Another Great Restaurant

This is A Bica do Sapato, a stylish restaurant serving Mediterranean dishes and sushi. It has an extensive terrace with wonderful views of the Tagus River.  My friends took me here my third night in Lisbon, and the food was just marvelous! And another reason I love this place--it's got a retro mood just like my movie "Twist Party"! No wonder I felt at home the moment I walked in the place.

Random Photos in the City

 This is the roundabout at Areeiro, just a few minutes' walk from where I was staying. It's a convenient location, thanks to the metro station here.

 Portugal is known for its "azulejos" (blue painted tiles), but these are more colorful, and rather unusual.

 Who needs poles for street signs, when you can just announce them on the corner building?

 This building looks similar to the house Rudolph Valentino lived in, in the olden days of Hollywood.

 The Portuguese have a creatively playful approach to the way they present their pavements.

Statues designed with those beautiful blue skies in mind...

Pizza at the Bullring

The next night, one of my friends brought me to a very impressive building; the Campo Pequeno bullring in Campo Pequeno Square. (photo by Felix König) After its renovation, it re-opened as a multi-event venue in 2006, designed to be used for various events apart from bull fighting. It hosts a range of live acts and has seen many famous bands perform there.
First,  we went into the underground shopping area to have a look around, especially in the bookstore.  Then, we came back up, and I found that there are several restaurants in this bullring. We went around to the back, and there was a pizzeria there. There, I had what must be the most wonderfully delicious pizza ever baked on this planet.  Even now, I'm getting goosebumps, just remembering! It became one of the top 3 dining experiences in my life!
We ate here, under the roofed area, right next to the park. Best pizza on Earth!

And here below, is a shot of the top of Campo Pequeno by Ricardo Liberato.

Another Portuguese Goody

Here's a photo of actress Vivian Vance (left) with the cast from Lucille Ball's television show.

And here she is again as a fishwife in Portugal, once upon a time.

Super Interesting Homes in Lisbon

When I left "Mesa do Barrio" with my friends, the sun was just about to begin setting. We walked through the area surrounding the restaurant, and I was amazed at the houses in that area. I didn't have my iPad with me to take pictures, so I went back the next day, during the afternoon.

 One thing I especially noticed was the different colors of the homes. Such hues as strawberry pink, peppermint blue, and cafe latte beige were some of them.

In any case, I have never seen such houses in my life, but I really enjoyed taking a good look at these! I wonder what they look like inside....

My Trip to Portugal in Detail

During my trip, I tried to upload photos to this blog just using my iPad, but of course, it wouldn't work! (Drat the luck!)  But I'm home again now with access to my computer, so I'll put photos in where I originally intended to.

My first evening in Lisbon, two dear friends took me to a dreamy restaurant, "Mesa do Bairro" (The Neighborhood Table). There were 2 doors, the left for wine connoisseurs (?) and the right for restaurant diners. The wine was super delicious, the meat was amazing and the bread, olive oil, garlic, etc. transported me to a Portuguese heaven in my mind! Since I didn't bring my iPad to the restaurant to take pictures, I'm instead relying on photos I found on the web. In the picture below, that strange-looking red thing on the table is the napkin. Even THAT was folded in a surprising way!

Unlike Japan, there were no children present to whine (wine?!) and cry and turn a spectacular dinner into a screamy night to remember, and that pure adult atmosphere was a real luxury.  In spite of the very classy and ritzy mood of the place, the price was way lower than I had imagined. I left the restaurant walking on air, thanks to the smooth wine, the fabulous food, and my wonderful friends, who went out of their way to make sure it was a special experience that I would always remember. More pictures and details about the trip on upcoming posts to Animan's World!

Exotic Lisbon!

I am really enjoying my stay. People are so nice, helpful and friendly. 

And of course, there are lots of beautiful men all over the place, of all colors. And they all look pretty yummy from an Animan perspective!

The other night, my two friends took me to a classy restaurant for dinner. The food was super, and I've never had anything like it before. 

As we walked home from the restaurant, we passed through a neighborhood of very interesting-looking houses. 

I took some pictures with my iPad, but for some stupid reason, I am not able to upload those pictures to this blog, using just my iPad. Isn't that ridiculous?

When I get back to my computer at home, I will upload all the pictures. 

Animan Takes a Trip

I cannot believe that it has been only 5 years since I started this blog as Animan. Anyone who has read the posts is aware of all the things we've been through together. The two biggest cataclysms were: a diagnosis of cancer (which I beat), and then losing my Selz shop. My thanks to those of you who have supported my work as Animan over the years. 

In all that time, I pushed myself a lot of the time to make more films because the fans were clamoring for them, and I think I did a pretty good job of keeping up. I know I haven't been able to fulfill every request that was sent to me. I have tried to be true to myself above all.
I intend to keep making more, for as long as I can.

During these past 5 years, I have been planning to someday take a vacation trip to Portugal.  My aunt married a man from Portugal who was always kind to his nephews, but rather shy. I was always intrigued to know more about his homeland.

