Giant Robot Store and GR2 News
Since the release of her new vinyl figures and autograph signing at GR2, Mari Inukai’s Sekaiseifukudan series has been in popular demand. Giant Robot Online had seven figures available for customers to purchase. Now we are releasing an eighth figure for her enthusiastic fans! The Usagiman Do-It-Yourself figure is a clear light mint figure, measuring about 7 inches tall. It is similar to the light pink Usagiman figure, but this DIY figure is unpainted, allowing customization of its various features. All Sekaiseifukudan figures are eligible to receive a customized signature by the artist herself! Just choose “Signed” from the drop-down option when you make your order. There is no deadline for an artist signature request yet. Mari Inukai was originally born in Nagoya, Japan but moved to the United States to study art. She studied art first at Santa Monica Community College until she graduated with a BFA in Character Animation from the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, California in 2004. She has worked with Sanrio Co., Disney Consumer Products, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, O Entertainment, Wild Brain, Nylon Motion Inc., Oishii Productions and NGTV. She has produced a short animated film, titled Blue and Orange, which has been featured in numerous film festivals, including the Sundance Film Festival 2003 and winning the Japanese Grand Prix title at the Short Shorts Film Festival Expo 2005. Her art is featured in numerous galleries and exhibits for the many admirers of her talent. Click on the photo above or follow this secure link in order to check out her newly released Sekaiseifukudan figures: Mari Inukai Sekaiseifukudan
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Lost Weekend Video and Giant Robot Presents Meet Bonnie Burton, author of Star Wars Craft Book at Lost Weekend Video Saturday, June 18th 2011, 5-7pm. Lost Weekend Video (Giant Robot Pop Up) 1034 Valencia at 21st Mission District San Francisco, CA 415-643-3373 Author Bonnie Burton, a Star Wars fanatic is the brains behind Grrl.com and produces tremendous amounts of posts, tweets, and pop culture knowledge via multiple social networks. She’ll be at Lost Weekend Video as part of the Giant Robot Pop Up shop signing books and providing crafting knowledge. If you purchase a book, she’ll grant you a craft package that you can assemble on the spot! Giant Robot was born as a Los Angeles-based magazine about Asian, Asian-American, and new hybrid culture in 1994, but has evolved into a full-service pop culture provider with a shop and gallery in Los Angeles, and a website at giantrobot.com
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Giant Robot is getting ready for the special signing with artist Ryan McGinness this Friday, May 27th. For this upcoming signing, we have received new stock of art books, notebooks, and stationery that feature the work of Ryan McGinness. Ryan McGinness is an international artist, living and working in Manhattan. He grew up in the surf and skate culture of Virginia Beach, Virginia, and then studied at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as an Andrew Carnegie Scholar. During college, he interned at the Andy Warhol Museum. Known for his original extensive vocabulary of graphic drawings which use the visual language of public signage, corporate logos, and contemporary iconography. In addition to our newly released blank cards and composition books, we feature several art books that focus on the extensive work or Ryan McGinness. Make your order by Friday, May 27th in order to have your items custom-signed by Ryan McGinness himself!
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…is to make beautiful music. Or somehow get this tune out of my head. You know when you have a tune stuck in your head and it bothers you that you can not remember the title of the song. Maybe a few keys on the piano will help? Or whistling the tune? But most likely, I’m going to figure it out with an Otamatone or two. Released by Maywa Denki, the creators of the popular Knockman series, the electronic Otamatone made its debut at Giant Robot late last year! These instruments came in two colors – black and white. With their continued success and popularity, the company released smaller and more portable versions, the Otamatone Keychains! These miniature versions were released in four different colors as blue, pink, white, and black. The best part of this release is that each miniature otamatone can play 11 different songs, that you can play along with or just listen to. These keychains are much more fun and entertaining when you bring them along everywhere!
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May 17, 2011 – Chicago WOW. My Hone Nekomitaina just came in the mail and I’m pretty much speechless. To tell you the truth, when GR first announced the pre-sale for Mari Inukai’s Sekaiseifukudan figures I wasn’t really into it. Probably because they only had the mock-up illustrations of the figures and the price seemed pretty high. Although the characters shown looked cool you couldn’t really get a sense of what they were really going to look like. I’m not a vinyl toy collector, but I do have a bunch of stuff. The typical stuff I buy is under $10, and I rarely spend more than $20 on “toys”. So seeing the $100 price, I was not seriously considering these. But then about a week before the GR release and signing I saw a few photos of the real figures and they looked pretty cool. The translucent bodies with floating/suspended hearts intrigued me. But still, a hundred bucks? Sekaiseifukudan – which translates literally from Japanese as ‘world’ ‘conquer’ ‘team’, features seven characters who work together to conqueror the world through love. The characters are based in part on Mari’s belief in Taoism. Immediately fans of Mari’s art will recognize the pair of hat wearing devils– Akamarilla and Aomarilla, angry (red) and sad (blue) manifestations of Marilla, Mari’s alter-ego, who wears a hat similar to the one she wore daily as a student at Calarts. In keeping with Taoism theme, the tails of the devils point in opposite directions, a visual reminder of their collective duality. Hone Marilla is the wide-eyed ghostly form of the character. Nekomitaina is a cat-like figure and is the teams’ conscience both in its normal and ghost form, Hone Nekomitaina. Usagiman is the rabbit-like one, and is the god of spring, renewal and growth. Obakeman is the one who gives freedom to all he meets by absorbing their negativity into his form. The night before the signing, I gave in and place my order. I was still apprehensive to say the least – $100 still seemed like a lot, and what would it really look like in person? Honestly, now that it’s in my hands, it looks and feels like something that should cost more! Not the size (6”) but the weight of it makes it feel more expensive. It’s certainly not a toy, but more sculptural in design and feel. It’s impressive the way light comes thru it – lighting and almost making the figure glow. It’s an art object and since I can not afford one of Mari’s amazing paintings, I’m glad to be able to have gotten this. Now that I’ve seen one in person, I would not hesitate to get one and you shouldn’t either. Oh, did I tell you the floating blue heart is a symbol of their search for complete fulfillment…
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