a couple of hotties

The scantily clad twosome (above) are Kegawazoku Be@rbricks. They are named after the Kegawazoku Theater Company, an all-female Japanese group that performs edgy song and dance numbers – musical revues that are spiked with unexpurgated violence, sex, nudity and political commentary. The male is named 'Junlie'; the female is called 'Marie.' Notice how their nipples are covered only by stars. Heehee.

Speaking of sexy couples, I just worked with two Brazilian models (Michele and Gui) for a television ad last month. (Yup, I am from the feverishly fun world of advertising.) You can tell from the picture below that we came up with one helluva commercial. Don't they look terrific?

Brazilian hotties like these two are raising temperatures in Manila and the rest of Asia. For some reason, they are suddenly all over! Even Vanity Fair magazine's latest issue features the sexy party boys and girls of Brazil. Photographed by stylish photographer Mario Testino, supermodel Gisele Bundchen and the young 'it' crowd from Ipanema cram the pages with earthy glamour and exuberance.

Doesn't that make you want to come to the next Carnival in Rio?

Info from Michael K. Bourdaghs' Blog / Michele and Gui's pic by yours truly

ecstasy on the dancefloor

The Be@rbrick on the right is a lookalike of Tomoyuki Tanaka (a.k.a. the Fantastic Plastic Machine), the hot & hip Japanese DJ who is a proponent of the Shibuya-Kei sound, a variety of Japanese pop music that combines bossa nova, lounge/house music with 60s movie soundtracks. His music has been featured in movies like 'Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me', in albums of other famous DJs like Stephane Pompougnac (Hotel Costes), and in TV commercials created by artist Takashi Murakami for Louis Vuitton.

Club DJs like Tanaka (below, at a Tokyo club) are movers of the night life and shakers of the dance floor. Like puppets, people sway, gyrate, hop, wave, bump and grind to their groove.

In my view, if the club DJ is as good as The Fantastic Plastic Machine, there'll be no need for mood-enhancing drugs. Dancing alone will be a spellbinding trance... a natural high. More ecstasy than Ecstasy. :-)

Info from Wikipedia / Pic from Tanaka's Blog at honeyee.com / Find Tanaka's music at amazon.com or thru Limewire

skeletons in the closet

Right now, I am reading the New York Times' number 2 bestseller entitled 'The Quickie', a novel by suspense writer James Patterson (with Michael Ledwidge.)

The premise is gripping. A woman catches her husband having an affair. She decides to get even by having a one night stand with a cute hunk from her office. But even before that evening is over, she witnesses her short-time lover get brutally killed – by her husband (who shows up unexpectedly)!

The twist? She is a police officer – and so is her murdered boy toy. To make matters worse, she is assigned by her boss to catch the so-called 'cop killer'.

Talk about skeletons in the closet! You'll find sex, betrayal and homicide in just one chapter! Unlike most guilt-ridden individuals with dirty secrets, this woman's shame is beyond consolation, especially when she finds out that her dead lover has a wife and 3 kids! Imagine her curse, her torment, her hell – how can she possibly hide the truth which she is entrusted to seek?

Yes, it does sound like a sordid tabloid tale, the stuff scandals are made of. Go ahead and borrow a copy – no need to buy something you'll finish in one sitting.

(Top, left) The Balzac Be@rbrick, with its signature skeleton design, is a 'secret' bear from Series 13. It was issued in collaboration with Balzac, the Japanese Horror Punk Band (left). While the group was inspired by The Misfits, it was named after the 1800s French novelist and playwright Honore de Balzac.

Info from www.misfitsrecords.com / Band pic from www.balzac308.com

creatures of the imagination

This Series 13 Secret Be@rbrick (right) was designed by Parisian illustrator, Genevieve Gauckler. She is known for creating lovable graphic creatures and incorporating them into photos of real life situations.

