Eric Nakamura

Eric Nakamura is a Japanese American magazine publisher, gallerist, and entrepreneur. He is the co-founder of Giant Robot, owner of the Giant Robot store and GR2 Gallery, and curator of the Giant Robot Biennales and other museum exhibitions.^[1]

Early life and education

Publisher Nakamura grew up in the Sawtelle, Los Angeles area. He attended Palisades High School and later Santa Monica College, where he'd work with the Palisadian-Post as their only photographer.

Nakamura attended UCLA, graduating in 1993 with a degree in East Asian Studies.^[2]

Career

After graduation, Nakamura worked at VideoGames & Computer Entertainment shortly before starting Giant Robot.^[3]

In 1994, he founded Giant Robot, which began as a self-published magazine and grew into a widely circulated bi-monthly magazine about Asian pop culture.^[1] In 2001, he opened the first Giant Robot store in Los Angeles.^[2] The magazine ceased publication in February 2011, but Nakamura continued publication through the curation of several Giant Robot Biennales at the Japanese American National Museum^[4] and the SuperAwesome: Art and Giant Robot exhibition at the Oakland Museum of California Art.^[5]

Nakamura opened Asian fusion restaurant gr/eats^[6] in 2005.^[7][8][9] It had an almost seven year run^[10] in Sawtelle, Los Angeles, right by their physical Giant Robot store.^[7][8]