Carl Brackstone @carlbrackstonedesign - Tumblr Blog

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, Empress Jingū leading the invasion of Korea, a preparatory drawing and colour woodblock print

Japan Meiji era, AD 1879

The scene features Empress Jingū, a legendary regent of Japan of the late fourth to early fifth century, who is said to have led an invasion of Korea. She is seen here about to carve with her bow on the rock-face the belligerent declaration, 'The emperor of Korea is my dog'. Many Japanese of the Meiji era adopted Western dress, and Jingu's costume appears to feature a bustle, although these were not introduced to the imperial court until the 1880s. The finished print is no. 15 in the series Dai-Nippon shi ryaku zue ('Concise Illustrated History of Great Japan'), issued in April 1879.

Among the group of fifty-two preparatory drawings by Yoshitoshi (1839-92), originally pasted into one album, this falls into the subject category of valiant emperors and historical figures loyal to the imperial cause. The emperor had been newly 'restored' to power in 1868, and works were being produced as propaganda for the imperial institution. Yoshitoshi's prints can also be seen as a precursor to the flourishing of history painting of the later Meiji era (1868-1912), which Japanese artists knew was regarded as the highest form of painting in the West.

The basic outlines of the drawings were done in pale red ink, which was overlaid with black as the lines took a more definite shape. Where alterations were needed paper was pasted over. The collection of drawings fully demonstrates the force and emotive power of Yoshitoshi's art, and allow a glimpse into the fascinating process of his artistic creativity over a period of more than a decade.

http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/asia/t/tsukioka_yoshitoshi,_empress_j.aspx

Utagawa Hiroshige, 'The Sea at Satta, Suruga Province' (Suruga Satta kaijō), a colour woodblock print

Japan Edo period, published AD 1859

This print is one of the series 'Thirty-six views of Mount Fuji' (Fuji sanjūrokkei), Hiroshige's last major series in the upright format typical of his later landscape prints. The design is reminiscent of Hokusai's 'Under the Wave, off Kanagawa' of about 1830, and is almost certainly Hiroshige's tribute to the earlier master. Hiroshige died on the 6th day of the 9th month of 1858, before the series was published. He may have been a victim of the cholera epidemic which swept through Edo that summer and autumn.

At Satta the old Tōkaidō Highway followed the rocky coastline, which was often washed by stormy seas. Pine trees cling to the steep cliff and, as in Hokusai's print, the wild waves contrast with the serene form of Mount Fuji in the background. Hiroshige has added a flock of plovers which give the impression of flecks of foam tossed up by the waves.

L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990)

T. Clark, 100 views of Mount Fuji (London, The British Museum Press, 2001)

http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/asia/u/utagawa_hiroshige,_the_sea_at.aspx

Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Princess Takiyasha summons a skeleton spectre to frighten Mitsukuni, a triptych of colour woodblock prints

Princess Takiyasha was the daughter of the provincial warlord Taira no Masakado who tried to set up an 'Eastern Court' in Shimōsa Province in competition with the emperor in Kyoto. However, his rebellion was put down in AD 939 and Masakado was killed. After his death, Princess Takiyasha continued living in the ruined palace of Sōma.

This print shows the episode from the legend when the emperor's official, ōya no Mitsukuni, comes to search for surviving conspirators. The princess is reciting a spell written on a handscroll. She summons up a giant skeleton which comes rearing out of a terrifying black void, crashing its way through the tattered palace blinds with its bony fingers to menace Mitsukuni and his companion.

Kuniyoshi, the artist, probably referred to an illustration in his collection of western prints to produce this grinning skeleton in all its accuracy of detail.

The legend was also the theme of a Kabuki play. At the time that this print was made the Tempō Reforms had made it illegal to depict Kabuki actors and theatre scenes in woodblock prints, so Kuniyoshi (1797-1861) may have produced this 'historical' version of the story in order to get round the law. Kuniyoshi often used the triptych format (three prints forming a single composition) to dramatic effect, spreading large forms across all three sheets.

L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990)

This image could be seen to relate to the Kaiju genre, as it depicts a giant creature as a destructive force.

http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/asia/u/utagawa_kuniyoshi,_princess_ta.aspx

Historical Research Sources - Edo Period

http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/articles/j/japan_edo_period.aspx

http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/asia/u/utagawa_kuniyoshi,_princess_ta.aspx

These are examples of the three Godzilla designs i will be focusing on. The Godzillas of 1954, 1998 and 2014 differ greatly as do other designs throughout the years, but i have chosen these three in particular due to them being the first, the latest (at the time of writing) and one to have received mixed opinions of its design.

