Hello and how are you?

Sunday the 16th March sees a visit to Ashburton Grove from our west London neighbours, Chelsea FC. Kick off is at 1.30pm, western European time.

Years ago an artist called Hokusai (pron: Hock-sigh) made lots of small interesting sketches, these were know as whimsical pictures, or translated into Japanese: ‘manga’. There’s much debate about the linage of manga though, some think it comes down through old Buddhist didactic anthropomorphic scrolls from the 12th Century, others from the influence of the magazine Punch in the later 19th century.  

Anyway, however the system evolved, contemporary manga publications are now banging out 13,000 editions a year. Manga covers all range of genres; nookie, romance, cooking, sports, fighting, and manga is for old or young and in-between and it has many different styles (including Gekiga which translates as dramatic pictures).

Manga is sometimes a collaborative effort split between artist and writer and even sometimes many assistants. In Japan Fine Art is less of a big deal than it is in the west with animé and manga being basically less elitist and really for everyone and there’s none of the shame that persists in the west of image and text being coupled together, although the French/Belgians are pretty accepting of Bande dessinée (translates: drawn strips) as they name it with their own particular invention, Ligne Claire (clear line), for examples of which, see Joost Swaarte.

Western art has been controlled for a long time by theory and theory is only just starting to seep in manga now, but you can imagine, publisher restriction aside, that artists (mangaka) are often more libertine in that which they can explore and create.

Fine art looks uncomfortably over its shoulder at manga, knowing its technically more advanced and is more and more challenging its intellectual hegemony too, but its bouncers are still keep it out, but for how long? Already some blue-chip galleries are allowing artists who blend the two (Perrotin)…with interesting results, see the video animation ‘rebirth of the world’ by Chiho Aoshima.

Yet the life of a mangaka isn’t easy, long hours, hard work and anti big-wad at the end of it. Of course it has its stars and an underground just like any other system. But we humans are hungry consumers like never before, hence 13,000 manga publications a year, all jostling for attention and its a tough thing to deal with. Which is no different from our beloved football, for which we are so hungry and want to watch it like never before, eager to listen and absorb all aspects of the game. Will Newcastle re-vamp their new stadium plans in the light of the new stadium proposals in Manchester? As the great oracle ‘mystic Mills’ (translates: the tool) predicted in midweek, talk of the expansion of the Emirates was revived. I’m sure all sorts of news like this will come pouring out over the international break…115 looming too…

Its amazing how stadiums have changed, accommodating a different populous, often without regard for them. Was that our old pal Archibald Leitch’s fault, he seems to have designed a incredible number of stadiums, now being razed to the ground and replaced with state of the art structures? 

With the visit of Chelsea, it makes me think how the old Stamford Bridge looked. Its original massive earth-work diggings like a remnant from some early pre-historical forgotten ambition, the crowd far away from the pitch due to the old track on the outside. Of course there was the infamous Shed but that other oddball stand that was built in the 30s (the North Stand) and looked like it was always going to topple over and cause great injury was an eccentric addition to the mostly open-plan of SB?

But the Chelsea of the old Stamford Bridge is far away from todays outfit, long gone is the world of Alan Hudson and the workman’s ballet.This is Billionaire owned football played by millionaires. Ok, Chelsea are not what they were under the heavy financial doping years but are still a tough team on their day and full of pride when it comes to playing the Arsenal.

Currently resting in fourth, I can’t see this lot lying down and thinking of enabling a victory-through-harmony for the Guns. Yet they boast a team packed full of talent and I’m sure will be challenging with more intensity next season. Next season, despite all, it already feels like the collective Arsenal eyes are on next year? This February and March has felt like being trapped on a hamsters wheel, and I wondered if you felt the same toward the Arsenal this season: an endless ride on the hamster-wheel of fortune of almost achieving? Could be worse, we could be mid-table or snaffling around the old Hades end of the table like other clubs. No thanks.

I phoned up statto HQ and they’ve quoted me the stats and the Mighty Cannon has been given us a 52.7% chance of winning, and Chelsea, 21.8%. So statto thinks we have a spring in our step. May the stars be with you too statto.

Well that’s it, time to catch up on our hobbies during the international break. Take care. COYG!

Mills