Kaneko's Crib Notes

Showcasing the artistic influences and intentional "borrowings" of Kazuma Kaneko's demons! Brought to you by Soren (sorenblr.tumblr.com) and Eirikr (eirikrjs.tumblr.com).

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KANEKO'S CRIB NOTES LXIX: Music Tensei-Vision; or, MegaTen Video

HELLO! This is 🙈 [Bubbles the Chimp] 🙉, the once dear pal of Michael Jackson. Ever since I signed that NDA over what I saw at Neverland Ranch, life hasn't been great for me but in the years since I've staved off some of my inner chimp aggression by becoming an avid fan of the artwork of Kazuma Kaneko as featured in the Megami Tensei franchise (fuck that AI slop in Tsukuyomi, though). Well, wouldn't it figure for an ape with my luck, Kaneko finally registered an X (formerly Twitter) account with the creative moniker of kazumakaneko666 and has been answering inquiries about his artwork, including the MJ-related bombshells in this post.

Not only is Kaneko not dead, he returned with a vengeance that would almost make the very concept of Kaneko's Crib Notes obsolete, as if he wanted to take Soren and Eirikr behind the barn and end them for their decade-plus of work on this blog! It's a fury not seen since I allegedly "went apeshit" at Neverland in the early 2000s and was subsequently sent to live in Florida at the Center for Great Apes, where I learned to type and first played Megami Ibunroku Persona. Great game, if a little plodding.

And my chimp ass loves the Black Eyed Peas. Fergie for LIFE!!!

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BAAL: SMT2 Baal's costume is cribbed from the costume MJ wore for his Egyptian-themed video for his 1992 single "Remember the Time"; in the tweet, Kaneko admits the reference isn't entirely accurate for Baal but that " it couldn't be helped" at the time.

ISHTAR: SMT2 Ishtar's wardrobe is cribbed from the skimpy ensemble worn by supermodel Naomi Campbell for MJ's next 1992 single/music video, "In the Closet."; to quote Kaneko's tweet, "Ishtar is a primitive goddess, so the real image is that she doesn't wear clothes or anything, but being naked would be a problem, you know."

ASHERAH: The lines on Asherah's body are not inspired by Ultraman's Dada as previously posted in 2018, but rather by the Zentai bodysuits worn by the backup dancers in the Black Eyed Peas' 2009 music video for "Boom Boom Pow".

Thanks to @purseowner4thequalityanimation for collating these for us!

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KANEKO'S CRIB NOTES LXVIII: X-CaliBR8ting the Divine

🎃 HAPPY HALLOWEEN! 🎃

Here's something spookier than scary October mummies and ghouls: waiting until the last minute to begin the annual KCN post. Like, I had the whole year to finish it, but still waited until the last week to start the write-up. "Oh, I have plenty of time," I said to myself sometime around July. [scream] I guess I can partially blame 2025 being "a year," but that's just an excuse; on top of all its trash, Kaneko achieved the impossible and resurrected himself--only to associate his art with slop.

But he did some good new art, too, a few examples of which are included here!

COMP: Megaten's demon-summoning device.

A comment hidden within Digital Devil Apocalypse revealed that the classic forearm-mounted COMP is inspired by the similar "X-CaliBR8" from The Dungeonmaster (1984).

MEDJED: Minor Egyptian deity that became a Japanese meme.

Kaneko's Medjed follows most Japanese pop culture depictions in cribbing the deity's appearance from the Greenfield Papyrus.

BALAM: 51st demon of the Goetia; a king.

Tsukuyomi's Balam is interesting in that it doesn't much resemble the Dictionnaire Infernal illustration like most of Kaneko's Goetia demons do (although his sleek form is right at home with "later" designs such as Orias or Morax); instead, he seems to be cribbing himself, namely the Balam sprite from SMT If... . But it's likely more complicated: If...'s design has the most in common with the written description; further, If...'s is a refinement of the multi-headed Balam from MT2. We're satisfied calling it a refinement of a refinement.

AILLEN: Fiery foe of Fionn mac Cumhaill.

Aillen as a tall, horned, fire-emanating entity appears to stem from this Beatrice Elvery illustration from 1914--one easily found on Wikimedia Commons. Is this the first known instance of Kaneko pulling a Doi and using Wikipedia as a source?

