Who's Who In The CBU Update 2008
Who are... Park and Barb?
Barbara Lien-Cooper writes the comic GUN STREET GIRL at Panel 2 Panel, was an original founder of Sequential Tart, is the managing editrix of the 2004 Eisner award-winning print magazine COMIC BOOK ARTIST, and was named by Mark Millar (The Authority, Ultimates, Wanted) as one of the three most promising new talents in the next wave of comics writing.
Park Cooper started writing about comics at the now-defunct DC FANZINE website.
Profiles In Manga, Part Three
By Park Cooper
Here we are at home... Barb's working on adapting Tokyopop's manga SATISFACTION GUARANTEED Volume 7... As you know from last month, I thought I'd give English-Language manga creators an opportunity to let you get to know them, and understand what makes them tick. Here are some more of the answers I've gotten so far...
Your name, your manga's title, and what your manga's about:
Che Gilson. Dark Moon Diary is about a girl named Priscilla Armitage. She is orphaned and goes to Europe at the invitation of her mother's estranged sister. When she arrives in the tiny country of Nachtwald she discovers that all the relatives on her mother's side are vampires, as indeed was her mother. A little something her mother bothered to mention. At its essence the story is about family and it's a classic fish out of water story.
What was the first anime you ever watched?
Robotech every day after school.
What was the first manga you ever read?
Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind, a real classic and the best graphic novel ever!
What was the first western comic you ever read?
ElfQuest.
What is your favorite anime?
That's tough. Everything by Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli is amazing. I also really enjoyed Sanurai Champloo and Gankutsuo The Count of Monte Christo. I watch a lot of anime and enjoy it a great deal.
What is your favorite manga?
Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind. But again hard to pick, I read so much!
What is your favorite western comic?
Right now I'm reading Desolation Jones and I like it a lot. I actually don't read a lot of comics.
What was the last comic or manga you read?
Blade of the Immortal and Peach Girl vol 8.
What was the last anime you watched (and was it any good)?
Yes, I just finished watching Peacemaker Kurogane, it's very good, well animated and very layered characters.
What is your definition of manga? How is manga different from western comics?
Well manga is from Japan for starters. What most sets it apart from western comics is 1) it has a large and financially secure publishing industry behind it that actively seeks new talent and mass markets it's book. 2) They come in all genres imaginable and there is a manga out there for everyone from school children to housewives to office workers.
What can western comics learn from the popularity of manga?
I don't think western comics have the infrastructure in order to even approach the success of manga in its native country. But western comics need to find and create new audiences and expand its genres in order to appeal to a wider market.
What are your current influences?
Gothic Lolita fashion is a major influence and I've been into it for about 5 years now. Although my wardrobe is lamentably small. I watch a lot of tv too and I read a great deal.
What are your current favorite websites?
I spend WAY too much time on Den of Angels, a ball joint doll community. I like livejournal as well- username spiderling and I've just joined a bid hand crafters site called Etsy were I have my own shop with art prints and bookmarks for sale http://wwhttp://www.Chehime.etsy.com/>www.Chehime.etsy.com.
What's your favorite movie, novel, and TV show?
Movie - Fight Club is one of my all-time favorites. Novel - The Scar by China Mieville is one of the greatest books ever I cannot recommend it enough. TV - hard to pick one but right now Supernatural hands down.
What was the path that led you to creating a Tokyopop manga?
Well that's a long story. I started out with another artist and we had intended to submit it too Image Comics but then he entered and placed in the first TOKYOPOP Rising Stars competition. He showed them what we were working on they liked it so we submitted it there.
Tell us about your background.
I come from Montana originally but I've lived in California for a long time. I went to SCAD but had to leave for health reasons. My first comic was Avigon drawn by Jimmie! Robinson which was published by Image Comics. That was followed by the sequel Avigon: Gods and Demons which is currently available at comic shops and online at Amazon.
What conventions will you be attending this year?
I will be at Fanime Con in San Jose over Memorial Day weekend and at Yaoicon in October.
Who's your (current) editor?
The very cool Troy Lewter!
How did you find your artist (if it isn't you)?
After the first artist quit I was sent samples of available artist who were without a project, and a few who were long shots and finally I decided on Brett and luckily he was free at the time and I got him.