Throughout the years Godzilla as a creature has always followed a fairly similar design, fairly dinosaur looking, standing upright with spines running down its’ back, in this respect the 1998 Godzilla falls into the theme fairly well. But many criticize the design for being too dinosaur like rather than Kaiju like. Unlike other incarnations this version does not stand upright, rather standing arched over resembling a T-Rex, the square jawline and other facial features also adding to this. the creatures feet are also more dinosaur-like as the arch up unlike the traditional flat footed godzilla. this incarnation also has short arms which are held close to its body, also adding to its resemblance to a T-Rex.

Design changes aside, this is also the only Godzilla in recent years to not be depicted as the hero by the end of the movie, possibly due to the fact it is alone as the creature in the 1998 movie, other movies usually show Godzilla as the lesser of two evils against another monster. This depiction could be seen as a closer connection to the original 1954 Godzilla where the monster is shown simply as a destructive force.

The 2014 Godzilla better resembles the classic Godzilla style, standing upright, however, in the image seen above, its’ arms are still seen to be held fairly close to its body though not so short and T-Rex like. The spines on its back are also closer in design to the 1998 version, being single pointed and curved down rather than the originals multiple pointed and standing straight out from the creatures back. Its posture is closer to the original “man in a monster suit” way of standing.

Unlike the previous American depiction of Godzilla this incarnation is shown against another monster, the M.U.T.O, in the classic better of two evils situation, showing the titular creature as a hero yet again.

The 1954 Godzilla is the classic which all other incarnations, in some way, are influenced by. Even the 1998 version, despite its complete redesign of the monster still shows some aspects of the original. The original Godzillas’ design is fairly simplistic and a almost crude looking by modern standards. But this is due to the production process. The classic Godzilla was a monster suit based on concept designs by Akira Watanabe which “combined attributes of a Tyrannosaurus, an Iguanodon, a Stegosaurus and an alligator to form a sort of blended chimera, inspired by illustrations from an issue of Life magazine.“

Concived as a metaphor for post war concerns, primarilly nuclear weapons, the monster is usually shown (in early movies) destroying a japanese city, as if applying a living creature to tragedies such as the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings.

Quote on Godzilla 1954 design inspirations - “William M. Tsutsui (2003). Godzilla on My Mind: Fifty Years of the King of Monsters. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 23.“

Tomoyuki Tanaka

Tomoyuki Tanaka was a Japanese film producer, most famous for creating the Godzilla series.

Tanaka created Godzilla in 1954 in an effort to illustrate the terror Japanese felt after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In an interview in 1985 Tanaka summed up the symbolism of Godzilla:

"In those days, Japanese had a real horror of radiation, and that horror is what made Godzilla so huge. From the beginning he has symbolized nature's revenge on mankind."

In his 60-year career with Toho, Tanaka produced more than 200 films.

- "Raftery, Brian M. (2000). "Forty-four years ago, Godzilla, King of the Monsters invaded the U.S". Entertainment Weekly (New York, N.Y.: Time, Inc.) (537): 116."

Concept art depicting other Kaiju featured in Godzilla movies including King Ghidorah, Mothra, Rodan and 2014's M.U.T.O.

King Ghidorah (1964), Mothra (1961) and Rodan (1956) were originally all the center of their own movies before being associated with the Godzilla franchise as enemies to the titular monster.

The initial idea for King Ghidorah came from Tomoyuki Tanaka, who also created Godzilla. Tanaka's inspiration came from an illustration of the Lernaean Hydra in a book about Greek Mythology, and the Eight-Headed Dragon Yamata No Orochi of Japanese folklore. Tanaka was enamored with the idea of Godzilla fighting a multi-headed serpent, but considered 7-8 heads to be excessive, with the number of heads being reduced to three.

- "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLGd5Nnl_Uw&list=UUU03keCaesfRWZPYV1FUxXw Teruyoshi Nakano interview" -

With the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Lucky Dragon 5 incident still fresh in the Japanese consciousness, Godzilla was conceived as a metaphor for nuclear weapons.

- "Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men - The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda by Peter H. Brothers (AuthorHouse 2009)"

As the film series expanded, some stories took on less serious undertones portraying Godzilla as a hero while other plots still portrayed Godzilla as a destructive monster; sometimes the lesser of two threats who plays the defender by default but is still a danger to humanity.

These depictions of the titular monster as a defender blur the lines of the hero and the villain in Godzilla movies, by portraying a greatly destructive force as the good against a equally destructive evil.

Godzilla's iconic design features a reptilian visage, a robust build, an upright posture, a long tail and rows of serrated fins along the back.

Art director Akira Watanabe combined attributes of a Tyrannosaurus, an Iguanodon, a Stegosaurus and an alligator to form a sort of blended chimera, inspired by illustrations from an issue of Life magazine.

