The Schmoo Express: Afro Samurai

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Afro Samurai

I had never been an avid anime fan until my very first time coincidentally watching Afro Samurai down at the basement of my dormitory with Nic. The animation is amazing and the presentation puts other anime movies to shame. Afro is a bad-ass samurai and the fact that Sam Jackson does the voice for him makes it doubly badass. But the thing that really makes me love this movie is the cultural syncretism that it promotes. Afro Samurai takes place in an ancient Japanese setting but modernized and filled with rich African American culture. Oh also, Rza from Wu Tang does the music for this movie and he kills on every single track for this movie. If you haven't seen it, check it out. Interesting yet straightforward plot but after all, there are other things that make this movie a masterpiece you've gotta check out.
Alright, I am done yapping and now back to our kicks for today. These are actually mine and also not Vans. They are my very first pair of Tom's. So to celebrate such a memorable occasion (if you haven't noticed I have fetish for shoes and will do silly things like this just to show much I love my kicks.), I have decided to paint them using one of my all time favorite anime movies, Afro Samurai. The design is simple and features the main character Afro and his twice killed, first friend then enemy, Jinno. I also painted the quote "Add one more body to the body toll. May God bless this poor bastard's soul." on the back on these two. So here they are, I present to you, my lovely and of course dope Afro Samurai kicks done by yours truly.

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FAQ

What exactly does the schmoo express sell?

We are looking to sell t-shirts and jewelry. They are both still in the works but we will let you know when they are up for sale. Also, we do customizing shoes and DIY toys on requests.

How do I order the shoes or the toy?

For shoes: Send me an email at goofball1214@yahoo.com or dvo1@uoregon.edu with your shoe size (if you know it), the shoe brand you want (Tom's, Vans or converse, etc...) and some design ideas. I'll email you back and see where we will go from there.

For DIY toys: Typically I would have these guys already decked out and up for sale so if you are interested in buying one of them, just let us know. However, if you have an idea in mind for the character you want us to create for you, first pick out a DIY toy model at http://www.kidrobot.com/ and then email us with your ideas and we'll go from there.

Do I have to pay a deposit for the order?

For shoes: Yes. The deposit money will be used to purchase the kicks for you. In case you already have a pair, you would have to put down an amount of $40 before I start working.

For DIY toys: It would be $10 for these guys.

What should I have in the email to you?

Below this tab, there should be the order questionaire tab that should give you a guideline of what you should have in the email

Do you usually do sketches of what you will be painting on the shoes/DIY toys?

Yes I do. If you would like to see some sketches just to make sure that you'll like what I paint, please just let me know in the email. Keep in mind that sketches most of the time are a lot rougher than the final product.

What kind of things do you usually paint on the shoes?

For shoes: Anything that you desire.

What do you use to draw on the shoes/DIY toys?

I use Golden acrylic paint with Sakura pen-touch pens, sharpies (occasionally) and Identi-pens.

How well does the paint hold up over time?

I typically apply 2 coats of Vans Stain spray for the shoes. And also the nature of acrylic paint is that it is water-resistant after painted on given surface, thus the artwork hold up over time really well.

What is the turn around time for the kicks?

That mostly depends on what time it is during the year. I do go to school so during my academic terms, it usually would take about a week and a half to have your shoes painted. However, in the summer or during breaks, it would only take 2-3 days to get the paint job done.

Who inspired you to do something like this?

http://artkicks.blogspot.com/

These guys are truly inspirational.

Order Questionaire

This is a guideline for what one should have in their email to me so that I can get on the kicks right away without spamming you asking thing about what you want on your kicks / toy.

Shoes

Name: Your name here (duh!)

Age: This is to tell me how YOUNG you are

Mailing Address: This is for later when I try to figure out the shipping cost and of course get the kicks to you

Shoe size: European/UK/US sizes work.

Shoe brand: Canvas shoes brand. (I typically do Tom's and Van's)

Shoe type: Slip-on, laced-up, low top, hi top or whichever best suits you.

Design description:

Do you know what you want painted on your kicks.

If yes, what is it and how would you like me to paint it.

If no, just let me know and we'll work together to figure out a cool theme to pimp your kicks.

Color theme: what are the main colors you would want me to use for your shoes?

Sketch preview: Would you like to see what i'll draw/paint for you? Keep in mind, they're going to be rough sketches.

Painted Name: Would you want your name painted on the shoes?

Anything else: ...

DIY toys (Only applicable when desire customization)

Name: Your name here (duh!)
Age: This is to tell me how YOUNG you are
Mailing Address: This is for later when I try to figure out the shipping cost and of course get the kicks to you
Toy model: Check http://www.kidrobot.com/ for available models
Toy size:
Check http://www.kidrobot.com/ for available models

Design description:
Do you know what your character will be looking like?
If yes, what is it and how would you like me to paint it.
If no, just let me know and we'll work together to figure out a cool theme to make the dude happen.
Color theme: what are the main colors you would want me to use for your character?
Sketch preview: Would you like to see what i'll draw/paint for you? Keep in mind, they're going to be rough sketches.
Anything else: ...