I edit manga (Japanese comic books) for a living. Most of the artwork in these manga features young people wearing odd t-shirts. Can anyone explain the "automobile" one? Is that quote attributed to Henry Ford or some other industrialist regarding the advent of the assembly line? Arrogant insect is beyond any reasonable explanation. Although it IS tempting to think about which insect could be considered arrogant. Praying mantis? Naw, not them--they do pray so that means they're humble and god-fearing to a degree. Millipedes and centipedes are kinda arrogant for having so many goddamn legs. Black widow? Perhaps not arrogant--but cold and selfish--for depriving their offspring of a father. Ants are arrogant for thinking they can carry 20 times their weight. I'm hoping the great white way is a band and not an endorsement of eugenics or white supremacy.
4 comments:
I found the arrogant insect one odd too -- but I found your analysis of the centipedes and millipedes as arrogant because they have so many legs quite amusing...thanks for the laugh!
I think that I can explain the T-shirts by the fact that these are the kind of t-shirts they actually wear in Japan.
Come to my house and I will prove it by showing you my recent T-shirt purchased in Japan, which looks like this:
CONJURING TRICK 80s
***********
faaaaaaanticallly!!!!
SO you see. It's probably the most realistic part of the manga.
I'm inclined to argue that the so-called Walking Stick is an arrogant insect. Just imagine the creature trotting along a dangling branch with the haughtiness of an aristocrat. You can see one of them here.
i think you're right, kt, insofar as the prevalence of these shirts. a colleague of mine was remarking that young japanese kids won't be caught dead wearing any clothing with kanji (japanese characters) and that they love wearing clothes with english written on them. i'm just wondering how they come up with these things. love to see a video of a brainstorming session at one of these t-shirt companies.
Kenneth - he does look rather arrogant--and well-dressed. looks like he's wearing a fitted tweed 3-piece. an english man in new york. (whose song is that??) i can almost see him waltzing down fifth avenue, a WSJ under one arm, one of those oversized executive umbrellas under the other, checking his watch to see if the markets have closed. that's also a very shrewd and arrogant act of evolution that he's managed to pull off.
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