Unpacking from the move to Las Vegas, I discovered a long-lost book.  A beloved story from my youth. 

At 5 years old, some of my fondest memories were of my Mom reading stories to me.  A tradition passed down through generations.  It continues as I've watched my cousin read to her son.

One of those stories read to me was a Japanese folktale called "Momotaro".  The title translates to "Peach Boy". 

There are variations of the story, but the one I grew up with came from this 1972 Island Heritage book, illustrated by George Suyeoka.

In this version, an elderly couple wishes for a child of their own.  Their wish is fulfilled when a baby emerges from a giant peach they find.  The boy is hardworking and becomes a skilled samurai.

He eventually embarks on a journey to free his homeland from the tyranny of evil oni (Japanese ogres/demons).  On his journey, he befriends a dog, monkey, and pheasant.  Together they travel to a remote island to confront the oni.

They defeat the ogres and return the village treasure.

I remember asking my Mom to read me the story over and over again.  I was so inspired by the book that decades later, it became the inspiration for one of my samurai armor designs.

After finding it, I re-read the book looking at it through adult eyes.  The illustrations for the story were so ingrained in my memory that I remember details of the drawings.  I remembered the imagery more than I did the words.

That's why I became a visual artist I suppose.

Renderings of landscapes and waves felt reminiscent of Japanese woodblock prints.  But the illustrations display a fusion of aesthetics as characters had a distinct Hawaii style to their appearance.

I guess it's fitting that I chose this particular rendition of Momotaro to pattern my armor after since it's mix of Eastern and Pacific styles mirror the fusion of Eastern and Western aesthetics in my own art.

As I reflected on the book's artwork, I noticed how violent the story was.  There was mention of the oni who "rob and torture and kill" villagers and a description of the dog who "bit off the guard's heads".

A bit graphic for a modern children's book?

Maybe I'll ask my cousin if she thinks the story is too violent to read to her 5 year old.  But I turned out ok - I think.

If you'd like to read more about my Momotaro armor design inspired by this book click here.

In the coming weeks, I'll be starting to 3D print a full-size version of my Momotaro armor with the help of my friends at Lulzbot and 3D Fuel.  Stay tuned.

The artist proof is currently on display at 3D Fuel headquarters in North Dakota.

Please share your favorite folktale you grew up with in the comments below.

A hui hou.

It's been a while since I've posted a blog or updated my social media.  What happened to me?

Between my chronic fatigue and the pandemic, I ended up in a period of productive hibernation.  But I spent the last couple of months dusting off the cobwebs preparing to get the creative wheels turning again.

However, I find myself dusting off the cobwebs in a different place.  Not just mentally, but physically.  I no longer reside in Hawaii...

After my trip to Washington state and appearance at the Kauai Comic Convention in 2019, the chronic fatigue shut me down for a few months.  I spent that time contemplating my future.

Several years ago, I realized my artistic future wasn't in Hawaii.  A fact staring me in the face. But, for me to leave, I had to overcome two major hurdles.

The first hurdle was the internal struggle. 

I would give up the only home I've ever known.  Live far from friends and family.  The closest destination for my plans was over 2,500 miles away.  And the culture in the islands is very different from the mainland or anywhere in the world for that matter.  How would I adjust to another lifestyle?  Could I adjust?

My second hurdle was external factors: the timing and my health.

Even if I set my mind on venturing beyond my tiny home in the middle of the Pacific, the situation had to be right for me to leave.  I previously had ties and familial responsibilities that kept me in the islands.

As time went on, circumstances changed, but my health declined.  Nerve damage and chronic fatigue took their toll.  Over three years of recovery, and I finally felt strong enough to consider moving from Hawaii.  Then the pandemic struck.  Throwing the world for a loop.

Hawaii is a double-edged sword.  What makes it so beautiful and unique is also what makes it difficult and unforgiving - its isolation.

So after some soul and internet searching, the decision was made to leave the eight islands in the middle of the Pacific and move to the 9th island...Las Vegas.

The questions facing me turned from "do I leave" to "when do I leave?"  Do I wait for the pandemic to pass?  If I wait, what can I do creatively while I wait?  Or, do I leave when it seems safe enough?  I chose the second option.

When I tell people that I moved from Hawaii, I usually get one of two responses.

"Why would you want to leave Hawaii?" or, "Yeah, makes sense."  It all depends on who I'm talking to.  Hawaii people usually give me the latter response.  Islanders understand the price of living in paradise.

Now that I'm in Las Vegas, what's next?  Resuming my relationship with old friends at 3D Fuel.  And starting a new relationship with LulzBot. 

I'll be posting updates here on my blog and on social media with details on my sponsorships with 3D Fuel and LulzBot.  Please follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin to the right.  Stay tuned...

Till next time, a hui hou. ​

Along the way, he meets 3 sentient, talking animals, a dog, a pheasant, and a monkey. He befriends them by offering some of his Mother's kibidango (millet dumplings) and they vow to travel with Momotaro and help him defeat the Oni. On the last leg of their journey, they must cross the ocean to get to Oni Island.

