Now that Halloween and the general election are out of the way, our thoughts can now safely turn toward the holiday season. (Yes, I know, there’s still Thanksgiving, and yes, there are many things that I’m truly thankful for … but work with me here.) And with the holiday season comes the Landscape of 10,000 Craft Fairs, every last one of them guaranteed to have at a few booths selling handmade earrings, a few more booths with unofficial Angry Birds/Hello Kitty/”Gangnam Style”-inspired crafts. at least five booths selling extraordinarily yummy treats that you’ll probably end up buying way too many of, and a smattering of Tupperware/Pampered Chef/Avon-esque merchandising tables. I know this firsthand, having kicked off my own annual craft fair circuit with the Hanalani fair last weekend. (Protip: Keep an eye out for that one next year. Their bake sale always has amazing goodies.)
Craft fair season also means it’s prime time for several friends of the blog: Audra Furuichi and Scott Yoshinaga of Kimonokitsy Studios, Team nemu*nemu‘s plush pup purveyors; and Terri Dux, Karl Miyashiro and the rest of the idkwhat2wear gang, supplying buttons for my office/building security card lanyard for … umm … a bunch of years now, I just know it’s been a really long time. They’ll be hitting a bunch of fairs over the next few weeks, and this post marks the official start of the Otaku Ohana/Cel Shaded Report tracker of where exactly everyone will be.
The five-star event of this weekend has to be the 23rd annual Noelani Elementary School Craft and Children’s Fair from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, where nemu*nemu and idk will both be in attendance. The Noelani event also marks the formal, buy-them-and-take-them-home-the-same-day debut of the new plush pup quartet of Blue, Enchilada and LOLPup variants of Anpan and Nemu. Audra was kind enough to drop off some samples to the office, and … well, LOL Anpan and Nemu ran off to go talk to the editors in the Today section about possible coverage in print that could show up in the next few weeks, while Blue and Enchilada got some valuable on-the-job training about paper clip organization from old-school Anpan and Nemu.
There’s one other Noelani exhibitor worth pointing out, but that deserves its own section of the Cel Shaded Report in a little bit. For now, I’ll say that you can find Audra and Scott and idk in the cafeteria. The school is at 2655 Woodlawn Drive in Manoa. Bring the kids and make it a family fun day, too — this event certainly looks promising on that front.
Can’t make it? The idk gang will have a quick turnaround, making an appearance at the Diamond Head Arts & Crafts Fair at Kapiolani Community College from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. (KCC is at 4303 Diamond Head Road; look for them on the Makapuu Avenue side of the campus.) Audra and Scott’s next appearance will be at the Priory Holiday Fair at St. Andrew’s Priory (224 Queen Emma Square, downtown) from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 17. And if you can’t make that, keep checking the Cel Shaded Report throughout the season for weekly updates.
Journey continues for Journey of Heroes
So about that other exhibitor I mentioned earlier. Also appearing at the Noelani craft fair will be the newest friend of the blog: Stacey Hayashi, author of the Journey of Heroes graphic novel that recently was covered in this space. She’ll have a stack of books and other chibi goodies on sale, as well as a “chibi Christmas tree” on display that I promise to post a picture of if I succeed in finding a decent parking space for this event. (Yes, this is my formal declaration that I’m actually going to attempt a visit. Wish me luck.) Joining her to sign books will be Eddie Yamasaki, 442nd Regimental Combat Team item chapter president. If you can’t make it to that event, Stacey and several World War II 442nd Regimental Combat Team/100th Infantry Battalion veterans will also be observing this extended Veterans Day weekend with a second book sale/signing, this one at the U.S. Army Museum of Hawaii (2131 Kalia Road) at 10:30 a.m. Monday. For the latest updates on all things related to Journey of Heroes, visit www.facebook.com/442comicbook or www.442comicbook.com.
This update also comes with a bit of sad news. If you looked at the Journey of Heroes reception gallery featured in this space a few weeks ago, you may recall this picture of Stacey with 100th Infantry Battalion veteran Goro Sumida.
Goro was Stacey’s “original chibi,” the man whose stories formed much of the foundation of her book. Sadly, a few weeks after this photo was taken, on Oct. 25, Goro died at the age of 92. Here’s his obituary. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family.
More from the anime news desk
Friends of the Library of Hawaii: It’s a savings countdown this weekend at the Friends’ Harbor Warehouse in Kakaako, with a wide selection of books available for $3 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, then marked down to $2 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday and finally $1 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday. If past experience at these sales holds, the chances are pretty high that you’ll come upon some used manga (both translated and untranslated) during your treasure hunt. The warehouse is located ewa (west) of the UH medical school; just go makai (south) on either Forrest Avenue or Keawe Street to the end, and you’ll be there. Visit www.friendsofthelibraryofhawaii.org.
MangaBento: This group of anime- and manga-inspired artists will be meeting from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Honolulu Museum of Art School (1111 Victoria St., Room 200) … but it will not, repeat, not be a typical group meeting. Instead, the group is presenting a workshop on coloring techniques using computers. Bring your laptops and tablets. Cost is $10; no preregistration necessary. Visit www.manga-bento.com.
Otaku Ohana 