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vol. 18 the color issue

contents thecolorissue

f!lms film reviews

le voyage rouge the red balloon and more

MIKA the Golden Boy mika talks about the dark side of fame

James Jean

music! band report

sound of passion the passion pit

an artist’s artist illustrations by james jean

fbs fred flare stickynotes fred flare’s cutest news and sweetest bargains

f!lms

A Clockwork Orange

Yellow Submarine

e g u o R e g a y o V e L

The Red Balloon tterson img/ Webbie Ne

Do you remember the first time you saw The Red Balloon? If txt/ Don Willmott you're of a certain age, you were probably in your third grade classroom eagerly waiting for your teacher to roll in the projector on movie day. If you're on the younger side, though, there's a chance you've never seen this short, sweet masterpiece of French cinema. It's a shame if you didn't see it as a child, but it's not too late to catch up. The only short film ever to win an Oscar for best original screenplay, Albert Lamorisse's little wonder tells the story of young Pascal (Lamorisse's own son Pascal), a nine-yearold Parisian boy living an ordinary life in a sketchy but absolutely gorgeous and cinematic Parisian neighborhood until the day that a large red balloon mysteriously floats into his life… and stays.

Director: Stomping, whomping, stealing, singing, Stanley Kubrick tap-dancing, violating, Derby-topped teddy-boy Cast: hooligan Alex has his own way of having a good time. He has it at the tragic expense of others. Alex's Malcolm McDowell Warren Clarke journey from amoral punk to brainwashed proper James Marcus citizen forms the dynamic arc of Stanley Kubrick's future-shook vision of Anthony Burgess's novel. Michael Tarn Unforgettable images, startling musical Patrick Magee counterpoints, the fascinating language used by Duration: Alex and his pals - Kubrick shapes them into a 136 mins shattering whole. Hugely controversial when first Catergory: released, A Clockwork Orange won the New York III Film Critics Best Picture and Director honors and Language: earned four Academy Award nominations, including English Best Picture. The power of its art is such that it still entices, shocks, and holds us in its grasp.

The White Mane

The magical balloon has puppy-like attributes. Whether Pascal holds the string or not, the balloon follows him faithfully on his daily circuit to and from school and shops and vacant lots. A streetcar conductor refuses to let the balloon board, so they race to school together, where the balloon waits outside the door until Pascal returns. When a mean teacher punishes Pascal, the balloon hilariously taunts the teacher in a bit of supernatural slapstick. The balloon even finds its own friend, a big blue balloon held by a little girl. For an all-too-brief 50 minutes we enjoy the friendship of Pascal and the balloon until a pack of vicious, feral, jealous schoolboys decide to have some fun. Separating Pascal and the balloon, they basically stone the balloon to see if they can pop it. It would be a sin to give away the ending, but suffice it to say the movie suddenly elevates, so to speak, to the level of tear-jerking religious parable or, if you're an atheist, to a beautiful "all dogs go to heaven" moment. The fact that Lamorisse can imbue a simple balloon with so much emotion and then make us emote all over it, is a masterful feat, and one that has rarely been duplicated in film. As the new Criterion DVD version is released, you can also head to the theater to see Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien’s reinterpretation of the film called The Flight of the Red Balloon. It's not a remake, but rather a homage that tries to recapture some of that Parisian magic. Director: Albert Lamorisse Cast: Pascal Lamorisse Duration: 34 mins Category: I Language: French

Do I give The Red Balloon five stars because I'm hopelessly nostalgic for third grade and the innocence of childhood? Maybe, but I also award the stars because the film is on the list of essentials, and if you missed it as a child, now is the time to make sure you seek it out and watch it. But here's the challenge: Try to watch with child-like eyes. Aka Le Ballon rouge.

La petite Chartreuse

Pascale is an out-of-work actress who lives alone Director: with her eight year old daughter, Eva. She isn’t Jean-Pierre Denis Cast: the most attentive of mothers and, one day, she Olivier Gourmet forgets to collect Eva from school. Anxious that she has been abandoned, the little girl runs into a Marie-Josée Croze busy road – and is knocked down by a car. The Bertille Noël-Bruneau Marysa Borini driver, Étienne Vollard, can hardly take in what Yves Jacques has happened. It is the latest in a series of Duration: disasters that has made him a virtual recluse. 90 mins With Eva in hospital in a deep coma, her mother Catergory: doesn’t know how to react, and appeals to IIA Étienne to stay with the child. Whilst Pascale is Language: away looking for work, Étienne recites stories to French the sleeping Eva. Then, against the odds, the little girl begin to awake...