My armor design depicts Momotaro's origins, the animals he encounters, and his mission to defeat the Oni.

At the center of the maedate (crest) sits the peach and on either side a peach leaf.  Each leaf is designed to resemble the wavy blade of the Kris knife. ​

Again a big shout out and thanks to my sponsors 3D Fuel for this project. 

In the upcoming weeks, I'll be building a half-scale artist's proof.  Please follow me on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for in progress pictures and updates.  The completed artist's proof will debut at the inaugural Kauai Comic Convention on July 8, 2019.   Following that, I'll be constructing a full-size version of the armor.

In the meantime, check out 3D Fuel's line of 3D printing filament.  For this project, I'll be using their Pro PLA line.
I would love to hear your thoughts about this design in the comments below.

Till next time, a hui hou.

In retrospect. 2018 was a transitional year for me. It was a year spent finding ways to cope with chronic fatigue due to nerve damage from the shingles virus almost two years ago.

It was a year of finding ways to put my life back on track. The first half of the year was largely trying to stay stress-free and give my body time to hopefully recover.

Of course, no matter how hard you try, life is never stress-free.

Somewhere during that time, I began a resto-mod of my Tombo Kabuto, preparing it for its new home at the second location of a Hawaii themed restaurant, Kona Kitchen, coming soon to Lynnwood, Washington.

Both locations are owned by actor Yuji Okumoto, who played one of my favorite childhood bad guys...Chozen from the Karate Kid Part II.

More on that project soon.

Toward the latter half of 2018, I reconnected with some friends at 3D Fuel. 
3D Fuel produces 3D printing filaments to meet a variety of needs including high impact PLA and unique composite materials made from hemp, coffee, and beer.

John and Carl (3D Fuel) and I discussed sponsorship possibilities. Timing was good, I was just getting back on my feet and back to work.

3D Fuel's sponsorship also provided an opportunity to pick up on a project that has been on hold since 2016 because of family health issues...the Momotaro Armor. Its design is inspired by the Japanese Folk tale "Momotaro" my Mother read to me as a child.

A big thank you to my new sponsors.  John and Carl, thank you for making this happen and I'm looking forward to awesome creations with 3D Fuel.

Great people, great products.  Please check them out at www.3Dfuel.com.

I'll follow up soon with more about the inspiration behind the Momotaro Armor and a reveal of the design itself along with details of what's to come.

In the meantime, check back here on my blog for updates on all my projects and follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter where I'll be posting progress pics of the Tombo Kabuto.

Till next time, a hui hou.

I decided to use this as the knot on the shoulders of the model. I managed to find both video and diagram instructions on the creation of the knot online.

The cords provided with the kit were a bit short for an agemaki. Understandable since they weren't intended for that type of knot.

The agemaki usually have, and look better with, longer tails with full tassels at the ends.  Pictured to the left is how my knots ended up.  Perhaps down the road, I'll change the existing cords for longer ones.

The knots are one of the elements of traditional Samurai armor that I probably would never have looked into had I not started this project.  It led me to learn more about knot tying, their variations, and their meanings.

After working with the agemaki on the Masamune armor, I'm interested in including knots on some of my future armor designs to add another level of traditional aesthetic.

Anyone knowledgeable in knots especially as they relate to the Samurai armor please leave a comment below.​

I decided to start construction of the model with the wood stand.  The assembled stand is pictured to the left.

From my understanding, the wood stand that is included with the model is of the more traditional configuration. 

The other version I've commonly seen looks a bit like the Blair Witch stick figure.

I decided not to glue the stand together so the stand could be disassembled when the armor was stored.  This is also a traditional aspect of wood stands.

You can read more about the construction of the stand in my build diary on the  ModelSpace Forum.

The stand provided with the model includes a nice heavy wood base that provides enough weight to counterbalance the armor.

For my own full size armor designs, I originally used a fiberglass mannequin. However, shipping a mannequin, even just a torso was size and budget restrictive. 

When I started to travel and show my armor designs at expos, I had to rethink my stand design.  That became a project of its own.

I ended up custom making stands. I used PVC pipe as it was readily available and easy to work with.  I could also easily make a stand that could be disassembled for shipping or storage.

My travel stand for full body armor was based around an inflatable mannequin torso with the PVC frame.

The inflatable mannequin provided the bulk to fill out the do (torso) armor but was light weight and portable.  The PVC frame would handle the weight of the armor.

Based on my experience with this model, I'm considering a configuration closer to a more traditional stand.

One of the tricks however, would be avoiding a heavy base in favor of one that is lightweight but could still provide stability.

Please share any thoughts or ideas you have about the design of armor stands in the comments below.

My reason for building this model is as a research project for my art work – contemporary Samurai armor. Or maybe “research project” is my justification for taking workday time to build probably the COOLEST scale model I have ever built.

