2010 - What a ride!

Phew! What an amazing year! 2010 is definitely one of those year which is full of fond memories. 

First off - work has been awesome! Secured a full time gig at PMP Digital - working for a client (The Good Guys). Initially, I started off as a designer, supposedly working on press ads and catalogs, doing changes etc. After a month here, I realised the job I'm doing is more of a senior designer. I'm happy doing that honestly, cos that means I get to be more creative and not get bored doing tedious price changes. But now, after having a new studio manager and changes of the process on how catalogs are created, I'm now officially one of the art directors. And of course, it came with a pay rise! Atmosphere at work is normally fun, we tend to make the best out of a bad situation by joking about it. 'You're all idiots' is one of the joke we have around the studio and every now and then, someone still use that line.... (pic: top row, center) Why so serious eh?

Then, the move. Both Peter and I moved to Footscray, which is populated by Viets. I really don't mind this place at all. It's close to the train station (not that I catch the train much) and Vietnamese restaurants and market. The only complain would be it's facing the main road, the traffic noise takes a while to get used to. And like all move, it involves shopping for new furniture etc and I must say, we did pretty well (pic: top row second from right).

Oh, not forgetting this little incident - when we moved to this new house, the cat, Rascal (pic: top row, far right), escaped after the first night. He was gone for 2 weeks and we pretty much lost hope of ever finding him. Maybe he was eaten by some Viets (just joking) but eventually, he showed up. 

Next up... at long last... I bought the dream car! Well actually not dream cos it has never occur to me that one day, I'll be driving a Mercedes yet alone a SLK (pic: top row, second from left). Yes, it might be a used SLK but still, from driving a beat up Honda Civic Coupe to driving this, the difference is massive. I"M LOVING IT!

Another fond memory, Little Drew and her obsession with markers (pic: bottom row, far left), well actually obsession with getting her arms, legs and feet inked! She absolutely loves it. Whenever she comes around, the first thing she will do is go straight to her little box where all her toys and markers are kept, give my shirt a little tug and get me to ink her. I told her mom she might grow up being a tattoo artist or at least get tattooed

And then, there's Peter (pic: bottom row, center) and his support on my tattooing hobby/business. He's the first one who agreed on giving up his left arm for me to experiment on new techniques in tattooing. It is still an on going project though so hopefully, I get the time to do more work on his arm (pic: bottom row, far right). And with his support, a few other people, contacted me via email to get work done on them. It is situation like these that boost my self esteem and gave me the confidence to go all out and do a good job. Money made from these tattoo sessions were invested in getting more supplies and better equipment. It's all working out great and I've got at least 4 more cllients that wants work done in early 2011 so tune in for updates!

Last but not least, Hamish (pic: bottom row, second from left) and Ritchie (pic: bottom row, second from right). Over the year, I did multiple trips to Sydney, for both work (freelance, check out the website I designed from scratch at http://www.flatearth.com.au) and visiting old friends and most of the time, I stayed with Ritchie. He is the one who gave me his tattoo machine to do work on. I wouldn't be tattooing today if it weren't for him. So thank you Ritchie (love ya bra!) and Hamish - the retriever who sleeps with me when I stayed with Ritchie. On one occasion, when I was drunk, I thought the dog died beside me cos he was shaking then stopped with his mouth open slightly, on his back with his legs all stiff pointing upwards. And that gave me the biggest scare in 2010! (Hamish was just playing dead I was told later on, what a bastard!) 

P/S: A big thank you for those who made this an awesome year... Peter Knight for being the best housemate, Ritchie Isherwood & Stilliano Doussis for being the best buddies, George and Cliff for my updates of Sydney, Tim Stranks for the tattoo books, Max Croft for being my regular client (tattoos), Hilary Grant and Peter Reid for the opportunity to work on your company profile and website, all Airport West PMP Digital colleagues, my sister for her instant noodles supplies, Mom & Dad for the support - mentally and financially and all you other party animals out there whom we've partied together!

