Koji--or KirinPro's Koji Kabuto, as he's officially registered with the AKC--was born on Feb. 29, 1992. Ten weeks later we met him in a local pet store, where he clambered all over his roachy-backed little brother, propped himself up on his haunches, and pumped his forefeet in the air to captivate us with his cuteness! With the help of his godmomma Irene, we were able to bring Koji home to stay.
We nearly named him "Makurokurosuke," after the little black puffs of dust in the Japanese anime film My Neighbor Totoro, because that's exactly what he resembled! But common sense prevailed when we realized that name doesn't exactly roll off the tongue when you're trying to holler for a dog.
Next, we thought about naming him "Jimmy," after Jimmy Eril, a character in the Japanese animated TV series Galaxy Drifter Vifam--they certainly had the same hair! But "Jimmy" was just too mundane a name for a dog--for a dog of ours, anyway.
Friendly, feisty, and with a fierce mop of hair...it finally struck us that the little guy had those attributes in common with another anime character: Koji Kabuto, the pilot of '70s giant robot Mazinger Z! "Koji" was a short, easy name with hard sounds that his li'l poodle mind would be able to latch onto--so Koji it was!
Shortly after getting his first haircut (and savaging the bow as soon as the dratted thing was taken off!), Koji made his first of several annual trips to BreyerFest, the huge model horse collectors' shindig at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky! There he got to meet his Aunt Irene, and Uncle Larry (who taught him Guy Things, like the joy of climbing into a big bag of potato chips...), and, in later years, his Cousin Michael, as well as many, many kind-hearted hobbyists who bring him treats and lovin'!
Koji's Aunt Julie coined a name for his front-paw-pumpin' style of begging--"making pizzas"--and now if you say "pizza," he launches right into it!
Around 1995, Koji was even immortalized by brilliantly boffo Brad Leisure in his wife Sheryl's magazine The Model Horse Trader, in a full-page parody ad for a battery-operated (and dangerous in traffic!) "Koji The 'Wonder' Poodle" toy--CLICK HERE to see it!
Koji's best canine friend is Kris Kringle, a boisterous miniature schnauzer. They've been pals ever since Cousin Kris was a tiny, spider-legged bumble-puppy, and Koji knows that when he gets to see Cousin Kris, he'll get to see his beloved Aunt Ann, too!
Koji earned the acclaim of hundreds as "K'hoji, Secret Ruler of the Klingon Empire" at the science fiction convention Marcon in 1998. CLICK HERE to see him in costume with his Klingon bodyguards!
And here's WHAT'S NEW!
There's also THE EQUINE CARVINGS OF CALVIN ROY KINSTLER, a page devoted to the work of one of our favorite equine artists.
Feel free to e-mail us anytime at kirinpro@msn.com.
This page was created June 26, 1999. Last updated July 3, 2004.
Makurokurosukes are copyright Tokuma Shoten and Studio Ghibli. Jimmy Eril is copyright Mainichi Housou and Nippon Sunrise; the drawing is by Toyo Ashida. Koji Kabuto is copyright Go Nagai and Toei Doga. The "Koji The 'Wonder' Poodle" ad is copyright Brad Leisure. No copyright infringement is intended. The photo of Kris Kringle is copyright photographer Ann Bilon. The rest of the photos are copyright photographer Ardith Carlton. Do not use any photos on this page without permission. This page is part of the KirinPro Industries Website Array: "Carefully Choreographed to Maximize the Weirdness!" And always remember: Everything's better with an astronaut in it!