METATRON: The angel known as the "lesser YHVH."

In a promo for Tsukuyomi, Kaneko divulged that Metatron's shining facade is inspired by the armor of Mordred from 1981's Excalibur.

Thanks to PSI Guy, Vesk, Kid Capes, and the rest of the Stealing Knowledge Discord for ideas and assistance!

And finally, let's end the crib year with some optimism: I think we currently have enough cribs to last until 2027!

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KANEKO'S CRIB NOTES LVXII: CRIBCEPTION

As you all may be aware, Soren and I initially published Kaneko's Crib Notes monthly--you know, at its outset over 10 years ago. But the grindset needed to maintain that level of output wore us down, plus new material became less and less abundant as the months and years flew by.

Still, reducing KCN's post frequency to an annual I think is kind of a bummer. But here and there we encounter cribs of cribs, which are a novel and meta way to add dimension to this blog's endeavors, and are perfect for a mid-year update such as this one. Just don't call it "filler" or mere "content" (I prefer "context").

CU CHULAINN:

Art nouveau St. George statuette by Alfred Gilbert* | Cu Chulainn in 'Fairy King' by Ryoko Yamagishi | SMT1's Cu Chulainn (*found by Nuzme)

BACKBEARD:

Edited photograph by Masatoshi Naitō | Shigeru Mizuki's Backbeard | SMT1's Backbeard (credit to Mizuki expert and translator Zack Davisson; note his findings also reveal one further degree of crib than could fit here on Tumblr with Odilon Redon)

ROITSCHAGGATTA:

1935 photograph by Albert Nyfeler | Mizuki's Roitschaggatta | Soul Hackers' Roitschaggatta

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KANEKO'S CRIB NOTES LXVI: A RACIST (?) METAPHOR FOR VENGEANCE

I'll be honest with you all, we're running out of cribs. Who knows what the landscape will look like next year. Only one thing is for sure: Kaneko's bare, spooky carcass will be on full display at least once more by our fine friends at Colopl.

LEPRECHAUN: An often controversial design because "why is an Irish fairy clad in a Union Jack boot, isn't that a bit insensitive to Ireland? "; however, Eirikr puts that argument to rest with an exhaustive look into the design's context. And yeah, Leprechaun's "scandalous" boot is clearly cribbed from the one used by the Spice Girls' Geri Halliwell.

HOMO GORLEO: There are two things to say about Metaphor's human designs. The first is that most seem to be inspired by the works of Dutch artist Hieronymus Bosch, like Gorleo here, which iterates on a figure found on the center panel of Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights triptych.

HOMO AVADES: The second thing we can say about the Metaphor humans is that we're frustrated by the lack of transparency regarding who designed them. One would assume that would be Shigenori Soejima, but Atlus has been less than forthright about something so apparently obvious. For the time being, we'll just have to credit them to "Studio Zero Art Team." Avades itself is at least more clearly adapted from the central figure of the the right panel of Bosch's Garden.

NYAMI NYAMI: We've made light of Doi in the past for over-relying on Wikipedia as a source for things, and, hey, it happened again for Vengeance's Nyami Nyami, this time an image of a wood carving of the deity used on the JP Wikipedia page that Doi clearly saw while researching and used as a reference, not that we're faulting him for it!

AMABIE: A design actually borne out of Atlus piggybacking on a Japanese Amabie meme during the Covid-19 pandemic, Doi's Amabie is based on a 19th century woodblock print that's the genesis for virtually all modern depictions of her.

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KANEKO’S CRIB NOTES LXV: SEVEN SEAS OF CRIBS

Halloween is on the approach, and what could this mean? Tricks, treats? Skeletons, witches, draculae? A child's laughter sounding lightly through the autumn leaves? No, it doesn't mean any of that GARBAGE- it's time for the annual outing of KANEKO'S CRIB NOTES! Please enjoy this smattering of delirious cribs that will make you think "damn, that's the thing that the other thing is based on".

NEZHA: The modern pop sensibility of Soul Hackers is on display in Nezha's Astro Boy inspired design, drawing a parallel between the two "rebuilt" child heroes. It's evident from the twin spikes and whatever the fuck that is, you know, his metallic underwear I suppose.

