How do niche pop cultures influence contemporary Illustration? BY ZAIN MALIK
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First published as Culture - Contemporary Illustration in great Britain 2014 by puffin books. Text and illustrations copyright© Zain Malik / Tiger Aspect Production Limited 2014. charterers in the book of their owners and copyrighted . All rights reserved. First published in the United Sates 2013 by GROSSET & DUNLAP
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07- Introduction
14- Mobile Suit Gundam
24- Golden Compass
31- London MCM
25- Mutant Chronicles
32- Effecting Illustration
09 - Culture
15- Code Geass
11 - Kaiju
17- Kepala Kardus
26- Van Helsing
33- Effecting Culture
12- Godzilla
18- Save and Destroy
27- Jasper Morello
35- Vice Versa
13- Pacific rim
21- Grimbro
27- Steamboy
36- Conclusion
23- Steampunk
29- Keith Thompson
38- Bibliography
14- Power Rangers
Where do the styles of illustrations come from? Christina Gillespie
This publication is a quick guide for an illustrator and everyone alike to better their understanding towards, how popular cultures influences modern illustration. As well as, how these illustrations feeds back into the culture and help it grow. I will be focusing on Kaiju and steampunk, as my examples for pop cultures, which are subjected in contemporary illustration. The subject kaiju is a Japanese word, which translates to “giant monster” . Victoria era with advanced machinery mainly running on steam is called steampunk.
I will be looking at where these popular yet somewhat niche cultures come from and how they help contemporary illustration and image making evolve. I will also be looking at how then, the illustrations in return effect these cultures, so that it almost creates a cycle where illustrators get inspired form the physical aspect such as cosplay, which is short for costume role play and how the illustrations helps the culture, so that would be people who do cosply, would drsup as those illustrations, from the story.
Nanami Cowdroy
GUIDE FOR AN
ILLUSTRATOR 7
The concept of Culture
The concept of culture leapt fully armed from the head of Johann Gottfried Herder in the mid-eighteenth century, and has been embroiled in battles ever since. Kultur, for Herder, is the life-blood of a people, the flow of moral energy the hold society intact.
Culture is much more than a person’s ethnography. Most people understand culture only as someone’s heritage, where they are from, geographically and what their traditions involve. In his book John Storey (2001) says, “Culture is the behaviours and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group”. Which, he then further develops that idea to say it’s not just that, there are several other factors and types it could be broken down or be placed next to, aside theses believes. “Use of the word ‘culture’ might be to suggest a ‘particular way of life, whether of a people, a period or a group’.” This suggests that culture isn’t just about one’s ethics but also what they delve them selves into such as a particular popular culture group. “The second meaning- culture a particular way of life” (John storey, 2001). 9
Culture in constantly being reframed, it becomes alive and present even as we study it. As well as, it’s always forever changing, developing, and moulding our society by attracting audience. In today’s society everyone wants to stand out weather it be what they wear, how they come across and when they deploy their social conventions.
Chinese New Year 2012
Cultures are become more and more niche, this is to attract a certain audience who want to stand out from the rest yet still feel like a part of a community.
Christmas Tree
“The way a society organizes the meaning of this economic production will have a determining effect on the type culture that the society produces, makes possible.” What Karl Marx is trying to tell us in ‘culture theory and popular culture’ is that whatever culture that the society comes up with, be it imaginary, historical or otherwise it always leads up to the culture’s popularity and making an economic impact.”
Pink Tentacle and The Takayoshi Mizuki Collection
Kaiju from Pacific rim
Kaiju is a Japanese word, which translates to “giant monster” . And the films with kaiju are called ‘kaiju- eiga’.
The term Kaiju was first came to be in 1954 . Kaiju is a Subgenre of science fiction and fantasy, which typically features urban areas and giant monster. The most famous Kaiju known is, Godzilla.
