A brief history on the Japanese sword

During the Chinese Tang Dynasty (618-690 A.D., 705-907 A.D.), although China and Japan shared brief enmity in the battles of Korea, the two empires were in otherwise good standing with one another, and benefited from frequent cultural exchange. One such benefit Japan would employ extensively was the Chinese art of metal-folding "smithery," its origins of which can be traced as far back as 350 B.C., though invariably refined up through the years of the Tang Dynasty. Throughout Chinese history, words and other various edged weapons were sorted into two categories: jian (劍), which were straight-blade, double-edged swords that excelled in versatility; and dao (刀), which were single-edged, curved-blade swords that were purposed for slashing and impact strength. When Chinese "sword-smithing" styles and techniques made their way to Japan, many of the Chinese smiths' styles were emulated; traditional Chinese jian styles were reiterated as Japanese tsurugi (剣) and ken (剣), and also as the spear/pole-arm yari (槍), while Chinese dao variations were refined into the more prevalent Japanese sword styles: tachi (太刀), katana (刀), wakizashi (脇差), and tanto (短刀) as swords; naginata (長刀) as a spear/pole-arm.

Now, aside from the obvious effectiveness of the sword as a combat weapon, the cultural significance of the sword in anime/manga/Japanese-produced video-game - whether a traditional Japanese sword or otherwise - is often cultural; the sword is a representation of the soul of the user - it is his/her very fighting spirit. As such, within the realm of Bushido, dating as far back as 712 A.D., under the rule of Emperor Mommu, and ending in 1880 A.D., during the Meiji Restoration period, Japan saw the installed rule of the samurai class, which were sworn to uphold both very explicit legal and moral codes regarding sword etiquette, such as calling for a samurai to be armed at all times, even in times of peace or formal events, or requiring samurai to clean and maintain their swords on a daily basis, and get this: due to the moral code of samurai regarding their preventing damage to their sheaths, or saya (鞘), of which death of the offender was deemed an acceptable punishment, samurai, wearing their swords on the left so as to be drawn with their right hand, would ritually walk on the left side of streets to avoid damage; during the modernization - and undoubtedly the Westernization - of Japan, when the automobile made its international debut, and paved roads were to be defined as either left-side or right-side, Japan, drawing from that particular samurai tradition, assented to a left-side road schematic. Moreover, the sword was the primary weapon of the Japanese warrior in combat, up until 1872 A.D., wherein they became a secondary weapon, as the gunpowder-based rifle began making its way into Japanese ports. Accordingly, whenever an anime/manga/Japanese-produced video-game features a traditional-warrior role, it is more often than not a sword wielder of some degree. All things considered, it is no surprise as to how or why the sword's importance has integrated itself into Japanese culture.

And yes, many swords appearing in these forms of Japanese-influenced media closely resemble these conventional styles - the Kill Bill movies immediately come to mind - but also do anime/manga series Samurai Champloo, Jubei-Chan, Blood +, Rurouni Kenshin, One Piece, Ninja Scroll, and Afro Samurai to name a few, as well as the Way of the Samurai, Bushido Blade, Battle Arena Toshinden, Samurai Shodown, Ninja Gaiden, the Soul Calibur and the pre-VII Final Fantasy video-game series, for the most part, all feature swords styles steeped in tradition. But as the world has come to find out, as much as Japan is known for upholding its traditions, the nation is equally analogous to, well, let's say innovation. But what seem to be more popular nowadays in Japanese and Japanese-influenced media than orthodox sword styles are examples of more contemporary sword styles ranging from marginally updated to downright outlandish can be viewed in a wide array of media: anime/manga series Bleach, Naruto, Storm Riders, Inuyasha, Samurai 7, Berserk, and a great many Gundam series, and any amount of video-games, like Star Gladiator, Guilty Gear, BlazBlue, No More Heroes, Strider, Kingdom Hearts, surprisingly Halo and the Metal Gear Solid series, the more recent Final Fantasy titles, with the exceptions of IX and XI, and the list goes on.