2 design + 5 hours + 2 happy clients

Last Saturday was probably the best day when it come to my own tattooing business. I did 2 tattoos for 2 different client and I must say, I'm stocked with the outcome and so are they. I am getting exposure, more and more people are asking if I could do them. My response is always the same - MY PLEASURE!

Matthew, a friend I've known quite a while wanted his first tattoo and I get the pleasure of doing his first. The design is an Aboriginal cave painting of a man holding a bow. His idea was to add more as time goes by, rounding up his lower leg/ankle. It's a fairly straight forward and simple design, it actually took me longer to set up than to do the tattoo itself.

Photo courtesy of Matthew

Next, was Max Croft. He was the guy whom I did a tattoo for few months ago. He saw my sketches here on the blog, liked one of them and contacted me to get it done. Anyway, for this piece, he wanted to add more colour and expand the existing tattoo he's got on his right arm. The brief was, roses, as colourful as possible and integrate the old with the new. 

The before and after shot. Sorry about the quality of the photo. I will post a better photo once the tattoo heals up.

Courtesy of Tim

Thank to Tim for the new addition to my tattoo design library. Now I'm inspired, with lots of new ideas on tattoos. Now who wants a tattoo?? J

A quickie...

Phew... jeebus. Been crazily flat out lately. First, designing a company profile, followed by a website (first round creative done, thank god) and yesterday, did a tattoo of a chrysanthemum for Peter (an on going project, eventually, his left arm is gonna be covered with Japanese design tatts) and now working on a sketch for another client's existing tattoo.

I was gonna upload a pic of the chrysanthemum but the bruising around the area makes the design a bit too dark. I will post the pic soon, once it heal so stay tune...

Animator Vs Animation

Animator vs. Animation II by *alanbecker on deviantART

City of Life and Death (Nanjing, Nanjing)- Watch it

If there is one movie you watch for 2010, make it City of Life and Death, especially if you are Chinese or interested in history of China. I've grown up listening to my elders talk about the atrocity of the Nanking Massacre but what I saw in the film was beyond imagination. Unlike Shindler's List or John Rabe, this film focuses not on one particular hero in this kind of atrocities, but the countless ordinary people suffering from the horrors of war. Director Lu did an excellently balanced view, some may say too balanced, from the civilians and the soldiers - Chinese and Japanese alike during the rape of Nanking. The subject matter is profound, the acting is top-notch, the cinematography is excellent, however, the pacing is deliberately slow to match the mood of the film.

Synopsis
City of Life and Death takes place in 1937, during the height of the Second Sino-Japanese War. The Imperial Japanese Army has just captured the then-capital of the Republic of China, Nanjing. What followed was known as the Nanking Massacre, or the Rape of Nanking, a period of several weeks wherein tens of thousands of Chinese soldiers and civilians were killed. The film tells the story of several figures, both historical and fictional, including a Chinese soldier, a schoolteacher, a Japanese soldier, a foreign missionary, and John Rabe, a Nazi businessman who would ultimately save thousands of Chinese civilians.

[Click to watch the trailer]

Comment 1
I'm an overseas Chinese, growing up listening to my grandfather telling the stories about how bad the Japanese Military treating the Chinese people in WWII. I saw some of the movies made back in the 80's/90's about the rape of Nanking, to me they are exploitation movies and never affected me or leave me with profound experience. I'm actually disgusted with them making such low movies. Also most of the documentaries I watched never really does anything.

I watched Nanjing! Nanjing! - City of Life and Death tonight and it really drained me emotionally, the movie really depicting the real face/real ugly side of war, where the victims are always the people, doesn't matter what wars or which countries.

The movie itself doesn't really do the finger pointing like other movies, but it just showing, in my opinion, the fair view on what was going on back then without taking sides. And it shows one thing, the most profound thing to me, that The Chinese people can endure a lot of hardship that life throw at them and that's possibly why their cultures and civilization last for a long time.