Kaiju- eiga Kaiju- eiga are film with have giant mosters. The term originated in Japan and is now well known around the world. In western society where comics are popular such as the USA, comics with giant monsters are referred to as kaju- eiga,
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Godzilla The fist media outlet to introduce the term kaiju, is the Japanese film ‘Godzilla’ in 1954. In which Tokyo gets attacked buy this radioactive giant dinosaur result of a nuclear experiment and these two men who were working on a powerful weapon defeat the monster and destroy the weapon.
Godzilla (1954)
Godzilla (1954)
Duane Swierczynski and Simon Gane’s run on Godzilla
Godzilla (2000)
Ever since the release of this film there have been many remakes and films produces around this concept, some more successful than others, but one of the film that really stood out in its hay day and is still popular is the film ‘King Kong’ released in 2005.
King Kong (2005)
Godzilla (2014) preview v
In 1933 New York, an overly ambitious movie producer coerces his cast and hired ship crew to travel to mysterious Skull Island, where they encounter Kong, a giant ape who is immediately takes a liking to the leading lady Ann Darrow.
He was then captured and brought to New York for people to see, the gorilla frees himself and climbs on to the empire state building, the scene we all remember and donate to this film.
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Pacific Rim- Scene form the film
Pacific Rim- Scene form the film
Pacific Rim poster (2013)
Pacific Rim Recently the word kaiju has exploded all over the media and is no longer a niche culture. This is due to a very current film ‘Pacific Rim’ (2013). In which the human race is threated by these kaijus and the humans build these ‘jagers’, German for hunter. Jager is a giant armor like suit controlled by humans.
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This is a very popular example of the kaiju culture and how it’s moving overseas out of just Japan and eastern Asia and into western society especially in the United States where this film was made. This culture has become more popular and is no longer considered as a niche culture.
Pacific Rim poster (2013)
Power Rangers The concept then had an outburst to the rest of the word, which was introduces by a popular children’s American TV series that was power rangers in 1993. Power rangers features a team of costumed super heroes who have super natural powers and often have animals who have powers. In the later series mechanical animals replace the super natural animals.
The enemy is often theses evil villains born out of myths and legends accidently unleashed by the humankind. During battle the villains transform themselves into giant versions of them and power rangers morph their animals together to make a giant robot like armed creature and defeat the evil.
Power Rangers Collectable poster
Megazord battling the evil monster
Mobile Suit Gungam The concept of kaiju is also used in animation and comic. The first popular animation to take on this concept was in 1979 with a Japanese TV anime series called, mobile suit gundam. There sets in fictional universe far more advanced than ours, where a set of humans declare their independent form earth and start a space colony.
Kaiju monster in Power Rangers
The team delivering the weapon gets attacked. The enemy then gets carried away and starts attacking the nearby colony. A young boy from the colony accidently finds the federation’s new weapon and out of desperation uses it to neutralizes the situation. Armed with their new weapon and recruit, they then go forth to change the course of the war.
They also launch a war against earth, which effects half of the earth’s pollutions. Eight months into the war the earth’s federation develops a secret weapon, which is giant robot suit but as the weapon is being delivered to the base.
Main character with his suit
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Cover for the first series - volume 7
Code Geass Slightly more recent example is the Japanese manga code geass released in 2006. The series is set in an alternative universe where Britannia takes over Japan with their new and improved technology, which are giant battle gear.
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They called the area of Japan eleven and call Japanese people elevens. A prince form Britain was sent to area eleven as a bargaining chip along with his sister.
A group of rebellions start attacking British solders to take back their freedom. The prince becomes friend with an eleven who’s a British solder. He then works with the rebellions to take back Japan.
Kepala Kardus KEPALA KARDUS is a freelance character designer , graffiti artist and toy designer specializes in urban vector. Kepala’s work history includes children’s books, toys and magazines. After seeing his work at the kaiju exhibition in Spain, I interviewed him about his work.
Where did you get your kaiju piece inspiration? My inspiration for kaiju has to come from old TV shows such as Ultraman or Kamen Rider, these two would be where most of my inspiration comes from. If you have a look at my piece ‘Tokyo Kaiju Funland’ I used Doraemon to be a kaiju. These two film would also be the ones where I first came across them.