CHERUB: Following the probably erroneously designated 'Ophanim' from SMTII, and playing on Kaneko's documented fascination with angelkind as spacecraft, this Devil Summoner take on Cherub pushes the concept even further, borrowing a look from the cover of ancient alien classic The Spaceships of Ezekiel by Joseph F. Blumrich. Compare the cover to the Japanese edition that Kaneko was more likely familiar with!

SERAPH: The composition of Seraph's four heads and crossed arms is a likely homage to the iconic cover of 1974's Queen II. Slap that shit on your dorm room wall for a change!

TITANIA: Titania's appearance in SMTII is a slightly embellished take on this Brian Froud illustration of the ghostly Glaistig of Scotland. Thanks to Psiguy for originally sharing this ID from @yen_den, based on a post uploaded to the @theavalonians twitter account!

FIONN MAC CUMHAILL: In the spirit of equanimity, a last addition to the DOI'S CRIB NOTES series: Fionn Mac Cumhaill appears to be inspired by the dress of legendary illustrator J.C. Leyendecker's 'Cu Chulainn Riding His Chariot Into Battle' (1911), from the rectangular pattern of his mail-coat down to the telltale 'X' meander that runs along the fringe of either cloak.

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KANEKO’S CRIB NOTES LXIV: KANEKO’S BIZARRE CRIBS

Our most monochromatic volume yet! Hirohiko Araki and his magnum opus Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure have achieved critical levels of popularity and cultural cachet worldwide and the demand is only going to get frothier thanks to the smooth animation of David Production and seamless distribution from Netflix. Kazuma Kaneko? Obviously a hip cat like him was into Jojo before it was cool. So like how David Production and Netflix keep killing it, you could say the same for Megaten; only Kaneko drew all these before Doi murdered him with an ORA ORA ORA from Amon’s horrible arms.

OCELOTL: Also known just as Ocelot, this is one of the jaguars that ate the giants of the First World in Aztec myth; being a cat, Kaneko molded the design around a then more contemporary former feline (who loves Yoshikage Kira): Stray Cat.

BS RECONSTRUCTION SOLDIER VULCAN: These ne’er-do-wells from Maken X’s London stage don’t just borrow Stroheim’s chest-gun: when they fire it in the game, they pose like him, too!

ACHERI: This obscure Indian ghost of a little girl follows quite literally in the footsteps of Alessi and his shadowy Stand, Sethan!

IXTAB (PROTOTYPE): Seen in Devil Summoner World Guidance, this male design for Maya suicide goddess Ixtab went unused for being too blunt a depiction of the subject, despite wearing the Stone Mask of vampiric immortality. The latter artifact was likely chosen as an accessory because of its origin from the proximate Aztec culture.

+PLUS: Our previous Jojo crib featuring Thanatos and Okuyasu’s father! & Special thanks to @dijeh for assistance with this volume!

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KANEKO’S CRIB NOTES LXIII: 2K FOLLOWERS SPECIAL!

When Kaneko’s Crib Notes began 20 years ago, we never imagined that one day 2,000 people would care about the work and influences of a man forced into exile by his own massive talents. In that time span, an entire generation has been born, matured, married, reproduced, and passed on. Here are some fun behind-the-scenes factoids from KCN’s storied history:

Total number of cribs: 173

Total notes: 27,935

Total nice pickups and gifts: 11

Total views: 112,737

Total Papa Johns "Papa Rewards Points": 136,531

What a thrilling thrill ride it’s been!

JANUS: Adapted from Leonardo da Vinci’s “Allegory of Pleasure and Pain.”

OSE: Wears Sting’s Feyd-Rautha codpiece from Lynch’s DUNE.

TAOTIE: The gluttonous monster found its modern counterpart and thematic inspiration in Dr. Slump’s Gatchan, who eats almost anything.

THRONE: Kaneko described Throne as being inspired by American comics; his wardrobe and even skin color reference Marvel’s Cloak. 

CHERUB: SMT2′s statue Cherub is designed after ANE depictions of winged human-animal hybrids, such as sphinxes and lamassu, that likely inspired the Bible’s own descriptions.

Here’s to 20 more amazing years!

