QUESTION: Any interest in a Same Hat shirt?

Quick question for regular readers: Would you be interested in a Same Hat t-shirt?

A few people have asked about this over the years, and recently the idea stuck with me... before I go down that road, I was curious if folks would actually get one and wear it-- and what you'd like to see?

For my tastes, a white/color on a black t-shirt is probably the best, right? We wouldn't be able to use any panels/art from our favorite folks without getting permission, but it could be a type-treatment or new logo or other design by cartoonists we know. Lemme know if this is something you'd be interested in, how much you'd be willing to pay (my impulse would be to sell it as cheap as possible to cover costs and give a bunch away in contests and stuff), and I'll talk to a few t-shirt designer friends I know!

QUESTION: Any interest in a Same Hat shirt?

Quick question for regular readers: Would you be interested in a Same Hat t-shirt?

A few people have asked about this over the years, and recently the idea stuck with me... before I go down that road, I was curious if folks would actually get one and wear it-- and what you'd like to see?

For my tastes, a white/color on a black t-shirt is probably the best, right? We wouldn't be able to use any panels/art from our favorite folks without getting permission, but it could be a type-treatment or new logo or other design by cartoonists we know. Lemme know if this is something you'd be interested in, how much you'd be willing to pay (my impulse would be to sell it as cheap as possible to cover costs and give a bunch away in contests and stuff), and I'll talk to a few t-shirt designer friends I know!

KOIKE KAZUO IN NORTH AMERICA?

Hey folks! Today's post is something a little different than usual-- a guest post by Ryan Holmberg, who as many of you know was the curator of Garo Manga: The First Decade (1964-1973) show earlier this year and is currently a postdoc in Contemporary Art.

This is a group research project of sorts, as he's looking for our help (and the help of the greater comics/mangasphere) to dig up details about the American reaction to the translated works of Koike Kazuo. I'll let him take it away below, and please add your thoughts/links/contributions in the comments. Some answers to these questions may be in interview with Frank Miller and Dark Horse editors, along with books by Paul Gravett or Frederik Schodt. But I also I know there are lots of other writings from the 80s and 90s, along with personal anecdotes, that can fill in the details. Thanks in advance!


(Frank Miller/Lynn Varley's cover to the first issue of First Comics' run of Lone Wolf & Cub. Check out the complete covers from those floppy issues)

From Ryan Holmberg:

A colleague of mine in Tokyo is currently writing about the famous manga script writer Koike Kazuo of "Lone Wolf and Cub" and "Crying Freeman" fame. He recently asked me some questions about the reception and reputation of Koike Kazuo in North America. Having first come into contact with his work in Japan, I was not sure how to answer. So on his behalf, and to satisfy my own curiosity, I wonder if readers of Same Hat might be able to share some facts or general impressions or anecdotes? The more specific people can be about dates and places et cetera, the more helpful it would be.


First, does anyone know the history of how Koike's work came to be translated in the United States? Is there an industry back story of any note? Also, any thoughts about what kind of audience his work was initially marketed to – age-wise, reading taste-wise, et cetera? Was there any substantial critical response at the time?


Second, Frank Miller's admiration of Koike Kazuo is well-known. I wonder if anyone could flesh out the details of that, and the various ways in which it shaped Miller's work, or how Miller was involved in popularizing Koike's work? I am aware that Miller/Varley did covers for Lone Wolf and Cub, and the impact on Ronin and Sin City…but I am wondering if anyone might be able to expand on that.


Third, it seems the status of writers is much lower than that of artists when it comes to comics in North America. Do you think this might also be the case for Koike? In other words, do people first think of Kojima Goseki and Ikegami Ryoichi when the titles of Koike's work come up?


Last, in the early 70s, Koike was writing a Japanese version of the "Hulk" for Bokura Magazine. It has never been collected, and probably never will be because of copyright issues. My colleague is wondering whether, in North America, at the time of "Lone Wolf and Cub's" release, would it have had the same readership as the Hulk? He’s trying again to get a sense of if the readership of Koike's work in Japan overlaps with that elsewhere?


Sorry for the many and lengthy questions. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

(Lone Wolf & Cub board game by Mayfair Games, 1989. Cover by Grendel artist Matt Wagner)

UPDATE: Received this update from Ryan Holmberg:

Thanks for this treasure trove of information. It's amazingly helpful and much much more than I had hoped for. I apologize for not being active on the posting myself. On the one hand, I couldn't be of much use as my contact with Koike's work has been almost entirely in Japan. Also, I have been too buried in circa 1960 "hardboiled" manga the past few weeks -- essentially the breeding ground for Koike-type gekiga. Maybe I can return the favor in a week or so with some gems from that world. Again, thank you thank you

[From Ryan: Covers from Bokura Magazine, 1971]

KOIKE KAZUO IN NORTH AMERICA?

