Misako Rocks!
The Japanese artist imports 2-D cuteness and sexiness to the Midwest
By Jen Ng
Published: January 25th, 2006 | 5:58pm
In a less-than-distant past, Hello Kitty and Sailor Moon paraphernalia resided as comfortable neighbors on store shelves. The '90s were memorable for the unabashed, Japanese plush characters of explosive cuteness that bombarded novelty gift shops in cities nationwide. Around the same time, shows like Dragonball Z and Pokémon were the cartoons of choice among children. Then, slowly, graphic novels of such characters found a home in comic stores and chain retailers. An emergence of graphic Japanese culture was popping up on television and in literature — and it is still propagating. Among one of the burgeoning forms of graphic literature is manga, a genre heavily endorsed by children, and has inspired filmmaker Quentin Tarantino as well as turned him into a manga devotee.
Originating in Japan, the manga we're familiar with has been around since the mid-20th century, used as a vehicle for storytelling through illustrated panels in novel or magazine format. The characters are silhouetted in simple lines, adorned with gigantic eyes, demanding to be looked at from right to left. They're cute and coy, oftentimes expressive and animated.
Meet Misako Rocks! Originally from a town outside of Tokyo, Japan, the 28-year-old self-taught cartoonist has ventured through life as a puppeteer, a Japanese hip-hop artist, and drawing instructor. Rock!’s American career jumpstarted when she was assigned to draw sexy illustrations to accompany Dan Savage’s “Savage Love” column in the Onion starting sometime in 2002. Since then, she's signed two book deals with Hyperion Books, and three with Henry Holt and Company. In spring 2005, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) came to Madison, Wisconsin (where she currently resides), to film her for a documentary special on manga artists. The New York Times also dubbed her as “the first original manga artist in the U.S.”
When did you start drawing?
I started drawing when I was 2 or 3 years old [at school]. I remember that I used to draw on the back of test papers! I grew up with manga, so I used manga as my textbook. I have never been to art school.
Where do the ideas for your stories come from?
My first big book, Biker Girl, due out in June of 2006, is based on my imagination and my experiences. A few years ago, I worked at the Children's Museum in Madison, and while I was at work, I did some doodles. I combined magic bicycles and my own experiences riding bikes. I am not good at bicycling. I sometimes fall down and don't pay attention to signals. I know, I am bad! So I made up a bike hero who fights with the Bike Gang.
The second book is based on my true, dramatic love story, called Rock ‘n’ Roll Love. It will totally make you cry!
As for the third book, Detective Jermain, I used one of my girlfriends as a model. It is about a high school detective story. This book will be part of a series.
You also have this alter ego of being the “Savage Love” cartoonist. What is it like illustrating the column, and what was your experience of meeting Dan Savage like?
It's definitely fun. But I often need English vocabulary help. I met him once. He seemed to be surprised that I drew for his column. He said that he gets a lot of fan mail about my cartoons, because readers want to know who draws for "Savage Love.” He e-mailed me and told me that he loves my cartoon a lot! He is a very sweet person.
How do parents react when they discover that some of your work is sexually explicit, such as the drawings for "Savage Love?"
I don't know how they are going to react. I think that parents who read "Savage Love" are open-minded and understanding about sex, don't you think? As a medium, manga also has more freedom to express sex, but comics in the U.S. have limits, so I have to be careful about that. I would like to show love through my manga to give readers ideas about how relationships work.
How would you say your work differs from other manga-ka (manga artists)?
I use Japanese calligraphy pens because they’re so smooth. When I was a kid, I took private calligraphy lessons for a while, so they are easy for me to use. Usually, manga in Japan is drawn with thinner pens. I order manga papers online and buy in Japan. I used to do airbrushing for colored pages, but now I use the computer a lot.
What do you see manga as a vehicle for?
First, it is not only for children. I hear a lot of people saying that manga is for kids, especially here. In Japan, all ages read manga. There are so many dramas, actions, adventures, and horror stories. One small-sized novel can sometimes influence people's ideas about life. I don't think that people grow up because they read manga, but we can see another world through a story. It gives an excitement.
You were recently in a BBC documentary that gave spotlight to manga culture.
It was so much fun! Five people from London came to film me for four days. I usually don't get nervous in front of people, so I was very comfortable talking to and being filmed by them. I became good friends with two members of the crew: the producer and director.
I also performed for the documentary. Sometimes I do Japanese hip-hop. I wouldn’t call myself a musician, but I like to give people a fun time with my funny brand of hip-hop. It was the first night with the BBC crew and they were tired when they got into Madison, but it seemed to make them laugh a lot.
Is there a difference between graphic-novel culture in Japan and the United States?
Comics in the U.S. tell stories through actions, and manga is more about storytelling. But now, graphic novels in the U.S. have more complicated dramas like manga. Also, panel-works between the Japanese and U.S. comics are totally different. Manga has more a random panel order compared to U.S. comics.
Why do you think people should read manga?
Manga definitely has dramatic expression — that's why it catches readers' interests. Sometimes it is so realistic that readers feel as if they are the characters. People can also get a more cohesive picture of Japanese culture.
To learn more about Misako Rocks!, check out misakorocks.com
Pre-orders for Biker Girl available on amazon.com
Issue #26
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