Art, animation, comics, literature, African American history, Japanese history, history in general, astronomy, cooking, herbology, theology, sociology, Fan Conventions, Printing, novelties, packaging art, collections, crafts, design, fantasy, mythology, history of costume, math and chaos theory, world domonation, opera, musicals, cats, travel, biking, coffee, politics, writing, documentaries, wine, pastries, Japanese arcade games, thrifting and bonding with loved ones.
Music
I like someone from every genre. My favorite genres are Motown, Enka, trance, Opera, RPG soundtracks, and alt Rock.
My favorite bands/artists/composers are: Red Hot Chili Peppers (pre-1998), Giacoma Pucchini, Mozart, Chopin, Mr. Children, Foxxi Misq, Earth Wind and Fire, Hikaru Utada, m-flo, ZEEBRA, Toshinori Yonekura, Stevie Wonder, Semisonic, A Tribe Called Quest, Yoko Kanno, Nobou Umatsu, Simon and Garfunkle, the Beetles, The Peanuts, Crystal Kay, Hinoi Team, MF Doom, De La Soul, Common, Mos Def, Radiohead, Depesh Mode, Billy Idol, David Bowie, The Cobra Spinners, Toko Furuuchi, Gorrilaz, Portishead, Prefuse 73, Massive Attack, Oasis, John Mayer, Nirvana, Interpole, Block Party, Lil' Kim, Jay-Z, Charlie Parker, Natalie Cole, Jimmy's Chicken Shack (hey I'm from Maryland!), The Cure, the Avalanches, Morrisey, the strokes, Dido and Björk.
Movies
I really like old movies that were based on the classics and novels of the day. If Joan Crawford or Gene Kelly is in it I'm watching.
I also like cheesy teen moves from the early 90's like Don't tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead and I loved the animated features of the decade, it was truely a golden age of animation in the US, and not just with Disney. There were other great films (which today have several crappy lifeless siquels) like Ferngully, Balto, and The Wind in the Willows
Also Anime movies from the 80's, back then there were more films and Miyazaki-sensei was doing his best work like Tanari no Totoro (My neighbor Totoro), Laputa, and Nausicaä.
My favorite film makers are John Singleton and Spike Lee ; I like all of their movies. I also like just about any move with Gene Hackman, Edward Norton, or Maggie Smith (God rest her soul) in it.
Television
I don't watch it much anymore except for Daily show and a few cartoons and old movies. Currently I'm trying to get DVDs for shows that aren't on the air anymore that I use to love, most from Nickalodeon's golden age like Doug, Rocko's Modern life, Ren and Stimpy, Animaniacs starts getting released in July actually. And other stupid shows like Ghostwritter, Married with Children, and In Living Color.
Books
I like books of all subjects and I'm always willing to give a book a chance. I use to read a lot of stories when I was younger (like middle school younger), but now I read a lot of non-fiction, I guess I'm just a smarty-pants that wants to know everything. I can remember every library I ever went to with clear detail, even though I moved a lot as a child. I was so akward that I was slow to make friends so I ended up hanging out in libraries a lot, still do. But as far as favorites, well lets go through my Timeline of Tani's Love Affair with Books:Age 3 (Chicago, Il.): Learns the basics of reading with Green Eggs and Ham by Dr, Suess
Age 5 (San Diego, CA): Starts bringing books to kindergarden to prevent bordem.
Age 6 (Chicago Il; local library (LL) 80th st.): First exposure to Pippi Longstocking.
Age 7: First acknowlegement of drawing abiliy. Books are now being chosen for refrence as well as reading. I clearly remember using Mufasa's Beutiful Daughters for this purpose.
Age 8 (San Diego, CA; LL: Boulavard and University): Reads every book by Dr. Suess, and every Peanuts collection, picks up first greek mythology book.
Age 10: Starts reading Judy Blum and Beverly Clearly, and the Dragon Cronicles.
Age 11 (San Diego, CA; At Central Library): Stumbles into adulf comics collections, I start redding the anthologies of Garfield, the Far Side, and Calvin and Hobbes.
Age 12 (Lemon Grove, CA; LL: Malcom X Memorial Library): My Mom and sister Melissa (an infant at the time) attend the opening of Malcom X Library wher Sister shabazz cuts the ribbon. Becomes one of my favorite libraries.
Age 14 (Washington, DC; LL: Georgia Ave near Walter Reed): During my time at a depressingly poor and ghetto school I spend most of my time here picking up cheesy teen books and romance novels. I also read everything by Maya Angelou. However at that highschool I read a lot of good afrocentric fiction, Gordon Parks and such.
Age 15-18 (Silver Spring, MD; LL: Colesville Rd): I'm in the best HS, at least for me. I'm reading various things. With the influence of my studio teacher I start reading art history books and more mythology, and most of my English teachers choose interesting books that were worth a damn. I also start to read graphic novels (before I just read comic strips) and manga.