Highly recommended for people who never really know this part of history, as Chinese I know about it, but for lot of my westerners friends who never been to China, they only heard about it but didn't realize how crazy it was and how significant is this event for the Chinese people. Most people know the atrocities the Nazis did in WWII, but not the Japanese Atrocities.

Comment 2
Since I am not Chinese, or of Chinese extraction, City of Life and Death has a different resonance for me. I know of the Nanking massacre (for which, it has to be said, the Japanese have yet to apologise or even properly acknowledge) from my own interest in history, as well as the John Rabe story (the Nazi who helped save thousands of Chinese civilians, until recalled to Germany since Hitler did not wish to upset his Japanese allies).

Therefore, for me, City of Life and Death retells a fearful part of history, but not one with which I have any direct connection. So while this film may resonate a certain way for Chinese viewers, be they from the mainland, Hong Kong or overseas Chinese, I can tell you that I, as a European, have seldom seen a film so powerful, gripping, dramatic and moving.

City of Life and Death is not nationalistic propaganda or a reversioning for the screen: no punches are pulled. The woman next to me was in tears. So be warned, this is not easy viewing. But by featuring on a few characters, allowing them to become fully three-dimensional human beings (not Chinese, not Asian, but human beings who live, love and feel) director Lu Chuan makes his audience feel and share their fear and terror as the Japanese invaders commit atrocity after atrocity on the fallen city's inhabitants. Never forget, this actually happened. If anything, Lu Chuan soft pedals on the horrors. They are depicted, but are not front and centre. This is not a horror film so gore hounds and ghouls should seek their thrills elsewhere. Rather, it is the arbitrariness with which the Japanese went about their murderous work that scares. Wrong place, wrong time: rape, torture, murder. This wasn't the efficient, methodical murder the Nazis introduced, but rather cold brutality, as a cat toys with a helpless mouse. Unthinking, unreasoning, just because.

Filmed in black and white, City has so many images and scenes that remain fixed in you mind long after the final credits have rolled. Lu Chuan even selects the grain and grading according to the action. The use of colour would, in this case, have weakened the film. But if City of Life and Death were just two hours of suffering it would be unworthy of an audience. So Lu Chuan gives us the central characters of Mr. Tang (John Rabe's secretary), Miss Jiang (a schoolteacher) and Kadokawa (a sensitive Japanese soldier who witness but cannot delay the unspeakable). All of them are helplessly swept up in the maelstrom, which Lu Chuan leavens with scenes of (attempts at) normal life, normal human interaction and naked attempts at survival. These are people with whom one can identify and empathise.

Yet, at heart, City of Life and Death is extremely uplifting. The message, at the end, is positive and optimistic. In writing this review, the film is coming back to me again. What I once read, black and white on a page, has been made real for me and, yes, I'm emotionally moved by it.

If you believe in the power of film, want a break from popcorn entertainment, are looking for a film that can make you feel (as opposed to having your emotions manipulated) then please go see this one. It's rare when I think a film should be seen, deserves to be seen, but City of Life and Death belong in that very rare category.

Comment 3
I finished watching this film two hours ago and the punch in the stomach I received watching it still hurts. I don't recall having received such a punch in my 60 or so years of film watching. Unlike films such as "Schindler's List" or "Empire of the Sun", this film does not take sides. It's like a candid camera operated by an invisible grand master hidden in the crowd or the rubble. It's just there recording events. As a result, despite the fact that it focuses on the big picture, the individual is not lost: Both the Chinese and the Japanese, each and every one of them, in huge crowds are real believable characters. This gives the viewer a grand and horrible sense of presence which is what makes it so painful. It would take courage to watch it again.

Lomographing on Virgin

Bored on flight V880 - SYD - MELB. Iphone FTW!

Battle of Chucks

Whoa... 2 pairs of killer Chucks to choose from. Which one, which one? Padded Collar? Strap Leather? Maybe both?

I love my sneakers. And I love Converse. It has been months since my last pair of sneakers and when I saw these, I just couldn't resist. For now, I just got the 2 Strap Leather. Ultimately, I'm hoping to own both of them. I'll just have to stop eating out for a week or so. Unless you people out there want to get them for me for Christmas. I know Christmas is months away but Christmas in July (here, some Aussies do celebrate that, just because it's winter) is just around the corner. I only associate Christmas with presents. What's the point of Christmas when there is no pressies? Bah hambug!

Retails Advertising

Some of the work I did at the old agency. (Click to enlarge)

Press Ads

Top End Kitchen Catalogue

Digital Camera Catalogue

ADOC - Business card/s?

Ok... I think it's time for me to really pull my finger out and get down to business. First step - get the business card done then apply for an ABN.

Why didn't I do it earlier? Because I'm lazy.

Why do it now? Read on...

2 weeks ago, got an email from someone who wanted a tattoo. To top it off, the tattoo he wanted is a sketch I did a while back. He said he was browsing through the blog, saw the sketch and decided he want to get it tattooed on his arm. Talk about boost in self esteem!!

Apart from that, I have also worked on a company profile for a friend (corporate). Finished all the stationary for them and now they want a website before the end of next month.

At the moment, with my full time job, designing a website and trying to sketch 2 tattoo designs, things are a little crazy. But it's all happening!

Anyway, enough about the rant. I have 2 different business card designs done and I'm not sure which one to go with. It would be bloody awesome if you can help me out by voting which one you like best (left of page, under profile).

Business Card A                                                Business Card B

Graffiti on a whole new Level

COMBO a collaborative animation by Blu and David Ellis (2 times loop) from blu on Vimeo.




BIG BANG BIG BOOM - the new wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.


direction and animation by BLU

Melbourne International Film Festival 2010

Hey hey. So, the MIFF is happening again. This will be the first MIFF since moving to Melbourne and after looking at the guide on what's on this year, I can't wait to go check out some of them. There are a lot that sounds really interesting but can't really do them all. I would be happy if I manage to check out a few of the following...

Program Guide 2010

Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll

UK, 2010 (Backbeat)

"The moral of this story is don't go looking for morals to stories, and if you want a message, fuck off down the post office."

An elder statesman of the punk movement gets a rollicking biopic, miles away from the sentimentality of recent music biographies like Walk the Line or Ray. Ian Dury was a hard-living, hard-hitting punk rocker who made no apologies and was quick to lash out at anyone foolish enough to pity his polio disability.

Delving into his tough childhood, his narcissism, and his rise and inevitable fall, Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll gives a definitive account of Dury’s life. Features standout performances from Andy Serkis (Gollum from The Lord of the Rings) as Dury and Ray Winstone as his father.

More information: http://www.sex-drugs-rock-roll-thefilm.com/

Taqwacore: The Birth of Punk Islam

Canada, 2009 (Backbeat)

I am an Islamist! I am the Antichrist!'

It’s not often that a book can start its own musical movement, but Michael Muhammad Knight’s 2003 novel The Taqwacores, about a group of Islamic punk rockers, inspired a new generation of American Muslims frustrated by the constraints of their religion to rebel through punk rock.

Touting the contradictory mix of religion and anarchy in this emerging subculture, Taqwacore follows Knight as he rounds up Taqwacore bands and tours them through the US – where they play to unappreciative rednecks and religious zealots – before staging a concert in the heart of Pakistan, much to the bemusement of the locals.

More information: http://www.taqwacore.com/

Villalobos
Germany, 2009 (Backbeat)

“The goal is to use all frequencies, the whole range… It's the only thing we can do. It's our expression.” – Ricardo Villalobos

A legend on dance floors from Berlin to Tokyo, DJ Ricardo Villalobos has transformed the club scene with his personal brand of minimal techno and house, influenced heavily by his love of early jazz. Building tracks from the quiet solitude of his studio – ported to the public through the bass-heavy thump of the clubs – he has built a reputation as one of the most sought-after DJs in the world.