Below is her artwork from thisisamagazine.com which features two of her famous characters, Patacorp (the fat one) and Thermokukus (the tall one). The rest of this series depict the lovable twosome in funny situations around her apartment. Check them out here.

Guackler's pic (below) for lounge72.com shows her posing beside Patacorp. Cute, aren't they?

I am reminded of imaginary friends that a great number of kids (65%) develop between the ages of 3 and 5. While some parents regard these 'playmates' with alarm, psychologists reassure them that having such a 'pal' is normal. They say that an imaginary friend is thought of as a child's way of coping with difficult emotions; it is also a way for him/her to explore the issues of control, discipline and power without interacting with real authority figures (which may cause some degree of anxiety.) The best news is that kids with imaginary playmates tend to develop better verbal, social and creative skills, according to studies.

Creativity in children and adults manifest in many ways, sometimes in the form of cute little fantasy creatures – just like Gauckler's.

Info from NYU Child Study Center & Seattle Post Intelligencer / Balloon pic from g2works.com

of tearjerkers and crybabies

Sometimes a good cry at the movies is like a great workout. You come out of the cinema feeling tired and spent yet strangely purged of stress – like you just finished a 60-minute aerobic session. For me, the five best Kleenex movies of all time are:
1. Terms of Endearment
2. Schindler's List
3. Dead Poets Society
4. Brokeback Mountain
5. Bridges of Madison County

Terms of Endearment tops my list because of Shirley MacLaine's unforgettable comic relief. Downright hilarious though never contrived, it is reminiscent of real life dramedy as I've experienced it – peppered with pain, sweetened with laughter.

The Crybaby Bearbrick of Series 8 (above, left) was designed by Umino Chica, an award- winning mangaka (comic book artist) from Tokyo. Her most famous work to date is Honey and Clover, a manga and anime series about the intertwined lives and loves of five art students (above, right). Before this series, anime catered mostly to male viewers and featured action-packed story lines with beautiful young heroines. Female fans soon increased due to this animated version of a modern day soap opera.

Info from Wikipedia. Honey and Clover pic from www.genco.co.jp

designer toy/pop art/collectible bear

Series 5's green/white TV Club Be@rbrick (right) was designed by a famous Japanese TV host/ actor/ comedian/ singer/ writer/ illustrator/ digital animation star/ bike & car collector.

He is known as George Tokoro/ Tokoro Jyoji/ Tokoro Joji – a fun/ intelligent/ stylish guy whose real name is Haga Takayuki. One of NHK's Top 10 Most Popular Male Stars for years, he became a Mr. Donuts/ Kirin Beer/ Toyota Commercial Endorser.

The 'slash' career of Tokoro (the bespectacled guy on the left) is remarkable, given his successful crossover from the music industry to television/ movies/ graphic arts.

Today, more people are discovering/ experiencing/ loving the joy of having multiple jobs/ interests/ specialties. With the world/ society/ life becoming more complex, the need to diversify/ adapt/ expand seems inevitable.

I, myself, am an advertising creative director/ graphic designer/ photographer/ songwriter/ toy collector/ blogger. Sometimes, my problem is how to cram everything I want/ have/ need to do into 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week/ 365 days a year.

One person/ multiple passions. It's an exciting/ unpredictable/ wonderful life!

(Info from www.japan-zone.com / Tokoro pic from www.buddycom.com)

a sex lesson & a sexy show

When my brother and I were kids, our mother enrolled us in piano class. It was a dreaded weekly ritual – our teacher was an evil woman who held fang-sharp pencils under our palms while we did the drills. "That's it, THAT'S it!," she would yell. "Keep your hands ABOVE the keys! KEEP THEM UP! UP! UP!"

Mother said with a laugh, "Don't mind her, boys, she's just a bit grouchy 'cause she's a spinster. You'll get used to her."

That's how I learned of the theory that spinsterhood = grumpiness. So when I got to college, I then made it a point to enroll in classes taught only by married teachers. My best friend during freshman year explained it to me: People get cranky when they don't get enough sex!

