I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!
Why a dragon? Next year is the year of the dragon in Chinese zodiac!

xxx Chie

1001 COMICS YOU MUST READ BEFORE YOU DIE

Long time no see!!!
I've been busy for some projects which will be published next year and will be busy at least until mid January... Sob... No I shouldn't be sobbing... Busy is good, busy is good (hypnotising myself...)

Anyway! I have a good news for you!
The great book called 1001 COMICS YOU MUST READ BEFORE YOU DIE is out in UK! (click the title to jump to its Amazon page)

It has everything you should know about great comics (including some great manga too) and I wrote some introductory review of my favorite manga, such as Bleach by Taito Kubo and Honey & Clover by Chika Umino! Yay!

It's a must read and also I think it will be a great Christmas present!

Where I'll be in July!

Time flies like an arrow!!!
I can't believe it's already mid July... (；´Д`)

Big thanks for those who pop in my space at London Film and Comic Con!! It was a great fun! I even had a peek of Harry Potter casts!

Anyway, last half of July is also packed with fun fun fun.

22nd (Fri) to 24th (Sun), I am attending Hyper Japan at Olympia two, which is one of the biggest Japanese culture festival in UK.

And 30th (Sat), I will be at London Anime Con 3!
I and Inko will try something new there, so even though you've already familiar with our manga portrait, you should come to check it out!!

Japan Expo, Paris France

Very quick post about the exciting event I'm going to join!
I'm going to Paris to attend the epic Japan Expo!!
It runs from Thursday 30th of June to Sunday 3rd of July, yes big weekend!
My space number is Z246 in the hall 5A and I'm sharing it with my lovely friends Inko and Nipponaisuki.
If you are coming to the event, please pop in my space too!! Let's chat about some yaoi, Hetalia, Tiger and Bunny and on and on and on...!

Please check Japan Expo website for the detail.

Hi with another character design sketch I did during my stay at Nemacon, Middlesbrough.
It was really really nice even as usual. A lot of friendly people and manga enthusiasts (especially Yaoi and Hetalia fan boys and girls! Nice to see you all!)!!
Thank you all for visiting my table. I strongly hope you all had a good fun.
And thank you for the hospitality of the wonderful organizers and staff!

Ok, this weekend, I'll be at the Asahi Anime Festival @ Brighton!
It's Saturday and Sunday event starts form 11:00.
Please check the detail at their website!

See you there!

Where I'll be in June

Hello everyone! Hope you are enjoying early summer (well, it's a bit too cold to enjoy it in London now... But anyway)!
Did you go to MCM Expo? For whom who pop in my table, thank for coming! I hope you enjoyed the event.
Hey, can you guess who pop in? It was Ms.Beckii Cruel! I was honoured to draw her and her friend's portrait!! Beckii with my drawing

Anyway, it is already June and let me tell you where I'll be this month. I'll be quite around! Fun!

Saturday 11th June: On The Road: International Cartoonists in London 4pm – 6pm @Orbita Comics, London

Saturday 18th and 19th June: Nemacon @ Middlesbrough

Saturday 25th and 26th June: the Asahi Anime Festival @ Brighton

Thursday 30th June to 3rd July: Japan Expo @ Paris, France

I'll talk draw and bring some new work all through this June.
Hope to you see out there!

P.S the image is from my sketchbook. He's an early stage design of one of my original characters...

MCM Expo this weekend!!

Long time no see everyone! I've been busy with my work and watching Tiger & Bunny (a new Japanese anime which I am deeply addicted),lols.
And while I'm been drawing around, it's time for May MCM Expo!!
I'll be there at the Comic Village selling my manga books, some prints and postcards (include some fan art ones) and taking some commissions.
Please come and have a chat with me!
Please go to the official MCM Expo site for the event information.

I'm really looking forward to seeing you all!!

Great achievement, Heart Japan!

Heart Japan party last night was really great. I thought it was a great success and I'm praising the really wonderful work by the passionate organizers and all the volunteers!
I also would love to thank you all who come to the event and especially who visited my space and donated generously or/and bought the special postcards. I didn't have a chance to hug you all last night so let me virtually hug you now! Hug hug!
I'm so sure that the people in Japan will really appreciate it...