Age 19-20 (Rockville, MD LL: Montgomery College Library): I'm working at the college library and it's the best job ever. I start reading all the famous books I had heard about but never got assigned in HS, and some I did get assign in HS. I'm on such a set schedule and I a lot of my time was spent commuting. So I ate books like the food I couldn't afford. I can't tell you how many subjects I covered, as I selved books I always found something that interested me, I began to get turned on to non-fiction. I dystroyed the African American studies section, and the history of world customs and costumes was frequently checked out by me. If you go to the library there my sign in the Folio section is probably stil there.
Age 20-21 (Hawthorne, CA; LL: Grevillea St.): The only person I really hung out with while I lived in LA for a year was the guy who worked at this library. Most notable book I picked up here was The Alchemist by Paulo Cuelo, it gets me refocused on my goals.
Age 21-Present (Atlanta Metro, Fav Library: Decatur Downtown): Still a book worm, currently reading Stranger in a Strange Land
Heroes
Grandparents, Mom, Ms. Bloom, Doug Smith, Bill Watterson, Hayao Miyazaki, Miho Obana, Elderidge Cleaver, Spike Lee, Aaron Megruder, Tim Bingaman, Andy Lee, and Beverly Clearly (cuz she's stayed alive for so damn long)
Tani's Details
Status:
In a Relationship
Here for:
Networking, Friends
Orientation:
Straight
Hometown:
Watts, Los Angeles Co. raised in Chicago
Body type:
5' 6" / Average
Ethnicity:
Other
Religion:
Agnostic
Zodiac Sign:
Gemini
Smoke / Drink:
No / Yes
Children:
Someday
Education:
In college
Occupation:
Artist, Student, Server
Tani's Schools
Montgomery College Rockville
Rockville,Maryland
Graduated: 2003
Student status: Alumni
Degree: Professional
Major: Computer Graphics
Clubs: Worked at the Library
2001 to 2003
Montgomery Blair High
Silver Spring,Maryland
Graduated: 2001
Student status: Alumni
Degree: High School Diploma
Clubs: Stage Crew, Japanese Club, Silver Chips
1998 to 2001
Tani is too fly to update Posted at 4:33 PM Feb 1, 2008 view more
What I’ve Done
Ever since I realized that I could put what I saw on to paper, I have been drawing. I made a firm decision at the tender age seven to become a great cartoonist when I grew up or to be Jazz singer as a back-up plan. The only thing that has changed is that my back-up plan has changed to becoming an art teacher if all else fails. I remember my early childhood as being a girl that spent more time watching cartoons and going to the library than playing with dolls, never quite fitting in, constantly drawing and doodling and often off in my own little world.
I began to consider a career in art more seriously while attending Montgomery Blair High School after moving to Silver Spring, Maryland at the age of 15. Between their stellar staff, resources and the diverse student body I was inspired to express myself creatively in ways that weren’t possible in the mostly low income areas that my mother had to raise me and my siblings. Upon graduation I had seven times the required amount of art credits, I had logged 300+ hours of stage crew theater ops, served two years as secretary of Japanese club and I had started attending anime conventions in the tri-state area. It is my belief to this day that if I had not been in that rich learning environment I would have never attempted making a living off of my creative abilities.
I started college at Montgomery College in Rockville and received a Certificate in Computer Graphics: Art and Animation after two years. During that period my mother had left Maryland to seek green pastures. I struggled on my own for a year and finally gave up and moved in with my Aunt in LA for a year. Not much to note about living in LA except being able to go to ComicCon and E3 that year, and constant visits to Lil’ Tokyo to keep my Japanese fresh. During my time there I attended LA Southwest, which is one of the saddest community colleges I’ve ever attended, for one semester and then moved to Atlanta after turning down UCLA (in-state tuition was $14K!). During that time I attended over 40 anime, comic and multi-genre conventions in order to promote my art and my stories.
What I Want To Do
I want to tell my stories to the world, inspire others, mentor the youth and bring an aesthetic quality to every aspect of my life. After much learning and growth I should get better and better of producing notable comic works. I can only hope because, I have dozens of concepts I wish to develop and share with the world.
I want to be able to invest and further the careers of other artists, especially those that I am close too or that I admired and most importantly that are Americans. I believe that as Americans create more and more quality comics that appeal to a more diverse range of the population that not only will that increase the possibility of stable careers for thousands of artists here and around the world, it will diversify the way that people are entertained and bring a new visual quality to everyday life.
What I’m Doing
Currently I am in Junior Purgatory at Georgia State University. Basically since my beloved country refuses to set itself up for success by standardizing college requirements across the board I have to retake some courses and take freshman classes that were not required in Maryland. So including my one semester in LA, this fall it will be my fourth semester as a junior student. I hope I will finally be upgraded to Senior by the spring. My major is Studio Art with concentrations in Drawing, printmaking and graphic design with a minor in Japanese. When I graduate I intend to apply to an overseas company, preferably in southern Japan, but any country with socialized medicine will do.
I still go to conventions, but not as many since school is getting more challenging and I want to do more challenging things with my art. Completing Bun Bun Café is one of those challenges that I am currently working on.
Current Projects
Bun Bun Café preliminary ground work
Bun Bun Café background layouts
MomoCon March 15-16 2008 in Atlanta, GA
Pictures from my latest show:
Some Samples of my work:
