FA+
Shop
Post-Tsunami Report
Posted a month ago...Tsunami to the north, hurricane and a tropical storm to the south, and we doged both. Talk about lucky.
To add to the fun of it all, my parents were about half and hour or so away from landing after visiting my sister in Colorado when the tsunami warning came out, and my brother was picking them up from the airport. Meaning: gridlock traffic on all the major roads as people began to evac to higher ground. They managed to get home after nearly 2 hours, and my brother ended up staying over (and almost overnight) since the road leading to his house on the other side of the island was closed to incomming traffic. (The road was reopened around 10:30pm-ish, and he went home. His family is safe too btw.)
The irony of it all is that it reminded me of the 2011 Tohoku Tsunami which happened a day before (Hawaii time) my brother's wedding (see: https://www.furaffinity.net/journal/2179282/ ). The irony wasn't lost on him too.
The short of it is, everyone's okay, and my home islands seems to have escaped this one unschathed.
(This is the "Welcome Home" sign that greeted them when they walked in: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/61786590/ )
To add to the fun of it all, my parents were about half and hour or so away from landing after visiting my sister in Colorado when the tsunami warning came out, and my brother was picking them up from the airport. Meaning: gridlock traffic on all the major roads as people began to evac to higher ground. They managed to get home after nearly 2 hours, and my brother ended up staying over (and almost overnight) since the road leading to his house on the other side of the island was closed to incomming traffic. (The road was reopened around 10:30pm-ish, and he went home. His family is safe too btw.)
The irony of it all is that it reminded me of the 2011 Tohoku Tsunami which happened a day before (Hawaii time) my brother's wedding (see: https://www.furaffinity.net/journal/2179282/ ). The irony wasn't lost on him too.
The short of it is, everyone's okay, and my home islands seems to have escaped this one unschathed.
(This is the "Welcome Home" sign that greeted them when they walked in: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/61786590/ )
"NOORRRMMM!"
Posted 3 months ago"Where Everybody Knows Your Name" (Theme from "Cheers")
(G. Portnoy/ J.H. Angelo)
Making your way in the world today takes everything you''ve got.
Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help alot.
Wouldn't you like to get away?
Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
And they're always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see,
Our troubles are all the same.
You wanna be where everybody knows your name.
You wanna go where people know,
People are all the same.
You wanna go where everybody knows your name.
George "Norm" Wendt: 1948-2025
Actor, "Cheers"
We knew your name, and we're glad you came.
Also:
Joe Don Baker: 1936-2025
Actor, "Walking Tall, The Living Daylights, Goldeneye, Tomorrow Never Dies."
(G. Portnoy/ J.H. Angelo)
Making your way in the world today takes everything you''ve got.
Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help alot.
Wouldn't you like to get away?
Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
And they're always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see,
Our troubles are all the same.
You wanna be where everybody knows your name.
You wanna go where people know,
People are all the same.
You wanna go where everybody knows your name.
George "Norm" Wendt: 1948-2025
Actor, "Cheers"
We knew your name, and we're glad you came.
Also:
Joe Don Baker: 1936-2025
Actor, "Walking Tall, The Living Daylights, Goldeneye, Tomorrow Never Dies."
Official Statement (Yes This Is Really Me.)
Posted a year agoAs some of you have already recieved an email about it during FA's recent hack attack, I don't use discord, or anyother social media site, so anyone posting anything of mine, or claiming to be me on anywhere else but here, isn't me. But now that thing are back to "normal" (whatever passes for it), it's back to the yiffs.
What I'm saying is, this IS me, EK Goya, El Kitsune, who is speaking here. (Thank you, gods of RECAPTCHA for being merciful for allowing me to log in again!)
....But this has brought up the need to consider the possibility for having another website, something like this one, just in case, and I'm open to suggestions.
Thank You Very Much.
-EK Goya
What I'm saying is, this IS me, EK Goya, El Kitsune, who is speaking here. (Thank you, gods of RECAPTCHA for being merciful for allowing me to log in again!)
....But this has brought up the need to consider the possibility for having another website, something like this one, just in case, and I'm open to suggestions.
Thank You Very Much.
-EK Goya
A True Story About "The Lion King."
Posted a year agoIt goes without saying that The Lion King has helped shape this Fandom. It has not only been the number one driving influance on the vast majority of artists here (including myself), especially when it comes to how we draw lions and hyenas. Not to mention making 'yeens very popular.
But this is not about the movie's impact on popular culture, or how it help shape our sub-culture, but a personal story:
1994 was quite a defining year for me, it was the year that I graduated from High School, and "discovered" the existance of "Furrydom." (Actually, it was in late '93, but I had been drawing "funny animals" exclusively for the past 4 years.) As a Graduation Gift, my family was going to go to Disneyland (which I last visited 11 years earlier), and before that, San Diego (my first, and most likely only time).
A few months before Graduation Day, came the trailers for the new Disney movie "The Lion King," with music by the great Sir Elton John, and after seeing his music video for "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," I was completely blown away! And after buying the soundtrack (which I brought with me and played almost constantly on the trip), I was absolutely convinced that this was going to be a (to quote "Joe Brandon") "A Big F***-ing Deal!" I was determined to see it before we got to Anaheim.
So the trip finally came, we arrived in San Diego, went to Sea World, the SD Zoo, but before we left for the long car drive to LA, I ADAMANTLY INSISTED to my dad that "We are not setting foot into Disneyland until we see The Lion King!!!" Because I knew, and told him, that Disneyland was going to go big promoting this movie, and it's going to be a major event there! And so, on the night before we left SD, we saw it, and it goes without saying, I/we were not disapointed.
And so we got to LA, and stayed with my Aunt, Uncle (who sadly is no longer with us), and cousin who lived in nearby Arcadia, got to Disneyland, and just as I predicted, there was quite a celebration for their new blockbuster with TLK making up a big part of the Main Street Parade.
I was RIGHT! And my dad [grudgingly] admitted that I made the right call.
I also rode Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (for what would be the last time ever), the Roger Rabbit ride was packed solid at all hours so I missed it, and I have a story about [the late] Splash Mountain, which is another story altogether.
And that's my Lion King Story.
Photo here: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/57282276/
Tribute picture here: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/57028272/
But this is not about the movie's impact on popular culture, or how it help shape our sub-culture, but a personal story:
1994 was quite a defining year for me, it was the year that I graduated from High School, and "discovered" the existance of "Furrydom." (Actually, it was in late '93, but I had been drawing "funny animals" exclusively for the past 4 years.) As a Graduation Gift, my family was going to go to Disneyland (which I last visited 11 years earlier), and before that, San Diego (my first, and most likely only time).
A few months before Graduation Day, came the trailers for the new Disney movie "The Lion King," with music by the great Sir Elton John, and after seeing his music video for "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," I was completely blown away! And after buying the soundtrack (which I brought with me and played almost constantly on the trip), I was absolutely convinced that this was going to be a (to quote "Joe Brandon") "A Big F***-ing Deal!" I was determined to see it before we got to Anaheim.
So the trip finally came, we arrived in San Diego, went to Sea World, the SD Zoo, but before we left for the long car drive to LA, I ADAMANTLY INSISTED to my dad that "We are not setting foot into Disneyland until we see The Lion King!!!" Because I knew, and told him, that Disneyland was going to go big promoting this movie, and it's going to be a major event there! And so, on the night before we left SD, we saw it, and it goes without saying, I/we were not disapointed.
And so we got to LA, and stayed with my Aunt, Uncle (who sadly is no longer with us), and cousin who lived in nearby Arcadia, got to Disneyland, and just as I predicted, there was quite a celebration for their new blockbuster with TLK making up a big part of the Main Street Parade.
I was RIGHT! And my dad [grudgingly] admitted that I made the right call.
I also rode Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (for what would be the last time ever), the Roger Rabbit ride was packed solid at all hours so I missed it, and I have a story about [the late] Splash Mountain, which is another story altogether.
And that's my Lion King Story.
Photo here: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/57282276/
Tribute picture here: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/57028272/
The Best (or worst) Of Roger Corman
Posted a year agoHere's to Roger Corman, the Man who inspired quite a few pics of mine, and provided hours of entertainment with his Monster Movies. While his movies are far from "Oscar Material", he did launch the careers of many A-Listers including Jack Nicholson, Dennis Hooper, Sylvester Stallone, Robert Englund and directors Francis Ford Coppola, and James Cameron. And featured such Horror Legends as Lon Cheney Jr., Boris Karloff, Vincent Price (a frequent star), & Peter Lorre. He made more than 300 movies (most in less than 2 weeks time, and under budget.). Here's a list of some of them:
The Little Shop of Horrors (1960): The NON-MUSICAL original version. Jack Nicholson at the beginning of his career, but in classic form as a machocistic dental patient. Best scene of the whole movie!