More information: http://www.romuald-karmakar.de/info.html

Cooking History

Austria/Slovakia/Czech Republic, 2009 (Documentaries)

6 wars, 10 recipes, 60,361,024 dead.

If the cooks went on strike would there still be war? Pondering this question and looking at six of the greatest, bloodiest wars of Europe’s past, Cooking History is a culinary excursion through the field kitchens of battles fought, lost and won.

With sprinklings of sly humour and a pinch of stylised creativity, filmmaker Peter Kerekes (66 Seasons) interviews head chefs who have cooked in battles ranging from World War II to Chechnya, some of whom fed the enemy with their food and others who poisoned them. Their stories are funny, tragic, dark and invariably entertaining.

More information: http://www.cookinghistory.net

Cowboys in Paradise

Singapore, 2009 (Documentaries)

The unassuming film that inflamed an internet controversy and raised the ire of Indonesian authorities.

After meeting a 12-year-old Indonesian boy who announced “When I grow up, I want to sex-service Japanese girls,” filmmaker Amit Virmani saw the makings of a greater story.

In this entertaining documentary he uncovers the phenomenon of Bali’s ‘Kuta Cowboys’ – the bronzed beach ambassadors who’ve made Bali one of the world’s leading destinations for holiday romance. Interviewing the Cowboys and the visiting women taking part in these fleeting dalliances, Virmani presents a myth-shattering perspective on a tropical utopia, showing that paradise always exists elsewhere.

Virmani has weathered a wave of condemnation in the wake of the online release of the film’s trailer, with Bali locals fearful it would tarnish the island’s reputation, as well as those of the interviewees.

More information: http://www.cowboysinparadise.com/index.html

The Mouth of the Wolf

Italy, 2009 (Documentaries)

Documentary and fiction is blurred to striking effect in this love story between a macho ex-con and a transsexual, former drug addict.

Mary and Enzo’s unusual union commenced behind prison bars and now plays out against the bruised backdrop of Genoa. The memories of this fading world – beautifully captured through a wealth of vintage footage of the waterfront city – act as a poetic counterpoint to a relationship as fractured as its setting.

Drawing comparisons to Terence Davies' Of Time and the City and Peter Schreiner's Toto, Pietro Marcello’s debut exudes a maturity that belies his young age. Winner of multiple awards, including Best Documentary at this year’s Berlin Film Festival

“I had just come out of a bakery and met this man [Enzo]. We began chatting and he shows me the bullet hole marks in his leg. The film was born from that conversation.” – filmmaker Petro Marcello

Karaoke

Malaysia, 2009 (First Encounters)

“What is the reality of our environment and why are we unable to see past the illusion of this place we call home?” – filmmaker Chris Chong Chan Fui

Against a backdrop of bright, fast-paced karaoke pop this unhurried coming-of-age tale moves with the leisurely languor of a humid Malaysian afternoon, as a young man returns from Kuala Lumpur after a two-year absence to find that life in his village home has moved on without him.

A reflection on homecoming and the gap between fantasy and reality, filmmaker Chris Chong Chan Fui follows Betik as he helps out at his mother’s karaoke bar, a place where the locals come to sing their troubles away – and where Betik finds that he’s out of tune with the people that surround him.

More information: http://m-appeal.com/M-Appeal.com/our_films/Seiten/KARAOKE.html

Brotherhood

Denmark, 2009 (International Panorama)

More than just a gay neo-Nazi film.

Violent and affectionate, brutal and touching, Nicolo Donato’s feature debut is a tale that delves into the dichotomy of homosexuality within the ranks of skinheads.

The clandestine lovers are Lars, a young man who leaves the army for the fist-happy camaraderie of the ‘brotherhood’, and his mentor Jimmy. For two men accustomed to beating up on homosexuals, the unfolding of a delicate romance challenges their world views.

Brotherhood has won multiple awards, including an award for best film at the Rome Film Festival.