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The drawings style and the illustration subject that you have is what makes you stand out, where did it come from? I don't know, my style is flowing like water, my inspiration is Simon Legno, Charuca, 123klan, and other urban artist, I really like kawaii and urban art, then why I can combine them, I called it kawaii urban.
The exhibition is Spain, how did you come across it? I had a contact in Spain and he’s an illustrator too. He really likes drawing kaiju, so he invite me to the exhibition, which he holds. For that exhibition I created the Tokyo piece.
Where do you think the culture of kaiju is heading towards? I think in the future the culture of kaiju will still live on and will always develope, I mean we can see it right now, Hollywood is making movies with kaiju themes, and of course Japan will always continue to release the new kaiju monster every year. kaiju movies them selves have become an culture in Japan. And not only just for entertainment.
Save and Destroy ‘Save and destroy’ was an art exhibiton held in Grande, Spain in 2013. The aim of the exhibition was to invite people from around the world and exhibit their art to appreciate the work, get new ideas and develop their own ideas and looking at various formats, people work in. This is what Javier Jimenez the curator of the exhibition had to say:
“The worlds of kaiju-eiga was born in Japan in 1954, and it started with ‘Godzilla’, that was a criticism, not only a film about monsters, but also a criticism to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. The phenomenon gets to the TV as well, with a lot of series like ‘power rangers’, which was also popular here in
Photograph from the exhibition
Paul Shin
Spain. And also, there’s a lot of merchandising around this theme and kids are crazy about it, so well, it gets very popular in Japan. Some series got to Spain too, as well as the rest of the world, so with the exhibition we basically wanted to give an international perspective,
Cat attack
not only Japan, of the phenomenon because there’s a kind of revival now, its getting popular again through art, vinyl toys, illustration, graphic design, here we have eighteen international artists, from Japan, Malaysia, Germany USA, and more, from different disciplines.
We have artists from around the world of comics, like Matt Frank, who is the artist behind the covers of Godzilla’s comic books in the USA. We also have artists from the world of graphic design like SILO, and also people from the world of illustration like Hanzo, who’s from Germany. We wanted every one else to give their opinion on the phenomenon and the truth is that the result is great.”
Pakoto
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Grimbro Upon discovery of this subject and research I came across a very talented artist named ‘Grimbro’, who is freelance digital artist and his work history includes games, gaming magazines and comics. His work is not strictly speaking kaiju but there are elements of these in his work, such as giant monsters. After I confronted with him with a few of his pieces, such as the Kraken and the Godzilla, and weather they are an embodiment of kaiju or not, I did a small Q&A session with him. Following is the result of that:
Godzilla Mutant, Grimbro 2012
Hulk Grimbro 2012
Godzilla Grimbro 2012
Dinosaur Grimbro 2012
How is it that you came across this concept the first time, tell us more about the film and what in particular made you want to illustrate this scene?
The drawings style and the illustration subject that you have is what makes you stand out, where did it come from?
Where do you think the culture of kaiju is heading towards?
Dinosaur Grimbro 2012
Where did you get your kaiju piece inspiration from? I am a huge monster movie fan going back to my youth. I have always loved Kaiju movies. I really wanted to do a series to honor my love for them. The Godzilla piece you chose was the finale. The final image was from the proportions and style of Godzilla 2000 and some reference from some detailed Bandai models. The Kraken came from the movie Clash of the Titans. The inspiration came from my love of special effects master Ray Harryhausen. Much like what I did with Godzilla and Kaiju in 2012 I painted 13 paintings based on Harryhausen's work.
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My goal was to make the monsters look massive and threatening and destructive. I took time to gather up a lot of Godzilla reference and just took from them the best aesthetics. This was the finale of 13 Kaiju paintings I did in 2012. It seemed only natural to end it with The King of the Kaiju. The Kraken image I wanted to look Massive and threatening. Like Godzilla, I gathered up a lot of reference to do honor to the original look of the model. I took only a few liberties.