Creature From the Haunted Sea: I didn't think there was a movie worse than "Plan 9 From Outer Space." The "creature" looks like a cross between a seaweed covered turd and a sock monkey. Don't believe me? Go see it for yourself!
Galaxy of Terror: Yes, the movie with THAT SCENE!!!!
Rock & Roll High School: Starring The Ramones! 'Nuf Said!
Battle Beyond the Stars: "Star Wars" rip-off, or "The Seven Samurai in Space?" You decide. (Hey wait a minute!.... THAT SHIP HAS TITTIES!?!?!)
Death Race 2000 (1978): A not-so-buff Sylvester Stallone gets his ass kicked by David "Kwai Chang Caine" Carradine! This movie spawned an infamous, highly controversial (in its day) video game, that seems practically "G-rated" by today's standards. (Corman executive produced the 2008 remake as well.)
Death Sport: David Carradine, and motor cycles that sound like TIE fighters, and are more explosive than a Pinto.
The Raven: Karloff! Price! Lorre! (and some young guy named Jack Nicholson) together in this Poe-inspired Horror-comedy.
The Edgar Allan Poe movies he made for American International Pictures, of which some of them were really based on HP Lovecraft stories.
Spider Baby: Lon Cheny Jr. stars & sings the beatnik theme to this movie. (Though one scene does seem to be a little too "borderline 'statutory.")
The Terror: Another Jack Nick/Karloff film. I remember seeing the ending of this movie a very long time ago (spoiler alert: it involves a really gooey/melty decomposition). It really stuck with me, but I didn't know what movie was called until I saw this, and there was that ending, exactly as I remebered it. I finally, after decades, got my answer. Francis Ford Coppola co-directed this one. It was made at the same time as "The Raven," in 10 days. (This is the reason why Corman was a producton genius: he often reused the same sets, props, and actors to cut down on costs and production time.)
The Dunwich Horror: Probably the movie that turned the Lovecraft Mythos from horror, to "nubile young lovlies getting raped by extradimentional horrors."
Bloody Mama: Not a horror movie, but a bio-pic of the infamous Ma Barker and her murderous bank-robbing brood. Starring Shelly Winters.
All the movies appear on Turner Classic Movies (mostly during Halloween), and are availiable on DVD & Blue Ray.
Roger Corman: 1926-2024
Legendary "Cult-Movie" Writer, Producer, Director. Horror Icon.
"King of the B-Movies"
The Little Shop of Horrors (1960): The NON-MUSICAL original version. Jack Nicholson at the beginning of his career, but in classic form as a machocistic dental patient. Best scene of the whole movie!
Creature From the Haunted Sea: I didn't think there was a movie worse than "Plan 9 From Outer Space." The "creature" looks like a cross between a seaweed covered turd and a sock monkey. Don't believe me? Go see it for yourself!
Galaxy of Terror: Yes, the movie with THAT SCENE!!!!
Rock & Roll High School: Starring The Ramones! 'Nuf Said!
Battle Beyond the Stars: "Star Wars" rip-off, or "The Seven Samurai in Space?" You decide. (Hey wait a minute!.... THAT SHIP HAS TITTIES!?!?!)
Death Race 2000 (1978): A not-so-buff Sylvester Stallone gets his ass kicked by David "Kwai Chang Caine" Carradine! This movie spawned an infamous, highly controversial (in its day) video game, that seems practically "G-rated" by today's standards. (Corman executive produced the 2008 remake as well.)
Death Sport: David Carradine, and motor cycles that sound like TIE fighters, and are more explosive than a Pinto.
The Raven: Karloff! Price! Lorre! (and some young guy named Jack Nicholson) together in this Poe-inspired Horror-comedy.
The Edgar Allan Poe movies he made for American International Pictures, of which some of them were really based on HP Lovecraft stories.
Spider Baby: Lon Cheny Jr. stars & sings the beatnik theme to this movie. (Though one scene does seem to be a little too "borderline 'statutory.")
The Terror: Another Jack Nick/Karloff film. I remember seeing the ending of this movie a very long time ago (spoiler alert: it involves a really gooey/melty decomposition). It really stuck with me, but I didn't know what movie was called until I saw this, and there was that ending, exactly as I remebered it. I finally, after decades, got my answer. Francis Ford Coppola co-directed this one. It was made at the same time as "The Raven," in 10 days. (This is the reason why Corman was a producton genius: he often reused the same sets, props, and actors to cut down on costs and production time.)
The Dunwich Horror: Probably the movie that turned the Lovecraft Mythos from horror, to "nubile young lovlies getting raped by extradimentional horrors."
Bloody Mama: Not a horror movie, but a bio-pic of the infamous Ma Barker and her murderous bank-robbing brood. Starring Shelly Winters.
All the movies appear on Turner Classic Movies (mostly during Halloween), and are availiable on DVD & Blue Ray.
Roger Corman: 1926-2024
Legendary "Cult-Movie" Writer, Producer, Director. Horror Icon.
"King of the B-Movies"
STILL Having ReCaptcha Problems
Posted 2 years agoI wasn't able to logon the last two days because of it!
It's still being like Gandalf to the Balrog: "YOOOOOUUUUU SHALLLLLLL NOTTTT PASSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!"
It's still being like Gandalf to the Balrog: "YOOOOOUUUUU SHALLLLLLL NOTTTT PASSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The Song Is Ended
Posted 2 years agoThe Song Is Ended (But The Melody Lingers On)
(Irving Berlin)
Performed by: Tony Bennet
My thoughts go back to a heavenly dance
A moment of bliss we spent
Our hearts were filled with a song of romance
As into the night we went
And sang to our hearts content
The song is ended
But the melody lingers on
You and the song are gone
But the melody lingers on
The night was splendid
And the melody seemed to say
"Summer will pass away
Take your happiness while you may."
There 'neath the light of the moon
We sang a love song that ended too soon
The moon descended
And I found with the break of dawn
You and the song had gone
But the melody lingers on
Tony Bennet:
1926-2023
Legendary jazz singer, American Icon
(I had thought about "I Left My Heart In San Francisco," but unfortunately, the Golden City he sang about has lost its luster.)
Also:
Sinead O'Connor:
1966-2023
Singer, songwriter.
Paul "Pee Wee Herman" Reubens:
1952-2023
Actor, Comedian, Pop-Cultural Icon.
(Irving Berlin)
Performed by: Tony Bennet
My thoughts go back to a heavenly dance
A moment of bliss we spent
Our hearts were filled with a song of romance
As into the night we went
And sang to our hearts content
The song is ended
But the melody lingers on
You and the song are gone
But the melody lingers on
The night was splendid
And the melody seemed to say
"Summer will pass away
Take your happiness while you may."
There 'neath the light of the moon
We sang a love song that ended too soon
The moon descended
And I found with the break of dawn
You and the song had gone
But the melody lingers on
Tony Bennet:
1926-2023
Legendary jazz singer, American Icon
(I had thought about "I Left My Heart In San Francisco," but unfortunately, the Golden City he sang about has lost its luster.)
Also:
Sinead O'Connor:
1966-2023
Singer, songwriter.
Paul "Pee Wee Herman" Reubens:
1952-2023
Actor, Comedian, Pop-Cultural Icon.
That's What Friends Are For
Posted 2 years ago(It's kinda hard to pick the right Burt Bacharach song for this, there's just so many good ones. But this one was used as my 6th Grade Graduation song, and considering it's real meaning, it's the most appropriate.) -EK Goya
"That's What Friends Are For"
(B. Bacharach/ C. Bayer Sager)
Performed by: Various Artists (colab.)
And I nerver thought I'd feel this way
And as far as I'm concerned
I'm glad I got the chance to say
That I do believe I love you
And if I should ever go away
Well then close your eyes and try
To feel the way we do today
And then if you can remember
Keep smiling, keep shining
Knowing you can always count on me, for sure
That's what friends are for
For good times, and bad times
I'll be on your side forever more
That's what friends are for
I never thought I'd feel this way
Well you came and opened me
And now there's so much more I see
And so, by the way I thank you
And then, for the times when we're apart
Well then close your eyes and know,
these words are comming from my heart
And then if you can remember
Keep smiling, keep shining
Knowing you can always count on me, for sure
That's what friends are for
For good times, and bad times
I'll be on your side forever more
That's what friends are for
Burt Bacharach: 1925-2023
Legendary Singer/Songwriter, Composer, Producer
Also:
Raquel Welch: 1940-2023
Actress, Iconic 60's "Sex-Bomb." (Am I even allowed to say that now?)