The Beatles are spirited away in the eponymous yellow submarine to save Pepperland from the dreaded Blue Meanies. Along the way, the singing saviors encounter a surreal feast for both the eyes and ears: phantasmagorical creatures, outrageous landscapes, and colors that throb and vibrate to each and every Beatle song on the soundtrack. It's a drug-free, hallucinogenic journey for the armchair tripper, the peak of which is undoubtedly (and not surprisingly) the "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" sequence. An incredible film experience at all levels, "Yellow Submarine" manages to capture exquisitely and in visual form the beauty and madness of the incomparable Beatles. And to think 1968 also included Kubrick's "2001!"

Director: George Dunning Cast: The Beatles Paul Angelis John Clive Dick Emery Geoffrey Hughes Duration: 90 mins Catergory: I Language: English

In the Camargue, France, ranchers go after wild horses led by a leader, "White Mane," which escapes capture time after time. A small boy who witnesses the horse's furious fight for its freedom makes friends with the horse after the trackers supposedly give him up to whomever can capture him. They change their minds when they see the boy has tamed him and take off after the horse again, with the boy on his back. Both boy and horse, fed up with the continual fight for freedom and peace, and the duplicity of men, head out to sea as the men plead with the boy to turn back. (Winner of the Cannes Grand Prize in category in 1953.)

Director: Albert Lamorisse Cast: Alain Emery Laurent Roche Clan-Clan Pascal Lamorisse Francois Perie Duration: 47 mins Catergory: I Language: French

Cobalt Blue

A drama centered on a young woman who heads to her father's home in Okinawa to try and cope with her boyfriend's death. Based on a story by Ayako Miyagi, the plot involves a young Okinawan woman named Ryoko who falls into a deep despair when her fiancé dies in a diving accident. As she deals with the shock and depression caused by her sudden loss, her father Daisuke attempts to help her through the grieving process.

Director: Yosuke Nakagawa Cast: Masami Nagasawa Seiji Fukushi Kuranosuke Sasaki Shinji Rachi Duration: 119 mins Catergory: IIA Language: Japanese

s. d r . o ecired r f es at, o s r, d th , n lliopula with ikaf i m po n Mr o 5 s Eve sta t, i d l o He p en s o m g He ir t pmo minf B he ar x o t ch le f a mp k o s ag co freaass. r d e e cl im h t th h th the i w ut of k l a aboide . t e e W rk sfam dahe t txt/ ELOI VÁZQUEZ photographer/ JULIAN BROA

I'm a bit scared. In my Spanish classes we always had to translate EL PAÍS articles". On the phone, MIKA, possibly the male soloist most popular in England. Rejected in an awful manner from a casting of the British version of the X Factor, this was the last misfortune that he declares he has suffered in his life. All of this changed in 2007, when he turned into the strongest best of the music industry. He hit big with his first record, Life In Cartoon Motion, selling 5 millions (according to his record company). The ugly duckling turned into a swan. He just released his sophomore album, betting for keeping his style. Bright & direct pop, blinding in moments, sweetened ballads, disco highs & a melodic talent out of any doubt. Everything is wrapped in cellophane with a "naif" taste for cartoons and the childlike imaginery almost as sinister as Winnie the Pooh. The conversation results reassuring: MIKA doesn't like kids, but he doesn´t eat them either.

EP3 EL PAÍS

M MIKA EP3

You said that waiting for a record to release is like being pregnant. Are you calmer with this, your sophomore album?

M

No, on the contrary. That first time, that excitation for the new, is a privilege you will never have again. After that, you have to establish the direction you want for your career and start learning lessons.

EP3 This album is, again, about your adolescence. When are you gonna mature?

M

People ask me all the time if i have a Peter Pan syndrome, but i believe that what i´m trying is pretending that i have it. My tunes look like children songs or fairytales on the first heard, but that´s the reason of their inmediate likeness. But if you study in depth, you´ll see that sometimes they´re quite dark & serious. The way of introducing them is a trick to make people to get closer to them before knowing what they are about.

EP3

EP3 The Boy Who Knew Too Much has tunes even more stickier than your first album. Did you make a deal with the devil of the sticky tunes?

M

I have to be honest. Mellodies are the reason why i´m doing this. I´m not a great musician technically. When i was at the music schoo. i knew that there were people better than i would ever be. The only thing i really know is the mellody. I think it´s related with, when i was a kid, i always felt left out. I never felt that i was given a chance. I realized very young that the only thing i could to to make those things to disappear was the power of the mellody. It doesn´t matter who you are or where you are from: a sticky mellody is a sticky mellody.

EP3 Does an unhappy childhood estimulate the talent?

M

It´s not a coincidence that most of the people who compose pop weren´t popular people when they were younger.

So, do you have a dark side?

EP3

M

Sometimes, sticky mellodies are too direct & innocuous, addictive, but at the fifth heard they´re unbearable. Have you felt bored of songs you wrote?

Yes, and it´s the most dangerous. It´s nothing obvious, and the trick of looking sweet & friendly let me go in from the front door. For exampel, i have a song, Lady Jane, about a woman so desperate for an unhappy love affair, that she starts to ampute her limbs and beg to die before her lover. That´s how i play with it. My darkness side is more powerful because it doesn´t reveal itself that easily.

EP3 Is the fame so traumatic?

M

Part of it. Be judged. Or that they make you feel like you compete against yourself. But it´s a self-imposed trauma and you have to realize that or it would be destructive. When you´re famous, you check into luxury hotels, you travel first class & meet important people. But you can´t let that to affect you, because the music comes from banal things: waking up in the morning and go groceries, queueing at the post office. Those little things save you. Don´t feel ashamed to be completely normal in your private life.

M

Yes, there are some i never published. There´s one, Erase, only released in United States. I didn´t allow any other publishing anywhere. I hate it. It´s awful. Sticky, but with nothing behind.

EP3 Your first single is titled We Are Golden. Have you ever won something golden that wasn´t a record?

M

Never. I was terrible at sports. I won a wooden spoon -title for the worst player in England- twice at school. I always competed with it with a very fat guy in my class.

EP3 What´s your favourite toy?

M

My toy projector. But when i was really little, my favourite was my Snoopy toy.

EP3 Do you have planned to have children?

M

No. At most, a dog. I have a goddaughter. And I was offered to act as godfather to two more children. Two godchildren more, apart of my half brother? I´ve said no. And it supposes that you have to say yes, but I can´t think of nothing worse than accepting a godchild when you don´t like it.

EP3

EP3 Do you find exciting the current music scene?

M

It´s OK because there are good artists making pop. It´s better than in the 90s, when the record companies were obsessed with prefabricated bands. They´re more interested in pop artists more personal since 2 years ago.

EP3 Did you ever let a lie grow because the truth was too embarrasing?

M

I deny some falseness often, in purpose. In the end, there are so many that they contradict themselves and none of them matter anymore. It doesn´t matter if the truth is more embarrasing or more boring.

EP3 What´s the worst lie said about you?

M

People who have worked with me in my tours have said awful things, untrue. Because I´m obsessed with my shows, every one of them has to be unique, not only a simple, boring gig. And as a team, we work very hard and some people don´t get it, leave and spend time saying how uneasy & bad I am. And the true is that I´m not like that, but I want the show to be good and I pressure my band, the same as my band pressures me. It was said that I mistreat my team, that I fire people with no reason and things like that. That can be dangerous, specially when you have commercial success, so I react at the presence of these statements. They are lies.

EP3 You´re a friend of Perez Hilton. A few days ago, he published in his blog comments from a german magazine where you have labelled yourself as bisexual. Have you decided make a step forward?

M

People say things like making a step forward, come out of the closet. And i think...what does it mean? In that interview, they asked me if i would call myself bisexual. And i told them "if you want, call me bisexual. Or if you want, call me gay. Whatever". In fact, almost nobody have published this, not even the tabloids. Because it´s not too much.

Is that a declaration?