But why are swords so popular, as opposed to other weapons? Simply put, because they look cool, they're varied, they're very customizable, and they can cut through stuff - and really fast, at that. Additionally, due to the lore attributed to many of these blades, often owned and wielded by famous warriors, outlaws, military commanders, or generals, they are sought after as treasures - either personal or national - either because of the swords' exclusive rarity and/or extremely high-quality forging value. What also adds to their high demand are the legends that allegedly grant the wielder special abilities or powers, invisibility, life-stealing, or outright superiority over other blades - the stuff legends are made of, in other words. Aside from the stuff of legend - strictly from a design aspect - what other weapon, other than firearms, can be redone so many times yet remain distinctive? Let's face it, it's a cool weapon - although maybe not as able to carry the same coolness factor as a scythe or nunchaku, it is sleek, sharp, and dangerous. During the Allied occupation of Japan post-World War II, Gen. Douglas MacArthur confiscated millions of Japanese swords and decreed a ban on their forging until one Dr. Junji Honma personally appealed to him and challenged him to distinguish between which swords of his collection were used purely as weapons and which ones were made for aesthetic and ornamental usage, effectively causing General MacArthur to repeal the ban. But let's stray from Eastern influence for a while; swords have also made quite an impact in Western pop-culture as well - we needn't look further than the light-sabers of Star Wars fame- but even if George Lucas didn't bless us with that brainchild of his, there's still be King Arthur, Highlander, Thundercats, He-Man, Conan the Barbarian, Peter Pan, Zorro, Wu-Tang Clan and countless others brandishing swords of some sort that have yet come to mind. If you think about it, what nation in existence hasn't either invented, refined, or utilized some form of sword? Knights, pirates, ninja, samurai, gladiators, Vikings, fencers, soldiers, raiders, and martial artists of the world's cultures and nations all live and die by the sword.

If one could propose another weapon that fulfills so much of a history, warrior code, versatility in battle, variability in style and design, cultural impact, aesthetic significance, may it be mightier than the gun, but not as mighty as the pen.

-P. Strudwick

Prize Fight Process

What ever happened to Thursday Night Fights anyway, guess boxing ain't what it used to be anymore. You could say it talent but always argue the fact that athletes get better every year. You could argue the media but you need a good product to sell. Then you have the promoters, networks, the list goes on. Over all that, the thing I looked at was personality, character, that if this was a prime time talent show metaphor...X-Factor. Is it any wonder the two biggest acts right now. One is going up for higher office in his own country, advertising everything, and making a song in the process and the other gets in the run with the law, controversy king, and hangs among the most flagrant entertainers. Now take that to the political ring for a magazine article. Fill in the cast with candidates Mitt Romney and Barack Obama and you have, (cheesy punchline I know), a knockout publication(warned you).


Luke Hayam, the art director for Pentagram, one of the biggest and well respected design firms, dropped this article for the upcoming presidential run. Really digging this, basically encapsulates when you see in the elections. Taking away political affiliation goggles for a second and looking the shoot. It shows how most elections are, a battle. Fought dirty and makes you wonder how you can vote for either one but you know you respect the man who finishes on top. He did a great job laying out the creative process from concept to print and everything in between. Even throw in a lil movie style with alternate endings.

Check out the link to the blog where you can find more on the process.
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/08/slugfest-2012-the-making-of-the-atlantics-september-cover/261446/

Copyright - DesignRainbow

For the inceptive artist, it can be maintained that there is no greater resource than the imagination. However, when that artist makes the transposition into the digital realm, there is undoubtedly no greater resource than the tutorial - whether by step-by-step instruction or recorded production, the skills necessary to convert the insight of the artist into digital splendor must be painstakingly and arduously acquired.

That being posited, if there was such a website that not only hosted graphic design and imaging tutorials along with some of the most awe-inspiring examples of what could be acheived with the mastery of said skills, the upstart graphic designer could set well on his path to prodigy. One such website is Worth1000.com - not only does is the site replete with tomes of graphic design knowledge for both basic and advanced users, but in addition to the knowledge base, and in adherence to the age-old Wildean adage "life imitates art", Worth1000.com hosts some of the most convincing digital and traditional iterations of life's ultimate envy.

Touting itself as "the top creative contest site in the world", Worth1000.com offers a myriad of imaging effects criteria, and, judging from a great number of these entries, one would find themselves hard-pressed to refute the claim. With contest titles ranging from "Celebrity Neanderthal" to "Armored Animals", the denizens of the wide world of digital/graphic art and design are put to the task to test their hand cursors at forging the most creatively captivating variations they can envision. After thoroughly visiting a number of their contest entries and galleries, you'd wonder if those other classmates you don't remember from your second-grade graduation weren't actually Photoshopped in.