"That's What Friends Are For"
(B. Bacharach/ C. Bayer Sager)
Performed by: Various Artists (colab.)
And I nerver thought I'd feel this way
And as far as I'm concerned
I'm glad I got the chance to say
That I do believe I love you
And if I should ever go away
Well then close your eyes and try
To feel the way we do today
And then if you can remember
Keep smiling, keep shining
Knowing you can always count on me, for sure
That's what friends are for
For good times, and bad times
I'll be on your side forever more
That's what friends are for
I never thought I'd feel this way
Well you came and opened me
And now there's so much more I see
And so, by the way I thank you
And then, for the times when we're apart
Well then close your eyes and know,
these words are comming from my heart
And then if you can remember
Keep smiling, keep shining
Knowing you can always count on me, for sure
That's what friends are for
For good times, and bad times
I'll be on your side forever more
That's what friends are for
Burt Bacharach: 1925-2023
Legendary Singer/Songwriter, Composer, Producer
Also:
Raquel Welch: 1940-2023
Actress, Iconic 60's "Sex-Bomb." (Am I even allowed to say that now?)
God, I Hate ReCaptcha!
Posted 3 years agoI hate your stupid game of "whack-a-mole." Now let me in, and stop playing Gandalf with your "YOOOOUUUU SHALL NOT PASS!!! *evil laugh*"
Tonight alone I wasted more than half an hour clicking everything right, and still getting rejected! I ended up going outside to break stuff just to relieve the stress! Damn the people who made the damnable thing!
Tonight alone I wasted more than half an hour clicking everything right, and still getting rejected! I ended up going outside to break stuff just to relieve the stress! Damn the people who made the damnable thing!
The Age Of Not Believing
Posted 3 years ago"Age of Not Believing" (From the film "Bedknobs and Broomsticks")
(RM Sherman/RB Sherman)
Performed by: Angela Lansbury
When you rush around in hopeless circles
Serching ev'rywhere for something true
You're at the age of not believing
When all the "make believe" is through
When you set aside your childhood heroes
And your dreams are lost up on a shelf
You're at the age of not believing
And worst of all, you doubt yourself
You're a castaway where no one hears you
On a barren isle, in a lonely sea
Where did all the happy endings go?
Where can all the good times be?
You must face the age of not believing
Doubting ev'rything you ever knew
Until at last you start believing
There's something wonderful,
Truly wonderful in you
Dame Angela Lansbury: 1925-2022
Actress, TV/Film/Stage Icon.
(Murder She Wrote, Bedknobs & Broomsticks, Beauty & the Beast (1991), The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Last Unicorn, The Manchurian Candidate, The First White Christmas)
Also:
Robbie Coltrane: 1950-2022
Actor, Comedian
(Harry Potter, Goldeneye, The World Is Not Enough)
(RM Sherman/RB Sherman)
Performed by: Angela Lansbury
When you rush around in hopeless circles
Serching ev'rywhere for something true
You're at the age of not believing
When all the "make believe" is through
When you set aside your childhood heroes
And your dreams are lost up on a shelf
You're at the age of not believing
And worst of all, you doubt yourself
You're a castaway where no one hears you
On a barren isle, in a lonely sea
Where did all the happy endings go?
Where can all the good times be?
You must face the age of not believing
Doubting ev'rything you ever knew
Until at last you start believing
There's something wonderful,
Truly wonderful in you
Dame Angela Lansbury: 1925-2022
Actress, TV/Film/Stage Icon.
(Murder She Wrote, Bedknobs & Broomsticks, Beauty & the Beast (1991), The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Last Unicorn, The Manchurian Candidate, The First White Christmas)
Also:
Robbie Coltrane: 1950-2022
Actor, Comedian
(Harry Potter, Goldeneye, The World Is Not Enough)
Thank You For Beinng Our Friend
Posted 3 years agoThank You For Being A Friend (Theme from "Golden Girls")
(A. Gold)
Thank you for being a friend
Traveled down the road and back again
Your heart is true your a pal and a confidant.
And if you through a party
Invited everyone you ever knew
You would see the biggest gift would be from me
And the card attached would say thank you for being a friend.
Betty White: 1922-2021
Longest running TV Actress and Comedian. Animal Rights Activist, American Icon.
Also:
Archbishop Desmond Tutu:
Anti-Apartied Activist, Nobel Laurete, Human Rights Icon.
John Madden:
Legendary NFL Hall of Fame Coach & Commentator, Sports Videogame Icon.
Senator Harry Reid (D- NV):
Fmr. Senate Majority Leader.
The Reaper decided to go on a last minute, end of the year binge.
Update: 01/09/21 (The Reaper's binge hasn't ended yet!)
Sidney Poitier: 1927-2022
Actor, Director, Ambassador, Hollywood & Civil Rights Icon.
Bob Saget: 1956-2022
Actor, Comedian ("Full House, AFHV"), Notorious Potty Mouth.
(A. Gold)
Thank you for being a friend
Traveled down the road and back again
Your heart is true your a pal and a confidant.
And if you through a party
Invited everyone you ever knew
You would see the biggest gift would be from me
And the card attached would say thank you for being a friend.
Betty White: 1922-2021
Longest running TV Actress and Comedian. Animal Rights Activist, American Icon.
Also:
Archbishop Desmond Tutu:
Anti-Apartied Activist, Nobel Laurete, Human Rights Icon.
John Madden:
Legendary NFL Hall of Fame Coach & Commentator, Sports Videogame Icon.
Senator Harry Reid (D- NV):
Fmr. Senate Majority Leader.
The Reaper decided to go on a last minute, end of the year binge.
Update: 01/09/21 (The Reaper's binge hasn't ended yet!)
Sidney Poitier: 1927-2022
Actor, Director, Ambassador, Hollywood & Civil Rights Icon.
Bob Saget: 1956-2022
Actor, Comedian ("Full House, AFHV"), Notorious Potty Mouth.
"I've Been Co-boosted Naow..."
Posted 4 years ago....So NAOW I can goes back to "Old Normal" again?
(The "High Lord, God Emperor of Science" says, "No!")
FYI: It was the Moderna. Didn't sleep well last night. Felt like shit this morning. A little better now.
(The "High Lord, God Emperor of Science" says, "No!")
FYI: It was the Moderna. Didn't sleep well last night. Felt like shit this morning. A little better now.
December 7th Remembered
Posted 4 years agoThe following excerpt is from an interview conducted by the Go For Broke National Education Center Oral History Project, conducted on Dec. 9th 2007 with pfc. Shigeru Nakamura, 442 RCT ( https://www.furaffinity.net/view/8073872/ ) concering the attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec, 7th 1941:
INTERVIEWER: ....And so I can ask you when the war occured where were you on December 7th?
NAKAMURA: Oh, I was in Honolulu. I was working for the Civic Naval Air Base Contractors, yeah, as a general labor working Pearl Harbor. We was laying railroad track from the naval supply center to submarine base about a mile. I was with a real gang, we set the rail from the naval supply center to submarine base. And we just finished the job on Dec. 6th, I think, before the 7th.
INTERVIEWER: So on December 7th, you weren't working, the job was done.
NAKAMURA: Dec, 7th was Sunday, it was our off day.
I: So on Dec. 7th, where were you when the attack occured?
N: I was, well, my home in Honolulu with....we had a bungalow with a lot of guys, single men working defense job. So, yeah, we was home, we can see the planes comming and bombing Pearl Harbor.
I: And what was that like? What kind of experiances did you and the other men...
N: Something like disbelief. We not believe that something like that would happen, yeah. But you know, I think the Navy and all military they knew something was comming. Because when I fisrt work for defense job, they get, everybody have to get picture ID. Yeah, it was a badge. It's like a, you know, campaign button. Everyone had a picture ID. And then about October or November, I think, all the Japanese people, they took our badge back, and they give us our badge with a black border. So that, you know, the guards when they see a black border they know you're not the regular guy. So that's how on Dec. 7th was Pearl Harbor day. Dec. 8th they let us go in. What we did is we put...Pearl Harbor they had a small Navy Hospital inside Pearl Harbor. So what they did is put sandbag around our hospital. For two days, 8th & 9th. On the 10th all the guys with a black border badge they stopped us at the gate. And they rounded up about 50 or so. They tell us, Ok, go back where you came from. All [inaudible] all Japanese had to walk. They said double time, have to run. All the way to Damon track area. You know where the Damon track is where the the international airport {Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, formerly Honolulu International Airport -EKG} is today. We walk and run until there. Just like prisoner [inaudible].