Thus the equation became: sexlessness = grumpiness.

Haha! I snickered then, though today I consider that pronouncement as wisdom. Whenever I realize that I've been mean to people, I tell myself: Get. Some. Sex! :-)

Unfortunately, the subject of sex is often regarded as taboo by many, and much of its portrayal in the media aggravates this perception. Sexual acts are sanitized or censored. Porn is viewed as cheap. Prurient literature or movies are dismissed as lacking artistry. Good thing, there are those who continue to elevate the status of erotica. The trick is to inject a certain amount of artistic value – oftentimes an intellectual concept – to the erotic material or work.

I'm taking part in such an endeavor. From July 24 to September 22, I will join 14 other artists in an exhibition entitled 'ARS EROTICA'. It will be at the Sison Art Gallery on Taft Avenue corner Remedios Street in Manila, Philippines. I've included some samples of the works here: 'Strap-On' mohair penis by Riza Manalo (above, right), 'Vu-l-va' by Gerardo Tan (left) and one of my own photoworks entitled 'Flaccid' (below, right).

Gallery hours are from 2pm to 6pm, Thursdays and Saturdays. If you find yourself in the area, drop by for some sex. It'll do you good. :-)

The Sun Sex Be@rbrick is by Madsaki, a Japanese artist who graduated from the Parsons School of Design in New York City. After 25 years in the US, he moved back to Tokyo and now is part of the artist group, Barnstormers. He has exhibited in New York City, Paris and Tokyo, and has made films, worked for publications, and collaborated with brands such as Levis, Clot, Isetan, XBox, and Commes De Garcons.

Info from www.madsaki.com

bears, bricks & unwanted babies

A long time ago, a friend came to me to borrow some money. He said his girlfriend (who had been pregnant for only a month) had a miscarriage, and he was going to bring her to a hospital for a 'D and C' procedure. (In layman's terms, that meant a surgical clean-up of the uterus). I felt obliged to help him because he was a friend. And because his girl's condition could very well lead to a fatal infection.

It did cross my mind, however, that he was lying to me and was actually going to use the money for an abortion. Perhaps they were both scared shitless that their parents would find out she was pregnant.

Imagine my dilemma at the time: by lending him the money, would I be helping his girlfriend get immediate medical attention or would I be financing a pro-choice decision? In short, would I be saving a life or ending another?

Looking back, the song 'Brick' by Ben Folds Five (left) came to mind. It was an autobiographical song about how Folds and his girl had their unborn child aborted. In the end, they were left with an emptiness that even their love for one another couldn't fill. (Watch the YouTube video here.) The chorus went, 'She's a brick and I'm drowning slowly' over and over. How horrible it must have been – to be unable to swim back to the surface and gasp for air after a tragedy like that.

Did I lend my friend the money? Yes, I gave him the benefit of the doubt.

The BWWT 5 Brick Bearbrick is by Kam Tang (right), a London-based graphic designer and illustrator who has worked for many editorial publications such as The Guardian, Wired, Arena, and Wallpaper. He was also involved in advertising campaigns for Adidas, Nike and Sony. Recently, Tam's designs were applied to the commercial spaces of Quick restaurants (France), Burberry (Milan) and London's Design Museum.

(Ben Folds pic by Erin Russell at soundaffects.net / Info & Kam Tang pic from www.getitlouder.com)

keiichi tanaami's playful art

I love surrealism, the school of art dedicated to expressing the imagination – free of reason and convention – like in a dream.

I marvel at how the artist can piece together unrelated images, and in the end, create a picture so beautifully absurd that every element seems to be in the right place.

While surrealists Salvador Dali and Giorgio de Chirico come to mind first, I am featuring the works of the contemporary Japanese artist Keiichi Tanaami.

Tanaami is well-known in the field of graphic design and publishing, and is popularly referred to as the Asian Peter Max. In 1975, he became artistic director of Playboy Japan and was responsible for infusing it with fresh and daring artistic content. His art is characterized by sexy and colorful pop art combined with an exuberant, avant-garde slant.