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KANEKO’S CRIB NOTES LXII: HEARTFELT EROTICISM

It’s Halloween. No, it’s the Halloween before Shin Megami Tensei V. That means it’s time to remember Kazuma Kaneko. He was a good artist before he was KILLED. Yes, that’s right. He was MURDERED. If you’ve seen him recently it was just a body double. Once Kaneko became old and worthless, Masayuki Doi touched the barrel of a gun to the back of his head execution style, said, “Move over for a new generation, motherfucker,” and pulled the trigger. Kaneko’s brains splattered all over his PC. Doi fucking blew his brains out. Brains. That’s a Halloween thing. Like zombies. Spooky.

Have fun this holiday season comparing details of the above images!

MOTHMAN: According to Kaneko, not only is Mothman intentionally furry and fuzzy like a moth, he’s influenced by Obake no Q-Taro’s cylindrical Doronpa, an American obake in the manga/anime. It’s mainly in the head. If you don’t know Q-Taro, he’s the inspiration for SMT2′s Ghost Q! Kaneko also described Mothman’s silhouette as heart-shaped, so no wonder he’s so beloved!

KHONSU: Damn, this fun Halloween mummy is doing a “Vogue” (ヴォーギング) move as popularized by Madonna! Kaneko cites the famous ‘Vogue Dance’ as inspiring Khonsu’s fabulous pose here, illustrated by this model working it in approximate fashion. Man, mummies are scary, like Halloween! This crib is a fucking slam dunk!

GIRIMEKHALA: 32-bit-era Giri is influenced by the 1969 Toei animation The Wonderful World of Puss in Boots and its Lucifer’s brief appearance as an elephant. Evil elephant, evil source influence I suppose. Giri builds upon details like Lucifer’s spiky crown and skull pendant! 

LHAM DEARG: This supremely Scottish ghost is based on supremely French actor Christopher Lambert in his iconic role as THE HIGHLANDER (1986)! Lham Dearg has clearly met a grisly end on the battlefield, but Connor MacLeod is eternal except in the cartoon where he dies almost instantly.

ARTEMIS/DIANA: De-nippled for your protection! It's common knowledge that these two are take-offs of the Artemis of Ephesus statues. However, it's no longer believed that those statues' multitudinous prominences are breasts but rather ornaments such as bull testicles or gourds. So honestly, the de-nippled Artemis and Diana are more accurate... if you're thinking bull testicles.

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KANEKO’S CRIB NOTES LXI: DEAD MAN’S UNREST

Things I love in October: Jesus Christ, Hot Dogs, Chevy Trucks, Yankees Eliminated from Postseason, Kazuma Kaneko. And since we are nominally involved with the art of Kazuma Kaneko, certified Dead Guy, here’s some new material, i.e., stuff you WILL reblog over and over again so we can finally both crack 1000 notes on a post and surpass 2000 total followers. You’ll never read this text either so GO TO HELL; if you do read, you will GO TO HEAVEN

ANGEL: Before he died, Kaneko loved French fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier, who provided costume design work for 1997′s The Fifth Element, like Jovovich’s Leeloo here, whose costume Kaneko 100% stole for Angel’s Nocturne update. It’s a cycle.

XUANWU: The turtle-snake’s alt names are tagged but we’re gonna pretend they don’t exist. Anyway, during his alive days, Kaneko was totally into this Xuanwu art. I really miss that dude.

EMPUSA: This scaly nightmare is actually “Lamia” from the bestiary History of Four-Footed Beasts, yadda, yadda, Kaneko then used it for Empusa, though it’s better for her anyway.

SURT: Kaneko’s life can be divided into two periods: I. He watched Clive Barker’s 1990 film Nightbreed; II. He passed away. Thus, here’s a Midianite who appears for like three frames and has the same volcanic conehead as the two Surts.

BELOBOG: Yes, it’s fan-favorite Belobog, now compared to Golden Bat, the kamishibai superhero. This is the cover of a magazine tie-in to the '60s movie, but Golden Bat generally looks the same wherever, with that cloak & collar and scepter that suspiciously also belong to Belobog. Thanks to that one Golden Bat video, via @caligulasterrarium.

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KANEKO'S CRIB NOTES LX: KISS FROM A NIGHT ROSE

That dark and unsettling time of year is once again upon us. With a flash of lightning and a peal of thunder, Kaneko's Crib Notes once again rises from its grave! Kaneko himself, though: still dead. Blame the moe boom.