I've heard that the Portuguese people are wonderful, the food and wine are fantastic, and that it's a land filled with music and song. It has a stunning southern coastline and plenty of exotic and beautiful places, such as Sintra. And I'd like nothing better than to try my wings at speaking the language, which the Spanish writer Cervantes (author of Don Quixote) called "the sweet and gracious language". 

So, I leave tomorrow and will return home in 11 days.  I hope to have a lot to share when I return.
I want to express my thanks to you, my fans for always watching over me with such warmth.  I want you to know that it is all appreciated!

Adeus! Até a próxima! (Bye till next time!)

The Genesis of Animan--Tijuana Bibles

When I was about 5, I lived in San Diego. One night, my dad and his pals went across the border to Tijuana, the Mexican-American border town. He came back with the usual souvenirs of the day--little wicker chairs painted with Mexican motifs for us kids, marionettes, and a bottle of tequila.

My older brother who was 8, had been looking in my parents' dresser after that, and found some little 8-page booklets. Later, I learned that they were "Tijuana Bibles". I was fascinated with the artwork, which ranged from sexy and well-drawn (see the drawing above), to poorly scrawled.  The stories were 99% heterosexual--homosexual scenes were included sometimes mainly to ridicule gays. Also, the drawings of jews or black characters were pretty grotesque. Some of the books seemed very old--as if they had been drawn in the 1930's and 1940's, so there was a strong racist element, as well as some super narrow-minded ideas about sex.

Although they were in English, I was too little to read them, so I had my brother read them out loud to me. But the male characters in the booklets all had these big things poking out of their pants, and I couldn't figure out what those could be. They couldn't be penises--I was 5 and I thought all wieners were as small as mine! Suddenly, my brother wouldn't let me see them anymore, so I went to complain to my mother. When I mentioned "little books", her face became white as a sheet--her expression changed into one of panic, and she got furious at my big brother.  And I came away from the experience a changed boy.

When I became a teenager, I started fantasizing about how cool it would be if those booklets could become animated cartoons, with an all-male cast. The forbidden, deliciously-naughty feeling I had when I first saw those books is something I have never forgotten, and I always try and infuse that excitement into my work. 

For more information, you can Google "Tijuana Bibles". 

DOWNLOADING TROUBLES

So far, I have sent out over 300 orders for DD2 using Sendspace and/or Dropbox. I have paid accounts with both these services, so I am not aware of the problems that may happen to those who don't have accounts. 
-----------------------------
Details
SENDSPACE--When I was away from my home computer and a video order came in, I had to use Sendspace to send out the download links.
Several people who downloaded them complained that the video seemed to freeze at some point during playback. These orders were sent out again, using Dropbox. 

I was also told that downloading DD2 from Sendspace took a long time to download. I'm familiar with that--I've had to wait hours for things to download, and it's no fun.

Two people said that when they tried to download DD2 from Sendspace, they were prompted to pay for more space. What's up with that? I thought I was the one who was paying.

-----------------------------
DROPBOX--I used Dropbox to send video links, as much as possible. It went relatively smoothly, and seems to work.

One person who received the Dropbox invitation wrote to me, and said that he preferred Sendspace instead. So I sent him a Sendspace link, no questions asked.

Another person had trouble locating the Dropboxes I had sent him. Although they appear in my own box, and say they are accessible to him, he couldn't find them. When I made another new Dropbox for him and sent it with the 3 videos he had ordered, this time he was able to find it. 

But then, he wrote back, saying "When I open the Dropbox, it prompts me to buy more space. OK, I get it. I buy vids and I have to pay Dropbox or Sendspace more money. I hate this." 

----------------------------
Well, speaking as Animan, I hate it, too! As a customer, I've been tricked out of my money on a few occasions, and I vowed that no Animan customer would ever have to go through that living hell. And yet, here's someone who paid me money, and seems to be getting hassled by these downloading "services".  

Since I pay for these downloading spaces, I don't receive any sort of prompts or messages. But they apparently appear to the regular Joes who try and use them. If anyone reading this has anything constructive to add, or wants to tell about their own experience, please feel free to send in a comment. Thank you very much!

DD2 is HERE NOW!

DD2 is ready! You can order it now.

Download the trailer here:
TRAILER

Pre-order DD2 here at the usual payment gateway:
GATEWAY
There are 2 buttons--Spanish or English. Please click the one you prefer.

If you prefer to receive your purchase through Dropbox instead of Sendspace, please indicate so in an e-mail to: heluleka@yahoo.co.jp

If you paid but still haven't received the link....?
1) The download link will be sent to the e-mail address on your PayPal receipt.
2) The download link may appear in your e-mail spam folder. Please check it.
3) My Animan system is not automatic--I have to send the links to buyers by hand through e-mails. I check my e-mail every 5 minutes.
4) I live in Japan, so the time difference can cause delays.

Thank you for understanding, and I'm sorry for any inconvenience.

