11/5/03

Interview with Comic World News

CWN - What inspirations did you draw on for your work when you did your submissions for TOKYOPOP?

LC - I have two pet ferrets that have done so many crazy things that I have a seemingly endless list of material to work with. Since they make for funny and interesting subject matter, and also because I've never seen another comic quite like it, it seemed like a good idea to pursue.

CWN - Did you think you'd have a shot at winning the 2nd Rising Stars of Manga contest when you first sent in your submission sometime back? And how did you learn that you won?

LC - I felt fairly confident that I had a good shot of at least placing as a runner up, and I had plenty of support from friends and family to back that up. But since judging art can be a very subjective process, all I could do was send off my entry and hope for the best. The funny thing is, I put delivery confirmation on the package when I sent off my submission to be extra safe, and every time I checked to see if my comic had been received, I was told that no one had been there to accept the package and that it was sitting in the post office unclaimed. This was still the case a week after the deadline, so with much disappointment, I pretty much assumed that my entry never made it into Tokyopop's hands. I had almost completely forgotten about the RSoM contest by the time Tokyopop contacted me, so imagine my surprise when I got the big congratulatory phone call from them informing me that I was one of the finalists!

CWN - Now that you've won, do you have any plans to expand on this victory and perhaps make a career of being in the manga business?

LC - Yes, it's always been my dream to break into the comic industry. I've been working towards this goal for years, practicing and working on improving my artistic abilities. So I'm definitely going to continue pushing forward to make sure that my career as a manga artist doesn't end here.

CWN - Despite the fact that you won the contest, in retrospect, if you could go back and maybe tweak an idea or a part of the book that didn't quite come out the way you wanted it to, would you?

LC - Sure, there are a couple areas in the comic where the screen tone seems too dark that I'd like to go back and lighten up. Just a small thing, really.

CWN - Last contest offered it's winners (Clint Bickham and Priscilla Hamby (Devil's Candy)) a chance to pitch their title to TOKYOPOP as a regular series. Is the same offer on the table for you as winner, and if so what do you think you're odds are of getting TOKYOPOP interested in your title as a regular series published by them? Also, if TOKYOPOP passes do you have plans to shop around with PEACH FUZZ and find it a home to publish from?

LC - Jared and I have already been discussing the prospects of a Peach Fuzz graphic novel with Tokyopop, and are currently preparing our Peach Fuzz presentation package for them to review. That's all I can say about that at this time. Cross your fingers and wish us luck. ^_- As far as shopping around with Peach Fuzz, well, that all depends on what happens with Tokyopop.

--- David Rasmussen
www.comicworldnews.com