M

It´s not only an extract from a conversation. When this was published, everybody asked if it was a mistaken quote, and the girl who wrote that didn´t correct nothing until i asked her personally. I didn´t say that, that´s why i wanted to clarify. I never felt pressured to make any statement. I believe my fans and people who know me understand, and that way that comment was received proves it.

EP3 Do you bear a grudge against anyone you have met in your musical career?

M

Of course. Some artists were rude with me at the beginning and i have resentment. But, sorry, I will never tell who they are.

EP3 Choose: Robbie Williams, Freddie Mercury, George Michael or Elton John.

M

George & Freddie. Or, better, Elton John & Beyoncé´s baby.

EP3 What´s the best thing that have happened in this ending decade?

M

Internet. I´ll tell you why. When I was a kid i felt so alone for the way I looked the world. Today you don´t have to feel like that. Internet has changed that. Nobody is alone. There´s always someone that likes you. It´s wonderful.

music

txt/ Billy Hamilton Sometimes the folly of youth lies in its blind ambition. As the industry hype-machine buzzed around Passion Pit last year, founding member Michael Angelakos fell prey to the wrath of the dictaphone by decreeing an intention to blend Randy Newman and Stevie Wonder-like song writing with experimental dance pop. The wishful thinking of a starry-eyed young pup, certainly, but in these feral days of bitch-slapping blogs such bravado can fester a sneering resentment that focuses on everything except the music. Not quite the introduction a fresh faced electro-pop outfit needs, yet the truism of no publicity being bad publicity seems to resonate with the Boston-born ensemble: “We were 21 years-old, you know,” explains drummer Nate Donmoyer before a show at Glasgow’s Captains Rest. “Men don’t physiologically mature until they’re 30 so hopefully the press will go a little bit easy on us. I think Mike would take any criticism as a compliment though because Randy Newman is a major influence on us and has a special influence on Mike’s life.” So far, it’s been Angelakos alone who has taken Passion Pit to the periphery of success. Recorded in his bedroom over two years ago, debut EP Chunk of Change was a Valentine's Day collage of sun kissed laments intended for a then-girlfriend. But the EP’s mix of personalised lyrics and hook-infused electronica quickly made its way on to the US college radio circuit before exploding wider thanks to a series of commercial tie-ins and, of course, the obligatory Pitchfork commendation.

PASSION PIT

Sound of Passion

Now signed to effortlessly cool indie label Frenchkiss Records, Passion Pit has evolved as a full-formed band of five, adding flesh to the bones of Angelakos’s intimately conceived numbers. “It’s almost like method acting,” says Donmoyer of playing someone else’s personal songs. “Even though the person is singing about his experiences you’re still trying to put it into your own context. I don’t really know what the story he’s trying to tell is but I have one for when I’m playing it live that I believe in, so it inspires me to play harder.” Having drawn comparisons with acts like Hot Chip and The Go! Team while infiltrating a ream of January tip lists (including our very own), the anticipation surrounding the release of debut long-player Manners is almost rapturous. Not that the band notice: “We try and not pay attention to what people say,” claims Donmoyer. “It’s always good to hear the positive things but not so good to hear the expectations are so high. Though, it’s nice to have the opportunity to live up to it some day.” But with a spectrum of ideas running through the creative veins of Passion Pit, can Manners really mesmerise the lugholes like Chunk of Change did? “It’s still a summertime record but our range of influences can definitely be heard on this one,” Donmoyer states. “There’s live drums running through the whole thing and there’s more guitars and pianos that’s given it a more organic feel. There’s still a shit tonne of synths on it but there’s more of a medium with live instruments now.” Through the maze of hyperbole, it’s sometimes difficult to remember that Passion Pit are newcomers in an unforgiving industry. Their brazen soundbites disguise an openness that suggests this is a band coming to terms with its new status. Or as Donmoyer says: “It’s been really eye-opening to how the industry works. I’ve done DIY indie rock and dance and DJ kind of things and I’d never seen it on a major label. It’s kind of crazy how it all works but we’ll take it, I guess.”