The surrealistic influence is apparent in his toy designs featured here – from his BWWT 5 Bearbrick (top, left) to his Rolling 60s bust collection (left & above, right).

Surrealistic toys – what a playful idea!

(Info from Anipages Daily. Tanaami toy busts available at Paul Smith UK)

tigrrrrrrrrrr!

"The tiger of the mind is more fierce than the tiger of the jungle."
– Spanish saying

When you are soooo mad at someone that you want to plunge a knife down his heart or use a fork to gouge out his eyes, remember these 3 useful tips:


1. When discussing the issue or problem, use "I feel" sentences. Example: Say "I feel upset that you lied to me" instead of "You're a f*cking liar!" To do otherwise will surely draw a negative reaction from the other party that will only make you angrier.

2. Find a quiet spot where you can vent your rage. Lock yourself in the toilet and scream your head off! Take a (cheap) figurine to your basement and throw it on the floor. Remember to sweep up.

3. “When angry, count to ten before you speak; if very angry, count to one hundred,” according to Thomas Jefferson. The more you delay your reaction, the more sane it's bound to be.

The next time someone makes your blood boil, be warned: 'Anger is one letter short of DANGER.'

(Top, right) The Tiger 'Animal' Bearbrick from Series 6, the most calm-looking tiger I've seen.

Tips from angermanagementtips.com and mayoclinic.com / Angry baby pic from lonestartimes.com

the asuka be@rbrick & other anime babes

This Series 13 Be@rbrick on the left was based on the character of Asuka Langley Soryu, an emotionally scarred child prodigy who became the pilot of the giant robot '02' in the anime and manga series entitled Evangelion.

With a curvaceous figure, fiery red hair and a temper to match, Asuka's popularity brought the character to sex symbol status. She has been portrayed as a sex object in several media – photos, illustrations, toys, and collectible figurines. Check out her provocative poses and outfits below!






















Fans of anime and manga are not limited to kids. In fact, many of them are teenage and adult males. That's why in countries like Japan, sexy anime figurines – plaster or plastic playmates with sweet faces, swinging hair, and cup D breasts (below) – sell like anything!

I guess men like to play with dolls, too. LOL














(Sexy figurines available at tokyotoys.com)

suckers for shine

What's in a flashy silver bag that drives women to obsession?

When Louis Vuitton launched the Miroir Line, bag lovers went crazy. Below are some of the things they said about it in a discussion board. (Note that the average price of such a bag is US$1,000+.)

"Love them all! I have three and they're compliment magnets for sure."

"I love this bag!! Everyone tries to buy it from me on the streets!"

"I adore this bag. (Love the idea of using it to touch up my lipstick!!)"

"I have to have one of these. Now, I need to figure out how to buy it without my husband knowing..."

"I called LV... the waiting list was closed..."

"When I got home today I picked up the phone and called all over the United States and actually found one! A store in Colorado is shipping my silver Inventeur Pochette on Tuesday. I CAN'T WAIT!"

Funny, but come to think of it, toy collectors like myself are not any different. Visit any toy forum on the Net and you're bound to read comments as fascinatingly shallow and fanatical as the ones you've just read. Non-collectors will never understand us. But do we care what anyone thinks? Nah.

As one of those Louis Vuitton addicts might say, 'Life's too short – give me one of those silver thingies, please!"

(Above, left) The Silver BWWT Bearbrick was conceptualized by Hajime Sorayama, an award-winning Japanese artist who is well-known for his hyper-realistic illustrations of 'sexy robots' (right). He started out as a visualizer in an ad agency and to date has published numerous books, worked on several movies, and designed the famous Sony AIBO pet dog robot.

(LV bag pic & commentaries from forum.purseblog.com)

when superheroes fall

In the Philippine entertainment scene, scandals involving superstar celebrities have become daily fare.

