Nerdy trip to Portugal

I'm back from my vacation at my aunt and family in Portugal!
It was a hot, tasty and nerdy trip, so here's a report and some pictures:

We travelled the country with my aunt and my father (also visiting his home country). First we visited Buddha Eden, not far from Caldas da Rainha where we live at my aunts place.
Buddha Eden is a huge garden made by a rich wine farm owner who loves art and Asian culture. The garden is next to his wine farm and when you buy an enterance fee, you also receive a wine bottle!

Buddha with the sun behind him.

On our visit to Lisbon we went to my yearly must; the comic book store BdMania. It's like a real goldmine for comic nerds like me, so I highly recommend it if you go to Lisbon some day! 

The store has American comics and graphic novels, Japanese manga, European
comics and I even found a book in Swedish by Knut Larsson, a Swedish graphic novel artist.

Later, we went to the big bookstore chain FNAC to look at their range of comics, and found Banzai in their shelves! Awesome!! 

 We also went on a trip to north of Portugal, and while checking out Porto, we found this comic book shop, Mundo Fantasma. 

 Annother fantastic store for a comic book nerd, with an impressive range of manga! No wonder why, the manager Vasco who I met and had a long and interesting chat with is huge a manga fan too. We talked about the industry and the talents of the manga here in the West. 

They also have exhibitions in the room next to the shop, with both
national and international artists. The framed picture in the front is
a Craig Thompson original, made for the shop!

I also had the chance to meet up with one of the editors at Banzai - Ricardo - and talk some work. You know me, I never take vacation... Hahaha...

Just before we were to go to the airport, we squeezed in one more nerdy activity: we went to the Museum of Popular Art in Lisbon because they had a video game exhibition! Over 120 games to play, friggin awesome!!!!

Game On - an exhibition of the history of video games, with both new
and old games from Pong, Donkey Kong and Astroids to Tomb Raider,
Guitar Hero and Star Wars Kinect.

Hand held consoles - from old to new!

And some original art of games like Sonic and Pokémon!

Of course, the trip also included great food and deserts, like these pasteis natas, bought and consumed at the famous Pasteis de Belém: 

And I also took a lot of reference photos for my future mangas, of houses and nature like the one in the national park in the north, close to the Spanish border.  

An amasing trip, warm and fun but also tireing. Now I will rest, before going to NärCon in Linköping this week end. Phu~
Hope I see some of you there! :D

Mjau! in Portuguese Banzai magazine!

I just got this in the mail:

Banzai is a new manga magazine in Portugal, published by NCreatures. I first met them with my sister at a manga convention in Ourem in Portugal, I think it was back in 2008. Since then, we've done some collaborations, supporting each other mentally and pushing each other in this hard business.

They have always been so supportive and eager to incorporate me in their work, and also was the ones inviting me and Yokaj Studio to Amadora BD back in 2009, and to a nice 24-hour manga event in Lisbon in 2010 aswell. I'm very thanful for their hard work!
Thank you, Ricardo, Mapril and now also Manuela working with Banzai. You're doing an awesome job!!

It's really nice to finally have the chance to get published by them with one of my mangas!
Here's some of the manga:

My kittens know Portuguese!! I didn't know! They grow up so fast... *happy tears*

If you're in Portugal, the Banzai magazine is avaliable at FNAC in all over the country and on their online store. Oh, and also at a store in Macao (yes, in China) called Livraria portuguesa (because they have Portuguese historical connections and thus know the language)

Thank you for reading~

Here's my cat Hilda in a basket:

Ever so bright.