Anyway, you'll be SHOCKED to the marrow as you discover what we have in store for you this season. Five CHILLING selections so brazen, so unexpected that you'll wish this blog was active more than once a year. So before more CLICHES of TERROR give you the cold sweats, do have a good and HAPPY HALLOWEEN this year. We mean it.

LILITH: From the 1990 film Night Angel. Submitted by @cryomancer199x. SMT1's Lilith is a composite of various elements of Night Angel's Lilith: three fingers, stripes of scaly skin (makeup in the movie's context), rings and jewelry, long, dark hair, and of course the classic snake. For more, check this gallery.

ALRAUNE: From the 1973 Japanese book World Yokai Picture Book. We don't know of an earlier appearance of Japan's now-ubiquitous "naked girl emerging from a large flower" Alraune interpretation, so it's likely this illustration influenced SMT's, Castlevania's, and the slew of horny mobile games to follow.

JUEYUAN: From Gene Simmons' "The Demon" Kiss character makeup. Kaneko gave this Chinese monkey and kidnapper of women a counterfeit of Simmons' iconic makeup. Jueyuan also has a penis-shaped tail, so it's likely an intentional pairing with the frontman's licentious escapades.

APSU: The arms are from a type of clay Astarte (less likely Asherah) figurine. Submitted by @doctorchevlong. Why the Mesopotamian fresh water deity has Canaanite Astarte arms, we couldn't tell you. Just don't let it ruin your day.

MAGATAMA: From Alien Metallinome of Captain Ultra. Submitted by anonymous. The Magatama's open configuration looks a lot like this thing’s head. Rest assured, we here at KCN care deeply about tokusatsu matters.

We’re now up to 120+ unique cribs! Thank you for reading this. Garbage.

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KANEKO’S CRIB NOTES LIX: NOW WE HAVE DEVIL SUMMONER WORLD GUIDANCE, HO-HO-HO

It’s the 2018 holiday season, which means Tumblr is about to become a smoldering crater. Until then, we've got some amazing new cribs for you courtesy of Devil Summoner World Guidance. DSWG is a solid demon art book with Kaneko comments for each of DS’s demons (a total of 275). Our gifts to you are the best five out of those mostly easily translated:

Cu Chulainn: Finally on KCN! Kaneko’s is inspired by the Cu Chulainn in the obscure manga/anime Fairy King / Yousei-ou (妖精王). Technically the comments are about the Devil Summoner version but the SMT1 Cu Chulainn above makes for a better comparison to the manga art.

Thor: DS’s “boring” Thor cribs mightily from Schwarzenegger's Conan from Conan the Barbarian. Compare the beefy body, the fur-lined clothing, and especially the totally cribbed helmet. Just do it quickly, before Kratos savagely butchers him in God of War 2!

Thanatos:  This diseased dwarf is as unusual as they come, but Kaneko claims inspiration from two distinct sources: Okuyasu’s deformed father in Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure and Baron Harkonnen of Dune, presumably Kenneth McMillan’s pustulating portrayal from the 1984 film.

Virtue: Virtue’s translucent body, while striking, has always been difficult to pin down but at last we know that it was intended as an homage to Claire, the glass/machine waitress of Galaxy Express 999: an odd but strangely appropriate visual for the angelic archetype.

Rahu: Not merely an allusion to the idiomatic expression, Rahu's craneal wang can apparently be traced back to the phallic pineal gland sported by Dr. Pretorius in Stuart Gordon's cult classic From Beyond.

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KANEKO’S CRIB NOTES LVIII: GREATEST HITTITE OF THE ‘70s

There’s little rhyme or reason to Kaneko’s influences sometimes, not that it’s a bad thing. Case in point: Shin Megami Tensei’s version of the Hittite serpent Illuyanka appears to be wearing the mask of Phantom of the Paradise’s eponymous Phantom. We know what you’re thinking: what the hell is Phantom of the Paradise? A 1974 flop directed by noted filmmaker Brian De Palma (The Untouchables, Scarface), Phantom channels the same musical camp as The Rocky Horror Picture Show, only its relative obscurity means your friends won’t ruin it for you. Pardon the personal anecdote.

