Adventure Team, ASSEMBLE! Team Captain La Carmina and her first mate, Yukiro Dravarious, lead the Heavy Metal Undead Adventure Team deep into the woods of — what was it — Laurel Canyon to hunt for a monster. Brace yourselves for close calls (“the hair! Fix the hair!”), dark humor and many a-violent death. (Above: the boys’ purikura from our J-pop party with Tune in Tokyo.)

We invite you to watch it embedded above, or click here. The best parts are at the end: stick around, or you’ll miss the creaky Vagasil and the Random Rave!

Bonus: here are some of my favorite photos of Ementhy — ever. Black nailpolish and an undead heavy metal electric guitar.

Please subscribe to my YouTube channel; we have more monster madness and mailbox mania on the way!

Who wants to take part in the Adventure Team’s treacherous escapades? What were your favorite parts of the video? So many good ad-libbed lines…

Velcome, darklings… to Spook-Movie Week! All week long, we will be dazzling you with our eerie filmmaking from Tokyo and Los Angeles. Prepare thyselves for Comedy! Horror! Scandal and drama!

Let’s commence with this brilliant work made in Tokyo, from the demented minds of your favorite recurring characters on this blog. Ghouls and goblins… presenting HORROR HIGH SCHOOL (which can be viewed on the official website!)

A note from Professor Fearstone (above left): “Ever feel like your education was a waste of time? Maybe you need to start again? Whether you’re a child of night or just a social outcast, REMEMBER… You’ll always be welcome at Horror High School!!!”

(All photos from the film are © 2010 Lionheart Productions; you can see more on the HHS Website and this Flickr set.)

Meet Headmaster; Prof Fearstone (The Happy Phantom of England) – teacher of Language, Literature and Creative Scares.

Madame Morganna; Deviant Witch from another Dimension (played by Yukiro Dravarious). Learn the correct ettiquete for an aspiring Fairytale Villian. Do you have what it takes to make Beauty sleep!?

I hand the mike to the visionary, Jim McGee (Professor Fearstone): “I would like to say that this project is meant as a prototype (episode Zero) for an internet show that hopefully I’ll be able to make on a semi-regular basis. The Official Episode One is already in the works. My goal with HHS was to take all my interests and hobbies; composing melodies on my piano, fantastic fashion and of course illustration and mix them up in a big cauldron of fun!”

Intrigued? Come watch the film and meet cute Japanese vampires, witches, Sweet Lolitas, and a former Visual Kei rocker hidden by a mask. Just be sure to do your homework!

How do you like the classroom madness? What would you like to see in the next episode? Let us know in the comments, and the cast will respond to you!

Clint Catalyst invited Yukiro and me to be in a Hollywood movie — how could we say no? Our roles: slightly demented party guests in a trippy dream sequence. So I wore…

Hair: Draped with blue, purple and grey scarves. I added a silver flower clip.
Makeup: I painted my eyebrows blue (try bright colors on your brows to light up your face!). I kept my eye makeup light, with black eyeliner over the top and light blue on the bottom. My dark purple lipstick is lightened in the center with lavender. Finally, I affixed two temporary spider tattoos.
Velvet evening gown with slit along thigh: An amazing find: $12 from Out of the Closet, “the most fabulous thrift store.”
Black and white pumps: my old John Fluevogs

Yukiro’s gown is from a vintage store in Fairfax Village, one of our favorite spots for thrift shopping. Purple hair, purple lace armbands, purple knee-high boots = triple yes.

The movie we participated in is Noirland, a film noir written and directed by Ramzi Abed, and starring James Duval. “A catatonic serial killer [...] an amnesiac detective [...] criminal psychiatrists and psychologists listen to the mysteries unfold.”

We arrived at the call time of 1pm, but it was pushed back an hour… then two… By the time we left the set, it was 10pm. That’s showbiz for you — a tiny bit of glam and a lot of waiting around!

Gemini Manor was possibly the most topsy-turvy house I’ve stepped foot in. Every inch was covered in random bric-a-brac: antique puppets, toys, church relics, birdcages, doll heads… There was a mermaid in the jacuzzi and my greatest fear — a giant stuffed CLOWN — resting in one of the bathtubs.

Each room had a theme, such as this Jungle Room on the roof, attainable only by inching up a precarious ladder/staircase. The owner told us that he built the place in the 1970s, and that it was the site of many a fetish party. (Ah, now it all makes sense.)