More information: http://www.myspace.com/broderskab

Cell 211
Spain/France, 2009 (International Panorama)

“Satisfyingly intense… keeps the viewer tightly handcuffed.” – Variety 

A gritty, edge-of-your-seat thriller filled with powerhouse performances and calculated twists, this multi-award-winning film from filmmaker Daniel Monzón (The Kovak Box) locks you behind its four walls and doesn’t let up.

When a riot breaks out in one of Spain’s most notorious prisons the inmates take over, led by Bad Ass, the toughest prisoner of them all. Juan, a new prison guard getting a grand tour of facilities, soon finds himself on the wrong side of the fence – and to survive he’ll have to convince the jailbirds that he’s one of them.

“A jeopardy-laden buddy thriller as two uneasy allies’ agendas twist around each other like a DNA helix.” – Screen International

Welcome to the Rileys

USA, 2010 (International Panorama)

Jake Scott – son of Ridley Scott (Alien), nephew of Tony (True Romance) – propagates the family filmmaking gene with this new take on the chivalry-for-the-destitute theme.

Doug (James Gandolfini) searches outside his marriage for sexual fulfilment following the death of his teenage daughter and the refusal of his wife (Melissa Leo) to leave the house. At a strip club in New Orleans, he finds Mallory (Kristen Stewart, admirably shaking off the constraints of her Twilight role) who looks remarkably like his deceased daughter. Striking up a platonic relationship with Mallory, he attempts to offer her a brighter future.

“It reveals how taking risks and leaving our comfort zone can become a profound path to healing the human heart.” – Sundance Film Festival

City of Life and Death

China, 2009 (Neighbourhood Watch)

“Gut-wrenchingly up close and personal.” – Variety

Filmmaker Lu Chuan (Kekexili: Mountain Patrol, MIFF 2004) shows the ‘Rape of Nanking’ to be an appropriate and horrific title for the atrocities committed in the then capital of China during the Japanese invasion of 1937. In just six weeks over 300,000 people were killed and many more raped and tortured by Japanese soldiers.

In gritty black and white, City of Life and Death depicts the battle from both sides. At times both violent and harrowing, it gives new perspective on events that still lay heavy in the hearts of the Chinese, and remain a point of contention for the Japanese.

Lu’s visceral feature has garnered multiple awards, including the Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Director at the 2009 Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

Lola

France/Philippines, 2009 (Neighbourhood Watch)

“Though arthritic and weary, these two gray panthers offer a sharp, unsentimental portrait of cunning and determination.” –Village Voice

In the permanently flooded district of Malabon in Manilla a grandmother (or lola in Tagalog) grieves for her grandson, murdered by a thief. The thief’s own lola collects money to help her grandson avoid prison. Connected by crime, two resilient women find themselves linked inexorably to each others’ fates.

The Philippines’s most prolific contemporary auteur, award-winning filmmaker Brillante Mendoza (Slingshot, MIFF 2008) offers up a poignant slice of social realism, a neorealist-influenced take on the strength of family, the wisdom of age and the sacrifices made in the name of both.

Mai Mai Miracle

Rendered in the celebrated style of animator Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle), Mai Mai Miracle is an imaginative adventure story adapted from Nobuko Takagi’s autobiographical novel about growing up in rural post-war Japan.

Splice

Canada/France, 2009 (Night Shift)

Science’s newest miracle is a big, big mistake.

Almost a century after Frankenstein’s monster first lumbered across cinema screens, Splice proves the ‘humans as God’ horror genre never goes out of fashion.

With the support of executive producer Guillermo Del Toro and the influence of Canadian ‘body horror’ compatriot David Cronenberg, filmmaker Vincenzo Natali (Cube) wrangles his biggest budget yet to concoct something totally unpredictable.

Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley play superstar genetic engineers who add human DNA to their latest hybrid. The result is a creature with a startling amalgamation of limbs, a growth rate that’s off the chart, and a range of needs of its own.