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Your name, your manga's title, and what your manga's about:
Brett Uher, Dark Moon Diary. It's about a girl, who after losing her parents in an accident, moves to a European town to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousin who happen to be vampires.
What was the first anime you ever watched?
Robotech.
What was the first manga you ever read?
Ghost in the Shell by Masamune Shirow.
What was the first western comic you ever read?
An issue of Spider-man.
What is your favorite anime?
Cowboy Bebop.
What is your favorite manga?
Battle Angel Alita by Yukito Kishiro
What is your favorite western comic?
Ghost Rider.
What was the last comic or manga you read?
New Avengers.
What was the last anime you watched (and was it any good)?
Samurai Seven, and yes it was great.
What is your definition of manga? How is manga different from western comics?
I view both western and manga as comics. I know that there are
differences in style, format, and storytelling, but they both share the
same job of telling a story through visual means.
What can western comics learn from the popularity of manga?
I believe that both can learn things from each other. Neither way is perfect, but in the end it all comes down to whatever the reader wants to read.
What are your current influences?
Masamune Shirow and Mike Mignola.
What are your current favorite websites?
Don't really have one.
What's your favorite movie, novel, and TV show?
The Empire Strikes Back. Lonsome Dove, by Larry McMurtry. The Sopranos.
What was the path that led you to creating a Tokyopop manga?
Right now I'm just a hired gun (work for hire), but hopefully in the future...
Tell us about your background.
I was born and raised in Alaska. I started drawing in junior high, and in high school was exposed to manga and began drawing in that style. After high school, I attended and graduated from the Joe Kubert school of cartoon and graphic art in Dover, NJ. I returned to Eagle River, Alaska, where I currently live with my two ferrets, Optimus and Prime. My first published work was a short story in the 2004 Golddigger annual, titled Christmas Shopping. I'm a huge Transformers fan as well as a fan of Star Wars, Ghost Rider, NFL Football, and Aliens (the movies).
What conventions will you be attending this year?
Aurora-con, Anchorage, Alaska Sept, 23 2007.
Who's your (current) editor?
Troy Lewter.
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Your name, your manga's title, and what your manga's about:
Dan Hipp, GYAKUSHU!, A tale of bloody revenge set in a world of ice, death, swords and decapitation, HOORAY!!
What was the first anime you ever watched?
AKIRA, in 7th grade. I had no idea what I was watching, but I knew it was high-fivable (yes, high-fivable is an actual phrase....invented 10 seconds ago).
What was the first manga you ever read?
I have a hard time nailing down what the first might have been, but the
first that I really took seriously was AKIRA.
What was the first western comic you ever read?
Probably the Marvel Comics adaptation of The Empire Strikes Back, followed by a wide selection of old-school Marvel and DC. Pretty much any re-print comics they had stocked at the local library.
What is your favorite anime?
Show: Cowboy Bebop.
Movie: AKIRA
What is your favorite manga?
AKIRA, no doubt.
What is your favorite western comic?
Hellboy (when Mignola's doing it).
What was the last comic or manga you read?
Comic: Pirates of Coney Island, ARRR!!!
Manga: Scott Pilgrim (assuming that counts).
What was the last anime you watched (and was it any good)?
I showed some of the first Cowboy Bebop episodes to a high school art class I teach. AND IT WAS BLOODY GOOD, HIGH FIVES!!!
What is your definition of manga? How is manga different from western
comics?
Uh-oh, this is dangerous water to be treading in, as I know that the manga vs. comics elitist-sharks out there will cut me if I get this wrong. MY answer is that there are differences here and there, whether it be in the format, style, or narrative, but at the end of the day it's all story-telling and people should just focus on whether or not the story is a successful one. Of course I'm sure that answer pisses off someone somewhere, but HEY, we're all on the same team here.
What can western comics learn from the popularity of manga?
Maybe that there IS an audience out there beyond the sacred 18-35 year old market. Of course I have no idea how to tap into that, so I'm useless.
What are your current influences?
The Sergio Leone spaghetti westerns, Miyazaki anime, movies in general and a sweet, sweet helping of illustrated timber!
What are your current favorite websites?
I'll do my daily checks of Ain't It Cool and try to check in every so often on the blogs of my favorite creators. I try not to spend that much time online, but I love that you can check and see what everyone else is up to through their blogs. Oh yes, and myspace, but that's evil, EEE-VELLL!!!