I: And then where did you go?
N: Huh?
I: Where did you end up when you ran, where did they have you?
N: We went back home. {"Home" in this case refers to their aforementioned residence in Honolulu, not Japan. -EKG}
(Shigeru continued to work in general contracting, becomming an electrician until 1943, when he voulunteered for the 442th. Afer the war, he returned to Maui where he lived his life. He died on Oct. 8th 2020.)
Of my personal recollection of my uncle is that when we asked him about his wartime experiances, (of which he seldom talked about), he didn't make a very big deal about it (His side of the family has a notorious habit of downplayment and being humble to a fault, which sometimes isn't a bad thing) but when the subject of Pearl Harbor came up, he nearly broke down in tears.
Today, we are teetering on a knife's edge with Russia amassing along the border of Ukraine, and China harrassing Taiwan. The ghosts and lessons of Pearl Harbor are still with us, and if we do not heed their lessons, it will happen again. And next time, the consequences of action or inaction may be worse.
Rember Pearl Harbor. Never Forget.
Also, In Memory of:
Senator Robert Dole (R-KS)
1923-2021
WW2 Veteran, US Senator.
INTERVIEWER: ....And so I can ask you when the war occured where were you on December 7th?
NAKAMURA: Oh, I was in Honolulu. I was working for the Civic Naval Air Base Contractors, yeah, as a general labor working Pearl Harbor. We was laying railroad track from the naval supply center to submarine base about a mile. I was with a real gang, we set the rail from the naval supply center to submarine base. And we just finished the job on Dec. 6th, I think, before the 7th.
INTERVIEWER: So on December 7th, you weren't working, the job was done.
NAKAMURA: Dec, 7th was Sunday, it was our off day.
I: So on Dec. 7th, where were you when the attack occured?
N: I was, well, my home in Honolulu with....we had a bungalow with a lot of guys, single men working defense job. So, yeah, we was home, we can see the planes comming and bombing Pearl Harbor.
I: And what was that like? What kind of experiances did you and the other men...
N: Something like disbelief. We not believe that something like that would happen, yeah. But you know, I think the Navy and all military they knew something was comming. Because when I fisrt work for defense job, they get, everybody have to get picture ID. Yeah, it was a badge. It's like a, you know, campaign button. Everyone had a picture ID. And then about October or November, I think, all the Japanese people, they took our badge back, and they give us our badge with a black border. So that, you know, the guards when they see a black border they know you're not the regular guy. So that's how on Dec. 7th was Pearl Harbor day. Dec. 8th they let us go in. What we did is we put...Pearl Harbor they had a small Navy Hospital inside Pearl Harbor. So what they did is put sandbag around our hospital. For two days, 8th & 9th. On the 10th all the guys with a black border badge they stopped us at the gate. And they rounded up about 50 or so. They tell us, Ok, go back where you came from. All [inaudible] all Japanese had to walk. They said double time, have to run. All the way to Damon track area. You know where the Damon track is where the the international airport {Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, formerly Honolulu International Airport -EKG} is today. We walk and run until there. Just like prisoner [inaudible].
I: And then where did you go?
N: Huh?
I: Where did you end up when you ran, where did they have you?
N: We went back home. {"Home" in this case refers to their aforementioned residence in Honolulu, not Japan. -EKG}
(Shigeru continued to work in general contracting, becomming an electrician until 1943, when he voulunteered for the 442th. Afer the war, he returned to Maui where he lived his life. He died on Oct. 8th 2020.)
Of my personal recollection of my uncle is that when we asked him about his wartime experiances, (of which he seldom talked about), he didn't make a very big deal about it (His side of the family has a notorious habit of downplayment and being humble to a fault, which sometimes isn't a bad thing) but when the subject of Pearl Harbor came up, he nearly broke down in tears.
Today, we are teetering on a knife's edge with Russia amassing along the border of Ukraine, and China harrassing Taiwan. The ghosts and lessons of Pearl Harbor are still with us, and if we do not heed their lessons, it will happen again. And next time, the consequences of action or inaction may be worse.
Rember Pearl Harbor. Never Forget.
Also, In Memory of:
Senator Robert Dole (R-KS)
1923-2021
WW2 Veteran, US Senator.
9/11: Twenty Years Later...
Posted 4 years agoI was debating for a long time about whether or not to draw something for this day, but everything I wanted and needed to say about that day I said 10 years ago, so here they are:
9/11 Journal posting:
https://www.furaffinity.net/journal/2709633/
9/11 10th Anniversary pic:
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/6476056/
Well, almost "everything."
I think also the reason I decided not to draw anything is because of some of the comments I got when I did these. To call them cynacal would be an understatement, they litteraly gave me heartburn just reading them, (and still do). I get it, you don't think we should dwell on that awful day, and some of you who were too young to remember, or hadn't been born yet don't want to be reminded of "History," but this happened, and everything since then is a result of "somebodies did something," as one polliticain put it. I get it. We did "move on" and got one with our lives, but "Remebering and Never Forgetting" is one thing, and quite another to pretened that it was somehow less than what it was, a horror beyond horror, and there are very few things worse that I can think of that would ever top this, There were a few close things, but nothing like that day. I hope you younglings never have to experiance something truly like this, ever.
Somehow, I'm not too confident about that.
I suppose what I'm trying to say is, if you have anything disrespectful to add, please be polite, and keep it to yourself this time.
There's probably more I want to say, especially about the past 2 weeks, but it's probably for the best if I just finish here.
For Our Loved and Honored Dead, God Bless.
9/11 Journal posting:
https://www.furaffinity.net/journal/2709633/
9/11 10th Anniversary pic:
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/6476056/
Well, almost "everything."
I think also the reason I decided not to draw anything is because of some of the comments I got when I did these. To call them cynacal would be an understatement, they litteraly gave me heartburn just reading them, (and still do). I get it, you don't think we should dwell on that awful day, and some of you who were too young to remember, or hadn't been born yet don't want to be reminded of "History," but this happened, and everything since then is a result of "somebodies did something," as one polliticain put it. I get it. We did "move on" and got one with our lives, but "Remebering and Never Forgetting" is one thing, and quite another to pretened that it was somehow less than what it was, a horror beyond horror, and there are very few things worse that I can think of that would ever top this, There were a few close things, but nothing like that day. I hope you younglings never have to experiance something truly like this, ever.
Somehow, I'm not too confident about that.
I suppose what I'm trying to say is, if you have anything disrespectful to add, please be polite, and keep it to yourself this time.
There's probably more I want to say, especially about the past 2 weeks, but it's probably for the best if I just finish here.
For Our Loved and Honored Dead, God Bless.
Repost: "Requests"
Posted 4 years agoThis is for the young "whelps" out there:
There appears to be some confusion here as some people have been asking me for "Requests."
Definitions:
Request: An idea or suggestion. May[i] or may not draw.
Gift: A picture done for free. Usually done out of grattitude for something, or because I'm in a good mood. [/i]
Please bear in mind that I'm in no real obligation to fulfill a "request" if I don't feel like it.
...In other words, I have EVERY RIGHT to reject any request for any reason, or no reason whatsoever, nor do I owe you an explaination why. And if I do, do not throw a shit-fit over it! I have my reasons, be it a character or idea that I don't find interesting, or it crosses some kind of boundry, or even reasons personal to me. Whatever it may be, RESPECT my, or any other artist's decision, and find someone else who might, and be polite about it.
That said, here's how (and how NOT) to ask for "Arts":
DO your "homework" first: Look at an artist's entire gallery, not just one or two pics you that find "fappable." That will pretty much tell you everything you need to know about what the artist draws, doesn't draw, skill level, style, sense of humor, etc. If in doubt, it doesn't hurt to ask, which leads to...
DO ask nicely! Personally, I'm a blunt person, so I don't need to be "buttered up" or anything. Just ask if I'm "availiable" (which I usually am), and what you want. DO NOT just say (or demand) that I draw this or that.
DO NOT "A-S-S U M-E" that I, or we know every single cartoon character under the sun. Provide us with a reference if we ask for it. Also, If we ask for a "differrent idea," do come up with one. We wouldn't be asking for that if we' weren't interested in drawing for you.
