Akiko Hada &
Japanese American Toy Theatre of London &
Directed by Akiko Hada in collaboration with the Japanese American Toy Theatre of London (JATTOL)—featuring Kazuko Hohki, Andrew Brenner, and David Toop—James Bonk in Matt Blackfinger was commissioned for Channel 4's Ghosts in the Machine series in 1988. This period marked a time when UK television embraced artistic experimentation, largely due to the increasing affordability of video technology throughout the 1980s, which allowed a broader range of creators to explore the medium.
The work is a witty and captivating parody of the iconic James Bond spy thrillers, reveling in hyper-saturated colors and meticulously crafted sets. The story opens on a tranquil holiday beach, where agent 0016—a sunglasses-wearing aubergine toy—enjoys a quiet sunbathing moment, when he is suddenly interrupted by an attack from two ninjas. After killing him, they leave their mark by painting his body matte black, symbolically rejecting vibrant colors in favor of the allure of black fashion. Secret agent James Bonk, a plastic clockwork Godzilla codenamed 0017, is assigned to solve the murder. His mission is to follow the trail of matte black around the globe and capture the mastermind behind this crime, Matt Blackfinger—a robotic bunny bent on world domination. Among other things, Bonk’s espionage quest brings him to spend a great deal of time in bed with many creatures »in the interest of furthering mutual understanding and national security«. His pursuit takes him across the globe, finally landing him in a Tokyo nightclub where sumo wrestlers frug energetically on the dance floor—a richly executed setting that heightens the work’s playful and satirical undertones. (Vanina Saracino)
Commissioned by: Illuminations / Channel 4, for the series "Ghosts in the Machine II"