Anyway, The Phantom’s beaked mask is quite distinct and Illuyanka’s shares its shape and details right down to the ridges and stylized eyelashes. The Phantom’s mask seems to have made a splash in Japan overall, as its appearance can also potentially be seen in the helmet worn by Berserk’s Griffith/Femto; however, there’s no question that Kaneko was copying Phantom’s original, as Berserk’s differs in some key ways.

Many thanks to doctorchevlong for this crib!

Speaking of masks and phantoms, HAPPY HALLOWEEN and enjoy KCN’s very best selections from Samhain seasons past:

‘14: (1) Betelgeuse (2) Baphomet

‘15: (1) Season of the Crib, (2) Arachne

‘16: Spoo*y Skeletons

‘17: David’s Halloween Ghoul-a-ganza

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KANEKO’S CRIB NOTES LVII: HENSHIN-A-NO-NO, BABY!

More than three weeks have passed since the publication of our titanic exposé on all things pertaining to Odin, Doi, and demon design past and present. But if you haven’t had an opportunity to check her out, or if you’re already rearing for another go, then now’s your chance! You can jump in here, but if you’d like a sneak-peak first, check out just some of the good stuff that handily conforms to this blog’s purview below:

ODIN: A less than appropriate appropriation of one of the least Germanic Tokusatsu icons in existence. 

ASHERAH: The dadaist patterns of another Ultra alumni make the transition to Semitic mother goddess. 

MAITREYA: All of those Matsuko Deluxe jokes have borne out something fierce, but the aspect and mudra of the future Buddha are at the ready.

LOKI: Shocking parity achieved with the very, very nude illustrations of 19th century Danish illustrator Lorenz Frølich. 

AMON: The Le Breton Dictionnaire Infernal print injected with the PEDs of Devilman's very red Amon.

Those are the CliffsNotes, but you can find them discussed at length with a boatload of context by following this link!

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KANEKO'S CRIB NOTES LVI: THE CAREER OF MASAYUKI DOI

Masayuki Doi has the unfortunate distinction of being the black sheep of Atlus' main art designers, no doubt due to the fact that some of his best work is hidden within a dead series and that his rise to prominence came at a tumultuous time in the company's history. However, we think his surprisingly expansive oeuvre is definitely worthy of a comprehensive reevaluation and deserving of wider recognition, even if some of it is tarnished by lamentable choices and circumstances. Join Kaneko's Crib Notes editors Soren and Eirikr once more as they break down Doi's entire career, from Trauma Center to Shin Megami Tensei and much more!

READ MORE!

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KANEKO’S CRIB NOTES LV: LENNY KRAVITZ’S FESTIVAL OF INFERNAL LIGHTS

Lenny Kravitz once declared “Rock and Roll Is Dead,” but we’re pretty sure he didn’t light a candle over its grave...until now.

With Christmas upon us at last, we never expected that the incredibly belated (on multiple occasions) releases of the 4th and 5th volumes of the Kazuma Kaneko Works series would be as the Star of Bethlehem and lead us to one of the most astonishing cribs of all. As with the preceding three volumes, Kaneko Works 4 and 5 contain profile appendices for each of the featured demons, including what were assumed to be new descriptive notes and sources on designs from the 32-bit era. Unfortunately, many of these notes suggested design inspirations that seemed spurious at best, including one that noted that Bifrons’ design as seen in Devil Summoner and Soul Hackers (but Devil Summoner in particular) was based on musician Lenny Kravitz.

Though this connection seemed too good to be true and likely the mere conjecture of a new author with a surprisingly deep bed of pop culture references at hand, it turned out the design source mentions in particular originated not from Kaneko Works 4 and 5 but from the old Devil Summoner World Guidance book, in Kaneko’s own words! Straight from the horse’s mouth: the Kravitz inspiration was real! (Click here to view the Bifrons blurbs from KW5 and DS World Guidance.)

As seen in the gallery, Bifrons clearly resembles a costume Kravitz wore in promotion for his 1995 album Circus. Both wear a “puffy shirt” under a jacket and while Bifrons’ skull doesn’t seem to be that of a mouse’s to match Kravitz’s mask (but does in a way carry over his monstrous grin from the Dictionnaire Infernal), the demon retains the musician’s flowing dreadlocks. With the addition of a blazing candelabrum in reference to Bifrons’ spirited role, it’s yet another classic Kaneko pop culture crib to add to the pantheon!