DO leave a comment on the finished pic if we do do it. It lets us know that its been appreciated. A simple "Thank You" will suffice. DO NOT say something assinine like "Why U no draw bewbs bigger?" when you never said anything about it before. (And on that matter, see: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/35708406/ )
As said above: DO NOT thorw a tantrum if we turn you down, it's not personal, so please don't take offense at it. DO NOT waste your blood pressure bitching about it on some other platform, DON'T continue to harass us about it, and definately DO NOT retaliate out of petty spite. We don't desereve it. DO respect our decision, and just leave it at that.
Just because we draw "this, or this," it doesn't mean we will draw "that."
And finally:
DO treat us like PEOPLE! DO NOT treat us like a "Vending Machine" whose only purpose for existing is to provide you with "Free Arts." So DO NOT abuse our generousity. This is a privilage, not a entitlement or right.
These same rules apply for "trades" and "commissions" as well.
I know this sounds harsh, but I'm [usually] a nice person, really, and will accomodate you as best as I can, but "Even Buddah angers when pestered," so "...use your well-learned politeese, or I'll lay your soul to waste!" *heh,heh* ;)
The Fox has spoken.
There appears to be some confusion here as some people have been asking me for "Requests."
Definitions:
Request: An idea or suggestion. May[i] or may not draw.
Gift: A picture done for free. Usually done out of grattitude for something, or because I'm in a good mood. [/i]
Please bear in mind that I'm in no real obligation to fulfill a "request" if I don't feel like it.
...In other words, I have EVERY RIGHT to reject any request for any reason, or no reason whatsoever, nor do I owe you an explaination why. And if I do, do not throw a shit-fit over it! I have my reasons, be it a character or idea that I don't find interesting, or it crosses some kind of boundry, or even reasons personal to me. Whatever it may be, RESPECT my, or any other artist's decision, and find someone else who might, and be polite about it.
That said, here's how (and how NOT) to ask for "Arts":
DO your "homework" first: Look at an artist's entire gallery, not just one or two pics you that find "fappable." That will pretty much tell you everything you need to know about what the artist draws, doesn't draw, skill level, style, sense of humor, etc. If in doubt, it doesn't hurt to ask, which leads to...
DO ask nicely! Personally, I'm a blunt person, so I don't need to be "buttered up" or anything. Just ask if I'm "availiable" (which I usually am), and what you want. DO NOT just say (or demand) that I draw this or that.
DO NOT "A-S-S U M-E" that I, or we know every single cartoon character under the sun. Provide us with a reference if we ask for it. Also, If we ask for a "differrent idea," do come up with one. We wouldn't be asking for that if we' weren't interested in drawing for you.
DO leave a comment on the finished pic if we do do it. It lets us know that its been appreciated. A simple "Thank You" will suffice. DO NOT say something assinine like "Why U no draw bewbs bigger?" when you never said anything about it before. (And on that matter, see: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/35708406/ )
As said above: DO NOT thorw a tantrum if we turn you down, it's not personal, so please don't take offense at it. DO NOT waste your blood pressure bitching about it on some other platform, DON'T continue to harass us about it, and definately DO NOT retaliate out of petty spite. We don't desereve it. DO respect our decision, and just leave it at that.
Just because we draw "this, or this," it doesn't mean we will draw "that."
And finally:
DO treat us like PEOPLE! DO NOT treat us like a "Vending Machine" whose only purpose for existing is to provide you with "Free Arts." So DO NOT abuse our generousity. This is a privilage, not a entitlement or right.
These same rules apply for "trades" and "commissions" as well.
I know this sounds harsh, but I'm [usually] a nice person, really, and will accomodate you as best as I can, but "Even Buddah angers when pestered," so "...use your well-learned politeese, or I'll lay your soul to waste!" *heh,heh* ;)
The Fox has spoken.
"I've Been Covaxed Naow..."
Posted 4 years ago....I can haz "old-normal" life back plz?
(Dr. Fausti says "No, you'll never haz 'old-normal life' back. 'New Normal' iz FOREVER!!!!!! Mwaaahahahahah!!!!!")
Seriously though, I did get my second [Pfizer] vax shot yesterday, and apart from a sore arm (I blame the needle), I feel fine.
Update (12/10/21): https://www.furaffinity.net/journal/10068935/
(Dr. Fausti says "No, you'll never haz 'old-normal life' back. 'New Normal' iz FOREVER!!!!!! Mwaaahahahahah!!!!!")
Seriously though, I did get my second [Pfizer] vax shot yesterday, and apart from a sore arm (I blame the needle), I feel fine.
Update (12/10/21): https://www.furaffinity.net/journal/10068935/
She Was Woman, She Did Roar
Posted 5 years ago"I Am Woman"
(H. Reddy, R. Burton)
Performed by: Helen Reddy
I am woman, here me roar
In numbers too big to ignore
And I know too much to go back and pretend
'Cause I've heard it all before
And I've been down there on the floor
No one's ever going to keep me down again
Whoa, yes, I am wise
But it's wisdom born of pain
Yes, I've paid the price
But look how much I've gained
If I have to I can do anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman
You can bend but never break me
'Cause it only serves to make me
More determined to achive my final goal
And I'll come back even stronger
Not a novice any longer
'Cause you've deepend the conviction in my soul
Whoa, yes, I am wise
But it's wisdom born of pain
Yes, I've paid the price
But look how much I've gained
If I have to I can do anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman
I am woman watch me grow
See me standing toe-to-toe
As I spread my loving arms across the land
But I'm still an embryo
With a long, long way to go
Until I make my brother understand
Whoa, yes, I am wise
But it's wisdom born of pain
Yes, I've paid the price
But look how much I've gained
If I have to I can do anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman
Oh, I am Woman
I am Invincible
I am Strong
I am Woman
I am Invincible
I am Strong
I Am Woman
Helen Reddy: 1941-2020
Singer, Songwriter, Actress, Feminist Icon.
Tribute picture here: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/38485055/
(H. Reddy, R. Burton)
Performed by: Helen Reddy
I am woman, here me roar
In numbers too big to ignore
And I know too much to go back and pretend
'Cause I've heard it all before
And I've been down there on the floor
No one's ever going to keep me down again
Whoa, yes, I am wise
But it's wisdom born of pain
Yes, I've paid the price
But look how much I've gained
If I have to I can do anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman
You can bend but never break me
'Cause it only serves to make me
More determined to achive my final goal
And I'll come back even stronger
Not a novice any longer
'Cause you've deepend the conviction in my soul
Whoa, yes, I am wise
But it's wisdom born of pain
Yes, I've paid the price
But look how much I've gained
If I have to I can do anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman
I am woman watch me grow
See me standing toe-to-toe
As I spread my loving arms across the land
But I'm still an embryo
With a long, long way to go
Until I make my brother understand
Whoa, yes, I am wise
But it's wisdom born of pain
Yes, I've paid the price
But look how much I've gained
If I have to I can do anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman
Oh, I am Woman
I am Invincible
I am Strong
I am Woman
I am Invincible
I am Strong
I Am Woman
Helen Reddy: 1941-2020
Singer, Songwriter, Actress, Feminist Icon.
Tribute picture here: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/38485055/
A Hymn For Hope and Healing:
Posted 5 years agoMy life goes on in endless song,
above the Earth's lamentation.
I hear the real, though far off hymn,
that hails a New Creation.
Through all the Tulmult and the Strife,
I hear its music ringing.
It sounds an echo in my soul,
how can I keep from singing?
While through the Tempest loudly roars,
I hear the truth, it liveth.
And through the Darkness 'round me close,
songs in the night it giveth.
No storm can shake my inmost calm,
while to that rock I'm clinging.
Since Love is Lord of Heaven and Earth,
How can I keep from singing?
When Tyrants tremble in their fear,
and hear their death knell ringing.
When friends rejoice both far and near,
How can I keep from singing?
In prison cell, and dungeon vile,
our thoughts to them are winging.
When friends by shame are undefiled,
How can I keep from singing?
(Arrangement: E. Ni Braonain, N. Ryan, R. Ryan)
above the Earth's lamentation.
I hear the real, though far off hymn,
that hails a New Creation.
Through all the Tulmult and the Strife,
I hear its music ringing.
It sounds an echo in my soul,
how can I keep from singing?
While through the Tempest loudly roars,
I hear the truth, it liveth.
And through the Darkness 'round me close,
songs in the night it giveth.
No storm can shake my inmost calm,
while to that rock I'm clinging.
Since Love is Lord of Heaven and Earth,
How can I keep from singing?
When Tyrants tremble in their fear,
and hear their death knell ringing.
When friends rejoice both far and near,
How can I keep from singing?