Hey folks! Today's post is something a little different than usual-- a guest post by Ryan Holmberg, who as many of you know was the curator of Garo Manga: The First Decade (1964-1973) show earlier this year and is currently a postdoc in Contemporary Art.

This is a group research project of sorts, as he's looking for our help (and the help of the greater comics/mangasphere) to dig up details about the American reaction to the translated works of Koike Kazuo. I'll let him take it away below, and please add your thoughts/links/contributions in the comments. Some answers to these questions may be in interview with Frank Miller and Dark Horse editors, along with books by Paul Gravett or Frederik Schodt. But I also I know there are lots of other writings from the 80s and 90s, along with personal anecdotes, that can fill in the details. Thanks in advance!


(Frank Miller/Lynn Varley's cover to the first issue of First Comics' run of Lone Wolf & Cub. Check out the complete covers from those floppy issues)

From Ryan Holmberg:

A colleague of mine in Tokyo is currently writing about the famous manga script writer Koike Kazuo of "Lone Wolf and Cub" and "Crying Freeman" fame. He recently asked me some questions about the reception and reputation of Koike Kazuo in North America. Having first come into contact with his work in Japan, I was not sure how to answer. So on his behalf, and to satisfy my own curiosity, I wonder if readers of Same Hat might be able to share some facts or general impressions or anecdotes? The more specific people can be about dates and places et cetera, the more helpful it would be.


First, does anyone know the history of how Koike's work came to be translated in the United States? Is there an industry back story of any note? Also, any thoughts about what kind of audience his work was initially marketed to – age-wise, reading taste-wise, et cetera? Was there any substantial critical response at the time?


Second, Frank Miller's admiration of Koike Kazuo is well-known. I wonder if anyone could flesh out the details of that, and the various ways in which it shaped Miller's work, or how Miller was involved in popularizing Koike's work? I am aware that Miller/Varley did covers for Lone Wolf and Cub, and the impact on Ronin and Sin City…but I am wondering if anyone might be able to expand on that.


Third, it seems the status of writers is much lower than that of artists when it comes to comics in North America. Do you think this might also be the case for Koike? In other words, do people first think of Kojima Goseki and Ikegami Ryoichi when the titles of Koike's work come up?


Last, in the early 70s, Koike was writing a Japanese version of the "Hulk" for Bokura Magazine. It has never been collected, and probably never will be because of copyright issues. My colleague is wondering whether, in North America, at the time of "Lone Wolf and Cub's" release, would it have had the same readership as the Hulk? He’s trying again to get a sense of if the readership of Koike's work in Japan overlaps with that elsewhere?


Sorry for the many and lengthy questions. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

(Lone Wolf & Cub board game by Mayfair Games, 1989. Cover by Grendel artist Matt Wagner)

UPDATE: Received this update from Ryan Holmberg:

Thanks for this treasure trove of information. It's amazingly helpful and much much more than I had hoped for. I apologize for not being active on the posting myself. On the one hand, I couldn't be of much use as my contact with Koike's work has been almost entirely in Japan. Also, I have been too buried in circa 1960 "hardboiled" manga the past few weeks -- essentially the breeding ground for Koike-type gekiga. Maybe I can return the favor in a week or so with some gems from that world. Again, thank you thank you

[From Ryan: Covers from Bokura Magazine, 1971]

MARUO WOULD BE PROUD

Here is some serious Halloween/Suehiro Maruo realness, courtesy of my friends Monika and y16o.


y16o is dressed in a Maruo/Rampo-inspired outfit, while Monika is dressed as Midori, the Camellia Girl (Mr. Arashi's Amazing Freak Show).

What did YOU dress up as for Halloween?

MARUO WOULD BE PROUD

Here is some serious Halloween/Suehiro Maruo realness, courtesy of my friends Monika and y16o.


y16o is dressed in a Maruo/Rampo-inspired outfit, while Monika is dressed as Midori, the Camellia Girl (Mr. Arashi's Amazing Freak Show).

What did YOU dress up as for Halloween?

SAME HAT COMMUNITY HALLOWEEN PROWESS

You guys are awesome! I ended up staying in on Halloween and drinking an abundance of whiskey-- too lazy to put together a good costume. I DID come up with a costume for next year, as a juggalette (look it up!) or maybe Shaggy 2 Dope. I have to stay true to my Michigan roots, you know?

