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Yeah I’m Hanging Out with Haruhi Suzumiya
Posted by Michael Pinto on Oct 8, 2008 in Fandom
I think this is footage from Comiket this Summer — on the left is Alisa a reporter from the Anime NewType Channel. It looks like they’re looking at the guide for the show while having an animated conversation. I’m impressed how the cosplay attired young lady on the right manages to stay in character for so long… Our Top Ten Reasons Why Financial Meltdowns Favor Fanboys
Posted by Michael Pinto on Sep 26, 2008 in Fandom
History doesn’t repeat but sometimes it rhymes: The last time there was a total financial meltdown it was a good era for fanboys, in fact the 1930s was pretty much the birthplace of modern fandom itself. Here are my top ten examples why the last Great Depression was fanboy friendly:
Superman, Issue #1 (1938): The entire genre of caped superheroes can be traced to this comic book. The good and bad side of economic chaos is that it can make you look for a hero to save the day. Nick’s Nippon Notebook: At Midnight Your Ride Home Becomes A Pumpkin (Part 3)
Posted by Guest Author on Sep 15, 2008 in Fandom
In the past two articles I’ve been writing about staying out late night in Tokyo when trains and busses make their last run at midnight. Part 3: Last month I went to a restaurant in Shibuya real late with a special friend. I think my friend thought I was staying in Shinjuku, which isn’t too far, but actually I couldn’t find a hotel there and settled for Edogawa, which is quite a ways East of the center of town, almost as far as Tokyo Disneyland. It was 2 subway transfers and about 40 minutes from Shibuya. Taxis run all night. A Shibuya to Shinjuku taxi might be $30 or so, but a Shibuya to Edogawa would surely cost a lot more than a night at a normal hotel room. But I figured that I really wanted to see my friend and would maybe either crash at their place or hang out in Shibuya until around 5 AM for the morning trains. Anyway what I wasn’t going to do was leave in a rush and risk getting stuck somewhere unfamiliar because of all the transfers to get back. So after the dinner I said my mock teary farewells a decided to find a Manga Kissa (sometimes spelled Mangakisa) to hang out at. These are somewhat buzzworthy and controversial establishments typically on upper floors of buildings where you basically pay a fairly reasonable hourly fee to read their manga library.
Nick’s Nippon Notebook: At Midnight Your Ride Home Becomes A Pumpkin (Part 2)
Posted by Guest Author on Sep 4, 2008 in Fandom
Part 2: In Japan public transportation stops running at around 12 AM and starts again around 5 AM. That makes for a predicament if one is out late away from where they are staying. I’ve been trying out some scenarios of what one can do over a few recent trips to Japan. One obvious solution would be to just pay for a taxi back. Last year I tried that. Basically to get in a taxi and (in theory) not go anywhere the minimum fare is over $6. Helping to reinforce the possible validity that taxi companies had politicians make sure no public transportation runs at night is that taxis have an additional 30% late night surcharge. It’s often quoted that a daytime taxi from Narita Airport to downtown tokyo is somewhere over $300. It’s not a case of tourists being tricked what supposedly happens to some foreign tourists in America. That would be the normal fare, though I guess most times someone states the $300 taxi fare factoid they neglect to mention the airport is well over an hour from downtown tokyo. It had to do with the older Tokyo airport Haneda (you’ll see it in old movies) becoming too small over the years, but not soon enough to be able to buy enough land closer to Tokyo. As a comparison, the cheapest train to tokyo is around $12, though a lot of luggage might be awkward and it’s not that fast. There are many more trains and busses in the $20 to $30 range though that are direct and can deal with luggage. The 12 AM last run for trains means that shows at clubs typically start at 7 PM and end around 10:30 so people who live further away can get home. A fair number of clubs with space for dancing will open (or reopen after a live band set) around 11 PM and have DJ sets until dawn. This is especially true on Friday and Saturday nights. Follow Fanboy on Twitter
Posted by Michael Pinto on Aug 17, 2008 in Fandom
I’ve always hated the fact that I had to turn off the comments on this blog due to spam so this should open up the conversation a little bit… Girly Gangsta J-Pop: Hi-Prix
Posted by Michael Pinto on Aug 9, 2008 in Fandom
This girly gangsta J-Pop band is called Hi-Prix and features Miki (who is 18 years old) and Hina (who at age 17 is the younger of the duo). I’ve been listening to people tell me that “hip hop is dead” for over 20 years now, but I fear that Hi-Prix could be the one act to put the nail in that coffin… Found via Zaeega. San Diego Comic Con 2008: More Cosplay
Posted by Guest Author on Jul 27, 2008 in Fandom
One of us doesn’t look like the others. One of us doesn’t look like the same…
San Diego Comic Con 2008: Super Shoppa
Posted by Guest Author on Jul 26, 2008 in Fandom
I think this is Super Shoppa ! Hot! Editor’s Note: Let me guess: Super Shoppa’s secret powers are getting on line first for limited edition toy robots and being on “the list” for exclusive after hours Comic Con parties. San Diego Comic Con 2008: Davy Jones Has Lunch!