In prison cell, and dungeon vile,
our thoughts to them are winging.
When friends by shame are undefiled,
How can I keep from singing?
(Arrangement: E. Ni Braonain, N. Ryan, R. Ryan)
Goodbye to "The Gambler"
Posted 5 years agoThe Gambler
(Don Schlitz)
On a warm summer's evening
On a train bound for nowhere
I met up with a gambler
We were both too tired to sleep
So we took turns a-starin'
Out the window at the darkness
The boredom overtook us
And he began to speak
He said, "Son, I've made a life
Out of readin' people's faces
And knowin' what the cards were
By the way they held their eyes.
So if don't mind me sayin'
I can see your out of aces.
For a taste of your whiskey
I'll give you some advice."
So I handed him my bottle
And he drank down my last swallow
Then he bummed a cigarette
And asked me for a light
And he got deathly quiet
And his face lost all expression
Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy
You gotta learn to play it right.
You got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away
And know when to run.
You never count your money
When you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin'
When the dealing's done.
Every gambler knows
That the secret to survivin'
Is knowin' what to throw away
And knowin' what to keep.
'Cause every hand's a winner
And every hand's a loser
And the best that you can hope for
Is to die in your sleep."
And when he finished speakin'
He turned back toward the window
Crushed out his cigarette
And faded out to sleep
And somewhere in the darkness
The gambler he broke even
And in his final words
I found an ace that I could keep.
You got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away
And know when to run.
You never count your money
When you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin'
When the dealing's done....
Kenny Rogers: 1938-2020
Country Music Icon.
Also:
seanblackthorne
Albert Uderzo: 1927-2020
Cartoonist, Co-Creator: "Asterix the Gaul"
(Don Schlitz)
On a warm summer's evening
On a train bound for nowhere
I met up with a gambler
We were both too tired to sleep
So we took turns a-starin'
Out the window at the darkness
The boredom overtook us
And he began to speak
He said, "Son, I've made a life
Out of readin' people's faces
And knowin' what the cards were
By the way they held their eyes.
So if don't mind me sayin'
I can see your out of aces.
For a taste of your whiskey
I'll give you some advice."
So I handed him my bottle
And he drank down my last swallow
Then he bummed a cigarette
And asked me for a light
And he got deathly quiet
And his face lost all expression
Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy
You gotta learn to play it right.
You got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away
And know when to run.
You never count your money
When you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin'
When the dealing's done.
Every gambler knows
That the secret to survivin'
Is knowin' what to throw away
And knowin' what to keep.
'Cause every hand's a winner
And every hand's a loser
And the best that you can hope for
Is to die in your sleep."
And when he finished speakin'
He turned back toward the window
Crushed out his cigarette
And faded out to sleep
And somewhere in the darkness
The gambler he broke even
And in his final words
I found an ace that I could keep.
You got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away
And know when to run.
You never count your money
When you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin'
When the dealing's done....
Kenny Rogers: 1938-2020
Country Music Icon.
Also:
seanblackthorneAlbert Uderzo: 1927-2020
Cartoonist, Co-Creator: "Asterix the Gaul"
Is VCL Dead?
Posted 6 years agoThe site has been down for more than a month now, and every attempt at contacting the admins has resulted in a bounced message. Anyone know what happened?
Silent Halloween Classics
Posted 6 years agoHere's a much shorter list of other movies I'd recommend seeing, this time, focusing on silent films:
Nosferatu (1922-Germany):
THE quintisential vampire movie by FW Murnau. No hansome Nobleman, no "glittering" in the sunlight, and no minion(s) to huff around your coffin for you! (How humilliating!) A must see movie, period.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920-Germany):
Very good example of German Expressionist cinema, Stylistically, it might be a good inspiration for those into steampunk.
(Note: Hans Conreid, who plays a sonambulistic killer, is best known as Capt. Hook from Disney's "Peter Pan.")
The Phantom of the Opera (1925-USA):
I've always wanted to try this: Watch this Lon Cheney Sr. classic, while listening to the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical at the same time. I wonder how that would turn out. Also a must see.
Haxan ("The Witch") (1922-Sweeden):
This is more of a "Documentary" than a horror film. It covers the history and persecution of witches in Europe, and the modern (per 1922) psychological explainations for witches. A unique film.
Note: Director Benjamin Chistensen makes a cameo appearance as the Devil in the reenactment scenes.
That's it really. There aren't too many of these types of films still existing, and I'm open to viewing suggestions on this one.
Updated: 8/11/22
Faust (1926-Germany):
Another FW Murnau classic about the infamous alchemist who learned why it's a bad idea to sell your soul for knowledge.
Nosferatu (1922-Germany):
THE quintisential vampire movie by FW Murnau. No hansome Nobleman, no "glittering" in the sunlight, and no minion(s) to huff around your coffin for you! (How humilliating!) A must see movie, period.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920-Germany):
Very good example of German Expressionist cinema, Stylistically, it might be a good inspiration for those into steampunk.
(Note: Hans Conreid, who plays a sonambulistic killer, is best known as Capt. Hook from Disney's "Peter Pan.")
The Phantom of the Opera (1925-USA):
I've always wanted to try this: Watch this Lon Cheney Sr. classic, while listening to the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical at the same time. I wonder how that would turn out. Also a must see.
Haxan ("The Witch") (1922-Sweeden):
This is more of a "Documentary" than a horror film. It covers the history and persecution of witches in Europe, and the modern (per 1922) psychological explainations for witches. A unique film.
Note: Director Benjamin Chistensen makes a cameo appearance as the Devil in the reenactment scenes.
That's it really. There aren't too many of these types of films still existing, and I'm open to viewing suggestions on this one.
Updated: 8/11/22
Faust (1926-Germany):
Another FW Murnau classic about the infamous alchemist who learned why it's a bad idea to sell your soul for knowledge.
Classic Obake Movies (Warning: some spolers)
Posted 6 years agoAnd when I said "Classic", I mean C L A S S I C! All the movies listed here were made before 1980, and are one's that I've seen on Turner Classic Movies, which play them from time to time. You're probably going to recommend me some, most likely more recent ones (like Jun On [The Grudge-seen it], or Ringu [The Ring]), but don't bother, I probably won't be seeing them anyway.
Anyway, here's my list and my impressions:
Onibaba ["Demon Hag"] (1964) & Kuroneko ["Black Cat(s)"] (1968)
Dir: Kaneko Shindo
Both these movies are based on well known Japanese ghost stories, and both share a common theme of how the horrors of war end up leading to horrors of the karmatic kind. In Onibaba, war causes desperation, and desperate people do desperate, (and sometimes despicable) things in order to survive, it's a little hard to find sympathy for the characters here, but there's a lot of pity to go around.
In Kuroneko, a samurai has a moral quandry when the demons he's been ordered to slay turn out to be the vengeful spirits of his mother & wife, who have taken the form of "obake neko" (cat demons). (Oh, if you're looking for cute cat-girls, forget it. A fuzzy claw here, maybe a glimpse of an ear there, but that's it.)
Yotsuya Kaidan ["The Yotsuya Ghost Story"] (1959)
Dir: Nobuo Nakagawa
If you've seen the anime series "Ayakashi: Samurai Ghost Stories" then you know this one. It's considered to be the most famous (and infamous) story of superatural revenge in Japan and has inspired many artists for over 200 years (including this one), and is [supposedly] inspired by an actual event.
The Best:
Kwaidan (1964)
Dir: Masaki Kobayashi
This one is the best one ever made. It even got an Academy Award nomination for best Foreign Language Film. This is an anthology movie based on the stories of the 19th Cent. author Lafcadio Hearn, and is made up of 4 tales:
"The Black Hair":
A samurai leaves his poor wife for a better (but joyless) life, and ends up REGRETING it big time! Most of this story is slow and boring, but the climax is pretty scary due to it's minimmalist useage of sound effects and "Dead Silence."
"Yuki Onna (The Snow Woman)":
Definately not "Frozen." A vampiric winter apparition falls in love with a poor young woodcutter. Very pretty use of set design and art direction. (Hint: "see" for yourself.)
"Hoichi the Earless":
This is the longest story in the movie and is in two acts. The first act is the dramatic conclusion of the "Heike Monogatari" (Tale of the Heike Clan) in which in 1185, the Heike (or Taira) clan met their defeat at the hands of their rivals the Genji (Minamoto) clan, at Dan-no-ura, in the Shimonoseki Straits, the battle that ultimately lead to the establishment of the Shogunate rule of Japan for the next 700 years. And establishing this locale as "haunted" to this very day.