Discoghaphy CHUNK OF CHANGE - EP 2008

MANNERS 2009 Boston's Passion Pit is the brainchild of Michael Angelakos. A songwriter's songwriter drawing from a variety of influences, from the classic pop of Randy Newman to the synth work of Giorgio Moroder. The Chunk of Change EP was originally put together as a (belated) Valentine's Day present to Angelakos girlfriend which then prompted him to give it out to friends and fellow students at Emerson College. Angelakos wrote and recorded the entire record by himself and it only hints at what is to come from this extremely talented perfectionist. The production of the recording - brief, sporadic, and explosive - worked towards the development of Angelakos signature euphoric and blissfully melancholic sound. Frenchkiss Records will reissue the ep this fall with the addition of two bonus tracks Better Things and Sleepyhead that are already catching the online world on fire. All of this is in preparation for Passion Pit s debut full length coming out in early 2009.

As with its predecessor, the Chunk of Change EP, released in 2008, Manners met with positive critical acclaim. Clash magazine awarded Manners a 9 out of 10 score in issue 37 (the review was also published online), writing: "At its most adventurous, Manners sounds like little else – a pop record that exists in a world of its own, carving a sub-genre niche which only fits their expansive, tonally decadent material." Rolling Stone magazine praised lead singer Michael Angelakos' ability to build on the success of the Chunk of Change EP, noting that "what makes the record are his loose beats, shamelessly fruity melodies and breathless little-boy vocals, all pushing skyward." John Mayer expressed his enjoyment of the song "Moth's Wings" on his website blog, saying the song is "one of the best songs I've heard in a long time. It sounds like the hope I have for the summer ahead." A second single "To Kingdom Come" was released in August 2009.

James Jean is an artist based in Los Angeles, California. In 2001, after graduating from the School of Visual Arts, he became a regular cover artist for DC/Vertigo Comics. Jean's covers received great critical and popular acclaim, winning him five consecutive Eisner Awards and three Harvey Awards for Best Cover Artist—an unprecedented accomplishment. This early exposure led him to create work for clients such as the New York Times, Rolling Stone, Atlantic Records, Playboy, Nike, and Target. His latest book, Fables: Covers by James Jean is a collection of covers he created for DC and reveals the techniques behind each image. Since 2007, he has stopped commercial illustration in favor of personal paintings, book projects and gallery shows.

SKRWL. Acrylic on Paper & Digital, 10 x 12" each panel, 2009.

Hare/Bindle. Oil on Rives BFK, 22 x 30" each , 2008.

Maze. Mixed Media on Paper, 29 x 41", 2008.

Poor Thing. Charcoal and Digital Color, 22 x 36", 2007.

Pink. Graphite and Digital Color, 12 x 10", 2006.

Wave II. Acrylic on Paper, 25.5 x 30", 2009.

Didley Bo. Blue Pencil and Digital Color, 22 x 36", 2007.

Wave. Graphite and Digital Color, 11 x 6", 2004.

Southern Belle. Blue Pencil and Digital Color, 22 x 36", 2007.

A bright young star in his chosen field, the internationally renowned artist/painter James Jean was in the country for a few days last week. The Philippines was the last stop on a book/speaking tour, which took him to Ireland, England, France and Belgium before heading to Manila. Fully Booked flew him in for book signings and two talks: one at the recently concluded Ad Congress in Subic and another at the College of Saint Benilde’s School of Design & Arts. Three signings at two branches which saw over 200 fans eagerly lining up to meet the artist, get their books signed and, more often than not, get their picture taken with him. Jean later said, “The Philippines has been the best part of the tour in terms of reception and enthusiasm of fans.” The line was comprised of a pretty even mix of males and females of varying age ranges. Most were familiar with Jean’s work through his 92 covers for the fan-favorite comic book series Fables. Though he departed those cover duties last year to pursue painting with a more committed focus, his covers remain some of the best loved and well remembered. Indeed, if one thumbs through Fables Covers, one can literally see the artist’s progressive growth and maturation through the years. At the School of Design & Arts, students and non-students alike were treated to a slideshow and talk about the artist’s career, influences and turning points in a still young but already high-profile career. Jean attended the School of Visual Arts in New York to pursue cartooning, having fallen in love with the medium as a boy.

Catch/Batter. Oil on Rives BFK, 22 x 30" each , 2008.

But art school, as well as the friends he made there, opened his eyes to many painters and styles he had never encountered before. An interest in painting was planted and soon grew to full flower. Soon after finishing, he landed a cover gig on Fables, where his stellar work caught the attention of many an art director.