- (William M. Tsutsui (2003). Godzilla on My Mind: Fifty Years of the King of Monsters. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 23.) -

To emphasise the monster's relationship with the atomic bomb, its skin texture was inspired by the keloid scars seen on Hiroshima's survivors.

- ("Gojira". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved June 2, 2013.) -

http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/384918|0/Gojira-Godzilla-.html

Article explaining the connection between the Godzilla concept and the hydrogen bomb.

Concept art, storyboard images, and production shots from the original "Godzilla" (1954)

The last image showing how similar the 2014 design is to its original.

Concept art for "Godzilla (2014)"

The artworks depict various design choices that were proposed during the creation of this version of the titular monster, however they still remain reminiscent of the original Godzilla concept.

One of the most successful collaborations between Eastern and Western Creative studios is the Kingdom Hearts franchise. A Collaboration between Disney and Square-Enix (then Squaresoft), Kingdom Hearts is a game series that combines the worlds of Disney and Square-Enix’s Final Fantasy.

The first game was released on March 28th 2002 and was met with critical and commercial success, though other titles in the series have seen different levels of success. The success of the series is likely down to not only the game play but the way the existing characters are used; Though Disney gave freedom in the characters and worlds used for the games, the Squaresoft staff tried to stay within the established roles of characters and boundaries of the worlds, and although many Disney characters are not so dark and serious, this was not a problem making them so for the story while still keeping their established characteristics. The series has evolved with Disney’s newer franchises as time goes on. With the original game using classic Disney characters such as characters from The Lion King, Hercules and The Little Mermaid and later games adopting newer stories such as the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

The Kingdom Hearts series currently consists of seven games selling over 20 million copies as of March 2014 with more games planned in the future. It is also speculation that the Star Wars and Marvel franchises could be also incorporated into future titles due to Disney’s recent purchase of these licences.

An example of a monster movie icon is Godzilla, Which first appeared in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film of the same name. Designed by Akira Watanabe, and although not the first it became the foundation of the Kaiju genre (Kaiju is a Japanese word that literally translates to "strange creature”, these films usually depict monsters attacking a major Japanese city).

The genre inspired many following monster movies, including an ill received American produced version of Godzilla released in 1998 directed by Roland Emmerich, which producer Shōgo Tomiyama said had “taken the god out of Godzilla”. Subsequently the movie was renamed to simply “Zilla” after the licence was returned to Toho Co. Ltd. Another movie inspired by Godzilla is the 2008 American release Cloverfield, which took a fresh view of monster movies by using a found footage format while very rarely showing the creature itself in detail. 2014 saw the release of another American Godzilla movie produced by Legendary Pictures and directed by Gareth Edwards. Unlike the previous movie this release was met with box office and critical success. Even inspiring the original owners Toho to reboot their own releases due to the success of this adaptation.

The 2013 movie Pacific Rim also covers the monster movie genre inspired by movies such as Godzilla but with entirely different twists.

MINI adverts generally don't stick to a particular target audience, instead trying to appeal to a wider demographic through a range of strategies. Here the MINI is portrayed as a personal space such as a bedroom or office, closed off from the outside world giving the owner a sense that it was their own personal world inside the car. The presentation of this idea is done in a quirky, humorous way, as is expected of MINI.

The MINI enjoys such an enduring appeal due to being a design classic that has been kept relatively the same throughout the years and developing such a different approach to the brand than other car brands. The MINI brand tends to hint at the fun that could be had with the MINI rather than it's technical information, By doing this the MINI is seen as more than just a car but a source of fun and adventure.

Have you seen that? - A spectacular drive of two MINI Clubman on the German autobahn.

MINI Clubman - Have You Seen That?

The video is constructed as a viral video shot using a handheld device giving the feel of an amateurish clip, this gives the impression that it is not a conventional, professional advert.

The brand image of MINI in this advert is its usual fun and nonserious advertising, here having the MINI Clubman performing increasingly ridiculous and unrealistic stunts. Even going as far as to have the characters in the video acknowledge themselves as being in a viral advert further showing that the advert is not to be taken serously.

The video is only represented as being real through the medium of using a handheld camera perspective to give the impression that it is shot from the perspective of the passenger.

The ridiculousness of the ad is why i believe that the video succeeded as a viral as humerous and quirky videos tend to be passed around more than serious toned adverts focusing entirely on the product.

The MINI Coopers current brand image is that of a car offering fun and adventure, often using fairly childish means (see the outdoor displays in the previous post). in contrast the MINI brand of the past was more serious, discussing the technical aspects over the fun that could be had with it. These ads later began to use amore adult form of humour such as innuendos, before focusing on the fun and adventure shown in the modern MINI brand.

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Carl Brackstone