Also in the movie: model/actor Aldo Vento (left), and artist/Coilhouse Magazine founder Zoetica Ebb (the lady in blue). Clint Catalyst and Lenora Claire are perfectly cast as the Baron and Baroness.

There was plenty of time to hang out and practice our lines with one of Gemini Manor’s seven cats. (This kitty is skin and bones compared to my Basil Farrow!)

Fun times all around — thank you to everyone for having us! Wait until you hear us laugh maliciously and recite our single line: “Why hello… how are you…”

Have you ever been in a movie? How about silly YouTube masterpieces, like ours?

It’s too bad there wasn’t a star-studded premiere in LA for Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland — but we made do by dressing up (with a group of Mad Hatters) for the midnight opening. I did a tribute to the Queen of Hearts. Yukiro went as the love-child of Goth Alice and the White Rabbit.

Our friends were the only other movie-goers who wore costumes — boo!

I’m glad I didn’t have high expectations, or I would have been sorely disappointed. If a regular Hollywood director made this movie, I’d give it a B or B+: Alice in Wonderland was entertaining, with adequate CGI/3D and a decent narrative (until the very end).

But I expect more from Gothic genius Tim Burton — especially after seeing his retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art. Alice didn’t take me away to a whimsical, twisted new world (like Corpse Bride or Edward Scissorhands). I wasn’t moved by the graphics (Avatar’s glowing jungle is far better). And I didn’t feel for the characters. In fact, the animal design and human makeup were pretty lousy.

There were shining moments, especially when the Red Queen held court. I laughed when she called for Tweedle-Dee and Dum: “Say something. Speak! Whee-hee-hee, I love my fat boys.” And the part when she liked “Um” because “anyone with a big head is welcome in this court!”

Your blogger commands: “Off with his head!” I didn’t feel I wasted money on the ticket — the movie is satisfying enough for a night out — but considering that Burton was at the helm, it could have been better conceived and executed. Let’s just say a shaky YouTube version starring the J-Goth spooks and Adventure Team would be more of a mad tea party, in my humble opinion!

What did you think of Alice in Wonderland? What are your expectations for the film?

Let’s bundle up and travel back in time to NYC for a minute… Have you watched the NHK documentary about cute bentos yet? I put my segments in this post.

A bonus for you: behind the scenes footage! Shichi shot some videos of the first day’s shoot, where I showed the reporter my bento creations and demonstrated how to make cute faces out of food. You can see the video above and on my YouTube channel (thanks to everyone who subscribed).

Here are some more photos from the New York Wave TV shoot. Left: I’m cutting a mouth into the koala, who is a multigrain pancake with blueberry eyes and a blackberry nose. Right: My Yumi London dress with Vivienne Westwood leggings (see more outfit photos here.)

At the end of a long filming day, all I wanted to do was unwind with sake and homey Japanese food at Kenka. Waiting outside — sometimes for an hour — is part of the experience. On the bright side, St Mark’s Place is one of the best places in Manhattan for people watching.

Don’t come here for sushi. It’s all about izakaya fare, especially anything that ends in “-yaki.” Ah, what I’d do for a bite of the smokey, grilled mackerel…

At the end of the meal, you get a little cup of cotton candy granules to pour into the machine outside. Kanae dumped hers in the wrong spot… dropped in the cup… and then didn’t know how to swirl the stick. The resulting cotton candy was a total ai-yah.

Hope you like the footage — we have a Sugarpill makeup tutorial, an Adventure Team monster hunt and more video gaga on the way! Please subscribe and also check out my new fashion line with Akumu Ink — your support is much appreciated.

What did you think of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland? I wasn’t moved…

The NHK documentary about cute bentos has aired! Come watch my segments on my YouTube channel (please subscribe) or embedded below. Japanese TV is absolutely bananas, isn’t it?

In Part 1, I show the reporter how to draw and create cute character bentos. How many times can you spot my Scottish Fold cat, Basil Farrow?

Part 2 documents my visit to the Harlem elementary school to teach children (and their parents) how to make cute and healthy sandwiches. Don’t you love their enthusiasm?