Posted by Guest Author on Jul 26, 2008 in Fandom
It happened so fast. First she was a smiling little girl and then she was lunch. For real. I was there… ; ) San Diego Comic Con 2008: Cosplay Gallery
Posted by Guest Author on Jul 26, 2008 in Fandom
Cruella de Vil and Secty
Ichigo Kurosaki
Molotov Cocktease (’nuff said yo) Sesame Street vs. Cloverfield
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jul 18, 2008 in Fandom
As a muppet fanboy I loved this parody of Cloverfield by Artifex Studios. Found via one of my favorite NSFW bloggers from Japan: zaeega.com. Ronald McDonald vs. Colonel Sanders
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jun 28, 2008 in Fandom
I’m assuming that this is a fan made video of a faux fast food mascot videogame, but with Japan you never quite know… Lolita and Maid Fashion Day
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jun 7, 2008 in Fandom
I just got back from Lolita and Maid Fashion Day which is being held at the Kinokuniya book store here in New York City. The event was held today to celebrate International Lolita Day and it was very relaxing and low key. I’m about to run off to cover the MoCCA Art Festival next, but here are some photos to give you a taste: A-Kon: Texan Style Anime
Posted by Guest Author on Jun 4, 2008 in Fandom
Artist David Foox gives us his account of going to A-Kon which is the oldest continually running anime convention in North America which was held this weekend: By the time Fanboy had requested we do an editorial/article on the Dallas A-Kon Event, I had already given the subject matter much thought. In fact, I had already drafted my overview of this fun day in my head. So putting it down on “paper”, so to speak, was quite easy. We (and by “we” I mean Jessica (my wife) and I) arrived at the Adams Mark Hotel and found ourselves thrown in at the deep end of this pool of costumes, freaks, geeks, musicians, artists, and gamers. In hindsight, I try and imagine that space prior to the event and void of all the color and realize that it really is the people, art, and games that make this event successful. A dry, dead space with a good dose of desperation/depression was overcome by livery that only hardcore gaming geeks and artist nerds (of which I am proudly both btw) could muster up in good ‘ol DFW (editor’s note: DFW = Dallas/Fort Worth). Catzilla vs. Godzilla
Posted by Michael Pinto on May 31, 2008 in Fandom
And here’s a very cute video on the same subject: Nothing like doggie cosplay to bring a smile to your face… Found via lolcats.com. The Muppets vs. Manhattan
Posted by Michael Pinto on May 28, 2008 in Fandom
I love this fan edited video of the Muppets with the dialogue from the 1979 Woody Allen film Manhattan. Found via Gawker. How to Look Like a Dork from the 80s
Posted by Michael Pinto on May 17, 2008 in Fandom
Some fashion trends from the 80s just shouldn’t come back: huge shoulder pads, rolled up sleeves on deconstructed jackets and that all time dork look the Indiana Jones Officially Licensed Fedora. No you will not look cool! No don’t even think of just trying it as part of a cosplay competition! JUST SAY NO TO THE WORST OF THE 80s! BBC Needles Knitting Dr. Who Fangurl
Posted by Michael Pinto on May 15, 2008 in Fandom
If the boneheads at the BBC were just a tad smarter they’d offer a Mazzmatazz a licensing deal: Dr Who fan in knitted puppet row “A Doctor Who fan is embroiled in a row with the BBC after she published knitting patterns for the sci-fi drama’s monsters on the internet. The patterns of Ood and Adipose were removed from her website after the BBC’s commercial arm complained that they breached its trademark. But the woman said the corporation was “making an example of her”. BBC Worldwide said it acted because finished figures were being sold by others on auction website eBay. It also denied threatening legal action and said it had offered to consider marketing the designs itself.” Interview: Laura Hale of FanHistory.com
