We are returning to SUPER*MARKET with another LIVE podcast show! The event will be held again at Meltdown Comics on Saturday, August 25th, 2012 from 2pm to 6pm. Join us for another live nerd discussion, an epic debate (Unicorns vs. Mermaids) and Fanfic Theater. Participants will receive prizes!
Join us and our friends during an afternoon of fun and shopping!
What is SUPER*MARKET, you ask? This is the first SUPER*MARKET I’ve ever attended and I loved it. Bubble Punch invited local artists and designers to sell their original merchandise. Others were selling their own over flow of awesome stuff, like clothing and shoes. It was definitely more aimed at the ladies and our need to buy everything that is cute but hopefully, as the show gets bigger, we’ll have more things that dudes can enjoy too. Though I see no reason why a dude can’t rock a cupcake necklace if they wanted to, but that’s just me.
Bubble Punch invited me to attend the Rilakkuma VIP party at Umami Burger in Los Feliz (California)– the kick off to the Rilakkuma weekend even that Japan LA hosted. Many familiar faces showed up for the party and I enjoyed the raspberry sake and delicious Umami burger sliders. Also had Lil’ Rae cakeballs for the first time and I am craving for more! San-X staff members were also present, including the next CEO of the San-X company– he gave an awesome speech, reading his English notes on a piece of paper. They helped with the raffle give-a-ways throughout the night, and three lucky winners walked away with big San-X plushies. Merchandise were displayed in glass cases, most were made available for purchase at Japan LA’s Rilakkuma pop up store.
Rilakkuma Weekend took place for both Saturday and Sunday at Melrose, with a pop-up store of rare San-X merchandise, food trucks, raffle prizes, and more! I spent most of Saturday at the store, hired to be the roaming photographer for half the day. Keep checking Japan LA’s website for the photos I took. It was a lot of fun to see people come in and get excited over the cute merchandise, or watch people get introduced to Rilakkuma for the first time! Personally, I am a big fan of Mamegoma! SO CUTE!
iamchubbybunny and yumeninja of Bubble Punch. Photo from neilsharum.com
Have you ever wondered if there was more to life, other than being really, really, ridiculously good looking?
iamchubbybunny as Mugatu
The Zoolander Walk Off party launched the first night of JapanLA’s anniversary celebration, hosted by Bubble Punch at Space15Twenty in Los Angeles. The runway stage was set outdoors with a live DJ and a crowd of really, really ridiculously good looking people!
Many were dressed as characters from the movie itself and we could have built an army of Mugatus and Katinkas that night. Hand models were also present and of course, Derelicte models sporting outfits made of trash bags, newspaper and recycled goods.
Attendees participated in a passionate walk off challenge on the stage, out-staging and out-performing each other in a ridiculously awesome display of wild posing, movie scene reenactments, and dancing. David Bowie watched carefully from the sidelines to make sure none of the models are going to break the rules. Although, models do as they’re told anyways, right?
The top two winners of the Walk-Off went home with Hello Kitty razors (adorable!) and these guys are no slashies, people– they’re the pure breeds. The rest of the night ended with dancing to 80s and 90s music and shopping. Chubby Bunny, Sugar Pill Cosmetics, Jessica Louise and Audrey Kitching all had a pop-up booth to sell their wares. Plus, True Mee (aka YumeNinja/NinjaSovereign) showcased a collection of her paintings!
Me and Shrinkle, creator of SugarPill
If anyone was wondering, I did end up participating in the Walk Off and promptly ended up at LA Weekly’s slideshow. I guess I couldn’t hide my secret night life of wearing trash bags and safety cones on my head from my co-workers for long anyways, ha! I had a lot of fun making that outfit, which I had feared would fall apart the minute I wore it out the door. Who knew that trash bags, hot pink duct tape and staples were made of tougher stuff?
Chloe and I, really ridiculously good looking
Check out our own slideshow of all our photos from the night!
Two talented friends participated at two different art shows on the same night. I decided that I did love them both enough to make the driving back and forth worth it, ha! Congratulations, girls, on your great opening reception nights!
First of, Lisa Nguyen (aka StColaPop), was part of an all-girls show called– well, “GIRLS! GIRLS! GIRLS!” at the Phone Booth Gallery in Long Beach. The collection of work were mostly illustrative ranging in different subjects and mediums. It was very well presented with a great turn-out of people. Congrats, Lisa, for selling both of your work!
LeBasse Project, with the help of Bubble Punch, hosted the opening reception of Dev Loka, a collection of painting by renowned Japanese artist, Yoshitaka Amano. The main event, besides the artwork (of course!), was a contest for people in costumes inspired by Amano’s artwork. For those in the dark, Amano is well known for his work on Vampire Hunter D and Final Fantasy, which ties him to the world of anime and cosplay.
The party ended up becoming particularly colorful that night!
I arrived early before the gallery became too crowded. My boyfriend and I got to enjoy viewing Amano’s collection leisurely. The style of the collection is a great deviation from his usual work that he is known for. His illustrations are usually very detailed and raw– lines are visible throughout the composition as if he never bothered to erase the pencil sketch beneath the colors. Dev Loka, on the other hand, showcases a much “simpler” style. I don’t want to throw the word ‘simple’ around too much and and sell him short, but to me, Amano mixes the new  generation of computer generated style with a nostalgic feeling of older anime styles and characters. There is a certain clarity to these paintings, and a sudden clear-cut quality compared to his more popular pieces in the past. Perhaps it just goes to say that Amano accomplished complexity in his compositions in a style deceivingly simple to look at.
I have mixed feelings about the collection of work. Half of them I am partial to, and half of them left me with an unimpressed feeling. Either way, all of them had glittered background… and I admit… that won me over. Amano rocked the glitter and it made me happy to look at the artwork inside the gallery!
Alongside Amano’s work was a sculpted installation by Yoskay Amano. I love the little pathway that guides you through the “tears” hanging from the ceiling and the creatures forming from the ground. Disturbing and whimsical at the same time.
The cosplayers were also great, of course! It’s always more fun when people are dressed up for these events.
My favorite people at Bubble Punch are going to be hosting a cosplay contest at the opening night of Yoshitaka Amano’s show, ‘Deva Loka’, at LeBasse Projects. I’m pretty sure most of you anime and Final Fantasy geeks would know who he is. If you don’t know who he is… google is your friend.
Seriously though, his art is pretty phenomenal.
For the cosplayers, you guys better check out the contest and prize details! BRING ON THE FLOWING FABRIC AND BEADS!!!