Some parts didn’t make the final cut: the reporter and I had a five minute race to make cute food faces, and there was a segment where I modeled my fashion line. But I’ll post behind-the-scenes videos from the shoot later on (shot by Shichi, as were the photos above). You can see more from the NHK Japanese TV show in the last few pages of this blog — and to learn cute bento-making, do consider my book Cute Yummy Time!

Yesterday was an interesting press day. The Guardian (UK newspaper) reported that Cute Yummy Time was named one of the oddest book titles of the year — along with “Bondage for Beginners” and other head-scratchers. I hope my book makes the shortlist…

Moreover, a giant image of Ronan Farrow (Basil Farrow’s dad) is currently gracing the front page of Rosie O’Donnell’s website. The photo was taken by me! Next time, Rosie should post a photo of our fat, furry, earless son, don’t you think?

What do you think of NHK documentary? Are you eager to make kawaii character bentos now?

I know you’ve been waiting for photos of the Harlem bento-making class… so here’s a slideshow on YouTube! (I’ll post my favorite photos and tell you more about what happened in the next few days — so check back.)

NHK, Japan’s national public broadcaster, shot a 20 minute TV documentary about character bentos that focused on my work and recipe book, Cute Yummy Time. In this segment, I taught Harlem students how to make healthy, cute bentos. It was a success — the children loved it and ate vegetables that they’d never tried before! The New York Wave episode about cute bento boxes will air this February on NHK; Ill be sure to let you know the exact time and put up segments on YouTube (please subscribe so you wont miss out).

Paws up! Baby paws up, gimme your heart gimme gimme your heart, gimme gimme…

Because we can all use some Scottish Fold kawaii to make our day a little sweeter.

When Basil Farrow is in an especially good mood, he rolls onto his back and puts his fat paws in the air…

… and gives you “the look” until you come and rub his tummy. You can see zillions of cute photos of Basil and his flop-eared friends on his Scottish Fold blog. Come see!

He’s also featured as a character in my cute cookbook, inspired by Japanese bento decoration. If you want to get in on the charaben action, please consider my recipe book, Cute Yummy Time. (Now in major bookstores and available online.)

Have a super-cute day!

Song of the Day #293: The Creatures – Believe In Yourself and Mike Mareen – Dancing In The Dark (Galactica Mix). Because feel-good Italo seemed appropriate for my Harlem bento lesson video.

Rawrrr! A new video! The Adventure Team shares tips on how to achieve Visual Kei hair. Ementhy: “Grow it out, use a teasing comb, amazing hairspray and your hand.” Lemon: “There is one extra secret though… that people won’t tell you about.” What, pray tell, is the key to unlocking a big spiky J-rock hairstyle? You’ll have to watch our video to find out!

After a LA freeway navigation disaster, we arrived at Hyaena Gallery in Burbank, California. Earlier this year, the gallery exhibited a Vampire portrait of La Carmina by Los Angeles artist Dienzo.

Gallery owner Bill Shafer gave us a grand tour of the Pinky Violence exhibit: sexy posters from 1970s Japanese bad girl b-movies. The Adventure Team was wowed by the morbid curiosities for sale, including a 15th century Albrecht Durer engraving, paintings by serial killers, and Charlie Manson’s autograph on a page of Exodus. All this and more are shown in the video here and below.

If you’re in LA, you’ve got to stop by this little art shop of horrors. Hyaena Gallery always has new exhibits and events; for current info, visit the gallery’s website. (If you liked the video, please subscribe to my YouTube channel so you won’t miss out.)

The great thing about hanging with Visual Kei boys is that you pick up stellar makeup tips. Ementhy opened my eyes to Urban Decay’s “Zero” black eyeliner, which goes on smooth, strong and slightly smudgy — just as J-rockers like it. Recently, I’ve started smearing on Burt’s Bees lip balm and it’s put my lips in a highly kissable condition. Plus, all the ingredients are natural and the company supports good causes.

Do you have any favorite lip balms or beauty products? What do you think about makeup on boys? Do you have additional tips on how to achieve Visual Kei J-rock hair? And should I steal Lemon’s coffin ring?

I’ve been juggling projects recently, and something awesome was just confirmed… NHK, Japan’s national public broadcaster, is shooting a 20 minute documentary about cute cooking that will focus on my work and book, Cute Yummy Time! I’m currently brainstorming with the producer and director, so I can’t say much more about it yet. But NHK will be shooting the “New York Wave” episode in January, and it’ll air internationally (many US cities receive the channel). There might even be some way you can be part of the filming… I’ll keep you posted.