What's your favorite movie, novel, and TV show?
The Empire Strikes Back, Frankenstein and Lost.
What was the path that led you to creating a Tokyopop manga?
I'd heard some swell things about Tokyopop as a company and they seemed like the perfect fit for the story I wanted to tell, in the format I wanted to tell it in. Turns out I was right, MORE HIGH FIVES!!
Tell us about your background.
I live in Southern California, where I went to school (UCI) and played too much water polo while not making enough art. That led to me spending a few years as a high school art teacher, while slowly getting my art skills in the shape they needed to be in to mount the art attack I'd been envisioning since birth. Of course along the way I accidentally fell in love with teaching, so I try to get back into the classroom whenever I can.
What conventions will you be attending this year?
COMIC-CON!!!
Who's your (current) editor?
The Terrific, Tantalizing, Tenacious Troy Lewter!
How did you find your artist (if it isn't you)?
It TOTALLY IS ME, HOORAY!!!
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Your name, your manga's title, and what your manga's about:
My Name is Mara Aum, I work primarily as a toner and inker at the moment. My last big project was Dark Moon Dairy volume 1 (which I inked and toned). It will be out later this year. I've worked on other projects mostly as a toner, like Sea Princess Azuri volume 1. I will be toning Volume 2. I also am the Penciler, Inker, & Toner of a Manga done in conjunction with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. It was for a girl who survived brain cancer named Tessa Weyh. She wanted her fantasy short story, Reign Over Destiny, turned into a comic. I was overjoyed to be picked to turn that story into a 20 page online Comic for her for TokyoPop.
What was the first anime you ever watched?
I grew up in two countries, here and Venezuela. So my first exposure to Japanese cartoons were in Spanish. I watched Robotech, Candy Candy, & Astro Boy. When I got older, and I understood what Anime was, the Animes that gripped me to become a fan was Ranma 1/2 & Fushigi Yuugi.
What was the first manga you ever read?
I used to get manga in the original Japanese for the longest time. I couldn't read them but I could get text translations online. So I would have to read the text online and then look at the page it corresponded to, lol. The first manga I did this with was Fushigi Yuugi. But the first official English translated Manga was Ranma 1/2.
What was the first western comic you ever read?
I think it was X-Men. However, the first comic that gripped me was ElfQuest by Wendy & Richard Pini.
What is your favorite anime?
I don't watch much anime anymore, mostly a straight Manga reader these days. So I guess it's still Fushigi Yuugi.
What is your favorite manga?
That changes often, lol. Right now it is Vampire Knight. I am also an avid collector of Fruits Basket, Kare Kano, Hot Gimmick, & Ouran Host Club.
What is your favorite western comic?
As far as superheroes are concerned, I'm a Flash girl all the way!! But I also like comics like Sandman, Fables, & ElfQuest.
What was the last comic or manga you read?
That would be Stardust, a western comic put out my Vertigo. As for Manga that was Vampire Knight.
What was the last anime you watched (and was it any good)?
I was watching Samurai 7 on IFC. I really enjoyed it. Though I think it sort of took some of the bite out of the original Kurosawa movie is was based on.
What is your definition of manga? How is manga different from western
comics?
Manga is a style. When one sees Manga art one can identify it as such. It is much less than the "Big Eyes and small mouths" thing most people credit it with. There are plenty of manga that don't follow that rule, such as Sanctuary. There is an openness of the art that you only see in western art in extreme cartoony styles. Manga is an embrace of the cartoon. However, what really differentiates Manga from the west is the format. Not only the smaller volume size but also the storytelling, the way the comics are placed on a page. The famous ironclad grid of the west is only an illusion in manga. They break the rules of western storytelling giving manga a fast pace and decompressed storytelling. It's meant to be fast.
What can western comics learn from the popularity of manga?
They need to realize that girls are a viable market in comics. They need to stop insisting that girls won't buy comics. They will, Manga proves that. They just need to start making comics that appeal to the fairer sex.
What are your current influences?
Ai Yazawa, Matsuri Hino, Wendy Pini, Hal Foster, Al Williamson & Frank Frazetta.
What are your current favorite websites?
I mostly haunt Deviant Art these days.
What's your favorite movie, novel, and TV show?
