COMICS: Flight, Volume 8

cover art by Kazu Kibuishi

Hey gang! (gang?? Who still says 'gang' nowadays?) Today we're reviewing Flight, Volume 8. The last in the series of a comic anthology, edited by Kazu Kibuishi (Amulet), featuring many brilliant upcoming artists. Volume 8 came out two years ago in 2011. I'm writing about it now because the second Explorer series (Flight's successor, also compiled by Kazu) is coming out next month and I wanted to do a feature on Flight before Explorer. Besides, there aren't so many reviews about Flight on the internet even though it's has a great variety of art styles and different genres of stories.

NENDOROID: Shinguji Sakura and Koubu

Hello everyone! I'm back with news. I'd like to welcome you to the new version of "No Real Plot" where we will write more reviews about art and art books, comics, figures and collectibles, the occasional food and fashion, places we visit and other wonderful things we see.

I've felt that as a sketchblog, NO REAL PLOT! has become really stale (mostly because I don't have any artwork to post) so I decided to liven things up a bit by blogging about other art-related things. I thought of creating a new blog for my artwork but decided to keep this as well, because I really do love the title, "NO REAL PLOT!" If you can remember, I took the title from a tagline concept for my comic concept back in 2009. The comic is still unfinished but I am working on it, promise. I'm just selfish and paranoid too shy to post previews and ideas. Anyway, I'm excited to see how this new blogging feature turns out. Please do stay, dear readers and subscribers, because I will continue to post artwork. Thank you for those who have stuck with me all this time. I hope you enjoy the new direction NO REAL PLOT! is heading.

As always, feel free to post your thoughts about this news and any other comments you might have about the blog. Thank you very much! Now, onto the REAL article.

We're starting the new phase of the blog with a feature of Nendoroid 235 - Shinguji Sakura and Koubu set made by the Good Smile Company. I actually bought this last year from a local online store, Onegai Oniichan Hobby Shop, and just decided to start blogging with her because well, she's pretty and she's my first Nendoroid figurine. The first thing I can say about her is: she's sooooo PINK!

The Lego and the Bees

Hey, who killed the bees??

I'm supposed to be drawing and painting....buuuuut sometimes, I can't help but make pictures like this. Anyway, photoshoots like these help stimulate my creative juices and makes me feel better! Who doesn't have fun playing and doing something different?

These scenes were initially inspired by the number of dead bees I've been finding around my house late summer... It was really strange since I've never seen bees dying around before. I felt kinda sad that they're dead for no obvious reason (unless it's global warming and I heard bees aren't good friends with temperature changes..) but I always found them in pairs so it's safe to say a bee didn't die alone..hahahaha

Don't travel alone.

My current obsession and lack of new Doctor Who episodes led me to create these scenes. I based the setting on some Series 4 episodes and the subtle random trivia in the series about the bees disappearing. The mini photo shoot was fun and the models didn't complain one bit. Now, there isn't anything else spectacular about these photos, I just wanted to tell a story and try out some photo-editing techniques I found (and forgot by the time you read this)

More, hi-res photos will be posted over at Flick account http://www.flickr.com/norealplot