I haven't had the chance to build a scale model kit in years primarily because of work. I've always put off “just for fun” projects. Not to say that some of my work projects haven't been fun to work on. But this one combines the best of both worlds.

My build diary in the ModelSpace Forum will focus on the mechanics of putting the armor together. I'll also have a supplemental posts here, on my blog at russogi.com/blog with insights and other thoughts I have about the armor design and construction and how it has, or will influence my art.

For a more detailed introduction about who I am and my reason for undertaking this project you can go to my introductory post here in the ModelSpace Forum or here on my personal blog.

Now on to the unboxing.

I ordered the entire kit rather than a part-work subscription. So if you're wondering what it looks like when the entire kit arrives in one shot, here it is.

Inside each of the big boxes are smaller packages each containing one pack. 12 packs in all.  Each pack encompasses several steps.  55 steps for the entire project.  Each pack comes with a full color instruction booklet and each of the steps are packaged in their own blister pack sealed with a cardboard backing.

  Here is a detailed look at each of the 12 packs.  For reference, each floor tile is almost 39.5cm or about 15.5" square.

As you can see, Date Masamune used some of the best technology available in the design of his armor.  This includes parts from a McLaren Honda MP4/4!

In case you missed it in the gallery above, one of these things is not like the others.

Kidding aside, somehow this Pack 7 for the MP4/4 was mistakenly included in my kit in place of the Samurai armor Pack 7. 

In addition to the incorrect Pack 7, the Yoroi bitsu (armor storage box) is missing.  The yoroi bitsu serves as both storage container for the armor and as the base for the wooden display stand to sit.

I quickly contacted DeAgostini customer service and informed them of the errors.

The correct Pack 7 was dispatched at no charge to me.  It did take about 2-3 weeks to make it to me but, being in Hawaii, you accept longer shipping times as part of the price of living in paradise.

Trying to get the storage box however is an on going issue.  More on that later.

This is my first model from DeAgostini, and my first impression was set by the packaging.  I was impressed.  Each step comes in a blister pack with a snap-fit backing keeping the parts secure. Both arrive sealed with a cardboard backing. I was surprised at the weight of some of the parts.

The model itself is made of multiple materials including metal, wood, faux leather and multiple types of material.  The kote (armored sleeves) are made of chain-mail.  Half scale chain-mail, how cool is that!

I've been reviewing the instructions online and reading the build diaries of others on the ModelSpace Forum to get an idea of what's ahead.

Since I have the entire kit, I am planning on building the armor in sections rather than following the steps in order. For example, lacing all the kusazuri (tassets) sections at the same time. I find when I work, it's much easier, and more enjoyable, to tackle similar tasks together.

But building out of order presented the problem of keeping parts from getting lost and keeping them organized. There are a lot of parts and many of them are much smaller than they look in the instructions.

Fortunately, I found that the packaging is durable enough to be opened and closed several times. 

Both top and bottom are contoured to keep the parts in place and snapped together at several points keeping top and bottom securely closed.

This allows me to use them as storage containers making the parts accessible while keeping them organized.

I'll be following up shortly with another post as I start the build.  If you have ever worked on a project like this or have any model making tips, please share your thoughts or stories in the comments below.

How times have changed. When I was a kid, I hated eating vegetables and watching anything educational. I also dreaded research projects in school, especially creating bibliographies.

Now, I eat veggies on a regular basis...ok...I don't dread eating vegetables. I often find the shows on the Science, Discovery and Smithsonian Channels the most interesting things on TV. And I find myself researching almost constantly.

What do I research? Everything. Among other things, cars, electronics, and... armor.

With the armor comes a lot of history, culture and philosophy, in addition to the things you would expect to be associated with armor such as metallurgy, weapons and fighting styles. And lacing!

I love European and Asian medieval armor. But the armor of the Samurai really captures my imagination. The way they are traditionally displayed sitting with their anthropomorphized masks, they look like their own being.

Like they could stand up to greet you or to challenge you.

It's what inspires many of my armor designs. You can see some of my works here.

To that end, I'm about to embark on a research project to learn more about historical Samurai armor functionality and construction by building a ½ scale version of Date Masamune's armor from DeAgostini. I'll be posting a build diary to the ModelSpace USA forum.  Link to my build diary soon.

Who was Date Masamune? For those who want to know more about him but don't trust the Wikipedia entries you can visit the Sendai Museum site. If anyone has better information about Date Masamune please share it in the comments below.

In the ModelSpace USA diary, I'll be focusing on the mechanics of the actual build. Pointing out things I did differently or observations about particular assembly steps.

I'll also do supplemental posts here in my blog. My posts here will focus on my thoughts about the traditional Samurai armor design and construction and how, what I've learned from this build, may influence my future armor designs.

Stay tuned.

Please feel free to leave any thoughts you have about my research project or let me know if you've ever done a build like this as a research project in the comments below. Thanks for stopping by.