Posted by Michael Pinto on May 10, 2008 in Fandom
Introduction: I first discovered Fan History back in 2007 when long time Anime fan Steve Pearl passed away. To me Steve was a real hero in the anime scene, yet when I did a search I found very little about his contribution to the field. So I was very happy to find his entry at fanhistory.com. The website is still in an early phase yet they have a wealth of information on fandom. As pulisher of fanboy.com I encourage everyone to contribute to helping this amazing resource grow. And without further ado here is my interview with Laura Hale who started the site: For folks not familiar with fanhistory.com (and wikis in general) can you give us an introduction to your project? Where to start? Fan History is a fandom run project dedicated to doing a couple of things. First, it is about sharing the history of fandom. It explains what was going in specific fandoms, in regards to specific topics in fandom, gives an idea as to who some of the big name fans are, shares some of the historical activities that took place in a fandom and continue to take place in fandom, and where to find fandom. Second, and complimenting the first, Fan History is about creating a directory of people in fandom. The directory information contains a history of a person’s involvement in fandom, what fandoms people are involved with, any fanworks they’ve created and links back to their sites or blogs. Fan History is a project in wiki format. A wiki allows anyone to edit the content. In the case of Fan History, it means that anyone can help contribute to project, adding information on the history of fandom. At the Tea Ceremony
Posted by Michael Pinto on May 5, 2008 in Fandom
To me one of the best parts of being a fanboy is accidentally discovering the traditions of other societies after getting to know their pop culture (as I sit here writing this I’m enjoying a chilled bottle of Tea’s Tea Golden Oolong). Shown above is an amazing photograph I came across by Chizuru Ohmae. You should check out her blog, it’s like traveling to Japan without needing a passport. Lucky Star vs. Ronald McDonald
Posted by Michael Pinto on Apr 22, 2008 in Fandom
I’ve noticed quite a few videos on YouTube from Japan which feature Ronald McDonald re-mixed in all sorts of interesting ways. The above video Ronald McStalker shows the fast food icon stalking the gang from Lucky Star, below is an even more disturbing video of Ronald kit bashed into the opening titles of the series: New York Comic Con 2008: Cookie Cutter Girl
Posted by Michael Pinto on Apr 20, 2008 in Fandom
Sure anyone can show up at a convention dressed in cosplay, but how many people could also find super hero attire for their pet? Above is Cookie Cutter Girl a superhero themed singer who hails from Boston. Not only was I impressed with her diva wardrobe and vocals, but I got quite a kick out of her mad scientist drummer too: New York Comic Con 2008: Fanboy Confessions
Posted by Michael Pinto on Apr 19, 2008 in Fandom
Clearly a case of trademark infringement! Despite them ripping off the title of this blog I got to chat with Johnny and James Jacobs about their new book True Confessions of a Fanboy a humorous look at the life of a pack rat fanboy (that’s James) and his ashamed brother (that’s Johnny). I haven’t read the book yet, but I did enjoy looking at the Fanboy Photo Tour on their website which showcases Jame’s fire hazard, err I mean “prized collection of treasures”. |
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