Not to be outdone by anyone, Same Hat readers rocked the manga/horror angle like mad geniuses. Here are their radical costumes!!

TOMODACHI (from 20th Century Boys)

as worn by Johnny Landmine

SAMARA (from Ringu)

as worn by M

SUEHIRO MARUO BOY


as worn by Dreed

LYCHEE HIKARI CLUB

as worn by Diana & friends

NEKOME KOZO

as worn by Dr. Senbei (Tokyo Scum Brigade)

GEGEGE NO KITARO

as worn by voidmare (Tokyo Scum Brigade)

HORROR MANGA MAKE-UP

as worn by Jaclyn

KAZUO UMEZZ

as worn by Jaclyn

and because it's simply awesome...
ANDREW WKs!

as worn by Helvin

SAME HAT COMMUNITY HALLOWEEN PROWESS

You guys are awesome! I ended up staying in on Halloween and drinking an abundance of whiskey-- too lazy to put together a good costume. I DID come up with a costume for next year, as a juggalette (look it up!) or maybe Shaggy 2 Dope. I have to stay true to my Michigan roots, you know?

Not to be outdone by anyone, Same Hat readers rocked the manga/horror angle like mad geniuses. Here are their radical costumes!!

TOMODACHI (from 20th Century Boys)

as worn by Johnny Landmine

SAMARA (from Ringu)

as worn by M

SUEHIRO MARUO BOY


as worn by Dreed

LYCHEE HIKARI CLUB

as worn by Diana & friends

NEKOME KOZO

as worn by Dr. Senbei (Tokyo Scum Brigade)

GEGEGE NO KITARO

as worn by voidmare (Tokyo Scum Brigade)

HORROR MANGA MAKE-UP

as worn by Jaclyn

KAZUO UMEZZ

as worn by Jaclyn

and because it's simply awesome...
ANDREW WKs!

as worn by Helvin

"BUILD THE SHGTE" CONTEST RESULTS

The "BUILD THE SHGTE" Contest ended Friday night, and in the course of a week 68 new hotspots were added to our community map. THIS IS FUCKING AWESOME!! I'm extremely stoked to have had this great response, and I really appreciate your help in building out this map.


View Larger Map

The Same Hat Guide to Everything continues to be a work in progress, and when I finalllllly launch samehat.com, it will be a key part of the site. I will keep adding cool stuff that I hear about or visit, and hope you'll do the same.

Now for the results: there were a lot of great additions to the map. I wrote down names for everyone who added items, but it got confusing to remember who added 1 or 2, etc. I've decided to give everyone who added items a Junko Mizuno sticker and a copy of my zine (plus some mail from me!). Please send your email and mailing address to SAMEHAT[at]GMAIL[dot]COM.

For the winners, four contributors stood out for adding the most numerous and interesting additions to the map. These 4 people will get the stickers/zine and a Shintaro Kago postcard, purchased in Tokyo from Kago-san himself. These are the Google Nicknames that showed up on the maps, send me your name/address to claim your prizes:
Connor
kittenmeats
karl
gyyguy



Many, many thanks again to everyone who helped improve the map. Keep up the great work!

"BUILD THE SHGTE" CONTEST RESULTS

The "BUILD THE SHGTE" Contest ended Friday night, and in the course of a week 68 new hotspots were added to our community map. THIS IS FUCKING AWESOME!! I'm extremely stoked to have had this great response, and I really appreciate your help in building out this map.


View Larger Map

The Same Hat Guide to Everything continues to be a work in progress, and when I finalllllly launch samehat.com, it will be a key part of the site. I will keep adding cool stuff that I hear about or visit, and hope you'll do the same.

Now for the results: there were a lot of great additions to the map. I wrote down names for everyone who added items, but it got confusing to remember who added 1 or 2, etc. I've decided to give everyone who added items a Junko Mizuno sticker and a copy of my zine (plus some mail from me!). Please send your email and mailing address to SAMEHAT[at]GMAIL[dot]COM.

For the winners, four contributors stood out for adding the most numerous and interesting additions to the map. These 4 people will get the stickers/zine and a Shintaro Kago postcard, purchased in Tokyo from Kago-san himself. These are the Google Nicknames that showed up on the maps, send me your name/address to claim your prizes:
Connor
kittenmeats
karl
gyyguy



Many, many thanks again to everyone who helped improve the map. Keep up the great work!

