archive 1999: god bless the japanese

mom and babyI’ll say it till I’m blue: I love Japanese! From their history to their weird island-mutant ideals, to the fact they’re so hard on themselves, to their utter naivite about so, so many things, to their graphic design–especially when combined with their often-tenuous command of the English language…

backstory: i am a little uncomfortable with my um, unwordly tone in this piece. i certainly had no intention of sounding yucky in any way. i have a deep appreciation of japanese culture on many levels, and have for many years. anyway.

run boy…What is not to love? These cartoons are from a cardboard pog set I got in SF. This page is ongoing; I (and hopefully others) will be adding to it continually.

Lookie at all these contributions already. I am so lucky to have such like minded people in my life. The newest things are at the top.

spud boy
5/6/99: Spudboy has a wonderful site that Brenna C turned me onto. You can check out his site by clicking on banner at left. I will be sprinkling SPUDBOY HAIKUS throughout this page. Enjoy. Be inspired to haiku-it-yourself… click HERE to learn the haiku rules.

Also, Brenna forwards this site of haikus. Yes, it’s Gangsta Haikus: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/5656/index.htm

tskul 5/3/99: Lisa Levy recommends checking out Tamagothi, your virtual mopey goth pet. Give it smack, speed, a good beating, to keep your little guy miserable…

backstory: pogs? tamagochi? holy shit.

5/3/99: Matt Wood forwards a short story, My mystical experience with Hello Kitty & friends. Matt is involved in a mysterious trek to find the author of this…piece. Be warned–don’t read it before bedtime. Kitty, I never knew ye…

Click on Hello Kitty and friends to read about the Sanrio Dark Side…
(transcription to come)
hello kitty
haiku
wind from large black lab,
high protein dog food passing;
rotten eggs, black death

– – – –

haiku

no date is needed;
Wally dropped a big old fart,
I had to share it

winkie
Astro Boy is presenting a scan of the infamous WINKIE BAG. This is a backpack, made with sheets of flexible “winkies”–AKA flickers: you know, the 3D Jesus-postcard stuff. The characters are all from the Japanese cartoon “Astro Boy”. Tamar and I spotted the backpack some years back in NYC. It was expensive, so we decided to share it. Winkie spends a year with me, a year with Tamar back east. Winkie is going back to its other mommy next month. Sob. Here’s Tamar and me together last June:

tamarbeck
haiku

the snow on the pines;
the hillside brilliant, the air
white with gravity

4/28/99: Lisa Larribeau reports:

“I’ve just found out that there is a Hello Kitty theme park outside Tokyo called Puroland. And there is a ride there that pits Hello Kitty against Godzilla. As if the existance of Hello Kitty toasters wasn’t enough, now I REALLY have to go to Japan!!!”

Here are some links Lisa suggested:

  • The official Sanrio site
  • This site contains info about the 3D Godzilla simulation ride at Puroland. Be sure to go to Trey Stoke’s page (one of the developers of the ride) who talks about the scent system that enhances the “ride”
  • Or check out someone’s pics from a recent visit to Puroland (featuring Bad Batz Maru toilet paper)