“Splice explores our relationship to technology and the doors it unlocks. It pushes us to places we’re unable, or afraid, to go.” – filmmaker Vincenzo Natali

More information: http://www.splicethefilm.com

The Great Wave of Hokusai

I have always been a fan of Japanese art, especially traditional ones. This wood block print - The Great Wave of Hokusai is definitely one of my favourite and it's one of the most reproduce artwork in the world.

In The Great Wave, there are three boats among the turbulent, broken waves. The boats mold into the shapes of the engulfing waves. Tiny humans are tossed around under giant waves, while the sacred, enormous, snow-capped Mt. Fuji is just a hill in the distance. These swift boats, called Oshiokuribune in Japanese, transported fresh fish, dried sardines and the like, early in the morning, to fish markets off the Edo (now Tokyo) Bay, from fishing villages on the Bohso Peninsula.

This is a seascape with Mt. Fuji. The waves form a frame through which we see Mt. Fuji. Hokusai loved to depict water in motion: the foam of the wave is breaking into claws which grasp for the fishermen. The large wave forms a massive yin to the yang of empty space under it. The impending crash of water brings tension into the painting. In the foreground, a small peaked wave forms a miniature Mt. Fuji, which is reflected hundreds of miles away in the enormous Mt. Fuji, which shrinks through perspective; the wavelet is larger than the mountain. Instead of shoguns and nobility, we see tiny fishermen huddled into their sleek crafts; they slide down a seamount and dive straight into the wave to make it to the other side. The yin violence of Nature is dismissed by the yang relaxed confidence of expert fishermen.

3 weeks ago, I made an appointment with Kane, a tattoo artist at Sideshow Tattoo at Moonee Ponds. I have heard good things about Sideshow but didn't know which artist is good and which isn't. So getting Kane to do my tattoo is more of a coincidence. He was the one who came up and took my appointment and like any other tattoo studio, the one who took the appointment and brief, generally take up the job unless you are the studio manager or apprentice. To be honest, I could not be happier for him to do it. He is not your typical tattoo artist -  arrogant, smug and egoistic. He had no problem sharing his knowledge in tattooing, which is something I appreciate the most (and the awesome tattoo he did on me of course). He was showing me all kinds of little techniques of shading, colour applications, different needles and what they do. This is priceless, especially for someone like me who aspire to be a better tattoo artist.

Now about the tattoo process.... I do have a few tattoos on me, one took more than 10 hours to complete but this piece is by far the most painful. It hurts the most when it hit the tendons. You know that hot searing pain you get when you accidently knock your elbow at the corner of the table? Imagine having that feeling for 30 minutes straight.

Even though the pain were a bit unbearable at times, Kane, being a professional he is, kept checking if I'm alright and we were constantly chatting about tattoos, the industry and music. The tattoo is now healing fine, almost 100%. I will post more pictures of it soon. As for Kane, here's a little message for ya buddy - So when can I dig your brains again?!

Marilyn Manson's art - Scarier than Music

US shock rocker Marilyn Manson has unveiled his latest series of paintings in Europe.

The 41-year-old singer-songwriter has previewed some of his artwork ahead of the opening of a joint exhibition in Vienna, Austria, and says he finds exhibiting his art scarier than performing on stage.

Manson, real name Brian Hugh Warner, has created a series of watercolours for the show, titled Genealogies of Pain - a collaboration with Oscar-nominated film director David Lynch at Vienna's Kunsthalle gallery. Lynch has contributed a series of short films.

The pair previously teamed up in 1997 for Lynch's film Lost Highway, in which Manson played the role of a porn star.

He admitted he was apprehensive about seeing his work displayed for people to criticise. Speaking at a preview of the exhibition he said: 

“I feel very comfortable when I’m on stage in front of thousands of people. However, it’s quite frightening to come into a room that is full of my pictures and people looking at them.

“Art gives me the freedom I don’t have when I make music. In music you feel a connection to the voice and think about the person behind it. In art that’s secondary.”

The singer has cause to be nervous; at his first ever exhibition,The Golden Age of Grotesque held in Los Angeles in 2002, was likened to the work of a "psychiatric patient given materials to use as therapy" by one art critic.

