ROCKETMAN

In 2010, Ryo Fukawa celebrated the tenth anniversary of ROCKETMAN, his music project. His first cousin Tetsuo Hara gave him a portrait as ROCKETMAN, muscular, in a white cape, with ornate glasses and an “R” on his chest, fist raised in front of rockets. The drawing became the sleeve of the digital album 『dancemusic』 on 21 July 2010, then the back cover of the best-of 『thank you for the music!』 on 4 August. Hara said he drew it specially because they are cousins. He pictured a usually rather feeble-looking Fukawa who becomes powerful and a little macho as ROCKETMAN, with a strangely unsettling gaze. Fukawa explained that Hara gladly accepted a request he had resolved to make only once in his life, and was delighted to have worked with him not as a cousin, but as a fellow creator.

A drawing of encouragement in 2004

As early as 25 September 2004, on the programme Bakusho Mondai no Bakuten! (爆笑問題のバク天!, TBS), Hara sent a drawing of encouragement to his cousin, who was trying to play “猫踏んじゃった” blindfolded to win back his place among the regulars.