"BUILD THE SHGTE" CONTEST

On Friday I re-posted details about the slowly-growing Same Hat Guide to Everything. The idea is that anybody and everybody in the Same Hat community can share their favorites shops, museums, and spots in one consolidated place.

I've been updating it today with a few favorite Tokyo bookstores, and thought a contest would be a fun idea in order to grow this sucker quickly!

Announcing the BUILD THE SHGTE contest! The idea is that I want to encourage folks to add stuff to the map this week. Adding an entry takes about 2 minutes, and step-by-step details on doing so are here. It can be anything that other Same Hat readers would be interested in, in any part of the world. Some examples:
+ A custom doll gallery in Akihabara that displays Suehiro Maruo's paintings.
+ Your local manga shop where you buy new books each week.
+ The Kyoto Manga Museum (and the train route to get there from Kyoto Station).
+ A club with a monthly gothic lolita cosplay night in Seoul.
+ The restaurant in Kichijoji where you spotted Demerin out eating soba and playing Gameboy.

The deadline to add entries is 11:59pm PST on Friday (August 14, 2009).
How about these for "prizes"?
THE "PARTICIPATION" PRIZE:
Everyone who submits at least one new entry to the SGHTE will get a Junko Mizuno / Last Gasp sticker and some mail from me:


THE "SILVER MEDAL" PRIZE
Everyone who submits two (or more) new entries to the SGHTE will be mailed the Junko sticker and a copy of my zine of Japanese self-introductions from when I lived in Saitama. Check it out here:

(Don't you want one??)

GRAND PRIZE
The three people that made the most/best additions to the map (left up to my discretion!) will win all the stuff mentioned above (Junko Mizuno sticker, My Seat is Your Behind zine) plus...
A LARGE HANAKUMA / LAST GASP STICKER!

and...
A SHINTARO KAGO POSTCARD!


After you've made additions to the Same Hat Guide to Everything, please leave your name and a quick list of what you added in the comments. Can't wait to see what everyone posts up on the map! If you have any questions, let me know!

"BUILD THE SHGTE" CONTEST

On Friday I re-posted details about the slowly-growing Same Hat Guide to Everything. The idea is that anybody and everybody in the Same Hat community can share their favorites shops, museums, and spots in one consolidated place.

I've been updating it today with a few favorite Tokyo bookstores, and thought a contest would be a fun idea in order to grow this sucker quickly!

Announcing the BUILD THE SHGTE contest! The idea is that I want to encourage folks to add stuff to the map this week. Adding an entry takes about 2 minutes, and step-by-step details on doing so are here. It can be anything that other Same Hat readers would be interested in, in any part of the world. Some examples:
+ A custom doll gallery in Akihabara that displays Suehiro Maruo's paintings.
+ Your local manga shop where you buy new books each week.
+ The Kyoto Manga Museum (and the train route to get there from Kyoto Station).
+ A club with a monthly gothic lolita cosplay night in Seoul.
+ The restaurant in Kichijoji where you spotted Demerin out eating soba and playing Gameboy.

The deadline to add entries is 11:59pm PST on Friday (August 14, 2009).
How about these for "prizes"?
THE "PARTICIPATION" PRIZE:
Everyone who submits at least one new entry to the SGHTE will get a Junko Mizuno / Last Gasp sticker and some mail from me:


THE "SILVER MEDAL" PRIZE
Everyone who submits two (or more) new entries to the SGHTE will be mailed the Junko sticker and a copy of my zine of Japanese self-introductions from when I lived in Saitama. Check it out here:

(Don't you want one??)

GRAND PRIZE
The three people that made the most/best additions to the map (left up to my discretion!) will win all the stuff mentioned above (Junko Mizuno sticker, My Seat is Your Behind zine) plus...
A LARGE HANAKUMA / LAST GASP STICKER!

and...
A SHINTARO KAGO POSTCARD!


After you've made additions to the Same Hat Guide to Everything, please leave your name and a quick list of what you added in the comments. Can't wait to see what everyone posts up on the map! If you have any questions, let me know!

SHARE YOUR WISDOM ON THE SHGTE

Every couple weeks, I get a nice email from a reader or friend of friend heading to Japan looking for recommendations. I have a go-to list of cool places to see in Tokyo and Kansai, but those are just the picks of one dude. It's better to ask a big group of like-minded folks and post the information somewhere easily accessible.

Good news, this wisdom is captured in our collaborative Google Map, The Same Hat Guide to Everything. I hadn't updated it in a while and wasn't sure if newer readers were aware of it. Sounds like good timing for a post!