The Disposable Teens singer – who is engaged to actress Evan Rachel Wood – admitted he is so protective of his art, he won’t show anyone his work until he is completely satisfied with it.

He added to Austria’s Kurier newspaper: “When I finish a picture I don’t show it to anyone if I feel it’s not good enough yet. I’ve learnt to listen to my partners and my friends. For me it’s the biggest success if they like it.”

The 41-year-old rocker’s work is selling for around $AU60,000 – with the singer hoping the hefty price tag stops people from buying the pieces.

He said: “The prices are so high because I’m hoping no one will buy them.”

Google Goofs

Google is probably the leading search engine most internet users used on a daily basis, but did you know that it's loaded with pranks, goofs and add-ons?

By searching for "Google Pig Latin" you can choose to have Pig Latin Google as your home page. It's just one of dozens of tricks you can play by hitting the I'm Feeling Lucky button on the Google Homepage.

And if you think you are bigger than Google, then try customise your search engine home page with your own name or phrase. To do that, search "Google Funny" and instead of the google title being displayed front and centre, you can have whatever you want. My favourite is Eric Is Awesome!! :)

Or are you a scholar looking for more sophisticated references? By searching for "Google Beta" you are given access to all the articles, journals and legal opinions you could hope for.

And are you unable to get on to Facebook - or any other site for that matter - because the boss has blocked it? Just type in cache:facebook.com and your problems are solved.

Too many searches and not enough time? Just type in "googlegooglegooglegoogle" and you will be given four smaller google screens on your page to hunt for four different things at the one time.

Ho cool is that?

P/S : If you guys reading already know about these little goofs, then tough luck! If not, have fun trying... :)

Submission to Threadless... again.

Hi guys. I have this design submitted and it is up for voting at threadless. If you have a few minutes to spare, please sign up to threadless (it's free) and vote. I will love you forever for that :)

Score this design: "Like Toy Soldier," to help it get printed on Threadless!

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Ex-No Boundaries in Brunswick

Over the weekend, I've got some friends visiting from Malaysia. These are the people I used to work with and still keep in touch. It was good seeing them again, speak some Chinese and show them Melbourne. 

We didn't get to do a whole lot because of time but did manage to show them Hosier Lane (I reckon most designers would appreciate that place and in this case, they are all designers), The Roof Top Cinema at Curtain House, some exotic cafes and some good shops for street wear and books. All those were done in the city. We also had a wander around Victoria Market and after that, drove to Brunswick (how could I not show them this beauty of a place?).

Cruising down Brunswick Street, we saw an older guy in his full punk rock gear, giving us flyers about a designers market, which is just around the corner from where we were. Had to check that out and trust me, you can easily spend a few bucks here. All independent designers showing off the products they make themselves, this place has got a really hip feel to it. Maybe I should start doing stuff and start up a stall there myself. But I'm too lazy.

After the market, we pretty much walked up and down the street then head off to Smith Street where all the factory outlets are. First stop, NIKE and guess what, I bought another pair of sneakers. Classic NIKE DUNK. God damn it, I have been telling myself not to buy anymore sneakers before getting there but after seeing this pair of sneakers and it's only $50 bucks, I couldn't resist.

Ken & Markus cruising the streets.

Brunswick / Fitzroy

Ken & Showey

SKULL CANDY

While cruising the street of Brunswick, I found a store that carry Skull Candy Headphones with 20% discount. Bought 2, 1 for myself and another for a friend's birthday. When I got home and open the packaging, there are more than just headphones inside. There's a velvet tot bag, a Skull Candy bandana and the best part is the LIFETIME WARRANTY!!! If you break you headphone from aggressive music listening, slammed in your locker, car door, run over by a car, running into a wall, road biking sky diving, beating your boyfriend, blown up in an accidental experimentation with explosives or damaged in any other way, you get 50% refund. If it's any other faulty parts, it's full warranty. I repeat...FULL WARRANTY!!!

This is MINE!!!