My style is taken from the cover of monster magazines I grew up loving as a kid. My biggest inspiration is Basil Gogos. I love working in color and he was one of the best at using vibrant colors to show of his paintings of monsters. But I try to get my color and lighting very dynamic so the image jumps out at the viewer.
As for the culture of Kaiju, I know there is the new "American" Godzilla coming out. I am looking forward to that. I enjoyed Pacific Rim but I would have like to see more city destruction. I think right now that the western movie makers are starting to embrace the genre because many people in Hollywood grew up liking these movies. I would eventually like to see Japan do more movies in their style and effects. I really love Shisuke Kaneko's interpretation of Gamera in the 1990's trilogy. I also love his take on Godzilla in GMK: Giant Monsters All Out Attack. I would love to see him do more Kaiju movies in the future.
Passage by Mr. Ignis Ferroque
Nicholas Kole (2006)
The term steampunk started in 1950’s & 60’s but became popular much later in the 80’s. The term was first officially coined in 1987.
It typically features steam-powered machinery, Industrialized Western civilization, 19th century’s British Victorian era Fashion and design heavy , which might not be all functional but may be used for esthetics. The culture of steampunk under takes the genres of fantasy, horror, historical fiction, alternate history and post-apocalyptic time.
Fashion Unlike my other example of a culture, steampunk is focused more on the appearance part. Being part of this particulate culture you have to pay quite a lot of detail to what you are wearing. For practical reasons you wouldn’t wear this in to day to day life but you would were it on a special occasion. 23
Golden Compass (2007)
Golden Compass The film Golden compass released in 2007 is the most popular example which gives a better understanding of
what steampunk actually is. It features machinery powered by steam such as flying boat, gadgets and gizmos and
some fantasy elements such as dusk, which may be the source of life.
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DVD cover Mutant Chronicles
Poster Mutant Chronicles
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Cast Mutant Chronicles
Cast Mutant Chronicles
Mutant Chronicles Mutant chronicals a 2009 film, which is based on a role-playing game from 1993 is also an example of a very successful franchise which under takes the features of steampunk. The game was then developed into a collectable card game, miniature war-game, a novel and even a comic book. The game and the film is set in the future where humans no linger live on planet earth they occupy other four planets in out solar system, venues, mars, mercury and a mysterious planet luna. When the humans first discovered
the planet luna the broke a dark seal and touched an iron plate in the seal it made them to mutate and thus they became the most powerful brotherhood in the universe tied together with the string of dark legion. They then infiltrated the humans and as they came in to contact with technology it stopped working. This created a huge chaos and the brotherhood started to spread plagues, lies, illusions and wars. Out of this a new kind of brotherhood was born, the kind to defeat evil and put evil back in its place.
Film poster Van Helsing
Van Helsing Vampires, werewolves and Frankenstein are also few of the brainchildren of the steampunk genre such as the film Van Helsing 2004, which is a very good example of this. In the film count Dracula kills the mad scientist who created Frankenstein. Angry mobs of humans kill the mutated monster. To take his revenge on humans, count Dracula uses the machine
Screen shot Van Helsing
that created Frankenstein to create more vampire babies. Van Helsing, a vampire slayer come to town and comes across one of the vampire’s three brides. He then follows to kill the vampires with the help of a werewolf girl, whose brother has been compelled by the vampires and is going to be used as a sacrifice to bring thousands of vampire babies to life.
Huge Jackman whilst casting the film
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Jasper Morello The genre of steampunk isn’t just restricted within the film industry, it has made its way in to animation and comics. The mysterious geographical explorations of Jasper Morello, (2005) is an animation based in
Victorian London dealing with a plague. A chap named Jasper Morello goes out and accidently uncovers the cure to the plague on his geographical exploration if you hadn’t guessed by the short title.
Screen shot from the film
Steamboy Steampunk is very much an English invention but it had made its way across the world to Japan during the Meji period around 1912, this is where the feudal era had ended and democracy was brought in. Due to some dramatic changes it started to attract the western world and along with the west came its
culture. Steam boy an animation released in 2004, is done in an anime style is very much a representation of Meji period. Where this young boy is trying to go against evil industrialists lords and stop them form industrialising his home town and other every single part of Japan.
