm letting my pride blind me to the true beauty of artistic expression. Each work has its own value and should be enjoyed in its own way. I've learned my lesson. I'll be good. (on a side note, that one amazing piece didn't sell, but I sold my pieces and prints of them as well. In your face!!)

Back to the show info.
"Ginza's nicest day" is the rough translation of the show opening at Gallery G2 in Ginza. It's part of a larger show called "Love Winter Tokyo". From what I can tell, it's mostly illustrators, but there are plenty of "fine" artists exhibiting as well.

Date: Feb. 12 - Feb 17. 2009 (thursday to tuesday)
Time: 12 - 7pm (last day closes at 4pm)
Place: Gallery G2
2-8-2 Ginza, Himurasaki Bldg. 1st Floor
Chuo-ku, Tokyo tel: 03-3567-1555 HP: http://www-gallery-g2.com/

Directions:
Take the Yurakucho line to "Ginza 1 chome" exit 11. Go up the stairs, turn left. Cross the street, go past the Neuhaus shop and it's a small entrance on your left.
If you can get to Ginza it's not too far from the Mitukoshi. From Mituskoshi go towards Kyobashi and turn right at the Melsa. Cross one side street and it's on your right.

Also you can check out the Love Winter Tokyo HP at: http://www.love-winter-tokyo.com

So I've been drawing faeries a lot lately. Is there something you'd like to tell us, you say? Yes. I'm a secure heterosexual male who cries at movies and likes faeries. There I said it. Yes, I read my wife's favorite comic Candy Candy whenever I used the 1st floor bathroom and I cried. What's the big deal? Okay there's nothing more pitiful than a 37-year old man on the pot, reading a girl's comic and crying. I admit it. So why am I even telling you this. Because I'm cool with it, and if you're not, then who needs ya! I like that me. That pitiful me. Besides! Faeries are cool! and innocent. and are inspirational. and are a little bit cute and a little bit sexy. C'mon, admit it. Tinkerbell gets you hot.

That's enough ranting for now. I gotta go draw some unicorns and rainbows. (reality check: actually I'm drawing Bugs and Elmer for a puzzle book coming out in March. I got to choose which story I wanted to do so I chose my fave "What's Opera Doc?" You know, Kill da wabbit! Kill da wabbit! Kill da WAbbit! You wanna see a taste? Here's a rough of Elmer. Ok. Byeeee!)