At the present, my favorite movie is Superman Returns. My favorite read is definitely Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, but I also like Harry Potter, but only in soft cover, lol. My Favorite TV is a three way tie between Heroes, Doctor Who (the new seasons) & Battlestar Galatica (the new series).
What was the path that led you to creating a Tokyopop manga?
TokyoPop came to my college at Savannah College of Art and Design. They liked my work and asked me to submit to the. As soon as I graduated I did so. While I was waiting to hear back from them, a classmate of mine, Erica Reis needed an additional toner for her book Sea Princess Azuri. She dropped my name and I got the job. I finished the book quickly and skillfully. They were impressed with me so I got additional work and still work steadily for them to this day.
Tell us about your background.
I was born in Venezuela South America. My mother is American and my father is Venezuelan. I grew up mostly in the US in the Chicagoland area. I attended Savannah College of Art & Design where I graduated Suma Cum Laude with a Bachelors in Fine Art in the major of Sequential Art. Sequential Art is the study of doing comics. I'm a workaholic and am always working on something, be it professionally or personally. I currently live on the east coast.
What conventions will you be attending this year?
I Hope to got to Otaku Con and Wizard World Chicago. I grew up in Chicago so I try to go every year, give back to my con.
Who's your (current) editor?
My Current Editor is the wonderful Troy Lewter.
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Your name, your manga's title, and what your manga's about:
Phil Amara, Cross-Eyed Dragon, a magical 19th century adventure story about British girl and Japanese boy that grew up in eachother's culture and refusal to return the lands they were born in, but that they no nostalgia. Instread, they opt for a life ont he high seas helping a mysterious man in black find a treasure that will make them legends or doom them all.
What was the first anime you ever watched?
Speed Racer. "Watch out, Chim-Chim!"
What was the first manga you ever read?
Not sure. Watched a lot of Battle of the Planets, Starblazers and Force Five, but the comics influence was American then.
What was the first western comic you ever read?
Robot Fighter.
What is your favorite anime?
Totoro, far and away, but I'm also a fan of Evangelion, Naruto and Samurai Champloo. Shin-chan is a riot!
What is your favorite manga?
Don't know if I have a favorite book as much as artist. On the classic side, I of course like Tezuka, Takahashi, Fujiko Fujio, and Toriyama. On the 'style' side, I like Range Murata, Kuroboshi (The Beautiful World) and Tatsuyuki Tanaka.
What is your favorite western comic?
No clear choice. Freakin' huge fan of Little Nemo and The Spirit, but also love Flaming Carrot and Reid Fleming.
What was the last comic or manga you read?
My buddy Craig Thompson's roughs for Habibi, but it hasn't come out yet.
What was the last anime you watched (and was it any good)?
I can't get enough of Miyazaki. I have a boxed set, and I just keep watching them over and over.
What is your definition of manga? How is manga different from western comics?
Aside from the wide eyes and sharp chins? Heh. It's as different as Italian and Spanish.
What can western comics learn from the popularity of manga?
Subject matter. I once heard Brooklyn described as dangerous, not deadly. Mainstream western comics have an unbelievable amount of violence. Manga doesn't.
What are your current influences?
Leonardo Da Vinci and Monty Python.
What are your current favorite websites?
Wikipedia!!! I'm an info junky.
What's your favorite movie, novel, and TV show?
This maybe change slightly from time to time but...
The Day the Earth Stood Still, Robert Cormier's I Am the Cheese, and WWE Smackdown.
What was the path that led you to creating a Tokyopop manga?
Living in Japan for a year and absorbing as much culture as my brain would hold. Then spitting it out into puzzle pieces and trying to form it into a coherent story.
Tell us about your background.
Let's just say, in humility, that I'm an eternal student of the greatest storytelling medium invented. Anyone that wants all my boring bio stuff can Google me. ^_^
What conventions will you be attending this year?
Comiket in Tokyo.
Who's your (current) editor?
Troy Lewter! The Man! The Myth! The Machine? Only his mechanic knows...
Half Dead update: I often hear about Half Dead being sold out at comic book stores these days -- just ask the store to order a copy for you. Since the distribution is through Marvel, they should be able to get it for you quite quickly (especially if we're talking about North America).
http://www.panel2panel.com/gsg-archives.html
http://www.wickermanstudios.com
http://www.halfdeadcomic.com
http://www.comicspace.com/wickermanstudios