Very special thanks to @poltergeist0002 for confirming for us that the design comments originated in Devil Summoner World Guidance!

GHOSTS OF KCN PAST:

They the Four Kings of the cardinal directions are

The X Days of Stolasmas

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KANEKO’S CRIB NOTES LIV: DAVID’S HALLOWEEN GHOUL-A-GANZA + CASTLEVANIA...!?!

Thanks to matteste for this one! Originally spotted on the cover of the Swedish book Sällsamheter i Bohuslän och Dalsland, we were able to trace this death image’s presence to none other than the Dictionnaire Infernal (though not its actual origins; we’ll get into that). Featured in the dictionary’s entry for the "dance of death” (danse des morts), this skeletal musician looks as if it is delighting in fiddling away some macabre tune. Kaneko’s David adapts exactly the posture of raised left leg, the placement of the violin on the left shoulder, and especially the feathered beret.

A perplexing issue is the exact provenance of the Dictionnaire’s "David.” Louis Le Breton is famously credited for the book’s demon illustrations, but the skeleton violinist is unattributed; moreover, it just doesn’t look like it is in Le Breton’s style. No other artist is officially credited in the Dictionnaire, but a couple of the other illustrations in the “dance of death” entry are signed by that of Jean-Baptiste Victor Loutrel and E. Kretzschmar; we can find no confirmation that the work is theirs. It would also be tempting to credit Hans Holbein the Younger and his own Dance of Death woodcut series, but the illustration isn’t present there, either. Even more puzzling is the colorized version as seen on the Swedish book, as its crimson hue is an uncanny match for Kaneko’s Fiend--so where exactly did he see this? Certainly not on this book’s cover, unless he’s been a secret Suecophile all along! Unfortunately, all of these questions must remain unanswered for the time being.

While obviously meant to evoke the Danse Macabre of his Dictionnaire heritage, the appellation “David” is another matter altogether. Luckily avoiding confusion with the later Macabre, David’s likely namesake is instead one of the creations of the legendary Antonio Stradivari: the violin Davidoff Stradivarius, as evidenced by the weapon left behind following his defeat in the original SMT (’Stradivari”). Otherwise, looking for any connection between the name David and the genuine Danse Macabre tradition turned out to be a fool’s errand.

Lastly, since October is the month when we reflect on the dead, it’s the perfect time to include some Castlevania! Morbid, but you know it’s true. Anyway, while browsing the Dictionnaire Infernal we happened upon its entry for Amalaric, the Visigoth king, and found the general silhouette of his sniper assassin to be curiously familiar in both pose and the degree of the bow’s tilt to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night’s Sniper of Goth (or Amalaric Sniper). While its angelic embellishments define the sprite, we figure this illustration has to be the inspiration for it as it’s such a bizarrely specific enemy otherwise!

Halloween ‘14: (1) Betelgeuse (2) Baphomet

Halloween ‘15: (1) Season of the Crib, (2) Arachne

Halloween ‘16: (1) Spoo*y Skeletons

[kanekocribs]

BEES AND YAMS AND SUNSHOWERS, OH MY!

We here at Kaneko’s Crib Notes have been researching the true identities and origins of certain demons for the better part of a decade, along with many other like-minded collaborators. The diversity of source and reference at play in the series compendium is a sight to behold, but that same variety includes origins of the utmost obscurity, particularly for an English-speaking audience; many of these figures and sources of inspiration have only the most paper-thin presence even in Japanese media. World Mythology is a field of nearly immeasurable depth, so adding clumsy renderings to and from katakana to the mix tends to complicate matters even further. But by turning our attention to the oeuvre of one of Kaneko’s known influences, celebrated artist and folklorist Shigeru Mizuki, we’ve stumbled upon a motherlode of cribs and sources the likes of which we aren’t likely to see again. And so we’ve decided to catalogue it all in one place: not just the mountain of Mizuki cribwork, but the results of many years of hunting for the identities and sources of the most mystifying figures to ever grace the compendium.

This Crib has been years in the making, and for once that actually means something. We’ve publicly discussed these endeavors before, at least in microcosm, but this is where the pieces really fall together. Read on and be acquainted with some of the most persistent secrets the series has to offer!

CLICK HERE TO UNVEIL SMT’S GREATEST MYSTERIES!

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