-Lauren Strudwick

The NFL season has kicked off and is now into its second week. Thankfully the football gods blessed the Miami Dolphins with a win this week. When most fans are thinking what could be this season, I ror some reason had my memory to swim back to 1997 in what could have been. The year where Mike Tyson bites Holyfield's ear off. Would he have retired as the best boxer ever. Big Poppa got knocked off the best rapper alive list. Would leave the game on his own terms as the best rapper with Tupac out the picture. Jordan hit one of the most iconic shots ever. What if he missed, would that legacy be tainted and bring a closer debate in who is the best of all time. What about the Miami Dolphins though, where do they come in on this would-be talk. What many people may not realize due to the lack of dominance by the on the field product in the last decade, the fins are one of the most iconic teams in the NFL. They boast the title as being the only team ever with a perfect season complete with a Super Bowl win, the winning coach of all time, and the best win percentage until about the mid 2000's. Even now, they are one of the most popular teams in Europe along with the Cowboys due to NFL game first being broadcast in the 80's and those were the two winning-est teams at the time.

In the most grueling, body draining, physical sport out there. A sport where terms like, gridiron, the battlefield, shotgun formation, throwing bombs are adjectives. That funky lil Dolphin with a football helmet.. what the hell were they smoking. LSD hadn't hit the scene yet, and the Cocaine cowboys were just coming out the womb. What would poccess someone to have one of the most docile creatures on the planet represent the teams in one of the toughest sports on the planet. Questions that may never be answered. My guess, they put the priority on the logo being a representation of the city more than the team. For one, it is one of the few teams that have animals that are actually found in their environment. On top of that, Miami is just a fun place to be, you wake up and see the sunshine. Makes the day a lil less daunting, I cant fault them for that. Both of those concepts made they way into the logo with the aqua and orange colors. Over the years it has actually become one of the most recognizable logos in the sports world. One of the reason's why it has never gone through a modern Hollywood NFL make over. Sure they have had their minor changes here and there as all logos do. From happy dolphin to roid rage angry face dolphin, color tweaks and such. But they have stayed true to the sea mammal mysteriously flying through a ring of sunshine. One of the most seemingly drug induced concepts since a show with mutated reptiles with names of Renaissance painters who were taught kung-fu from rodent and live in New York but somehow have California accents.

Seems to make a lot of sense now seeing the trend that so many teams who went a modernized look have went back to their roots, making the throwback jerseys the full-time wear. From the Jets, to the Patriots, Bills, Bears, and others. Funny thing though is that there was almost travesty will the Dolphins logo in that faithful year of 1997. The logo and helmets were in doubt and had the highest possibility of being changed. It was in favor of a more avant garde look. Sleek lines, dialing down the detail, and... no sunshine on a faceless Dolphin. I'm sure we would gotten used to it as we do with most design changes with our favorite teams but it just wouldn't be the same. I mean where is that South Florida fun factor with this faceless creature. Here I have posted a picture of the infamous what would have been faceless Dolphin from the, imagine if we could talk on the phone and use the internet at the same time, years. Comment and let me know what you thinks of the look and maybe if you feel it should have been the new representation of a team and city.

Le Nid

Interesting lil bar that I guess because of Kanye and Jay-Z couldn't go ham. So what choice did they have, they went eggs. When you walk into this bar in the city of Nantes, France, it resembles you might think was inspired by something out the movie Never Ending Story. A larger than life gigantic bird greets you as soon as you walk in. More than that the seats are in the shaped of cracked open eggs. Aside from the novelty value of this, there is actually a pretty good design approach to this unique bar.


The design was a creation of designer Jean Jullien who stakes it a sort of tribute to his hometown. Good thing he didn't grow up in Long Beach or it might have been the shape of a dog pound with chairs the shape of strange green plants, just saying. The design though as Jullien says, was the creation of bringing together the view, the bar, and the art. Combing function and art without have to settle in either direction. You can see this in the seats shaped like cracked eggs with yolk colored eggs inside. Or you can head to the "bar" or from some refreshing intoxicants.

Although it's somewhat hard to do here with all the aesthetic value inside, don't forget about the view and take a seat outside. Where, you find the artist decorating the outside walls with what seems like random childlike scribblings.

While this might not be the bar of choice for most out there, it's definitely one of those tourist spots where you still have to stop by to get a good story for the folks back home.