Poster image for the film
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Keith Thompson is a Canadian freelance artist. His work history includes children’s books, book covers, games and magazines.
A lot of thought goes into each of his fantasy pieces, which are provided with short back stories on his website. Most of his work is inspired by steampunk and the designs
are quite explicit. He mostly works with films, moving image and game design and this is where he gets most of his ideas from
Scribe Keith Tompson
Pestilential Keith Tompson
Keith Thompson Where did you get your inspiration from? I love getting the opportunity to really be idle and explore things in my mind. I’m able to conjure up such persistent and intricate places to explore that it’s been a big source of fun since I was very young. I’m voracious for enjoying other people’s imagined worlds, and I spend as much of my spare time as possible doing 29
that as well. When I work I simply schedule time to pace around thinking about interesting parts of a world and all the little details that would be compelling. The real trick is gently directing these worlds to overlap something I have to work on so I can call on them for inspiration.
Sequester Keith Tompson
Tell us about your relation with steampunk and creating your book? The actual process of creating the book was extremely conducive for creating artwork, and work has been quiet and smooth. In fact looking back on the complexities involved, especially in the early stages, shows what good luck was had. The visual designs for
the rest of the book were established very early on without the freedom of time to test them. Since the books are being written as the artwork is created it’s also great that the two visions of the world of Leviathan are running parallel.
London MCM Expo Part of my research led me the London MCM expo, also considered as London comic con. This was mainly to have
quick interviews with people who are in to the steampunk culture. Ever since it gained its popularity, or regained it the
MCM has offered steampunk its own area in the comic con 2012. I went along to see how big it had gotten.
Jewellery and other accessories at the London MCM Expo
I’ve been going to the comic con for a number of years now, but there was a gap and this was the first time I went there after a long time. I was quite surprised how big the industry of steampunk had gotten. Which make me realize that this isn’t a niche culture anymore. There we lots of market stalls displays and all of them selling jewellery and other fashion accessories such as Victorian workman goggles and top hats with gears and other
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mechanical pieces. Everyone who I spoke with, about steampunk said things like they had been desensitized to them and as if wearing costume was norm for them. The other thing I realized was that the more experienced people were there to have fun where as the fairly new comers were there to show off their cosplay. Which in sense going to back to the cultural aspect this is what culture is all about a feel of community
and togetherness. “’the people’ refers neither to everyone nor to a single group within society but to a variety of social groups which, although differing from one another in other respects (their class position or the particular struggles in which they are most immediately
engaged), are distinguished from the economically, politically and culturally powerful groups with in society and are hence potentially capable of being united- of being organized into ‘the people versus the power bloc’ – if there separate struggles are connected.”
Attack on titan is a manga comic published in 2009, the series follows the story of Eren Yeager, his adopted sister Mikasa Ackerman, and their friend Armin Arlert. Image from the original manga
Original manga cover
revenge against the Titans and later enlists in the military, accompanied by Mikasa and Armin. Years later during his first battle against the Titans, Eren discovers that he has the ability to transform into a Titan at will. Seen as a threat to mankind by some, and as a ray of hope by others, Eren joins his companions in a desperate fight to protect what remains of their society while looking for answers to the mysteries surrounding the Titans, the Walls, and his own existence as well. Screen shot from the anime
Screen shot from the anime
Effecting Illustration After the outermost Wall of their town is breached by Titans, which are giants with no mind and eat humans, including the 60-meter tall
skinless Colossus Titan and the abnormally intelligent Armored Titan, and his mother dying in the resulting destruction, Eren vows
This Manga is a very good example of how the culture of streampunk has effected the illustration industry. It also proves that he cultures are started to revive.
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Steampunk cosplay London MCM 2013
AOT cosplay London MCM 2013
Whist I was at the London MCM Expo I noticed that lots of people were doing cosplay, which is costume role-play. And people were doing lots of cosplay of the latest anime hit, which was the ‘Attack on Titian’ (AOT).