(The image above is from the manga, Welcome to the N.H.K. — but I thought it was cute.)

Basil Farrow is one lucky Scottish Fold — he receives wonderful parcels in the mail (including autographed books and a Nintendo DS.) And look what arrived the other day: Titus, a slightly spooky plush teddy bear from Rocket World!

Reader Stephanie emailed us about the awesome design company she’s working for. “We have a plush character line called I.nsurgents W.ilderness G.ruppo. The I.W.G. is a group of endangered species that have been given sentience from an alien force, dedicated to protect the world from evil humans and environmental apocalypse.”

Basil Farrow loves his new friend — probably because Titus is squishy and has a round, adorable face like him! The skull is attached with Velcro and can detach from his paws. This teddy is a perfect gift for a Goth-inclined friend or baby bat — and it’s for a good cause, too (part of the proceeds go to select wildlife conservation groups). Come on over to Rocket World’s site to order plush characters, vinyl figures, artwork and more.

I am so excited for Los Angeles that I can’t sleep! My book signings are Nov 28, 29 and 30 and I’ll be dressed up in an outrageous cosplay outfit, oh yes. Please pass on the info below to your LA friends, and if you’re in the area, I hope to see you soon!

Two CUTE YUMMY TIME book signings
WHEN: Saturday, Nov 28 and and Sunday, Nov 29; 2-4pm
WHERE: Kinokuniya Bookstore, 123 Astronaut S Onizuka #205, Los Angeles CA

CRAZY WACKY THEME RESTAURANTS TOKYO book signing
WHEN: Monday, November 30, 6:30-8:30pm
WHERE: Giant Robot LA gallery, 2062 Sawtelle Blvd, Los Angeles CA
RSVP on Facebook

Musing of the Day #3: “Television. A medium — so called because it is neither rare nor well done.” – Ernie Kovacs quote

Roll camera… action! Let’s take a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the making of “The Abandoned Curse,” our 30-minute Japanese indie horror movie. A masterpiece or a travesty? You decide. (The movie is posted here.) Then, at the end of this post, I’ll ask a small favor of you…

Crazy as it sounds, we filmed the classroom scenes inside Yukiro’s school. Some teachers stumbled across our cross-dressed crew and kept on walking, unfazed — that’s Tokyo for you. A few Japanese students participated in the shoot, even though they didn’t understand a word of the English script. Still, they pretended to listen to sexy teacher Spetza (above, she’s yelling at Rolle for not appreciating her boobs).

Many of you commented that Yukiro’s high-pitched, evil laugh made your brains spill out. All I have to say is: imagine listening to that cackle an inch from your eardrum, over and over, take after take!

To add to the drama, the summer heat was unbearable, mosquitoes were sucking our blood by the gallon, and several of the spooks were late or couldn’t stay overnight. At one point, Yukiro SCREECHED and ran out of the room to commit suicide. Glam rock star X-Ray found him in the bathroom, trying to hang himself with toilet paper.

Things improved once more people showed up and more drinks were consumed. The karaoke room scene was total win, from the police officer’s “Nothing to see here” wave to us falling on the floor and waving our feet in the air. And how about X-Ray’s singing? “I want to f*** with you! / You want to f*** me too! / We’re all f***ing f***s / So let’s f***ing f***!” (He’s singing along to a David Bowie track; do you know what it is? The answer is the Song of the Day.)

I kind of enjoyed being a gay emo boy. I tied my hair in a ponytail and flipped it over my forehead for that classic emo haircut. My top is h.NAOTO Blood from Closet Child.

Oh Yootju the Village Elder! He is in practically every scene of the movie, like Where’s Waldo. Did you notice that in the classroom scene, he was in every single shot?

This lot was the perfect setting for the birthday scene, other than that it was a breeding ground for mosquitoes! By the end of the shoot, I had swollen welts all over, including four on my behind.

If you haven’t seen our movie yet, gather your friends around and check it out here. A bloopers reel is coming up soon.

Finally, I was wondering if you could do me a favor? Would you consider asking your local library to order my books for their collection? It’s easy: just go to your library’s website and find out how to request a book. (Usually, there is an email address or form to fill out.) You can pass on the information about my books found here. Alternately, you can call or visit the branch — it’s always good to support libraries!