Mysterious Cities Of Gold Season 3 Premiere

I have a deep love for the Mysterious Cities of Gold and after an okay season 2 which picked up midway through the episodes it is with bated breath that I have waited for any announcements regarding the third season.  Well at the 19th FIFEM Festival (Festivale International Du Film Pour Infants) in Montreal the new season is being kicked off with a premier of the first 3 episodes. Living in England I'm obviously not able to go but I hope that the new series arrives soon as I need closure after 2 cities of gold were found and now the hunt is on for the third in Japan.

Springfield is About to E.X.P.L.O.D.E with Bartkira

One is the manga that brought Japanese animation to the masses and is considered a bonafide classic, the other the longest running comedy series of all time with some of the most iconic characters of all time- combine them both and you have Bartkira.

Artist Ryan Humphrey had the idea of merging the worlds of The Simpsons to that of Akira, however what started off as an internet meme has grown into a collaborative project of over 100 artists who are recreating the 2000 page Otomo epic in Matt Groening's image. The first 3 graphic novels have been complete and are available to read for free. Also recently there has been a Bartkira trailer created and whilst it is a bit shaky in places the fact that this is a collaborative fan-made passion project is really heartening to hear.


Manga Now Exhibition at the British Museum, London

The British Museum is one of my favourite place s in the world; not only is it a magnificent building but it houses some of the worlds greatest treasures. I go there every month at least for a couple of hours to take in the wonders of the ancient world. However the British Museum has teamed up with some manga artists to create a new free exhibition called Manga Now; the displays feature newly commissioned and recent pieces by Chiba Tetsuya, Hoshino Yukinobu and Nakamura Hikaru. Out of these the only artist I know is Hoshino Yukinobu from his masterpiece 2001 Nights. I loved the 10 part space opera and look forward to seeing some of his more recent work. I am also excited to see the work the other two artists have produced and maybe discovering new artists to follow, always a boon! The exhibition is on from now until 15th November 2015. I'm going this weekend to see it and will post some pics and give a report on the exhibition.

My collection of 2001 Nights, from the original 1990 run- a real collectors item!

Tie Fighter Short Star Wars Animation

'What if there was an Empire-focussed short Star Wars animation, drawn with the crazy detail and shading of classic 80s anime that's all but vanished from Japan nowadays?' This is what OtaKing77077 asks before sharing his 4 year labour of love, an animation showing the story from the Tie Fighter pilots point of view. The animation lasts under 8 minutes but took 4 years to make and its easy to see why. Check it out if you can.

Akira (Kaneda's Theme) from Player Piano

Akira is an undisputed classic manga, even if no-one fully understands what is going on. Part of the charm is the otherwordly music composed by Shoji Yamashiro and recorded by Geinō Yamashirogumi. Award winning Composer & Pianist Sonya Belousova and Director Tom Grey bring the classic Japanese manga to life in the premiere episode of Player Piano on the Geek & Sundry Network. Featuring ace Cellist Eru Matsumoto the music video recalls the manga and anime film well with authentic looking costumes and mood. Enjoy!

Chvrches 'Under the Tide' Anime Inspired Video

Anime is everywhere these days, back when I was a nipper it was rare as hens teeth to see this artform in the public eye but here we are in 2014 and it is definitely overground. In 'Under the Tide', the Scottish Electronics band Chvrches have a music video that focuses on an astronaut, who is separated from his love interest because he is saving the world from danger. The video cuts between the unfolding drama in space, a purplish lit man singing and a flashy clubby light show. The video is cool but it also reminded me of the classic anime Macross Plus, when Isamu is in his YF-19 and is off to save Myung but is almost hypnotised by Sharon Apple. Have a look at both the videos and tell me what you think!