Not too long ago, the country's most popular tv show host became tabloid material – when her basketball hero husband got involved with a sexy receptionist. It was followed by the bloody estrangement of a beauty queen and her rich husband, the son of an alleged crime lord. The latest shock surfaced on the Internet: incriminating pictures of a hunky actor kissing the actress wife of one of the country's richest men.

The public was shocked, to say the least. Judgment was passed easily from one gossip blog to another. After all, these were people of extraordinary lives and status – supermen and superwomen in their own rights.

There was only one thought in everyone's mind: How the hell could they ruin their lives like that?

Think Superman, and then think kryptonite.

Like the rest of us, these so-called super beings are only human, and deep in their minds and hearts lie weaknesses that surface even with just a minuscule amount of kryptonite.

Money, beauty, love, sex, pride, power... What's your kryptonite?

(Top, right: Superman Returns Be@rbrick. Comes with a 400% size version. The red cape is printed at the back. Original Superman costume created by Joe Shuster.)

(Pic of Hot Toys' Superman Returns / Clark Kent 12-inch figure from Toy Square Canada. Pic of Lex Luthor holding green kryptonite from Action Comics Annual #10, 2007. Info from Wikipedia.)

op art be@rbrick

Have you ever felt nauseous just by looking at art?

Like a sudden attack of vertigo, a long hard look at op art can certainly make your head spin.

Op art, also known as optical art, is a form of abstract art that produces optical illusions of movement and perspective by the use of cleverly arranged patterns.

British artist Bridget Riley was one of the foremost exponents of op art, which emerged in the mid-60's (around the same time the closely-related 'psychedelic look' also began to gain popularity in fashion and design).

The black and white insets that you see here are some of her paintings. If you stare at them for a minute, you will see the sense of movement – vibrating, flashing, throbbing – and perceive illusions of perspective or 3-dimensional space. The effect is mesmerizing, illuminating... but dizzying!

The spell may cause you to throw up. Go ahead. But after you've wiped your mouth with a towel, you may realize that your stomach is empty and that you're hungry for more – more fascinating and thought-provoking op art that explores and celebrates not just the beauty of subjects or scenes, but also the wonders of sight, the delight of seeing.

(Top left: This BWWT 3 Be@rbrick was designed by Boris Tellegen a.k.a. Delta, a Netherlands native who started out as a graffiti artist in the 80s. He is now an established sculptor, painter, illustrator, toy and graphic designer.)

(Info from Wikipedia, nadav.harel.org, wind.com.my. Pics of Riley's work from www.mishabittleston.com)

jailbe@rs

What would drive a law abiding citizen to commit a crime?

Let's see. Keanu Reeves was arrested for DUI (driving under the influence), Hugh Grant for lewd behavior, Larry King for grand larceny, Al Pacino for carrying a concealed weapon, and Winona Ryder for shoflifting and illegal drug possession. The list could go on.

Was it a subconscious rebellion against the tightening grip of stardom? Or simply an outing of their seamy side?

In the TV series 'Prison Break', Michael Scofield (played by Wentworth Miller, left) was a successful structural engineer who robbed a bank in order to land in jail. His motive? To free his half brother, Lincoln Burrows, who was falsely accused of murdering the American president's embezzler sibling. While most of us would prefer to simply visit an incarcerated relative once a week, Michael gave up everything he had to help his innocent brother escape death row.

Yes, Michael was one rare jailbird. Unlike the celebrities I mentioned earlier, he had an entirely selfless motive for his crime. But then, you might say he wasn't real – and that his story was pure fiction.

Then consider this list of former real life prisoners: Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Voltaire, Aung San Suk Yi, Winston Churchill, Galileo, Mahatma Ghandi, John Milton, Marco Polo, the Philippines' Ninoy Aquino, Apolinario Mabini, and Jose Rizal.

For people's rights, for the good of many, for the love of country – I can't think of better reasons to go to jail.

