#akaname

Dmitry Khramtsov (Храм), “Akaname”

Some Japanese yōkai coffee labels done for Nishimuki!

This brief was so fun! Kappa are found in rivers and akaname thrive in dirty, cluttered areas of houses licking grime off things. So best to keep our rivers clean and our homes a little less clean to give these beings space to live!

karkasa the umberla

akaname

Yokai: The Art of Shigeru Mizuki. Published 10/31/2023 by Drawn & Quarterly.

Shigeru Mizuki is no stranger to the supernatural and its portents. Kitaro and Tono Monogatari reimagined the obscure folktales of his youth, bringing them to life with whimsy. Mizuki the cartoonist certainly left an indelible mark on comics as world literature. Mizuki the fine artist, on the other hand, rounds out the full scope of his fascination with the otherworldly and fantastic, bringing these worlds to life in robust color. Yokai: The Art of Shigeru Mizuki showcases his expertise of not only folklore, but celebrates him as a naturalist. Elements of Mizuki’s lush compositions—flora, fauna, and everything in between—showcase his mastery of form and love for nature. These popular renderings of a disappearing, rural Japan are his contribution to the preservation of a cultural heritage that would have otherwise been forgotten. The grotesque realism central to his body of work is offset by the ingenuity of his fancy for the macabre. Pieces in this deluxe, full-color edition call to mind the playful pop-sensibility of Maurice Sendak informed by the technical prowess of traditionalists like Dürer and Doré. And like any other Mizuki classic, each oeuvre is a unique snapshot of spirit, human or otherwise, in constant transition. Yokai: The Art of Shigeru Mizuki includes supplementary writing by acclaimed Mizuki scholar and translator Zack Davisson.

So I’ve recently got into Monster Prom/Camp, and so my little gremlin brain had to make some ocs for it! From left to right we have;

-Verne (20???), a young alien shapeshifter who’s UFO crashed into a antique store. Due to this, they have a strong connection to retro items, fashion, and knick knacks.

-László (around 200), the zombie of a soldier during the Seven Years War, who’s now Spooky Acadamy’s resident theatre nerd. (Totally not a Peter Lorre parody.)

-Claude (22), an invisible person who wants to rule the world… through minor inconveniences.