I'm summarizing a lot of the stuff I said when it was first launched, so you long-time readers please bear with me for a minute. Generally speaking, the SHGTE is an open and editable map, detailing any and all spots of interest to rabid Same Hat geeks around the world. It includes a lot of spots for folks heading to Japan for the first time, along with your local shops, museums, etc.

THE SAME HAT GUIDE TO EVERYTHING!

View Larger Map

From my first post:

If you haven't used the Google Maps My Maps feature, it's basically a way to create custom maps by pinpointing specific spots (think: The Kazuo Umezu Makoto-chan house), insertings overlays (think: A scanned floorplan to the Nakano Broadway mall's shops) or drawing custom routes and shapes. You can choose the icon associated with each entry you add, and Google provides pre-made icons to denote shops, train stations, and shopping. Evan and I also whipped up a few Same Hat icons for Sentai toy shops and Umezu, Maruo and other hot spots.


With the SHGTE, the focus isn't on duplicating the work of others, but thinking about what your fellow readers would have in common with you and wanna know about; Basically what is the shit you'd send in an email to a friend going to that/your city for the first time?

I'm gonna spend some time adding things to the map; I just put the Gundam statue in Odaiba, and the NEW PEOPLE Japantown center in San Francisco on there. Here are some instructions for you to add things as well:


STEP 1: When you're viewing the Same Hat Guide to Everything, click on the [Edit] button on the left side to start adding stuff or making changes to other people's stuff on the map.


STEP 2: When you click [Edit], new little tools will show up at the top of the map frame, including a icon marker thingy, a line tool for drawing routes, and a blobby-looking tool for drawing areas and shapes. In this case, I know where Otafuku is on the block, and clicked the icon marker thingy there on the block in the East Village.


STEP 3: Now that the placeholder is there, it's time to start the magic. I'm sharing as much detail as I have, which in this case is my experience there and a picture from Yelp. If I know the hours they were open or had specific recommendations on times to go or what to order, I should add them too.

Alright, jump in if you got something to share:
CLICK HERE TO START ADDING TO IT!

SHARE YOUR WISDOM ON THE SHGTE

Every couple weeks, I get a nice email from a reader or friend of friend heading to Japan looking for recommendations. I have a go-to list of cool places to see in Tokyo and Kansai, but those are just the picks of one dude. It's better to ask a big group of like-minded folks and post the information somewhere easily accessible.

Good news, this wisdom is captured in our collaborative Google Map, The Same Hat Guide to Everything. I hadn't updated it in a while and wasn't sure if newer readers were aware of it. Sounds like good timing for a post!

I'm summarizing a lot of the stuff I said when it was first launched, so you long-time readers please bear with me for a minute. Generally speaking, the SHGTE is an open and editable map, detailing any and all spots of interest to rabid Same Hat geeks around the world. It includes a lot of spots for folks heading to Japan for the first time, along with your local shops, museums, etc.

THE SAME HAT GUIDE TO EVERYTHING!

View Larger Map

From my first post:

If you haven't used the Google Maps My Maps feature, it's basically a way to create custom maps by pinpointing specific spots (think: The Kazuo Umezu Makoto-chan house), insertings overlays (think: A scanned floorplan to the Nakano Broadway mall's shops) or drawing custom routes and shapes. You can choose the icon associated with each entry you add, and Google provides pre-made icons to denote shops, train stations, and shopping. Evan and I also whipped up a few Same Hat icons for Sentai toy shops and Umezu, Maruo and other hot spots.


With the SHGTE, the focus isn't on duplicating the work of others, but thinking about what your fellow readers would have in common with you and wanna know about; Basically what is the shit you'd send in an email to a friend going to that/your city for the first time?

I'm gonna spend some time adding things to the map; I just put the Gundam statue in Odaiba, and the NEW PEOPLE Japantown center in San Francisco on there. Here are some instructions for you to add things as well:


STEP 1: When you're viewing the Same Hat Guide to Everything, click on the [Edit] button on the left side to start adding stuff or making changes to other people's stuff on the map.


STEP 2: When you click [Edit], new little tools will show up at the top of the map frame, including a icon marker thingy, a line tool for drawing routes, and a blobby-looking tool for drawing areas and shapes. In this case, I know where Otafuku is on the block, and clicked the icon marker thingy there on the block in the East Village.


STEP 3: Now that the placeholder is there, it's time to start the magic. I'm sharing as much detail as I have, which in this case is my experience there and a picture from Yelp. If I know the hours they were open or had specific recommendations on times to go or what to order, I should add them too.

Alright, jump in if you got something to share:
CLICK HERE TO START ADDING TO IT!