Legendary West
coast tattoo artist Mister Cartoon is preparing to release a new graphic novel
titled The Lost Angel. Mister
Cartoon, who is celebrated for his unique tattooing style, has inked rappers and
celebrities like Eminem, Xzibit, Dr. Dre, Busta Rhymes, 50 Cent, Beyonce, and
others. The
112-page graphic novel is drawn in Mister Cartoon’s signature style and tells
the tale of a youngster from Japan, who is infatuated with Los Angeles gang culture.
"[He] travels to the West Coast looking for a piece of the action and gets in way over
his head," Mister Cartoon told AllHipHop.com. "I consider this one of
my biggest works. It’s a real story from the streets–Japan meets LA: the real
Lost in Translation."The
book also comes with a companion "Lost Angel" 14" vinyl action
figure designed by Mister Cartoon, that features a number of his classic, detailed
tattoos.
Mister Cartoon will be at the New York Comic Con convention, which takes place
from Feb. 23-25 in the main hall of the Jacob Javits Center in New York.The
artist will sign copies of The Lost Angel on Feb. 23 in the Warner Books
booth from 7-8pm. Mister
Cartoon, who started tattooing in 1993, has also designed album covers, logos
and advertisements for Eazy-E, Snoop Dogg, D-12, Fat Joe, Eminem, Joker Brand
Clothing, Nike and others.He
specializes in a style of black and grey tattooing that first gained popularity
on the streets of East Los Angeles.The
Lost Angel is slated to hit book stores in July.