Pink tinted lip cream

I was listening to a talk about visiting the shelters and towns in Fukushima, Japan. And the guy who was reporting mentioned that the girls at a the shelter he had visited would love to have some tinted lip creams.

This story made me sad and happy. Sad, because they can't even have lip creams. Happy, even in these hardships they now have gathered some energy to care their appearance.

Girls, hung on!

Art Blossom Japan

The wonderful fundraising project Art Blossom Japan  has just launched its website! 

www.artblossomjapan.com

I donated this artwork, which you can buy the original from the site (and of course the sale is all going to be donated to Japan Tsunami Appeal, British Red Cross and the other selected charities. See more detailed info at the site), and there will be more not only from me but from other talented artists too!!

Check it regularly and don't miss!

Charity events schedule

I'm attending some charity events in April!

Firstly, in Woodstock near Oxford, there is an two days event this weekend.

Japanese Cultural Experience, Marlborough School, Woodstock

To find out the detail, go to Helping Hands for Japan website.

And, on 20th, it's the Heart Japan party---! It is at Vibe Bar, Brick Lane, London. Well, this is for 18 over, sorry!

I'll do some manga portraits, workshops and maybe  wall drawing too! Come! Have a fun and do something good too!!

Unite

Together

 As most of you know, Japan, my home country is seriously damaged.

I had been panicked and cried for a couple of weeks even though my relatives and friends in Japan are ok. It was simply a greatest shock I've ever experienced and I  just felt so helpless.

However, sobbing time has finished. I've decided to do what I can do in UK to support Japan.

Now, I'm involving with some Japan related charity events and projects.

Firstly, ART BLOSSOM JAPAN, which is organized by some of my best friends, Juan-Carlos Cambón (Nipponaisuki), Zarina Liew(Cobalt Cafe) and co.

"The ART BLOSSOM JAPAN project was set up to help raise relief funds and send a message of support to the Japanese people. The project’s aim is to unite and gain support from Manga/ Comic artists and Illustrators and communities from all parts of the world. A project created by artists, for artists, to come together and offer their skills and their blossoming creations in what they love to do in order to help others in need."

The website is coming soon! Meanwhile if you have any enquiries, email to: artblossomjapan@gmail.com

Secondly, 「日本頑張れ」　You can submit your own work which contain message to support Japan to this site and later selected submission will be included for an exhibition!

And then, there is a big Heart Japan J-Pop / Anime Fundraiser party on 20th of April at Vibe Bar, Brick Lane, London. Their website should be launched soon, but you can check it out at their FB page.

At this Heart Japan Party and Helping Hands For Japan events at Oxford area, I am going to do manga portrait. And of course a part of the sale is going to be donated through each events.

Also, I designed a special postcard for fundraising, well the image you can see in this post is the one. I am going to sell this at all the events I attend from now on and all the sale from this card is going to be donated to appropriate charity organizations (most probably Red Cross, but I change to where I donate according to the situation, so I'll keep inform you about it here).

So, if you see this postcard, please buy it! It's £1.00 each and you'll help Japan! I'm planning to add some more designs, so please check this blog out!

My next public appearance will be Japanese Cultural Experience, Marlborough School, Woodstock, Saturday & Sunday, April 9th & 10th. Check their website for the detail.  Hope to see you there!

daily doodle 1

mango

Chie's recent activities!

Hi all!

I haven't done any greeting for the new year, how rude I am...!

I've been quite busy doing this and that...(つд⊂) sob sob

Here's some news about workshops and talk I'm attending this month.

The first one is this! See the poster? It's a set of manga workshops at Croydon. On 19th, I run one and on 26th, my friend Inko will run another one.

So if you are from this area, please join us. It's free but you have to book a place in advance. See the bottom of the poster for the contact.

Also, I'll be in Glasgow on the afternoon of 24th Feb to attend the wonderful Glasgow Film Festival. I'll join with Paul Gravett and talk about manga. To see the detail, please have a look their website.