“Apparently lots of art directors read comics,” he explained. His dynamic compositions and variety of styles soon had him working with clients like the New Yorker, Wired and Nike. Commercial illustration beckoned and his work started appearing everywhere from magazines and package labels, to posters, skateboards and album covers, like his much-celebrated work for My Chemical Romance’s “The Black Parade.” Perhaps his most “seen” work, however, were his contributions to Prada’s Spring/Summer collection of 2008. For the esteemed fashion label, Jean submitted sketches and patterns that were later used on bags and dresses. He designed and drew a massive mural that served as the wallpaper for the flagship Prada store in New York, a wall that spans 17 by 200 feet. Another mural for Prada’s fashion show in Milan also served as the concept/storyboard artist for a short animated film that accompanied the launch of the collection. But at the seeming height of his visibility, Jean retreated from commercial illustration gigs. After the release of his Fables covers he retired from his position as cover artist and abandoned all “professional” illustration jobs he was offered. The reason was to pursue, with renewed commitment and focus, his true love: painting. He had been itching to return to full-time painting for a while. Much of his professional work was a mixture of painting and digital work on the computer, but recently he had begun to incorporate more and more painting. After a very successful solo show, “Kindling,” at the Jonathan LeVine Gallery in New York, Jean’s work is now in the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles. While working on new paintings, he plans to continue pursuing publishing projects: “Kindling,” a portfolio of removable prints from the recent show has been out a few months. XOXO, a postcard book containing some of his earlier work, also made its debut some weeks back. The major release this year is his Process Recess Vol. 3: The Hallowed Seam. The Process Recess books have collected his work in the past (and are now extremely rare) but the latest volume is comprised almost entirely of sketchbook material. But these are not your average sketches. Even Jean’s worst sketches usually outshine other peoples’ best. In his sketchbook he can experiment and play with whatever strikes his fancy: subject matter, stylization, caricature, color scheme. He feels that some of his best work is his sketches, which can be viewed on http://www.jamesjean.com/.

(Current page/ from top to bottom/ left to right)

Crayoneater. Mixed Media and Digital, 12.5 x 17", 2007. Vanity. Oil and Pastel on Rives BFK, 29 x 41", 2008. Trike. Graphite and Digital, 4.75 x 7", 2006. Horse. Graphite and Digital, 7 x 10.5", 2007.

(Previous pages/ by order of appearance)

Prada Wallpaper for Beverly Hills and SoHo Epicenter stores. Mixed media, approx. 17 x 200 feet, 2007. Concept Art for Trembled Blossoms, animated film for Prada S/S 08. Mixed media, variable sizes, 2007-2008. Concept Art for Trembled Blossoms, animated film for Prada S/S 08. Mixed media, variable sizes, 2007-2008.

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NEW ARRIVALS! Mustaches RULE! And judging by how well mustachethemed items sell here on the FF we are guessing we are not the only fans of this facial fun. Grab a funny and stylish Toddland mustache comb for your best bearded bud! Item is molded plastic with fine metal teeth. Item measures approximately 3.5"x1.5"

iKaraoke This latest of iPod accessories is a must have for karaoke lovers. Just plug it in & start singing! Features a 12-foot audio cable for stereo access, and has a feature which allows you to dim vocals or get rid of them completely. Also includes program Tuneprompter, which can create karaoke videos right from music on your computer! The microphone measures approximate 5" (from left to right/ up to bottom)

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Charlie Brown Christmas tree$20 happy/sad reversible sweatshirt$44 talking japanese watches!$14.99 Twilight jacket$66 fisticup brass knuckle mug$18 rain parade mini umbrellas$32 Pac-Man video game kitz$40 mini robo vacuum$20 Crosley USB tech turntable$129 tea for 2: carafe & mug set$45 wacky bandages$9 Toddland burger wallet$25

Editors Billy Hamilton CA Don Willmott Eloi Vázquez Photograher Julian Broa Webbie Netterson Art Director Mizuo Hayashi

SPECIAL THANKS TO CA Doris Chan EL PAÍS Ennisu Sayako Fred Flare James Jean MIKA Webbie Netterson and YOU

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