Okay, this is an odd little story. Yesterday, through a number of very bizarre machinations, I was part of a panel discussion on comic books at an exhibition of Japanese superstar artist Yoshitaka Amano's new project "Hero," in it's world premiere. Uh, I'm fairly knowledgeable about comics, but I'm essentially still a no-name punk-ass, so I was a little out of my depth, especially considering that I was on the panel as a replacement for superstar closet queen Frank Miller. So I didn't really have the "star power" as it were. Anyways, it went off okay, I guess, even though it started with everybody puckering up to suckle at the pasty English ass of Neil Gaiman and his horribly overrated fantasy for the eye-makeup crowd Sandman, of which I am not a fan. But after that I got to say "ass" a bunch of times, and I was the best-dressed and thinnest person on the panel, so I guess that counts for something, right? Plus I met Mr. Amano after the thing was over and he was a great guy; he had done a sketch in the "Biten" show catalogue for me while I was talking. As soon as I can get to a scanner, I'll put it up. His work is a little fruity for me, but in terms of draftsmanship, I'm a tiny insect in comparison. Why not check out his work?

Yoshitaka Amano