The second act takes place several centuries later, in which a blind minstrel is summoned by the ghosts of the fallen Heike clan in order to perform the aforementioned ballad, of which he is really good at.
If you thought the cinematography of the last one was beautiful, this story is mindblowing.
"In a Cup of Tea":
How do you end a movie with such a epic climax as the last one? Pehaps with a anti-climatic finish perhaps? Anyway, this one is based on an "unfinished" tale that begs the question on what would happen if you "swallow a soul"....?
Well, that one was the best, now here's the Scariest:
Jigoku (1960):
Dir. Nobuo Nakagawa
"Jigoku" means "Hell" in Japanese, and this movie is Japan's answer to Dante's "Inferno." When I first saw this movie listed in the TV guide, I thought, "Hmm, 1960, how scary can this movie be?" I WAS SOOOOO VERY WRONG!!! This movie knocked down "Poltergiest" from my top spot on the Scariest Movie I Have Ever Seen list, which it held for, like 30 years!
The first half of the movie is pretty boring, basically a crime drama about two college guys who [acidentally] run over a Yakuza gangster, and it all goes downhill from there, and when I say down, I mean all the way down. Then the movie goes to Hell, litterally! And here's where it gets super gory as all the characters suffer one grisly torment after another. (Yes, there is such a thing a Buddhist Hell, and it's just as bad as the Chistian one, with some small differences.) As you all know, I don't like gory movies, and I managed to last about 3/4 through before I had a major anxiety attack, and threw up, and was traumatized for about a month afterwards. This is not gore for the sake of titilation, this is gore with CONTEXT and MEANING! I didn't bother to see how it ended.
(Note: last year, I did build up the courage to see the last 5 minutes of the film, just to see how it ends. Fortunately, by that point, the worst was over.)
Then I found out that this movie is a milestore in Japanese Horror, specifically, it's the first to truly use graphic gore to such extent. Should've read the reviews first, and for once, my knowlege of Japanese folklore was more of vulnerabily than an insulation.
...And now the weirdest:
House (1977):
Dir: Nobuhiko Obayashi
What can I say about this cult classic except "What the #$%^! were these guys smoking!?!"
The studio wanted a "Jaws" rip-off, what they got instead was a haunted house horror-comedy. Not surprisingly, it bombed on its initial release, but like many bad movies, it developed a popularity over the years. There's a lot I can say about it, but I won't deprive you of the joyous tourture of trying to figure this one out. Just have your bong ready if you have one.
A word of warning though: If you suffer from light-sensitive magrines or epilepsy, don't see this movie. It has stroboscopic visual effects at the end.
Honorable mentions:
Goke: The Body Snatcher from Hell (1968):
A sci-fi horror flick which seems like an episode of "The Twilight Zone" in Japanese. Survivors of a plane crash must deal with an alien that turns people into vampires...Only for the final two survivors to discover that they're not on some desert island as thought, but on the Japanese mainland, and the alien invasion is already over. Earth lost!
The Living Skelleton (1968):
Gee, 1968 must've been a really popular year for obake movies. This one is more of your typical low-budget B-movie fare. 'Nuff said.
And that's my Halloween movie recomendations. All these films appear on Turner Classic Movies on occasion, and are a part of TCM's Critireon Collection.
Anyway, here's my list and my impressions:
Onibaba ["Demon Hag"] (1964) & Kuroneko ["Black Cat(s)"] (1968)
Dir: Kaneko Shindo
Both these movies are based on well known Japanese ghost stories, and both share a common theme of how the horrors of war end up leading to horrors of the karmatic kind. In Onibaba, war causes desperation, and desperate people do desperate, (and sometimes despicable) things in order to survive, it's a little hard to find sympathy for the characters here, but there's a lot of pity to go around.
In Kuroneko, a samurai has a moral quandry when the demons he's been ordered to slay turn out to be the vengeful spirits of his mother & wife, who have taken the form of "obake neko" (cat demons). (Oh, if you're looking for cute cat-girls, forget it. A fuzzy claw here, maybe a glimpse of an ear there, but that's it.)
Yotsuya Kaidan ["The Yotsuya Ghost Story"] (1959)
Dir: Nobuo Nakagawa
If you've seen the anime series "Ayakashi: Samurai Ghost Stories" then you know this one. It's considered to be the most famous (and infamous) story of superatural revenge in Japan and has inspired many artists for over 200 years (including this one), and is [supposedly] inspired by an actual event.
The Best:
Kwaidan (1964)
Dir: Masaki Kobayashi
This one is the best one ever made. It even got an Academy Award nomination for best Foreign Language Film. This is an anthology movie based on the stories of the 19th Cent. author Lafcadio Hearn, and is made up of 4 tales:
"The Black Hair":
A samurai leaves his poor wife for a better (but joyless) life, and ends up REGRETING it big time! Most of this story is slow and boring, but the climax is pretty scary due to it's minimmalist useage of sound effects and "Dead Silence."
"Yuki Onna (The Snow Woman)":
Definately not "Frozen." A vampiric winter apparition falls in love with a poor young woodcutter. Very pretty use of set design and art direction. (Hint: "see" for yourself.)
"Hoichi the Earless":
This is the longest story in the movie and is in two acts. The first act is the dramatic conclusion of the "Heike Monogatari" (Tale of the Heike Clan) in which in 1185, the Heike (or Taira) clan met their defeat at the hands of their rivals the Genji (Minamoto) clan, at Dan-no-ura, in the Shimonoseki Straits, the battle that ultimately lead to the establishment of the Shogunate rule of Japan for the next 700 years. And establishing this locale as "haunted" to this very day.
The second act takes place several centuries later, in which a blind minstrel is summoned by the ghosts of the fallen Heike clan in order to perform the aforementioned ballad, of which he is really good at.
If you thought the cinematography of the last one was beautiful, this story is mindblowing.
"In a Cup of Tea":
How do you end a movie with such a epic climax as the last one? Pehaps with a anti-climatic finish perhaps? Anyway, this one is based on an "unfinished" tale that begs the question on what would happen if you "swallow a soul"....?
Well, that one was the best, now here's the Scariest:
Jigoku (1960):
Dir. Nobuo Nakagawa
"Jigoku" means "Hell" in Japanese, and this movie is Japan's answer to Dante's "Inferno." When I first saw this movie listed in the TV guide, I thought, "Hmm, 1960, how scary can this movie be?" I WAS SOOOOO VERY WRONG!!! This movie knocked down "Poltergiest" from my top spot on the Scariest Movie I Have Ever Seen list, which it held for, like 30 years!
The first half of the movie is pretty boring, basically a crime drama about two college guys who [acidentally] run over a Yakuza gangster, and it all goes downhill from there, and when I say down, I mean all the way down. Then the movie goes to Hell, litterally! And here's where it gets super gory as all the characters suffer one grisly torment after another. (Yes, there is such a thing a Buddhist Hell, and it's just as bad as the Chistian one, with some small differences.) As you all know, I don't like gory movies, and I managed to last about 3/4 through before I had a major anxiety attack, and threw up, and was traumatized for about a month afterwards. This is not gore for the sake of titilation, this is gore with CONTEXT and MEANING! I didn't bother to see how it ended.
(Note: last year, I did build up the courage to see the last 5 minutes of the film, just to see how it ends. Fortunately, by that point, the worst was over.)
Then I found out that this movie is a milestore in Japanese Horror, specifically, it's the first to truly use graphic gore to such extent. Should've read the reviews first, and for once, my knowlege of Japanese folklore was more of vulnerabily than an insulation.
...And now the weirdest:
House (1977):
Dir: Nobuhiko Obayashi
What can I say about this cult classic except "What the #$%^! were these guys smoking!?!"
The studio wanted a "Jaws" rip-off, what they got instead was a haunted house horror-comedy. Not surprisingly, it bombed on its initial release, but like many bad movies, it developed a popularity over the years. There's a lot I can say about it, but I won't deprive you of the joyous tourture of trying to figure this one out. Just have your bong ready if you have one.
A word of warning though: If you suffer from light-sensitive magrines or epilepsy, don't see this movie. It has stroboscopic visual effects at the end.
Honorable mentions:
Goke: The Body Snatcher from Hell (1968):
A sci-fi horror flick which seems like an episode of "The Twilight Zone" in Japanese. Survivors of a plane crash must deal with an alien that turns people into vampires...Only for the final two survivors to discover that they're not on some desert island as thought, but on the Japanese mainland, and the alien invasion is already over. Earth lost!
