Next Call for Art Submissions! - Heikegani (Samurai Crabs)

Heikegami - Samurai Crabs

 

These are the rad crabs  popular with Kuniyoshi that feature the face of a samurai on their shells. Really cool little guys. They are a product of the Gempei war, a conflict between the Taira and Minamoto Clans. During the battle of Dan- no-ura Yoshitsune and his chief retainer Benkei defeat the Taira clan. These crabs are believed to be the reincarnated spirits of the defeated Heike warriors, who,  following their leader Tomomori, jumped into the ocean to their deaths in shame from their defeat. Their fierce spirits however would not surrender and instead infused into the crabs living in the bay. Because these crab hold the spirit of their ancestors Japanese people do not eat then, so now they are quite common in that area.

• Deadline for submissions October 31st, 2013
• Submissions WILL NOT be returned so if you want to keep yours please send a HIGH QUALITY digital scan of at least 400dpi. Do not send photos. Email or dropbox to gominekobooks@yahoo.com
• Submissions sent in will be auctioned off online and the money donated to the Support The Underground Crew - a group of underground bikers, musicians and artists that spend one weekend a month biking supplies in and donating their time to help out some of the villages in Tohoku the government deemed too small to resuscitate.
• Post to: Gomineko Books/ 3-13-29 Imagawa/ Suginami-ku, Tokyo/ 167-0035 Japan
• Please send a written statement giving Gomineko the right to publish your piece in any future publication and if you send the original, written permission to include it in the online auction.
• You may send as many submissions in as you'd like but I print one per artist (per motif). There is no guarantee that your piece will be selected but please know that we definitely appreciate the time and energy spent on each piece.              .
• Questions can be emailed to Crystal at gominekobooks@yahoo.com

Tanuki Submissions for the New Book!!

AkoArt

Cat Bijou

Jee Sayalero

Ayako Fujita

Clint Steele

Craig Deuce

Elize Casarjian

Omniinks Yugo

Josh Roelink

Lee Withey

Mike Nomy

TNS Naoki

Vicky Morgan

Robert Bonhomme

Sam Rulz

Scott Sketo

Vanessa Toryumon

Matthew Crim

Robert Bonehomme

New Call for Art Submissions for Next Book - BAKENEKO

Bakeneko are forked tailed cat demons, not to be trusted. There are different myths concerning when and why a cat’s tail splits into two and he becomes a bakeneko, including that it happens when he reaches a certain age (although what the age is specifically tends to vary with each telling); or that it is the vengeful spirit of an ill-treated cat returned to avenge itself on his tormentors. Some people say it splits when a domestic cat reaches 8 pounds or it if has eaten in the same house for 13 years – but in all the stories once a feline’s tail divides into two the cat becomes a bakeneko and has supernatural powers. Bakeneko have been credited with shapeshifting and it’s believed that Bakeneko can breathe life back into the newly dead so all cats are kept away from fresh corpses as a precaution. (It’s also been said that it can reanimates a corpse by jumping over it’s head). Bakeneko then use these zombie bodies to revenge themselves on people they felt have wronged them. To prevent their pets from turning into demons Japanese people would cut the tails off their cats and as a consequence, there is a huge number of bobtail or stumpy tailed cats here in Japan, both feral and domesticated. Bakeneko (all cats really) enjoy licking lamp oil – it’s convenient fat and protein for them. With the lamp right there playing with shadows and the inevitable distortion a shoji screen would add to the image of a cat on a table licking lamp oil, it’s easy to see why people began to speculate about cats as yokai. Some believe bakeneko can grow large enough to just snatch people up through open windows. They’ve been known to kill a person and assume his/her identity. In more than one story e Bakeneko kills a person in it’s household and hides the body in the floorboards (or sometimes just the bones – all gnawed clean) assumes the dead person’s appearance and place in the family appearing at meal times to gorge. Bakeneko are considered malevolent creatures and are usually depicted as quite ferocious and evil.

