Imiri Sakabashira at Trancepop: A Rare Old Time

Whoever said lightning never strikes the same spot twice sadly never got a chance to drop into Trancepop Gallery. Without allowing a chance to recover from the outstanding Maho Shimao exhibit, the whimsical beasts of Imiri Sakabashira blew the roof right back off the place.



Sakabashira, a prominent ero-guro artist from the avante-garde manga magazine Garo, also produces surrealist works depicting kappa (a turtle-like legendary creature), kaiju, and other made-up creatures hanging out in our everyday lives. Viewing his work from the perspective of a Japanese, the retro art design and familiar scenes of old Japan make me long for a time that was over before I was even born. In this sense his work has a universal sense of nostalgia that appeals to an international audience.




At the same time, the mix of unidentified creatures and dreamlike-scenes create a parallel, hyper-modern environment. Welcome to the Planet of Sakabashira! Relax, enjoy the trip, and reacquaint yourself with the monstrosities that your childhood fantasies were made of!







While Sakabashira is a big name in the underground manga scene, keeping it small has helped him keep it real over his 20 year professional career. He makes nearly everything (save for printed books, natch) with his own two hands. The figures in his gallery are all painted and packaged by the artist himself! You can't deny the charm of his Neko-kappa figure.



How many talents does this guy have?! Stacked next to his figures were CDs of his New Wave band, Rouden Ginza, each printed and signed by Sakabashira himself! They don't make 'em like this anymore. A true Renaissance man, his success is the result of his pure love for the act of creating art and his sincere attitude towards his fans.



The exhibit runs until Oct 11, but there will be an artist signing and talk session on Oct 3 at Trancepop Gallery. This is a must for everyone in Kansai this weekend! Make sure to pick up his hand-made figures and music and give a shout-out from TSB!

	Click here for more pics from the show!
Imiri Sakabashira Show

Japan's Pop Culture Princess Does Kyoto

The Scum Brigade invades Kansai! TSB Lieutenant First Class, Fortune, is reporting for duty with her first scummy post from her foxhole in Kyoto.

Those in the know have probably seen the name Maho Shimao attached to her pastel-colored drawings of cute little boys and girls, or cute little cats and dogs, or cute little cupcakes, OR a not-so-cute high school girl with long nose hair, Goriko. Born to photographer parents, Shimao made her debut as a cartoonist with the comic High School Girl, Goriko when she was in high school. Since then, she has become a Japanese subculture royalty of sorts over the years, working as an illustrator, writer, TV-personality and DJ for a slew of local radio programs.

When word came in that her royal highness was here in Kansai this weekend for an in-store appearance at her cell phone wallpaper exhibit at Trancepop Gallery in Kyoto, I knew I had to meet her. Needless to say, her adorable pop art pieces were fun to look at, but the talk session was also a blast, giving each attendee a chance to interact with her.

She began by handing us pieces of paper to write our day-to-day problems on. While dispensing life changing advice she took requests for illustrations with one condition--that we only photograph them with our cell phones! Her answers were so charmingly crude that it reminded me that art doesn't have to be snooty and self important. Here are a few gems:

Q: I am one of only a few boys in my college class, but I can't get any attention from girls. What should I do?
A: You know, many girls want to be friends with gay guys. I mean, guys that can appreciate girls' culture. So, you should get a girly magazine, like Elle or something, and put it on your desk out of nowhere. Eh..No. Don't do that, boys with girly magazines are kind of gross and obvious. Let's see, you should keep an eye on the girl you're interested in and check what brand she's wearing. And wear men's version of the brand, like, say, Comme des Garcons Homme, or Zucca Homme or something. And, put the shopping bag on your desk and be like, "Oh yeah, I kind of wear this. Do you like it too? What a coincidence..."

Q: My crotch has been itchy for a while. What should I do?
A: Speaking of crotches, my friend's father has had a problem with his...balls. I hear his balls have been getting bigger and bigger over the past five years, but he doesn't want to see a doctor so he just lets them hang as they are. While he says they don't hurt, I hear he has to wear a pair of baggy pants like tacky high school boys in Shibuya. Hahaha...Oh yeah, I don't know what to say about the itch though.

Sadly, the exhibit is already over and her next show is TBA. In the mean time listen to her radio talk every Saturday night at TBS's Weekend Shuffle. Tune in next weekend to hear the voice of her majesty!

	Click here for more pics from the show!
Maho Shimao