The Living Skelleton (1968):
Gee, 1968 must've been a really popular year for obake movies. This one is more of your typical low-budget B-movie fare. 'Nuff said.
And that's my Halloween movie recomendations. All these films appear on Turner Classic Movies on occasion, and are a part of TCM's Critireon Collection.
REPOST: Commission Info
Posted 7 years agoPlease read carefully and completely:
9"x12":
Inked: $25.00
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/431936/
Color: $30.00
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/416338/
Email me at: korwynn[at]gmail.com for additional prices and information. Serious inquaries only please, I don't like having my tail yanked. And be direct and to the point when asking. I'm a blunt person, and I don't like having my time (or my inbox) wasted.
Note: If you live outside the United States, please tell me so when ordering. It does matter.
Definitions:
Request: An idea or suggestion. May or may not draw. Jpeg image.
Gift: A picture done for free. Usually done out of grattitude for something, or because I'm in a good mood. Jpeg.
Trade: Done between artists. You do one, I do one, which means I expect one in return. Jpeg.
Commission: PAID picture. You actually get the real thing, not just the jpeg proof. It's worth the money.
Current Status:
Requests: Open
Trades: Open
Commissions: Open
Commission for:
Trades:
Additional Information:
FurAffinity, Inkbunny, SoFurry, etc. Users: If I have done commission work for you, permission to display on your page(s) is given.
Method of Payment: Check, Money Order, or Cash only. Electronic payment (paypal, etc.) is not accepted.
Due to an incident with a troll, I will now be doing the following:
AGE CHECK WILL NOW BE INFORCED! I will now be checking your age in your profile info. If I do not see an age, or if I see something unrealistic (ie: age: 600) I will ask for it. If you are under 18, your request/trade/commission will be "G" rated.
(On that note: If you are under 18, I ask, and hope that you've enabled the content filter in "Account Settings") BE HONEST!
If I reject you for whatever (or even no reason) whatsoever, do not turn around and call me, or any other artist "unprofessional". It is well within our rights as artists to do so, and being given a piece of art, especially when its free, is a privilage, not a right, and not an entitlement. Being called "unprofessional" is a serious impugnment of character, and should not be thrown at us lightly.
Sorry if I now sound like a hard-ass, but I need to take a stand.
My "Credentials":
Education:
Assoc. Science- Commercial Arts. 1997. Honolulu Community College
Bachelors Arts- Art. 2003 University of Hawaii at Manoa
Exhibited Work:
College Art 1999
Published Work:
Blue Fur #2. 1996
Furloose #12. 1996
Rowrbrazzle #52 pt. 5. 1997
Skunk Aficionado #1-3. 1997-1998
Evil Cat: The Black Merriah Portfolio. 1997
Technicolor Dreams/Further Dreams Vol. 1-2. 1999-2000
Untamed #1-6. 1998-2000
Falena: Doe in Bondage CD Portfolio. 2007
The Artwork of New Technicolor Dreams. 2007
9"x12":
Inked: $25.00
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/431936/
Color: $30.00
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/416338/
Email me at: korwynn[at]gmail.com for additional prices and information. Serious inquaries only please, I don't like having my tail yanked. And be direct and to the point when asking. I'm a blunt person, and I don't like having my time (or my inbox) wasted.
Note: If you live outside the United States, please tell me so when ordering. It does matter.
Definitions:
Request: An idea or suggestion. May or may not draw. Jpeg image.
Gift: A picture done for free. Usually done out of grattitude for something, or because I'm in a good mood. Jpeg.
Trade: Done between artists. You do one, I do one, which means I expect one in return. Jpeg.
Commission: PAID picture. You actually get the real thing, not just the jpeg proof. It's worth the money.
Current Status:
Requests: Open
Trades: Open
Commissions: Open
Commission for:
Trades:
Additional Information:
FurAffinity, Inkbunny, SoFurry, etc. Users: If I have done commission work for you, permission to display on your page(s) is given.
Method of Payment: Check, Money Order, or Cash only. Electronic payment (paypal, etc.) is not accepted.
Due to an incident with a troll, I will now be doing the following:
AGE CHECK WILL NOW BE INFORCED! I will now be checking your age in your profile info. If I do not see an age, or if I see something unrealistic (ie: age: 600) I will ask for it. If you are under 18, your request/trade/commission will be "G" rated.
(On that note: If you are under 18, I ask, and hope that you've enabled the content filter in "Account Settings") BE HONEST!
If I reject you for whatever (or even no reason) whatsoever, do not turn around and call me, or any other artist "unprofessional". It is well within our rights as artists to do so, and being given a piece of art, especially when its free, is a privilage, not a right, and not an entitlement. Being called "unprofessional" is a serious impugnment of character, and should not be thrown at us lightly.
Sorry if I now sound like a hard-ass, but I need to take a stand.
My "Credentials":
Education:
Assoc. Science- Commercial Arts. 1997. Honolulu Community College
Bachelors Arts- Art. 2003 University of Hawaii at Manoa
Exhibited Work:
College Art 1999
Published Work:
Blue Fur #2. 1996
Furloose #12. 1996
Rowrbrazzle #52 pt. 5. 1997
Skunk Aficionado #1-3. 1997-1998
Evil Cat: The Black Merriah Portfolio. 1997
Technicolor Dreams/Further Dreams Vol. 1-2. 1999-2000
Untamed #1-6. 1998-2000
Falena: Doe in Bondage CD Portfolio. 2007
The Artwork of New Technicolor Dreams. 2007
The "H-Bomb Hukilau"....'Fo Realz?
Posted 7 years agoOk, here's a breakdown of what happened to me today:
8:00ish am: I was eating breakfast when my dad came in asking if I've recieved any warning of a "inbound ballistic missile" on my phone. After turning it on, (which I had left off for 2 weeks due to robocalling) I did receive one after a few minutes. Maybe it's because I'm still getting over the flu, but I didn't seem to react with a great deal of alarm or urgency. Either that, or it was because of the fact that I was watching Fox News (Yes, I'm one of those people, and I'm not ashamed to admit it), but seeing how they, or any of the other cable news networks, which would occasionally interrupt with actual news didn't break from their usual Trumpdump. Or that all the broadcast channels were still showing college basketball (save for one, which did broadcast the aforementioned HiCD warning), something didn't add up to me. And there were no warning sirens either.
Sure enough, 40 minutes or so later, I was proven right: Fasle Alarm caused by some one pushing the wrong button.....OOOOOPPPSSSSS!
I could go on with my feelings about all this, but as I said, I have the flu, and I'm having a time just to put this down, so I'll just say this:
All those cartoons you've seen me draw spoofing this isn't me not taking this seriously, it's me trying to cope with what is otherwise a very intolerable situation.
...And there will be more of them.... cartoons I mean.
8:00ish am: I was eating breakfast when my dad came in asking if I've recieved any warning of a "inbound ballistic missile" on my phone. After turning it on, (which I had left off for 2 weeks due to robocalling) I did receive one after a few minutes. Maybe it's because I'm still getting over the flu, but I didn't seem to react with a great deal of alarm or urgency. Either that, or it was because of the fact that I was watching Fox News (Yes, I'm one of those people, and I'm not ashamed to admit it), but seeing how they, or any of the other cable news networks, which would occasionally interrupt with actual news didn't break from their usual Trumpdump. Or that all the broadcast channels were still showing college basketball (save for one, which did broadcast the aforementioned HiCD warning), something didn't add up to me. And there were no warning sirens either.
Sure enough, 40 minutes or so later, I was proven right: Fasle Alarm caused by some one pushing the wrong button.....OOOOOPPPSSSSS!
I could go on with my feelings about all this, but as I said, I have the flu, and I'm having a time just to put this down, so I'll just say this:
All those cartoons you've seen me draw spoofing this isn't me not taking this seriously, it's me trying to cope with what is otherwise a very intolerable situation.
...And there will be more of them.... cartoons I mean.
20 Years of VCL!
Posted 8 years agoNot only is this year my 10th annifursary here, but it also marks 20 years of being on VCL as well! It's probably where most of you first saw my work, and it's still updated, including all my commissioned work, and some pics that are exclusive to that site, not just my old, old stuff, but some new ones as well.
Go check it out;
http://us.vclart.net/vcl/Artists/EK-Goya/
20th Annifursary pic:
http://us-p.vclart.net/vcl/Artists/.....g_vcl20yrs.jpg
Go check it out;
http://us.vclart.net/vcl/Artists/EK-Goya/
20th Annifursary pic:
http://us-p.vclart.net/vcl/Artists/.....g_vcl20yrs.jpg