– In celebration of Philippine Independence Day, June 12, 1898.

(Top, right: My 'No Plan' Be@rbrick Number 5, released in 2004)

(Info from www.microsoft.com, mugshots.org and Wikipedia. Miller pic from Wikipedia)

the be@rbrick behind the mask

Everything about the Seremetis Be@rbrick (right) is intriguing: the white suit that mimics a superhero's garb, the fierce-looking eyes with no pupils, the bat symbol which signals a darkness of character, and the single black glove that hints at a secret physical aberration.

But who in heaven's name – or what the hell– is it?

The designer, Kostas Seremetis (left), is a New York-based painter who is known for his graphic portrayals of comic superheroes and villains... artworks that iconize the eternal battle between good and evil.

Samples of his work depicting what appears to be the Kostas Assassin, a masked samurai character of his own creation, are shown below.

I imagine Seremetis' Be@rbrick to be some sort of cult superhero... or its evil adversary. But which is which – don't ask. It's hard to tell what lies behind a mask.

(The Seremetis Be@rbrick is part of Series 7. Seremetis/Artwork pics from evilmonito.com)

creatures of the night

Before you sleep, turn off the lights and stare into the darkness. Chances are, you will see nothing. Yet, you may feel that you're not alone – that unseen beings
watch you as you lie awake in bed.

Prada's recent print ads tried to capture the mysterious allure of night creatures. (Below) Models perched on tree branches, half-hidden in the shadows of the urban jungle. Like owls and other predators – they looked ready to pounce on innocent prey.

Let me tell you a chilling story about one such creature.

One night, my driver, Guido, and his wife, who was then pregnant with their second child, were preparing to go to bed. Suddenly, they heard frantic voices from outside. He rushed to the wide open window and saw his sister and brother-in-law (who lived directly across them in old San Juan) on the ground, their arms pointing wildly towards the roof of their house.

Guido promptly looked up and froze. His face turned white, and his skin crawled as he stared into the glowing red eyes of a tall shadowy figure. It glided over the tin roof towards him, arms outstretched like a skilled tightrope walker. After three horrific seconds of eye contact, the dark figure suddenly leaped off the roof.

No one saw it hit the ground, and certainly no one heard it crash on the pavement. But where did it go? Was it an 'aswang', a bloodthirsty ghoul in Philippine folklore which fed on the innards of unborn babies?

From time to time, Filipino urban legends such as this would surface like night creatures and strike terror in the hearts of believers. Often, they would spread through cheap tabloids, eclipsing public scandals that involved corrupt politicians and other dubious people in power.

Did I believe Guido? Yes. It wasn't hard to imagine that such a creature existed. After all, there are other monsters – humans all – far more evil, destructive, and terrifying. And they walk among us everyday. :-)

(Top left: My Robot Owl Be@rbrick from Series 8.)

stick your tongue out, be@rbrick!

The cheeky logo of the rock band Rolling Stones (left) became very famous, although the artist – not Andy Warhol, mind you – received a measly £50 for it.

His name is John Pasche, a British graphic designer and D&AD Awardee whose other works include: the poster for Roger Vadim's 'And God Created Woman'; cd designs for The Art of Noise and Sinead O'Connor; tour ads for David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, and The Who.

The logo first appeared in 1971, on the inner sleeve of the Rolling Stones album, Sticky Fingers.
Two years later, Pasche supposedly received £200 more, in recognition of the logo's great success. Of course, the band earned millions from it.

Well, they got the money but the honor belonged to Pasche. For him, I photographed my 2nd Rolling Stone Be@rbrick against the pages of Rolling Stone Magazine (above, right).

I love this logo, and how it has come a long way from 'racy t-shirt graphic' to 'classic pop icon'. It's solid proof that irreverence can earn you respect.

(Related Blog Entry: Be@rbrick was a Rolling Stone!)

(Info/logo: www.johnpasche.com, IP Review, Wikipedia)