Japanese Woodblock Prints

As a follow-up to the Tagata Shrine in the last post, I thought I'd post some old Japanese woodblock prints.  These are called "Shunga" (春画) which means "spring pictures". Most of the Shunga produced in Japan in the olden days had heterosexual content--but there were also a few like these.

I have always been fascinated with these pictures. I especially like the interesting ways that the bodies are entwined, and the way that some pictures show someone peeking in through a door or window! I think they have had a lot of influence on me, and it's visible in my work.

After WWII, pictures like these could not be seen or sold in Japan. It was illegal to own or show them, and when they appeared in art books, they were always censored, and the interesting body parts were covered and hidden. But in the 1990's, these pictures began to be treated as art, and books filled with Shunga appeared in bookstores throughout Japan. Now, they are considered as part of Japan's art heritage. 

An Interesting festival at Tagata Shrine

This is the Tagata Shrine Festival in Japan, which celebrates something which we all know and love. 
It's a ritual going back hundreds of years, for the purpose of guaranteeing good crops and increased fertility! 
The girls holding the smaller versions of the "object" are not there as sex goddesses; they are there as representatives of the shrine itself. 
In any case, everyone attending the festival seems to be wearing a smile. 
See the short clip

The Endless Winter

Where's I'm living, it's still winter, and it's nice and cold. And the news tells me that there's plenty of cold in the U.S. That's when it's nice to have a fireplace, to warm up the chills.

Speaking of fireplaces, here's an interesting picture I found. This is obviously a painting of the movie star Cary Grant. I like the modern style in which it's painted. And having him stand naked in front of a blazing fire is very cozy. It sort of makes the imagination run wild. Enjoy!

It's March, and Time Marches On

It has been 2 years since surgery for cancer, and a recent checkup confirmed that I'm fit as a fiddle. So I'm working on my next Animan video.  I realize I could probably make the videos faster if I was sloppier with the drawing, and didn't care about dialogue, etc. But if I did that, people would get tired of watching them again and again.  Every animator's dream is to make a film that people will want to watch over and over again.
When I started making these Animan movies, I used a tried-and-true technique called the old classic "hand-drawn" or "frame-by-frame" style, meaning that the animator draws thousands of pictures by hand, to create the illusion of movement on film or video. 
In the animation industry, ever since computers have been available, they have been using a different style, something which used to be called "Flash" animation, and is now also known as "Cutout puppet animation". 
In essence, a character is broken down, and each of its movable parts are drawn onto separate layers. It is animated by using "keyframes" which tell the computer that this is a pose. Keyframes can be scattered along the timeline, and the computer moves the body parts from pose to pose. It can look mechanical, but there are tools to reduce that.
I found a short tutorial showing how this is done. I use software called "Harmony Premium", and the latest version allows for characters' arms and legs to bend like rubber hoses. The old Mickey Mouse cartoons from the 1930's had rubber-hose-animation, in an attempt to make the action look smoother. Personally, I don't like it--I'd rather have my characters bend at their joints.
So, I am now doing my videos with cutout puppet animation. I spend less time drawing, and more time tweaking the keyframes over and over, until it looks right. As you'll see in the tutorial below, that tweaking can be an endless process.
The animator featured is Turkish, and at times his English is a little difficult to follow. But he more than makes up for it with enthusiasm!

Happy New Year 2017!

Goodbye to 20016,  possibly one of the worst years there ever was!  I didn't have time to keep updating my blogs. The other day, a friend visited Animan's World and then sent me an e-mail to say, "It looks like you've closed up shop."

Yikes! That wasn't my intention at all. Whenever I make a new movie, I post an announcement of it on my two blogs. Nothing new on my blogs mean that I'm busy making another movie! That's all. I hope to keep up with my blogs more this year, because I do appreciate it when people do come to visit. 

I'm hoping to have another movie ready by the end of February. Of course I'll be posting an announcement here right before it's finished. Thanks to all of you for being patient with me (Animan). I greatly appreciate it.

NEW ANIMAN MOVIE!

There's a new Animan movie.
PLEASE CLICK HERE!

Disclaimer

Now that you have read the disclaimer, YOU CAN NOW ORDER THE  "HARLEM" VIDEO FROM  HERE. The video is now officially on sale.

(It's the same as the pre-order link.)

The words "Heracles" appear on the pay form, but it's a glitch. Just ignore it, please.

I will do my best to answer your order as quickly as possible. Thank you for being patient and understanding.

Trailer for the New Animan Movie

DOWNLOAD THE NEW TRAILER HERE

YOU CAN PRE-ORDER THE VIDEO HERE.

The Spanish version has Spanish subtitles.  The payment order form says "Heracles", but that's a glitch. Just ignore it. 

When you pre-order this new video, Animan will send you a pre-order confirmation e-mail within 24 hours.

Want to buy a different video? Write to Animan: heluleka@yahoo.co.jp

Down in the Dumps

I've been working so hard on the new Animan movie, that I'm all "fagged out"!

I was looking for something to make me feel "happy and gay", and this is it. I hope you enjoy it, too!