As well as the cosplay of the anime, lots of people were dressed up for the steampunk event. One of the reasons which people dress up is to win the best cosplay award.
Influencing Culture
Steampunk cosplay London MCM 2013
Steampunk cosplay London MCM 2013
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Steampunk cosplay London MCM 2013
Steampunk war Alex Broeckel
Alex Broeckel Alex Broeckel is an illustrator and a designer. His work is heavily influence by the steampunk movement, you could see it in his work his.
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He intends to tap into the SciFi genre and rest of his work reflects that.
This art work is a very good example of how the culture of streampunk has effected the illustration industry. It also proves that he cultures are started to revive.
Going back, as I said earlier audience are attracted to niche cultures and want to be part of it. They want to stand out yet feel like part of this community. World of warcraft
Berlin fashion magazine
Fan culture is part of these niche cultures, and to prove that they are true fans and to appreciate the key players work they make a gesture. An example of this would be doing cosplay, At first I didn’t understand why people do it, why would you dress up as a character from an animation, film or game. It was only after I spoke to some one at the London MCM expo, I understood that it’s not just about dressing up. I asked them why do people cosplay, and the answer to that was, “we cant were these clothes on a normal day, so when do get the chance we were them”, ”it would feel awkward if I put on my attack on the titan uniform but here everyone’s wearing their favorite character’s clothing, also I want Hajime Isayama to notice me”. Hajime Isayama is the illustrator of the popular manga series ‘attack on the titan’.
Attack on titan - Jean
Chun Lee cosplay
“I have argued that niche marketing- while seeing to reflect authentic value of fan culture back to the fan, and thus to align production and consumption valuesnevertheless does so at a cost. The fan-consumer niche market becomes almost entirely insulted form any wider market. It is therefore cut off from the ‘mass’ culture
circulation which generated the existence of such a fandom in the first place. As Virginia Nightingale (1996: 124) has noted, fans ‘remain the target for renews managerial activity to contain the quixotic preoccupation which become pretexts for the development of new and commercially exploitable fan communities”. (Matt hills, 2002).
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Bibliography Scruton, R., 1998, Modern culture, London, Bloomsbury Continuum publication Storey, J., 2001, culture theory and popular culture, 3rd edition, Harlow, Pearson education limited Hills, M., 2002, Fan culture, London, Routledge Tompson, K., 2010. Interview. In: Interviews, Interview with Keith Thompson, Vague Audiovisual, 2013, Save&Destroy (English subtitles), [Online]. [12th June 2013], Available from: http://vimeo.com/38977732 Pranata, A. (2014) Re information about their work, e-mail to A. Pranata (Kepala Kardus on behance), January 16. [16, January, 2014]. Fischer, L., Nickerson, K., 2012. Hotdish & Catfish website. [Online]. [17 January 2014]. Available from:http://hotdishcatfish.com/2011/05/18/a-hipster-state-of-mind/ Skole, N., 2006. Devientart website. [Online]. [17 January 2014]. Available from: http:// nicholaskole.deviantart.com/art/Steampunk-Airship-Pilot-44217263 Thompson, K., 2012, Keith Thompson website. [Online]. [13 June 2013]. Available from: http://www.keiththompsonart.com 2010. Manga wolf website. [Online]. [16 January 2014]. Available from: http://www.mangawolf.com/attack-on-titan/8/3-1 2013. Movie croft website. [Online]. [16 January 2014]. Available from: http://moviecroft. com/attack-on-titan-wallpaper.html 1990. Internet movie data base website. [Online]. [ 9 November 2013]. Available from: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338526/ 1990. Internet movie data base website. [Online]. [ 9 November 2013]. Available from: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338526/ 2009. save and destroy, wordpress website. [Online]. [13 June 2013]. Available from: http:// www.saveanddestroy.com 2013. pacific rim movie website. [Online]. [13 June 2013]. Available from: http://www. pacificrimmovie.com ‪monsterdistributes. 2008. The Mysterious Explorations of Jasper Morello. [Online]. [13 June 2013]. Available from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vORsKyopHyM
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