Deadline for submissions January 31, 2013 Submissions WILL NOT be returned so if you want to keep yours please send a HIGH QUALITY digital scan of at least 400dpi. Do not send photos. Email or dropbox to gominekobooks@yahoo.com Submissions sent in will be auctioned off online and the money donated to the Support The Underground Crew - a group of underground bikers, musicians and artists that spend one weekend a month biking supplies in and donating their time to help out some of the villages in Tohoku the government deemed too small to resuscitate. Post to: Gomineko Books/ 3-13-29 Imagawa/ Suginami-ku, Tokyo/ 167-0035 Japan Please send a written statement giving Gomineko the right to publish your piece in any future publication and if you send the original, written permission to include it in the online auction. You may send as many submissions in as you'd like but I print one per artist (per motif). There is no guarantee that your piece will be selected but please know that we definitely appreciate the time and energy spent on each piece. . Questions can be emailed to Crystal at gominekobooks@yahoo.com

New Gomineko Call for Art Submissions for Tokyo Show - Tsuchigumo

Sorry for the delay guys...here you go! Have fun with this one!


Tsuchigumo, the earth spider, appears in several Japanese legends and she is fantastic. She was one of the main adversaries of Minamoto no Yorimitsu, or Raiko as he is often called. Minamoto no Yorimitsu and his four chief retainers were commissioned to rid the captal of an ever growing population of robbers and bandits. Through a series of exploites he was eventually credited with ridding Kyoto of its yokai (monster) denizens as well. There are two famous stories involving Raiko and the Tsuchigumo. In the first story, which is also a well known Noh play, he is a retainer at the palace in Kyoto and is in bed in his chambers, very ill. Delirious he was plagued night after night by dreams of being attacked by demons. His retainers stood by his bedside to keep watch but they eventually fell asleep and Raiko envisioned himself being bound with silken robes. Crazed he struck out with his short sword and the vision evaporated and a creature fled the room leaving a trail of blood. Raiko and his retainers followed the blood to a large mound of earth where they were met by Tsuchigumo, a giant earth spider. Raiko attacks and kills Tsuchigumo and his sword was given the name Kumokirimaru - spider killer.

In another story Raiko and his men are found following a fiery skull, floating in the air above them. Bound by the emperor to rid Kyoto of evil spirits, they raced after the skull chasing it outside the city to a hill where they were met by an army of gruesome yokai. Apparently the yokai did not take kindly to Raiko's quest. The army was led by an enchantingly beautiful woman and while his retainers began to position themselves against the monsters, Raiko sat motionless, staring at her, dumbstruck. He became aware of soft cobwebs enveloping him and with effort, struck out with his sword. With that thrust the phantom woman dissolved into Tsuchigumo, the giant earth spider, and her legions of yokai immediately vanished. Raiko attacks Tsuchigumo, slicing open her belly in the battle. As she died thousands of skulls poured from her belly, a lifetime of human victims, as well as thousands of vicious baby spiders, all the size of small dogs, which Raiko and his retainers in turn set upon and defeated. Grim.


Submissions may be any size/medium and must be received by September 10th. Please send them to:

Crystal Morey
Gomineko Books
IS Heights #1101
3-32-42 Higashi - Shinagawa
Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo
140-0002
Japan

Please include your name, address, email and permission for Gomineko Press to print the illustration in future publications. Please let me know as well if you would like your artwork returned. I will return submissions after the book goes to print.

Here are some Tsuchigumo images for reference....


Kuniyoshi


Yoshitoshi


Kuniyoshi

Japanese Ghost Stories -

Gomineko’s newest publication Japanese Ghost Stories is the end result of a year long art project. It includes illustrations based on four different Japanese ghost stories, submitted by 62 unique international artists, including Jack “Horimouja” Mosher, Horimasa, Ade, Cody Meyer, Tim Kern, Horizaru, Horigyn, Hougen and more. The project was created to explore how Westerners approach old Japanese myths and legends, most of which are quite culturally diverse and unique. The artists were asked to adhere to certain elements of the story but ultimately were given creative license. The artwork submitted for the project was incredibly varied in terms of style and approach, making this a compelling collection of illustrations and an interesting look into how the western mind, as well as that of present day Japan, approach these antiquated tales.The book is softcover, 124 pages, A4 in size and $48. We also did a run of special edition hardbacks (s/n limited to 300) for the artists and are selling what remains of those on our website for $100.

Click here to order one for yourself....Japanese Ghost Stories




































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