Giant Robot Magazine has been a OneInchPunch favourite for years and in fact helped to inspire this site. It’s a magazine that brings Asian pop culture to its readers and has also diversified into bricks and mortar shops, gallery exhibitions and a restaurant. However, they’ve now run into trouble and need your help! Check the video below.

For more than 15 years, Giant Robot has been documenting, promoting, and growing Asian and Asian American popular culture. Although a lot has changed since 1994, and there’s more immediate access to interesting stuff from around the world than ever, most of it is still crap and Giant Robot is as relevant as ever. Not only do we share what we think is the most interesting, compelling, or just plain cool aspects of Asian pop culture, but we also shape it and affect how readers in America and other countries perceive Asian, Asian American, independent, and underdog culture. Our distinctive editorial voice and clear sense of purpose has earned a loyal readership that includes academics and punks; old-school Asian activists and new-school bloggers; art fans, moviegoers, music listeners, comic readers, and food fiends; and Asians and non-Asians alike.

If you’re able, please visit their link below and see what you can do…

Giant Robot Magazine Needs You

Technorati Tags: Asian American, Giant Robot

The San Diego Zoo recently unveiled their five-month-old panda cub Yun Zi who is the newest addition to the panda family there.

See more photos on The Huffington Post

Or even try spotting Yun Zi on the San Diego Zoo Pandacam

Technorati Tags: giant pandas, panda, panda cub, San Diego Zoo, Yun Zi

This very funny parody of Estelle’s American Boy takes the Cantonese Boy angle, and is by Only Won and Larissa Lam, two Chinese American Artists in LA!

Love the Cantonese/English lyrics and the references to Causeway Bay, Tsim Sha Tsui, nerdy glasses, Tai Chi, gaming, Honda’s and more!

Via 88 Bar

Technorati Tags: American Boy, Asian American, Cantonese Boy, Chinese American Artists, Estelle, Larissa Lam, music, music video, Only Won, parody

For our readers in the US, we wrote about Asian video content providers DramaFever.com back in January and now they’re about to go live publicly with over 50 Korean Dramas! If you’re in New York City on the 6th August, check out their free launch party – details below.

DramaFever.com has been in testing and design all year long and it’s finally going live in August. DramaFever will be launching with over 50 Korean Dramas, adding Chinese and Japanese dramas later in 2009. All videos are legally licensed, subtitled and streaming in high def. Viewers can watch for free with a handful of overlay ads per episode. In the near future, DramaFever plans to offer an ad-free subscription model.

To celebrate, DramaFever will host a launch party in NYC on Thurs, Aug 6 from 7-9pm at Circle Nightclub. Guests will receive gift bags from sponsors Ito En, Theme Magazine, TimeOutNY magazine, mark. cosmetics, MiN New York, and La Vie Zen Spa. The event is free admission and 21+

There will also be special performances by Asian American artists Magnetic North (hip hop), Kelly Zen-Yie Tsai (spoken word artist from HBO Def Poetry) and Taiyo Na (hip hop).

Location: Circle Nightclub, 135 West 41st St, New York, NY
Age 21+

Full details are here:
www.dramafever.com/blog/?p=382

For more artist info:
www.magnetichiphop.com
www.yellowgurl.com
www.taiyona.com

Technorati Tags: Drama Fever, East Asian video content, Korea, Korean dramas

One of our very first posts was about The Notorious MSG, Chinese rappers from the US. They’ve since gained in notoriety and have spawn some fan videos it seems. Check these cute lil girls doing Straight Out of Canton…

Also, check out this documentary by The Notorious MSG…

Thanks Andy!

Technorati Tags: Asian American, Chinese hip hop, Chinese rap, comedy, entertainment, hip hop, music, Notorious MSG, Straight Out of Canton, radio

Previously posted Origamu creator Mu Pan took part in Scion Space’s Giant Robot curated recent Papershapers show. His work looks even better when presented in the exhibition!

Brookyn-based Mu Pan took the theme of historical and mythological characters from his paintings and had them take over the Scion Space.

Check out Mu Pan’s Flickr site for more photos

Check out Mu Pan’s website

Via NotCot

Technorati Tags: arts, Asian American, crafts, Giant Robot, illustration, Mu Pan, Origamu, Papershapers, Scion Space

Japanese Keisuke Goto recently blew the crowd away at a Texas tournament featuring the best bartenders from around the world, to win $10k.

Via TokyoMango

Technorati Tags: bartender, bartender competition, cocktail, competition, juggling

Asian American magazine Giant Robot is proud to present Tree Show V. In the tradition of its predecessors, this group exhibition will feature arbor-inspired pieces by painters, illustrators, and other creators from street art, indie comics, printmaking, design, and crafty art backgrounds.

A reception featuring many of the artists will be held from 6:30pm - 10:00pm
on Saturday, April 18th.

Tree Show V at GRSF, April 18 – May 13, 2009
Click for more information about Giant Robot

Technorati Tags: arts, Asian American, Giant Robot, group exhibition, Tree Show V

Justine Lai’s has a series of paintings that depict her having sex with each president of the United States. The paintings are provocative and a blunt comment on race, ethnicity, and sexuality in America.

More on Justine Lai’s website

Via LostAtEMinor

Technorati Tags: arts, Join or Die, Justine Lai, painting, United States Presidents

Cleveland-born, Brooklyn-based artist Thu Tran creates magic-marker character drawings, plush landscape installations, and glass birthday cakes. Its the landscapes that have caught my attention!

More on LostAtEMinor

Technorati Tags: arts, glass birthday cakes, illustration, plush landscape installations, magic-marker character drawings, Thu Tran