Giant Robot is a bi-monthly magazine of Asian and Asian American popular culture founded by Eric Nakamura and Martin Wong in 1994. It was initially created as a small, punk-minded magazine that featured Asian pop culture and Asian American alternative culture, including such varied subject matter as history, art, music, film, books, toys, technology, food, and skateboarding. The publication grew from its original format—a small, photocopied zine, folded and stapled by hand—to its current full-color format. Giant Robot was one of the earliest American publications to feature prominent Asian film stars such as Chow Yun-Fat and Jackie Chan, as well as Asian musicians from indie and punk rock bands. The magazine is also popular for its exclusive t-shirts and odd toys.
In the late 1990s, Nakamura and Wong expanded their endeavor to an online retail store. The success of the commercial website enabled the establishment of a brick-and-mortar retail store in 2001; first in Los Angeles and later in San Francisco. A third store, called GR2, was opened in Los Angeles, and features work by young contemporary artists. Giant Robot further expanded to a fourth store in New York City, and a fifth in Silverlake, as well as a restaurant called Gr/eats, also in Los Angeles.
Nakamura and Wong are featured on the DVD release of the collection of animated short films The Animatrix, discussing anime in the Making of the Animatrix documentary.
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