Giant Robot gets big

Giant Robot put the spotlight on Chow Yun Fat, Jackie Chan and Jet Li years before they were in mainstream America's vocabulary. But Giant Robot is much more than a promoter of Asian pop culture.

St. Paul, Minn. — If you know Giant Robot, you know it's almost impossible to define.

For some people, Giant Robot is where to find out about obscure bands and up-and-coming artists. For others, Giant Robot is the place to buy samurai figures and bonsai kits and the ever-popular Uglydolls.

Back in 1994, Giant Robot was a tiny zine that put the spotlight on Asian pop culture. But over the last 12 years, the Giant Robot brand has grown to include a gallery, a restaurant and a chain of retail stores.

DJ Mary Lucia sat down founders Eric Nakamura and Martin Wong to talk about the Giant Robot phenomenon.